Artist:     NRBQ 

Album:     Turn On, Tune In

Label:      Omnivore Records

Release Date:      9/6/19

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As a young musician growing up in Western Massachusetts during the ’70s, I idolized the music of NRBQ. At that time, Terry Adams, Joey Spampinato, Tom Staley, followed by Tom Ardolino, and Big Al Anderson were nothing short of musical gods to me. It wasn’t just the wild combination of country-meets blues, meets rockabilly, topped off with some free-form jazz for good measure. Man, their live show killed me! When they took the stage, this band constantly played on the edge, taking musical chances, but in the end always came out smelling like a rose.

Part of the attraction of the “Q” was never knowing where they were headed next. Visually, it was literally a circus on-stage: Terry Adams, smacking his clavinet with karate chops, grimacing one minute, laughing hysterically the next. Buttressed by an almost impassive Spampinato on bass, along with Anderson’s growling, stinging Fender Telecaster, culminating with Ardolino’s bombastic, un-orthodox but fattest back-beat ever, usually denting his snare drum rim in the process.

A finely tuned machine, you say? Damn straight. Why, because NRBQ was and still is…the REAL deal. Thankfully, for us music lovers, genius never quits. However, like everything in the business of rock ‘n’ roll, change is inevitable, and NRBQ was not immune. Sometime in the ’90s, Anderson left for greener pastures in Nashville, and scored big-time as a songwriter. Ardolino passed away in 2012, Spampinato kept it all in his family, teaming up with brother Johnny as the Spampinato Brothers, and the Maharishi of madness himself, Terry Adams? Well, for starters, he fought-off the big “C” and has now surrounded himself with some young, hungry firebrands intent with not only preserving NRBQ’s legacy but charting a new course in the band’s storied history.

Turn On Tune In is the new NRBQ’s Live CD/DVD package. It offers brief look at the past, but at the same time, makes no bones about garnering new fans possibly unfamiliar with the band’s zany, energetic style. Adams, of course, is at the helm on keyboards, harmonica, vocals, and is more than ably supported by newcomers Casey McDonough on bass and guitar, Scott Ligon on guitar, and a nice find, on drums, John Perrin. The album begins with the Goffin/King penned “Don’t Ever Change,” smoothly transitioning to Ligon’s harmony-laden, “Florida.” Then, just when you think the band is going to lull you into complacency, on comes the 3-Stooges tribute “Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard,” which showcases the “alternate” personality of the band. Other stand-out songs include: “Don’t Talk About My Music,” “Nature’s Gonna Pay You Back,” the never-tiresome instrumental “Tragic Magic,” and the long-time staple, from days gone by, “That’s Neat, That’s Nice.” McDonough totally legitimizes his standing with a superlative version of Brian Wilson’s “Don’t Worry Baby,” and a few tracks later, ending the night with their now classic, “RC Cola And A Moon Pie.”

I stated earlier in this review that “genius never quits.” My hat is truly off to Terry Adams. Like any great musician (in Adams’ case a personal inspiration like Thelonious Monk) plays and innovates until they hear their own “last call.” My advice to Terry and present company is keep on rockin’ and have one more for the road. Because absolutely no one on God’s green earth plays music like NRBQ…No one.

­—Bob Girouard