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Much ado about Further Adieu
I like to spotlight local bands and Further Adieu always puts on a great show with great original music and covers from Alice and Chains to Stone Temple Pilots. Their original music is just that - original - and will leave you wanting more. Just as an example, you can watch this video from The Daily Advance -
Check out Further Adieu’s video.
Check outFurther Adieu’s MySpace page.
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The KISS Army invasion
The Original KISS Army is coming to Levels downtown and if you haven’t heard their music - well, they sound like KISS. And I don’t mean just a little, I mean seriously sound like KISS. Which is why they’re a tribute band. Duh. If you want to see if I’m crazy or just a shill for The KISS Army, go to kissarmytrubute.com and check it out for yourself. Director Joel Patrick even made a documentary on these guys, which you can find on the home page and there is music like “Shout It Out Loud” and “Love Gun” plus a song written by band member Gary Stevens called “Your Love.” If you’re still not convinced, they also have some live video performances from some of their shows. I never actually bought a KISS album, but I did like some of their songs like “Beth” (yeah, I know), “God of Thunder,” “Rock and Roll All Night” and some others. KISS is what I would call groundbreaking pioneers of combining great showmanship with great rock music. The Original KISS Army was founded in 1985 in New York City, according to their band bio, and they have played Las Vegas Casinos, NBA and NHL halftime shows, fashion shows, MTV, Access Hollywood and toured all over the world with the U.S. Armed Forces. They will be at Levels on Oct. 30 - just in time for Halloween - so check them out and get ready to rock and roll all night!
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The return of Ricky Braddy
Yeah, Ricky is coming home. Actually, he’s in Nashville this week, but he’ll be back with his new band and ready to kick out some soulful jams with some local celebs like James Ethan Clark, who plays guitar and piano and writes a lot of great rock tunes. The concert will be Nov. 21 at the ECSU Fine Arts Center at 7 p.m. General admission seating is $10.00. Tickets are available at Crystal Enterprises, Mildred’s Florist, Montero’s Restaurant, Muddy Waters Coffeehouse, and Standard Tile, all in Elizabeth City, or you can purchase on line at www.rickybraddymusic.com . Ricky’s sister Amber Braddy Jones will also be there. Should be a lot of fun. Ricky is a very personable dude, easy to talk to, and he can sing his —- off. I think he proved that when he almost made it to the top 12 on American Idol. That’s a pretty good feat. By the way, read my story in The Daily Advance about what Ricky has been up to and where he’s headed, which is hopefully down the road to superstardom, right? I think Ethan, who recently moved to Wilmington to attend college, will be following close on Ricky’s heels - another American Idol in the making from right here in good old Elizabeth City.
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Kanye’s misplaced rage
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a Kanye West fan and most of what I know about him is from what I’ve read, but in my opinion, it’s time to lighten up. His dramatic outburst at the MTV Music Video Awards, grabbing the mic from Taylor Swift (who had just won for best female video on Sunday) and announcing that Beyonce Knowles should have won for her video “Single Ladies,” was just - well - uncalled for. I mean, yeah, Taylor Swift is country and maybe Beyonce does have a lot of talent, but was it really about that or was it more about getting some more controversial face time for West? Kanye did apologize on his blog, but episodes like that could really be avoided in the first place by making a simple decision - I will not storm the stage. Beyonce was even gracious enough to call Swift up to the stage and give her her time in the spotlight, which was stolen by West. Other than the loss of his mother and a car accident a few years back, I really don’t think Kanye has had that hard of a life. Sure, his parents divorced when he was little, but so did mine. He spent most of his time in the suburbs of Chicago, went to art school and produced a lot of great hip-hop albums before making it big with his own music and the man is only 32 years old. This isn’t his first outburst, though - When his video “Touch the Sky” failed to win best video at the MTV Europe Music Awards, he marched onstage as someone else was being presented the award and insisted he should have won the award, instead. In 2007, West told the news media after he lost an award to Britney Spears that, “Maybe my skin color’s not right.” Am I seeing a pattern here? And those are just a few of the many examples of West’s misplaced rage after winning countless Grammys and selling millions of recordings and even getting some acting stints. Maybe it’s time for Kanye to put the focus where it should be - on his fans - instead of on some mysterious conspiracy that exists only in his mind. It’s not all about Kanye - let others have their time in the limelight, too. It’s called sharing.
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Local happenings
Groove rock kings Guta are back in town and playing at Levels on Sept. 4 and Coasters on Sept. 12. In between, they’ll be in Norfolk, Kill Devil Hills, West Virginia and then it’s back to the road in Arkansas and Missouri. Rockers Further Adieu will be doing their thing Sept. 29 at the Chowan Fair in Edenton and blues band Uphill will be at Hooters in Kitty Hawk on Sept. 4, at the Indian Summer Festival in Hertford on Sept 12 and at the Chowan County Fair in Hertford on Sept. 29. Don’t forget to buy Uphill’s new CD, Blues & Mojo, at their shows or at CDBaby.com. Don’t miss your chance to see local rock and country favorites Out’n the Cold at Grouper’s on the deck on Sept 19. They’ve been playing in between drummer Martin Parker’s gigs with Patty Loveless in France. Ou la la! Check out the live music scene Fridays at The City Wine Sellar, with Abstract Vibe on Sept. 4, Trigger Finger on Sept. 11, Elvis & Rockabilly with Wrenn Mangum on Sept. 18 and Ty Fleming on Sept. 25. Ciao!
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Miley Cyrus and the ‘sex sells’ factor
What’s the deal with 16-year-old Miley Cyrus and the stripper pole at the Teen Music Awards? I guess it was inevitable - like Britney Spears and those before her, she finally sold out to the “sex sells” mantra. Was she not selling enough records, making enough money from her “Hannah Montana” TV show, or rolling in enough dough from concert appearances? Was she not idolized by enough fresh-faced prepubescent girls? Apparently not. Or it could be that, like the Olsen twins, she wants to shed her good-girl image for something more “mature.” She has 50-year-old men stalking her and she wants to do a number in hot pants with a stripper pole? Is that logical? Okay, she’s like, a minor. I mean, come on Dad. She was in the Vanity Fair spread with her bare back showing and almost caused Billy Ray to have heart failure, yet dancing suggestively with a flag pole seems to have no effect on his morality meter. What gives? I’d grab that young lady by the earlobe and say, “You march yourself home right now, girl, and no TV until you’re 21.” But I guess I’m just old fashioned. So I guess it’s not about the music anymore? It’s not about being a role model or not being a sex object? It’s not about intelligence? It’s not about being empowered? No, it’s all about the usual….money.
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Local talent on Fox 43
Ricky Braddy made his way to American Idol and got lots of votes from local fans - now it’s time for us to get behind another local talent who wants to be the next Face of Fox 43 - Rene Finkenkeller. She’s in the top 10 so far, which is a pretty impressive feat considering she’s from North Carolina, not Virginia. I went to school with Rene at ECSU, so I admit to being a little biased. She has made recordings and sung in every contest in Elizabeth City, including Level’s Idol, and she can sing her —- off. Really - she’s good. She sings a lot of gospel and country and all kinds of other stuff and she’s got a great personalty and a winning smile! So what’s not to love? Check out her humorous blog at http://fire4yahweh.wordpress.com/, her MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/renemarye and then go and vote for her at http://www.fox43tv.com/generic/faceoffox43/faceoffoxfinalists. Let’s put another EC resident into the spotlight. If anyone deserves it, it’s the hardworking, loveable Rene Finkenkeller.
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Sex, drugs, rock and roll - or not
I think the band Cake said it best: How can you afford your rock and roll lifestyle? I don’t want to come across as holier-than-thou, because I’m not. I was into the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle in my teen years and believe me, it wasn’t pretty. But I’ve always wondered as I’ve watched icons of the music world do themselves in - Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Bonham, Shannon Hoon, Michael Jackson - does good music really have to be synonymous with excess? Is rock and roll really about how many women (or men) you can bed and how many drugs you can stuff into your body before your head explodes? Why? One of my favorite bands, Led Zeppelin, were nearly as famous for their backstage shinanigans as they were for their music. The Beatles were at the forefront of the LSD craze in the 60s, and their music, as creative and innovative as it was, seemed to suffer for it at times. But another of my all-time-favorite bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival, refused to get caught up in the whole Haight-Ashbury/Woodstock scene and bandleader John Fogerty made no bones about it. It wasn’t about the drugs and the women - it was about the music - and it showed. They made 7 albums in four years and every album had a top five hit and several number one hits - and this was while the Beatles were still around. Creedence is one of most influential bands in rock music and although they had their own problems, drugs wasn’t one of them. Maybe there is something to that.
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Bono, global warming and you
I swear, if I hear one more rock band, country band or whatever, rail against the ‘eeeevils of capitalism’ or ‘ending climate change,’ I’m going to toss my lunch. The evils of drug abuse? Now that’s something a rock musician could definitely sing about - from experience. Love? Definitely. War? Go for it. But don’t sit there (or stand there) and tell me how bad it is that the children got no shoes on their feet or don’t get enough to eat and that it’s all because the evil U.S. is using up all the world’s resources and destroying the ozone. If that’s the case, then turn off your friggin’ 200-watt guitar amplifier stack and stop touring around the world in your friggin’ private jet drinking Perrier water and eating bean curd. Come on, Bono, put your money where your mouth is. How much fuel do you think a passenger jet uses? How about it, Sheryl Crow? Do you think the electricity for your stage equipment and light show just magically appears, or is it perhaps generated by a huge honkin’ power plant somewhere, spewing smoke into the air like Mount St. Helens (unless it’s nuclear power, then it’s just steam). Come on, Dixie Chicks, why not go green and ride some bikes out on your next tour? You’ll get there eventually - just pedal really hard. Then there are the recording sessions (that uses electricity), driving back and forth to the recording studios (that uses fuel), CD packaging (electricity for product manufacturing), etc., etc. You get the picture. Hey, I think it’s great that people have opinions, but please, don’t preach to us about global warming while you’re on tour in a fleet of busses and tractor-trailers away from your Hummer and multi-million dollar mansion in Santa Barbara. Tell me about your last breakup or your fight against heroin addiction - at least that’s more believable and honest than a rallying cry against a system that you willingly use to make yourself incredibly wealthy.
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Being a one man band
One Christmas, when I was 7 years old, my parents bought me my first drumset - I remember seeing its sparkly red paint peeking out at me through the living room curtains as we drove up to our house. Man, was I in love with those things. I beat on them for months and years and even took lessons and played in lots of bands. When I was 14, ADD kicked in and suddenly, I wanted to be a guitar player. Dad played guitar, luckily, so I just played his. It hurt my fingers, but I stuck it out. After a couple of years of alternating between that and drums (and singing) I decided I wanted to be the next John Paul Jones or Geddy Lee and I bought a bass guitar. I practiced that until my fingers bled, learning licks from Led Zep and Rush albums and having a great time. At about 17, ADD kicked in again and I was a lead singer, just me and my microphone. By that time, I was in demand by every band in town because I could play anything (not piano - I’m working on that). I guess my point is, it’s great to be the best at something, but eventually someone will come along who is better. If you’re like me, you can just pick up another instrument and play that, instead. Or make your own recordings, like I do, and play all your own instruments. Who needs a band? Admittedly, it is more fun to be in a band, though, seriously. But if you have ADD like me, you will always be in demand because you’ll never be satisfied with one instrument. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to practice my penny whistle.
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Michael Jackson - old school
With all the hoopla over the death of Michael Jackson, I guess it’s my turn to chime in. I grew up old school with Michael and the Jackson 5, back when they were tearing up the Motown charts and giving us numbers like ABC, I Want You Back, The Love You Save, I’ll Be There, etc. I remember listening to the greatest hits album until the vinyl became scratched and worn from overplaying. I even remember pretending that I was part of the group and singing along with the album. Michael was only about three years older than me so kids my age could identify with him back in the 70s and dream about becoming stars at the age of 10. Of course, I had the Osmond greatest hits album, too, but that one didn’t get nearly as much play as the Jackson 5 - it just didn’t quite have the same soul. When “Ben” came along, I was really into that, too. I never looked at rats quite the same way. I followed Michael through his career and up until the 80s with “Thriller” and “Bad.” I couldn’t get enough of the moonwalk and the creepy Thriller video - it was the coolest thing I had ever seen - plus I love Vincent Price. But then Michael started getting a little strange with Bubbles the Chimp and the Elephant Man and the surgery and all that. He just became bigger than his music and it was a distraction for me. I still remember the little fresh-faced kid with the big afro singing “Oh, baby, give me one more chance…” I guess that’s just the way I’ll always remember him. Yeah, I’m old school.
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Uphill gets down
Local blues band Uphill held their CD release party on Friday, June 12 at Arts of the Albemarle. The CD is called “Blues & Mojo” and was recorded by Edenton celebrity drummer Martin Parker of Out’n the Cold. The Uphill CD is a mix of originals and covers and features the band’s trademark Texas/Chicago/Swampland blues sound. They will be appearing at the Hooters in Kitty Hawk on June 26 and at Kathie’s Steakhouse at Chowan Crossing in Edenton on June 27. Check out the Web site at Uphilltheband.com to purchase the CD. Speaking of Out’n the Cold, Parker has been on tour with country music star and Grammy winner Patty Loveless for the past several months and even made an appearance on Conan O’Brien. Word is Out’n the Cold will be performing their unique blend of rock/country/bluegrass originals and covers at Arts of the Albemarle on July 25. To hear the band’s latest CD (recorded by Mr. Parker, of course) just go to outnthecold.com. Though there’s no word on a CD release from pop/rock group Further Adieu, they have been quite busy. They will be at the City Wine Sellar on June 26, and at Mama Kwans in Kill Devil Hills on June 30. The band has gigs lined up all the way through August. Check out some of their tunes on MySpace at MySpace.com/furtheradieu. Jazz favorites Connected haven’t made any announcements about a CD coming out, but they have been making themselves known around town at The City Wine Sellar and also at Arts of the Albemarle. Keep an eye out and check them out on their Web site at dwconnected.com. Jam-rock band Guta has been in and out of town lately in between playing gigs across the state. They only have two members - Drummer Christian Mara and Guitarist/vocalist Ted Sablon - listed on their MySpace page, so it’s anybody’s guess as to who is playing bass. They will be playing in Arkansas and West Virginia through August and will be back in town on Sept. 12 at Coasters. Local rocker and one-time American Idol hopeful James Ethan Clark apparently made a good impression playing at the ceremony in Wilmington for the return of Miss USA. Check out his MySpace page at MySpace/jamesethan to hear songs and see schedules. That is all.
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No idleness for American Idols
Though favorite local son Ricky Braddy hasn’t said what he’s got in the works as far as his musical aspirations go, there will hopefully be an interview with him in the Daily Advance soon. In the meantime, two American Idol hopefuls have gotten themselves some sweet deals. Adam Lambert has signed with 19 Recordings/RCA Records and Allison Iraheta (remember the duet “Time After Time” she did with Cyndi Lauper?) has signed with 19 Recordings/Jive Records/RCA. That’s basically the same deal that winner Kris Allen recently signed, so I would say they’re doing pretty well for being losers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ricky get some kind of deal because he not only writes his own stuff, but he plays it and sings it with an amazing voice - AND he’s got a magnetic stage presence. What more could you want? In other news, The Black Eyed Peas single “Boom Boom Pow” off their new CD “The END” is #1 on Billboard and The Roots, house band for Jimmy Fallon, is working on a new CD, as well. Pharrell Williams, the big time producer from Va. Beach, and his band NER*D (think garage band rock meets old-time R&B) is in the studio. Does anyone care that Britney Spears is back on her “Circus” tour in America? Didn’t think so.
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Local singer welcomes Miss USA
James Ethan Clark will perform at the ceremonies welcoming home Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009 on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. in Wilmington’s Riverfront Park, according to James’ dad, Jeff Clark. The event will last through Saturday, according to dad’s Facebook page. It says James is playing but doesn’t say when, so I guess you just have to stay there until Saturday to find out. Bring a sleeping bag!
http://www.myspace.com/jamesethan
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Clark and Ellis at the Wine Sellar
One-time American Idol-hopeful James Ethan Clark and Jeremy Ellis did a gig at The City Wine Sellar to a sold-out crowd on Friday, May 15. It was easy to see why it was packed after hearing them play - they were tight and knew how to work the crowd. Of course, Ricky Braddy being in the crowd might have been somewhat responsible for the packed house, but not completely. Clark played keyboards AND guitar and sang with an amazingly smooth and well-controlled voice. Ellis played drums and not only had impeccable timekeeping but also had a lot of good chops. They did some covers by Jason Mraz, The Beatles and even Alicia Keye’s version of the Stone’s Wild Horses. Clark also sang some amazingly versatile originals, as well. Very radio friendly, poppy rock tunes. The highlight of the evening was the guys’ rendition of John Mayer’s “Why, Georgia,” getting the crowd to interact by clapping along, doing an extended version of the song complete with drum solo courtesy of Ellis. I didn’t even miss the fact that there was no bass player - they kept me entertained the whole time. I look forward to seeing Clark, hopefully with Ellis and maybe some other band members, playing around the Albemarle area. I know they’ll be at the Potato Festival on the 16th. Check out Clark on MySpace and hear some of his original tunes.
http://www.myspace.com/jamesethan
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Sounds of summer
There’s always some kind of musical thing going on around the Albemarle region during the summer. There’s stuff going on all year, too, but summer is the main part of the year when garage bands to old pros get out there and give it all they’ve got. Hey, I’m even playing drums in a band now (Ticky Tacky), and we’ll be at The City Wine Sellar some time in May. But The Wine Sellar is a pretty happenin’ place all year round, mainly on Friday nights for music with lots of local musicians as well as people from out of town. Just check out www.citywine.blogspot.com for the latest. Thumpers will be having their share of bands, I’m sure. They always have some good ones e.g. Further Adieu and others. They ususally have DJs and karaoke, too. Level’s has been featuring national acts on their stage, lately and feature good DJs like Tami from Miami. They’re doing the Teen Idol thing in April, too, so go try out. There are a lot of new restaurants in town that are getting live music, plus the Potato Festival, Harbor Nights and all the other things that go on in EC usually have at least one band featured. I suggest that if you sing or have a band and a good number of songs worked up, go put yourself a demo tape together, write a good bio and get out there and get famous! Maybe I’ll see you out there.
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Braddy superstition
Even though Ryan Seacrest and the producers of American Idol didn’t let Ricky Braddy talk after his performance in the wild card episode - AGAIN - he did get to say a few words before hand, which was good. He said that he was just going to go out there and have fun, and by God, that’s what he did. He sang Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition,’ and the crowd was loving it, and Ricky was having a good time, just like he said he would. Though Randy and Simon thought he should have picked a different song, Cowell said he had ‘chops’ and Kara and Paula both thought Ricky came out of his shell, got loose and showed us who he really is. I thought he did a great job on the song without doing the ‘roller coaster’ vocals so prevalent in most other vocalists’ styles. Unfortunately, Ricky didn’t get picked, because, as Kara said, ‘You didn’t show enough personality,’ but I have a question. HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY IF THE PRODUCERS NEVER LET YOU TALK ON THE SHOW?!!! Whew - glad I got that out of my system. Now I can go on with my life - and so can Ricky. Anoop, the dude from Chapel Hill, got picked as number 13, which they’ve never done on this show. He’s good, but I don’t think he can touch Ricky vocally, or even with his stage presence. But, hey, who am I? Next up, Ricky will probably be looking at some recording offers, or at least forming his own kick-ass band and blazing a trail through the music charts with his own music, which I hear is very good, by the way. Thanks, Ricky, we’ll be watching - and give me a call if you need a good drummer.
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Give it up for Ricky Braddy
There’s a lot of rumor and speculation floating around on the Internet right now about whether Ricky Braddy might actually make the ‘wild card’ round on American Idol, or whether he SHOULD make it. Now, I don’t claim to be on the level of Simon Cowell as far as being able to spot talent, and maybe I’m biased because Ricky’s a local dude, but please - he made the other contestants look like serious wannabe’s. I know Danny Gokey and the others have these amazing life stories, blah blah blah, and Ricky is just a country boy with no drama, but come on, let’s get real. The dude has some pipes. Have you seriously ever heard anyone sing like that? I mean, think about the range of notes he was hitting, and think back to the high notes - he never strained. Those notes came out smoother than a silk hankie, and that was with a sinus infection! Not only that, he exuded confidence, in spite of what ‘Simon says.’ He owned that stage - it was his. He looked right into that camera and said, “Hey, check this out. You got nothin’ on this.” And he was right. Sorry, am I gushing? Okay, I’ll stop. People told me he could sing and I thought, okay, cool, he’s good. But I had no idea. I’m also told that he can write fantastic songs, plus he’s a really nice guy - he is the whole package. So to all the haters and people who think Ricky should go back to waiting tables or whatever, forget it - ain’t gonna happen. And to those who think Ricky will go all the way, with or without American Idol, you’re preaching to the converted, brother. No matter what, I think we’ll be hearing from Ricky again. He’s got my vote.
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The Braddy Bunch
Like everyone else in Elizabeth City, I have found myself caught up in American Idol Mania because of the fact that one of our own may actually win the contest. We know he at least made the top 36, which is good news for Ricky. To be honest, I haven’t watched American Idol since the first season in 2001. The only reason I’m watching now is because I am writing stories for the paper about Mr. Braddy. But I have to admit, the show has grown on me. Sure, there is a lot of bad singing to sit through, and Simon Cowell can be a bit of a jerk. But ask yourself this - if Simon were to be ambiguous about his true feelings and cater to the feelings of every contestant on the show, like some of the other judges do, would he really be doing them a favor? I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that sarcastic wit, but I would also appreciate the honesty. Hey, if I suck, tell me now so I don’t spend my life chasing after a dream that will only lead to heartbreak. My dad, a self-taught musician, used to say that many people have tin ears - in other words, they can’t tell one note from another and anything that comes out of their child’s mouth sounds to them like Pavoratti. So they help to bolster their child’s dream of someday being a pop idol by telling them they’re the greatest thing since sliced Pavoratti, and parading them in front of friends who say the same thing out of fear of hurting the parents’ feelings. Hence, a lot of crying and anger on American Idol. I’m with Martin Parker, though - there are lots of other ways to get into the music business besides sighning your life away to Simon Cowell. Put a band together - you’ll be better off. And try singing in front of someone you don’t know for honest feedback - that will save your ego, and our ears.
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Local drummer plays Conan O’Brien
Anyone who missed Conan O’Brien on the 14th really missed a treat. Edenton drummer Martin Parker was there with Patty Loveless and the rest of her band to do a rendition of Hank Williams’ “Cold Cold Heart.” It was obvious that Conan was awed by the performance when he went over to greet the band. He said, “Wow, that was really amazing.” He usually says something like, “That was great,” or whatever. I saw Martin back there, sitting behind his trusty Pearl drumkit, playing with one hand. Only Martin could get away with just using one hand on a national TV show - he’s that good! The song is off of Patty’s new album, “Sleepless Nights,” which just got nominated for a Grammy. If she wins, it will be her second, and for good reason. The album features old-timey country songs like “Cold Cold Heart,” and many of the songs were recorded with the original performers. After Conan O’Brien, they played the Lincoln Center, then did Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Martin is a busy guy, what with playing in local band Out’n the Cold, running his studio, Seven Pines, and playing around the country with Patty Loveless. I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from Martin.
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ZZ Top has still got it
Yeah, I’m from Texas, so I may be a little prejudiced when it comes to this subject, but ZZ Top has still got it. Their new live CD and DVD, “ZZ Top: Live from Texas,” features hits from their second album through Afterburner on the CD, and through Antennae on the DVD. Some revues have complaints about the sound quality of the DVD, but the sound on the CD is as good as any studio album. Guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons’ voice may be a little deeper and more gravelly, but that’s okay - it may even be a plus with their brand of blues-based southern rock. Dusty Hill hasn’t lost his knack for laying down a solid bass groove and drummer Frank Beard still has the chops on the drums, and then some. All these guys are pushing 60, but they sound as fresh and even more polished than they did 30 years ago. The DVD also features their rendition of Hendrix’ “Foxey Lady.” Starting with “Got Me Under Pressure” from Eliminator, the band immediately lays it on without mercy, leaving the crowd screaming for more after each song. The segue from “Waitin’ for the Bus” to “Jesus Just Left Chicago” was just like the album, creating another audience frenzy. Gibbons even gets the audience singing a capella on several songs, like “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.” The synthesizers come into play on a couple of songs, like “Rough Boy” and “Legs,” but it doesn’t detract from the sound at all. In fact, it adds to the sound, as it should, without being overbearing. And I could swear they had more than two people singing on the chorus of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” but they probably used a voice doubling effect to fatten the sound. There’s lots and lots of great slide guitar work, like on “Just Got Paid” and “La Grange,” too. Some of their newer stuff from XXX and Tuscalero seemed to be missing from the album for reasons unknown, but I guess for a live album, the old standards are the best way to go to get the crowd riled up. My only complaint was “Tush,” which Dusty Hill sings and on which he usually does an outstanding job. But on this version, he just seems to be hitting random notes, rather than singing the actual melody. I don’t know what that’s all about, because he sings perfect harmony with Gibbons the rest of the time. Of course, Beard has his drums tuned low, rattling the stage with every thunderous fill that he plays. As always, his timekeeping skills and knack for creative beats are impeccable, and he and Hill form one of the most unbeatable rhythm sections in rock history. For die hard ZZ Top fans, and for those who want to hear them the way they used to sound before the “fuzzbox and hip-hop beat” age, check out this CD. You won’t regret it.
Latest comments
Круто :) Надо этот пост использовать в своих корыстных целях. Обязательно!
... read the full comment by Георгий | Comment on It's all Uphill - the band, that is Read It's all Uphill - the band, that is
hm.. nice te xt..
... read the full comment by Dildos In Asses | Comment on Further Adieu comes alive - at Thumper's Read Further Adieu comes alive - at Thumper's
Оформление зачет :) Сами дизайн делали или тема?
... read the full comment by бaкинeц | Comment on It's all Uphill - the band, that is Read It's all Uphill - the band, that is
Ricky is da man, yo! Can’t wait to see the show!
... read the full comment by BraddyBunch | Comment on The return of Ricky Braddy Read The return of Ricky Braddy