Alter-reviews:
Alter review: Paul McCartney at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn
Paul recently wrapped up eight shows in the NYC area. I did not see the one where Bruce and Steve, on a date night with their wives, played “I Saw Her Standing There” twice. All I got was a rather embarrassing version of “Birthday” played for Jimmy Fallon, who attended with Lorne Michaels and Mario Batali, and was clearly as pleased with himself as the last time he ran his hands through Trump’s hair.
We’ve had the opportunity to see Paul quite a few times in recent years and the set list changes a bit from year to year but not from show to show. Nor do the versions of the songs change much. Save for a “Foxy Lady” riff to close out “I’ve Got a Feeling” to pay tribute to Paul’s pride in Jimi’s having played the song two days after the record was released in London with the boys in the audience, the records are almost perfectly reproduced in an extremely generous show, whose professionalism is pretty much, unmatched.
I mean, if Paul McCartney can’t rest on his laurels, who can? At Barclay’s, we got: “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “All My Loving,” “We Can Work It Out,” “Love Me Do,” “And I Love Her,” “Blackbird,” “Lady Madonna,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “A Day in the Life,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Back in the U.S.S.R,” “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “Yesterday,” and the medley from side two of Abbey Road. Also, “Jet,” “Band on the Run,” “Junior’s Farm,” “Maybe I’m Amazed” “1985,” a song from “Quarrymen” believe it or not, and actually a whole of other songs, including more Beatles classics and a more than a few late-McCartney clunkers (though my daughter says the Kanye song is cool). I counted 33 songs in all. Do you think you could have a bad time listening to that?
If you want to see Paul on your TV, then pick up the remarkably well priced
Change Begins Within Concert bluray/dvd, just released. You get Ringo too, along with. Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Moby, Ben Harper, Paul Horn, Angelo Badalamenti, Betty LaVette, and Jim James. The concert took place in April 2009 to raise money for David Lynch’s foundation to bring meditation to at-risk young people at Radio City. I thought it was a silly cause when the show was announced but since I’ve started doing Yoga and mediation, I’m cool with it. And the song selection is pretty decent too. Paul’s song “Cosmically Conscious” sets the standard for dumb throwaways, though. Check it out if you’re curious.
Alter-review, Brian Wilson at Radio City
Brian Wilson and his band, with Al Jardine, Al’s son, Matt, and Blondie Chaplin were also wrapping up things recently as they closed out their “Pet Sounds” tour at Radio City Music Hall. Brian is 75 and although in pretty good health, given everything, he understands that his voice is not capable of what the album demands. Al, Blondie and others got plenty of singing time and Al’s kid took care of all the high parts; doing a pretty damn decent job of it too. Like McCartney’s band, Brian’s crack 11-member group plays everything by the book. You can sing and dance along as if the past 50 years never happened.
Pet Sounds, like Sgt. Pepper, was a triumph of studio instrumentalization—by which I mean the studio itself was turned into the music’s main instrument, and so in some ways it makes more sense to listen to it on a great stereo. But it is quite poignant to hear that breaking voice and think about all it’s been through before and since. Al J handled the early hits—Fun, Fun, Fun and Rhonda and the like, and Blondie did the mid-period masterpieces, like “Sail on Sailor” and “Darling.” It’s a nostalgia riff, like McCartney, but what nostalgia it is. And it can’t go on forever. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the last show of Brian’s last tour and I felt honored to there. You can listen to the first ever Brian Wilson collection, called “Playback” which I promise, will put you in a good mood. Amazon has it here https://www.amazon.com/Playback-Brian-Wilson-Anthology/dp/B074XP6NR3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506372838&sr=8-1&keywords=brian+wilson+playbacks. The final song of the night. Brian doing “Love and Mercy” was sad and beautiful beyond words. You can listen to it over and over on the cd.
Bonus heartbreating tweet: Seriously, look at this https://twitter.com/jessdonati/status/912692696007036930
Alter-review Greg Allman, “Serious Blood” and the “Laid Back” Tour, plus Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
If you’ve been reading me at all on music, you know I’ve been a serious Allmans fanatic. I have to say, as much as I love the Allmans, I was still surprised at the outpouring of affection he earned from his fellow musicians after he died. People really liked the guy.
I had been hoping to see Greg’s band at City Winery last year, but he cancelled for health reasons and never came back. Greg did have most a new album in the can, recently released as “Southern Blood” and it’s a profoundly satisfying experience. It sounds like Greg’s other recent album, “Low Country Blues.” The highlight is Greg’s oft-sung version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days,”—the most amazing song ever written by a sixteen year old. I stand by my view that Greg is the greatest white blues singer of all time and his pain, sickness and pathos make this album all-but impossible to resist. Most of the songs are covers, but there’s an original, “My Only True Friend,” co-written with Gregg Allman Band guitarist/musical director Scott Sharrard, is first rate and you see it on You Tube
Without Greg, the “Laid Back” festival he founded has continued. I caught up with it at Jones Beach. I didn’t get in in time for Peter Wolf’s set, but I did see a standout set by my buddy Garland Jeffreys, following by a great set by Stevie Winwood and company (who recently put out a fine double live cd I plugged a few weeks ago). It’s amazing how good a guitarist Winwood is for someone who’s considered a keyboard player. The set was heavy on Traffic, Blind Faith and incredible guitar work. Stevie was followed by Jackson Browne, who sang a gorgeous “Melissa” in honor of Greg, and did a normal Jackson set in front of a the massive crowd. I was far away but it was pretty moving. Bruce joined Jackson for “Take it Easy” when the tour hit New Jersey, but not here out on the Island
The last place I didn’t see Bruce when I would have seen it had I gone to New Jersey was during Steve Van Zandt’s
"Soulfire Tour 2017" stop at the Gramercy Theater this week. I’ve not gotten the album yet so the new stuff was unfamiliar to me. But the old stuff was great if you like the music of the early albums by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, lots of horns, beautiful, scantily-clad African American back-up singer/dancers and soul, rock, blues and reggae hybrids. Steve’s voice, well, it’s kinda like Keith Richards’ voice. You either dig it or you don’t.
Alter-review: Jessica Molaskey sings Joni: I also wanted to let people know of a lovely album by a perennial Alter-favorite, Jessica Molaskey, the better half to John Pizzarelli and a brave interpreter of Joni Mitchell. She showcased “Portraits of Joni, “her new album from Ghostlight Deluxe at Birdland Jazz Club recently. The show featured Pizzarelli on vocals and guitar, the adorable Brown University student Madeleine Pizzarelli on vocals and guitar, Mike Karn on bass, Konrad Pazkudzki on piano and Andy Watson on drums. The album is a lovely thing, and as we are about to get two new biographies of Joni this season, it is also perfectly timed. Below is a track list, but I want to re-emphasize how much fun it is to see these to perform together as they are Steve and Edie if Steve and Edie were funny and clever and could play guitar and had a kid who sang with them and went to Brown.
1. Help Me
2. Dreamland / Carey
3. A Case of You
4. The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines
5. Marcie
6. In France They Kiss On Main Street
7. The Last Time I Saw Richard
8. Raised on Robbery
9. Little Green
10. Circle Game / Waters of March
11. All I Want / Blue
12. Chelsea Morning / Aquelas Coisas Todas
13. Both Sides Now
14. Big Yellow Taxi
Music DVD/Bluray roundup: I already mentioned the Paul/Ringo/David Lynch show. I’ve also been spending time with some Frank Sinatra TV programs—you cans see them listed here, a few of them fill out missing moments in his career, and a few are, well, redundant. Among recent cd/bluray collections, I’d put on Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” tour, https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Heart-Tour-DVD-CD/dp/B073LK1MNJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506603062&sr=8-1&keywords=madonna%2C+dvd, the Stones doing all of “Sticky Fingers” for the first time in LA in 2005, https://www.amazon.com/Vault-Sticky-Fingers-Theatre-Blu-ray/dp/B074BNB16N/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1506603136&sr=1-1&keywords=rolling+stones+sticky+fingers+live and Jeff Beck, live at the Hollywood Bowl https://www.amazon.com/Live-Hollywood-Bowl-DVD-2CD/dp/B074R49ST3/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1506603178&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+beck+dvd. Enjoy.