European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Solo Rodgers is bad company in Frankfurt by Mark Kinkade staff writer aul Rodgers is ready to open one of those huge where Are they now Rock fests that features great Rock stars without their original bands kind of the musical equivalent of the seniors tour. The former bad company free the firm Lead Man is Solo now. His legendary Battles with former band mates Are behind him and he s touring Europe in o support of a Muddy Waters tribute album but if his concert at Frankfurt s music Hall last week is any indication Rodgers has a hard time letting go of the past which Means he spent about two hours grinding out weak bar band covers of his former bands greatest hits with a smattering of blues tributes. It seems to be a pattern of bands that made their names in the 1970 s and 1980 s. Groups like styx journey bad company three dog night and others had teen agers across America rocking their Heads Back and Forth in their cos As they cruised the main streets of an town u.s.a., in search of Good friends Good Beer and Good times. But that was then. Today those bands Are history the front men believing they have the Talent to carry a show by themselves have struck out on their own. But Rodgers proved something to the mostly German crowd that packed the music Hall. Namely All his songs sound the same whether they come from bad company the firm free or his Solo tribute album. Take Louisiana blues a Muddy Waters tune that aches to be played slow and Low. It has that almost hypnotic Quality of Good blues that lulls the listener into a trance when played by a single guitarist in a Smoky Mississippi Delta Beer joint. Rodgers version backed by a four piece band that includes overwhelming drummer Jason Bonham becomes another bad company song virtually indistinguishable from All the rest of that band s songs and therefore virtually indistinguishable from a dozen other bands songs. Most of the Rodgers show followed the same pattern. Fortunately he did spare the crowd which seemed to have an appreciation for Well done blues the agony of repeating the blues butchery Over and Over again. Instead he lulled the audience to sleep with his greatest hits. The brightest moment came with a unique cover of shooting Star a 1975 hit that has become a Staple of classic Rock radio shows. Rodgers dropped the explosive mid song guitar Jam and replaced it with a More Mellow Low key approach More suitable for a song about fading dreams and fading stardom. But even that Bright spot was lacking. Rodgers voice one of the most unique in Rock n Roll sounded a amps Wayna v. Hat Paul Rodgers late of free bad company the firm gets dramatic onstage at Frankfurt s music Hall. Like he was taking helium hits Between tunes and the band work was mostly Boring never flashy and never truly Good. The show might have been better had former Toto guitarist Steve Lukather been there As he was scheduled to be but he Cut his tour Short to return to his California Home in the Wake of the recent earthquake Rodgers told the audience. Former journey guitar great Neal Schon was also supposed to support the Snow but he bugged out for a Chance to reunite with his old band for a recording session in the United states Rodgers said. So with a mediocre backing band Rodgers slowed on going through the required dance moves on stage and making the typical Quot what Day think Frankfurt Quot Small talk with the audience. In Short his stage presence was about As engaging As asking someone for the time. His show was one Long grind of Dull covers of Good songs and his band was Bland. But Don t despair. Rodgers like a lot of rockers from the 1970s with doubtful Talent will go on. Look for him opening for Ringo Starr in Boise Idaho soon. Torvy edition fac alternative Rock 1. Loser Beck 2. Or. Jones counting crows 3. Mem Mem Mem Mem crash test dummies 4. All apologies nirvana 5. Big time sensuality Bjork 6. Get off this Cracker 7. Laid James 8. God Tori Amos 9. Purple Haze the cure 10. Locked out crowded House latin tracks 1.detrasdemi vent Ana Yuri 2. Luna Ana Gabriel 3. La Loca los fugitives 4. Desalles Rocio Ducal 5. Callboy Frio Franco de Vita 6. Donde Qulcera que Estes the Barrio Boazz y Selena 7. Una Tarde fue los Temer Arlos 8. My Buen Amor Gloria Estefan 9. To ingratitude los bukis 10. Hasta elfin Luis Miguel jazz albums 1. Steppon out Tony Bennett 2.25, Harry Connick or. 3. Wish Joshua Redman 4. Blue ought a til Dawn Cassandra Wilson 5. Swing kids soundtrack 6. Warm amp tender Charlie Watts 7. The Best of the songbooks Ella Fitzgerald 8. Ought out of darkness Shirley Horn 9. A single woman Nina Simone 10. Uve at Monteux Miles Davis and Quincy Jones a complied by billboard on Dis the Colour of my love Celine Dion epic q to a no Accident that Celine Dion keeps recording All those movie theme duets a she a got the perfect voice for wide screen Romance All unbridled Power and telegraphed emotion. What she does no to have however is much in the Way of souk which is Why her album seems such an uneven. Effort. When she a working with tune fully romantic stuff like the Power of love or when i fall in love she sounds great demonstrating the kind of vocal Confidence that originally made Whitney Houston a Star. But when she tries to get Down and sound Funky. As on Loving proof or everybody a Talkin my baby Down she seems totally lost offering High pitched whoops and throaty growls As if evoking ramp a mannerisms would somehow make her sound soulful. Instead it makes her sound silly and diminishes the effect of what is an otherwise pleasant if occasionally overstated pop album. A . Cons done the Baltimore Sun Jar of flies lice in chains Columbia onside ring the sonic ferocity of dirt its tempting to see the relative quiet of the new Alice in chains up As a change in direction for the band. Spend some time with these seven songs though and it quickly becomes Clear that even though the music a volume has dropped its intensity remains As High As Ever. A lot of that has to do with ambition exhibited Here As the band expands its horizons to include everything from the dark Harmony of Layne Staley s Multi tracked vocals Staley on Rotten Apple to the Lush orchestral swell of i stay away. And should this newfound adventurous Ness seem a bit too overwhelming you can always fall Back on the Semi acoustic grunge of no excuses or the Bluesy abandon of swing on this. A . Cont done the Baltimore Sun the buried life Medicine american n theory noise is noise a ugly ungainly and unmusical. In practice however noise can be horribly annoying or by achingly refreshing it All depends on the noisemakers. Medicine for example is fanatical about filling out the buried life with All manner of ear pricking sound a from the whooshing White noise that floats along behind the Melody in Fried awake to the feedback shrieks and animal noises that make up the bulk of emmeline. Yet As grating As these sounds sometimes Are there a always a payoff in the songs be it As tart As contrast Between the Static a sizzle that underpins the Candy Sweet Melody of the Pink or As visceral As the clanking Industrial grind of she knows  . Cons dons the Baltimore Sun focus a entertainment editor r. Editorial assistant. Deedee Arrington Doke Louis d. Pierce Send entertainment news tips Story ideas and listings to the stars and stripes entertainment. Unit 29480, Apo a 09211 or civilian Postrach 11 14 37, 64278 Darmstadt Germany. Telephone Dan 348-8350, Civ. 06155-601350. Tel fax 06155-601416 outside Germany the country code is 49. Drop the 01rom the prefix. Binary 1994 the stars and stripes 21