Golden Earring – Live - Mott the Dog's Rock Music Reviews

1,235

5 Stars

For such a colorful band, with such a colorful name and such an explosive stage act, a little bit of a drab album cover by Koos van Oostrom. Perhaps something more dramatic and vivid would’ve attracted the record buyer as they perused the racks.

Audio CD (paid link)

Formed while still at school in 1961 by a thirteen-year-old George Kooymans on guitar and his friend, fifteen-year-old Rimus Gerrilson, the band quickly achieved notoriety in their native Holland. The classic lineup came together in 1970 with the addition of lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Barry Hay, perhaps one of the most underrated singers in rock, and madcap drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk. These four have remained the nucleus of the band since then—quite an achievement in these days of rock & roll musical chairs.

*Over 50 years on from forming the band, Cesar Zuiderwijk applies the same energy to his profession as he has always done.*

The only break the band had from their heavy touring schedule was when Cesar Zuiderwijk finished his customary drum solo by jumping from the speakers over his drum kit and with a touch of bad judgment on the landing, broke both his ankles.

This minor mishap aside, the four amigos have soldiered on with only the occasional addition of an extra musician to fill out the live sound. They have released twenty-five studio albums in all, twenty from this lineup, from the self-titled 1970 album to 2012’s ‘Tits ‘n Ass,’ plus countless compilations and live albums, both fully electric and acoustic.

*The band on the cusp of the wave of stardom. They had many songs in their folder, not just Radar Love.*

This, their first double live album in the days of Vinyl, was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre London and released that same year.

It is crammed from start to finish with great songs, magical playing and a band playing at the height of their considerable powers. Right from the get-go when George Kooymans kicks into the riff from ‘Candy’s Going Bad,’ you know you are listening to something special. Why is this album not held in the same esteem as other live double albums of the era (Live and Dangerous by Thin Lizzy, Strangers in the Night by UFO and even the Mighty Made in Japan by Deep Purple) is a mystery to this Dog.

There are many highlights, including their version of the Byrds’ ‘Eight Miles High’ that they have played since the sixties in one form or another and stretched out to make their own. A rocking ‘Vanilla Queen’ where George Koogmans is let off the leash and wigs out on his axe. The final encore of ‘Just Like Vince Taylor’ rips the roof clean off the Rainbow Theatre.

*Still together 50 years later, still enjoying working and playing together, perfect company.*

There are classic tracks from their previous albums, with three from their only really big international hit album, Moontan, which reached number 15 on the American Billboard Chart. Although all their albums were smash hits in their home country, Moontan remains their only international hit album.

It says a lot for the friendship of these four musicians that they still keep up a very heavy gig schedule, although they do keep most of their concerts close to home these days. But this album will drag you kicking and screaming back to the rip-roaring seventies when having a good rocking time was compulsory.

There is, of course, a snorting and snarling eleven-minute version of ‘Radar Love,’ perhaps the definitive version played with real passion, when they were flying high on its success.