This review came out following a solo performance by MWP on 2/25/90.
Although he has an entirely different stage persona than (Richard) Thompson, Marty Willson-Piper's performance at the Cat's Cradle was riveting. Piper had originally been scheduled to play the Cradle earlier but was forced to cancel to do a Church video. He returned the Sunday before the last in support of his most recent solo effort, "Rhyme". He emerged onstage clad in a leather jacket and jeans, carrying a 12-string acoustic Takamine. After bantering with the audience a bit and tuning up, he served up some intense offerings from his four solo projects. Each song was carefully crafted with a fastidiously poetic feel. In "St. Germain":
"In 1945 my dear
The Paris summer rain
Camus' thoughts were shining jewels
Floating down the Seine."
Willson-Piper revealed himself a more caustic artist than one might expect after listening to his work with the Church. In answer to an incessant "Freebird" request, he answered: "Allen Collins (former Skynyrd guitarist) and his girlfriend were in an auto wreck about two weeks ago. He contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 37. Now tell me there's a God." Unfortunately for the Cradle crowd, Willson-Piper's appearance was a bit truncated due to the headlining Feelies' impatience to take the stage. While his solo outings usually last two hours, this one was limited to about 50 minutes. Regardless, he raced through classic numbers like "Tip Of My Tongue", "Melody Of The Rain", "Questions Without Answers", and "To Where I Am Now". Although the time was short, the performance rivaled Thompson's in proving the power that great songs can have when offered unadorned, by just a voice and a guitar.
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