The Bird and the Bee @ The Turf Club 8/11/19

The wife is a pretty big fan of The Bird and the Bee.

The Bird and the Bee recently released a 2nd "Interpreting the Masters" album, which is in-effect, is a Covers album, but they are interpretations, not direct covers.

And it was for Van Halen (they did one for Hall and Oates previously), the David Lee Roth period specifically.

I actually kind of like the synthy, jazzy at-times versions of these Roth-era Van Halen tunes.

And my wife is NOT a Van Halen fan (unlike her love of Hall and Oates).

Anyway, we saw them live at The Turf Club on Sunday night. The 2nd time we've seen The Bird and the Bee since 2015.

And like 2015, it was just Inara George with her backing band, i.e. NO Greg Kurstin (nore Dave Grohl, like in LA).

As I found out per twitter from Inara, Greg does not like to tour, like ever, even though he's HALF of the band.

But the wife and I knew that going-in.

And Greg Kurstin in recent years has become a hot producer for the likes of Adele, Beck, The Foo Fighters among many other HUGE names (including Kimbra actually). So touring for his own band isn't exactly where his primary priorities.

But it was a fun show. Probably better than the 2015 show at The Cedar. We at least had seating, compared to the back problem standing the whole show I had back in 2015 I recall.

They/Inara and her band did a combination of the Van Halen and Hall and Oates tunes, and then many Bird and the Bee tracks. And she closed with the Bee Gees "How Deep is Your Love?"

The track list is NOT in order and I may have missed 1 or 2 tracks besides the B-side I didn't catch.

The trombone(s) may have been my favorite part of her band actually, which I didn't catch the name of the guy playing both that and guitar.

Also oddly enough, I ran into a few local prog fans in Marc, Creighton and Ian. Although I would hardly call The Bird and the Bee prog, their music is quirky enough at times, I can follow the appeal, which begs the questions why my wife is so into them. 1 comparison on rateyoumusic is to the Cardigans which she is a fan of anyway. Maybe the Hall and Oates thing brought her in no matter?


Set List
Again and Again
Recreational Love
F*cking Boyfriend
Will You Dance With Me?
Love Letter to Japan
The Polite Dance
Runaway
Panama (Van Halen)
Running with the Devil (Van Halen)
Ain't Talking About Love (Van Halen)
I Can't Go for That (Hall and Oates)
Sara Smile (Hall and Oates)
Ray Gun
La La La
[B-side]?
I'm a Broken Heart
How Deep is Your Love (Bee Gees)

The Year 1986 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1986 was a one of those years in the 80's that I look at with a lot of albums that seemed either to be a transition for some artists, or the start of their career, which in some cases, the peak, at least commercially.

As it seems, it wasn't actually both all that deep, and even at the top, my favorites aren't all-time favorites exactly.

I mean sure, Awaken the Guardian is often considered the best John Arch Fates Warning album, but it's actually not my favorite. I still do enjoy it a lot though, per why it's my #1. Skylarking I would still probably rank as my favorite XTC album, but it is a bit of splitting hairs I suppose. Tones, So, Master of Puppets, 5150, all quality LPs, but not ones I think of as among my favorites from the 80's. Although Master of Puppets is hugely influential and probably still my go-to Metallca record, but I also can't claim to be that huge a fan of course.

Anyway, another year with a lot of pop and metal and jazz. Some prog, but I guess overall, this is 1 of the lesser years from the 80's, but like basically every year, there's still some good work that is worth noting and when it was released.

Of course I was 10 years old in 1986, and while I recall some of these albums and songs from them, the majority I didn't know until long after the actual year.

1. Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
2. XTC - Skylarking
3. Eric Johnson - Tones
4. Peter Gabriel - So
5. Metallica - Master of Puppets
6. Van Halen - 5150
7. Marillion - Brief Encounter
8. Queensryche - Rage for Order
9. Queen - A Kind of Magic
10. Robert Fripp and the League of Crafty Guitarists - The League of Crafty Guitarists Live
11. Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
12. Huey Lewis and the News - Fore!
13. Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who's Buying?
14. Genesis - Invisible Touch
15. Janet Jackson - Control
16. Paul Simon - Graceland
17. The Beastie Boys - License to Ill
18. Prince - Parade: Music From the Motion Picture "Under the Cherry Moon"
19. Duran Duran - Notorious
20. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Live/1975-85
21. Billy Joel - The Bridge
22. Various Artists - Top Gun Soundtrack
23. Boston - Third Stage
24. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
25. The Police - Every Breathe You Take: The Singles
26. Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman - Song X


...


Bangles - Different Light
rel January 2, 1986


Janet Jackson - Control
rel February 4, 1986


Animotion - Strange Behavior
rel February 1986


Smithereens - Especially for You
rel March 1, 1986


Metallica - Master of Puppets
rel March 3, 1986


Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
rel March 17, 1986


Van Halen - 5150
rel March 24, 1986


Prince - Parade: Music From the Motion Picture "Under the Cherry Moon"
rel March 31, 1986


Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
rel March 1986


Journey - Raised on Radio
rel April 21, 1986


Various Artists - Top Gun Soundtrack
rel May 13, 1986



Peter Gabriel - So
rel May 19, 1986


Emerson Lake and Powell - Emerson Lake and Powell
rel May 26, 1986


Europe - The Final Countdown
rel May 26, 1986


Queen - A Kind of Magic
rel June 3, 1986


Genesis - Invisible Touch
rel June 6, 1986


Eric Johnson - Tones
rel June 15, 1986


Sam Kinison - Louder Than Hell
rel June 15, 1986


Corey Hart - Fields of Fire
rel June 18, 1986


Madonna - True Blue
rel June 30, 1986


Marillion - Brief Encounter
rel June 1986


Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman - Song X
rel June 1986


Sting - Bring on the Night
rel July 1, 1986


David+David - Boomtown
rel July 7, 1986


Queensryche - Rage for Order
rel July 14, 1986


Teena Marie - Emerald City
rel July 22, 1986


Billy Joel - The Bridge
rel July 28, 1986


R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant
rel July 28, 1986


Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life
rel July 30, 1986


Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
rel August 18, 1986


Huey Lewis and the News - Fore!
rel August 20, 1986



Paul Simon - Graceland
rel August 25, 1986


Toto - Fahrenheit
rel August 1986


Cameo - Word Up!
rel September 9, 1986


Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who's Buying?
rel September 19, 1986


Eddie Money - Can't Hold Back
rel September 21, 1986


Boston - Third Stage
rel September 23, 1986


Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
rel September 29, 1986


Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Way it is
rel September 30, 1986


a-ha - Scoundrel Days
rel October 6, 1986


Slayer - Reign in Blood
rel October 7, 1986


Talking Heads - True Stories
rel October 8, 1986


Berlin - Count Three and Pray
rel October 13, 1986


Stacey Q - Better than Heaven
rel October 17, 1986


Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
rel October 20, 1986


The Police - Every Breathe You Take: The Singles
rel October 25, 1986


XTC - Skylarking
rel October 27, 1986


Roxette - Pearls of Passion
rel October 31, 1986


Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Live/1975-85
rel November 10, 1986


The Beastie Boys - License to Ill
rel November 15, 1986


Frank Zappa - Jazz from Hell
rel November 15, 1986


Duran Duran - Notorious
rel November 18, 1986


Cutting Crew - Broadcast
rel November 22, 1986


Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
rel November 1986


Robert Fripp and the League of Crafty Guitarists - Live!
rel November 1986


Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
rel December 8, 1986


Bill Connors - Double Up
rel 1986


The Chick Corea Elektric Band - Elektric Band
rel 1986


Stanley Jordan - Standards, Volume 1
rel 1986


Michael Manring - Unusual Weather
rel 1986


Miriodor - Recontres
rel 1986