Eddie Money: Just another attempted comeback?

While Wilmington does not have its own music amphitheater, like Walnut Creek or a popular chain stage like House of Blues, it's close enough to these attractions for residents to enjoy the benefits of them.

On Feb. 6, Eddie Money, currently on tour, will be showcased at Myrtle Beach's trendy House of Blues. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are currently on sale at the House of Blues' website (http://www.hob.com).

"I'm not sure if a re-make of old songs is going to give him a comeback or not," freshman Crystal Groover said. "I would think that doing new stuff of his own would be more likely to generate a comeback-granted if the material was decent."

Eddie Money has had his share of ups and downs in his career in the music industry. Whether this time around will be an up or a down is still to be decided by his fans.

Money is currently on tour to promote his newest album titled "Wanna Go Back."

Billboard commented, "Eddie Money is going back to the future-literally."

The album is composed of songs now considered oldies. The Foundations' "Baby Now That I Found You" and Jackie Wilson's "Higher & Higher" are retooled by Money himself.

Money's daughter was able to make her singing debut on the album by doing a duet with her father in their rendition of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

Money was born in New York City as Edward Mahoney. In high school, Money began singing in rock bands, much to his parents' dismay, and continued to do so until he was able to relocate to the Bay Area. There his hair was allowed to grow long and he was able to sing about what he wanted. Soon he became a low-key fixture in the San Francisco music scene. He changed Mahoney into Money and went back to the city in 1977.

He was quickly thrust into stardom. The band backing him at the time had musicians straight from working with the Steve Miller Band's "Keep On Rocking Me, Baby."

Money's first singles were "Baby, Hold On" and "Two Tickets To Paradise."

They both were in the Top 40 of 1978's charts and allowed Money to be the opening band for the touring Santana.

After putting out two more albums and throwing in a couple more tours, Money disappeared from the public in late 1980. The rumors centered on a drug problem and this time they were correct.

About a year and a half later, in 1982, Money did an interview with Rolling Stone to account for his absence.

He followed with a slew of albums that failed to generate any of Money's early heat. He was criticized for being out of style with the "tunage" of the 1980s.

After his somewhat failed attempts, Money put together several renditions of Greatest Hits albums; these had mediocre success in the market.

Don Morrow, a Wilmington resident and avid rock listener, claims, "Eddie won't just play his new songs at the concert; older bands when on tour for a new album know that fans come to hear their familiar stuff. So they end up playing a mix-the same thing occurred at last October's Steve Miller Band concert at Legion Stadium."

Despite the recent downs of Money's career, it can be argued that the most disappointing to date would be the exclusion of any of his hits in the Guitar Hero video games and even the Rock Band games.

"'Take Me Home Tonight' would have probably been a good song to rock out to on Guitar Hero, but I guess that Money's style is much too pop than rock," freshman Brittany York said.

"We'll just have to wait and see whether this is really a comeback or not," Groover said.