11. Sad Songs (Say So Much) (Elton John - Live In Worcester: 11/4/1984)

Описание: For the people who were around my channel back in the early days, you may recognize the date of this concert. For the newer subscribers who are hearing this show for the first time on my channel, you are in for a fun listening experience! This is an upgraded radio broadcast copy of Elton John’s 2nd of three Worcester shows from November 1984, and the quality is absolutely fantastic. The sound is crisp, the fidelity is great, and the stereo mix is brilliant. You can easily pick out all of the instruments and even can tell which guitar parts Fred Mandel is playing on certain numbers! This broadcast is also complete (“Philadelphia Freedom” was not performed at this show), so there is 110 minutes of high-quality audio waiting to be listened to on whatever device you choose!

This slightly infamous show from late 1984 is known for Elton’s extremely rough-sounding singing, stoned disposition, and general amusement throughout the recording. Compared to the previous Worcester concert, Elton sounds much rougher vocally, and his tone has a semi-shot characteristic to it that has elements of his late 1986 voice when he had serious vocal problems. Although his range is mostly intact, Elton strains on a lot of his upper register notes and his tone can get somewhat unpleasant at times. His soft tone is also a bit ragged which doesn’t help out the songs that require softer singing (like some of the ballads). In contrast, the rest of the band sound fantastic at this show with the audio quality really bringing out the instrumentation. Now, time to strain myself through these performances!

“Tiny Dancer” doesn’t exactly have the most pleasing vocal tone from Elton as he sounds ragged throughout the performance. “Levon” has Elton giggling during the first verse, botching the lyrics in the first pre-chorus, and generally forcing and overdriving his way through the vocal melodies. “Li’l ‘Frigerator” features strained vocals (especially in the choruses), but at least Elton (mostly) remembers the words and the guitar work is top notch. “Rocket Man” has sour intonation and a coarse tone from Elton, but the improvisational section contains some creative musicianship. “Daniel” has Elton getting through the song, but the band performance is the highlight overall. “Restless” has Elton straining and overdriving his voice throughout the performance and some of his intonation is off. “Candle In The Wind” highlights Elton’s vocal issues as his softer tone is affected and he has a bit of trouble singing the ending embellishment. “The Bitch Is Back” is a rocking version with the guitar work being absolutely top notch. Elton delivers the song with so much overdrive that I’m surprised that he didn’t hemorrhage his vocal cords! “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” has Elton sounding rough and the last chorus has him straining his voice to its limit. “Who Wears These Shoes” has growling galore, but the energy from everybody on stage comes through nicely on the recording. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” has Elton losing his place in spots, but the band stay composed and solider on. Concluding this section, “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” is one of the worst versions from the prime live era as Elton’s voice can’t handle the strain and breaks down in a couple of spots.

“Bennie And The Jets” is a special version as Elton pays tribute to “Crosby, Stills & Nash” in the first chorus, sounds incredibly rough throughout the performance, does unhealthy-sounding growling whenever he gets a chance, and does “vomit phrasing” at the end of the last chorus. “Blue Eyes” showcases why it’s not a good idea to slightly blow out your voice as Elton’s soft tone has a rasp to it which doesn’t sound good on this song. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” has lovely sounding growling and overdrive which “ncf1” will most likely enjoy. “Kiss The Bride” has very harsh singing and Elton painfully thrashes his voice throughout. “One More Arrow” is one of the worst versions as Elton’s soft tone is thrashed and his voice gives out in a couple of spots. “I’m Still Standing” has very rough vocals that slightly resemble versions from late 1986 and the Reg Tour. In contrast, Davey sounds brilliant on this rendition of the song. “Your Song” features Elton playing bum chords, pushing his voice too hard for its condition, and generally sounding rough. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” has Elton avoiding some of the higher notes in the chorus sections, does drop phrasing in the last chorus, and growls his way through the entire performance. In contrast, the ending jam sounds amazing with the broadcast quality. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is the worst version from the tour as Elton can barely make it through the song and actually stops singing when the demanding falsetto parts come up. Lastly, “Crocodile Rock” features rough singing and that lovely baritone phrasing in a couple of places!

ENJOY!!!