Down to one hour this week, we lose the original performance from these bands, which of course brings the show closer to home and follows the proven cover-song format. I have to admit, hearing only covers changed my thoughts of some of these acts. And hearing right up front that one of the artist’s first CD purchase was Billy Joel’s River of Dreams also changed my thoughts that I might still actually be young. His first album was River of Dreams? Wow. My second album was Billy’s An Innocent Man purchased in 1983. As a Billy Joel fan I just can’t imagine that the first purchase of his music was his 15th and final pop release. Crazy, but that’s OK. Gotta start somewhere, right?Anyway, on to the bands.Franklin Bridge: “Big Shot”I can’t believe none of the judges commented on how they flubbed half the lyrics. And this clearly was not them being artistic. This was a singer not remembering what was written on the paper. It’s a shame, too, becau...read more
Hey now rockers! It's Elton John and Bernie "Poppin" (whoops, I mean Taupin) week on The Search For the Next Great American Band. Elton is a bit more my speed than Dylan so this week excited me more than last. Whether you like Elton John's songs or not, you have to admit that the guy can write a heck of a pop tune. Obviously Bernie's no slouch either. The combo works so great together. As usual, before we get into the bands, let's talk atmosphere a minute. I love this elimination format. I wasn't quite sure how they were going to pull it off, but having all the bands sit back stage and one by one get plucked out to perform, worked really well. Well, except for the very end where the two eliminations seemed a bit awkward, but at least the bands that went home didn't have to perform again like the contestants do on Idol. I also wanted to bring up John Rzeznik for a bit. For some reason tonight he seemed to take his angry pills before showing up and I have to say, if this is what he's ...read more
Wow, how much did this improve from last week? I have to admit that my hopes were not high after that mediocre debut, but now that the bands are inside and I saw the format, I was quite impressed. The set looks quite sharp, Dominic Bowden is actually a pretty decent host and Sheila E. looked mighty different than she did last week. But what impressed me the most was the format. The bands get to play one song with a theme and then one original. The original performances are what’s going to make or break this show. I’m curious to see what viewers will think of originals. It can be tough to listen to songs you don’t know. Personally, I like new music and I like hearing things I haven’t heard before. But I also know the feeling standing at a concert listening to music you aren’t familiar with. I can’t sing along and I really don’t know how to react. People can relate to covers. It’s harder to relate to the originals. The other thing with the origi...read more