European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 12, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Caught in the act Fleetwood Mac Farewell tour Fleetwood macs Stevie Nicks in concert. Story and photo by Chuck Roberts staff writer rumours started flying Friday night when Rick Vito told Fleetwood Mac fans in Essen West Germany that the band s Quot behind the mask Quot tour would be a Farewell tour for members Stevie Nicks and Christine Mcvie. The newcomer to the group did t say what the future would hold for the talented twosome. He made the announcement in the crowded Grug Halle by dedicating a song from Fleetwood Mac s first album to Nicks and Mcvie a Quot just As i probably will until the end of the year because this is the last one they will do with us Quot said the Lead guitarist. That knowledge a that this would be the last Chance to see the mainstay of the group that recorded one of the most successful albums in history a made a great concert even More memorable. The crowd was treated to a Well rounded variety of blues Rock n Roll and the somewhat softer sounds of Fleetwood Mac s 1977 rumours album which has sold nearly 30 million copies. The diversity of music and the Quality of sound were a Surprise even to longtime fan Ulrich Grundmann who had faithfully followed Fleetwood Mac for years without Ever seeing them in concert. Quot i thought they were mainly a studio group Quot Grundmann said. The seasoned concert goer said he was pleasantly shocked to discover that Fleetwood Mac is such a great live band. Mcvie was particularly popular with a crowd that looked like a prime list of candidates for the television show thirty something. Each time Mcvie took the microphone she Sang with a Clear confident and energetic voice that never failed to raise the Energy level a few notches. She came across As a silent Leader on stage As she chatted with the crowd from behind her keyboards and Sang familiar hits such As Don t Stop you make Loving fun and the current hit single save me from the group s latest album behind the mask. The offstage Leader and originator of the band Mick Fleetwood also scored a big hit with a drum Solo without the drum. After leaving his Perch behind the drum set Fleetwood prowled about the stage howling screaming and beating his hands against his body in sync with the sounds of Africa provided by drummer Isaac Asanti from Guyana. With twisted animal horns spiralling from a tribal hat piece Asanti and Fleetwood were As one with music and motion. Quot too Cool Quot Grundmann said to himself As the intensity and volume seemed to mesmerize everyone. Quot simple but effective Quot was How he summed it up when it ended. The rocking kept going when Vito launched into stand on Rock another song from the new album. Nicks kept up the Pace with stand Back As she whirled and twirled about the stage in her typical Long flowing garb of Black lace. The addition of Vito on Lead guitar and Billy Burnette on rhythm guitar and vocals adequately make up for the loss of Lindsey Buckingham who left the group in 1987 to pursue a Solo career. Burnette filled in Well for the missing Buckingham on the 1977 hit go your own Way which seemed a fitting song for a band once again going in different directions. Mcvie ended the night after three encores by playing songbird alone on stage with a grand piano until Fleetwood came out dressed like a Swami and kissed her on top of the head As she finished the song. Mcvie told the audience she would see them again but she did no to say in what  Tornado a Texas Tornado Vamos Abajo or As they say in Al Norte get Down. If you Don t have a Tex mex or Consunto Section in your music collection Here a a Good reason to create one. The four principals of this Cross Border super group Are Well known in Texas dance Halls. Doug Sahm was the namesake of the sir Douglas quintet the 60s group that had regional hits with she a about a mover and Mendicino. He started As a child Prodigy in san Antonio and went on to dabble in just about every Texas musical genre a Rock blues ramp a and country a and created his own form of Border wave Rock. Augie Meyers was the keyboard player who gave the Seq its trademark sound a Vox Organ that sounded like it came from the coolest freakiest skating rink on Earth. Freddy fender had a big �?T70s hit with the classic cry in your Cerveza song before the next Teardrop Falls and Flaco Jimenez is the Long reigning King of the mexican accordion. It s an Alliance that makes perfect sense and Good music. The songs Are for the most part either bouncy mexican dance numbers like Meyers hey baby que paso Dinero and soy de san Luis where Jimenez runs free on the accordion or laments like Laredo Rose she never spoke Spanish to me and fenders Lovely mex soul on if that s what you re thinking and a Man can cry. Sahm and Meyers also slip on their Rock n Roll shoes again for who were you thinking of and Adios Mexico and discover that they still fit. A William c. Trott up Bob Geldof a the vegetarians of love the vegetarians of love could save live Aid instigator Bob Geldof from living embalm ment in pop Star humanitarianism. There is nothing More unpretentious than the Irish Folk strains that dominate this earthy album and Geldof undertakes his celtic roots renewal with a co mingling of the water boys reverence and the pogues Roughneck Charm. For Geldof the real St. Bob is Dylan a a pervasive influence Here along with Van Morrison a Astral weeks mysticism. Geldof mulls the Fate of the world about a third of the time with mixed artistic results ranging from the Leaden thinking voyager 2 Type things to the what s not record a review invigorating chains of pain. But the Best songs Are directed inward where Geldof finds the private soul As susceptible to starvation As the third world masses. No Small wonder is a Fine evocation of How transcendence represented in a stirring instrumental chorus and emptiness exert a simultaneous omnipresent tug on our lives. A Mike Boehm . Tim Snelson a after the rain Many critics found it hard to take the late Rick Nelson seriously because of his status As a teeny bopper favorite a harder than it should have been. His identical twin sons _ Matthew and Gunnar Nelson could face the same problem As they launch a career leading a five piece band with their fathers surname. Their looks strike you before their music a the twins inherited their father s classic face and add oceans of Blond hair. So How s the music not half bad actually. This is Metal Lite the kind that appeals to teen age girls not boys. Its not terribly demanding of course and while Nelson does no to transcend the genre Ricky a boys done to Embarrass themselves either. Matthew and Gunnar a voices mesh nicely on a string of earnestly Sung cliches. Most of the record is what radio programmers Call Quot Power ballads Quot heavy Metal love songs with the Drums guitars and synthesizers muted a bit. Brett Garsed s guitar work is Strong without adding too much histrionics particularly on can t live without your love and affection. Now if they could Only write a song like their sister track who helped guns no roses pen Sweet child o mine. David Bauder Adeee Lite a world clique however much the chorus to Good beat might insist Quot i just Wanna hear a Good beat Quot the fact is that most of us want a Little More than that out of our dance music which is Why deep Lite s world clique is such a wonderful find for Here is a dance band whose sense of Melody is As Strong As its Way with rhythm. Good beat for instance augments its driving insistent House pulse with an infectious chorus and ear catching instrumentation while smile on fleshes out its deep soul Groove with Quirky keyboard effects and Sassy Horn interjections and Groove is in the heart bounces happily from rap to Funk to House without losing either momentum or its sense of humor. A . Considine Baltimore Sun Winger a in the heart of the Young there s nothing wrong with liking the sound of wingers second album in the heart of the Young. It is after All deliciously tuneful packed to bursting with delectable pop morsels each one wrapped in a Crunchy coating of hard Rock guitar. Tasty As it might seem though it is really just the musical equivalent of junk food a sugary sentiment and Rock Candy choruses covering up empty ideas and Assembly line production. Still any band that can pull off a Lyric As awful As Quot the Light of the Moon is a now the tear of the Clown Quot has to have something going for it. A .c.Bob Mould a Black sheets of rain it s probably a bit misleading to describe Bob Moulds current band As a Power Trio because that term seems forever tied to the instrumental self indulgence of psychedelic super groups like Cream or Beck Bogert amp Appice. Still the sound of Black sheets of rain Moulds second Solo album has More to do with the controlled fury of the playing than the pungent melodic ism of Mould s writing. That s not to say the songs Are lacking exactly indeed its too late and the last night rank among his finest work to Date. But from the edgy pulse of one Good reason to the swirling sound storms of the title track it is the interplay Between guitar Bass and Drums that carries this album. �?.c. Wednesday september 12, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17