Pat Benatar, The Bangles – The Palais

Nostalgia or not nostalgia? That seems to be the theme of the concert reviews in this edition of HeyHeyMyMy.

Where the success of Paul Weller’s show had nothing to do with nostalgia there was no suggestion of anyone trying to do anything else than mine their legacy in tonight’s show.

Pat Benatar is 58 years old, her husband and guitarist Neil ‘Spyder’ Giraldo must be close to mid 60’s. Whatever it is that they sprinkle on their wheaties, I want some.  Benatar sounds amazing; she’d sound amazing if she was 28, let alone 58. She really is an exceptional female rock singer and even if a couple of her big hits sound a teeny bit dated now she still stands head and shoulders above most of her contemporaries in terms of her vocal endurance. Perhaps only Ann Wilson has lasted equally well as a singer.

Her set opened with All Fired Up and what was immediately noticeably was that the stage was sparce and unadorned. Just the four players, just as it had been when she was starting out, they even resisted the need to have a keyboard player or a row of backing vocalists. There was a couple of musical parts that appeared out of thin air but the suggestion being made strongly was that this was a real rock n’ roll band.

I would say the set varies little from night to night and I’d even suggest that the between song patter is well rehearsed, especially the repartee between Benatar and Giraldo which is the kind of exchange you’d expect from a thirty year married couple at a dinner party rather than two rockers on stage. But here’s the thing – they are not trying to be anything they are not. Giraldo is a great player and his contributions to his wife’s career as a producer and songwriter are huge. Drummer Myron Grombacher is an outstanding, flamboyant rock drummer and Benatar delivers vocally on every song.

The hits are all present and accounted for. We Belong, Hell Is 4 Children, Hit Me With Your Best Shot and Love Is A Battlefield are all in the main set while Heartbreaker features in the encore. Others such as You Better Run and the title track of the Shadows In The Night album are confirmed crowd favourites. Memorable songs played and sung really well – there’s not much more you can ask than that. I was secretly hoping for We Live For Love but you cant get everything you want!

Prior to Benatar’s set The Bangles jingle jangled their way through a set of their own greatest hits and one new song that was almost indistinguishable from their old hits. The Peterson sisters and Suzanna Hoffs were full of fizz and bubble and played the songs in a way that was light on substance but big on fun.

The Bangles are an interesting case study. They started life as an almost underground art school band that effortlessly stormed the pop charts. These days the whole act is a little Las Vegas for me but there’s no denying that there are some gems in their setlist. Songs like Hero Takes A Fall (the loosest and best song of their set) and Going Down To Liverpool are beautifully constructed guitar pop songs while Jules Shear’s If She Knew What She Wants is also impeccable. Prince’s Manic Monday went down a treat while Walk Like An Egyptian re-claimed part of its relevance as they segued in and out of The Who’s Magic Bus.

Personally I would love to see Hoffs perform her two albums of brilliantly chosen cover versions with Matthew Sweet but that might have to wait for another time and place. For tonight The Bangles provided a cheerful warm-up for the excellent Pat Benatar show that followed.

Sid & Susie (and The Hand Party)

There once was a time when I would have treated anything connected to “cover versions” with a fair amount of disdain. My rationale would have been simple – there is nothing creative about re-hashing a song that someone else had written and performed before you and the original, by definition, was always going to be the definitive version.

Very occasionally I’d find a cover worth a second listen. Bryan Ferry’s version of Dylan’s Hard Rain comes to mind, as does Springsteen’s take on Jersey Girl. REM doing the beautifully obscure Superman or even Love Is All Around also passed muster. Concrete’s Blonde’s version of George Harrison’s Beware of Darkness was wonderful but then so to was the original. And obviously Jeff Buckley doing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah struck a chord – but he sure had a great song to work with.

I’m sure there’s more that don’t immediately spring to mind.

But outside of the odd example like this the whole “covers” thing kinda left me cold.

Thus it was with a strange sense of “huh?” that I found myself recently spending the best part of a day and night up to my neck in cover versions.

And liking it.

How did this happen?

The first part of the cover version voyage of discovery came courtesy of an album called Under the Covers recently released by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Sweet is a pop rock semi–icon while Hoffs is the lead singer from The Bangles. They refer to themselves as Sid and Susie – and so shall I.

The second part of the journey came via a covers band called The Hand Party, who were playing one of their very irregular gigs at a local pub to a sizeable audience that mainly reflected that they have a lot of friends. There’s no big names, or even medium sized names in The Hand Party. In fact the band consists of a bunch of forty-something amateur musos who definitely all intend keeping their day jobs.

The thing that links Sid & Susie and The Hand Party is the fact that they both are proudly and affectionately providing an album (or a gig) full of very well chosen covers that makes them both difficult not to enjoy.

This is actually Sid and Susie’s second shot at this and they have gone to the 70’s for their song list. They’ve picked some absolute gems, In fact there’s hardly a clanger on the album. After opening with a breezy take on The Grateful Dead’s Sugar Magnolia, they launch into a cracking series of songs including Go All The Way (The Raspberries), Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac), Bell Bottom Blues (Derek & The Dominos), All The Young Dudes (Mott The Hoople) You’re So Vain (Carly Simon) and Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers). They are all winners but the stand out is Susie singing Bell Bottom Blues. The gender switch completely transforms the song and with Greg Leisz taking Clapton’s lead role the song soars. Sweet channels Bowie more than Ian Hunter on Dudes and he relishes the role.

Meanwhile back down the pub, Ian Hunter has popped up at The Hand Party gig as well. After opening with Happy and Lets Spend The Night Together they have segued into Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Hunter’s biggest solo hit. It too benefits from a gender switch and leads into a couple of Divinyls songs, including the always welcome Only Lonely.

Things are getting weird back in Sid and Susie world. A couple of Todd Rundgren songs get a guernsey alongside a Yes song. Under The Covers has taken a prog-rock turn and is in danger of meandering into very strange territory. It takes the Big Star song Back Of A Car and Susie’s adorable reading of Little Feat’s Willin’ to get the show back on track.

The Hand Party have taken their own turn down a darkened street. A Skyhooks double of Balwyn Calling and You Just Like Me Cos’ I’m Good In Bed has the suburban seventies sexual innuendo thick on the ground and the punters up on the dancefloor.

Another point of intersection occurs when Sid and Susie decide to close their album with Blondie’s  Dreaming. The Hand Party have already visited Deborah Harry land with Hangin’ On The Telephone (which I suddenly remember owning on clear vinyl).

Before getting to Dreaming though Sid & Susie have taken a few more detours. Sid has snarled his way through Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth and Susie gets all husky on Maggie May. One of the highlights of the album soon appears with Beware Of Darkness (well how about that!). They are joined by Dhani Harrison on George Harrison’s chilling cautionary tale.

There’s no celebrity guests to be found back at The Hand Party show. The closest we get is a visit from the spirit of Elvis Presley via Viva Las Vegas. From there the Handies decide that an English/American/Australian triple treat should finish their set. Gudbuy T’ Jane  (Slade), Rock N’ Roll All Nite (Kiss) and Goodbye Astrid (Cold Chisel) – all closing songs that could only have been added to by Cheap Trick’s Auf Wiedersehen.

As I pull out of the carpark and head home Sid & Susie offer up (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.  This melodic tour de force suits Sid’s vocal perfectly and when the pair harmonise on the chorus the Nick Lowe/ Elvis Costello song has never sounded so fresh.

All up I’ve been subjected to 35 covers in one day and lived to tell the tale. My ability to survive has nothing to do with the musicianship on offer although both the album and the gig were performed with skill and dexterity. No, rather, it was about the obvious fun that was being had. Neither Sweet and Hoffs nor the members of The Hand Party actually need to be doing this and it shows. They select their songs because they are fans of them and they play them because they are fun to play. Sure Sid and Susie have the luxury of being able to pick some relatively obscure songs and get away with them because they have quite a few runs on the board, but The Hand Party didn’t exactly pick top 40 either – and they have a live audience to contend with.

Perhaps I’m mellowing in my middle age but maybe there is a place for good covers, lovingly performed.

Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet Covers Album

If you visit the What Have You Been Doing Lately section of this very fine website you will be able to catch up on the activities of Californian singer songwriter Matthew Sweet. And if you saw the Bangles in concert last year you’ll know that Susanna Hoffs is still as delightful as ever.

Actually that reminds me of a dinner I once hosted for Hoffs and the members of cock rock band Warrant back in the 80’s. It had an unexpected conclusion but we’ll have to save that for the My Back Pages section of this very fine website.

Enough of the self promotion.

Hoffs and Sweet will release a second volume of their covers album Under The Covers following the first release in 2006.

Obviously it’s not the most creative way to make a good record but I figure both Hoffs and Sweet have earned the right to make an easy earn. Especially when their choice of songs is so good.

Under The Covers Volume 2 will feature songs from The Raspberries, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Rod Stewart, Big Star, John Lennon, Carly Simon, Mott The Hoople and Fleetwood Mac. Lindsay Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac will perform on the Rumours track Second Hand News.

Sugar Magnolia (The Grateful Dead)
Go All The Way (The Raspberries)
Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)
Bell Bottom Blues (Derek & The Dominoes)
All The Young Dudes (Mott The Hoople)
You’re So Vain (Carly Simon)
Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers)
I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People (Yes)
Hello It’s Me (Todd Rundgren)
Willin’ (Little Feat)
Back Of A Car (Big Star)
Couldn’t I Just Tell You (Todd Rundgren)
Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)
Everything I Own (Bread)
Maggie May (Rod Stewart)
Beware Of Darkness (George Harrison)

The inspired choices include Beware Of Darkness which Concrete Blonde previously covered, Go All The Way is a brilliant song that should suit Sweet’s falsetto, the Bread super-ballad Everything I Own and Second Hand News which should work brilliantly for the duo.

Under The Covers Volume 2 will be released in July.

Matthew Sweet

When Matthew Sweet released the album Girlfriend in 1991 he was actually having his second shot at breaking through.

He didn’t waste it.

He had previously released major label albums on Columbia and A&M and although he received some critical acclaim he didn’t sell a lot of records.

Sweet was a native of Lincoln, Nebraska who relocated to Athens, Georgia in the early 80’s. Sweet collaborated with R.E.M. member Michael Stipe under the name Community Trolls as well as being in Stipe’s sister Lynda Stipe’s band Oh-OK, and in 1983 also formed another band, Buzz of Delight.

It was some time after that that he was given his shot at Columbia.

After being dropped from A&M Sweet quickly recovered and formed a new band including extraordinary players  Richard Lloyd (ex Television), Robert Quine (who played with Lou Reed amongst others) , Greg Leisz (who plays with anyone so long as they are good!) , Lloyd Cole, and Fred Maher (ex Scritti Politti and a gun producer in his own right). The new group spent 1990 assembling Sweet’s next work, originally titled Nothing Lasts. It would have been a disgrace if this collection of players couldn’t have created an outstanding album.

Sweet found another label (Zoo) changed the name of his album to Girlfriend and before long his exquisite power pop songs were hits, especially the title track and other gorgeous and irresistible songs like I’ve Been Waiting, Divine Intervention, Evangaline, Holy War and Thought I Knew You.

Sweet toured Australia around that time.

A series of albums followed including Altered Beast,  Son of Altered Beast, 100% Fun, Blue Sky on Mars and  In Reverse. The albums all had some great tracks but Sweet, despite maintaining a dedicated fan base, was never able to reach the heights of the commercial success of Girlfriend,

Since the turn of the century Sweet has made some interesting collaborative decisions and continues to enjoy a lot of respect in the music community. He’s has an enviable reputation as the musician that other quality musicians like.

As testament to this in early 2002, Sweet formed The Thorns with Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge, two other highly regarded singer-songwriter types. Sweet released a new album of solo material, Living Things in late 2004, though the material on the album was recorded in 2002.

In April 2006 Sweet hooked up with Bangles member Susanna Hoffs to release a collection of 1960′s songs.  Under The Covers Vol. 1 featured their versions of songs including Monday, Monday and The Kids Are Alright.  As a collaboration between these two it comes as no surprise that the album is long on pop melody.

Matthew Sweet’s latest album is called Sunshine Lies and it was released on a interesting label called Shout Factory, which specialises in everything from jazz, blues and country to re-releases of retro recordings and a big catalogue of quirky old tv shows and box sets. Its not your typical record company but it does seem suited to Sweet’s place in pop culture.

Sweet has described the new record’s sound as “power-pop-folk-rock-psychedelic-melodic-singer-songwriter-type stuff” , which could just about describe his entire career.

As usual, Sweet (guitars, bass, keyboards, mellotron, lead and harmony vocals), who produced and mixed the LP at his own Lolina Green Studios in L.A., has a great band including Richard Lloyd, Greg Leisz and Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & the Voidoids) along with drummer Ric Menck (Velvet Crush). Susanna Hoffs also makes a fleeting vocal appearance.

Whether Sweet ever returns to Australia is problematic. Apparently he has a fear of flying and the alternative means of getting to Australia have their own problems. Hopefully something can be worked out.