13. Paris (Elton John - Live In Paris: 3/22/1986)

Описание: Bonjour, les Amis! I was requested by quite a few people to upload this show and since I have some time on my hands, I shall fulfill my duty! This is a very interesting show overall, and I’m glad to finally upload it and share my thoughts in the synopsis. This recording is made up of three different copies in order to make it as complete as possible. Thanks to “EltonStuff” for sending me “Wrap Her Up” (since my copy cuts out after “Song For Guy”) and a high-gen source is used for the last four songs. Most of the recording is in pretty good quality which is a good thing - since older copies were marred by speed issues and had bad audio fidelity.

This is the longest (available) show on the European Tour with over 130 minutes that are waiting for your listens and comments. With some unique additions to the set-list, and a great audience atmosphere, this show shouldn’t be skipped. With three weeks of shows (from this tour leg) under their belts, the band members are in excellent form with passion and energy being displayed at high levels. Elton is also in pretty good vocal form as he holds up well for the 2+ hour show - although there are signs of impending vocal changes that signal (soon to be) severe damage. While dodging notes isn’t new for this tour leg, Elton is also phrasing lines with modified vowel choices (to make things easier to sing) and there are awkward vocal moments throughout the set where he sounds unstable and doesn’t deliver sections cleanly. Along with sounding a bit fatigued, his vocal timbre has also slightly shifted lower which foreshadows the huskier and deeper voice that would develop by April. Now… time to go through the songs…

“Tonight” is a mixed bag as while Elton’s tone is fairly clean for the opening song, his vocal delivery has an uneasiness about it and he cuts off phrasing. “One Horse Town” has Elton sounding more confident with his delivery when compared with Lille. “Better Off Dead” has Elton sounding a bit tired, but he still delivers the song with an aggressive approach with really compliments Charlie Morgan’s drum work. “Rocket Man” has most of the falsettos attempted, but Elton’s vocal strength isn’t the greatest as he can’t phrase sections with the power he once had, and he cuts off notes in places. “Philadelphia Freedom” has Elton dodging a number of the more demanding notes that were attempted on earlier shows and he delivers the song more cautiously when compared to the Lille version. “Burn Down The Mission” has Elton delivering the song with uneven vocal strength as some sections sound like they’re a bit of a struggle. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” has Elton sounding fragile in places, but he makes it through the song fairly well and the demanding outroduction vocals are still being sung without compromises. “The Bitch Is Back” has Elton really getting into the song as he randomly oversings in spots and he also makes up lyrics early on. “Song For You” has a great vocal delivery as Elton adds some unique touches to the dynamics. “Blue Eyes” has Elton misplacing the lyrics. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” is a solid rendition, although Elton does sound tired in places. “Paris” is a strong version with Elton putting in a great effort on the vocal side of things. “Restless” has some bum notes from the horn section, but the performance is otherwise great with Elton’s overdriven vocals and Davey Johnstone’s guitar solo being highlights. Concluding this section, “Bennie And The Jets” has Elton mumbling in the second verse and the third chorus has hilarious changes to the phrasing.

Elton then has to take an emergency bathroom break (which he apologizes for before the band introduction) so the rest of the band play off-the-cuff versions of “Honky Tonk Women” and “Johnny B. Goode” (where Alan Carvell sings lead vocals). “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” doesn’t have the cleanest intonation in spots, but the energy is there and the band sound excellent on this rendition. “Cry To Heaven” has a couple of odd lyrical flubs. “This Town” sounds great with Elton and the band really getting into the performance. “Nikita” has Elton forcing his voice in the outroduction section, but the rest of the performance is still respectable. “I’m Still Standing” has Elton pushing his voice to the limit while embellishing Bb4s throughout the performance. “Song For Guy” has an amazing atmosphere going for it. “Wrap Her Up” is a fun version with Elton singing the Ice On Fire hit single with a rougher edge and he sounds pretty enthusiastic on the song. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” has amazing falsetto, but Elton flubs the lyrics towards the end. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” has flubbed lyrics, but Elton goes all-out on the vocals and the C5s in the choruses sound strong. “Candle In The Wind” has strange phrasing in the last verse and the outroduction belt sounds rough. Lastly, “Can I Get A Witness” sounds energetic despite Elton not singing at full power.

ENJOY!!!