It's official. NRBQ is the greatest band of all time. The Beatles and The Stones are good. I love The Who. Faces? Good stuff. But for today and for most of this past weekend, Big Al, Terry, Joey and Tom get the honor. Seriously, I am out of control. I can't stop listening. These guys can do anything. Look and listen and get in a good mood.
THE SAME OLD THING (FROM "NRBQ AT YANKEE STADIUM")
BE MY LOVE (FROM "DUMMY")
WANT YOU TO FEEL GOOD TOO (FROM "TIDDLYWINKS")
RIDING IN MY CAR (FROM "ALL HOPPED UP)
12 comments:
I've said it for years -- if I had unlimited funds, and I could hire any band to play my birthday party, it would be NRBQ.
Okay, or maybe the Skeletons, but you know what I mean.
Amen.
That is all.
Saw these guys in a club in Delray Beach about the size of my living room (Hey! It ain't THAT big!) and they absolutely smoked.
BTW, is that "the girl who put c--- in country" behind the mike for the intro to "Get Rhythm" ?
Is that Carlene Carter?
It's hard not to love the Q!
I spent the 80's/early 90s tramping around the northeast watching this band blow the roof off small clubs.
Yep. The best, in their prime. The beauty of it was that they were always in shuffle mode - some obscure yet scorching rockabilly number would be followed by a Monk tune, then one of Joey's perfect pop numbers (that guy is an unheralded pop songwriting genius).
Then they'd do the "Bonanza" theme.
Then, a few minutes of audience abuse, and on with the show. (Terry in Harrisburg, PA: "There's nothing wrong with Harrisburg! It's the people!")
Truly miss 'em. Thanks Sal.
EXACTLY AND YES AND I KNOW!!
An audacious but hard-to-contest claim, Sal. I discovered them waaaay after the fact, partly because of my age, but getting acquainted with their discography has been one of the aural highlights of my 20s. Few bands have been as consistently fun, as consistently creative, and as consistently...consistent. Lennon/Macca is obviously tough to beat but I'd say that as far as songwriting goes, Al, Terry and Joey beat out any of the other bands you list up there and a host of other classics (with the possible exception of the Kinks). I mean come on. "I Want You Bad" versus "Live with Me"? "Feel You Around Me" versus "Bargain"? Even "Little Floater" versus "Ooh La La" is a tough call, but one where, to me, the former wins out.
Great post today. I only saw the Q a few times live, but they were always fun. One of the best shows I've ever seen was the Q at (if memory serves me correctly) the old Howlin Wolf in New Orleans in 91 or 92 (whichever year they were supposed to play JazzFest...pretty sure that day was a complete rainout). Went with a buddy of mine and by the end of the night, he was converted. They just killed with "Here Comes Terry".
Loved it when you wrote, "I am out of control!" Been there, I'm still there, and I don't want to ever be anywhere else. NRBQ make music that conveys the joy of making music, heck, the joy of being alive. You can focus on the drummer, then listen again and focus on the bass player, the guitar player, then Terry... it just leaves me speechless when I hear and feel how they swing and play off each other, each of them so deep in the groove, but apparently making it up as they go along. It leaves me breathless. Astonishing songwriting, musicianship that's assertive but never ego-driven, fearless... I could go on and on (I really could!). And Terry's new band knocks it out of the park -- whatever NRBQ had, Terry still has. It's great to be alive, ain't it Sal :) ? (Check out Mike Scully's film doc about NRBQ which was broadcast on A&E a few years ago!)
Yes Brad, it IS great to be alive, though your wink and question mark threw me. As for your Q commentary--I am so with you.
Growing up and then going to college in Connecticut, I saw the Q countless times. Anybody remember the Shaboo Inn? And then The Lone Star Roadhouse, Tramps and so many nights at The Bottom Line. Good, good times. What live music is all about...
They were the best (and might still be again, ya never know). Welcome to the club Sal.
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