POP MUSIC REVIEW : Gilley’s Show Registers .01 on Richter

There was a whole lot of shakin’ going on all over the Southland on Monday--everywhere, that is, but at the Crazy Horse Steak House.

While aftershocks from the 6.6 San Fernando Valley earthquake continued to shake Southern California on Monday night, Mickey Gilley barely dented the seismic scale during his 95-minute set.

During most of the show, he emphasized the smooth crossover country of his post-”Urban Cowboy” days, rather than the early freewheeling piano-pounding style that he borrowed from his irrepressible cousin Jerry Lee Lewis.

Even Gilley’s version of Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” was at best akin to a mild tremor, as the nondescript seven-piece Urban Cowboy Band and duo of gyrating female backup singers sapped it of all impact.

Gilley did manage to generate more energy on “Honky Tonk Wine,” a number from the soundtrack of the film “Urban Cowboy,” which was filmed at the now-closed Pasadena, Tex., nightclub that bore Gilley’s name.

During that song, Gilley cut loose on the keyboards with the pumping boogie-woogie piano sound that Lewis perfected.

Most of the numbers in Gilley’s 21-song set, however, were in his smooth, early-’80s country-pop style. Gilley skillfully finessed such poignant ballads as “You Don’t Know Me,” “Room Full of Roses” and “That’s All That Matters.”

His medley of three No. 1 hits, “Talk to Me,” “Lonely Nights” and “Put Your Dreams Away,” was especially effective because each song segued into the next to tell a story.

Gilley handled the songs with an easy charm and injected just enough passion to suggest his affinity for the blues. He undercut the emotion of some of the more tender numbers, however, by mugging at the audience even during the most evocative lyrics.

Using a small electric keyboard rather than his trademark grand piano, Gilley prowled the stage during most of his numbers. Although most of his stage patter was obviously canned, Gilley communicated with his fans so directly that even a hackneyed joke that dated back to the presidential election still managed to generate a laugh. His favorite targets were his two notorious cousins, Lewis and evangelist Jimmy Swaggart.

Gilley packed plenty of entertainment into his early show, which was generously long considering that he had a second set to perform. He sang 21 songs and talked leisurely to the audience between numbers.

He belted out 11 of his 17 No. 1 hits but avoided being too predictable by including some lesser-known album cuts and a couple of cover tunes.

*

In addition to his version of Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire,” Gilley acknowledged his Louisiana roots--like the Killer, he’s also from Ferriday--with a rendition of the traditional Cajun stomper “Diggy Liggy Lo.”

Gilley’s Urban Cowboy Band bathed every number in lush instrumentation but showed little personality. Few of the band members took solos, and the spotlight remained on Gilley and his piano all evening.

The exception was the two backup singers (he referred to them as “The Lonely Ladies”), whose distracting gyrations and grimaces even during the more emotional songs gave the show a Las Vegas touch.