PERTH - CONCERT HALL - 15.02.08
(Perth Advertiser - 22nd February, 2008)
There is no doubting the quality and precision of Dunfermline-born Barbara Dickson's velvet-smooth vocals and stage presence, yet it was the musical arrangements of her eclectic mix of songs which made her near-capacity Perth concert such an enjoyable evening.
Her band was a mere five strong, but such was the strength of their musicianship that it could have passed for a 15-piece, under the direction of multi-talented Troy Donockley, and boasting the services of Pete Zorn whose deftness as he changed from instrument to instrument was a wonder to behold.
The slickness of Barbara's Perth gig - a third of the way into her 32-date UK tour - was undeniable, but was there an element of 'going through the motions' from the 60-year-old former folkie fae Fife turned international superstar?
Her current tour promotes her latest album, Time and Tide, and celebrates her 40 years as a professional singer. She could easily have merely covered the tracks on the album, yet her repertoire impressed with its boundary-breaking range. Standard pop songs included the opening 'I Think I'm Going Back' and 'Here Comes the Sun', one of two George Harrison numbers on the play-list; the opening bars of Barbara's own hits including 'Answer Me', 'Caravans' and 'Another Suitcase In Another Hall' attracted warm applause; and the aforementioned superb arrangements put an added dimension to traditional songs including 'The Lowlands of Holland', Dream Angus, and Corpus Christi Carol.
Concert highlights included Bob Dylan's 'Times They Are A-Changin' when Nick Holland's gravelly vocals proved a perfect foil for Barbara's smooth tones, and the penultimate number, a stripped down version of 'Smile.'
A highly polished performance indeed, yet its clinical cleanliness slightly took the shine off the evening's enjoyment for this reviewer.
(Alison Anderson)
