A concert by Seals and Crofts - reunited after 12 years - is a nostalgic trip back to the '70s. It was obviously a trip that the audience had been looking forward to. People in Symphony Hall Friday night weren't shy about singing along.
The impromptu singers didn't disturb anybody. They couldn't be heard. Neither, most of the time, could Dash Crofts or Jim Seals.Walking through the lobby after the concert, I heard a man say it was "a bit over-orchestrated."
Yeah. And an axe gave Lizzie Borden's father a headache.
Let's just say the sound mix was bad. The keyboard, bass, synthesizer and strings, guitar and drums dominated the evening, sometimes with painful results, although I have been assured the sound wasn't uniformly excruciating in all parts of the hall.
It certainly wasn't the first time that a sound system has been cranked up too loud in this venue. But it was particularly disappointing because Seals and Crofts have been loved for two decades for their rich harmonies and the delicate nuances provided by their instrumentation.
Occasionally, though, the weaving harmonies that are a Seals and Crofts trademark sneaked through and it was clear that a decade away from the recording studio hasn't diminished the talents of the duo. The final number, "Ashes in the Snow," was absolutely beautiful. The voices were clear and lovely, the lyrics haunting and the music intricate.
Despite audio problems, the audience obviously loved the reunion - and a chance to hear timeless favorites like "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl." The reaction to "We May Never Pass This Way Again" should assure that they will, indeed, be back.
Much of Seals and Crofts' music has a political or social message, from the anti-war, tragic "Advance Guards" to "Hummingbird," which is a tribute to the Baha'i faith, which the men embrace. (In fact, they invited anyone who was interested to stop by the local Baha'i center after the concert for a visit.)
They changed the pace a couple of times, when Seals picked up the fiddle for foot-stompin', hand-clapping numbers. Seals demonstrated real virtuosity on the fiddle during "Arkansas Traveler," and Crofts got the audience involved in some light-hearted hog calling.
Crofts' showcase came during a sweet song, "Tomorrow Belongs to the Children."
They stopped recording in 1980 because they wanted to spend more time with their families and because music was turning to heavy-dance beats, which wasn't their type of music, according to their publicist.
Jim Seals went to Costa Rica, which prompted him to write "Costa Rican Rain," a song they played Friday that will be on their return album this fall. Seals has written many of the songs they record. Dash Crofts spent most of his retirement in Australia.
Johnny Biscuit, one of Utah's favorite comedians, opened the show with a wide-ranging routine that poked gentle fun at cops on bikes, popular sports like bungee jumping and rodeos - "The only sport where we ride our food" - and the musical "Cats."