I used to be the entertainment editor at a major college newspaper. So, it was fitting last night that I saw U2 and the Black Eyed Peas just a couple hundred yards away from my old newsroom at the University of Oklahoma.
U2 appeared in Norman, OK, at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as part of its 360 tour. By my count, U2 has not appeared in Oklahoma since 1983 on its War tour. I saw U2 in Tulsa, OK, on that tour when the Alarm opened for them. That 1983 U2 show was an excellent show by an energized band with an artistic vision. Interestingly, future "Newton Boys" screenwriter Clark Walker jumped on stage at that 1983 show and did some sort of new wave dance before being pushed back into the crowd.
In a span of about 18 months, back then, I saw some excellent shows including the last performance of the real Three Dog Night, Santana and Peter Frampton. U2, at that time getting its first taste of fame, was every bit as good as those legendary acts.
There were some very bad points of the show which need to be addressed before going too deep in my review. The first issue was the sound. It almost was horrible. Considering the high ticket cost, the elaborate staging and the prior success of other acts putting decent sound into the venue, there really was no excuse.
Another issue was the poor management of the crowd at the venue. Near my seating area, barriers were erected which essentially cut off my seating area from the west side of the stadium. This caused dangerous congestion. When large numbers of people are involved, it only takes a minor misstep to take a dangerous crowd situation and make it deadly. There was no warning of the barriers, which were erected after the show started, until you were up against them.
By the way, some people complained today on local radio about politics. As far as politics at a Rock 'n' Roll show, U2 pushes issues everyone should care about regardless of being Republican, Democrat, independent, liberal or conservative. I commend them for it.
But, you know. I'm tired of acts that run from their "A" material.
Even though U2 sort of possesses a history of not putting together shows filled with their best, this show seemed to be weighed down by "B" material. It was a "B" material sort of night from U2. The hardcore U2 fans appreciated the show but those who were not so hardcore sort of felt like they were at a Sting concert where he performed "Roxanne" while accompanied by the congas. And, as I remember, that was one of Sting's worst self-indulgent moments.
I've seen artists deal with their dreaded hits in different ways. I remember the Go Gos playing an acoustic version of "Vacation" that was fresh and then switching over to play the whole thing with electric instruments. They got what they wanted. And, the fans got a new experience made more meaningful because they got the song full on. Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the Greendale tour played two sets: The first was "Greendale" in its entirety followed by a set of classics. Again, each set made the other stronger and more meaningful. It can be done.
In any event, U2 seemed disconnected from each other. Bassist Adam Clayton, who played wonderfully, seemed in his own world not so much by his own choice but by the distance imposed on by the stage and the sort of aloofness of his bandmates. At times, the Edge on guitar and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums seemed sort of off their game. Finally, I had to go.
On the long walk to the car, I could hear the "B" night drone on and on. The only highlights from the set before I left were "A Beautiful Day," "Mysterious Ways," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." "A Beautiful Day" was marred for many audience members who noticed a small airplane circling close to the stadium in windy conditions. You could see looks of apprehension on the faces of some fans as the plane sort of almost listed overhead at times in the wind.
On the other hand, the opening act, the Black Eyed Peas seemed connected to each other, their backing band, and the fans. The Black Eyed Peas kept the audience energized throughout their set. Fergie performed one of her solo hits, "Big Girls Don't Cry." The high points of the concert by either group were the Black Eyed Peas performances of "Where is the Love?" and their latest single, "I Gotta Feeling."
I remember in 1983, U2's manager, Paul McGuinness, came and stood beside me for a large chunk of the show. I sort of liked that "hands on" approach. He could give feedback to the band. I wonder if the same thing occurred tonight what he'd report back. Whether or not he might agree with me on the dismal crowd control, the awful one hit for ever three "B" songs ratio imposed by the band, or that crazy airplane dily, I wonder if he might agree that given we are in 2009 and in a recession that maybe the band could find a way to sell a T-shirt to the fans for under $40.
The set list: Breathe, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day / God Only Knows (snippet), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet), Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, No Line On The Horizon, Elevation, In A Little While, Unknown Caller, Until The End Of The World, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (snippet), Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
Encores: One / Amazing Grace (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet), Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender
The Bottom Line: As to the Black Eyed Peas, I've got three words: Very highly recommended.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died?
On CNN, singer-songwriter Don MacLean tells the story of "American Pie."
I've always loved Buddy Holly. He exuded a sort of cool geekiness. One of my favorite quotes of Eddie Van Halen concerned himself. He called himself a "geek." In Rock 'n' Roll, geeks such as Eddie Van Halen could transcend their lowly local social status and achieve star status. The first god of this geeky art was Buddy Holly of Lubbock, Texas.
Holly was a lyricist, a composer, a guitarist, a singer. The coming landslide of Rock 'n' Roll that followed him came about through John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan who saw in Buddy Holly an inspirational figure who wrote and performed his own songs. The Beatles recognized Holly in their name, which was a nod to Holly's band, The Crickets.
Many know the story of Holly's death. How he booked a plane to fly ahead to the next tour stop. How his band members, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, gave up their seats on the plane to the Big Bopper and Richie Valens. How Holly's young, pregnant bride, Maria Elena Holly, miscarried their child. We might have heard the story of Tommy Allsup flipping a coin with Richie Valens so Valens got the seat. We might know the story of Buddy Holly teasing Waylon Jennings, saying, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up." And, Jennings reportedly responding, "Well, I hope your plane crashes."
In our geeky thing of Rock 'n' Roll, new gods appear to replace those of the past. Yet, it seems that when it comes to the greats who make it out alive, there will always be a Buddy Holly, a Richie Valens, a Jimi Hendrix, a Janis Joplin, a Jim Morrison or a Kurt Cobain who seem to die too young.
I remember sitting on Harvey Gerst's porch a few years ago around sunset on hot summer's day in Sanger, Texas. He told me of the friends he'd lost when younger, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. He told me about the night that Janis Joplin died. She'd been working on an album and asked Harvey to come hear it in the studio. The producer and Joplin did not know whether they had a finished album and wanted the opinion of their friend. He said that the night before he was to go listen at the studio that Joplin came into a bar where Harvey was drinking. She came in the door and yelled, "Have no fear, Janis is here."
Joplin came over and talked to Harvey and got his promise that he was going to be at the studio the next day to listen to the recording. The next morning Harvey got a phone call from the producer.
The producer said, "Harvey, don't come to the studio."
Harvey said, "What do you mean? I just talked to Janis..."
The producer said, "She's gone, Harvey."
Harvey replied, "Where'd she go?"
The producer repeated, "Harvey, she's gone."
Harvey stated that he just saw her the night before. Then, after a few minutes, somewhere in their argument, he realized that his friend, Janis Joplins, had not left town but had left the planet. She was gone forever. The sudden loss sort of made it all unbelievable to Harvey. I listened to Harvey tell his story and realized that he still mourned for his friend these many years later.
While "American Pie" is an incredible song, there are many days when music died. While not as personal as my friend's story regarding Janis Joplin, my day the music died was December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was murdered. I was a junior in high school. My mother woke me the following morning with news that John Lennon was dead. And, like my friend, I took a long time to realize that Lennon was indeed gone and never coming back.
I think since youth culture became a real thing in the 1950s that part of that experience is a personal day where music died. For everyone, an "American Pie" experience is a rite of passage where we learn that it seems that the things of childhood whether it be innocence, youth or idealism all meet their end. And, if you did not experience such a day, then it's such part of the American experience to borrow one from your elders, which is one of the reasons that Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison seem greater than most all of their contemporaries who lived.
I've always loved Buddy Holly. He exuded a sort of cool geekiness. One of my favorite quotes of Eddie Van Halen concerned himself. He called himself a "geek." In Rock 'n' Roll, geeks such as Eddie Van Halen could transcend their lowly local social status and achieve star status. The first god of this geeky art was Buddy Holly of Lubbock, Texas.
Holly was a lyricist, a composer, a guitarist, a singer. The coming landslide of Rock 'n' Roll that followed him came about through John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan who saw in Buddy Holly an inspirational figure who wrote and performed his own songs. The Beatles recognized Holly in their name, which was a nod to Holly's band, The Crickets.
Many know the story of Holly's death. How he booked a plane to fly ahead to the next tour stop. How his band members, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, gave up their seats on the plane to the Big Bopper and Richie Valens. How Holly's young, pregnant bride, Maria Elena Holly, miscarried their child. We might have heard the story of Tommy Allsup flipping a coin with Richie Valens so Valens got the seat. We might know the story of Buddy Holly teasing Waylon Jennings, saying, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up." And, Jennings reportedly responding, "Well, I hope your plane crashes."
In our geeky thing of Rock 'n' Roll, new gods appear to replace those of the past. Yet, it seems that when it comes to the greats who make it out alive, there will always be a Buddy Holly, a Richie Valens, a Jimi Hendrix, a Janis Joplin, a Jim Morrison or a Kurt Cobain who seem to die too young.
I remember sitting on Harvey Gerst's porch a few years ago around sunset on hot summer's day in Sanger, Texas. He told me of the friends he'd lost when younger, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. He told me about the night that Janis Joplin died. She'd been working on an album and asked Harvey to come hear it in the studio. The producer and Joplin did not know whether they had a finished album and wanted the opinion of their friend. He said that the night before he was to go listen at the studio that Joplin came into a bar where Harvey was drinking. She came in the door and yelled, "Have no fear, Janis is here."
Joplin came over and talked to Harvey and got his promise that he was going to be at the studio the next day to listen to the recording. The next morning Harvey got a phone call from the producer.
The producer said, "Harvey, don't come to the studio."
Harvey said, "What do you mean? I just talked to Janis..."
The producer said, "She's gone, Harvey."
Harvey replied, "Where'd she go?"
The producer repeated, "Harvey, she's gone."
Harvey stated that he just saw her the night before. Then, after a few minutes, somewhere in their argument, he realized that his friend, Janis Joplins, had not left town but had left the planet. She was gone forever. The sudden loss sort of made it all unbelievable to Harvey. I listened to Harvey tell his story and realized that he still mourned for his friend these many years later.
While "American Pie" is an incredible song, there are many days when music died. While not as personal as my friend's story regarding Janis Joplin, my day the music died was December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was murdered. I was a junior in high school. My mother woke me the following morning with news that John Lennon was dead. And, like my friend, I took a long time to realize that Lennon was indeed gone and never coming back.
I think since youth culture became a real thing in the 1950s that part of that experience is a personal day where music died. For everyone, an "American Pie" experience is a rite of passage where we learn that it seems that the things of childhood whether it be innocence, youth or idealism all meet their end. And, if you did not experience such a day, then it's such part of the American experience to borrow one from your elders, which is one of the reasons that Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison seem greater than most all of their contemporaries who lived.
Monday, January 5, 2009
House concerts are the new live music scene
More musicians playing in homes to smaller audiences
House concerts have been around for years but with the internet creating "fractional audiences" they might be the new live music scene.
The live music scene for local, regional and even small appeal acts of national and international importance has been a dwindling thing since the 1970s. Down the street from my home is a club that on one night featured the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More before their rise to stardom. The club used to feature a lot of acts in that "on the rise" circumstance. Somewhere along the way the club's management realized the profits turned on alcohol sales rather than featuring worthy recording artists. The bar sales tend to be the same regardless. In essence, the club tends to feature a lot of club level bands rather than the up and coming national acts it used to feature.
On the other hand, I know of more than a couple recording artists who have quit performing due to objections to alcohol and tobacco smoke.
The internet has created more opportunities for recording artists and for fans to find each other. House concerts will be the thing that brings these new artists and these new fans face to face.
--Steven Langer
House concerts have been around for years but with the internet creating "fractional audiences" they might be the new live music scene.
The live music scene for local, regional and even small appeal acts of national and international importance has been a dwindling thing since the 1970s. Down the street from my home is a club that on one night featured the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More before their rise to stardom. The club used to feature a lot of acts in that "on the rise" circumstance. Somewhere along the way the club's management realized the profits turned on alcohol sales rather than featuring worthy recording artists. The bar sales tend to be the same regardless. In essence, the club tends to feature a lot of club level bands rather than the up and coming national acts it used to feature.
On the other hand, I know of more than a couple recording artists who have quit performing due to objections to alcohol and tobacco smoke.
The internet has created more opportunities for recording artists and for fans to find each other. House concerts will be the thing that brings these new artists and these new fans face to face.
--Steven Langer
Sunday, January 4, 2009
MXL 990 and MXL 991
The perennial cheap mic combo offered by that big music gear store
Here it goes: The cubic zirconia in the rough of these two mics is the MXL 991. It's a small diaphragm condenser microphone.
It's on the bright side of things. For comparison, we recorded tracks with the 991 and several other mics ranging in price from $19 to $1,000. How did the MXL 991 fare? Not bad at all. The MXL 991 is a cardiod pattern mic. We liked it in two places: Acoustic guitar and over a drum kit.
It's too bright for my tastes to use it in a solo instrument setting but in the context of multiple tracks I thought I wouldn't mind using an MXL 991. My favorite acoustic guitar mics range in price from $200 to $300 and I even got one that I use a lot that costs $800, which is the Blue Dragonfly. In the context of the MXL 990 and 991 package deal, the MXL 991 costs about $50. One of my friends who owns a commercial recording studio uses the 991 and owns several of them. I now know why. Yes, it doesn't as good as my fave $800 go to acoustic guitar mic but it's pretty good nonetheless. And, if someone craters the 991 while here on a session, then I'm only out $50 rather than $800. The MXL 991 possesses a little sizzle that you don't get with the Blue Dragonfly, which possesses a complex high end that normally only comes in more expensive microphones. Still, the 991's sizzle comes across as a smidge musical and it's not grating (on acoustic guitar anyway).
On a session, my friend, Steve Beckett, used the MXL 991 over a drum kit. Interestingly, he also used the Blue Dragonfly (yes, it's a great mic for this use as well). He liked the 991 on the floor tom side of the kit.
The MXL 990 is a small diaphragm cardiod pattern condenser as is the 991 but the 990 is in a different body in a side address configuration. The 990 did not do much for me on most things. Steve Beckett pointed out he liked it on toms. I'd heard from Harvey Gerst about his son Alex Gerst using the 990 on toms at recording sessions at Indian Trail Studios in Sanger, Texas. Steve played me some of his tracks with the MXL 990 on toms. I listened. I found myself reassessing my distrust of low cost mics. Yes, it did one thing that did not suck.
The Bottom Line: I would limit the use of the "cubic zirconia" 991 to acoustic guitar and to over a drum kit. I would limit the use of the "it did one thing that did not suck" 990 to toms. Street price for the pair including carrying case is $99 approximately at that big music gear store.
--Steven Langer
MXL
Here it goes: The cubic zirconia in the rough of these two mics is the MXL 991. It's a small diaphragm condenser microphone.
It's on the bright side of things. For comparison, we recorded tracks with the 991 and several other mics ranging in price from $19 to $1,000. How did the MXL 991 fare? Not bad at all. The MXL 991 is a cardiod pattern mic. We liked it in two places: Acoustic guitar and over a drum kit. It's too bright for my tastes to use it in a solo instrument setting but in the context of multiple tracks I thought I wouldn't mind using an MXL 991. My favorite acoustic guitar mics range in price from $200 to $300 and I even got one that I use a lot that costs $800, which is the Blue Dragonfly. In the context of the MXL 990 and 991 package deal, the MXL 991 costs about $50. One of my friends who owns a commercial recording studio uses the 991 and owns several of them. I now know why. Yes, it doesn't as good as my fave $800 go to acoustic guitar mic but it's pretty good nonetheless. And, if someone craters the 991 while here on a session, then I'm only out $50 rather than $800. The MXL 991 possesses a little sizzle that you don't get with the Blue Dragonfly, which possesses a complex high end that normally only comes in more expensive microphones. Still, the 991's sizzle comes across as a smidge musical and it's not grating (on acoustic guitar anyway).
On a session, my friend, Steve Beckett, used the MXL 991 over a drum kit. Interestingly, he also used the Blue Dragonfly (yes, it's a great mic for this use as well). He liked the 991 on the floor tom side of the kit.
The MXL 990 is a small diaphragm cardiod pattern condenser as is the 991 but the 990 is in a different body in a side address configuration. The 990 did not do much for me on most things. Steve Beckett pointed out he liked it on toms. I'd heard from Harvey Gerst about his son Alex Gerst using the 990 on toms at recording sessions at Indian Trail Studios in Sanger, Texas. Steve played me some of his tracks with the MXL 990 on toms. I listened. I found myself reassessing my distrust of low cost mics. Yes, it did one thing that did not suck.
The Bottom Line: I would limit the use of the "cubic zirconia" 991 to acoustic guitar and to over a drum kit. I would limit the use of the "it did one thing that did not suck" 990 to toms. Street price for the pair including carrying case is $99 approximately at that big music gear store.
--Steven Langer
MXL
Friday, January 2, 2009
Lame excuses
Recording artists go with the 'L' when the need a way out
My fave from this Yahoo! blog posting:
BO BICE
Excuse: "Has to immediately return to the studio to complete album"
The American Idol runner-up had been dropped from his label and was playing the House of Blues circuit last year when he cancelled three gigs to "immediately return to the studio" to record a follow-up album. Really? You have no label deal, you're playing HOB gigs, and you have to rush into the studio? Who's waiting for the record? No one, apparently. See The Light peaked at #150 on the Billboard 200.
Bo needs to watch "Gimme Shelter" and pay attention to the Muscle Shoals sequence. You can make some great recordings in the midst of a tour.
My fave from this Yahoo! blog posting:
BO BICE
Excuse: "Has to immediately return to the studio to complete album"
The American Idol runner-up had been dropped from his label and was playing the House of Blues circuit last year when he cancelled three gigs to "immediately return to the studio" to record a follow-up album. Really? You have no label deal, you're playing HOB gigs, and you have to rush into the studio? Who's waiting for the record? No one, apparently. See The Light peaked at #150 on the Billboard 200.
Bo needs to watch "Gimme Shelter" and pay attention to the Muscle Shoals sequence. You can make some great recordings in the midst of a tour.
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