It had been well over a decade since the last time that I saw Eric Burdon, back in 2002. I had seen him only once previously, a show that I remember well, since he had been one of those artists that I had longed to see for many years. It was a small venue in Old Bridge, New Jersey, if memory serves correctly. It was also a first come, first served kind of a deal, and we were among the first arrivals. Unbelievable concert, and I even got to go backstage afterwards and get some autographs. Hell, I spilled beer on the guy, and apologized. he grumbled something incoherent, but spoke to me! What a night, right?
My father, who went with me that evening, said it was weird, seeing him after all these years. He had seen him on television in the early days, and could remember him when he was young and a rising star. Now, he was playing some small, dirty club in the middle of New Jersey, slurring and pretty clearly drunk, with drink in hand pretty much the entire show. He said it was kind of sad, in a way.
Well, Eric Burdon seems to have changed his act. He seems more comfortable in his skin these days, not dying his hair, but allowing it to be the natural white of aging. He did not drink during this entire show, and seemed to interact a bit more with the audience then the previous times that I had seen him. His last album, 'Til Your River Runs Dry, was very good, probably his strongest stuff in some time. In short, things appear to be looking up for him.
His place in music has long been secure. That was never really in question. With the original Animals, he had potent lyrics that influenced many, with hits including "See See Rider", "Please Don't Let me Be Misunderstood", "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", "It's My Life", and of course, the famous cover of "House of the Rising Sun". The lineup changed, and so it became Eric Burdon and the Animals. During this era of the late sixties, the band had some incredible stuff, including "San Franciscan Nights", "Skypilot", Monterey", and "When I was Young".
In the seventies, after the end of the Animals, Burdon joined War, and had some decent success, particularly with the hit song "Spill the Wine".
Eric Burdon and the original Animals got back together in 1977 for an album ("Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted") that did not receive the attention that it deserved. They tried it again in 1983 with "Ark", a very good album that received more praise, and with which the band had a fairly successful tour. It did not lead to lasting success, and the original Animals never really did get together again. But there was some great music there.
Before I ever saw Eric Burdon, I actually saw the Animals II, as they called themselves, with a couple of original members of the band (Alan Price and Hilton Valentine). It was good to see them, and exciting. But seeing them without such a powerful presence in frontman Eric Burdon just did not feel right. Their lead singer was good, don't get me wrong. But he was not Eric Burdon.
Burdon's voice is distinctive. My brother and I were discussing it after tonight's show, and we both agreed that he has one of the best voices in rock n' roll. Probably, one of the most underrated, as well, truth be told. It amazed me, upon listening to his recent album, that his voice sounded very recognizable, and not all that far from the way he sounded when he was still a young singer. Given the hard drugs and boos that he had been doing most of his life, that is saying something, I think.
The recent album was good (you can see my review of the album dated February 13, 2013, and a general review of Eric Burdon from February 17, 2103), so I was really looking forward to getting the opportunity to see him in concert again! Surely, the new stuff that he would play would sound good, and I thought it would make a good addition to his shows. As the date neared, the excitement built.
The afternoon, however, ended up being rather a bit of a nightmare. My stomach was bothering me early on, and I felt exhausted, having not slept very much for days before. I woke up later than expected, and set out to meet my brother at our meeting place. We were supposed to meet with plenty of time to spare, and it was a beautiful day (although I had heard that the forecast called for rain). So, it seemed the weather would cooperate, and things should run smoothly.
They didn't. Traffic on I-287 was horrendous. One accident on the other side of the highway by Exit 37, and another by Exit 41A, I think, by the juncture with I-80. There was traffic for miles, and an overwhelming volume of traffic on the roadways, with no shortage of rubberneckers. It took an incredible amount of time to get past all of that. I tried a couple of exits, and they were blocked up with people who had the same idea as me, evidently.
Finally, I got to Route 10, and was determined to make a go of it. Get as far away from I-287 as possible, and see if I could use my old skills in finding back ways to good use.
It didn't work. This was slow going, as well. Not my day to drive in peace, evidently. It happens. But my stress levels by this point were through the roof. These are the times when i seriously begin to resent living - and driving - in New Jersey.
I did finally get there, almost two hours later than expected. Oh, by the way, fin fact - did you know that my phone battery was completely dead. So, my brother had been trying to call for a while, but there was no way to reach me.
Good times, good times.
But, at least we were together, and able to go on our merry way to the Big Apple, to see the show. It would be his first time seeing Eric Burdon, and he was definitely excited.
Of course, more traffic as we approached the Lincoln Tunnel (when is there ever not mass traffic here?), but we got to the venue well on time. In fact, with enough time to spare to grab a bite to eat at a stand outside. I got a gyro, just in case anyone was waiting to find that out with baited breath.
The opening act was pretty good, coming on stage at 8pm. Can't say that I am entirely sure what their name is (I will try to get this information soon for this review). My brother said that they sounded a bit like Neil Young, with a touch of late Beatles. They actually sounded pretty good.
Then, it was time for Eric Burdon. The band came out, and warmed the room up. the audience had a good mix of people, some old, some middle aged, and some young. Everyone seemed pretty excited, and the energy by this point was strong. Finally, he came out, and the band kicked into "When I Was Young".
Among the highlights were "Spill the Wine", which really sounded very funky and had a lot of life tonight, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", which had a sort of reggae feel, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", "I'm Crying", and, of course, the biggest and most famous song on the list, "House of the Rising Sun".
A strong overall performance by a musical legend, and it was really great to see him again! I think this show was probably a better performance than the two prior times I had seen him, although being front and center last time certainly enhanced the experience, I would say. But this was a very enjoyable evening, at affordable prices, and I was certainly glad to have been there!
This was, more or less, the set list, to the best of my ability. I tried writing the songs down, but could hardly see what I was doing, and lost track here and there. So, this is a rough sketch, at least, of the setlist. If you were at the show and know the more precise setlist, by all means, please do share! But in the meantime, this should give the reader a good idea of what the show looked and sounded like, I think:
When I was Young
Inside Looking Out
Water
Spill the Wine
Black Dog
Wait
Bo Diddley Special
It's My Life
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Before You Accuse Me
We Gotta Get Out of This Place (With River is Rising tag)
House of the Rising Sun
Encore:
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
I'm Crying
The lineup for Eric Burdon and the Animals has hanged greatly over the course of the years. Here is the present lineup:
Keyboards: Steve Molitz
Guitar: Eric McFadden
Percussions: Wally Ingram
Drums: Eric Bolivar
Bass: Ron Johnson
http://cityguideny.com/eventinfo.cfm?id=135563
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