J. GEILS HOWLIN’ AT THE MOON

Why is Peter Wolf running in circles around the darkened stage, before the J. Geils Band is announced and the spotlights focus in on him?

Most likely it’s because he’s nervous — but it does still provide a handy metaphor for the situation in which Wolf and Co. find themselves lately.

For four albums, each snowballing into something a little bigger than the last, the most common criticism levelled against the band was that it just continued, over and over and over again, to do the same thing. So they try something slightly different with Ladies Invited. And reaction from critic and consumer alike indicates that it’s the closest thing to a flop they’ve ever done.

So now they come up with Nightmares, strictly back in the jivin’ funk ’n’ flash groove, and it is arguably their best since Full House... the same, but better. Wolf has really come into his own as a singer. They’re as in demand as ever on the boogie circuit, yet in many respects they are right back where they started.