Bryan Adams is one of those musicians that just seems to have been around forever. It’s hard to think back to a decade when he wasn’t making music and he’s managed to revive his career countless times, all the while still having one of karaoke’s most go-to songs (“Summer of 69”). His latest live record, “Wembley Live 1996” holds more than a few hints at why he’s still touring today.
The two-disc is a great snapshot of his career, the good and the bad. Songs like “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Kids Wanna Rock” and “Somebody” have all held up remarkably well despite decades of music trends and fads that have all come and gone since those songs last charted. On the other hand, some of the tracks from his soundtrack years, like “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” (Don Juan DeMarco) and “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You” (Prince of Thieves), haven’t aged well at all and come off a little too corny next to some of Adams’ bona fide rockers.
This London show was recorded at the end of Adams’ “18 Til I Die” tour, so along with a slew of classics and solid covers (“I Fought the Law,”) it also hosts a number of songs from this album that likely (hopefully) never made a set list after this show, like the groan-worthy “I Wanna Be Your Underwear”. Aside from a few missteps, overall, it’s a impressive collection and his interaction with the crowd and their overwhelming approval is proof that decades into his career, Adams shouldn’t hang up the mic anytime soon.
Bryan Adams – Wembley Live 1996/24 tracks/Eagle Records & Universal/ 2017 / https://twitter.com/bryanadams / https://twitter.com/eaglerocknews