6. Philadelphia Freedom (Elton John - Live In Lille: 3/17/1986)

Описание: I know that there are many fans of the 1997 tour that have loved the recent uploads, but I am also aware that there are many fans of the 1986 shows, and I need to balance out everything! Lille 1986 is my next upload and I hope you guys enjoy it! I’d like to dedicate this upload to “TheEltonBootlegs” since he absolutely loves this show. This recording is in reasonably good quality (although it sounds a bit distant as audience members are heard throughout) and is nearly 100% complete.

This show is a complete 180 compared with the previously available recording from Barcelona as Elton John’s mental state, vocal deliveries, and piano playing are all in much better shape. While Barcelona was an unfocused and cataclysmic mess of a concert with Elton going off in unplanned directions, this concert from Lille is a way better listening experience and is one of the best documents of the European leg of the Ice On Fire Tour. While not quite up to par with most of his shows from the UK Tour, Elton sounds strong throughout the recording and he aggressively sings the setlist with much of the energy that was displayed during that earlier leg of the tour. The band sound excellent at this show with Charlie Morgan’s drumming especially sounding brilliant and the “big” sound of his drum kit adds so much to the listening experience. Now, time to talk about the performances…

“Tonight” starts off with a coarse voice, but Elton adds some nice piano flourishes in spots and his voice does clear up as the performance goes on. “One Horse Town” has tentative-sounding conservative phrasing which suggests that this was a fairly recent modification to the song’s vocal melody (the lack of early March recordings doesn’t help matters as it’s currently unknown how Elton approached the song between Barcelona and this concert). This conservative delivery will get refined as the tour leg progresses. “Better Off Dead” is full of aggressive overdriven singing like the UK versions, but Elton doesn’t sing the song with nearly as much ease or precision. “Rocket Man” has Elton dodging the first Bb4 falsetto, but goes for all of the other key high notes in the song and his vocal confidence grows as the song progresses. “Philadelphia Freedom” is highlighted by Charlie Morgan’s drumming, the general energy of the musicians on stage, and Elton’s gutsy vocal performance. While not completely clean with his singing in places, Elton does go for the key notes that were skipped on Madrid’s and Barcelona’s performances. “Burn Down The Mission” has a lot of similarities to versions from the UK Tour as Elton confidently sings the song and the aggressive delivery sounds really nice on this version. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” has Elton sounding a bit strained in places and the intonation isn’t 100% throughout, but he still goes for all of the high C5s during the outroduction section. “The Bitch Is Back” is an excellent version as Elton seems to get improved vocal strength and he turns up the overdriven enthusiasm. The rest of the band respond accordingly with their prowess being put on full display. “Song For You” has great soulful phrasing by Elton. “Blue Eyes” has creative vocal moments and a strong mid-range tone which sounds nice. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” is a powerful version with Elton sounding especially inspired during the final chorus. Concluding this section, “Paris” sounds fantastic with Elton singing with gusto and the backing vocals showcasing great harmony work.

“Restless” is an elite version from the era as Elton delivers one of the most spirited vocal performances of the Breaking Hearts opener live and the rest of the band (especially Charlie Morgan, Fred Mandel, and Davey Johnstone) play with absolute fire on this rendition. “Bennie And The Jets” has a great Davey Johnstone solo, funny vocal phrasing in the final chorus, and Elton yelping at the end of the song (which causes him to say: “Oh, my voice”). “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” is full of vocal embellishments and great energy from everybody on stage. “Cry To Heaven” has a very assertive vocal performance from Elton where vocal power is emphasized. “This Town” is sung with grit and Elton and the band get really into the performance. “Nikita” is a really solid performance, but the outroduction vocals sound more forced compared to the versions from the UK leg of the tour. “I’m Still Standing” has Elton nailing Bb4 embellishments left and right while also singing with complete conviction. “Song For Guy” highlights the amazing atmosphere from the audience. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” features fantastic guitar work and Elton going for all three of the “diesel train” C5s. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” has excellent falsetto and Elton delivers the Blue Moves hit single about as strongly as the 1984 versions. Lastly, “Can I Get A Witness” is a spirited end to the concert with Elton and the band doing justice to the Marvin Gaye classic.

ENJOY!!!