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October 27, 1999
Dennis Brown: Tribulation (Heartbeat)
The recently departed Dennis Brown grew up in reggae, releasing his first records when he was barely in his teens. His success can be attributed to his ability to make himself comfortable in almost any setting. It is why he remained a star in these digital days.
Along with veteran producer Alvin "GG" Ranglin, Brown serves up another set of delectable reggae tunes that run the gamut from covers (The Uniques classic "Watch This Sound") to lover's rock to message songs. Roots Radics and saxman Dean Fraser provide capable backing and Brown's voice is as warm as ever, riding the line between silky smooth and charmingly gruff.
Bobby Tanzilo
Ben Lee/Beth Orton: WBCN Free Concert, July 23, The Hatch Shell, Boston
What I know is that Ben Lee is cute. Ben Lee is little and cute. He was little and cute in Noise Addict, and he was little and cute on Grandpaw Would. He has a little and cute girlfriend - Claire Danes. When I heard that he and Beth Orton were playing a free show in Boston for WBCN, the corporate "alternative" station, I wanted to see what the fuss was really all about. And I was prepared to dismiss him early on and write a cynical review. After all, little and cute can only get you so far.
I got to the show early, even though if you're from Boston you know that it doesn't matter HOW early you get to the Hatch Shell, you're still going to be far far away. The barriers block the audience from the stage at a distance of about 50 feet. After accepting the free Fresh Samantha and Dunkin' Donuts goodies - I'm a sucker for free stuff, and merchants are always eager to woo the college kids that flock to these free shows - I settled down in the dirt and grass to wait for the show to start.
Ben Lee started just about on time. The first thing I noticed was that yes, he's still cute. There's no other word for him - he's short, and he was wearing a blue blazer, jeans, and sunglasses. Attitude dripped off of him. He burst into "Tornadoes," a scruffy, loud, melodic pop song. I noticed that his voice was rather nasal and gravely, which surprised me as I was more familiar with him pre-pubescent, with a higher voice. I wondered if his older songs would translate well with the voice change.
However, Ben Lee didn't hold my attention for long. His keyboardist, a long haired girl standing to his right, was a lot more fun to watch. She jumped up and down, she danced, she waved her hair around, she sang, she smiled. Ben was hard to read, because he was wearing those sunglasses, but she was definitely having a great time. After three more songs, including "Song for You," Ben finally addressed the audience. "You guys are so fucking far away!" He then asked if the stage was where the Fourth of July festivities are held - it is - and laughed, "It's pretty cool that it's being christened by an Aussie and a Brit!" Yeah, he's a charmer all right. I was getting sucked in, and my plans for possibly leaving early to get dinner were fading. Plus his songs are short, bright, and fun, so I didn't notice the passing of time.
After another pretty pop song, "I am a Sunflower," Ben noticed a little boy, about 5 years old, dancing at the foot of the stage. (The kid was on the stage side of the barricades, so I assume his father was somehow related to the radio station. Lucky kid.) Ben beckoned, and brought the kid up on stage. He announced, "This is my friend Julian!" Julian proceeded to enchant every single person in the audience by boogying down as the band played "Nighttime." Ben danced with him for a bit, and at the end of his song, shook hands with Julian and sent him back to his daddy. Awwww. I think I like Ben Lee. At this point some other audience members stood up and danced around. In Boston, audiences are notorious for appearing apathetic, even when they really love a band. So for Ben to get people on their feet was quite an achievement. Even if some of the standing people blocked my view, I still thought it was pretty cool. Ben did too - even though he was so "fucking far away," he pointed to several of the dancers and smiled.
Another song, "Sprawl," and then the band left - bye bye keyboardist! Ben did a few songs solo with his acoustic guitar. They were lovely - "Skull," and then a cover that I couldn't quite identify - something about "I had a girl from" It would have been better if the audience had been, say, 40 feet closer, and the intimacy of the moment was definitely lost. I have a feeling Ben's set is more suited for a club show than a gigantic half-shell stage in the middle of a city, but then again, he said he was playing Woodstock the next day, so who knows.
The band then returned and the set was completed with the rockin' "Cigarettes Will Kill You" and the adorable "Away With the Pixies", which definitely lacked something without Liz Phair's backup vocals. But the song did not suffer from his deeper voice. I sang right along. Ben ended the set with "Ship My Body Home," and he bounded around the stage energetically. I was sorry to see him leave, but there was no encore - the audience, by then grown to thousands of college kids, stopped clapping after only a few minutes. Ah Boston.
Ben was followed by Beth Orton. Her songs were incredibly long compared to Ben's, and I started to get restless. Her voice is interesting, but hard to get used to. I have no idea what the names of any of the songs were, except for "She Cries Your Name," and that one was almost identical to the album version. Maybe it was just that it was getting late and cold, and I still hadn't had dinner, and I was sitting much too far away from the stage, but I couldn't connect. Maybe in a different setting I'd have more patience for her. After six or so songs, I wandered home.
Marla Feuerstein ("marla tiara')
Paul Weller: Modern Classics (Island)
With each new decade erstwhile leader of The Jam and The Style Council makes a move that seems to upset his fans' applecarts. When he struck out as a solo performer reinjecting some of the fire of the Jam back into his music, some were convinced, others skeptical.
This modestly-titled set (if you buy the British version, you get a live companion disc, which is arguably better than its big brother), while reflecting Weller's recent discovery of the likes of Traffic and Free, includes some of the best songs of his career: "You Do Something to Me," "Above the Clouds," "Mermaids," "Into Tomorrow," and others. A good way to play catch-up.
Bobby Tanzilo
Bis: Social Dancing (Grand Royal)
The new Bis album reveals that the band has grown up - but only a little. The sound on Social Dancing is a little more polished, with more singing, less screaming, less punk, more pop. But the album is still full of the hooks and hip references that made The New Transistor Heroes so great. "Action and Drama" namechecks talk show hosts in the chant "Thank you Ricki, Thank you Jenny," and the pro-girl "I'm a slut" points fingers back at society for its labels.
The only deviation is "Detour", which has a sexy female voice (Lois Maffeo) crooning "Do you wanna go my way?" over a bass heavy groove. Otherwise, this is a consistently strong second album. (Third if you count Intendo, which may have helped the band avoid the "sophomore jinx.") Listen to Social Dancing twice when you bring it home - first to get used to the new sound, second to enjoy it completely.
Marla Feuerstein ("marla tiara')
Saint Etienne: Places to Visit (Sub Pop)
A major disappointment as a follow-up to their near perfect Good Humor of 1998. While Good Humor was their definitive moment, this EP is a collection of blips and bleeps that never comes close to a melody or hook. If you came looking for some cosmopolitan vibes of the utopian downtown Petula Clark round the way kind, you will come away limp. Cracknell plays the big tease. Bland, two steps back.
Combine this effort with their most recent dreadfully dull by the number live shows and you begin to wonder if the collective wad has been shot or if it is just a case of too drunk to pop. Dolly girls become soccer moms. Popsters become old farts.
Gabby Tucker
Natalie Merchant: Neil Simon Theater, June 11, New York
When Natalie Merchant took the stage of the plush Neil Simon Theater for the third of five shows, the audience was almost breathless with anticipation. Merchant emerged and started in on "Ophelia," a haunting and lovely paean to a multifaceted woman, after whom Merchant seems to be modeling herself. For this show, Merchant showcased songs off her current album, Ophelia, songs from her 10,000 Maniacs days, and a few generously placed covers.
Merchant also appeared in several different outfits, all of them brightly colored, lending the show a very happy vibe. Gone are the days when a rather dour Merchant would lecture her audiences about the evils of the world; now she prefers to smile her message in songs like the lovely "Life Is Sweet," which Merchant sings with such sincerity that you just know she believes wholeheartedly in her message. Even her sad songs, such as "Beloved Wife" and "My Skin" (about a woman dying of cancer) are bittersweet odes to love filled with lush instrumentation, filling the lines between the sadness in with beauty. Merchant seems to have softened, in her songwriting and her onstage persona, willing to joke with the audience, graciously accept the gift of two Beanie Babies given to her by little girls, and to laugh at herself when she missed some notes on the piano. Her choice of covers has expanded as well - it was very pleasant to hear her take on David Bowie's "Space Oddity" rather than the oft-performed Elvis cover "In The Ghetto."
Natalie Merchant The highlight of the show for me was her hit "Kind and Generous," during which Merchant appeared in a denim dress with flowers in it and passed out flowers from a basket to the audience. Merchant showed that even songs that are over a decade old, such as "Gun Shy," from the 10,000 Maniacs album In My Tribe, can still be imbued with passion and grace. It was a delight to hear her play some of these old gems, rather than disavow her Maniacs days forever. She did state at one point that her current band is "the best band I've ever played with," and while I won't comment on that, they were very talented, bringing to life the songs on her albums.
Good news for those of you who missed these dates - the shows were taped for a future live album project.
Rachel Kramer Brussel
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