Simple Minds In the Beginning, Today

Occasionally there comes a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness a moment in music history – to revisit the past or celebrate the present success of a major band. Last month at the London Roundhouse theater one of those chances came when we saw Simple Minds perform five tracks from each of their first five records- the 5X5 tour. The show was spectacular, with singer Jim Kerr’s voice in great shape, backed by original guitarist Charlie Burchill, and drummer Mel Gaynor joined by tight backing bass and keys. As promised five tracks from each of their earliest work were performed, highlighting these early, darker, more experimental albums. As presented at the Roundhouse, the band breathed new life into these early songs, so loved by their core fans, and so different from their later rock-oriented work.

In the states, Simple Minds were not well known until and after their fifth album, 1982′s brilliant,  New Gold Dream, which included the singles “Promised You a Miracle” and “Glittering Prize”. It wasn’t until later in 1985 that the band had their first and only #1 single in the states with “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” recorded for the John Hughes film “The Breakfast Club.” Unlike their more commercially successful Irish brethren U2, the Scottish band Simple Minds were prone to more challenging, rambling, avant-garde sounds, presented live by the writhe Kerr. Something about the way Jim fronted this band always appealed to me – he darts in and around the beat, often departing from traditional verse-chorus-verse structures into something like scat punctuated by anthemic calls. Much less direct than U2 and more interesting to these ears. The early work attracted a core of fans, then growing a stronger following in the arena-rock mid 80′s period. Their post-80′s work saw a decline of interest in the US, though they remain ever popular in Europe.

The show was made up from only the band’s first five early releases. These albums include 1979′s Life in a Day which broke the band, and was part of the post-punk period. Their second release, also from 1979, Real to Real Cacophony veered into moodier territory, showing off the first of their works driven by minimalist song cycles driven and often fronted by the bass and drum. This was highlighted by the driving tracks “Premonition” and “Changeling.” Their next release Empires and Dance from 1980 incorporated elements of Euro-trance and art-rock typified live by the excellent “Celebrate.” The best of their earliest work comes form 1981′s Sister Feelings Call and Sons and Fascination. These two albums were recorded during the same sessions with progressive rock veteran Steve Hillage and feature “Love Song” and for me the best track of the night “70 Cities as Love Brings the Fall” – a brooding, psychedelic song cycle that predicted the trance movement. Last but not least we heard five from 1982′s “New Gold Dream” with standout track “Hunter and the Hunted.”

The thing that was surprising for me was how fresh and current it all sounded. Possibly skewed by my love of the work, yes, but all in all an incredible night that was a thrill to experience.

Is it Real? It is The Musical Box

It is Real

It is Rael

So ends the double album epic by the band Genesis, titled “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” This 1974 release was the last record Genesis created with lead vocalist Peter Gabriel who wrote the story and most of the lyrics to tell the tale of Rael, a street punk who is mysteriously plucked from the streets of New York city to unwillingly inhabit and then transcend an underworld filled with personal challenges, freaks, creatures, and his own alter-ego, brother John. The Lamb was a true concept album, and the tour to support it was conceived as “rock theater” complete with bits of narration, a three screen slide show with over 1,000 images, costumes, props, and lighting effects. It was staged only 102 times, seen by few of the bands eventual followers, and was utterly unique in the world of rock ‘n roll.

Several “classic rock” artists between 1967-1979 wrote concept albums, meant to be taken as “rock opera” or at least as something approaching theater. The Beatles “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” was taken as a concept album, and though in reality a loose collection of individual tracks, set the tone for the form as it would be attempted within the rock framework. The Who‘s famous double album epic “Tommy” established the potential of rock theater even though it was not staged as such at the time. Seek out the Isle of Wight show by the Who from that era and while you will find their lead singer’s delivery forceful, there are no literal theatrical elements. At the time many rock bands, from the Who to Queen, Yes, and others, incorporated some elements of storytelling and some physical or projected imagery into their shows, but generally did not have sets and a cohesive presentation approaching Broadway theater. The lead vocalists from these bands were revered for emotive presentation of the individual songs, and were lauded for as expressive a presentation as possible.  Theatrical yes, theater no.

Enter Genesis, with Gabriel as lead vocalist, who had been donning costumes and acting out bit parts during their concerts since 1971. The Lamb was the logical extension of this approach, painstakingly assembled by Gabriel while secluded from the band, who wrote the music and worked to patch everything together with added lyrics and transitions. The end result is an oblique tale of Rael’s experiences in a “parallel universe”, which might be akin to “purgatory” or a waiting room between this life and the next. In order to escape from or transcend this realm, Rael survives a series of vignettes echoing the human experiences of imprisonment, helplessness, sexuality, disease, betrayal and despair. However one interprets the story and lyrics in the first two acts, the last is slightly more clear – Rael sacrifices his own interests to save his brother John, who then morphs into and merges with Rael himself. The union then frees Rael to become part of “it” which is here, now, and everywhere, ending the story on a spiritual plane. Did Rael die and finally make his way out of “hell?” Did he become a supreme being himself? Or, was the tale just Rael’s dream depicting the battle of good vs. evil raging in his own soul. This became the grist for many debates among fans of early Genesis, most of whom consider it to be the band’s masterwork, despite it’s acknowledged flaws.

The production was staged in as grand a way as possible at the time, yet within the confines of a rock quintet presenting the material on stage. A slide show unfolds across three screens, allowing for over a thousand images to tumble by – some with artists renderings but most via photographs, presented as a running storyboard for the play. Gabriel was the only member of the band to “act out” the story, spending much of his time dressed as Rael, and hitting a high water mark after climbing into a bulbous rubber suit to depict the diseased “Slipperman” character. The show was presented 102 times, and besides a few short 8mm clips, it was never filmed. The specter of Gabriel being considered to be “the band” itself and probably the realization that this Lamb was as far as their brand of rock theater could go, led to Gabriel’s subsequent departure.

Other progressive and classic rock bands at the time penned concept albums, but this Broadway melody was unlike any other – surreal, strange, and reaching high for meaning and impact. It’s not easy listening -later work written after Phil Collins took over vocal duties in addition to his role as drummer were much more accessible, and include top ten hits approaching “easy listening.” Any remnants of Gabriel or Collins acting out characters were gone by the 1980′s. Over the last dozen or so years, several tribute bands have attempted to recreate the experience of seeing Genesis live with Peter Gabriel. One such tribute band, “The Musical Box” officially obtained the 24 track master tapes from the Lamb recordings, along with the slides from the actual show. They worked for almost a year to rebuild the staging elements, costumes, and even instruments from the time, many of which were no longer available. Their production of TLLDOB has been staged before, and is now back, with dates planned around the world. If you have any affinity for the challenging music of early Genesis, and want to take a journey back in time to experience this bit of rock theater, it’s highly recommended. You will get a bit of the real, and the Rael.

Black Dub Blues

Been a bit tardy in writing up reviews for the first part of 2011, due in no small part to the fact that I’ve taken on the role of CIO at Splunk, and having a great time focusing on all that entails. The other factor is that we have not been fortunate to catch many great shows since the new year. However, one of the best was seeing Black Dub on January 31, 2011, at the Independent in San Francisco. As they are coming back to the Fillmore on May 29, here is a recommendation.

Black Dub is a collaboration between Daniel Lanois (guitar, vocals), Trixie Whitley (vocals, drums, etc.) Brian Blade (drums) and Daryl Johnson (bass, vocals) resulting in a concoction of smoky blues and rhythm directly descended from the original form. Trixie is the daughter of the late guitarist Chris Whitley, and she is a revelation – a powerhouse vocalist, drummer, and overall multi-instrumentalist. For anyone not familiar, Daniel Lanois is the famed producer for Peter Gabriel, U2, Bob Dylan, and many other imaginative artists, and as a solo artist, he has released several stunning albums, most notably his first two releases and the soundtrack for the movie “Sling Blade.”  Lanois music traverses rock, jazz, soul and most often Cajun blues. His first recording, 1989′s Acadie, is a masterwork that should be in every music fan’s library.

As the leader of Black Dub, Daniel’s role is more as an equal member of the band.  Trixie is the perfect foil for him, pulling both into a darker angrier blues, and then back to happy, almost joyous tracks, while keeping the unit from drifting off into excess. Brian and Daryl are accomplished musicians in their own right, and together establish a propulsive foundation for the inventive soundscapes. The extremes make the overall work very dynamic, and best heard live. The band was incredibly tight throughout, and covered two standout solo tracks from Lanois’ first two solo albums. Daniel played a third track as a solo on pedal steel guitar – an unearthly, and beautiful ambient piece from 2005′s Grammy nominated Belladonna.

If this sort of blues makes you happy, or maybe just a bit sad, you’ll want to experience this stellar band live.

Suzanne Vega at the Palace

After so many years, we finally decided to see Suzanne Vega play live, at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco. Though I have been a fan of her brilliant poetry and soft folk whisper on record for years, the few live broadcasts I saw of her seemed lacking in personality. Apparently these were poor showings because at the palace last month Suzanne was funny, engaging and of very strong voice in her delivery of old and new work. She is touring to support a series of re-recordings of her best melodies over the years, now out on her own label, and coming in four parts beginning with Close Up, Vol. 1, Love Songs. Many of the highlights of the set were tracks from her first two releases, with standouts including Calypso, Gypsy, and The Queen and the Soldier bringing thunderous applause. The creative backing duo original bassist Mike Visceglia and guitar wizard Gerry Leonard added a bit of fusion and psychedelia into the mix improving the arrangements far beyond the studio originals. New tracks were equally resonant and even dramatic, coming from work Suzanne is doing for the stage this spring. Now very much a fan of both her studio and her live work. Fine art at the palace – yes.

The Wall Torn Down

The Teacher

I’m seriously prone to nostalgia, but never would have thought that a production of Pink Floyd‘s “The Wall” would touch the nerve it did, even for a guy who re-collected and framed all his high school era rock posters.  Did not see the original 1980 production of said wall, after being terribly disappointed by the 1977 Animals era concert at Anaheim Stadium.  As it turned out, the original stage production of the show was inspired by composer, bassist Roger Water‘s disassociation with the live experience in 1977 when the separation between the band and audience seemed so complete he imagined playing to the crowd from behind a wall.

Taking this out on the road again, the normally mercurial Waters redirected the focus of the live show into much more of a statement of personal triumph, and a strong anti-violence message.  For this long term fan it was a deeply touching experience seeing Roger so transformed into his adult self, now much more at peace, and actually having fun.

Roger (2010) with Self (1980)

Best moment for me was when he shared a bit about his personal growth, queuing up a film of his younger “frightened, pissed off” self playing “Mother” at Earl’s Court in 1980.  He played “Mother” on acoustic guitar, along with this film, creating a very sentimental montage of old and new image and sound.

Overall the show exceeded all expectations in every way.  The wall itself stretched across the width of the auditorium creating a hi-def video screen on which old and new footage traced both the story line of “Pink” along with various statements against violence, and the terrorists, religions and governments that perpetrate it.  The original designs for the giant marionettes were used, including the school teacher, mother, girlfriend, and pig.  The opening still included the plane crashing into the wall, falling behind in a burst of flames, and ending with the “trial of Pink” and final tearing down of the wall.

Nobody Home

This production was far more well imagined and spectacular than any rock opera every produced, the closest precedent still being “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” tour by Genesis after all these years.  Yet even with all the artifact and amazing effect, there remained room for a glimpse into the man behind the genius, who stepped out from behind his wall to give a welcome dose of hope and positivity to salve the pain and grief of the loss of loved ones.  A triumph in every way.

Arcade Fire Warm Hearts

Arcade Fire burst on the scene in 2004 with their first full-length album “Funeral” quickly winning over the indie rock community.  After their sophomore release, “Neon Bible“, and tour in 2007 they returned this year with the critical favorite “The Suburbs“.  During these last 6 years, the band earned a reputation as an amazing live act, blending wild abandon with a determined raw energy – building epic tracks towards frenzied crescendos.  Therefore, we waited anxiously for the recent tour’s visit to the Greek theater on the campus of UC Berkeley on October 2, 2010.

The show was amazing and hit all the right notes as hoped.  The band’s performance was full of emotion, energy and intensity.  Yes there was wild abandon, but also a sense that the delivery was very carefully arranged and rehearsed.  Lead singer guitarist Win Butler fronts most of the songs though several selections featured his wife Régine Chassagne as lead vocalist.  All of the band are talented multi-instrumentalists each of whom switch duties throughout the show keeping things fresh and never dull.  Lights, surreal video and a closed circuit live video feed of the show were very effectively combined on a central large hi-definition monitor placed in front of a full sized projection backdrop.  Highlights of the performance included the chipper “Sprawl II” sung by Régine in a childlike lilt.  The dramatic track “Rococo” is a personal favorite which was rendered even more powerful in it’s live delivery.  They closed the show with their epic first hit “Wake Up” and delivered it’s sing-song finish along with enthusiastic audience participation.  Heart warming inspirational show – highly recommended.

Flaming Lips Burn!

The Flaming Lips burned brightly at the Fox Theater, Oakland on October 1, 2010 to a sold-out crowd of initiated followers.  The music of this band is a jarring combination of funk, progressive, noise, and psychedelic music, that may invoke a dreamy state in the listener.  Their most recent release, Embryonic, is a relentless, percussive masterwork that was not particularly featured in the set list at the Fox.  Instead the band pulled more evenly from material released over the last dozen years, probably because this show fell late in the tour.

In general, there is a lot to applaud in a Flaming Lips show:

• Front man Wayne Coyne climbing inside his clear plastic ball rolling through the audience
• Tons of confetti delivered via colorful cannons, showering down on the audience along with a multitude of giant balloons
• A dozen amatuer dancers – boys stage left, girls right – posing and shimmying to the sounds
• Wayne donning a giant pair of hands containing palm lasers shooting out in all directions
• Beautiful light pallet with acid-house projections on clever rear video delivery system
• Talented musicians that improve on the studio recordings with their aggressive live delivery

All of this should add up to an absolutely amazing entertainment spectacle.  And it does.  But somehow this night’s show just fell a bit short for me. Loved the evening, but some minor complaints:

• Wayne too often extols the crowd to cheer louder
• Too much time is spent wandering the stage and preparing for the next track, breaking the flow of the show
• The dancers, hands and bubble are great staples, but new innovations would help the converted

Having said all that, for anyone uninitiated in the ways of the Lips, the show would be an exceptional experience. And make no mistake, once the band gets focused on the delivery of their most forceful, driven work, they are on top of their game as alt-rock pioneers. For this two time attendee, I will be excited to see them again with some additional set pieces and a tighter delivery so as to take the heat a few degrees higher.

Crowded House Intrigues

Crowded House came to the Warfield Theater this summer, touring in support of their latest release Intriguer.  I have a long history of patronizing all manner of audio, video, and performances from this band, from Neil Finn and Tim Finn, and from their original band, Split Enz, and so am likely to be a bit biased about their capabilities. But to me, almost anything Neil and/or Tim are involved in will always be special as they are basically the Beatles of New Zealand.  Personal favorites amongst all their projects over the years include “Conflicting Emotions” from Split Enz, Tim Finn’s self titled third release, and the self titled “Finn Brothers” album.  For me, Crowded House’s best work is “Together Alone“, though after a series of listens, the new release “Intriguer” does intrigue – buy it with the DVD which sports the band running through most of the tracks in their home studio live and up close – it’s a wonderful document of a mature, precision band.

At the Warfield, the group was in top form in front of an enthusiastic crowd of fans.  New tracks like “Amsterdam” and “Either Side of the World” were standouts during the set, which was neatly comprised of Crowded House staples going back to their first release.  For the first time in my experience, they did not include a track from the Enz era, though it was not missed amongst so many favorites from their back catalog.  Neil’s voice is remarkable for it’s durability after all these years, and given every group member sings backup, including his wife who lent her voice for one track, the harmonies were lush and heart warming. All in all a great night from a great band fronted by this important artist and entertainer.

Natalie Merchant…Rhymes for Kids

Natalie Merchant took a long break from recording since her 2003 title, “The House Carpenter’s Daughter ” in order to raise her own daughter.  She  just recently released a collection of poetry for children put to song entitled “Leave Your Sleep“.  It’s a wonderful collection of prose from British and American poets clearly inspiring the artist to pen and record a very remarkable set of songs to match.

This month she brought the supporting tour to the Fox Theater in Oakland.  The show was a series of sweet, poignant revelations from this artist as she shared family anecdotes and her love of poetry with the enthusiastic audience.  She has a few slides for each song, showing a photo of the poet, and sometimes some artwork from the published work along with a story, a bit of the poet’s history and why she chose it.  For anyone who purchased the double CD with it’s detailed booklet, this might have been expected and Natalie did not disappoint.

On record, I found it took several spins to begin to appreciate the all acoustic set with it’s varying traditional styles, played at mostly slow tempos.  Performed live the music and imaginative arrangements came alive.  The first set was all from the new recording, after which Natalie returned for a set of standards from her back catalog, including several tracks from her days with the 10,000 Maniacs back to their seminal release “In My Tribe“.  Only complaint was the omission of anything from her 1993 release of traditional folk tunes, a few of which would have complimented the set perfectly.  Nonetheless, a lovely evening.

Muse Just That

Muse, the hard rocking band that has taken the world by storm over these last several years appeared at Oakland Coliseum Wednesday April 14, 2010. Older work by this band focused on rapid-fire metal compositions, but more recently they moved into more of a glam-alternative-stadium rock direction which mixes in elements of progressive and classical music. Put together Queen, Green Day, and Pink Floyd with an occasional disco beat and you get a new unique sound achieved by Muse. Wednesday night the band focused on more recent releases, 2006′s Black Holes and Revelations and last year’s The Resistance to deliver the right mix of these varied styles.

The show was simply spectacular. The staging was unique as each core band member appeared within a set of three huge towers stretching from stage to ceiling, on which live and collected images were projected to stunning effect. The lower sections of these towers were lifts which alternately rose and lowered to embellish the stage below.

The music was equally exceptional, as singer Matthew Bellamy (voice, guitars, keyboards) manages to hit all of his notes and somehow preserve his vocals through long tours, partly due to the band’s deft management of sound dynamics. Outstanding band mates Christopher Wolstenholme (bass), and Dominic Howard (drum) also take leads, but alternately lower and raise the volume during verses and choruses so everything can be heard.

Only complaint would be that Matthew spent too little time at the piano this time around, given he is an excellent pianist obviously influenced by classical composers such as Rachmaninoff . Also at times one could say Muse is almost too perfect live, threatening to lose a bit of the emotional punch of the tracks. Given the staging and performance itself is so expansive and aggressive, these issues are overcome making this spectacle truly amazing and highly recommended.