Back in the 70s, Bryan Ferry and Peter Gabriel were two of the biggest names in rock, being the face and voice of Roxy Music and Genesis respectively. Here are a couple concerts that show where their paths took them during their solo careers.
Bryan Ferry is caught in concert at Lyon, France, in 2011 going through hits from his previous solo albums as well as a tune or two from his Roxy Music days. I saw him 3 times back in the 70s, twice with Roxy and once in a solo format. The image of the suave and debonair singer was an attractive yet kitschy gimmick back then. Unfortunately, Ferry hasn’t aged well and while his voice is in fine shape, instead of being ironically forlorn, he simply looks tired. The band, also a group of aging rockers, serves up methodical treatments of material like “Let’s Stay Together,” but when they go into idiosyncratic pieces like “If There is Something” or “Love is the Drug,” the attractive quirkiness is missing. Visually, the bimbo dancers serve the purpose of eye candy, and while the female sax player is prettier than Andy Mackay, her eye makeup isn’t as clever. You’d be better suited to find old Roxy gigs on www.youtube.com
Peter Gabriel’s show at Athens, Greece, from 1987 portrays a more visionary artist. Introducing the opening act Youssou N’Dour to show his support for the nascent African singer and band, Gabriel demonstrates that he’s searching for new musical worlds to conquer. After the opening set, Gabriel’s band comes on stage, and the mix of intriguing music along with choregraphed band movements from the opening “This is the Picture” to the closing “Biko” makes you feel like you’re watching an important performance, akin to La La Boheme. Hits such as “Sledgehammer” and “Solsbury Hill” are all included, and a second dvd includes a collection of videos that promoted Gabriel’s “hit” singles. Music and attitude of a musical visionary.
Eagle Music dvd
www.eaglerockent.com