POP MUSIC REVIEW : Cannibals--Off the Record

Now we know why the Fine Young Cannibals took three years between tours.

The British trio has recorded some of the most extraordinarily inviting dance-rock of the ‘80s, but the group demonstrated a surprisingly lack of authority Wednesday night at the Starlight Bowl.

It’s not that the show lacked appeal. Roland Gift, the Cannibals’ sexy lead singer, generated enough sensual heat to keep lots of hearts aflutter, and the band’s punchy rhythms kept feet moving. The band’s large, integrated (sexually and racially) cast also gave the evening an encouraging aura of affirmative action.

But Gift was far from the dynamic figure you’d expect after hearing the Cannibals’ records or seeing his videos or films (he was widely praised for small roles in “Sammy and Rosie Get Laid” and “Scandal”).

Part of the problem may be that old rock ‘n’ roll nemesis: unreasonable expectations.

There has been a hint of greatness surrounding the Cannibals ever since the group surfaced in 1985 with an album that included a show-stopping version of Elvis Presley’s smoldering hit “Suspicious Minds.”

You don’t take on a classic Presley track--and win praise for it--unless you’ve got lots of spunk and talent, and the Cannibals seemed to be a rare band with both. The debut album also contained some compelling, heartfelt originals about economic and romantic disappointments, including “Johnny Come Home” and the especially affecting “Blue.”

There was even more reason to think of the Cannibals as a major contender earlier this year when they delivered some of the most engaging pop-rock of the ‘80s in their long-awaited second album, “The Raw & the Cooked.”

The collection, which went to No. 1 last summer on the national pop charts, offered a marvelous blend of ‘60s soul traces--both Motown and Stax--and contemporary dance sensibilities, spinning off three noteworthy hit singles, including “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Don’t Look Back.”

As if expectations surrounding the threesome’s first tour in three years weren’t high enough, the Cannibals’ supporting act, the lively and playful Tom Tom Club, raised them even higher Wednesday.

Near the end of the Club’s 45-minute set, lead singer and bassist Tina Weymouth teased the capacity crowd at the 4,000-seat Bowl by describing Gift--already known for his strong screen presence--as the sexiest man this side of soul great Al Green.

Gift’s vocal style--a distinctive, sometimes jagged mix of sharp cries and extended sighs--is far from the smooth, silky approach of Green, but he is a remarkably persuasive vocalist: one of the few active artists who can be fairly linked with such early, soul-accented notables as Green, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.

As a performer, however, Gift reflects little of the electricity or passion of Green and the others. Gift moved about much of the time Wednesday somewhat stiffly--striking, in his worst moments, clumsy matador poses and looking at times as if he was trying to demonstrate swimming techniques on dry land.

The problem may be inexperience. If they are going to ever match the vitality and punch of the records, the Cannibals probably need to spend less time in the studio (guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele have been busy as record producers) and in front of the camera.

There were times when Gift did reflect the spirit and tension of the music, chiefly during slower songs (“Funny How Love Is” and “I’m Not the Man”) when he tended to be more subdued--either sitting on a stool or standing by the microphone and avoiding the rather pedestrian dance steps.

If the presentation itself was off-center, the music remained generally splendid--a steady, persuasive beat that kept most of the crowd on its feet the entire hour.

The tour also benefits from a warm celebration of sexual and racial harmony. Four of the 11 musicians and singers (including Cox and Steele, both former English Beat members) are white, while the rest (including Gift) are black. Several of the Cannibals’ six female vocalists were also creatively involved in the show’s instrumental side, moving between various keyboards and percussion instruments on numerous tunes.

The backup singers, billed as the Mint Juleps, also opened the show with an agreeable 30-minute a cappella set. The Juleps and the Tom Tom Club (recently reviewed at length in these pages) will also be with the Cannibals tonight at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Saturday and Sunday at the Universal Amphitheatre and Tuesday at the Santa Barbara County Bowl.

Before the Cannibals took the stage Wednesday, the band played a recording of the old Alfred Hitchcock TV show theme over the sound system. The playful move may have been a sly jab at the expectations level--the “mystery” of just how this band would be live. But the real mystery is whether the band will eventually be able to narrow the gap between what it delivers on record and what it delivers on stage.