Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The broad smile at the end of the night said it all, Joe Brown, one of the true great British music legends, had enjoyed his time back on stage in Liverpool and judging by the response and adoration that came his way, it’s fair to say that the audience enjoyed the respected musician’s couple of hours just as much as he did.
Joe Brown has seen it all, or so he mused at one point on stage before going into his trademark cheeky grin, something that along with obvious talent and love of music, that has never wavered. It is somehow comforting that this man can stand on stage armed only at times with confidence and a ukulele and performed songs that were as diverse as they were able to be. It was also bolstering to see his usual group of travelling troubadours right alongside him, the superb Phil Capaldi, Mick Nichols, Ben Lee and Joe’s son Pete Brown, who took a lot of good natured ribbing from Joe during the night, all supremely gifted in their own way but when added together, mixed with the healthy respect that any audience gives Joe, then they are formidable, a true reflection on the adage that class is permanent.
Joe opened up the evening with the song Big Rock Candy Mountain which was first recorded by Harry McClintock, a song that is about a hobo’s idea of paradise. For Joe it is a perfect way to start a concert, full of depth and meaning, a narrative that leads to the idea of an ideal flawless state of mind, something that Joe was to set out to show was achievable whilst listening to the quality music all evening.
From there Joe and the band had the crowd in the palm of their hands all evening as they performed various tracks from Joe’s last album, cunningly titled The Ukulele Album, such as E.L.O.’s sublime Mr. Blue Sky, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s Helpless, Eric Clapton’s Lay Down Sally and the 10cc smash I’m Not in Love.
The evening, which had been split into two halves saw the five performers enjoy themselves immensely, with much banter going on between them, the audience were treated to some great one-liners as well as some interesting and cracking music such as Cook and Greenaway’s You’ve Got Your Troubles, The Who’s Pinball Wizzard, the brilliant version of Motorhead’s The Ace of Spades and Ricky Nelson’s Stood Up which was sang superbly by Phil Capaldi.
There is always time for Joe’s own work and the crowd were not to be disappointed as he gave great renditions of the songs I’m Henry The Eighth, the 1962 hit A Picture of You and the witty You Ain’t Too Old To Rock and Roll.
A born survivor, a man who evidently loves what he does and who is loved by his audience, Joe Brown knows exactly how to please a crowd and he does it in spades. Joe Brown is a real legend of British music and with the cheekiest smile to match.
Ian D. Hall