100 Concerts / Concert #11

Headline Act: Genesis

Touring Album: Invisible Touch

Opening Act: The Bangles

Date: March 1, 1987

Venue: Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Ticket price:  $17.75

"Tonight Tonight Tonight", the 1986 single from Genesis, became synonymous with a beer commercial that aired ad nauseum. So which came first, the song or the commercial? I wonder if a TV jingle was turned into a 9-minute album track by an aging band, well past its creative peak. When I think of Genesis' 1987 "Invisible Touch" tour I think of its sponsor, Michelob. The tour and the beer had a lot in common. Both were watered down, flavorless, and unmemorable.

This isn't an indictment on Genesis, a group with a long history and many excellent albums.Along with omnipresent singer/drummer Phil Collins (part-time "Miami Vice" actor and solo video star), the '80s version of the band was composed of keyboardist Tony Banks and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford. The non-Collinses were part of the genesis of Genesis, original members way back in '67 ( the year of my birth). Collins became the frontman after founding member Peter Gabriel quit the group in the mid '70s.

1973 Mod Squad: Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, Phil Collins

In their early days, they were an ambitious progressive rock band with beautiful albums such as "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (1974) and "A Trick Of The Tail" (1976). Their music evolved into the early '80s with a more commercially viable sound while still maintaining interesting arrangements. "Abacab" (1981) is one of my all-time favorite '80s records, thanks to songs like "No Reply At All", "Man On The Corner" and the hypnotic title track. In our early high school years, as we learned how to drink beer on Hollywood beach, "Abacab" was one of those cassettes that we played over and over on our boom boxes.

Thanks to their frequently played MTV videos, the band reached new heights of fame with their eponymous album, "Genesis" (1983). Songs like "Mama", "Illegal Alien" and "Just A Job To Do" were solid standouts, but "That's All" was overly poppy, a little too Phil Collins' easy-listening light-FM-at-the-dentist-office-kind-of-thing. To me, "That's All" was the beginning of the end (the Exodus?) of Genesis. The band had eaten the forbidden fruit of pop mediocrity and decided it was delicious. And profitable.

 

Bangles Babe: The fetching Susanna Hoffs.

Regrettably, I missed their '84 "Mama" tour, so I had to settle for the '87 stadium show in the Orange Bowl, my second and final concert in the old rust bucket. The opening act was The Bangles, fronted by the gorgeous Susanna Hoffs. The group had a huge breakout hit in '86 with "Walk Like An Egyptian". They also scored hits with "Manic Monday" (written by Prince) and "Hazy Shade Of Winter" (Simon & Garfunkel). The "Egyptian" song/video was a guilty-pleasure hit that still pops up on '80s compilations without being too annoying, unlike some other staples of the decade ("Walking On Sunshine" for example). I must admit it was fun to hear tens of thousands of fans sing along to the meaningless chorus: "Way-o, way-o, way-o, way-o. Walk like an Egyptian." An all-female pop band playing their goofy single to a stadium crowd, truly an Eighties moment.

The Bangles recorded a total of four albums before breaking up in 1990. They've since reunited with a pair of albums in  2003 and 2011. Susanna Hoffs has also enjoyed a solo career and together with the talented singer/songwriter Matthew Sweet ("Girlfriend", etc.) she recorded a couple of excellent albums under the pseudonyms Sid & Susie. Their "Under The Cover" Volumes I & II include excellent harmonies and fresh-sounding arrangements of classics by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young and other greats. Susanna Hoffs, sigh.

As for Collins and Co., I enjoyed the show. But if it weren't for my ticket stub, I'm not sure I'd remember it at all. Their musicianship was fine, they played some good songs, but there is just something missing from most stadium concerts. As I mentioned in a previous post (The Police concert in the OB, 1983), stadium shows can be like musical voyeurism. Unless you are sitting in a prime spot, you are more spectator than audience participant. Very few artists make the stadium experience satisfying. Genesis was not one of those.

Along with some friends, we sat in the lower level of the Orange Bowl, in the northeast corner of the stadium, near where the visitors' bench used to be at Dolphins games. "Invisible Touch" was the point in Genesis' career where declining originality and relevance met opportunity to cash in on a large scale. Collins was in the midst of a successful solo career that produced some memorable songs like "In The Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds". There were also several songs that don't hold up so well ("Sussudio", "Easy Lover", etc.). It's a tough task to be a frontman/songwriter for a band and have a successful solo career at the same time. There are only so many good songs to go around. Genesis was running out of them. 

Do you remember "Land Of Confusion" for the song itself or because of the video with the Spitting Image puppets? The legendary actor/comedian W.C. Fields once said “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” Substitute "high-budget music videos with puppetry" for bullshit and you have the state of Genesis in 1987. The group released two more albums, one with Collins ("We Can't Dance", 1991) and one without him in 1997.

In 2010, Genesis was deservedly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.Their influence on the rock world was recognized by Trey Anastasio of Phish. In his speech, Anastasio said of Genesis, “Every musical rule and boundary was questioned and broken.” 

The book of Genesis is complete.They had a great run, sold a zillion albums, and created a lot of memorable music. Now, who wants a Michelob?

Unofficial setlist: Mama, Abacab, Domino, That's All, The Brazilian, In The Cage, ...In That Quiet Earth, Afterglow, Land Of Confusion, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Throwing It All Away, Home By The Sea, Second Home By The Sea, Invisible Touch , Drum Duet, Los Endos, Turn It On Again

100 Concerts / Concert #10

Headline Act: Billy Joel

Touring Album: The Bridge

Opening Act: none

Date: February 27, 1987

Venue: Sun Dome, Tampa, FL
Ticket price:  $17.50

Here Comes The Sun Dome.

Another concert, another short road trip from Gainesville. Along with my friends, we traveled to Tampa for my second Billy Joel show, this one in support of "The Bridge". The concert site was the Sun Dome on the campus of the University Of South Florida, one of the most inaccurately named universities in the country. Tampa may be south of Orlando, but no one would say it is in South Florida. Can we get a name change please?

You probably know I worship the Billy Joel catalog (see my previous love letter, um, prior post about my strong feelings for his music). Having said that, "The Bridge" is probably the weakest album of his career.

A few songs do stand out, however. One of my favorites is "Big Man On Mulberry Street", a big-band swing piece. It feels like it would have been perfect for a young Frank Sinatra. I'm a sucker for big horn sections. The old-school styled song wasn't destined to be a radio hit, but it found a TV audience when it was featured in a dream sequence of "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd. 

"Getting Closer" is a hidden gem that features a Hammond organ solo by the ageless Steve Winwood, one of Joel's musical heroes. Lyrically, it's a scathing commentary about those around him who contributed to his financial woes. Check out a couple of the verses:

I went searching for the truth but in my innocence I found

All the con men and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground 

If I count up their percentages I know they're getting rich

But they haven't taken everything, those paybacks are a bitch

I'm a mark for every shyster from Topanga to Berlin
And I should have learned to kick them out as soon as they crawled in
So to every bank in Switzerland that stores my stolen youth
I'm all right because despite the laws you cannot hide the truth

Slave To The Traffic Light: Steve Winwood

Celebrity and the perils of show business are recurring subject matters for Billy, this tune is a companion piece for "Everybody Loves You Now" (1971), "The Entertainer" (1974), "Big Shot" (1980) and later "Great Wall Of China" (1993).

Along with Winwood, Cyndi Lauper also appears on "The Bridge", she shares songwriting credit and harmonies on "Code Of Silence". But of all the collaborations, it's "Baby Grand" that is most memorable. Billy wrote the give-and-take duet expressly for his idol, the legendary Ray Charles. It must have been a dream come true for Billy to record. In Charles' voice it's a heartbreaker with lyrics that feel authentic.

I've come far from the life I've strayed in
I've got scars from those dives I've played in
Now I'm home and I'm weary
In my bones every dreary one night stand
But my baby grand is coming home with me

 
Billy's affection for Charles was so strong that he named his daughter, Alexa Ray, in his honor.Critics may describe the song as schmaltzy or corny, but Billy never worried about those types of reactions. I think it's one of the best songs of Joel's last few albums.

As for some of the other songs on the subpar album, "Modern Woman" was a pop throwaway, featured on the movie soundtrack for "Ruthless People". "A Matter Of Trust" was a modest hit with frequent MTV rotation, but in my opinion it's one of the least memorable singles of his remarkable career."This Is The Time" became a staple of proms and yearbooks, but held up against Billy's catalog it's not nearly as memorable as the haunting "Souvenir" from "Streetlife Serenade". 

"Ruthless People", Danny DeVito & Bette Midler

Bridge to nowhere?

Regardless of the album (or the lack of a new album since 1993), Billy never disappoints his fans in concert. Our seats were in the upper deck of the Sun Dome, which is nearly identical to Gainesville's O'Connell Center. We were seated behind the stage, looking at the backs of Billy and his band for much of the show.  But in one memorable moment ("Sometimes A Fantasy"), Billy rotated his stand-up keyboard around 180 degrees and played while facing those of us in the back of the house. It was a simple move, but one that changed the feeling of the show for me. Even there in the upper reaches of an arena, we felt connected to his performance.

Billy Joel composed some of the most memorable music of the 20th century. He's been an eloquent poet who has written songs about love and heartbreak and social commentary on a variety of topics.With all of that talent, all his command of language, he ends almost every concert by giving his audience one final piece of advice: "Don't take any shit from anybody!". Billy never does.

Unofficial setlist: A Matter Of Trust, Pressure, You're Only Human (Second Wind), Piano Man, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Allentown, Goodnight Saigon, Summer, Highland Falls, Prelude / Angry Young Man, Don't Ask Me Why, Big Man On Mulberry Street, Baby Grand, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Only The Good Die Young, It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Sometimes A Fantasy, You May Be Right,  (Encore) Uptown Girl, Keeping The Faith, Big Shot

100 Concerts / Concert #9

Headline Act: The Moody Blues

Touring Album:The Other Side Of Life

Opening Act: The Fixx

Date: October 1, 1986

Venue: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, FL
Ticket price:  $16.00

"Timothy Leary's dead. No, no, no, he's outside, looking in." 

"Legend Of A Mind" (quoted above) is a 1968 song by the Moody Blues. It's a beautiful, dramatic, trippy song inspired by the LSD guru once described by President Nixon as "the most dangerous man in America".  Like Leary then, the Moody Blues are still outside, looking in. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has yet to induct them; I think that's a travesty.

"Go Now" was a #1 single in the UK in 1964.

Before developing their signature sound, they began their career in the early '60s as an R&B-based group, like their contemporaries, The The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Kinks. The guys in the Moody Blues didn't have the outrageous behavior of Keith Moon, the drug-using reputation of Keith Richards or the charismatic leadership of Freddie Mercury. Perhaps it's their lack of controversy or notable front man that has left them unrecognized by the Hall, because their exclusion doesn't make sense to me.

With a variety of different lineups, they have recorded 16 albums, including a remarkably inventive 8-LP run from '65 to '72.  The most notable creation from this era ,"Days Of Future Passed", is a true classic. Not only was it one of the first concept albums in rock history, it was also innovative by combining rock with classical orchestration from the London Festival Orchestra. The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and countless other bands have included orchestral arrangements in their music, but The Moody Blues were the first to make it a major part of their sound.

"Days Of Future Passed" was also innovative in its use of extended passages of spoken poetry from drummer Graeme Edge, voiced with Shakespearean eloquence on the LP by keyboardist Mike Pinder. The album's climax, "Nights In White Satin", is followed by "Late Lament" which concludes with the dramatic strike of a gong. This album was creative, daring, and brilliant.

Late Lament

 Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colors from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white.
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion.

"Days Of Future Passed" (1967), a true masterpiece and a really cool album cover.

As a freshman at the University of Florida in 1985-86, I spent countless hours in the basement dorm room of my buddies Dave and Mike. We would hunker down late at night, blow off some steam after studying and listen to a lot of cassette tapes.  Along with Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, we listened to a ton of Moody Blues. Their early albums were layered with haunting harmonies ("Voices In The Sky") and well-crafted songs that built the framework for sophisticated albums. Maybe it was just our impressionable college freshmen minds (and altered states), but we viewed The Moodies as an elegant, thoughtful band with exquisitely produced music.

The Ocean Center, Daytona Beach

Gainesville, a true college town, did not get a lot of major artists passing through for concerts. Fortunately, we were only a short drive from Tampa, Orlando, and for this show, Daytona Beach.  We made the trek to the Ocean Center, just a stoner's throw from the Atlantic Ocean.

The opening act was Ned Beatty, uh, The Fixx (see my previous post on The Police concert for an explanation). We were there only to see the aging British hippies who looked more like a group of professors than rock musicians.  As expected, they delivered an excellent career-spanning set, buoyed in part by their '80s hits, "The Other Side Of Life" and "Your Wildest Dreams". The latter was a #1 single on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. A couple years later they had another hit, "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". The new songs may not have been their career peak, but they did help reach a new generation of fans. At the very least, the new music reminded their older fans they were still alive and well.

1986: Professors or rock band? You decide.

Though they seemed to us to be old men in 1986, the members of the Moody Blues were only in their mid-forties. They've released just 4 more albums in the decades since that show, the most recent in 2003. As I write this in Spring 2012, they are still touring, still performing, still telling their stories. Ray Thomas, now 71, was one of the group's founding members. He retired in 2002.  Graeme Edge, another founding member who is still touring, will be 71 this year. Also still on tour are long-time Moodies John Lodge (67 this year) and Justin Hawyard (66). They may not be enshrined yet in Cleveland, but they've certainly become the very thing they sang about in 1981, Veteran Cosmic Rockers.

Unofficial setlist: Gemini Dream, The Voice, Rock And Roll Over You, Tuesday Afternoon, Your Wildest Dreams, Isn't Life Strange, The Story In Your Eyes, It May Be A Fire, Painted Smile, Reflective Smile, Veteran Cosmic Rocker (Intermission) New Horizons, Talking Out Of Turn, The Other Side Of Life, I'm Just A Singer, Nights In White Satin. Legend Of A Mind, Question, (Encore) Ride My See-Saw