Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 20, 1992 TAG: 9203200370
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It seems to teeter somewhere between soulful and faded, rough-edged oblivion, like she's fighting a losing battle with tonsillitis.
Guess that's part of the country singer's charm: Just when you think her voice is about to give out for good, it growls back like a cornered alley cat turning to attack.
It's her trademark, really.
After all, it was that worn and weathered voice that first set Tucker apart in 1972 with her breakthrough hit record, "Delta Dawn" - at the not-so-weathered age of 13.
Imagine the mileage now 20 years later.
At times, her voice Thursday night at the Salem Civic Center sounded like a buzz saw in need of a new blade. And a poor sound mix didn't help matters much either. Tucker's vocals seemed a notch too loud all night.
Sound problems aside, on much of her material the strain in her voice also seemed strangely appropriate. In fact, many of her songs would have sounded odd without it.
On the sleazy, gutsy "Some Kind of Trouble," her throaty style especially shined. Other highlights in her hourlong concert included: "Walking Shoes," "(Without You) What Do I Do With Me," "Blood Red and Going Down," and "Oh, What It Did To Me."
Even her encore of the 20-year-old "Delta Dawn" sounded pretty good, and less dated than you might think.
Tucker's on-stage mannerisms were a different story.
She was all showgirl jiggles, rehearsed gestures and cheesy smiles that seemed out of kilter with her otherwise down-and-dirty voice. It was like seeing a country-singing Vanna White.
Newcomer Joe Diffie was second on Thursday's bill, kicking off his 45-minute set with "Just A Regular Joe," the title track to his current album.
It was one of a half-dozen new songs Diffie debuted before the audience of 3,661. Particularly good among the new stuff was "Startin' Over Blues," during which Diffie showed he can yodel as well as sing, "Next Thing Smokin,"' which featured a driving Bo Diddley back beat, and "Is It Cold in Here," with its chorus:
Is it cold in here, or is it just you?
What a great line. And during the song, a fan gave Diffie a homemade sign that read: Is it hot in here, or is it just you?
A playful version of Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues" also was a lot of fun. But not surprisingly, the highlights of his set were his two catchy chart-toppers from last year: "New Way (To Light Up An Old Flame)" and "If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)."
The only real downside to Diffie's performance was a sappy lullaby, "Goodnight Sweetheart," another new song, that would have been better off left at home. The verdict is still out on his one-size-too-tight black jeans.
Nuthin' Fancy opened with a decent set of rock-influenced country that did its job warming up the Salem crowd.
by CNB