The stage was spectacular, as was the laser show and the pyrotechnics. As for The Who's performance at the halftime of Sunday's Super Bowl ... well, let's just say they've had better nights.






Yes, we've all got to remember that both Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are in their sixties. Yes, playing in that kind of environment can adversely affect a band's effort. And yes, perhaps those Monday-morning quarterbacks of us who expected perfection have unreasonably high standards.

But, let's be honest: This was not The Who's finest hour. Many are even going so far as to call it an "embarrassment." That's being a little harsh. For their age — and yes, I'm using that caveat — Daltrey and Townshend play with as much energy and passion as rockers half their age. And that's really what has often set The Who apart as a live act. At their peak, when Keith Moon and John Entwistle were still alive and being the force of nature as a rhythm section that they were, the band was explosive, crashingly loud and destructive. The Who was everything rock 'n' roll was supposed to be — rebellious, powerful and even violent.

What the Super Bowl halftime show told us was that Daltrey and Townshend are still capable of moments of transcendent glory. Just as obvious, however, was that time is catching up to them. Their vocals were often out of sync, and "Won't Get Fooled Again," despite Daltrey's famous scream, whether it was pre-recorded or the real thing, sounded lethargic and slow. At least it did to these ears.

And talk about wardrobe malfunctions ... Townshend really need to shed that jacket. Time after time, it kept getting in the way when he'd go to execute one of those big, iconic strums of his. A minor quibble, sure. But that must have annoyed him to no end. You could not help but yell at the television, "Get rid of that damn thing!"

Have there been worse halftime shows? Absolutely. Even discounting the notorious wardrobe malfunction, the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson debacle was simply dreadful and — talk about lethargic — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers seemed hopelessly out of their element. People have been critical of Prince's performance, but I thought that, along with Bruce Springsteen's, have been the best.

What do you think? Which Super Bowl halftime performances have lit your fire? Which have been duds? And what did you think of The Who's show?

It's the mid-1960s and B.J. Thomas is an upcoming singer from Texas whose sound was a little bit country, a little bit pop and a little bit rock 'n' roll. And he's white.

So, on paper — and I'm trying very hard not to stereotype here — what would you think of a tour with James Brown, whose R&B was as sweaty and funky as it comes, and Thomas as the opening act? Pretty strange combination, huh? Do you think Thomas was able to win over crowds that had come to see the explosive R&B shows of one "Mr. Dynamite"?







With a little help, he did.

In a recent interview, Thomas talked about going out on the road with a Dick Clark tour, where he shared stages with artists such as Gene Pitney and Chad & Jeremy. Before Thomas hopped on the bus, he parted ways with The Triumphs, the band he joined as a teenager. The one that backed him  on his first album, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. The Triumphs had too many responsibilities at home tying them down, so they could not join Thomas on the Dick Clark tour.

But it was the fact that Thomas had a backing band that helped him get on the Dick Clark tour in the first place, because that band was going to support many of the other acts on it. In short order, Thomas got with Glen Spreen, who would later work on many of Dan Fogelberg's hits, and they pieced together a band for the tour.

Anyway, Thomas, strangely enough, before getting the Dick Clark gig, wound up being paired with Brown, as well as other R&B acts, initially. And it didn't go as badly as one might think.

"It was kind of a pivotal thing for me because the first bookings I had they booked me out with James Brown," recalls Thomas. "So I worked three days with James Brown, and then I went to Cleveland and worked with Jackie Wilson and then Johnny Mathis. And then the business people, the booking people, realized that hey, B.J. is not a black guy. He's not an R&B singer, and so, bang, they booked me with Dick Clark."

And those shows with Brown?

"Oh, they went good," remembers Thomas. "At one point, James had to come onstage and say, 'Hey, look. This guy's a great singer. He's got a great band, and I want you to give him a chance.' So I'd do my show and the people would go nuts. They loved "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" [the old Hank Williams song] and back in that day, all my big idols were R&B singers. I loved Bobby Bland and Jackie Wilson and all these guys, so we did some R&B music in our show. We did 'Mustang Sally' and 'Get Ready' by The Temptations and things like that. So they'd go nuts. And they loved us,  thanks to James Brown. James Brown was a god to us then. So that was nice."

Collectors' Choice is undertaking a reissues series with Thomas, putting out the albums he made for Scepter Records in the mid- to late-'60s and early '70s. Visit www.ccmusic.com to find out more. And go to www.bjthomas.com to find out what B.J. is up these days.

Before they stepped out on their own, The Band, as anyone familiar with their history knows, backed up not only Bob Dylan, but as The Hawks, they supported rockabilly hero Ronnie Hawkins.







Later on, however, it was The Band, and individual members, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson, who needed the assistance of a fine-tuned unit that could breathe life into their own solo projects. Both chose Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, the Americana flavored rock crew who have a new album coming out March 9 called Whispering Pines that takes its title from a somewhat forgotten song by The Band.

The Professor is multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer/songwriter Aaron Louis Hurwitz, and he explains how he and the rest of the Crowmatix came to work with both Danko, who gave Hurwitz his nickname, and Hudson.

"At the time I was playing duo shows with Rick Danko," says Professor Louie. "We assembled a band to play a party for Quentin Ryan, who had a record company, Breeze Hill. Garth played the show with us, which was recorded, and the recording came out so well that Quentin decided to release it as a CD, Live On Breeze Hill. He then asked Rick, Garth and Professor Louie & The Crowmatix to make solo studio CDs with me producing and arranging. We recorded Rick's CD Times Like These, but I had to finish it by myself as he passed away when we got home from a tour of the Midwest. We had recorded enough songs to fill out the CD. The Crowmatix were the musicians of choice, and Rick Danko had brought in drummer Gary Burke for all our recording sessions and Gary fortunately for us never left. When it was time to start recording Garth's CD, The Sea To The North, The Crowmatix were still the musicians of choice."

In time, the Professor and The Crowmatix decided to put out some records of their own. And, they've been prolific, putting out six studio albums and two live efforts.

"I had been in the studio for many years producing/engineering and playing on recordings for other artists, which I always enjoyed, but I just felt it was time for me to start performing as a musician /singer," explains Professor Louie. "The Crowmatix are great musicians, and I am happy that many people have come to hear us live. There is nothing like performing for an audience."

Still, the good Professor continues to get a charge from producing other artists' CDs. "I still produce CDs, so I am in the studio all the time," says Professor Louie. "One CD that I am proud of came out in 2009 — Dopers, Drunks & Everyday Losers by The Commander Cody Band."

Establishing their own identity was important to the Professor and The Crowmatix. But working with The Band and its individual parts was an amazing education for them. When asked what he learned from them, Professor Louie responded, "Everything and I tried to take it all in. Their original records were extremely innovative at the time."

Of course, by the time the Professor joined forces with The Band, they were music-industry veterans who had their own way of doing things.

"The Band was in the studio for many years before I got involved with them and each player had his own sound and recording technique," says Professor Louie. "Rock 'n' roll is a very creative musical genre for developing recording techniques. Since The Band had gotten such accolades before I was there, the pressure was on for me to live up to their reputation."

With the Crowmatix, it's time for him to have some fun, and they do let loose on Whispering Pines, an example of roots-rock done right.

For more on Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, visit www.professorlouie.com, www.thecrowmatix.com or www.woodstockrecords.com.

Class is once again in session for Professor Louie & The Crowmatix. Known best for his production work with The Band on their mid-'80s and '90s recordings, the good Professor and his pupils are releasing their latest LP Whispering Pines on March 9.

If the title rings a bell, that's because it's also the name of a long-lost, and unjustly ignored, song by The Band. For Professor Louie, whose real name is Aaron Louis Hurwitz, the track has a deep personal meaning.






"Garth Hudson brought this song back to my attention," says the Professor. "The song is very special and was overlooked at the time it came out. I had worked on Richard Manuel's solo projects with Garth and Richard's singing was very moving. I wanted to perform this song as a tribute to Richard. We were playing 'Whispering Pines' in concert for quite a while. This song is not easy to sing and play correctly. The Crowmatix did a great job on this version, and I really wanted people to hear it."

A live version of Professor Louie & The Crowmatix doing "Whispering Pines" made the rounds on YouTube, and the Professor says, "It got so many favorable responses that we decided to release the song on a CD."

For those unfamiliar with the story of The Crowmatix, whose music is a rootsy mix of blues, folk, rock and country that carries the same freewheeling spirit of Helm, Robbie Robertson and company, it all begins in Woodstock, N.Y., where a group of studio musicians were assembled to prepare songs for Hurwitz's productions for The Band.

"We would meet every week at Levon Helm's recording studio and work on arrangements for upcoming recordings," says Hurwitz. "The Crowmatix have had some personnel changes since then. Miss Marie (vocals, percussion) and (famed drummer) Gary Burke have been there from the start. Frank Campbell, our bass player, was working at Levon's during the making of The Band's CD Jericho, and we got to be good friends. He moved to Texas and was with the Asleep At The Wheel organization for a while and then came back to Woodstock. I asked him to come on board, and it was great he did. Frank has a good harmony voice, and his bass playing is very rootsy. A few years back, I was playing on a Jessie Winchester video and Josh Colow was the lead guitar player. I immediately asked Josh if he would join the The Crowmatix, and he took me up on it and he has been a great addition to the group."

Look for more on Professor Louie & The Crowmatix tomorrow on World's Forgotten Boy. In the meantime, visit www.professorlouie.com, www.thecrowmatix.com and www.woodstockrecords.com to find out more about the group.

It's the day before Christmas Eve, 2009, and rapturous Icelandic troubadour Ólöf Arnalds is on a shopping trip with her sister as she's conducting an interview.






Farthest from her mind were those days in Berlin when the classically trained artist had drifted away from her music-school studies to while away the days the way many young people do when they arrive in a new city.

She intended on continuing her studies, " ... but when I got there, I just ended up hanging out and having a good time."

Though Arnalds, who might be known more for her membership in Mum, one of the musical treasures of her native country, may not have been fully aware of it at the time, the break probably did her some good. Since the age of 6 she'd been studying classical music. And shortly after graduating high school at 20, Arnalds started thinking " ... that I wanted to escape from music school. I had never sort of questioned studying it or practicing. It had been a part of my life and upbringing. But it's always good to question why you're doing what you're doing."

While ruminating on such existential questions, Arnalds was not exactly idle. "I spent a lot of time playing guitar in Berlin," she says. It's that spare, haunting acoustic plucking and oddly engrossing chordal progressions  that makes Arnalds' music so beguiling. It's a sound that's completely her own, uninfected in any way by any sort of academic influences.

"I started playing guitar by ear when I was 15," says Arnalds. "I wanted to keep guitar to myself and approach it by ear and not be affected by school."

With a sound as magical as fairy dust, Arnalds captured the hearts of critics with her solo debut Við og Við. Produced by Kjartan Sveinsson from Sigur Rós, it won Best Alternative Album at the 2007 Iceland Music Awards. In this country, Paste magazine picked it as one of its Top 100 albums of 2007. The indie label One Little Indian released the album Stateside Jan. 12.

It's quite a bit different from her latest effort, Ókídókí. With Sveinsson again producing, Arnalds decided to flesh out her minimalist sound by inviting more musicians to play on the record.

Talking about the writing of Við og Við, Arnalds explained why it has such a lonely vibe to it. Insomnia might have had something to do with it. "I was very much alone when I wrote it, not being able to fall asleep in the middle of the night," she says.

For Ókídókí, due out this spring, Arnalds wanted more of a creative exchange with other artists. That collaborative spirit comes natural to her. "I guess it's not like I retreat from the world when I'm writing," she says. "I'm always writing. It's a very impulsive thing."

And that can mean you can find her in the middle of a crowd putting pen to paper.

To find out more about Arnalds, and to hear some of her music, go to www.myspace.com/olofarnalds.

Various Artists
Up In The Air: Music From The
Motion Picture
Rhino (R2 522440)
Grade: Four stars

A story about middle-aged ennui and isolation, “Up In The Air” has gotten a lot of Oscar buzz. As such, it deserves a reflective, thoughtfully compiled soundtrack, and this one delivers.





A 1971 demo sketch of Graham Nash doing "Be Yourself," Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Taken At All” — still as gorgeous as ever — and Elliott Smith’s haunting “Angel In The Snow” are no-brainers. More eye-opening are pieces of incidental music (the tribal “Security Ballet” and the lush “Lost In Detroit”) from Rolfe Kent and Sad Brad Smith's lush acoustic meditation "Help Yourself" — check out the gorgeous, almost ghostly vocal harmonies that wrap around his words like blanket of snow.

Even more revealing, however, is Dan Auerbach, known best for the raucous, blues-stained garage rock he makes with the Black Keys, crafting a lovely mix of mandolin plucking and lush acoustic-guitar strum on "Goin' Home." Alone, it's worth the price of admission.

www.rhino.com

The history of cinema is filled with enduring images that are seared into our brain and remain stuck in our memories forever.

One of those is from 1969's "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid," the Paul Newman-Robert Redford buddy picture that grossed more money than any other film made that year and won four Oscars. Who can forget the scene where Newman and Katherine Ross have a ball riding on a bike while "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" serenades them?





Not B.J. Thomas, that's for sure. "I've always felt very fortunate and very lucky to have had that song," says Thomas. "It was a great experience all the way around."

Eight of the LPs Thomas made for Scepter Records from the mid-'60s to the early 1970s are getting the reissue treatment from Collectors' Choice, including the album of the same name as Thomas' biggest-selling hit. Along with Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, paired with Everybody's Out Of Town in this re-release campaign, the Scepter reissues include I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/Tomorrow Never Comes, On My Way/Young And In Love and Most Of All/Billy Joe Thomas. Each one contains 26 tracks, including rare single B-sides and unissued masters.

And as big as Thomas was in his home country, the good ol' U.S.A., back then, he was just as huge in South America. "I probably had as many hits down there as I've had up here," says Thomas. "Back in the '70s, there were times when I had the top five records on the charts there. They love the [Burt] Bacharach stuff, and they'll often like some of the obscure stuff rather than some of the hits from [in the States].

Never one to turn his back on such loyalty, especially considering that his smash hit "Rock And Roll Lullaby" served as the theme song for Brazil's longest-running soap opera, Thomas has traveled to South America to perform since 1974.

Going further, Thomas is putting the finishing touches on a new album of Brazilian classics called Once I Loved. On it, he sings duets with four Brazilian artists.

For more information, visit www.bjthomas.com

The sun has not always shined on Fishbone. Storm clouds in the form of commercial disappointment, lineup changes and, in one case, mental illness have, at times, rolled in and brought the ska "Party At Ground Zero" to a screeching halt. 






Still, forecasts for 2010 for the colorful ska outfit with a social conscience call for blue skies and no rain.

As the band celebrates its 25th year in business (their initial singles "Party At Ground Zero" and "? (Modern Industry)" came out in 1985), an upcoming U.S. tour with 2 Tone ska legends The English Beat is on the agenda, as is a career-spanning documentary titled — as of now — "Everyday Sunshine."

Caught working at the studio on Thursday, in an interview marred by bad phone reception, founding member Norwood Fisher said, "I'm scoring the Fishbone documentary, and that's what's up right at this very moment."

The hope is that the film will debut at the 2010 South By Southwest Festival, scheduled for March 12-21. What can fans expect of the movie?

"It'll [give them] a perspective on and answer some questions, and they'll get a glimpse into what built Fishbone," said Fisher.

A combustible mix of kaleidoscopic psychedelia, deep soul, languid reggae, hard funk and furious punk, that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink hybrid called Fishbone skanked harder than anything in the '90s ska universe. And their kinetic energy will be on display when Fishbone tours with The English Beat this year.

A match made in ska heaven, the idea for the tour — also featuring newcomers Outlaw Nation — came about through a conversation not in some boardroom or even a bar, but ... well, we'll let Norwood tell you about it.

"You know, Fishbone and English Beat did Reggae On The Rocks at Red Rocks in Colorado, and Dave [Wakeling] and I sat down in an airport and talked about a number of things," says Fisher. "Maybe in the first half hour of waiting for a plane, we talked about how English Beat and Fishbone might be a good bill to roll around the country on. Me, personally, being a huge English Beat fan, he didn't have to say that twice. We were going to chase that one down and make it a reality."

Determined to make it happen, all parties have done it. Their Spring Skaward tour starts Feb. 12 at Emo's in Austin, Texas.

Here are the dates:

Feb. 12 Emo's (Austin, TX)
Feb. 13 Granada Theatre (Dallas, TX)
Feb. 14 Warehouse Live (Houston, TX)
Feb. 16 Club at Firestone (Orlando, FL)
Feb. 17 Culture Room (Ft. Lauderdate, FL)
Feb. 18 State Theatre (St. Petersburg, FL)
Feb. 19 The Loft (Atlanta, GA)
Feb. 20 Tremont Music Hall (Charlotte, NC)
Feb. 22 9:30 Club (Washington D.C.)
Feb. 23 World Cafe Life (Philadelphia, PA)
Feb. 24 Ram's Head Live! (Baltimore, MD)
Feb. 25 The Stone Pony (Asbury Park, NJ)
Feb. 26 Showcase Live (Foxborough, MA)
Feb. 27 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza (NYC)
March 1 The Madhatter (Covington, KY)
March 2 House Of Blues (Chicago, IL)
March 3 Turner Hall (Milwaukee, WI)
March 4 The Cabooze (Minneapolis, MN)
March 5 Slowdown (Omaha, NE)
March 6 Gothic Theatre (Englewood, CO)

For more information on Fishbone, go to www.fishbone.net. To see what's happening with English Beat, visit www.myspace.com/officialbeatspace and www.facebook.com/theenglishbeat

One of the most shocking deaths in rock 'n' roll in somewhat recent years — it was a little more than 12 years ago, actually — was the passing of Michael Hutchence, lead singer and songwriter for Australian mega-stars INXS.

He was a man who seemingly had it all. Good looking, rich, talented, still young at age 37 — what more could a man ask for? Evidently, Hutchence needed more from life.






In a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Sydney, Hutchence, who suffered from depression, committed suicide. Drugs — prescription or otherwise — and alcohol were found in his system. In the lurid aftermath, it had been suggested that Hutchence died of autoerotic asphyxiation.

Whatever the circumstances, INXS lost its spiritual leader, a seductive front man whose slinky moves made him seem like the second coming of Jim Morrison or Mick Jagger. His loved ones lost someone very close to them. And the world lost a poet who had a lot to say.

I came to INXS with their album The Swing, an underrated piece of stylish new-wave pop and dance-oriented music that was utterly intoxicating, with irresistible melodies and hooks. And then came Listen Like Thieves, still my favorite INXS album, although it was 1987's slinky smash Kick ("Need You Tonight," among other hits) that kicked open all doors for the band and made them superstars.

With what would have been his 50th birthday coming up tomorrow, Jan. 22, Hutchence's former bandmates paid tribute to their fallen comrade with various comments released in a statement to the press. And they announced that proceeds from all sales from the INXS single, "Don’t Change," will be donated to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort.

Sales of the song, which first hit the airways in 1982, are doing well on digital sites such as iTunes and Amazon and the band is hoping to push it to #1 in some markets.

Among the thoughts of Hutchence's bandmates, however, even as the disaster in Haiti continues to unfold in daily horrors that boggle the mind, is their old friend and bandmate.

Andrew Farriss remembered his friend this way: "Michael and I met as school friends in Sydney around 1972. Firstly he was a good mate — sincere and yet funny, too. We both liked music but I remember us talking more about motocross dirt bikes and girls than music.
 
"Michael then went to live in L.A. where he wrote some cool poetry and by the time he returned I had started a band of my own and I suggested he tried singing some of his poetry to music. Michael by then had met my family, including Tim and Jon and our friends Kirk and Garry, thus we all became mates. This meeting later became the Farriss Brothers. Which became INXS. Michael’s ability to say much with few words helped us become a prolific songwriting duo.
 
"Some years later, whilst INXS was on a world tour in 1986 I sat down
on an upright piano and started working on the chords that would eventually become 'Never Tear Us Apart.' I thought it had potential and asked Michael what he thought of it. He told me he really liked it so I recorded a blues style demo for him. I gave the demo to Michael and the eventual lyric that he wrote was truly inspired. Straight from the heart. I know how much that lyric meant to him ...  it was a personal love lyric very much in the moment for him.   
 
"It still amazes me how this song and others we wrote have touched so many people around the world. Michael was a brilliant lyricist and I am very fortunate to have written with him and more importantly, shared his friendship."

Kirk Pengilly was more succinct, recalling Hutchence's egalitarian streak.
 
"As a performer, he was one of the best," said Pengilly. "As a humanitarian,
he made you feel human. As a singer, he was blessed with the constitution of an ox and never faltered. As a friend, you felt like you were his best. As a writer, he was an enlightened poet. I will always remember him. Michael loved and embraced life in every direction. So here's to you mate. See you when I see you..."

Jon Farriss tipped a glass to his old friend.

"There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Michael," says Jon. "I feel privileged to have known Michael on so many levels. He was a confidant, a musical partner, a song-writing partner, a touring partner, a business partner, a performing partner, and a party partner, a ‘Howdy Partner’, a band mate, a live-in flat mate and an extension of my family. We are family. We are brothers … and although I feel him around, I really miss him.
 
"This 22nd January is Michael’s 50th birthday. Everyone celebrates things in their own way. As I am quite a private person, I will celebrate Michaels birthday privately with my wife and daughter…. and Michael. God bless and happy birthday mate!

Garry Beers added, "I first met Michael when he was about 13 years old. He became the lead singer of my first proper band with Andrew called Dr. Dolphin. The things that really struck me about Michael back in those days was his compassion and his great sense of humour. I miss Michael, but luckily for me he lives on in my dreams."

Perhaps the most touching tribute comes from Tim Farriss, who asked, "Where is my brother, where has he gone? INXS were/are a ‘Band Of Brothers’, literally. The original six, ‘Band Of Brothers’ sipping the wine, savouring the food and the fruits of our labour and lives spent together. Climbing the endless mountains, overcoming everything we possibly could ... and we did!! We did IT Michael!!!!!!!
 
"God bless you Michael, I know you can hear me and I will always treasure the times we spent together. Even (maybe especially) the tough ones. Love you always brother."

If you have a favorite memory or a particular album or song of theirs you love, feel free to discuss in the comments section on this blog.

More information on INXS can be found at www.inxs.com.

Don't tell David Bowie, but Gail Ann Dorsey is, above all, at least as far as musical inspirations go, a Queen fan. That puts a certain amount of stress on Dorsey, the respected session musician who's had a long partnership with Bowie.

See, when Dorsey goes out to play bass on tour with the Thin White Duke, there comes a moment every night when the spotlight finds her. And that moment comes when Dorsey is called on to sing a duet with Bowie on "Under Pressure," the smash hit he had with Queen in 1981.






Dorsey, who first started with Bowie on the "Outside" tour in 1995, can be heard singing Freddie Mercury's part of "Under Pressure" on the upcoming Bowie live album A Reality Tour, due out Jan. 26.

Listening to the recording again recently, Dorsey could not help but let out a sigh of relief after hearing that track.

"I had a good 'Under Pressure,'" recalls Dorsey. "I was hoping I would because it was being documented, and I was pleased that I hit the note. I didn't let Freddie down. He was my hero."

Packed with 33 songs, including three previously unreleased tracks ("Fall Dog Bombs The Moon," "Breaking Glass" and "China Girl") that did not appear on the live DVD "A Reality Tour" that came out in the fall of 2004, A Reality Tour serves up a career-spanning smorgasbord of classics — "Fashion," "Rebel Rebel," "All The Young Dudes, "Life On Mars," "Changes," "Hang On To Yourself," "The Man Who Sold The World" and "Ziggy Stardust" — and rarities ("Sister Midnight," co-written by Bowie and Iggy Pop for Pop's album The Idiot). Mixed in are newer works such as "Cactus," off 2002's Heathen, and "New Killer Star," "The Loneliest Guy," "Never Get Old" and "Bring Me The Disco King" off 2003's Reality. The versions on A Reality Tour were recorded in Dublin on Nov. 22 and 23, 2003 at the Point Depot. Bowie's "A Reality Tour" spanned parts of 2003 and 2004.

Dorsey sees the latest live LP as "quite a landmark" in the Bowie legacy of concert albums. "It was exciting to be a part of," says Dorsey. "This one can stand up to the great ones."

Though she never found out why the powers that be chose to record those Dublin shows for posterity, Dorsey does believe that Ireland, and Dublin in particular, brings out the best in Bowie.

"David really likes Ireland and playing in Dublin," explains Dorsey. "We rehearsed in Ireland, I believe, for the 'Earthling' tour in a place owned by U2 — they own a lot of places (laughs). I think he really likes audiences there because the Irish love music. Ireland has such a great legacy of musicians, writers and poets. I think Ireland gives him a charge."

Speaking of charges, Dorsey got a jolt in the mid-1990s when Bowie called to recruit her for his Outside tour. "It was out of the blue ... literally," recalls Dorsey, who was working on her own solo album with Tears For Fears' Roland Orzabal at the time (Dorsey played with Tears For Fears between 1993 and 1996).

Though Bowie didn't reach Dorsey at first, he eventually tracked her down. For the longest time, Dorsey wanted to know why he chose her.

"It took me two years to get up the courage to ask him," she laughs. "I was intimidated those first two years. But he told me he saw me play in the 1980s when I was promoting my solo album, The Corporate World, and he was impressed and wanted to work with me."

One thing about Bowie: He knows how to put together a band. And Dorsey wound up backing Bowie through five or six tours — from Outside through Earthling, Hours ..., Heathen and Reality — over an 11-year period.

The Reality tour, however, was special. Critics lavished it with praise. Dorsey, who's seen Bowie backing musicians come and go, believes some of the credit goes to the band (Earl Slick on guitar; band leader/guitarist/vocalist Gerry Leonard; Sterling Campbell on drums and vocals; Catherine Russell on keyboards,vocals, percussion and guitars; and Mike Garson on keyboards) and its personalities.

"We had really gelled as a band, and we connected musically and personally," says Dorsey. "You can tell when it feels right and it hits that mark."

And that's just what Bowie did vocally on that tour. As A Reality Tour points out, Bowie and company reworked many of the tracks in new and interesting ways. Watching an invigorated Bowie alter them and perform them in fresh, new ways was, and always has been, a thrill for Dorsey.

"Some of the best moments for me [on the Reality tour] were when I could really listen to David more," says Dorsey. "In the moment, you're doing your parts. It's not like you can be in the audience absorbing what's going on. But those times when we could take a break and go off stage when it was just David and you could go and listen and sit back and watch."

Hearing this new record allowed her to appreciate Bowie's vocals more.

"He sings so beautifully on this record," says Dorsey. "When you listen back, there's so many more subtleties and nuances in his singing, and there's those emotional moments like 'Loneliest Guy' and 'Disco King' ... just the way he delivers his vocals. He's the greatest male vocalist in popular music in his genre of music."

Over the years, Dorsey has witnessed the physical changes in Bowie — "the hair's longer, and the times I worked with him, there's been different looks, different vibes," she says.

What hasn't changed, however, is Bowie's ability to evolve without sacrificing his own identity as an artist. That helps keep things fresh for his band, as well.

"You have to adapt and change with him," says Dorsey. "He always has ideas. He's always looking ahead to the next thing. It's been great to watch him adapt to what's current. His skill as an artist ... how do you not get swallowed up in what the next cool thing is? That's transient. But he's always maintained his own grounding and rootedness."

And A Reality Tour reminds us of all of that. It also proves that Bowie is able to have a lot of fun onstage.

"Sitting back and listening to it, I didn't realize how joyful and playful he was and how much fun he was having," says Dorsey. "We did know that on those nights in Dublin they were recording them, and so that puts a psychological spin on things. And sometimes you're not at your best on those live recordings. There might be some obscure night in Jersey that tops it."

Thankfully, that's not the case here.

Visit davidbowie.com or legacyrecordings.com for more information.