Customer Reviews

Spooky Tooth: Nomad Poets Live in Germany

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I consider myself among the most ardent fans of Spooky Tooth, elevating their superb second album (`Spooky Two') to the top of my list of favorite rock albums of all time. Since first hearing that album in 1969, I acquired all of their albums as well as the solo work of various constituent members. To this day, I frequently play those CDs and never tire of them.

Like many other fans, I thought the prospect of hearing and seeing the original group (or most of them, anyway) perform live was highly unlikely (I was lucky enough to catch them in '74 on the `Witness' tour, though). When Gary Wright first mentioned on his website that the band had reformed and videotaped their 2004 German performances for future commercial release, it was a source of great anticipation. Well, the wait is over and the results are in.

I confess that I was unsure how these guys, apart for over 30 years, would look or sound. I feared they would simply be a lifeless, sad shadow of their former selves. Well, they've all aged well, looking thin and fit, and I'm happy to report that their music sounds better than ever. Containing ten songs recorded at two different venues (one outside during the afternoon, one inside a club), the focus is decidedly on their album `Spooky Two'. Starting out with that often imitated drum riff (Mike Kellie is truly a great drummer), Waitin' for the Wind kicks it off in fine form. With all the power of the original, the song grabs immediately and sets the stage for one fine concert experience. Gary Wright, clad in a red jumpsuit, was energized and smiling throughout. Mike Harrison, looking a bit more subdued, spent much of the time behind a Yamaha keyboard. Mike Kellie, thin as a rail, looked intense yet relaxed. `Guest musicians' Joey Albrecht (guitar) and Michael (`Bexi') Becker (bass) both seemed to fit right in. Becker in particular filled the important role Greg Ridley's bass played, especially on `Spooky Two'. He nailed the bass parts down, yet was no clone.

Sunshine Help Me, from their first album `It's All About', was a real treat, as it was rarely ever performed live, and IMO was the best song on that album. Also featured from the first album was `Tobacco Road', a mainstay of the band's early live gigs. The funky sounding Wildfire (from `You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw') was included, with an animated Gary Wright commanding the stage with his portable Roland keyboard. Five more great tunes from `Spooky Two' are included; That Was Only Yesterday, Feelin' Bad (hearing Harrison and Wright trading lead vocals on this track nearly brought chills down my spine), Better By You, Better Than Me (with an incredible vocal performance by Harrison), Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree and Evil Woman. Lastly was the Wright composition The Wrong Time. I wondered if it would sound like the slower, bluesy version done by Mike Harrison on `The Last Puff', or like Gary Wright's own more rocking version from `Extraction'. It turns out to be more a blend, with a funky, jazzy intro added, and Gary Wright handling lead vocals. The tempo was closer to Wright's original version, yet was a bit different. A great song made even more interesting.

This is a superb disc to own. It also includes some great bonus material, including Gary Wright performing `Love is Alive' and `Are You Weepin'' live in 1976 (with his drums and three keyboard band), and recent interviews with Harrison, Wright and Kellie (the rumour about Harrison and Wright not being on good terms is untrue, as the interviews prove). Of note is Gary Wright saying that the never-released album `Ring of Change' he did with his band Wonder Wheel will finally be released "in a few months." The interview was evidently from March.

Any negatives are far outweighed by finally having this band do these songs live, to be played whenever the mood hits. I do think that the guitar player, Joey Albrecht, while an excellent player, did not sound like Luther Grosvenor, especially on songs like Waitin' for the Wind and Evil Woman. That was due less to his guitar playing than the fact that he uses a Fender Stratocaster, whereas Luther Grosvenor used a Gibson, with its fuller, more rock-oriented sound. Other small complaints include the fact that many more songs were recorded during this tour; I would like to have had a double-disc set with more material. While the video is quite good, it is in 1.33:1 (full screen) aspect ratio, and I would prefer widescreen. Also, the sound is stereo, not surround. Still, these are inconsequential considering what a real treat this DVD provides. You can't go wrong.

Like the previous reviewer, I too have been a long-time fan of Gary Wright and Spooky Tooth and have spent the last 25 years collecting their material on everything from 8-track, to cassettes, to albums, and CDs. Also, like the previous reviewer, I also wished there were more songs on this DVD, considering the extensive collection of songs from their collective discography. Having said that, I must say that it was just so awesome to see this band performing live on DVD. I felt like I was in a time warp, since there were no live video recordings of Spooky Tooth, just some Closet Classics videos from MTV. Except for the BBC Sessions CD, there were also no live audio recordings of the band available. That's why it is even more vital that I own a copy of this DVD. I purchased mine off the Gary Wright website so I could secure an autographed copy signed by Gary himself. The song selection on this DVD is still quite varied, even if it favors Spooky Two somewhat. They managed to arrange the order of the songs to mix up the time frame a bit by playing from Spooky Two, It's All About, Wright's solo material (as covered by Harrison on the Last Puff and revamped by Wright on Human Love). The version of The Wrong Time that Spooky Tooth played at this live concert was roughly the same version that appeared on Gary Wright's Human Love CD, with some funky clavinet sounds and an updated rhythm. The version of Wildfire on this DVD is also pretty much the same as the version that Wright revamped for Human Love, again updating the song to give it a 21st century feel. I wish that Mick Jones would have been available so they could have played more from Broke/Busted and Witness, but he is probably still out touring with Foreigner. I have always been influenced in my drumming by Mike Kellie, and seeing him perform live was a real treat. This is music I grew up with and seeing the music being performed made my day. In fact, seeing three original band members reunited for a tour was like a rock and roll fantasy come true. I have emailed Gary Wright on several occasions to let him know how their music was overlooked as an influence on later artists, and how Spooky Tooth should be held in as high of esteem as their contemporaries Traffic as shaping the sound of rock music in the late 60s and early 70s. Just take a listen to the first two Foreigner albums after listening to Broke/Busted, Witness, and even The Mirror, and you'll see how Spooky Tooth influenced the Foreigner sound. Even though the sound quality was great on the live Spooky Tooth set, the sound quality of the two songs performed by Wright in 1976 was a bit muddy, but that pales in comparison to the chance to see one of my favorite songwriters performing live. I also enjoyed the interviews of each of the original members and this completed more of the back story about this band, some of which can be read in rock history books and various liner notes, but not straight from the band members themselves like these interviews showcase. I have always been a rock history buff, and seeing these guys interviewed made me realize even more why I am such an avid Spooky Tooth fan. Having heard Wright talking about Wonderwheel, made me hopeful that the songs he performed with Mick Jones and Bryson Graham, will be released very soon. If you watch the performance on the Rock Legends DVD from the Dick Cavett show, you'll see that it is basically the Wonderwheel lineup with Wright, Jones, and Graham performing Two Faced Man with some help from the late great George Harrison on slide guitar. To summarize: My recommendation is to buy the Nomad Poets DVD (and the Dick Cavett Rock Legends collection)and enjoy reliving rock history the way it was meant to be remembered with live performances of classic rock music. This may be the only chance for die hard Spooky Tooth fans to see the band perform live on DVD. That's the truth, the whole truth and the Spooky Truth, IMO.

Although Gary Wright made his mark in the states with Dream Weaver, he was a member of a band called Spooky Tooth which was popular in Europe and the UK. A reunion was planned but didn't happen until it became a tribute to their late bass player. The spliced concert footage from two dates shows the three of them with two session players recreating their most popular and personal favorites, largely from the Spooky Two album. All of them show their age but perform admirably. Bonus features-Mike Kellie and Mike Harrison reminisce in the studio. Gary Wright's interview is from XM satellite interview where he doesn't reminisce about the band as much. Additionally he has concert footage from a July 1976 date with his keyboard band. Quality is lacking with the 1976 recording. The 2004 video is sharp. People who are looking for Spooky Tooth may find this lopsided in favor of Wright, while Wright fans may enjoy the opportunity to see and hear what influenced the Dream Weaver in the early years.

Any fan of Spooky Tooth will want to buy this DVD for a rare look at a past classic rock band, and one that lives on today, and hopefully tomorrow. I have been a big Spooky fan since the 70's. With the exception of Ceremony, Spooky Tooth has a lot of great songs that are showcased on this live concert from 2 nights in Germany. It was great fun to see Mike Harrison and Gary Wright singing their signiture songs, i.e. Evil Woman, Tobacco Road, Hangman, Hang a Shell on a Tree. Also, some insightful interviews with Mike, Gary, and Mike Kellie. Plus, there are 2 songs that Gary Wright did in concert as a solo performer.

If you like classic rock concerts, this one was really a treat to watch and hear. Jarrette M

Ordered this item for a friend, my fiance and I already had this and it is great if you are a Spooky Tooth fan. The friend was very happy to get this. Seller is great came in a timely manner and in execellent condition. Would order from this seller again.

great cd for spooky tooth fans buy it.too short this cd would be better at 2 cd set.

Great nostalgia, Spooky Tooth has assembled a good band and plays many classics from that era. Small venue, big sound and well produced makes this an excellent choice.

First of all, it's great to see these guys back together again. They've all aged, obviously, but everyone has aged well; they look and sound fantastic. Mike Kellie in particular is incredible.

The Spooky Two-era stuff is marvelous, as one would expect. My problem is with the other songs; they just aren't the best non-Spooky Two stuff. "Sunshine Help Me" is simply run-of-the-mill psychedelia. It wasn't a very good song 40 years ago, and it really sounds dated now. "The Wrong Time" was one of the better songs from Gary Wright's solo career, but the funked-up version the band performs here sounds like something Robert Palmer would have done in 1977. Oh well, at least none of the Dream Weaver stuff is included here. Yuk. Spooky's version of "Tobacco Road" is good, but who wants to hear it again? It's already been covered by everybody from Argent to ZZ Top. "Wildfire?" Note to the band: If you're going to play material from You Broke My Heart, play some of the GOOD songs, like "Cotton Growing Man" or "Old As I Was Born." I also would have loved to hear/see some songs from Witness, such as "Things Change" or "All Sewn Up."

In summary, the Spooky Two stuff gets 7 stars and the other stuff gets one, for an overall average of four. Since the good stuff makes up about two thirds of the total performance, it's worth buying.

Well, it's been almost 40 years but who's counting? Hardly anybody in the States ever got to see Spooky Tooth, even if they loved their great recordings. So this is your chance, and the reunited members are in great form. The songs are timeless, Gary Wright's and Mike Harrison's voices sound just as powerful and soulful as they did back then, and Mike Kellie on drums plays as well as ever. The bassist playing with them is fine, and my only slight complaint is that the guitarist is invisible during the course of the songs (for example NOT playing them tasty licks on the chorus to "That Was Only Yesterday" like good ol' Luther) and then jumps out full force for all his solos - there was room for greater subtlety there. The sound of the DVD is great, and the camera work satisfactory. I particularly liked the Bavarian forest setting of the outdoor concert. The bonus feature of the in depth interviews with Gary, Mike and Mike is a real plus and very interesting. Anyway, if you loved Spooky Tooth and remember them fondly, you'll totally enjoy this blast from the present!

I rarely buy concert DVD's, because if I can just get hold of a video from the library, I'll have all the guitarists' riffs processed in a couple weeks--so it's like a work thing to acquire one. Well, Gary Wright and Mike Harrison's Spooky Tooth were primarily a prog rock/r & B keyboard band, with a few Luther Grosvenor licks thrown in here and there. But their music on Spooky Two and Witness and Wright's "Dream Weaver" album are absolutely the best rock and roll I've ever heard, and that includes everybody. They are still ever bit as dynamic as ever on these 2004 videos. The sound here is excellent as well, in 5.1 surround, and such songs as "Waiting for the Wind", "Evil Woman", and "That Was Only Yesterday feature both these two vocalists best work, but also the added insane riffing of Joey Albrecht, with whom it is obvious Wright has a hard time keeping up with, being more of a "Program" musician than a "Jam" musician. No matter, though, he knows how to hold a good polychord or two as well, while Albrecht simply runs through the canon of Eddie Van Halen, Slash, and Clapton all in about two minutes. It's all good on this DVD, including a bonus of Wright and Jeff Porcaro in their heyday performing in 76 the incredible "Love Is Alive" in from of some very hot-pantied fans. Get this, and enjoy it. There will not be another like these guys for a long long time. I cannot overemphasize the superb music, and musicianship, of this Brit/American combo.