Recording rock concerts can be a hit or miss proposition. Sometimes the elements are just right for a taper to pull a perfect recording. Other times various factors lead to a tinny tape that just isn’t worth the trouble. Often new sources of a show turn up that puts what you have in your collection to shame.

This week’s Grousing The Aisles looks at a couple of recordings that are huge upgrades over the sources that previously circulated. One of the shows took place last month, while we recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the other concert. Let’s jump in…

Phish 12/30/1997 FOB DAUD [FLAC, MP3 Pt.1 Pt.2]

December 30 was always a special day for a Phish show, but the concert the band played on that date in 1997 was some next level shit. The band blew past the union deadline by nearly an hour, during which they staged the best encore they ever played. Up until now mediocre sounding audience recordings were the only way to hear the madness that ensued that evening. Just this week an incredible version of this concert finally surfaced over at bt.etree offering a listening experience that put me right back in the world’s greatest arena. Read on for more about this show, a Mars Volta bootleg and links to five terrific soundboards…

The taper who provided this source snuck his ass close to the stage, and recorded the show FOB (Front of Board.) FOB tapes generally sound much clearer than Taper’s Section recordings, but these tapes offer a vast improvement upon what was out there before. Just throw on a pair of headphones, close your eyes and listen to a few fiesty vets in the crowd erupt when the band starts the first Sneakin’ Sally in nearly a decade.

Sure, we’d really love to have an official release of this show from Live Phish, but with all the covers they played that’s probably never gonna happen. For now this A+ sounding recording is a must have in any Phish fan’s collection.

The Mars Volta 1/31/2008 FM Remaster [FLAC, MP3 Pt. 1 Pt. 2]

Photo by DanFun

The Mars Volta broadcast a full concert over the radio for the first time in their career last month. There were a few flaws with the resulting broadcast, but luckily an intrepid taper has remastered the original recording with great success.

I’ve really been enjoying The Bedlam in Goliath, so I was excited to finally add a live TMV show to my collection. The taper felt the band sounded like “Rush might if they bought/snorted a mountain of speed and became possessed by The Devil.” I couldn’t have described their sound any better myself. Stand out tracks include the psychedelic Metatron and the jaw-dropping Day of the Baphomets that ended the show.

Here are five other must-download shows that surfaced this week:

What’s been playin’ on your iPod this week? Let us know by leaving a comment below…