Customer Reviews

Nrbq At Yankee Stadium

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NRBQ got lost in the late 70's mix because they were a fun-time college-radio band at a time when college radio was overrun by angry young punks.

That's too bad for the average schmoe, who never got to hear much of this great LP.

In the late 1970s NRBQ gained a reputation for amazing live shows where, among other things, they would take requests from the audience and could faithfully reproduce virtually any song mentioned. They were a good time without being stupid. To hear Joey Spampinato hum & strum "I Love Her, She Loves Me" is to understand what the sweet side of Pop was meant to be.

NRBQ AT YANKEE STADIUM is so full of good songs it just makes you sick that everyone hasn't heard it. It is a victory for average man, who wants to have fun without being stupid, who wants to sing without being a sap, who wants to dance without fear.

This 1978 release is easily the best recording by this venerable group. "At Yankee Stadium" was a comeback of sorts. After their early recordings for Columbia and Kama Sutra, NRBQ spent the mid-'70's somewhat at loose ends. They recorded a fine album in 1976 for tiny Red Rooster records that disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, the group toured constantly on the college circuit, building a reputation as a great live act even as their recording career was in doubt. Their signing to Mercury Records and the release of "At Yankee Stadium" signaled an upturn in the band's fortunes.

NRBQ made the most of their opportunity. Their unique mix of old fashioned rock & roll, r & b, pop and other influences has never been on better display. The tunes are mostly originals and also are a highwater mark for the group. "I Want You Bad" ( later covered by Dave Edmunds) and "Green Lights" (covered by Bonnie Raitt) make their first appearance here. The boys also offer terrific covers of JohnnyCash's "Get Rhythm" and Joe Turner's (no, not Bill Haley) "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

The only negative aspect of this reissue is that "Riding In My Car," arguably one of the great NRBQ songs ever has been left off. It was included in the original LP configuration as a bonus, a song rescued from the lost Red Rooster album released two years earlier. I don't know why it wasn't placed on the CD, but its absence is regretable.

In any case, "At Yankee Stadium" somehow manages to be both fun and sweet. This is the NRBQ album to purchase if you want to hear them at their best. Oh, and when they play your town (and they will), go see them. I'm happy to say that at the end of 2000, NRBQ is still going strong.

In the late 70's, NRBQ was arguably one of the greatest pop bands around. When this album was first introduced around '77-78 it was an instant hit with the college crowd (I was one of them) who never really took to punk as much as the critics thought. It ranks right up there with the best music that other leading pop groups of the era could produce (such as The Cars).

Great pop songs that are wonderful to sing along with and fun to party to make this album a classic. It absolutely reminds you of the early Beatles with their light, care free tunes and simple lyrics. But the LP is far superior to the CD for one simple reason: it has Riding In My Car on it. Why some bozo decided to put this CD out and leave off the best song (probably so it could be used to jazz up some other dud of an album) is beyond me, but it seems to be a real problem in the industry. Time and time again, an LP album is reissued on CD format, someone decides to tinker with success and ends up producing a CD that is almost as good as the album. Such is the case here. Thank God I still have my original LP in my basement right next to my old turntable/stereo system-I listen to it all the time. If they ever put this album out in CD format with Riding In My Car on it I will be the first to place an order. NRBQ At Yankee Stadium is simply awesome!

It was the spring of '78. The sun was shining. The Yankees were enjoying (though not for long before going back to battling among themselves) their first world championship since I was a year old. Phil Rizzuto was about to earn his first and only gold record for his play-by-play of Meat Loaf trying to beat Ellen Foley's tag at the plate. And four musicians were making history by just sitting next to the first-base dugout at the empty Stadium -- just so they could do a photo shoot so they could have a wiseass title for one of the best rock'n'roll albums ever recorded.

NRBQ had a big effect on a dweeby teen who was still too young to see them play at one of about a dozen bars around Connecticut (seemingly every night, by the radio ads). You could hear Big Al Anderson, Terry Adams, Joey Spampinato and Tommy Ardolino on any FM station in the state, and Al's bouncing, wistful, madly infectious "Ridin' in My Car" (from the "All Hopped Up" album from '76) was already as much an anthem in those parts as his "No Good to Cry" was with The Wildweeds a decade earlier.

I already knew these guys were good, with songs like "Ridin' in My Car," "RC Cola and a Moon Pie" and "Get That Gasoline." But the night WHCN played "Yankee Stadium" in its entirely at midnight in the spring of '78 was my second big, life-changing musical experience (after Costello's first "Saturday Night Live" appearance three months before). Up to that point, I had heard music that was loud and hard; I had heard soft and sensitive; I had heard clever; I had heard jazzy; I had heard soulful. But I had never heard magical. It was when I first realized this wasn't just a bunch of guys who played cool tunes -- this was a Great Band! One of the best ever. Later on, I appreciated them for their theit vast encyclopedic knowledge of American music; for their ability to be incredibly sloppy yet incredibly tight at the same time. At that moment, as a music fan-in-training, it was just enough to be wowed.

The nasty guitar riff Al laid down to open Terry and Joey's "Green Lights" (later the title cut to a Bonnie Raitt album) was a wakeup call. But it was just one of many sounds they played with on this short little LP: the flat-out simple, sing-song innocence of Joey's ballad "I Love Her, She Loves Me" (with Terry's toy piano bringing it all home); the reverent but tough raveup of Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm"; the freewheeling 12-bar blues of "That's Neat, That's Nice"; Terry's innocent, unabashed and mighty rocker "I Want You Bad" (later done by Dave Edmunds); Al's relentless (and true) "It Comes to Me Naturally"; and a version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" that showcased their trademark slophouse, big-backbeat rhythm.

After over a half-hour, I still wanted more. Then came a pause after "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and then came the cherry on top: "Ridin' in My Car" making a return appearance on yet another Q album. It was only fitting that their best song capped off their best album.

"Yankee Stadium" made me a fan for life. (It was also the first album I ever reviewed, for my high school paper.) The later releases of the album don't include "Ridin'in My Car," but it can be found on a number of other CD collections. Besides, it doesn't take away from what was already a stupendous collection of rock'n'roll. If you have a teenage music fan, play it for him or her. The kid really will thank you for it someday ...

"Ridin' In My Car" was never meant to appear on "NRBQ At Yankee Stadium." It was originally on the band's previous album "All Hopped Up", and was tacked on to the end of "Yankee Stadium" at Mercury Records' request, and leased from the band for the first pressing only. When Mercury reissued the album, NRBQ chose not to renew the lease on "Ridin' In My Car". The song, however, is easily available on other NRBQ CD's, don't let it's absence here keep you from checking out this classic CD.

A ridiculously good rock-n-roll album. No other rock band makes me so happy to be alive. It's always surprising to me when I listen to NRBQ--and this album in particular--that so little rock music seems to be created with a sense of unabashed joy and humor. Oh, and Al Anderson's first guitar solo on "I Want You Bad" has got to be the 8th wonder of rock-n-roll....

This was the very first NRBQ album that I ever bought. Every song on this album is fantastic. NRBQ plays all types of music here....from romantic to hard line party. YOu can not buy a better album. I bought this album while I was in college...it is still my favorite...

My first NRBQ album. This album taught me the lesson that rock music could be fun, tender, and still maintain it's energy. Three great writers in the band and an attitude that can not be matched. These guys have their heart in the right place.

I grew up listening to these guys (30+++ years). I've never gotten tired of listening. Quite the contrary. If you're in a bad mood, throw on any NRBQ album and your mood will lighten immediately. Try it!

This is a masterpiece.catchy ,fun and a couple of classic

songs.Buy it now its an order!