One of the advantages of a solo acoustic performance is that it leaves nowhere to hide. No elaborate production, no backing band, no lighting tricks and no volume to overwhelm the audience. All that remains are the songs and the person responsible for writing them. In Richard Marx' case, that turns out to be more than enough.
Touring in support of his forthcoming album Songwriter, Marx spends the evening moving between guitar and piano while revisiting a catalogue that is far larger than many casual listeners might realize. Beyond the hits that made him a household name, his songwriting credits extend to artists as diverse as Vixen, Kenny Rogers, Luther Vandross, NSYNC, Barbra Streisand and Olivia Newton-John. Presented in this stripped-down format, the breadth of that achievement becomes impossible to ignore.
The music itself is excellent, but what elevates the evening beyond a simple greatest-hits recital is Marx's gift for storytelling. Between songs, he shares anecdotes from decades in the music industry, fields audience questions and occasionally indulges spontaneous requests from the crowd. The atmosphere feels less like a conventional concert and more like an evening spent in the company of an exceptionally talented raconteur who happens to have written an extraordinary number of hit songs.
It had been twelve years since Marx last performed in France, coincidentally at this very venue, and the packed Alhambra reflected the affection his audience still holds for him. The setlist ranged freely across his career, balancing major hits with deeper cuts and compositions better known through other performers. "Endless Summer Nights" remains as effective as ever, while songs such as "Crazy," first recorded by Kenny Rogers, offered a reminder of just how often Marx's songwriting found its way onto other artists' records. Dedicated fans were rewarded with less obvious selections like "My Confession" and "Through My Veins," which were greeted enthusiastically by the audience.
The evening closed with "Don't Mean Nothing" and the inevitable "Right Here Waiting," sung back to the stage by a crowd that clearly would have welcomed another hour of music. Then again, that reaction is hardly surprising. When stripped down to their essentials, great songs tend to reveal themselves quickly. Richard Marx has an entire evening's worth.
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