Robert Gordon is the closest thing we have to the true spirit of roots rock and roll and rockabilly. Blessed with a voice that sounds as if he was born in Menphis’ Sun Studios, Gordon has been laying down some of the best '50s-inspired tunes for over three decades.
Gordon, who did some celebrated work in the past with late guitar virtuoso Link Wray, has reunited with another amazing ax-man Chris Spedding, whom Gordon worked with a couple decades back (Spedding is also famous producing the Sex Pistols' first three demos and has done session guitar work on a zillion records) and now has a powerful rhythm section with Stray Cat alum Slim Jim Phantom and original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.
This show was (according to a post-show comment from Matlock) the quartet's first date of a short tour. While a tour opener is usually ripe for kinks getting worked out, Gordon and company were tight and flowed seamlessly as if they has been gigging together for years.
While Gordon’s time was mostly spent covering his '50s idols (e.g. Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran), he did resurface his most celebrated tune, the original version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire.” While record company issues at the time prevented this song from becoming the hit that it should have been for Gordon (what is more proof that Gordon would have scored big with "Fire" is that The Pointer Sisters scored a Number 2 hit in the US with their cover of the song).
Gordon and Spedding have a great chemistry for recreating the '50s and early '60s sound, as Spedding is able to play in any style convincingly, as he proved during a set when Gordon was taking a break. Spedding went through a Rich Little-like guitar imitation set where he would say a guitarist (e.g. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and George Harrison) and just rip off a few licks, changing styles effortlessly. It was also impressive how the band, minus Gordon, did as a power trio. It was during this part of the set that Matlock stole the show when he did a sharp take of the Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” (Matlock is a first rate bassist and it makes you wonder why the Pistols ever let him go in favor of an unskilled bassist in Sid Vicious). Also, Phantom did his Stray Cats legacy proud when he (still one of the last remaining drummers who stand up when they play) pulled out “Rumble in Brighton” and “Rock This Town” from the Cats' early '80s heyday.
Article comments
1 - John M. Toothman, PhD
I agree with John Reed in that Robert Gordon has found a group that fits his voice and style. My wife Rocky and I traveled to NYC to see him at BB Kings. This was without a doubt one of his best concerts. Right from the beginning it was a love affair with his fans. Robert has lost nothing in the three decades of his career. His voice is deeper and full of a richness that I doubt Elvis would of ever reached had he lived. His rendention of Satisfied Mind on one of his latest albums catches musically the depth and range of truly one of the top vocalist of our times. We are hoping that he remains in the USA and we can continue to see him perform.