Caught in the Carousel

Back in my early teens, I remember buying the record All The Rage from General Public. That was my first experience with the English Beat—I mean, let's face it, it was the same band, minus the horns. Having just returned from an English Beat show only minutes ago, I am only further convinced of this fact as they played a healthy dose of General Public songs. I attended Sunday's show with my mother of all people. She was there (as were most people), to hear Huey Lewis and the News. I was there to hear a band I had loved from my early teens, and as it turned out, I got to hear the best of two bands from that era. As showtime neared. I wondered who would actually show up on stage. I assumed it would just be Dave Wakeling but I was pleasantly surprised to find Ranking Roger right up there with him. One thing that became quite apparent, was that it had been twenty years since I had seen these guys, and like me they have put on a few pounds and don't look as young as they once did. But that didn’t stop them from putting on one stellar show. They easily slid into “Whine and Grind/ Stand Down Margaret” for their first number. From there they put together a bunch of English Beat classics including “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” “Twist and Crawl,” and “Hands Off She's Mine.” After a very energetic “Tears Of A Clown,” it was time for a hat trick of General Public songs. I danced happily to “Never You Done That,” “I'll Take You There,” and “Tenderness.” The band finished up with a scorching “Mirror in the Bathroom” and a medley of “Save it For Later” and Pearl Jam's “Better Man.” A more than satisfying trip down memory lane.

—Tim White

Can we help you find something?

LISTENING STATION

Click for an English Beat station

What's Pandora?