Johnny Mathis can be damn near perfect when he wants to be. I know. I've seen it for myself in person and on television.
Mathis has spoiled me rotten. I've gotten to where I expect nothing less than perfection for $75 a seat, anymore. And why not? Lowering the performance standards doesn't do the performer or the audience any good. Nobody needs to spend $35-$125 a seat to see someone up on stage struggling. When I see him, I want him to SHINE, baby! And I don't just mean the hair pomade, either!
Should I expect less because he's older? No way! Why should I? Witness: 1993, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Songs: I'm In Love for the Very First Time, The Way She Makes Me Feel. He was 58 years old when he had 'em standing in their chairs at the NBC studios. Witness: 1997, Carnegie Hall. Mathis was 61 years old. He took the audience by their collective balls and held them tight for three solid hours at Carnegie Hall. Witness: 1998, Regis and Kathie Lee he polished the stage in perfect register at age 63 and in imminent need of hip replacement surgery. Sorry, man, age is no excuse; this senior delivers!
Good thing, too. Being raised on rock music, I can attest to the fact that there's nothing worse than loving a song on record only to have the performing artist go on the air or in concert and screw it up. Some folks love live recordings because they are nothing like the studio recording. Similarly, some folks HATE live recordings because they are nothing like the studio recording. Me, I fall in the latter category.
If, heaven forbid, Johnny Mathis were to stop putting out quality performances, what would he gain? A considerable drop in self-esteem, I'd imagine. No performer worth his salt would tolerate a deterioration in his performance for long. Mathis prides himself on perfecting his craft. He knows the pressures of performance. He told Parade magazine, "when they come to see me, the magic has to be there". He knows what he has to do.
Mathis is 63-years old (as of fall 1998). He's old enough to get his hotel room at half-price, draw Social Security, and get his driver's license for free. He's extremely well-off, and has no need to perform in concert at all. Does it not make sense that the few times when he does make an appearance, whether on TV or the stage, that he be at his best? Of course it does.
When I lose the need for Mathis to be flawless in concert, or on TV, or even on record, what is gained? What happens when we allow the mistakes to come through, to overlook them, to wave them off, pooh-poohing them? What do we gain when we accept mediocrity as normal? What does Mathis lose or gain when he allows his name to be associated with an inferior product, like a Christmas video that could have been done oh-so-much better? Do I really need to pay good money to see somebody being human? I mean, it's not like I'm taking him to raise for three hours.
Is there anything wrong with wanting to see your favorite performer in the best possible light? I think not. I mean, to my view, the man who cares so much about the quality of his performance and how he's seen on TV should never even have agreed to lip-synching his own songs, especially when he doesn't sound the same as he did 30 years ago, especially since he still does these songs so well in concert with his present-day voice. Somebody, who had the final say in producing that video, didn't have enough confidence in the way Mathis sounds today to trust that he would give a top-notch performance even on tape! They apparently just figured, well, the fans will get to see Mathis' pretty face in these cute little sketches and they won't even notice about the voiceovers. Yeah, right.It's a great example of a great idea turned sour, and unfortunately it's as if they don't care that Mathis' good name is a joke.
I believe when people see the name Mathis, they should think "quality". They shouldn't think of bad wine gift sets, or cheesy, seemingly-slapped-together videos. Mathis' name should at the very least be in the same class as, say, the Mercedes he drives. Mathis IS class. Mathis IS style. Mathis IS the Gold Standard. Mathis IS.
Happily, when most people do well to see him once every other year, the chances are few that the audience catches him on a bad night: when he's got a cold, or indigestion, or his medications are getting to him. Nine times out of ten, Mathis is spot-on when he's on stage.
Mathis once told Rolling Stone magazine that he desired to show the people who don't normally attend his shows or listen to his music "what real performance is." Mathis does that and so much more, you betcha.
Well, there was that time in Dallas...but, I'm now convinced that was surely a fluke. In Oklahoma City, that perfection came through like gangbusters, even in spite of the surroundings. His part of the concert was short; but if that's what it takes to hear the Mathis I've been trained to hear, so be it.
Mathis is a dyed-in-the-wool professional. He knew what it'd be like when he got into this game. He's the one who made me realize what a perfect vocal performance could be, just like he said he would. No way will I expect less than sheer brilliance. Not since I've seen just how perfect he can be, even now. For me, he'd better do more than just look good on stage! No way!
It's his own fault, he's been too damn good for too long.
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