Blue Floyd blends rock, blues
Concert: Innovative band revisits Pink Floyd classic in a smashing performance
By Blake Hennon
Staff Writer
Most rock Œn'
roll fans have probably never thought of Pink Floyd's "Money" as a boogie
blues tune, just as most rock Œn' roll fans have never heard Blue Floyd.
Taking classic Pink Floyd hits and deep album cuts and adding new jams and
a decidedly blues flavor, Blue Floyd forges ahead onto new musical ground
with the already innovative Pink Floyd catalog.
Comprised of
former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, bassist/singer Berry Oakley, Gov't
Mule sticks man Matt Abts and ex-Allman Brothers Band keyboard player
Johnny Neel, the Blue Floyd lineup is an all-star ensemble picked from the
who's who of '90s blues rock. The band's 2001 tour of western states
brought them to the Sun Theater in Anaheim Sunday night where they put on a
performance that was more than a unique interpretation of Pink Floyd
classicsit was a testament to the potential majesty of rock Œn' roll.
After an uneven
set from the reggae-flavored jam band Quick-show Messenger Service, Blue
Floyd began their set slowly but strongly with "In the Flesh." Flowing into
a jam and then into "Sheep," the band members played with nuance and
flourishes of genius.
The set rolled
on through a few more numbers before exploding with the back-to-back trips
of "Comfortably Numb" and "Wish You Were Here." The latter featured a
beautiful duet between Marc Ford and his wife, a surprise guest, in which
the Floyd classic was transformed into a testimony of the longing that
comes from touring away from family. These songs also featured Marc Ford
conjuring forth transcendent, liquid solos from his guitar. "Comfortably
Numb" was one of the crowd pleasers and exhibited Berry Oakley's most
inspired vocal work and perfect harmonies from Neel and the Fords.
Halfway through
the set, all of the band members except for Matt Abts vacated the stage,
leaving the drummer alone with nothing save his kit, sticks and the
audience's full attention. What followed was a drum solo that confirmed
Abts as one of rock's finest drummers and showed why Gov't Mule (Abts'
principal project) has worked so well as a trio. As each movement of the
solo ended and the next began, thunderous applause issued forth from the
Sun's seats. Eventually Oakley crept back onto stage, lowered the bass
strap over his neck and matched Abts' drumming feats with a melodic bass
solo that bled into "Brain Damage." After the first verse, Neel and Ford
returned to stage and back to work.
The spotlight
focuses on Neel for "Money," whose keyboards consistently added the blues
to Blue Floyd throughout the night. Neel's southern-fried blues voice
contributed new texture to the old standard, and new percussion and guitar
parts completely transformed the song into something more reminiscent of
Muddy Waters than Pink Floyd.
"Money" was
followed by Marc Ford's staggering evocation of Roger Waters' startling
ethos on "Mother." The main set wrapped up with a fantastic rendition of
"Shine on You Crazy Diamond," which included a duel between Neel and Ford
in which Ford replicated all Neel's keyboard stings and gushes on guitar,
and a performance of "Young Lust." The short-but-sweet encore consisted
solely of "Fat Old Sun."
Each member of
Blue Floyd shined during the performance. Berry Oakley handled the bass
duties masterfully and managed the songs' vocal styles very well. Matt
Abts' drums were the rock that kept the ensemble together during jams. Marc
Ford's guitar work was simply amazing. Only Johnny Neel was something of a
mixed blessing. Though his vocals and keyboards improved the show in
places, he also had a few forgettable moments, probably stemming from the
fact that Neel's party had started early, as the bottles around his boards
suggested.
There were only
a few moments during the two-hour set in which the band faltered, and those
were traceable to Neel. The vast majority of the show, however, was full of
quiet nuances and towering jams that paid tribute not only to the legacy of
Pink Floyd, but also to the immense talents of Marc Ford, Berry Oakley,
Johnny Neel and Matt Abts.
Copyright 2001 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 142, No. 12 (Friday, January 26, 2001), beginning on page 5 and ending on page 6.