Can a silver bullet of over seventy three years still transmit happiness upon the hearts of concertgoers?
Can a Grand Funk Railroad of fifty years still take you on a glorious bullet train ride of nostalgia, or for those first timers, showcase the majesty and energy that rock and roll can present?
The answer is "YES!" in both counts, I came to the show with a limited knowledge of the Headliner's tunes, aside from the major hits, and correctly intuited that Grand Funk covered "Loco-Motion," and not wrote the song, realized in retrospect.
From the first song, the admiration of this band and their performance went from zero to sixty in a short amount of time. It would be pointless in denying the vigor this love of music and music itself had afforded the members, or that they were devoid of "Rock n' Roll Soul." Their excitement and energy remained infectious throughout, and they kept their promise outlined in the opening line on "Footstompin' Music" as that love was evident in their performance.
There have been many times in a concert where I find myself in the moment and cannot entirely process the event until the next day, and this was no exception, yet I was able to enjoy it completely this time.
Their short set included three covers all worthy of praise, but the one that drove the whole crowd to their feet was the rock refurbishment of Carole King's "Loco-Motion." As I recount that performance, as a newly initiated fan on the "Inside Looking Out," I find myself jamming out to an older video recording of the band performing The Animals cover live, as I write this, and I found that the energy did not really waver from then to now. I may still be experiencing euphoria, but the set was really "Some Kind of Wonderful."
Songs with longer than average running time can still captivate an audience, even the later generations addled with an eroded attention span, and "I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)" holds that honor. Their set's denouement, although shorter, was just as memorable; I could infer the title of the latter, but I had to look up the title of the former.
While I am a little more familiar with Bob Seger and his magazine of silver bullets, there were a good amount of songs I had to reacquaint myself with, and not only did I find out there were songs that I had recognized before knowing the name, but the resolution of the saga of the Seger song without a name came to pass; "Mainstreet" and its live rendition was as good as I can hope for.
For all of his touring, you would think it would have worn him down, and while it may have slowed him down, he is "Still the Same." He did weave in some acoustic guitar led performances within the show, but it was for the betterment of it and the song's resonance.
He was an energetic geriatric, with all due respect; he was also a gracious host, and not only gave every member of the core band and extended touring members their due, and exclaimed their recent accolades, but made sure that the whole arena was given some "face time."
To ask how any artist can continue with their pursuit of music for so long can be due to the fact that they are attuned to the flame within, the music within their heart, as sappy as that can be, it helps immensely to love, and believe in, your art.
Although we have been hearing it all along, with its charms, the question still arose. To when will we hear "Good Old Rock N' Roll?" five songs in, and at the right time.
It is interesting to hear songs such as 'The Fire Down Below," implications included, and "Her Strut" in the same set as the tribute to his children "In Your Time," prefaced by the dedication to his kids, as well as "Come To Poppa," which showcase the dimensions of the artist; the latter of which can find itself straddling between the healing that love can bring with or without the linkage of loins.
To tour is to really put love to the test, and some of his songs can serve as anthems for the vagabond heart, or the seeker on an existential quest, to find the holy grail of belonging and purpose, or maybe it is the result of that grasp of the grail, and though a "Travelin' Man" Seger has come to be, he has found the one alluded to in "You'll Accomp'ny Me." Live Renditions of the aforementioned, as well as "Roll Me Away" and "Beautiful Loser," also serve as solid odes to the road and its gravity for those in search of more.
As if the concert wasn't already saturated with great songs, some of his biggest hits were yet to be played, and track I still associate with Chevrolet, was another poignant moment giving life to everyone on stage; nostalgia flowed through the venue as he sang this tune he may have recalled, not only how he felt when it was written initially, but what the song was about, when he was reminiscing about being eighteen.
Then there is his most famous of songs that was never an official single, and one many pined to hear, he had to integrate a tidbit of info, and before that iconic saxophone intro, he spotlighted Alto here. You can hear a song thousands of times, but even then it's possible that hearing it live and being present can provide it in a different light, and I believe it did; no, I haven't heard the song over one hundred times, that I can recall, but it was a pleasant experience after all.
Another poignant moment would have to be when he performed Bob Dylan's "Forever Young," that featured a slideshow of artists we have lost in recent years such as: Petty, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and there was a nostalgic Pic with Seger and Petty, and some of Dylan among others I could not recall. He gave praise to Dylan before the song began; if I remember correctly, about him being one of the best songwriters? Sounds about right.
It was nice to hear "We've Got Tonight" live, another song I wasn't aware Seger sang, a some calm before the conjoined "Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser." While the chorus rang in my ears, as it came to the second encore, I was too tired to contemplate, but we heard two great tunes that showcased both sides of the silver bullet man; the melodic and infectious "Against The Wind," and the lateral riot of "Hollywood Nights."
It's a night that I will not forget, and it may be the first of more concerts I go to with my dad.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Monday, February 25, 2019
Imagine Dragons "Evolve"
Did this band title the album to make a declaration permanently and perfectly sequenced out of hubris or was the intent less egotistical? Will that even be determined here? Will we ever know?
While this generation of artists may not be as iconic or timeless as artists from generations and decades past, there are some good bands. Unfortunately, a good amount utilize smoke and mirrors to enhance their staying power in the consciousness, and enhance their value in the eyes of those critical and/or those on the fence.
I don't know why this opener appeals to me, but I have yet to determine. I wanted to use the title in the sentence? That would be a step back in style to say the least, but the next song resonates because of the beat and the bridge with its all encompassing message.
First things First, I might not write what you wanna hear
to be more critical, to write what you wanna read
No fake love, ooooooh
I'd rather be constructive and tell the truth
Hey! This is one of my favorite pop songs,
with an aggressive tone, that I have heard in a while
I don't expect reading this to produce a smile
Still debating if I'm a believer
Second things second, i'll return to the trad review
Haters may listen and state that there's nothing new
This next two songs are cases where I cannot explain why I like them, but I'll make it up to you with some odd reference or overcompensate, which may infuriate; the latter's aural atmosphere was of the eighties with a Young Modern edge, how about those sweet lines?
They are not the only band that Queen has influenced, even if I had researched bands that were inspired by them, I wouldn't catch the bands of the future, if that "matriarch" of rock set their soul ablaze yesterday. "To the mouth of the river!!!"
While I can say that I enjoyed a lot more of the songs on this record, I cannot determine whether it was because they evolved or they focused more on quality than quantity. The last four have their own personal charms that incite enjoyment, all four have enough to say that it's a good song, not always to say "it's my favorite!"
The pacing and higher octave of what sounds like an out of breath robot, a conundrum, is a quirk that makes dancing in the dark more alluring, as long as there is no asthma attack involved; A.I.'s ever evolving state is already a little alarming.
I appreciate the thunder found in the lyrics, but I cannot say I am persuaded to believe that is the truth, but things aren't always as they appear so we'll let it roar; it's not up to me to determine its truth, just declare what my interpretation is which cannot change what it truly is.
The adoration I feel as I gaze into the "Mouth of the River" is due to that recurrent percussion wave and the instrumental elements the coexist peacefully along the shore.
At the end, I am already aware that you cannot create an everything to everyone album where no song is unloved or unappreciated, where each track resonates with everyone for different reasons, and acclaim is universal, and for it to be a genuine declaration of the band and each of its members. So did they? To each interpretation their own.
While this generation of artists may not be as iconic or timeless as artists from generations and decades past, there are some good bands. Unfortunately, a good amount utilize smoke and mirrors to enhance their staying power in the consciousness, and enhance their value in the eyes of those critical and/or those on the fence.
I don't know why this opener appeals to me, but I have yet to determine. I wanted to use the title in the sentence? That would be a step back in style to say the least, but the next song resonates because of the beat and the bridge with its all encompassing message.
First things First, I might not write what you wanna hear
to be more critical, to write what you wanna read
No fake love, ooooooh
I'd rather be constructive and tell the truth
Hey! This is one of my favorite pop songs,
with an aggressive tone, that I have heard in a while
I don't expect reading this to produce a smile
Still debating if I'm a believer
Second things second, i'll return to the trad review
Haters may listen and state that there's nothing new
This next two songs are cases where I cannot explain why I like them, but I'll make it up to you with some odd reference or overcompensate, which may infuriate; the latter's aural atmosphere was of the eighties with a Young Modern edge, how about those sweet lines?
They are not the only band that Queen has influenced, even if I had researched bands that were inspired by them, I wouldn't catch the bands of the future, if that "matriarch" of rock set their soul ablaze yesterday. "To the mouth of the river!!!"
While I can say that I enjoyed a lot more of the songs on this record, I cannot determine whether it was because they evolved or they focused more on quality than quantity. The last four have their own personal charms that incite enjoyment, all four have enough to say that it's a good song, not always to say "it's my favorite!"
The pacing and higher octave of what sounds like an out of breath robot, a conundrum, is a quirk that makes dancing in the dark more alluring, as long as there is no asthma attack involved; A.I.'s ever evolving state is already a little alarming.
I appreciate the thunder found in the lyrics, but I cannot say I am persuaded to believe that is the truth, but things aren't always as they appear so we'll let it roar; it's not up to me to determine its truth, just declare what my interpretation is which cannot change what it truly is.
The adoration I feel as I gaze into the "Mouth of the River" is due to that recurrent percussion wave and the instrumental elements the coexist peacefully along the shore.
At the end, I am already aware that you cannot create an everything to everyone album where no song is unloved or unappreciated, where each track resonates with everyone for different reasons, and acclaim is universal, and for it to be a genuine declaration of the band and each of its members. So did they? To each interpretation their own.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Between Brothers
Although I was a neutral party when it came to this alternative Oasis to nostalgia, I kept tabs on the bands that followed after the brothers' band dissolved; not their side projects, but their "in pursuit of music wthout the family conflict" ensembles. Both Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds were good, but not remarkable, and that is coming from a neutral party. However, the third album was a similar situation as with The Strokes and I; it caused me to revisit their earlier material and reconsider the relationship. Finding out there was a solo album from Liam, I thought to review both and place them together, because that's one of the only ways they will be found in a close vicinity.
The best response I have when it comes to listening to this new solo album is by saying "As you were, Liam Gallagher." For what it's worth, I have little constructive criticism, and while it's not my favorite song, its a good one. The album is not perfect, but when something isn't broke, it may be easier to leave well enough alone. Nor is this my cup of tea, but there are some good songs. If you are a fan of what he has done so far, you better run to the local record store, except not many exist anymore. This style I formulate my reviews with, is not sarcasm serving as a wall of glass, or a distraction, just some artistic liberty, and the introduction is quite... it foreshadows some rockers and solid songwriting. "Doesn't Have to Be" may be the winner for me, but for "All My People/All Mankind" there are more songs to enjoy, while spoil the discovery of what you can find?
So I end one review with a question and begin with another on the next round, Who Built The Moon?
It was the opening song that warned me to keep my ears open for more. Again, like the Strokes, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds managed to capture my attention, because they "Keep on Reaching" for something more, something different; and I was so distracted by the monotone of Casablancas in the singles that I had little interest in exploring their first two records in full. I did listen to the debut of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, but don't remember chasing all of yesterday. The latter song mentioned with its horn flourishes and its rock and its R&B aesthetic, just found itself out my grasp to describe and express why I like it so much. The same thing with "It's a Beautiful World," I cannot tell you why, but title aside that statement is true; although we cannot exactly see it as beautiful all the time. "Be Careful What You Wish For" not only sounds like a warning from the future trip to the farm, but an Aerosmith classic where female vocals replace the horns. As for what follows, do we find out who built it? Does it matter? Not just the answer, but what is it without the discovery of that answer. I implore you to sample the album for yourself. There is more to be enjoyed.
The best response I have when it comes to listening to this new solo album is by saying "As you were, Liam Gallagher." For what it's worth, I have little constructive criticism, and while it's not my favorite song, its a good one. The album is not perfect, but when something isn't broke, it may be easier to leave well enough alone. Nor is this my cup of tea, but there are some good songs. If you are a fan of what he has done so far, you better run to the local record store, except not many exist anymore. This style I formulate my reviews with, is not sarcasm serving as a wall of glass, or a distraction, just some artistic liberty, and the introduction is quite... it foreshadows some rockers and solid songwriting. "Doesn't Have to Be" may be the winner for me, but for "All My People/All Mankind" there are more songs to enjoy, while spoil the discovery of what you can find?
So I end one review with a question and begin with another on the next round, Who Built The Moon?
It was the opening song that warned me to keep my ears open for more. Again, like the Strokes, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds managed to capture my attention, because they "Keep on Reaching" for something more, something different; and I was so distracted by the monotone of Casablancas in the singles that I had little interest in exploring their first two records in full. I did listen to the debut of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, but don't remember chasing all of yesterday. The latter song mentioned with its horn flourishes and its rock and its R&B aesthetic, just found itself out my grasp to describe and express why I like it so much. The same thing with "It's a Beautiful World," I cannot tell you why, but title aside that statement is true; although we cannot exactly see it as beautiful all the time. "Be Careful What You Wish For" not only sounds like a warning from the future trip to the farm, but an Aerosmith classic where female vocals replace the horns. As for what follows, do we find out who built it? Does it matter? Not just the answer, but what is it without the discovery of that answer. I implore you to sample the album for yourself. There is more to be enjoyed.