Various Artists - Tibetan Freedom Concert

The Tibetan Freedom Concert was the largest rock charity event of 1997, a two-day event held in June that featured many of the biggest names in rock and rap. Appropriately, it was filmed and recorded with the intention of being released later in the year as a charity record. The triple-disc set The Tibetan Freedom Concert is the extraordinary document of that weekend, containing one perofrmance apiece from the 36 artists that appeared at the concert. As expected with any charity album this size, there's a fair amount of filler on the album, as well as a number of missed opportunities -- for instance, Noel Gallagher's solo electric reading of "Cast No Shadow" would have been more affecting on an acoustic, while the Mighty Mighty Bosstones simply sound out of place. Fortunately, these are exceptions to the rule -- there's a lot of wonderful music here, including the Jon Spencer Blues' Explosion's frenetic "Blues Explosion Man," Radiohead's stark, gorgeous "Fake Plastic Trees," Biz Markie's wild medley, Pavement's shambling epic "Type Slowly," Lee Perry's "Heads of Government," Blur's haunting "Beetlebum," Bjork performing "Hyper-Ballad" with a string quartet, Rancid saluting Jimmy Cliff with "The Harder They Come," Cibo Matto's "Birthday Cake," Beck's "Asshole" and and the Beastie Boys' raucous "Root Down." These moments where were it was at musically during the weekend, even if there were some other great perofrmances -- part of the fun of this kind of package is to sit down and find the hidden gems and a set as extensive as Tibetan Freedom Concert certinaly has a number of gems that makes the album worhwhile. Besides, it's for a very good cause and it's budget-priced, making it something of a bargain. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits A Tribe Called Quest Performer A.W.O.L. ? Aaron Terry Photography Adam Clayton Bass, ? Alanis Morissette Performer, Guitar, Vocals Alex James Bass Andy VanDette Mastering Basil Photography Beastie Boys Performer Beck ?, Performer Ben Carr ? Ben Harper Guitar, Vocals, Performer Biz Markie Performer Björk Vocals, Performer Blur Performer Bono ?, Guitar, Vocals Brad Wilk Drums Brett Reed Drums Chapman Baehler Photography Chris Chaney Bass Christopher Shaw ?, Artwork Chukie Tethong Vocals Cibo Matto Performer Colin Greenwood Bass Consequence ? Cool V ? Dadon Performer Dadon Dawadolma Vocals Danny Clinch ?, Photography Danny Madorsky Mixing Assistant Darrell Leonard Trumpet Dave Grohl Guitar, Vocals Dave Rowntree Drums David Hillyard Sax (Tenor) David Leach Percussion David Sutton Bass De La Soul Performer Dean Butterworth Drums Demetreos Stamos Bass Dennis Brockenborough Trombone, ? Denny Freeman Guitar Deodato Conductor, Arranger Diana Gutkind Keyboards Dicky Barrett Vocals DJ Hurricane ? Ed Brachfeld Photography Ed O'Brien Guitar, Voices Eddie Vedder Performer, Vocals Eric Haze ?, Logo Errol Nicolson Guitar Fitzroy Brown Bass Foo Fighters Performer Gary Novak Percussion, Drums George Shaw ?, Graphic Design Graham Coxon Guitar, Vocals Greg Calbi Mastering Harper Performer Howie Weinberg Mastering Ian C. Rogers CD-ROM Production Jay Blakesberg Photography Jay Dee Daugherty Drums Jay-Day Dancer Jeff Baker Trombone Jim Evans Creative Director Joe Gittleman Bass Joe Sirois Drums Joe Sublett Saxophone John Ackerly Photography John Harris Engineer John Popper Harmonica Jon Spencer Guitar, Vocals Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Performer Jonathan Hoare Photography Jonny Greenwood Guitar, Synthesizer Piano Judah Bauer Guitar Julie Panebianco Executive Producer Karma Gyaltsen Dranyem Kathryn Culley Photography Kenny Parker DJ, Vocals Keva Vocals (Background) Kevin Lenear Saxophone Kiino Villand Photography, ? Kim Gordon Bass Kooster McAllister Engineer KRS-One Group, Vocals Larry Fulcher Bass Larry Mullen, Jr. Drums Lars Frederiksen Vocals, Guitar Lauryn Hill ? Lee "Scratch" Perry Performer, Vocals Lee Ranaldo Guitar Lenny Kaye Guitar Leo Rossi Post Production, Mastering Liz Johnson Photography Lobsang Gendun Bells London Dancer Mace ? Mad Professor Effects, Performer Maria Ma Production Coordination Mario Caldato, Jr. ? Mark Bell Programming Mark Ibold ? Marq Lyn Vocals (Background) Martyn Lenoble Bass Masanori Shimozato Design Matt Freeman Vocals, Bass MCA Liner Notes Michael Stipe Performer, Vocals Mick Weaver Organ, Piano Miho Hatori Vocals Mike D Vocals Mike McCready Performer, Guitar Mike Mills Performer, Piano Mike Tauber Photography Mike Zimmer Keyboards Miranda Arana Flute Mos Def Vocals Namgyal Lhamo Vocals Nate Albert Guitar Nate Mendel Bass Nathaniel Hörnblower Executive Producer Nawang Khechog Performer, Multi Instruments Nick Lashley Guitar Noel Gallagher Performer, ? Noel Salmon Keyboards Oliver Ray Guitar Pat Smear Guitar Patrick McCarthy Producer, Mixing Patti Smith Vocals, Performer Paul Hastings Programming Paul Parkin Vocals (Background) Pavement Performer Perry Farrell Vocals Peter DiStefano Guitar Peter Spear Photography Phantom Blues Band Performer Phife Dawg ? Phil Selway Drums Phurbu Tsering Dranyem Porno for Pyros Performer Prince Strickland Mixing Assistant, Mixing Q-Tip ? Radiohead Performer Rage Against the Machine Performer Rancid Performer Richard Sidwell Trumpet Robert Jarzbeck Keyboards Robert Russell Bennett Concert Coordinator, ? Robotiks Performer Russell Simins Drums Scott Kannberg ? Sean Lennon Bass Sinclair Seales Drums Sonam Tashu Dranyem Sonic Youth Performer Stephen Malkmus ?, Guitar (Electric), Vocals Stephen Perkins Drums Steve Shelley Drums Summer Forest Hoeckel Photography Sylvia Massy ?, Producer, Mixing Taj Mahal Performer, Vocals, Guitar Taylor Hawkins Drums Techung Piwang The Edge Guitar, Vocals The Fugees Performer The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Performer The Nice Dancer Thom Yorke Voices, Guitar Thomas "Snake" Johnson Sampling Thurston Moore Guitar Tim Armstrong Vocals, Guitar Tim Burton Saxophone Tim Commerford Bass Tina Harris Photography Tom Morello Guitar Tony Braunagel Drums, ? Tony Shanahan Bass Trevor Holder Drums U2 Performer Victor Ruggiero Organ Wharton Tiers Mixing Will Vocals (Background) Wyclef Jean ? Yoshi Shimada Drums Yuka Honda Vocals, Keyboards Yungchen Lhamo Performer, ?