Judie Tzuke - Press Cuttings.

The following article was published in Classic Rock Magazine in May 1999.

Judie Tzuke

Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 8.2.99

Set-Length: One hour 30 minutes. Tickets: Ł12.50

Set-list:'Tonight’/'Fly'/'Fuel Injection'/'Man And A Gun'/'Secret Agent’/'Two Mountains'/ 'Both Alone'/'Stay With Me Till Dawn'/'For You'/'Mother'/'Dancing On Charcoal'/'One Day 1 Will Live In France'/'Swallowing'/'That's Where My Heart Used To Be'/'Let Me Be The Pearl'/'Wonderland'/'Vivien'/'Bring The Rain' Encores: 'Joan Of Arc'/'Bully'/'Sukarita'

Despite a back catalogue peppered with exam-ples of real class and finesse, Judie Tzuke has enjoyed only a solitary Top 40 hit in the UK, which was with the elegant and emotionally charged 'Stay With Me Till Dawn' back in 1979. And although her albums have (thankfully) fared much better, you can't help feeling that overall Judie Tzuke has been a little short- changed. Whatever the reasons for this com-mercial underachievement, a shortage of the nec-essary raw materials is not one of them.
Touring on the back of her new album 'Secret Agent; tonight some of that raw material was on show, not least of which was her voice, which has clearly lost none of its breathy, engaging frailty nor its shapely poise.
Of the new songs performed, 'Secret Agent' perhaps best illustrated the continuity in both the quality and the construction of the song writing, displaying some of the hallmarks -angular vocal melody, powerful chorus and emotive chord changes - of Judie Tzuke at her best.
However it was with a number old favourites that she and her band really hit the mark, helped with new arrangements that instil them with a new lease of life. Particularly impressive were 'Bring The Rain' and 'Let Me Be The Pearl; both of which included superb guitar solos-full of invention, excitement and finesse - from David P Goodes.
If there was one error of judgement, it was in coming back to finally end with 'Sukarita' after reaching a fiery and fitting climax with 'Bully: That aside, however, this was an excellent, highly enjoyable and highly deserving performance.

Paul Henderson

Return !!!