Album Review: James - 'The Morning After The Night Before'

James
‘The Morning After the Night Before’
Album Review
***1/2 (3.5-Stars)
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Buy the album HERE} 

• Read my review of Hey Ma HERE
• Read my 2008 live review HERE 

Second acts in music are as rare as a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card. Once a band takes pause, steps away from what they do (aka “break-up”) things are never the same. Egos grow, bank accounts fatten and that youthful drive once full of optimism and exuberance is flat-lined. Most reunions happen because the collective members have fallen on their faces on their own. Even when an act pulls it together for an impressive assembly of tunes, it often doesn’t even come close to their preeminent material. However, Manchester’s James is a wholly distinctive band that is booming in their second go-round. After singer Tim Booth informed his band mates in 2001 that he would be leaving the group, rumors swirled James would merely find a new singer and continue onward. They didn’t and what followed were five-years of silence. However, in early 2007, the original band reunited with guitarist Larry Gott (who left before the release of Whiplash) and trumpet player Andy Diagram, reuniting the Seven line-up for the first time in 15-years. A new hits package (Fresh as a Daisy-The Singles) hit stores, the band toured Europe and then holed themselves up in a studio before unleashing Hey Ma in 2008; a pseudo-social collection of pop songs with bite, it was their best album to date. Shifting between the search for internal salvation and commentaries on the state of the world since the band hung their hats up (in December of 2001), they dumbfounded all with a record that captured all their power while still finding a way to stagger even the most committed devotee. Hey Ma ranked as my fourth favorite record of the decade and over 2-years later, I still think it’s one of the most grandiose records I’ve heard in the last two decades.

Instead of following Hey Ma with another album, the band made the peculiar decision to release two EP’s. In Europe this past April The Night Before a poppy collection of 7-songs hit shelves and just this month, The Morning After was unleashed; a more meditative and faint collection of 8-songs. In America, it’s being released as a double disc set entitled The Morning After The Night Before with the latest EP up first. At first listen, it’s easy to dismiss the songs on The Morning After as fragmentary or lacking punctuation by the rest of the band. However, this is one of those records where you must excavate. It’s easy to let the studious musicianship and production lose you (recorded in 5-days), but if you listen closely to singer Tim Booth’s lyrics, you soon discover the somnolent assembly is intentional so as to not disguise the weighty and serious stories. “Got the Shakes” is a serene introduction and a confessional from someone stressed to reign in their life, their addictions and so much more. It almost feels as if it’s a curtailed song (it runs less than 3-minutes) but delicately leads into the sobering piano of “Dust Motes”. “Tell Her I Said So” is a plea of desperation with a warning of waiting to be careful what you wish for. The narrator shuns his extended life wishing for death. “Rabbit Hole” sung in a falsetto by Booth at the end, repeating the title over and over again. The swirling strings of “Lookaway” show hints of their folksy British pop but it’s “Kaleidoscope” which is the show stopper. It has the most distressing concluding line of any James song ever. The narrator believes his wife is having an affair and he wonders how he can’t afford a divorce, what will he tell his children and why his wife is deceiving him with long walks and blocked phone calls and then the songs final lines wallop us; “There’s no answer to the cancer/ We don’t have much time”. As the final word is hushed, the song lingers at the forefront of your mind. He was mistaken; it wasn’t an affair but a terminal disease with a far more distressing decree. These characters struggle with addiction, long for peace and reflect on previous wishes they wish would not have come true. The aching pain of heartache seeps its way through the songs. These are songs about life, how we’re thrust into the middle of chaos and circumstance sometimes beyond our control.

The Night Before is a better showcase for the band’s melodic powers and it seems bewildering (at first) that the US release would house these songs on the second disc. However, considering the severity of the lyrics that imbue the first disc, it provides the listener with a more festive and elevating end to the listening experience. “It’s Hot” finds the band radiating their inner strengths in a swelling anthem of faith and devotion. “Crazy” continues the euphoria led by Diagram’s trumpet. “10 Below” with its shimmying guitar and ingenious drums evoke the paranoid aesthetic they previously flexed on “Hey Ma” while the album’s final cut “Hero” has possibly one of Booth’s greatest lyrics (“We all want love without the grief”). The Morning After struggles with circumstances beyond their control whereas The Night Before they allow the listener to not be as weighed down by circumstances beyond their control, and they can live a little.

If listened to close enough, The Morning After the Night Before is an album that vocalizes your intimate secrets with anticipation you may do something to ease those uncertainties. Every once in a while you hear a collection of songs that capture you fears, your hopes and your struggles. These 15-songs embrace the bloody vividness of life. There are silver linings of hope, but most of the songs reflect on the wistful wreckage of our bodies and minds. There is a thorny immediacy to these stories as the band pulls the listener into their tales of yearning where these characters are fighting with their place in life and you know what? So am I. At this particular time in my life, I’m dumbfounded by the state of the world, overwhelmed by circumstances beyond my control and searching for some solace in the world. It’s been a while since I’ve heard someone who can encapsulate my struggles in a fashion where they practically stole the thoughts from my head and heart. While far too many acts try to cuddle the world, James takes these themes into our lives and our homes on a much more intimate level. Some of these songs contain chords and melodies made for stadiums and others could be spoken word poems performed in a cottage. The songs are more developed than Wah Wah, yet not quite as polished as Seven, Millionaires or Hey Ma. Ultimately The Morning After The Night Before is not a step forward or backward, but the band flexing their muscles amidst a flurry of musical styles showcasing the more off-the-cuff writing side-by-side with their collaborative musical efforts. It’s definitively James and even though it’s a slow burner, if you listen close enough, you’ll be entranced and understand completely why these 15-songs are split across two individual and enlivening EP’s.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

DVD Review: ‘The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles’

‘The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles’
DVD Review
**** (4-Stars)
By Anthony Kuzminski
Buy the DVD set HERE

In the annals of rock n’ roll history on television, there’s only one date you should concern yourself with; February 9, 1964. From this moment on, everything changed. The date I am referring to is the Beatles debut performance on American shores on the Ed Sullivan Show. Rock N’ Roll has never been the same, heck who are we kidding the world has never been the same since. They were the musical equivalent of the atom bomb. Over the last two decades, seeing musicians on television shows is a daily (if not hourly) occurrence. However, one has to remember this wasn’t always the case. While we’re inundated now with carefully placed performances 24/7 these days, when the Beatles arrived, it was an event. Over 73-million people tuned in to see the band perform five songs (the equivalent of 86-percent of US households). It’s unlikely any music performance by anyone would ever be seen by that many people again.

Sullivan wanted to be the first to book the band after seeing a huge reaction while at Heathrow Airport when he was visiting London, he approached Beatles manager Brian Epstein with a top dollar offer. What Sullivan didn’t expect was Epstein to ask for a low dollar offer. Instead of one show at a premium price, Epstein negotiated a deal for three shows where the band would open and close the show on consecutive weeks. This was unprecedented at the time. The band ruled the airwaves on not just February 9th, but the 16th and 23rd as well. If you weren’t old enough to witness this magic, now you can through the new superb 2 DVD release of The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles. There was a release of these shows a number of years ago, but this latest package (from Universal Music) has upgraded picture and sound (including a 5.1 mix and the original mono) and an additional 13-minutes of extra Beatles footage that appeared on the show in the years following their debut.

Each show is presented in its entirety, which includes some hilarious commercials. It takes you and gives you a front row seat to the actual experience. These shows look better now than they ever have and are being watching on television’s bigger than anyone could have imagined in 1964. The first show is the one most seen and buzzed about. The Beatles play five songs (“All My Loving”, “Till There Was You”, “She Loves You”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and things were never the same again. Besides the Beatles, the show also includes the cast of “Oliver!” and magician Fred Kaps. Watching these shows makes you realize what entertainment these shows were. Talk was minimal and entertainment was non-stop. The second show a week later may be the least interesting of the four on this set. Broadcast from Miami Beach, it featured several repeats from the week before, but the band still managed to charm with remarkable performances of “This Boy” “From Me To You”. The final show, back in New York, features visceral performances of “Twist and Shout” and “Please, Please Me” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. Watching these shows is a trip, for both those who saw it originally and those who have never seen them. Watching the sight of little girls lose their mind while the males in the crowd watch on unimpressed. The strange but peculiar puppet work of Pinky and Perky captured my daughter’s sightline and it entranced her. Comedian Dave Barry provides some comic relief and lastly, Cab Calloway almost steals the show from the Fab Four with a jolting “’Ol Man River”. If all this wasn’t enough, there are commercials you won’t want to miss; Anacin, Chef Boy-ar-dee pizza, Aero Shave, Lipton Tea (It’s Instant!) and Pillsbury Pancake Mix.

The fourth and final performance the Beatles gave on Sullivan’s show was on September 12th, 1965, after they had conquered not just the US, but the world as well. Soupy Sales and the magician Fantasio make appearances, but this show is notable for providing what was probably the best overall performance from the Beatles. Performing six songs, they were electrifying in every single performance. “I Feel Fine”, “I’m Down”, “Act Naturally”, “Ticket To Ride”, “Yesterday” and “Help” all find the band at their best. Whereas the previous three shows from 1964 had some overlap, this one had none. In the time between their first performance and their second, they had filmed two movies and this show features a number of songs from the Help! album. Despite having sixty-percent of homes watch this performance, this one tends to be forgotten as it didn’t have the same level of anticipation as the three February 1964 performances. It’s a shame, because this is the best.

This set was issued a number of year back but has been upgraded with improved sound, picture and the aforementioned 13-minutes of bonus spots from other Sullivan broadcasts that featured Beatle related items. If you have the other set buying this one will depend on how badly the improved picture and sound is to you. If you have never seen these before, then the answer is as simple as counting off “1,2,3,4!”.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

Reissue Review: David Bowie 'Station to Station' Deluxe and Special Edition Review

David Bowie
‘Station To Station’ (Remaster/ Re-Issue Review)
By Anthony Kuzminski
Buy the Special Edition HERE
Buy the Deluxe Edition HERE

Read all my David Bowie posts HERE
Read my review of Bowie in Berlin HERE

In David Bowie’s four-decade discography, there is much debate as to what his greatest record or period may be. Some prefer his pre-glam era, others bow down to the Ziggy Stardust and many point to the Berlin Trilogy as his most imperative. One album that always seems to appear on anyone’s top-5 Bowie list is 1976’s Station To Station. Despite the cosmos iciness to the album’s six songs, it’s without question not just one of his most heralded works, but possibly his best. Low may have been more conceptual, “Heroes” more uniform, Let’s Dance more identifiable and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars more renowned but there’s something about the consistency, the minimalist nature and the underlying performance that makes this one of David Bowie’s essential albums. By this stage in the game he had distanced himself from the glam era, embraced soul, collaborated with John Lennon, acted in his first major role and as he set down in LA to record Station To Station he and was about to rediscover himself. Inspired in part by Bowie’s performance of an alien in the film The Man Who Fell To Earth, Bowie created the character of “The Thin White Duke” and from there he produced six unyielding and obtuse songs totaling less than 40-minutes. Station to Station jump started a wildly inventive and lonely period in Bowie’s life. This is delved into stupendously in the book, Bowie in Berlin: A New Career in a New Town by Thomas Jerome Seabrook. The opening chapters of the book deal specifically with STS and The Man Who Fell To Earth and the depths of his depression while recording, filming and touring during this period. This was the beginning of his transformation into an “artist” and more importantly, the beginning steps in reclaiming his life, as much of it during the mid-1970’s was based around drug abuse and a loss of self. Rumor has it Bowie can’t recall much of these sessions due to this aforementioned substance detour, but regardless, if you listen to the lyrics, you hear more than the character of “The Thin White Duke” screaming for help, but Bowie himself. The music provides an isolated ambience and foreshadow the material that would wind up on Low, ”Heroes” and Lodger. This album proved to be the first time that guitarist Carlos Alomar, drummer Dennis Davis and bassist George Murray would record together and they solidified the rhythm section of the band that Bowie would use on every release through Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) in 1980. Filling in the blanks were overdubs by Bowie, guitarist Earl Slick and E Street Band piano player Roy Bittan. Together their instruments chime in harmony while elevating the mysterious lyrics. The trippy 10-plus minute opening title-cut sets the stage for the next chapter in Bowie’s career; the Berlin Trilogy. Station To Station is ground zero for the most important and integral chapter in Bowie’s career.

In a fall season overflowing with reissues, it’s tough at times to grasp whether certain releases are worth your time and money. I’m here to tell you that both the special and deluxe editions of Station To Station being released are essential; this is without a doubt one of the few double dips that is truly indispensable. The actual album has been remastered a few times before, so main course for most is the bonus items. The focal point of interest to fans is a complete (minus a drum solo) long bootlegged recording of Live Nassau Coliseum '76, recorded March 23, 1976 in Uniondale, New York. This 15-track live recording finds Bowie backed by a 5-piece band who would later be dubbed Raw Moon. Led by the same rhythms of Murray, Davis and Alomar, the band is the lynch pin that hold everything together and as a whole. Rounded out by Stacey Hayden on lead guitar and Tony Kaye on keyboards, the band is in tip-top shape as they tear through current and vintage material. The band on these recordings is more than finely tuned musicians but they take the studio recordings and add flashes of brilliance, swirling grooves and an overall decadence to the proceedings. You’ll sweat just listening to “Suffragette City”. “Stay” has the rancorous guitar battle by Alomar and Hayden battle, never having one outdo the other, but in their discordant grooves there is a wonderful combustion of sound. “Waiting for the Man” is delivered in a make-over, more in-line with the current show’s spacey arrangements rather than the piercing brashness of the Spiders version. “Life on Mars” segues into “Five Years” while “Diamond Dogs” is downright crashing. There is a swing to “Queen Bitch” and “Changes” that almost make the album counterparts seem detached and distant. For performing material that isn’t just challenging but also a bit thorny, the band embraces it with unbridled elation and grit. With no proper live album ever released from this era, this is a most welcomed entry into Bowie’s cannon.

The “Deluxe Edition” of Station To Station has a steep price tag attached to it, however, what it may very well be worth its weight in gold. Despite some bonus CD’s (5 in total), a 3LP set, along with replica memorabilia from the era its true prized gem is the DVD. Instead of commercials or one-off performances, it houses solely high end surround and stereo mixes of the album, with the highlight being Harry Maslin’s new 5.1 surround mix in DTS 96/24. The other mixes are all great but the 5.1 mix jumps out at you. Let me leave my subtleties to the side, the mix is downright revolutionary. The way Davis’ drums punctuate your speakers on the title track, the little nuances of “Golden Years” and Bowie’s vocals on “Word on a Wing” and “Wild is the Wind” are downright sublime. If the album never did much for you, you’ll be astonished at the detailed nuances that flourish to the forefront of the mix. It’s as if you have never heard the album before. This is what the future of music should be and not merely compressed MP3’s. The airy atmosphere of Station is perfect for a 5.1 mix and it’s a rare mix that brings the instruments to the forefront, and allows you to appreciate the work behind the scenes to make this album a reality. It’s a shame the DVD can’t be purchased separately because in my opinion, it’s not merely good, but vital for anyone who loves Bowie. The mix will make you either fall in love with the record all over again or it will put it in a light you never knew possible. Station To Station may not be Bowie’s best known or best selling record, but it may be his most unswerving. There are those who love the glam phase, the pop crooner, the difficult artist finding himself, but Station To Station is a full body work out and with a mere six-songs, there is no filler here. Whether you buy the Special or Deluxe editions is up to you, but regardless, you will be glad you made it.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

Blogger Buzz: Monetize!

Blogger Buzz: Monetize!

Turning Point

Daily Word from Unity for Sunday, September 19, 2010

Turning Point

I recognize and accept the good that awaits me.

In anticipation of an upcoming change, I may wonder what my life will look like. Will it ever be the same? The truth is that every day is filled with change. Some changes are major turning points and others are small adjustments.

Instead of worrying about what may happen in the moments, days or weeks ahead, I choose to remain calm and confident. I know that good is always present, because God is always present. Attuned to God, I am aware of everlasting good.

I welcome the turning points in my life that bring new opportunities to recognize, accept and experience the good that awaits me.

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.--James 1:17

Autumn Is Coming

It's one of the best times of the year. Next to Christmas, this is it. Autumn.

The trees are already starting to change colours.

It's sweater weather.

The coffee shops are starting to advertise such beverages as Ginger Snap Latte's and Caramel Apple Cider.

It will only be a month or so before stores start displaying their Christmas merchandise. This used to annoy me to no end (the commercializatin of Christmas blah blah blah) but now I enjoy it. I will have my tree up the first of November.

It is the perfect time of year for a walk in the park to see the ducks, geese, and herons.

You say farewell to the fullness of summer, only to soon say hello to Father Christmas, with Bing and Frank and Jimmy Stewart.

And this vanilla coffee tastes all the better. For fall is upon us.

Book Review: 'Talking to Girls About Duran Duran'

Book Review: ‘Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut'
(By Rob Sheffield)
Review By Anthony Kuzminski
Rating: 4-Stars (****)
{Buy the book HERE}

One key element that most people will never understand about music is that it’s not imperative whether the music is good or not; what’s essential is how it makes you feel. Music is part of the very fabric of our souls and it serves as a permanent stamp on our past. This is why disco never sounds dated to some, why hair metal still seems dangerous and it justifies that lack of fashion everyone had during the grunge movement. During these times, music winds up becoming something much larger than we ever could envision and it’s specifically why certain songs, acts and genres are endearing no matter how downright embarrassing they may seem to be a few decades down the line. Rob Sheffield may write for Rolling Stone magazine, but don’t let that alarm you, his writing style comes more from his heart rather than his head. Not since the 1970’s has Rolling Stone had a writer as disparate, witty and embarrassingly honest as Sheffield. He’s a pop culture coinsurer and his latest book Talking to Girls About Duran Duran is a treasure trove of recollections not just for Sheffield but for you as well as he guides us through his life and 25-songs that defined his life during the decade of excess. Opening with the Go-Go’s “Our Lips are Sealed” to the final chapter, Duran Duran’s “All She Wants Is”, Talking to Girls About Duran Duran is filled with stories of triumph, heartbreak and downright hysteria. This book will do more for you than urge you to buy a late night 80’s collection of metal ballads when you’re buzzed but make you be conscious of the little minute details of the people and places in your life. You could have been born in the 1990’s but the book will reverberate just as strongly to those who grew up with these songs as they were inscribed into the consciousness. He’s gifted but not demeaning to the reader in his sharp prose and his analogies are mostly spot on but above all else he makes you care about the music and his stories.

The decade covers his life from the junior high age of 13 all the way through him completion of college in 1990. He traces the history of 80’s music through the lens of his own life. While visiting his world you will sit at the same table as Paul Westerberg, Debbie Gibson, Jon Bon Jovi, Prince, Lita Ford, Jordan Knight, Richard Butler and David Bowie. In the book, they prove to be the greatest surprise guest band of all time. With them at his side, he breaks bread, spills the beans about his amusing, awkward and utterly heartrending teen experience. But here’s the secret; Sheffield endears himself to you in such a way that even though you may be a decade younger, grew up on the opposite coast and can’t relate to the 80’s, you feel as if you’ve known him your entire life. His story about driving an ice cream truck in the summer of 1984 (“Purple Rain”) will evoke tears from laughter, sum up why high school wrestling goes hand-in-hand with the Rolling Stones “She’s So Cold”, how memories of “Maneater” extract memories of his sister and how a girl ruined his perfect summer job on a garbage trucks as Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” rides shotgun. He wrestles with what John Hughes meant to a generation while waxing on the Psychedelic Furs “Pretty In Pink” and somehow he manages to warp Roxy Music, Catholicism and Kenny Rogers into one chapter.

Ever since the advent of rock magazines there has been continual debate as to who should receive accolades and who shouldn’t. What endears me to Sheffield as a writer is his brash lack of coolness when it comes to admitting loving Chaka Khan or Lita Ford and when you read his gusto for a forgettable pop ditty, he finds a way to elevate it to heights no one deemed possible; much like When In Rome’s “The Promise” received because of Napoleon Dynamite. He may write for Rolling Stone, but make no mistake, his love of all music is among the most pure I’ve ever encountered. Sheffield doesn’t believe in “guilty pleasures” and because he attaches significant moments in his life to these songs. In turn, they remind us that we have nothing to be embarrassed about regardless of the artist or genre. It’s a thin line walking between discussing music and intertwining your life story into it, but Sheffield does this with sophistication. Neither overpowers the other and by the end of the book, you feel a close connection to Sheffield, his life and the music he spent a decade gorging. I won’t lie, in the weeks since reading the book; I’ve listened to the Replacements “Hold My Life” nearly 20-times. It almost made me unembarrassed from seeing Debbie Gibson in concert (emphasis on the word almost) but regardless, Sheffield has a story here that tops mine.

Sheffield’s previous book Love is a Mix Tape may be the greatest book you’ve never read. Trust me on this, if you haven’t read it, get it now. Talking to Girls About Duran Duran may not flow as naturally, but it doesn’t have to. It makes you rejoice with glee that you can take out your Debbie Gibson and Tiffany CD’s and place them on the shelf next to Guns N’ Roses and T-Rex and only be slightly embarrassed. Rich in captivating detail from outfits he wore, to his grandfather’s bleeding feet to the torture a bevy of female acquaintances and finally to his youngest sister’s obsession with New Kids On the Block; his stories ripple with heartache and sincerity. The prose is stylish and sharp without being highfalutin. He sums up intense emotions and the connections we tie to them which we carry with us forever. Technology and times may change, but the experience of growing up is the same for everyone despite the music and styles of the time. Sheffield wears his heart on his sleeve but because he shares all the minute details with us, it makes him one of us. Anyone can read Talking to Girls About Duran Duran and within a few pages with be fully fluent in the language of Rob Sheffield. It perfectly captures precisely why music is an emotional experience that can’t be taught but only experienced.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

Gratitude

The sound of birds tweeting and of ocean waves lapping up onto the shoreline.

The laughter and inquisitive look of wonder in a child’s eyes as she discovers something for the very first time.

A majestic blue heron coming in for a landing while a gaggle of Canada geese tiptoes on a nearby hillside.

The friendly greeting of a bus driver as you plunk your change into the slot and head downtown.

The wavy, long-flowing hair of the stranger in the soft white buttoned-up sweater sitting across from you in the library.

Knowing that even though we are strangers, we aren’t that different after all; that there is a common bond between us.

The sound of an oboe and piano intermingling with each other in a simple song.

Every heartbeat, pumping both blood and a life-force as ancient as the stars.

Each inhalation breathing in peace and comfort. Each exhalation breathing out calm and tranquility.

Knowing that my desires and needs will not go unmet, that in this moment Divine Spirit is working on my behalf.

Gratitude.

Gratitude.

The Rising Of The Fall

It could hardly be a more wonderful day. Autumn is almost upon us, summer is saying “uncle” as the leaves start to change colour and the fall coolness settles in. A gentle rain falls down from a cloudy sky. And it all looks so lovely from the vantage point of a big picture window here at the downtown coffee shop with the pretty waitress with the even prettier smile. It occurs to me that God is both imminent, right here, and transcendant, more than we can fully fathom. God lives within me and I am in fact an expression of the divine, but He is also more. Having a relationship with this God means that I have access to levels of power that sometimes we only dream of. God is all good, and every positive attribute that we see in existence comes from Him (or Her if you prefer.) Beauty, energy, life, healing, music, love. As we are in relationship with God, we need only to ask for these things to show up in our lives. Too often, I think, we settle for less than that. We settle for sickness, depression, fear, brokenness, worry. As people in relationship with God we can ask for and expect more. There are scores of verses in the Christian Scriptures where Jesus points to this great truth. He says that God is like a parent who desires to give good gifts to his children, and that whatever we ask for in prayer, believe that we have received it and it will be done. This is not magic, some sideshow busker act. This is connecting with the Power that brought the universe into existence and who knows our needs even more than we do, for He made us. It is when we are in harmonious relationship with God and are experiencing these gifts - peace, joy, love, health, that we can also become conduits of God’s power. We can be love and peace to those people in our immediate circles and beyond. God’s energy can flow through us to other people in need. As we talk with others we impart power to them. As we hug them we are God touching them in a soothing way.

As Autumn approaches and we shuffle through our closets to find our sweaters and scarves, let’s learn to ask for and expect more. More love, more energy, more peace, and more healing.

DVD/Film Review: 'Rock Prophecies' (Documentary on photographer Robert Knight)

‘Rock Prophecies’
DVD Review (*** 3-stars)
By Anthony Kuzminski
[Buy the DVD here]

“Listen, when it’s your time to go, there’s nothing you can do about it. And anyway, if anything ever happens, you’ll know me when you hear me.”
-Stevie Ray Vaughn to photographer Robert Knight, August 1990

Twenty years ago, Robert Knight was the only photographer to show up and shoot the second Eric Clapton show at Alpine Valley, an amphitheater in East Troy, WI midway between Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee. He caught the whole show including opener Stevie Ray Vaughn and the legendary jam that concluded the show with Robert Cray, Clapton, and Vaughn’s brother Jimmy. Mere hours later, Stevie Ray Vaughn was dead from a helicopter crash. Knight captured the final moments of Vaughn’s career and yet instead of selling the prints, he sat on them for several years. This seems like a foolish thing to do considering how much money he could have made at the time. But Knight, unlike so many paparazzi photographers today, has class. During the last day of Vaughn’s life, the two men pondered life’s mysteries and the last words he ever uttered to Knight were, “if anything ever happens, you’ll know me when you hear me.”Spurred on by the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Knight finds himself on a mission. It was almost as if Vaughn put Knight on a path. It’s this conversation that impelled Knight to always on the lookout for the next big thing. This isn’t so he can claim to be the first person to photograph the band but because he believes in the art form and shepherding the talent when it appears in front of him. This is all showcased skillfully in the new documentary Rock Prophecies coming to DVD in September and airing on various PBS stations. The film focuses on several aspect of Knight’s life. It follows his journey through his strict childhood, his rebellious teen years and eventually an adult where his hobby of shooting bands became his life. Some of it boiled down to strokes of immeasurable luck, but Knight’s collected works of rock photography is among the most envious in the world. He was able to capture Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix at the onset of their careers. He took some of the most iconic pictures of Hendrix and was the first American photographer to capture Led Zeppelin.

Anyone can build an impressive portfolio but this film would have nothing to stand on if they didn’t take us into Knight’s life. We find a man searching for the next big thing while also trying to provide for his elderly mother. She is a victim of Alzheimer’s and requires detailed care which means Knight may have to sell off his collection to take care of her. However, he and his wife still need to make money for themselves and their future. This is the crux of the story. He may have shot the rock Gods but by no means is one. He faces every day challenges just like the average viewer. Despite his impending financial uncertainty, he always lends a helping hand when needed. There are two acts that Knight takes under his wing to assist in making things happen for them. One is the Australian band Sick Puppies and the other is a 16-year old guitar prodigy Tyler Dow Bryant. You don’t see Knight handing over contracts to them to take a piece of the pie, but a man who is merely wants to help. Rock Prophecies is a refreshing look at someone who uses his connections to benefit others and to expose the world to their talents. The film follows both acts as they go from being unknowns to…well, you are going to have to watch the film and find out. As the film comes to its climax, Knight makes a bold decision in whether he has to sell his 40-year portfolio or not; I wouldn’t dare spoil it for you. Rock Prophecies blends Robert M. Knight’s career, his life and his search rather seamlessly. Almost anyone will admire it, but for guitar aficionados it’s essential viewing. There are some great scenes with Slash, Jeff Beck and an extended section about Jimi Hendrix and how this guitarist plays a pivotal part in Knight’s life.

The DVD includes a rare Jeff Beck private performance, additional interviews with Slash, Carlos Santana and Steve Vai; one of the final interviews with Jim Marshall, another rock photographer famous for his shot of Johnny Cash flipping the bird; Sick Puppies’ “Free Hugs” video; and Tyler Dow Bryant performing “My Radio” and last but not least, a commentary track with Robert Knight and director John Chester (*Note*-these bonus features were not available for review). Far too many documentaries are usually about “complicated” subjects or people whose talent goes hand-in-hand with ego. Knight has no ego and if anything, puts himself out in trying to assist these unheard talents. Rock Prophecies is a refreshing and redeeming look into the life of one man who took his luck and helped others. It will be released on DVD on September 14th and will air on various PBS stations all throughout the fall, check your local listings.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

Thank You For Life

Thank you for each new day, for the opportunities they hold for new understandings, growing faith, and connection to You. Thank you for the friends and family whom I love and who love me no matter what. Thank you for my cup of vanilla-flavoured coffee and for dark chocolate. Thank you for butterflies, twittering moths and bunnies. Thank you that You are right here in my heart and all around me, if only I take the time to stop and be aware of it. Thank you for the smiles in the faces of children and for their laughter. Thank you for my niece Rachael who is 5 and my nephew Josh who just turned 3. Thank you for the look of pride on Rachael's face as she showed us how she can now ride a bike with no training wheels. Thank you for the sunshine, and for the coolness in the air on a late summers day. Thank you for faith communities who embrace diversity, places where I can gain new or forgotten insights, with people who uphold me in prayer. Thank you for good books and soothing music. Thank you that I have never seen war or famine. Thank you for new friends and old friends.

For all these things and more, Thank you Life.

One year ago this weekend...

U2's 360-Tour landed in the US for their opening night in Chicago. Despite being early in the tour, they performed a pair of splendid shows, with the second one teetering on spectacular. It found a set list tweaked just enough to improve the show and above all else it featured the world debut of "Your Blue Room", never performed before that night. Stadium or not, U2 delivered in a way few acts can in a larger room.

They are in the midst of completing their 2011 European tour and won't return to US shores until 2011. Until then, check out my reviews from last year.

Night #1 Review HERE
Night #2 Review HERE

Concert Review: KISS: Devilish and Determined (Chicago 9/3/10)

KISS: Devilish and Determined
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre-Tinley Park, IL,
September 3, 2010
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Photo Credit} 

• Go HERE for all KISS related posts
• Go HERE for my review of their 2009 show

KISS has never shied away from commercialism. While they’ve turned many stomachs over the years, I’ve rarely found myself disturbed by anything KISS does as of late. Why? It’s simple; they don’t hide behind a veil of superiority. Ask them about their ticket prices or meet and greet events and they divulge at length, largely because they put their money where their mouth is Towards the end of the band’s 140-minute set in Chicago recently, I couldn’t help but admit to myself that I’ve never seen them “call it in”. I’ve seen them with the reunion line-up, without make-up, in a small venue, large venues, co-headline with Aerosmith, indoors and outdoors and yet none of it seems to matter because when they hit the stage they always deliver. Case in point, their summer 2010 tour which is featuring the longest show of their career and to top it, they’ve sprinkled it full of songs not just from their make-up years, but from all eras of the band. If this wasn’t enough, $1 from every ticket is donated to the Wounded Warriors Project, a charity that benefits the United States Armed Forces. Plus all children are being let in free on the lawn with the purchase of one lawn ticket. This is a graciously remarkable gesture that helps ease the high-end prices.

Right from the moments where we video screens projected KISS backstage with manager Doc McGhee making their way to the stage, they were in the zone prepared to deliver another spectacle. Opening with the Sonic Boom track, “Modern Day Delilah”, bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist Paul Stanley and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer emerged behind Eric Singer’s raised drum kit and the mini stage spun out from behind them delivering them to the front of the stage amidst a flood of lights and pyrotechnics and from there it only got bigger and better. Throughout the course of 21-songs (old, new and rare) the band invigorated the crowd the way few acts can. When an act like KISS has been together as long as they have and considering the second coming of the band (beginning in 1996) now surpasses the first go-round of make-up debauchery, it’s easy to underestimate them. But the four members proceed and just pummel crowd after crowd. “Cold Gin” featured Simmons’ vociferous voice and gusto while Stanley roamed the stage performing his rhythm guitar in an assortment of positions (behind the head, between his legs, lying on his back). “Let Me Go Rock ‘N’ Roll” had Stanley playing a game of call and response with the crowd while Simmons delivered his famous fire-breathing trick on “Firehouse”. “Love Gun” with its interlocking Uzi styled drums and guitars delivered while Paul Stanley teased the crowd with a good chunk of “Whole Lotta Love” before the full detonation of “Black Diamond”. “I Love It Loud” highlighted the blood spitting amidst a flurry of smoke and dry ice where Simmons flies to the top of the lighting rig and performs the song as the 15,000 below gazed on. It doesn’t matter if you are five or thirty-five; you still find wonder in their performances. Even some staples I wish would be retired like “100,000 Years” didn’t feel recycled. Surprisingly, “Say Yeah” fits in with the band’s set and is largely unnoticeable to the uninitiated. Sonic Boom hasn’t connected to me in the year it has been in stores, but the performance encouraged me to go back to it. Only “I’m An Animal” fell on deaf ears. The other 20-songs hit their marks.

There was even some excavating into the band’s back catalog including a rather marvelous performance of “Crazy Crazy Nights”, one of their better 80’s offerings. This was a much welcomed addition to the set that had the crowd moving. The track may cover innocent ideas (i.e. believe in yourself but rock hard), but the crowd rapturously welcomed it. It was not a note-for-note reproduction but showed the band poised to update it without making it unrecognizable. No keyboards here, just a strapping four-piece conveyance tinted with a searing Tommy Thayer guitar solo. Considering how full of life it sounded, it makes you wish the band would offer up more rarities and therein lays my only complaint of the evening. With nearly twenty-plus studio albums, why not go one step beyond? Even if it was altering up four songs per show, it would persuade fans to attend multiple shows. You never would have known that Simmons, Stanley and Thayer weren’t in their 20’s or 30’s as they made a point to cover the entire stage ensuring one and all could see them. Furthermore, drum and guitar solo’s are about stroking your ego but give KISS credit, it permits junior members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer to step out from the shadows and shine. It temporarily allows them to break free of the identities placed on them and flaunt their talent.

The encore opened with an acoustic rendering of “Beth”, performed for the first time in concert without Peter Criss, who left the band for the final time six-years ago. It may be blasphemy to some by having Singer sing "Beth", but I couldn’t help but feel the song had so much more passion not to mention integrity with Stanley, Simmons and Thayer plucking away on their acoustic instruments. The true tenderness came through instead of a mere karaoke performance. The downright vitalizing and fiery “Lick It Up” had a smattering of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in the middle attesting KISS are not just robots, and on this one song they flexed more musical force than ten indie bands cram into a 75-minute show. It may be grandiose but they showcased a metamorphic triumph as the four members of KISS destroying monolithic walls of ignorance in the process. “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” had Paul Stanley fly out to a rotating mini-stage at the back of the amphitheatre. Tommy Thayer’s and Paul Stanley’s guitar reverberated with storming vengeance as the song’s one-dimensional riff was unyielding. Despite never being a staple, what was once deemed a disco throwaway grows with each performance going back to the 1990 Hot in the Shade tour. The 2010 version is much more gripping. Give them credit; the best seats aren’t necessarily “the best”. Capturing the show from further back allowed one to soak in the show completely; screens, pyro, theatrics, second stages and all. The two closing numbers, “God Gave Rock N’ Roll To You II” and “Rock N’ Roll All Nite”, brought the rousing evening to an end amidst a deluge of confetti, pyrotechnics, drum risers and riotous applause. When the ringing was still in my ears on the car ride home, I found myself awed with what I had just observed. I sensed their hunger, something I can’t say about every performer I’ve seen in recent years. You can be precise and punctual but can you express sincere momentum and zeal? Once money no longer becomes an object, where do you go? For KISS, it’s about proving the detractors wrong and giving back. There wasn't a sense of iciness to the proceedings but a collective experience.

Their underdog mentality still fuels KISS to this very day. Rock n’ roll doesn’t have to be socially conscious to be sacred. It reaches those heights through sheer will and determination. Whether it be Lady Gaga, KISS, Bruce Springsteen or Radiohead if they lift your soul, then they’re equally essential. One doesn’t have to sing about desolate surroundings to be reassuring. While I personally feel reflection is integral, it doesn’t carry any weight unless it cuts the pain from within. KISS is serving up an indomitable concert experience at a time when people need escape more than ever. Their songs may not be political and steer towards austere physical impulses but make no mistake, to the 15,000 in attendance in Chicago, it was downright religious. Stanley referred to the show as “church crossed with the circus” and while KISS isn’t really either, they find home in that spiritual space in-between.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter



Set List
1. Modern Day Delilah
2. Cold Gin
3. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4. Firehouse
5. Say Yeah
6. Deuce
7. Crazy Crazy Nights
8. Calling Dr. Love
9. Shock Me
10. I'm An Animal
11. 100,000 Years
12. I Love It Loud
13. Love Gun
14. Black Diamond
15. Detroit Rock City
16. Encore:
16. Beth
17. Lick It Up
18. Shout It Out Loud
19. I Was Made For Lovin' You
20. God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II
21. Rock And Roll All Nite

Album Review: 'Kiss Alive! 1975-2000' (In honor of the 35th Anniversary of 'Alive!')

Album Review: 'Kiss Alive! 1975–2000'
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Buy the album here}
In the annals of rock n’ roll no other rock band has a more checkered or colored existence other than KISS. Whether you love them or hate them, KISS is undeniably one of the most influential rock bands on the planet. It’s funny to think that if not for a double live album, they may have potentially disappeared into obscurity. In 1975 on the heels of three poorly selling studio albums, the band and their record label, Casablanca, made the gutsy decision to release a double live album. It was not only a wise choice but to this day Alive! is viewed as the essential Kiss album and the one by which all others are judged.

Universal Music released a 4-disc live box set entitled Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 back in 2006 Housed inside this package are the first three Alive albums and an unreleased one from their 1999/2000 Millennium show. This fourth album was to have been Alive IV and put out in support of the band’s farewell tour in 2000, however, it never saw the light of day until now as it is retitled Alive! The Millennium Concert . If one were to buy this box it would most likely be a double dip for most fans, so I’m here to break down the contents for you so you can make a decision.

Alive!

Over the years the secrets behind the making of this album have been scrutinized as it’s come to light that the album isn’t quite “live”. A lot of the album was re-recorded and re-dubbed due to the band’s continual movement and pyrotechnic stage show which made it hard to capture the live sound. Some see this as disheartening as it’s like discovering there is no Santa Claus, however, I tend to look at it another way. The band still played on these songs, it’s just that in 1975 the technical advances were not there to fully capture the bands sound. It’s still KISS performing and regardless of how and when it was recorded, the arrangements and energy found here are vastly distinct compared to their studio albums. What Eddie Kramer was able to do was capture their true raw essence, something that was sorely missing from their first three studio albums.

People still hold Alive! in the highest regard as not just a landmark KISS album but a definitive live one as well. This was one of my first KISS albums and was the first make-up album I bought. The vast differences between the way these songs sounded in concert compared to the first three records is astounding. Much is made of the stage show KISS has always had, but beneath the glitz and the glamor, there has always been a rather instinctive set of musicians. I’ve heard numerous stories of people talking about the album cover and how they felt like they were on another planet just by holding the gate fold open staring at the band. This is an album that made people dream. It’s rare to find an album that truly transports and changes lives, but this is one of them. Alive! is an essential piece of rock n’ roll history and the perfect starting point for all KISS fans. Album Grade: A

Alive II

Over the years people have often spoken of Alive II in the same breath as Alive! While it’s a fine document, by no means is it a definitive release. In fact, I feel it’s very overrated. The first three KISS albums were lacking energy and dynamics making all of the songs on Alive! definitive. Whereas, the three albums that followed Alive! (Destroyer, Rock ‘N Roll Over & Love Gun) were accomplished studio efforts with Bob Ezrin and Eddie Kramer helming the boards. This time around, the energy and dynamics are on the studio records which makes the impact of Alive II minimal. The production on the studio counterparts was far superior to the first three Kiss albums and as a result there are no definitive live versions on Alive II. The five new songs on side four (in LP terms) are fun but once again non-essential with only “Rocket Ride” resonating thirty-years later.

The album even has a few songs that were never performed live and were captured at soundcheck and crowd sounds were added later (“Hard Luck Woman” and "Tomorrow and Tonight"). Don’t get me wrong, Alive II is a solid release but of all the KISS live albums, this one gets the least amount of airtime in my iPod and up until Dynasty it is the least essential Kiss release.  
Album Grade: B-

Alive III

More than fifteen-years after the band’s last live album, they returned to their roots with Alive III in the spring of 1993 without make-up, Peter or Ace. Drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Bruce Kulick get to show off their impressive virtuosic musical chops on this rather phenomenal disc. The truth is they are superior musicians to Ace and Peter and brought a spectacular immediacy to these songs. Alive III houses definitive versions of many of their 80’s hits and some nice reworking of many KISS classics. The album's primary issue is that it isn't long enough. It should have been a double-disc affair. There are also a number of big 80’s hits not represented here; “Tears Are Falling”, “Fits Like A Glove”, “Crazy, Crazy Nights” and “Hide Your Heart”. From a performance standpoint, the band was at their zenith with this line-up (who also contributed to the essential Unplugged record three years later). Kiss never sounded as good as they did with Eric and Bruce, especially during this tour in support of their pulverizingRevenge record.

Alive III may not have had the success of the first two Alive albums but this one stands up over time delivering a vigorous knockout to anyone who said KISS’ best days were behind them. This document captures the band at a unique point in their career where they were truly about the music and not as concerned with image or pyrotechnics. The material off of Revenge still stands among the bands best. It showcases KISS at a point in time where all four members were 100% committed to delivering the best music possible. While the amount of music is the same as the first two live albums, this is one that should have been expanded on this reissue. Thankfully the full 1993 show was released on Kissology Volume Three: 1992-2000. With its release, it may prove to be a more definitive release for you to get. Regardless, the performances are top tier here.
Album Grade: A-

Alive: The Millennium Concert

I remember back in 2000 anxiously waiting for this release only to have it permanently shelved which is a shame as it’s the only live document released on CD of the reunion era KISS (1996-2000). To this day, I can’t believe they were not multiple video, DVD and live album releases from this era (Kissology Volume 3: 1992-2000 remedied some of this). They released everything else known to man except for a live music document, which I thought would be imminent in late 1996. Sadly KISS fans had to wait a decade for an official release.

This album is the primary reason most fans will want to buy this box set as it’s exclusively available here. After a decade of waiting, I wasn’t as impressed with it as I thought I would be. In fact, I felt I was initially harsh on it and went back to it recently, it's downright dreaded. Part of the issue is the band chose to record a one-off gig after almost a year off the road (in December 1999/January 2000). I would have chosen to capture a series of shows from ’96-2000 in the hopes of finding the best individual performances (which often come months into a tour as the band finds it footing with the material). The performances here are complete rehashes of what is represented on the first three live albums. Only three songs make their debut here and two of them are from Psycho Circus, neither essential. There are some great moments that do take me back to the ’96, ’98 and ’00 tours where I could feel the goose bumps on my skin, but overall, it’s a disappointing disc that had enormous potential. Even more maddening is that this is the shortest of all of the Alive discs. The 2000 Japan edition was to include “Detroit Rock City”, “God of Thunder” and “2000 Man”, but those songs are nowhere to be found here. Why? Are they saving them for another box set? One can only guess what their motivation behind their non-inclusion is but I bet it’s financial.

With three tours of material to choose from, there is no reason for this to have been a one disc affair. It’s disappointing to KISS fans as they would have gladly paid for a full two-hour concert (hence why the band now offers instant live recordings after their shows). Secondly, as mentioned earlier, the band should have recorded these songs while on tour and not at a one off millennium gig. The band sounds semi hesitant on the 80’s numbers, as Peter and Ace were not around when these were written or recorded and couldn't be more disinterested. However, when I caught KISS on back to back nights in May of 2000, they were magical and in truth, I couldn't imagine them ever being better. This album unfortunately does not showcase the magic I experienced on those nights. The live shows from ’96 through ’00 took us to another place and time back when we were twelve looking at the Alive! album cover believing anything was possible. Great music makes you realize your full potential and often can give you the much needed kick in the ass needed to achieve your dreams. The reunion era Kiss were a time machine taking us back to our adolescence where there was no responsibility, innocence was aflush and there was nothing more important than three chords and the truth. The reunion era KISS deserves a definitive live document of those years aside from the Kissology series, sadly Alive: The Millennium Concert isn't it.
 Album Grade: C-

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

The Beatles Remasters: One Year Ago Today (9/9/09)

One year ago the Beatles reissued their catalog on cd in remastered form. To some this isn't a huge deal, but it was a long overdue set that when delivered, sounded utterly fantastic. In the last year, I am hard pressed to say I have listened to any albums as much as I listened to these 13-reissues. The clarity of the instruments, the warmth of the sound and the songs...where would we be without the songs. Virtually every piece of music created since 1964 has been a direct result of the Beatles.

I did a rather extensive review of the remasters last year at THIS LINK. Check it out and if you haven't snagged a few, do it now. 

Concert Review: Iggy and the Stooges 8/29/10 Chicago, IL

Iggy and the Stooges: Powerfully Raw
Riviera Theatre-Chicago, IL
August 29, 2010
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Photo Credits} 

• Also read THIS review which covers the making of The Idiot and Lust For Life. 

The lights dimmed, wails discharged, the Stooges instigated “Raw Power” and from the shadows of the stage comes a sprinting and shirtless Iggy Pop in skin-tight pants. His ripped body and mind proceeded to whip the Chicago crowd into a 75-minute rage in an exhibition of audaciousness few could imagine without bearing witness to. Iggy Pop and the Stooges are one of punk rock’s most seminal acts. They never sold a lot of records in their first go round, but over the years their legend has only grown by leaps and bounds. Reformed in 2003, the Stooges have been delivering their brand of no-nonsense rock and it pulled into Chicago, one of only a handful of US cities blessed with their presence this year. It’s the first Chicago performance since the death of guitarist Ron Asheton in 2009 and while it’s bittersweet, they made their mark proving to everyone that they’re not hanging it up any time soon.

Despite little promotion, the band delivered its entire seminal 1973 album, Raw Power throughout their explosive and pulverizing 16-song set. Anyone who feels as if rock n’ roll is a young man’s game has never seen Iggy Pop in the flesh. For nearly 75-minutes, he thrust, seared, stage-dove and serenaded the Chicago crowd like a fallen angel trapped beneath the surface of the Earth being scalded by the fires of hell only to break free. Pop played the stage like it was a stadium gig in a third world country. The stage was bare with nothing but instruments on it but few noticed as Iggy put on a greater physical spectacular than any video game or interactive video screen ever could. Despite all of this, Pop was able to show no boundaries because of the stupendous backing band that supported him. Guitarist James Williamson laid down thick and loose garage rock chords while bassist Mike Watt felicitously delivered nimble grooves amidst the careening snare drum slap of Scott Asheton. On “1970” the bass and drums smashed together like two cars into an intersection but it was glorious as it was sprinkled with Williamson’s wailing guitar slapped on top. “Shake Appeal” found Iggy bringing a good portion of the crowd onto the stage to dance the night away. The stage is a communal space and Pop proved it wasn’t reserved merely for the band, but for all those there. Even the horrific dancing by the audience didn’t seem to matter, it was the essence of what rock n’ roll embodies further exemplified by the dripping strains of sweat that slid down the walls.

The sound inside the Riviera tipped towards the atrocious and normally would be a huge flaw, but on this sticky and sultry evening, it only enhanced the experience where t-shirts and jeans seemed to be the uniform of choice. The sold-out crowd removed their own clothing to deter the extreme humidity. “Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell” evoked Detroit soul with Steve Mackay providing some vivacious saxophone fills. “A Love Supreme” found Pop whipping his microphone stand to the air while “I Wanna Be Your Dog” had the crowd chanting the chorus religiously at the top of their lungs. By “Night Theme” Pop’s body glistened with sweat as if he had just been released from a gargantuan orgy. “I Need Somebody” featured bluesy interval that was as close as the band would get to taking a breather the entire night. “Penetration”, “Death Trip” and “Open Up and Bleed” closed out the main set in a righteous manner. There’s something about a band from the Midwest understanding and embracing one of its own. This reunion never should have happened. There are those cynics who say they shouldn’t have sullied their legacy by reforming but I say hogwash. Anyone who has seen one of these shows knows exactly why. It’s dangerous, wild, sporadic, commanding, influential and downright enthralling.

I was caught in a torrential downpour of distortion with a mad man jumping from stage to crowd song-to-song. Pop must have stage dove at least a dozen times (I lost count). Writer’s tend to over exaggerate certain performances with highfalutin adjectives but Pop’s performance transcends mere words, I have never seen anyone like him before and probably never will again. He doesn’t copy, mimic or channel anyone in his performance; it is a fully primordial force that comes from somewhere within that no would dare tap into even if they could. When he wailed “Somebody gotta save my soul” on “Search and Destroy” you believed it as if it was the sermon on the mount. I’ve never seen anyone throw themselves into a performance the way he does. It makes my use of the term seem superfluous in any review I’ve ever written. It’s akin to writing about the awesomeness of beef when you’ve only divulged it at McDonalds. I saw someone in a stadium recently who should have engaged the crowd the way Pop did. He didn’t and barely moved more than five feet the entire evening despite playing to tens of thousands more than the Stooges. The word “boundaries” doesn’t exist in Pop’s vocabulary. He is as fearless and ferocious as any disgruntled 18-year-old, in fact, I doubt anyone that young could command a crowd the way Pop can. I come from the school of Springsteen, where you don’t insult your audience with half-assed performances and shortened sets. The Stooges slayed the Chicago crowd as epically as Springsteen at his best; the only difference being they did it in half of the time. Trust me, one more song and I would have been passed out on the ground dead, it was that brutal and severe. Anyone who ever picks up an instrument and plan on playing in a rock band should see Iggy and the Stooges. It should be the first class required in Rock N’ Roll 101. They embody everything anyone has ever loved about the art form. As it was insurrectionary, inspiring, insurgent, involving, inspirational, insane and downright Iggy.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

Set List:
1. Raw Power
2. Search and Destroy
3. Gimme Danger
4. Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell
5. Shake Appeal
6. 1970
7. Night Theme
8. Beyond the Law
9. I Got a Right
10. I Wanna be Your Dog
11. I Need Somebody
12. Penetration
13. Death Trip
14. Open Up and Bleed
Encore:
15. Funhouse
16. No Fun