The Undertones were fantastic. They reformed in 1999 without Feargal Sharkey and I finally got around to seeing them again. The “new guy” sings similarly and was actually in a band from the same hometown as the Undertones who used to open for them back in the day, so a pretty seamless Ronnie Wood or Kenny Jones style replacement (even with Sharkey being such an original).
It was faithful, joyous renditions of 90% back catalogue and probably 75% the first two albums…my favorites.
They all have day jobs and they never liked touring even back in the 70s, so I think they only get to the US for an occasional festival gig. This was a one-off gig in Dublin.
Still so unpretentious….even as 50 somethings singing about chocolate and girls. Teenage Kicks was even buried mid-set.
I went about 30 years between seeing both Leon Russell and Al Stewart. Both were about 10 years ago and both the recent shows were at the Iron Horse in Northampton MA. Both earlier shows were in the Philly area, Leon back at the Spectrum during his heyday and Stewart during the Past, Present & Future Days at the Main Point.
I haven’t seen Elvis in awhile now and don’t have a lot of interest. I’m sure I’d still enjoy him but for me he’s a victim of his prolificacy. Too much back catalogue. I’d be there if he took to the trend of doing entire albums…provided he did my 8 favorite top 5 Elvis Costello albums.
Well, even if they sucked it wouldn’t have changed memories from the old times. The Fall was about what I expected — the same racket from back then but made with better instruments and sound system (and probably better musicians). Undertones looked like middle aged dads rocking, but that sort of made me feel good about myself….
I would expect that this pairing will bring out the some bad, “sophisticated” songs in EC’s catalog, as he tries to relate to “the Dan” and its fans. Steely Dan, despite having 4-6 good songs, just pisses me off.
Leon Russell in the early ’70s was spectacle. This was right after the Mad Dogs & Englishmen stuff when he was referred to as the Master Of Time & Space and it was a big rock & roll extravaganza. 30 year later it was a low key band in a club and he just ripped through the set list. A song would end and the next one started with less time between than if they were tracks on an album. He spoke about as much as Dylan in concert which is to say not-al-all. But it was surely rock & roll.
Al Stewart way back when was great. He was solo and he was quite a guitarist with a long long great lead during Nostradamus. And this was before songs about history became his called card/shtick and before Year Of The Cat. 30 years on he was laid-back and mellow. Fun as nostalgia but not much else.
I like Any Major Dude, and I think I like that Your Gold Teeth song. Is that another deep cut that sounds like something off XTC’s Skylarking? Then there’s Reelin’ in the Years, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, and My Old School. Finally there’s that late-period song, Hey, Nineteen, which I mostly hate until the funny (intentionally?) coda kicks in, the jingle for fine Columbian, etc I am probably forgetting 1 other song, but each of their bad songs negates 10 decent things they so. That song Bottishava (?) is one of the most hateful songs ever committed to tape.
I was wrong about Your Gold Teeth. I must have that mixed up with something else. The music is cool, but then that guy sings. I forgot about another early hit: Do It Again. That’s pretty good.
Sorry, I should have added that! They were really good: playing all stuff from the first 4 albums, playing the songs fast and with few stops. Billy Zoom continued to smile and look at each audience member directly in the eyes. Exene was still sexy, despite putting on 30 pounds and 6 more layers of ragged clothes. It looked like a brush last made contact with her hair in 2003. John and DJ lived up to their rock superpowers. The first time I saw them is still the greatest show I’ve ever seen!
I Like Haitian Divorce although the singing is pretty awkward.
Other Dan songs I like aside from some of the ones mentioned already:
Kid Charlemagne, Home at Last, Black Cow and an album cut that I only heard for the first time a few years ago but it’s quite excellent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2AFkgdQDG4
Elvis Costello and Steely Dan touring together:
http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/02/steely-dan-and-elvis-costello-team-up-for-us-summer-tour/
What do you think of that?
What’s your longest amount of time between seeing the same band live?
I set personal records in each of the last two years:
30 years – The Fall
32 years – The Undertones
How were the Undertones? Did they play here in the US?
The Undertones were fantastic. They reformed in 1999 without Feargal Sharkey and I finally got around to seeing them again. The “new guy” sings similarly and was actually in a band from the same hometown as the Undertones who used to open for them back in the day, so a pretty seamless Ronnie Wood or Kenny Jones style replacement (even with Sharkey being such an original).
It was faithful, joyous renditions of 90% back catalogue and probably 75% the first two albums…my favorites.
They all have day jobs and they never liked touring even back in the 70s, so I think they only get to the US for an occasional festival gig. This was a one-off gig in Dublin.
Still so unpretentious….even as 50 somethings singing about chocolate and girls. Teenage Kicks was even buried mid-set.
I went about 30 years between seeing both Leon Russell and Al Stewart. Both were about 10 years ago and both the recent shows were at the Iron Horse in Northampton MA. Both earlier shows were in the Philly area, Leon back at the Spectrum during his heyday and Stewart during the Past, Present & Future Days at the Main Point.
Times are tough, I guess.
I haven’t seen Elvis in awhile now and don’t have a lot of interest. I’m sure I’d still enjoy him but for me he’s a victim of his prolificacy. Too much back catalogue. I’d be there if he took to the trend of doing entire albums…provided he did my 8 favorite top 5 Elvis Costello albums.
Hey…that’s “She Don’t Use Jelly” playing as Claire Danes makes her entrance.
Here’s what’s on my mind.
Bez from the Happy Mondays is running for office on an anti-fracking ticket.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/happy-mondays-dancer-bez-gets-8623174
The big question – was the divide kind? How were they? Did you regret seeing them? Did it kill or improve on earlier memories?
No way! Who would have thought that shaking maracas for years would lead a man to political aspirations?!
Well, even if they sucked it wouldn’t have changed memories from the old times. The Fall was about what I expected — the same racket from back then but made with better instruments and sound system (and probably better musicians). Undertones looked like middle aged dads rocking, but that sort of made me feel good about myself….
I would expect that this pairing will bring out the some bad, “sophisticated” songs in EC’s catalog, as he tries to relate to “the Dan” and its fans. Steely Dan, despite having 4-6 good songs, just pisses me off.
X, who I first saw whenever Under the Big Black Sun, then saw for a second time last year. That’s probably 33 years?
Leon Russell in the early ’70s was spectacle. This was right after the Mad Dogs & Englishmen stuff when he was referred to as the Master Of Time & Space and it was a big rock & roll extravaganza. 30 year later it was a low key band in a club and he just ripped through the set list. A song would end and the next one started with less time between than if they were tracks on an album. He spoke about as much as Dylan in concert which is to say not-al-all. But it was surely rock & roll.
Al Stewart way back when was great. He was solo and he was quite a guitarist with a long long great lead during Nostradamus. And this was before songs about history became his called card/shtick and before Year Of The Cat. 30 years on he was laid-back and mellow. Fun as nostalgia but not much else.
A philosophical question – how many Masters Of The Telecaster can you fit on the edge of a pin?
Mod…my favorite Steely Dan songs are:
Pretzel Logic
Any Major Dude
Your Gold Teeth (part I)
and that’s it.
What are yours?
Way! And…I know right?
I don’t even think he had maracas most of the time, did he? I mean, I think he was just there for vibe.
He’s going to vibe Manchester’s legislature to a better place, perhaps!
I like Any Major Dude, and I think I like that Your Gold Teeth song. Is that another deep cut that sounds like something off XTC’s Skylarking? Then there’s Reelin’ in the Years, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, and My Old School. Finally there’s that late-period song, Hey, Nineteen, which I mostly hate until the funny (intentionally?) coda kicks in, the jingle for fine Columbian, etc I am probably forgetting 1 other song, but each of their bad songs negates 10 decent things they so. That song Bottishava (?) is one of the most hateful songs ever committed to tape.
I saw the Undertones w/o Feargall in Hoboken about 8 years ago. It was so much fun – not great, but a true celebration.
Boddisatvah…or whatever. I can’t stand it either.
You have a broader palette for them than I do.
Another one that drives me up a post is “Haitian Divorce.” Lordy…what an awful thing that is.
I think Your Gold Teeth is too bluesy to sound like a Skylarking jam, but those atonal bits at the beginning do have an XTC-esque quirk to them.
How was X the second time?
I was wrong about Your Gold Teeth. I must have that mixed up with something else. The music is cool, but then that guy sings. I forgot about another early hit: Do It Again. That’s pretty good.
Sorry, I should have added that! They were really good: playing all stuff from the first 4 albums, playing the songs fast and with few stops. Billy Zoom continued to smile and look at each audience member directly in the eyes. Exene was still sexy, despite putting on 30 pounds and 6 more layers of ragged clothes. It looked like a brush last made contact with her hair in 2003. John and DJ lived up to their rock superpowers. The first time I saw them is still the greatest show I’ve ever seen!
I saw Dylan in 1975 and then again in 2009, so that’s 34 years.
BigSteve, did you never see him in-between those two times?
I Like Haitian Divorce although the singing is pretty awkward.
Other Dan songs I like aside from some of the ones mentioned already:
Kid Charlemagne, Home at Last, Black Cow and an album cut that I only heard for the first time a few years ago but it’s quite excellent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2AFkgdQDG4
No, just those two times.
I’d never heard this version of Marquee Moon before – check out Richard Lloyd’s comment below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS27RAXhBWQ&feature=youtu.be