The Bongos - The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 (A PopEntertainment.com Music Review)

PopEntertainment
May 25
2 min read

Updated: Jun 7

The Bongos - The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 (JEM)

While the alt-rocking power pop band The Bongos – featuring singer/guitarist Richard Barone, bassist Rob Norris, drummer Frank Giannini and guitarist James Mastro – became heavy cult favorites, they never quite broke out to become stars.

Since they were always known for their concert chops, 40 years ago, the band recorded a show in Sea Bright at the Jersey shore, which was supposed to be their first live album on RCA Records. This was probably the heights of the band’s popularity. They were touring to support their 1985 album Beat Hotel and also featured songs from their 1982 debut Drums Along the Hudson and the 1983 follow-up EP "Numbers With Wings."

Somehow, it took 40 years for these recordings to get released, and shockingly, it is still the band’s first official live album. although in some other live songs from a different Jersey shore gig that summer were released to streaming. Still, for a band which has been going on and off for 40 years, it’s kind of shocking this is the first serious shot of live Bongos to be released. (Several of these performances were also released on the band’s YouTube channel last year, as well as the 40th anniversary release of "Numbers With Wings.")

It's good to see this show finally getting its due, because The Bongos were a great live unit (and still are, I just saw them a few years ago). With melodic and guitar drenched rockers like “Zebra Club,” “Glow in the Dark,” and the new-wave edged “Telephoto Lens,” it’s kind of shocking that The Bongos never became as big as The Cars. The album closes with a hot shot of the stuttering “Numbers with Wings” and “Beat Hotel.”

It’s decades late, but it’s a damned good thing that these performances are finally seeing the light of day. Hopefully, it will inspire people to track down the band’s catalogue.

Jay S. Jacobs