Review
1: - I'm
grateful to Todd Schrimpf for this personal review
I
live in southwestern Ohio. When I heard that Bryan and the boys were
planning a reunion tour I was hoping that they would at least schedule
a date in Cleveland. When the US dates were announced the closest locations
were Detroit and Chicago. No offense, but Detroit is not my favorite
place and Chicago is about a six hour car ride. But, for my birthday
in April my wife surprised me with two tickets for the Chicago show.
The show was on a Monday night and we decided to drive up the Saturday
before and make a long weekend out of it. We were absolutely not disappointed.
After spending a wonderful weekend in downtown Chicago we drove to the
Allstate Arena in Rosemont, next to the O'Hare airport. I will agree
with the newspaper reviews, the arena would be great for a hockey game
but seemed completely out of place for the band's performance and style.
The acoustics were horrible and the constant roar of planes taking off
overhead detracted from the sound. It would have been much more appropriate
to see the band play in a theater downtown. Especially since there seemed
to be a relatively small turnout. The sound mix was pretty bad as well
for the first couple of songs but that was eventually worked out.
First, I must make a comment about Rufus Wainwright, the opening act.
I was always taught that if you didn't have anything nice to say about
someone then don't say anything at all. I'm sorry but this guy was
horrible!
I had read the reviews from previous shows and thought the thrashing
of his performance was pretty harsh. Believe me, they didn't even come
close to describing how bad he was. I'm sure he is adored in the gay & lesbian
piano bars in New York but I really think it was a serious misjudgment
to offer him the opening act position. They should have
just started the show an hour-and-a-half later and opened right away
with Roxy.
Enough about all of that. All of the detractions aside, it was a marvelous
show! Bryan and the boys were dressed as chic and debonair as I would
expect. They launched into "Re-Make/Re-Model" and did not waste any
time getting up to speed as Phil Manzanara let loose on the guitar,
Paul Thompson tore up the drums and Andy Mackay wailed on the horn.
And, of course, Bryan Ferry's voice was as smooth and soulful as always.
It sounded as if they had never stopped playing together. The other
backup musicians and singers only added to this wonderful experience
with the likes of Lucy Wilkins and her amazing violin finish to "Out
Of The Blue" and Yanick Etienne's strong voice on "Avalon". What a marvelous
addition she was. The dancing girls added a nice touch to "Both Ends
Burning" as well as the lava-lamp images projected on the big screen
behind the band. The entire show was an enchanting mixture of sights
and especially sounds. I always felt that Roxy Music was very similar
to a group like Pink Floyd because of the multiple layers of sounds
that are mixed into their music. Those layers are distinct but flow
together effortlessly at the same time.
My only regret was that Brian Eno was not a part of this fantastic reunion.
I did not get turned on to Roxy Music until the early 80's but I enjoyed
their earlier music the most with the heavy synthesized and quirky sound
that Brian lent to the band. There was definitely a missing member of
the family. Even though, I would not have missed this opportunity for
the world.
Same time next year, boys?
Review
2: -I'm
grateful to Brian Gorman for this personal review
As
we entered the parking lot I was expecting the congestion usually associated
with concerts at the Allstate Arena, the second largest indoor arena
in the Chicago area. Parking was easy, and the mellow mostly middle
aged crowd filed into the arena. We had purposely missed the opening
act, and arrived about an hour before Roxy hit the stage. As my wife
and I entered the seating area, I realized why there was little congestion
outside. The arena had been divided in half, with the stage at the "center
court" with seating on the main floor and and half of the stadium seats.
The show was not sold out and many seats remained empty ,however, even
half full, thats about 5,000-6,000 people. Pretty good for not touring
in 18 years.
Now to the show. The performance was excellent, the sound was very good
( after the first couple of tunes). The Band opened with Remake Remodel.
Bryan Ferry appeared playing a Yamaha Cp70 Electric Grand Piano. The
audience was exited and bopped through the whole song. Next was Street
Life, Ferry came to stage center, and began to croon. He sounded great.
But why not, he still toured and recorded albums well after Roxy. The
audience became more subdued during this song. As an almost thirty year
Roxy Music fan, with numerous concerts under my belt, I was impressed
and really digging this long awaited live performance, all of my favorite
songs. Next was Ladytron. Wow, Phil Manzanra played with the style,
sound, and virtuosity that made him one of my favorite guitarists. The
song replicated the original version perfectly. Andy MacKays sax playing
was right on, the crowd cheered his opening few solos and he was mostly
perfect in every song execution throughout the show. But I noticed most
of the crowd was not sharing my fervor.
Next was While my Heart is Still Beating. The audience seemed to come
alive, and I realized a lot of the audience was Roxy Music's 80's Ballad
Radio crowd. You know, the fans who dicovered Roxy with Jealous Guy,
and Slave to Love. Gone were most of the hardcore fans and Roxy chicks
that gave the band cult status. Whatever...it is 2001. But it was to
there chagrin and my delight that practically the whole set was classic
old Roxy songs. Out of the Blue came next and again the song execution
impressed me. Perfect solos, a long one by Phil, and an absolutely impeccable
violin solo by the Female keyboardist/violinist (I had her name but
forgot it like other reviewers).
The rest of the hits continued Mother of Pearl, Avalon, Both Ends Burning,
In Every Dream Home, Dance Away, Jealous Guy, and ending with Editions
of You. One of the most important aspects of the tight sound of the
band was the always strong and creative drumming of Paul Thompson. Thompson
was the Drummer on almost all Roxy Albums, and many Ferry Solos. This
guy IS the Roxy Beat. By having the core members at this late stage
is integral to any bands original sound. Other bands will have a couple
original members, and a bunch of progetic young guys and gals who were
not even born when the band was debuting. Roxy Music was none of this.
Roxy WAS Roxy.
The encores came pretty fast, the band only left the stage momentarily.
They performed Love is the Drug and Do the Strand, the audience was
electric. The evening ended with the slow almost ambient sounding For
Your Pleasure. As the riff continued, the band members left the stage
one by one each acknowledging the audiences cheers. A great time. Was
it worth the price (tickets being what they are)? Absolutely.
Review 3: I'm
grateful to Paul Vinta for this personal review
I
remember hearing of rock fans traveling to other states to see their
fave bands, and thinking to myself: "man, get a life !" How your
priorities can change over time. When I found out that Roxy were
not playing my
home state.... what a great excuse to visit the windy city! And what
a treat it was !
Some observations: "Re-Make Re-Model": a great opening song and played
very powerfully - the sight of Bryan playing keyboards stage left (
and generally allowing the spotlight to deflect from him to the other
band members throughout the show) reemphasizing that this was not "Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music". It was also evident from this opening song how
crucial Paul Thompson's drumming was for this regrouping, specially
so when covering the pre "Flesh and Blood" material. The sound mix,
however, was mush. Fortunately, by the next song, "Street Life" ( one
of my all time fave Roxy songs, from the best Roxy albums: "Stranded" ),
things improved soundwise, and got progressively better (the crowd,
by the way, was on its feet from the time the curtains opened through
the third or fourth song, a telling sign that this Chicago audience
was made up of mostly hard core fans from the early Roxy period).
Even though I didn't think it would translate well in a live setting, "Song For Europe" was simply breathtaking. I found even my wife (more
of a Ferry than a Roxy fan) swooning to it's 1940's era cabaret style
charms. Could any other rock band in the world pull off that kind of
unique, dramatic ending to a song ? .... Ferry singing alternatively
in German and French and pleading to that ever elusive European gal
(Janette...Janette !! ) ... saxophonist Andy Mackay and the band bringing
the song to its climax ....a stunner! "Out Of The Blue", was a show
stopper. The violin solo/ending, played almost note for note by the
backup keyboard player/violinist, ending suddenly and dramatically (just
as on the LP, "Country Life"), brought a roaring approval from the ecstatic
audience. "While My Heart Is Still Beating" was an unexpected choice
from "Avalon", but very effectively brought to stage and a nice change
of pace, with great sax work from Andy Mackay.
The highlight from Ferry's 1994 Mamouna tour was, surprisingly, Ferry's
rendition of John Lennon's " Jealous Guy", and it was certainly a high
point on this show as well. The solo breaks from guitarist Phil Manzanera
and Mackay brought the song to an incredible emotional high, along with
Ferry's most emotional singing of the night. 'In Every Dream Home a
Heartache'(Ferry's ode to an inflatable doll !) , another highlight,
was again, the kind of song that only Ferry and Roxy could pull off,
majestic in all its perverse decadence ( which I guess is a good way
to describe Roxy in general !), with a great Manzanera solo ending.
Three songs that were never my faves, but were done very effectively
live: "Both Ends Burning", "Oh Yeah", and "My Only Love", the latter
performed with an exciting, extended instrumental ending.
Hit favorites "Love Is The Drug" (part of the encore trio of songs)
and "Dance Away" drew the predictable response from the audience, as
did "Avalon", which, as relatively 'comercial' as that song may be,
is still one of Ferry's all time best compositions. The same titled
album has to be the best 'going out in style' swan song album of any
group ever ( along with the Beatles "Abbey Road"). The biggest dissapointment
(as far as songs not included in the set) was not getting to hear Manzanera's
( who was in incredible fine form all evening) "Take A Chance With Me"
(another highlight from "Avalon"), "Mother of Pearl" (from Stranded),
and "Prairie Rose" (from Country Life). I guess you can have it, but
you can't have it all !
The much talked about show closer, "For Your Pleasure", had to be one
of the most creative, effective and appropiate closing songs I've ever
witnessed in concert. This title track and not very well known song
from their second LP (a bittersweet, dissonant and unlikely choice to
close any show ) proved that a "happy ending" is not always the best
ending, whether at the movies or at a concert. Covering an average of
two songs from each of their studio LP's ( four from "For Your Pleasure"!),
the music throughout the show was presented with an amazing cohesiveness
and grace, considering the wide range of musical styles within their
catalogue: Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay and Thompson, all in amazing form
and looking great, a very tight and complimentary backup band (including
guitarist Chris Spedding, who played on some of Ferry's solo LP's from
the 70's), tasteful and very effective lighting and staging, and some
of the most creative and influential music ever created by any rock
band, performed with an incredible amount of taste, class, .... and
balls !
A better Roxy reunion show one could have not expected. |