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HUMBLE PIE'S Steve Marriott led his band throughsome hot 'n' nasty rock 'n' roll Saturday night in the Coliseum.Humblerock'n'roll still vitalBv ALLEN JONESAmusements WriterTo those who consider hard rock dead as a vital force in modem culture. Humble Pie stands as not-so-mute testimony to the cot. trary. And their testimonySaturday night at the Coliseumwas loud and clear.Loud provides an apt description of opener Jo Jo Gunne’s act, but somewhere the clear got lost. An imported sound system from St. Louis totally mangled their set of “goodtime” rock’n’roll.The roaring melee obscured the arrangements and vocals, leaving only the guitar to cut through the audio haze. Even the familiar riff from “Run, Run, Run” became indistinguishable in the muddy acoustical setting.One found oneself either numbed by the wall of sound or absorbed in Jay Ferguson s excellent lead playing. His leads were lyrical and slide work fairly innovative, not just another pale Duane Allman imitation.Like creatures of Pavlovian habits, the masochistic audience demanded even more unadulterated decibels. For oncethe band justified the encore; generating some real fire despite the confused sound.Playing with a confidence farabove the crass brashness of somany “heavy” bands, HumblePie proved that there still remainssome life in the old progressionsand still some energy in the rock genre.Taking standard forms and licks that would sound trite in most hands, Pie use their considerable talents to fashion a sound that is both driving and musically interesting.Never confusing volume with energy, their sound was clear and every instrument audible. The Blackberries' vocals came through even better than on Pie’s recent album. Eat It.Though Steve Marriot’s singing intros were perhaps a little overdone, his vocals were marvelous and though he continously sang near the top of his range, he never had to strain to reach a note and never faltered in his delivery.Guitarist Clem Clempson provided the musical intricacy necessary to keep the backing on a par with the vocals. His leads derive from ideas of Eric Clapton,but in a new direction.The high points of the concert came with Ray Charles’ “I Believe to My Soul” and “Hallelujah, I Love Her So with its chorus of “Walk right in, sit right down; Daddy let your mind roll on.”They ended with a rousing rendition of “Twist And Shout,” soon to be released as the Blackberries’ first single. When the sparks of the twist died away, there was but one word to describe the concert - vital.
Newspaper Details
Houston Daily Cougar
Houston, Texas, US
Tue, Apr 03, 1973
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA, USA 27 Apr 2018
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