Aside from his time onstage, the music cruise experience didn’t appear to be Eric Burdon’s thing. He ignored expectations on the recent Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise by not mixing with the passengers or participating in any musical collaborations — including an especially obvious one with the Lowrider Band, members of which backed Burdon under the name War on hits like “Spill the Wine.”
Burdon served as a headliner for the 23rd semi-annual Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, held from Oct. 4-10, 2014, along the Mexican Riviera. Since its founding in 2002, the Blues Cruise has boasted the most unfettered connections between the performers and participants — even as choices have grown exponentially for affluent music fans. Of course, the fragile egosystem under which performers have operated for years can thwart this effort.
Burdon didn’t mingle, but nevertheless turned in three remarkable performances while at sea. Each set also contained the required triumvirate of “House of the Rising Sun,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” He passively acknowledged an aquatic theme by beginning his first set on Sunday with “Water” from his latest album, and ending the third set with Friday’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” Throughout the week he performed the unexpected “Sky Pilot,” “Monterey” and the Blues Cruise-appropriate “Trying to Get to You” from the original Animals’ 1983 reunion album Ark.
The venue was a 900-capacity spot designed for musical theater and dancing, so anyone who cared could sidle up to the edge of the stage and watch the action up close. Most of Burdon’s shows these days are in casinos where people are fussy about seating, so this was a treat. And this particular Animal pack roars.
The nucleus of keyboardist Red Young, bassist Terry Wilson and guitarist Billy Watts has been in place since 2009. Wilson and Young’s association with Burdon actually goes back to the 1980s. Drummer Tony Braunagel and percussionist Wally Ingram have also migrated in and out of the Animals throughout the years. The band is consistent, turning Burdon into the wild card, and it’s up to him whether the show is adequate or inspired. After a next-day compliment about the first set, one band member responded: “Yeah, Eric was in a good mood.”
Many of the participants who have already done the Blues Cruise thing expected to hang out with Eric for a while, but that didn’t happen. He stayed in his cabin most of the time. This wasn’t out of snobbishness, we learned in private conversations with band members, but a combination of asthma and anxiety about fans that get too close. The nutcases generally can’t afford steep cruise prices, but that message evidently didn’t transmit.
Attendees expect cross-pollination, like when Elvin Bishop sat in with Los Lobos, but Burdon didn’t buy into that either. Many thought he would share the stage with the Lowrider Band for “Spill the Wine,” which both performed on the cruise. Burdon’s version was uptempo and frenetic, while the Lowriders dished out more of a slow groove. Both worked well enough, although Burdon’s vocal power gave him the advantage. After it seemed a collaboration probably wasn’t going to happen, we moved on — realizing the song doesn’t represent either band’s best work. It’s catchy, but the lyrical redundancy of “feeling hot flames of fire on my back” nearly spoils it, every time.
Both bands have weathered copyright and authenticity issues. For many years Burdon battled original Animal drummer John Steel for the name, and the Lowrider Band formed after their manager took control of the War name, which is still under litigation. Of course, in its heyday, War was a collective, but today’s official version has only keyboard player Lonnie Jordan. The Lowriders features guitarist Howard Scott, drummer Harry Brown and harmonica wizard Lee Oskar. Bassist B.B. Dickerson was also part of the crew until earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and was replaced by Calvin Mosley.
During a songwriting workshop, Scott praised Burdon for teaching him the arts of songwriting and performance during a three-year apprenticeship — but Burdon did not respond this particular olive branch. Burdon and Scott, the strongest personalities in both camps, did not speak during the cruise, according to Braunagel. There was a lot of history between the two, he said, and Burdon’s exit from War was not graceful.
So rock performers and audiences are aging, like everyone else. They actually enjoy riding around on a ship for a week with other old people. Some of them forgive and forget, while others are still influenced by unresolved incidents that occurred in their 20s. They will bury the hatchet, or not, when they are good and ready.
Harold Brown, the effusive drummer, made an effort to hang with Eric. He played tambourine during the “Boom Boom” encore and butted into the autograph line to get Burdon’s signature. Brown said he was open to a collaboration of any sort, and would even willingly accept Jordan back into the group should the 17-year-old copyright fight be resolved.
“I’m not one to hold grudges,” he said. “It takes too much energy and doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Feature photo by Charlie Bermant; photo of Brown and Burdon by Cyndi Noll
