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organized under a particular religion — I just see man scrambling to explain the unexplainable . Until , in a reductionist way , we can put it in a box that makes us feel like we have some kind of order . I ’ m a big proponent of ‘ God is everywhere ,’ and it ’ s actually not a big deal . It ’ s a man who squanders the opportunity for simplicity by putting some kind of intellectual overlay over it . And I love rituals . I love the Pope in his fish hat , and I love Wagner ’ s opera . I love rituals . I love Sturm und Drang — I ’ m all about it it , and that ’ s what I do for a living . But it ’ s all pretty simple to me .
IE : Speaking of the Teutonic , you dropped in another classic German term , “ Schadenfreude ,” experiencing pleasure over another ’ s pain . Which seems to be running rampant in society right now . BC : Yeah , Only yesterday , I was dealing with online bullying , this kind of weird gang stuff . And it ’ s happened to me a few times . A group of people will come in , and I ’ ll get a bunch of messages from ten different accounts , but they ’ ll all have the same
message , which creates an interesting effect , psychologically . And I don ’ t need to get into details , but imagine if you opened a message and it ’ s , “ Hey — you ’ ve got a pimple on the end of your nose .” And you opened another message , and it ’ s , “ You ’ ve got a pimple on the end of your nose .” And they ’ re said just differently enough and posited just differently enough that it comes off as a collective , but you ’ re not really sure if it ’ s just one person . So , on the one hand , you ' ve taken a little aback by the energy of it because it ’ s so stupid , the thing that ’ s happening . But it ’ s like one of those ‘ 60s movies where the gang terrorizes the woman in her house — there ’ s a sort of gang mentality there . And I think it ’ s kind of a new phenomenon . I talked to some fans yesterday online , and they said that this something they see a lot of . And it ’ s not bots — these are people messaging . And then when I started going after the people , other people — and I put “ other ” in quotations — started messaging me , saying , “ Calm down — it ’ s just a joke .” And I ’ m friends with these people , and I ’ ll talk to them if suddenly there ’ s a mediator . But then , suddenly , you ’ re engaged in some sort of mediation with strangers about something that you don ’ t have anything to do with , and at the same time , they ’ re telling you that you ’ re overreacting . It was very strange . So I kind of went public about it yesterday — I posted a bunch of stuff on my Instagram about it , and I got a ton of responses from fans who have been bullied and cyberstalked . It kind of seemed to open the doors to this whole wealth of information that ’ s lying there because , by and large , the social media companies don ’ t care , and they won ’ t do anything . They know that their portals are being used for harm , but they won ’ t do anything about it , and they hide behind the fact that they can ’ t unless it ’ s criminal . But even then , I ’ ve had threats and sent them in , and nobody does anything about it .
IE : You ’ re in a tough position where social media is now part of the process , and when you carve out a piece of your soul on record or otherwise , the public then has the right , or the obligation to parse it , instead of being grateful that you bothered to share . BC : I don ’ t think the general public sees the exchange in those terms . And that ’ s
fine — that ’ s their right to do that . But I think the difficulty is when you , as an artist , go in hoping for that and wind up more times than not disappointed . Disappointed that the exchange is not as valuable to them as it is to you . So I ’ ve kind of shifted away from the moment , like , “ Is this moment valuable ?” To “ The whole THING is valuable ,” and that ’ s allowed me to find my footing . I don ’ t really get hung up on whether or not anybody likes what I ’ m doing today . I ’ m more focused on the fact that I ’ m a long-term artist who has proven his worth in the marketplace , I have value , and I ’ m going to continue doing what I ’ m doing . So you pick up and put down the narrative where you like .
IE : During some of our interviews over the years , you were periodically really getting dragged down by all the negativity out there . How did you finally get over it ? BC : I had to go through a set of psychological losses . One was , I had to mourn the band that would never be again . One was , I had to mourn the peer-to-peer relationship with bands that I at one point thought was possible , but then I realized was impossible , given the power disparity . And
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Continued from page 24 Television ’ s Marquee Moon . Mattingly coaxes ringing arpeggios and echoed twang from his guitar during “ The Boomerang .” Taylor and Dodds create layers of harmony during a sublime chorus , reminding the listener that a life well lived counters everyday fears with perspective and fights to retain its youthful spark . “ What goes around really goes around ,” Taylor sings in an affectionate and encouraging tone . “ Under My Shadow ” acknowledges skeletons in the closet and the failings revealed by their presence , but bristles at the judgment of outsiders . It ’ s a reflection of social media culture , where people exorcise their demons in public and others comment from the anonymous safety of their keyboards . The confessional folk-rock “ Burn the Night Away ” winds the album down as Taylor remains on the seeker ’ s quest for self . “ I don ’ t know who I am ,” Taylor repeats in his tremulous tenor . The singer ’ s chugging and earthbound acoustic guitar is elevated and then eclipsed by Slocum ’ s unfettered and evocative string arrangement .
There are occasional hallmarks and reminders , but the old Love Coma was a cult band even at its apex . This doesn ’ t sound like a band crassly trading on former glories . This sounds like a band rekindling its brotherhood and musical chemistry without considering the trappings of the past . Old friends should celebrate Love Coma ’ s return even as the hungry band connects with a new audience . With riffs and grooves to move the body and words to move the heart and mind , consider Love Coma to be a statement of renewed purpose and second debut , 24 years in the making . ( christaylor . bandcamp . com )
– Jeff Elbel
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THE ROLLING STONES Steel Wheels Live : Atlantic City , New Jersey
( Eagle Vision )
The Rolling Stones hit the road in 1989 like they had something to prove . It was the British juggernaut ’ s first North American run in eight years , and the band were keen to make a good showing for the solid work heard on their Steel Wheels album following lackluster reception for Dirty Work ( the product of a strained relationship between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the mid- ‘ 80s ). By the time the tour arrived in Atlantic City for three shows at the Convention Center , the rejuvenated Stones were four months along and finely tuned . The generous set list ran two and a half hours and boasted top-tier guests . The three-night Atlantic City residency also marked the conclusion of founding bassist Bill Wyman ’ s final American tour with the band . Originally filmed for a live pay-per-view event , the concert begins with the clarion guitar riff of “ Start Me Up .” It ’ s striking how youthful the band appears on film , with the players in their mere 40s ( aside from Wyman , spry at 53 ). Richards leads with a kick at head height , and Jagger bristles like a live wire . The band itself was 27 years old at the time and has continued for 31 years since . Five Steel Wheels tracks are featured in the film , including the rowdy reconciliation of # 5 single “ Mixed Emotions ” and Richards ’ solo spotlight “ Can ’ t Be Seen .” Richards and Ronnie Wood intertwine sinewy blues licks during “ Sad Sad Sad .” “ How d ’ you like the new songs , okay ?,” asks Jagger after playing the socially-conscious “ Rock and a Hard Place .” “ We need some new songs ,” he adds . “ We can ’ t just keep recycling old ones .” The Stones ’ enthusiasm for its fresh cuts and the audience ’ s reception suggest that the band had fuel in the tank as active songwriters , although it would be another five years until the release of Voodoo Lounge . Early-career favorites include 1966 ’ s “ Paint It Black ” with Richards ’ Spanish guitar licks , as well as the alienated psych-pop of “ 2000 Light Years from Home .” “ Here ’ s a romantic song you can hold hands on ,” says Jagger , appearing in a golden frock coat to introduce 1966 baroque pop single “ Ruby Tuesday .” Jagger ’ s harp ignites the gritty boogie “ Midnight Rambler .” Charlie Watts ’ drumming throws sparks during the taut and jagged “ Undercover of the Night .” Former Faces guitarist Wood plays a stinging roots-rock solo in “ Tumbling Dice ,” putting his own stamp on a song originally recorded for Exile on Main Street by venerated predecessor Mick Taylor . Jagger describes sharing a bill with band in Los Angeles . “ They ’ ve been sort of following us around ever since in a beat-up old van .” Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin of Guns ‘ n ’ Roses then make high-octane guest appearances , joining the fray during the Stones ’ first-ever performance of Beggars Banquet ’ s “ Salt of the Earth .” “ You like the sashay ?” Jagger asks the crowd afterward , referring to Rose ’ s signature sway . Eric Clapton was also riding high at the time with his Journeyman album . Slowhand trades slow-burning guitar licks with Jagger ’ s harmonica during Willie Dixon ’ s Chicago blues staple “ Little Red Rooster .” Clapton sticks around as Jagger welcomes “ childhood hero ” John Lee Hooker , who joins the band for a ramble through his signature song “ Boogie Chillen .” Short-timer Wyman drives the low funk of Dirty Work ’ s “ Harlem Shuffle ” ( by 60s soul duo Bob & Earl ) and the disco pulse of “ Miss You .” Almost immovably stoic , Wyman does crack a rare smile when clowning with Lisa Fischer during “ Sympathy for the Devil ” and again when Jagger collars him and drags him to the rim of the stage during “ It ’ s Only Rock and Roll ( But I Like It ).” It ’ s unfair to pick on a band trying to look cutting edge in the ' 80s , so the Stones get passes for the shoulder-padded jackets and pastel colors . The only snobby critique
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26 illinoisentertainer . com december 2020