Abba What Happened to the Music and the Less than Super Diamond

My friend, Len Speaks, wrote about this mutual episode. I haven't looked at his entry yet, the better to avoid plaigarism. He'll have more, and better quips and I don't want to steal. I am quipless. Now, one might ask why would the two of you go to a faux Neil Diamond/Abba Concert? Hope springs eternal. Hope was badly disappointed. There have been good clones of groups. I remember seeing one that did the Beatles back a bunch of years ago, and it was like listening and seeing the real things. So, it COULD have been wonderful. Well, actually, because as usual, it was summer at the Hollywood Bowl, it was wonderful. I told the stranger next to me that I never really care what is playing, or who is playing. The atmosphere is enough. Cooling summer air, bristle of leaves and the mountains of Hollywood. And that was true on this occasion, only I wished I had a lot more wine to cushion the not Abba, not Neil sounds.

The Neil impersonator failed to impersonate. It was Tom Waits doing Neil Diamond. Lacking even the basic rhythm, as the man next to me said. (He and I became transient friends). A few of the songs were unrecognizable, even though they had been hits. A couple of times, he almost had it--nope lost it again. I have seen Neil Diamond in concert, in Forest Hills a million years ago, and he was electric. I felt bad for the guy because all I felt was plodding strums and croaks. It isn't just the song that makes it good. It is the singer of the song. (Suddenly I am put in mind of Tony Curtis in Spartacus saying in a Bronx accent attempting to be Roman (did people sound Roman?) "I am a sin-ger of songs". Tony might have made a better Neil Diamond. But I don't think he can warble a tune. Of course, I don't really know.

People ate. They always do that. People talked. This they don't usually do during the performances. I think there was one song I liked. I can't remember what it was.

Then Abba the Music, to make sure that we all know this wasn't the real ABBA who broke up in the 1970s. Except I think the people behind us really thought this was Abba. They were better than SuperDiamond (his title). Which is not to say that I was awed, and that though they used the same exact arrangements. The best part of this group was when they brought on supporting members of the original ABBA band and you'd hear the energy, albeit from 60 plus year olds. That's ok, because I am close to their age. They flew in a guitarist and a sax (I think it was a sax) player from Norway. They really were grooving to the old sounds, and in those moments, so was I.

I feel kind of mean. I am not usually mean in these pages, but let me give these imposters their due---that they demonstrated as nothing else could how wonderful the originals were, and in the case of Neil Diamond, are. And, for all, they were enthusiastic, and they get points for that. But I won't be hiring them for any parties.