Well, BF's on-going throat infection that caused the cancellation of the DC and Boston shows did not stop him from making the Tower/Philly gig.

Knowing of the recent cancellations, I wasn't surprised that his voice was a far cry from what I heard back during the 2001 Roxy tour. On some songs it was OK, and others it was was sub-par (the only one that I considered to be truly dreadful was Johnny and Mary, where it was completely overwhelmed by a very loud bass and I could not decipher a single bit of the lyric).

This band is OK, but for most of the show the sound was loud and blaring (at times the mix was a muddy mess). Reason or Rhyme started off very nicely with a subdued volume that allowed BF's voice to come across with evocative emotion. But then the drums et al kicked in and we were back to a Blaring Roar. More Than This was a true highlight because you could really hear BF sing the song. And Jealous Guy was also good because it featured a softer sound.

Am I being too negative? Perhaps some might think so, but I believe that the reviewer for the New York Daily News (see other thread) was pretty accurate in his assessment. The band is at best Roxy Lite and the two present guitarists and the keyboard guy are no match for the combo of Spedding, Ollie, and Good. Jorja is very good on sax, but the most recent incarnation of Tara is but a pale reflection of the Spedding, Good and Jorja version captured on video during the Olympia Tour.

But hey, me and my buddy Brian B had a good time and found it a very special way to spend a Saturday night. BF is 69 years old. I understand that this may well constitute the last time he makes the trek to Philadelphia. And when Both Ends Burning got cranking it was indeed a fun time where the years washed away and we were all young again.

Good / balanced review DCJ.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Elegant, Young Again Hipsters,
A great review from a most discerning Roxologist and another great endorsement for the new version of MTT (the sooner this is released the better).
Regarding the band, DJC is correct, this is 'Roxy Lite' and the guitar and keyboard line up are no equal to the great Messieurs Good, Spedding and Thompson.
The Dublin BFWS show was a triumph and the band fused with the Rte well on the second night (multiple sources told that the first night was a slightly different story) but even then Windswept couldn't help think that even that would have been better with Good & Co. in the band.
Certainly, as a rock line up, they are very light compared to the Olympia squad and when compared to the AEWBF gang … well, there is just no comparison.
It's not that they aren't good musicians because they are. Unfortunately for them, we are used to seeing Ferry with great musicians and they are standing on the shoulders of some giants.
I'm pleased that the Philly gig went ahead and that DJC got to feel as young as the rest of us but I hope we see the band heavied up before it hits the UK.
Salutations,
Windswept.

How was Loop de li live?

LDL was slipped into the middle of the set and it didn't make much of an impression good or bad. It sounded very familiar, which is good in the sense that BF and the band were comfortable playing it. But that very same sense of familiarity did not make it very memorable. In contrast, Reason or Rhyme was very memorable (especially the more subdued intro section).

Interestingly, BF did NOT introduce LDL by saying something like "And here's the first single from the new album Avonmore coming out in November." But he did mention that ROR was from the recent Olympia album. Hmmm. So he mentioned his last album but not the soon-to-be-released new album. Seemed a bit odd to me, but what do I know about such things...

The one part of the show where he particularly referenced Philadelphia was in introducing Can't Let Go by noting how it was from the album The Bride Stripped Bare, which he noted was a title he took from the great Marcel Duchamp art work entitled The Bride Stripped Bare that is a part of the Philadelphia Art Museum's permanent collection (Note: he didn't give the full title but that's OK!). I thought that was a rather cultured "shout-out" to Philly!!!

I really love the museum reference. Reminds me of a conversation with Dieter Meier (from Yello) in which he explained that he never really knew what to say to the audience:



So he finally did it

It's a good read:

http://www.electronicbeats.net/en/features/conversations/bryan-ferry-talks-to-dieter-meier/

Elegantly Ageing Hipsters,
One of the great benefits of this hallowed cyber hall is renowned Roxologists posting articles like this.
What a great interview this is. Dieter Meier created a really interesting dialogue with our hero. Way ahead of the pedestrian music paper or tabloid fodder that we normally get and proof positive that the problem lies with the interviewer and not the subject!
Great stuff Lonely Dreamer.
a bien tôt,
Windswept

Glad you liked it, Windswept. I agree that the concept of bringing two artists together and letting them chat leads to much more interesting results than the standard interview. There is also an episode of the tv show "Durch die Nacht mit..." / "Into the night with...", which is based on the same concept, that shows Bryan Ferry & Dieter Meier in conversation at different locations in Zurich. I've seen it on German television years ago, but it doesn't seem to be available online, all I could find is this little snippet on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-i8X3f79s

it is available on DVD, though, if somebody's interested:

http://www.amazon.de/Durch-die-Nacht-mit-Schlingensief/dp/3861506793

Coming back to the topic I think maybe BF could give his audience a bit more credit and fill in such references a bit more often?

I didn't want to create a new thread for this youtube link, but I just came across this 1993 Tonight Show performance which I hadn't seen since it was originally broadcast. A great band and BF sounds so sweet. And he and Jay Leno have a bit of couch banter...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5_NjVaeGoI

Hipsters,
What a great band indeed!
Robin Trower is such a fabulous guitarist and Windswept adores our hero's take on this Goffin/King song.
'Taxi' us such an underrated album.
Salutations,
W.