What';s the deal? Are there fans here?

Yep !

Absolutely, seen 'em live a few times (five maybe?), got almost all the albums. I gather Terry Adams has a new band (the name escapes me) and they do some vintage 'Q. One of the greatest live bands ever. Man, did they ever swing.....and Keith, among many others, certainly knew that.

one of the best without a doubt. not the same since big al left, though...

True, but Johnny Spampinato was pretty great in his own right (though he plays left!). Both stellar songwriters; check out Johnny's old band, the Incredible Casuals, for some fine rootsy pop (the good kind) very much in the vein of NRBQ.

Yes I have been a fan for decades, but I have only seen Terry Adams band in the past year. The Q were always a wonderful live act and their albums still sound great. Could these guys come up with a setlist or what? Would be nice to see them out on stage again. Is big Al Anderson still in Nashville?

A band I was in opened for them in the late 80s. I always thought they were great, especially live. Toss Chuck and put in NRBQ's piano player. He would kick the Stones in the ass.

[www.iorr.org]

Love those Night Music clips, loog droog, I remember taping them years ago (that was a great show while it lasted-Sonic Youth doing I Wanna Be Your Dog w/ Sanborn on sax!). Al and Terry's lead breaks are just ridiculously rocking. And I love just watching Joey and Tommy swing. As a rhythm section, they definitely give every other pair a run for the money.

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71Tele
A band I was in opened for them in the late 80s. I always thought they were great, especially live. Toss Chuck and put in NRBQ's piano player. He would kick the Stones in the ass.

Terry would last like 2 songs! If ever someone went against the grain, against the commercial, the expected, it would the great Terry Adams. He'd steal the spotlight from Mick, not to mention eff with the formula. Charlie would probably dig it though!

I have seen various incarnations of NRBQ through the years -- some shows were sloppy, some transcendent -- never predictable or boring. They also have a half dozen essential LPs -- spread out over 20!

thanks for the thread and for loog droog's videos.

I am a big NRBQ fan--seen them more than a dozen times. They used to play in NYC and Long Island all the time in the '80s.

Last month saw Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet at a party here in San Francisco. Terry was in fine fettle--people of all ages loved him and danced up a storm.

Clip of them starts around 2:22 ending at minute 3




- swiss

Great to see so many supporters. I have been listening to them for a long time, but had never seen anything of them. Then I started watching vids by them and was blown away by that insane keyboard man. But the guitarist and rhythm section is topnotch too. Have been acquiring more and more discs by them.
I am always amazed by people who say "rock;n roll is dead". I am constantly discovering incredible bands; and this isn't even a new band, but is an old band that is right in front of my face for years.

i have the lp they did with carl perkins

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swiss
thanks for the thread and for loog droog's videos.

I am a big NRBQ fan--seen them more than a dozen times. They used to play in NYC and Long Island all the time in the '80s.

Last month saw Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet at a party here in San Francisco. Terry was in fine fettle--people of all ages loved him and danced up a storm.

Clip of them starts around 2:22 ending at minute 3




- swiss

You were at that show? I saw Terry two nights later at Yoshi's. A wonderful set. Watching Terry perform is exhilarating. The man is a force of nature, an artist and a showman, working without a net with nothing pre-planned, playing for the moment, and playing with a sense of play. During the entire set I can't stop smiling, it's too much joy....

Bonnie Raitt joined him onstage for a couple of songs. She's a big booster of the band, actually the reason I got into them when she praised them at a show in '83 after covering "Me and the Boys." Saw her in the lobby and Yoshi's afterwards and thanked her for that. She really started something for me, a long musical ride that covered countless gigs and endless fun.

Re: Terry and the Stones--I can see Terry putting in an appearance as a guest for one song, but not as a regular touring sideman. It would be like if had Hendrix had been asked join the Stones, it wouldn't work because he's really too much his own man.


I don't like to get into stuff beyond the music, so I don't know exactly what caused the Q to break it up after 35 years. From Terry's song "So Disrespected" I'm guessing that the feelings run pretty deep. Truly a shame, because the Q were (in what is now an overworked phrase) a "National Treasure" a group that had casual mastery of virtually every form of music.

But the Terry Adams Rock n Roll Quartet is doing a fine job. Terry is still at the top of his game, able to come up with a song like "I'm Alone" that sounds like something from the Great American Songbook with a Scott Ligon (who looks and sounds like a young Al Anderson) vocal that tears your heart out.

Here they are two years ago at an in-store at Euclid Records in St. Louis, doing an instrumental "Hey Little Brother" that the Q used to do, and they recorded on a solo album by original Q guitarist Steve Ferguson:






At the same place, a recent appearance by the Spampinato Brothers doing a Q favorite:






I'm almost reluctant to put this one up, but it illustrates the tough life of a musician. Joey--post-Q--with another group. The setting is practically Spinal Tap, and heartbreaking when I think of seeing him on a huge screen sharing a mic with Keith in Hail, Hail, Rock n Roll! But Joey plays on, no matter what the venue.






One final Q note: "Louisville Sluggers" the album Terry did with a few years back with Steve Ferguson is worth seeking out. Two old friends, great playing, real music. Tom Ardolino plays on it as well, so it's a 3/4's Q album!

Clip of the two jamming:






Clip of Steve taking a solo last year at a tribute show for him in Northampton, just a few months prior to his tragic death from cancer. That boy could sure play...






(with him are Frank Gadler, original Q vocalist when they were the New Rhythm and Blues Quintet,and Al Anderson who became the Q's guitarist when Steve left in 1972.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-17 21:39 by loog droog.

I saw them this summer at the Azkena Rock Festival, fantastic band, they were asking the audience for songs, etc.
I´ve read Bob Dylan and the Stones used to hired them for their private parties,

CArlitos
Tenerife

Pics from Azkena rock,

I enjoyed NRBQ concert many times in Japan.
They are great musicians.

Saw em a few times back in the early '80's. Insane. We went to some outdoor festival in southern Virginia where they were on the bill with the Nighthawks - we brought a keg - had a helluva good time. Any Nighthawks fans out there??

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Brue
Saw em a few times back in the early '80's. Insane. We went to some outdoor festival in southern Virginia where they were on the bill with the Nighthawks - we brought a keg - had a helluva good time. Any Nighthawks fans out there??

nighthawks were, when jimmy was wielding the ax for them, one of my top 5 bands. white boy blooze has rarely been done better....

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71Tele
A band I was in opened for them in the late 80s. I always thought they were great, especially live. Toss Chuck and put in NRBQ's piano player. He would kick the Stones in the ass.

Nice. I remember the first time I saw them - the trombone freaked me out. It was too weird. Funny. What a band.

Al Anderson and the Spampinato Brothers are playing two shows on the 26th and 27th in Northampton.

[www.iheg.com]

It's a shame that there seem to be two Q factions..they need to get a marriage counselor, because when the classic Q lineup--Terry, Joey, Tom, and Al-- play together they are unbeatable. Best band on earth.

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loog droog

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swiss
thanks for the thread and for loog droog's videos.

I am a big NRBQ fan--seen them more than a dozen times. They used to play in NYC and Long Island all the time in the '80s.

Last month saw Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet at a party here in San Francisco. Terry was in fine fettle--people of all ages loved him and danced up a storm.

- swiss

You were at that show? I saw Terry two nights later at Yoshi's. A wonderful set. Watching Terry perform is exhilarating. The man is a force of nature, an artist and a showman, working without a net with nothing pre-planned, playing for the moment, and playing with a sense of play. During the entire set I can't stop smiling, it's too much joy....

Bonnie Raitt joined him onstage for a couple of songs. She's a big booster of the band, actually the reason I got into them when she praised them at a show in '83 after covering "Me and the Boys." Saw her in the lobby and Yoshi's afterwards and thanked her for that. She really started something for me, a long musical ride that covered countless gigs and endless fun.

loog droog, yup, I was there - it was an insane party. Insane. Terry was having a blast, as he always seems to be.

Bob Duncan, who threw the party and hired Terry (as you know it was his time on the west coast in a dozen years), is a big fan and was one of the first editors of Creem back in the day. He told me about the Yoshi's show a week or so later. Said Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne were both there--someone else too who's a fan. Sounds like it was great--glad you got to go. Killed me cuz I didn't realize it was happening---I would have been there.

Cool story you conveyed to Bonnie Raitt. I bet she appreciated hearing it.

Thanks for posting the vids. I miss NRBQ, but Terry's group sure was fun!

GREAT photo, Carlitos.

- swiss