I would appreciate some of DU's good vibes or

[highplainsdem]

86. I want to quote some of the reviews of Golden Earring's last album, a

live album with their last concert, in November 2019, since these reviews help show why it's such a shame that George isn't still healthy and they aren't still doing concerts and recording new music in their 70s.

From Oor, the top music magazine in the Netherlands, Google's machine translation of the Dutch text:

https://oor.nl/albums/you-know-we-love-you/

On November 16, 2019, the Golden Earring performed in Ahoy. Nothing indicated that this would be the last performance of the largest and most important Dutch rock band. The band was in shape, had even just released a new single and had a big tour planned for the coming summer. But then came corona and a short time later the message that guitarist / singer George Kooijmans suffers from ALS, which makes it impossible for him to continue playing. Continuing with a replacement after so many years was obviously not an option, so the show in Ahoy appears to have been the farewell performance.

Lucky in an accident is that the performance was recorded in image and sound, so that we can all enjoy that last time. Ahoy was treated to a greatest hits show, as we were used to from the band: a party for young and old. Another 45 Miles, Long Blond Animal, When The Lady Smiles, Twilight Zone, Going To The Run, Radar Love and She Flies On Strange Wings were sung along loudly. Rinus Gerritsen's bass solo and Cesar Zuiderwijk's drum solo were enthusiastically received. Singer Barry Hay looked cool as ever and had a fantastic voice. Their performance proves that rock & roll is the elixir of endless youth. It also shows that in the sixty years that they were active, the Earring had all the links well together: everyone was exceptionally good on their instrument and they had fantastic songs. And every show contained a few surprises. This time, for example, Vanilla Queen from classic Moontan, three songs from the album Face It and the new single Say When. In any case, the band that was on stage at the end of 2019 was still very much alive. The Golden Earring is no longer there and that is a great pity. But up to and including their last performance they were of great class.

From the Dutch magazine Lust For Life, a 5-star rating...and the text is also from Google Translate:

https://lflmagazine.nl/cd-recensies/golden-earring-you-know-we-love-you-recensie

When Golden Earring played in a sold-out Rotterdam Ahoy on November 16, 2019, nothing indicated that this would be the very last performance of the band ever. In fact, the concert agenda for 2020 was already full. We know what followed: first the corona crisis that paralyzed everything and at the beginning of 2021 the dramatic news that George Kooymans was forced to stop due to illness. It also marked the end of the band. More by luck than wisdom, both projected images and sound were preserved. They formed the basis for this impressive document.

The sound is great, the video atmospheric. However, it is mainly the band itself that makes a big impression. While most contemporaries - if still active - stumble to the finish line in a battered composition, the Earring banged again as usual. You Know We Love You! contains energetic and inspired versions of songs like Don't Stop The Show, I Do Rock 'N' Roll, Long Blond Animal and the classics Twilight Zone and Radar Love. The line-up, which had been together for almost fifty years at that time, had not yet surrendered anything musically. Just as the vocals of Barry Hay and George Kooymans had at most a pleasant rough edge. The end was sudden, the occasion very sad. However, this final chord is worthy of this Dutch legend. And try not to get a lump in your throat when you hear George Kooymans sing Hold Me Now again from his toes.

A review published in English, though this is on a Dutch music website with contributors from all over the world:

https://www.headbangerslifestyle.com/music/reviews/review-golden-earring-you-know-we-love-you/

-snip-

With a discography bold as brass, the Dutch band has countless songs to dig from. Golden Earring delivers, as they always did. The band’s intense interaction and timeless music is transferred to their fans instantly. Opening with knuckle busters ,,Don’t Stop The Show” and ,,I Do Rock ‘n Roll” the band shoots into gear. Senior citizens in the meantime, they are living prove age doesn’t matter. Radiating confidence and pleasure, it is a pleasure to watch them perform. The interaction is tremendous, with a crowd going wild. Just check crowd pleasers ,,Another 45 Miles” with George on vocals, and the masterful live cracker ,,Long Blond Animal”. Intense and displaying the band’s key features; Hard rock, memorable melodies, nesting hooks and classic thrive. It rocks hard and it swings with swagger!

Cezar Zuiderwijk’s solid and versatile drumming in combination with Rinus Gerritsen’s dynamic bass playing is the very foundation of the band’s hauling live sound. George’s guitar playing is pristine, laying down snarling riffs and slick melodies, topped off with classy solos. His voice is also in fine form, barely affected by 60 years of gigging and his age, he pitches high and mighty.

,,Twilight Zone” packs energy and swagger, with George singing like in his prime. A rousing arena rocker standing firm and tall 4 decades in. From those successful melodic rocking eighties ,,When The Lady Smiles” and ,,The Devil Made Me Do It” come storming by, displaying their impeccable talents. Arena rockers with modern edge adding a sophisticated lustre to the band’s varied repertoire.

New songs like ,,Liquid Soul” fall into place easily, bearing all typical ingredients of the band. Fused with their wide varied tastes it displays soulful swing and rocking vigour at the same time. The instrumental jam-sections add to it, with Rinus going all in, shaking his head left to right ferociously, pumping out the low groove. Though composed recently, it adds to grandeur of tunes like the 50 years old psychedelic progger ,,Vanilla Queen” (1973). The setlist is constructed around their long spanning career with variety and class.

-snip-

Much more at the link - this album has the complete concert plus DVD, so it's a long review - with the reviewer saying the performance of "Radar Love" was "a masterclass in performing a classic" and concluding, "Underlining their pitch perfect live performance, the added DVD displays the band as a solid rocking machine with intense chemistry and comradery."

EDITING to add video of "Liquid Soul" from that concert - video recorded by a fan and uploaded to Youtube the next day - so you can hear just how good Golden Earring sounded that night, for what sadly turned out to be their final concert.

Btw, although whoever wrote the third review above called it a "new" song, it was from their 1994 album Face It - which was still 33 years after George founded the band, and 29 years after their first Top 10 single.