I have a brochure for THE BEAUTIFUL “BATSUI” DANCING GIRLS (ok…they were down on the Young Rascals/Temptations bill) in the “MOST EXPLOSIVE ROCK N’ ROLL SHOW OF THE YEAR!!” at the Concerts at the Shea. That…is massively Keener13er than this.
The Beatles decision to withdraw from live performances and concentrate instead on studio recording drastically altered not only their own output, but that of their most talented peers. Meanwhile, others learned to work in stadiums, blazing the lucrative trail the Beatles has been too reluctant to follow. Five years after the Beatles left Shea Stadium, the infinitely less talented Grand Funk Railroad sold the stadium out faster than the Fab Four had. Soon to follow were Jethro Tull in 1976, the Who in 1982, Simon and Garfunkel in 1983, the Police in 1983, the Rolling Stones in 1989, Elton John & Eric Clapton in 1992, and Bruce Springsteen in 2003.
The fans have always shown up, but the rise of stadium rock undeniably hastened some of the most dislikable aspects of the music business. Delivered on a massive scale, at enormous volume, surrounded by elaborate light systems and big screens to distract from the humdrum playing, stadium concerts gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll as a cynical trial on the senses and a detriment to the music being played. Perhaps that is why, when the Beatles dissolved their partnership in 1970, all four went back to performing in front of small audiences.
For Mr. Joel, the “Last Play at Shea” concerts can be a vindication of his decision to follow the Beatles into the business, and evidence that it is possible to sing studio songs to a vast stadium of people and still be heard.
Repoz
Posted: July 08, 2008 at 03:01 AM |
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I'm pretty much over most live shows now where I feel the band can't really improve on the work I hear when I get the album.
Even the ultimate studio band, Steely Dan, tours these days.
EDIT - I was dumping on live stuff in general - but I am getting old and miserable
Since the dawn of time, all the greatest people are known by one name. Think of Buddha, Jesus, Napoleon, Elvis. Now joining that elite are Mark, Don and Mel.
As for Billy Joel, meh. I really liked Piano Man until a miserable human being college roommate played it all the time and caterwauled along at the top of his lungs. I didn't like much of anything he did after that. It sounded mostly like lounge music.
I respectfully disagree. As a wise writer for Creem Magazine once put it, BJ drank from the same artistic toilet as Barry Manilow, but had the gall to call it rock & roll.
If I hear a Billy Joel song, I'm not going to plug my ears. He's talented enough. His music is pleasant enough. He's not like most rappers, whose fans are deaf, or some hair-metal bands, whose audiences are deaf and blind. But I cannot fathom how he sells out big venues. His seems to me like the kind of low-rent Elton John act which should on a good night fill a small nightclub. "Meh" pretty much captures it. The idea of driving to a stadium, paying for parking, buying an actual ticket, sitting far away and listening to over-amplified music which rates about a 5 on the 1-10 scale for two hours strikes me as odd. Would anyone do the same to hear shod Joe Jackson?
I would chalk this up to being a Long Island thing...
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