'Standing Here For All The World To See'

Anyone of this fair isle, unless they've been in a coma for the last two weeks or back from their holidays on Mars, can't fail to have noticed the continuing saga (thankfully now over) of the on/off 5 night stand. Those who luckily were oblivious to all the mind numbing shenanigans just Google Garth Brooks, Croke Park and Dublin City Council. Best of luck on that one.

The reason I broached that subject and quickly sent you on your way elsewhere for more information was for a few relevant reasons. This time 20 years ago the very first Face To Face shows started in the US. During that run they did a 5 nighter at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey. With a licence to thrill, both legally and artistically. I bet they passed off without a hitch...thankfully I was lucky enough to see this style of show in Croke Park in 1998 when they did two dates there. Again hitchless. The other reason being, at this is the most crucial one, the whole fiasco is beyond words from me at this point. And has very little to do with this blog.

Anyway, from that tour I had on the (only) soundboard recording that recently became available. The Philadelphia show from early on is of impeccable quality.

The band lineup Elton had at the time...

Charlie Morgan - drums

Bob Birch -bass

Guy Babylon - keyboards

Ray Cooper  - percussion

Davey Johnstone - guitars

...is one of the best ever. They were real tight as the newer men (at the time) had really settled into their roles. The live sound was starting to come back to it's full glory after some very dodgy years. The Roland toy had been dumped...into a very deep hole I hope...and the backing singers who at times were too flashy and showy had also been bid farewell. Elton using the Yamaha for the first time on a band show sounded like a man set free. It sounded right to the audience and no doubt Elton was finding he finally had an 88 that matched his demands. His voice at this time is one of my favourite era's He still had the light and airiness (when he looked for it) of pre-operation with the newer lower register than was still perfectly balanced. 

I don't want to do a complete review of the 3 CD set...non-Billy fans will be reaching for the off button...but I'll list some of the highlights from Elton's set.

Levon - An extremely tight and vibrant version. The outro is devoid of the sped up technique used for the last dozen years or so. Instead we have a more steady jam, one where Bob increases the weight but resists the temptation to really kick on. That potenntially unfilling but ultimately satisfying lingering right to the end being a critical key. You can just imagine Charlie wanting to kick on, but Elton holds firm!

Rocket Man - An incredibly breezy version, it just flows out of Elton like a gentle running tap. The outro is pure improv, both from Elton and the band. There's a part on it where Elton does a funky little riff that develops with Davey (having already done his acoustic to electric switch) suddenly ramps it up with one his most aggressive lines that results in bursting point. An terrific moment.

Simple Life/The One - Charlie's regimented drumming is beautifully complimented the by the loose tambourine ryhthms that Ray flips out. The One is almost standstill, a freeze frame of sound that still ticks along withoiut you realising your moving. An incredible 10 minutes or so of fluctuating vibrancy. Not the last of course during Elton's set of that duration or freedom of exclamation.

New York State Of Mind - When Elton covers most other people songs they work great. But this isn't great, it's grandiose in the extreme. He nails the phrasing, one of the highlights of the song, perfectly. Guy gets the arrangement spot on and Davey's guitar solo, replacing the sax solo on the original, is immaculate. It's gritty, determined with no lack of melody 

Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - If ever a case study was needed to prove why the Roland was junk and had to be replaced, then the intro here would make the open and shut case watertight. The versions with said toy sounded tinny and hollow. Whereas here in 1994 we had a live version where the proper depth to that brilliant intro is fully realised. The full majesty of it restored. Even Davey on the Steinberger, a guitar for me that has less good moments than bad, sounds great. The grinding sound of it carrying the message perfectly. Ray on the timpani is obscene...he beats them into submission. Guy plays all the proper synth parts and the great balance of the soundboard recording means all contributions are pitch perfect. The outro is it's usual combination of speed and design.

'Million Dollar Piano - DVD Review'

Continuing the recent trend of new arrivals, the DVD release of the Million Dollar Piano show is next to be scrutinised. What delights do we get this time...on this review I'm not going to do any close scrutiny of the show itself. I did that on the review of the cinema release last March. My opinion of it hasn't changed since then. What I'll focus on is the bonus material and any bits of the main feature that became clearer in focus upon repeated viewings.

The DVD including bonus features runs to 155 minutes. A fairly long running time considering it's a single disc. A couple of striking things emerge from watching the DVD as opposed to the cinema release. The sound for starters is a vast improvement. It had to be, anything less would have been mono. It's sharper with a greater punch, mixed far better and the 5.1 surround configuration (on which I watched it at home) shows us what was sadly lacking in the picture house. I would have thought at the very least they've had that basic Dolby surround for the theatrical version. It's absence lessened the experience of what it should and could have been. Hopefully in the future that anomaly will be corrected for similar films. 

The picture mix however is still comical. I watched the DVD about half a dozen times over the weekend and I'm now slightly confused as to what they were trying to achieve. During every song bar one, more on it later, the picture mashup suggests more than one show was filmed. Probably two at least, maybe more. The best evidence of that is Elton's hair switches back and forth from tousled fringe to a sharply combed down position. This happens during the space of a single line in a song. Yet the audio is seamlessly mixed. Assuming of course they mixed the corresponding audio and picture. I think they may have used a single audio version and remixed the pictures from multiple shows. Whatever the reason it's a bizarre tread running the length of the performance. Except during Saturday Night's Alright. It's taken from one performance, the presence of the crowd on stage meant it would be impossible to recut. Makes you wonder why they did it for the rest of the show if they could do it for that one song. Apart from that oddity, it doesn't detract from the performance.

Now on to the bonus material. The making of segment has been available already on a version of The Diving Board released in the US last year. It's very short, less than 25 minutes, but still delves behind the scenes and into the machine that is Blossom. The clips of the workshop are very interesting, the fabrication part is truly a work of delicacy and precision. Yet that fine art has to have ruggedness and comfort. That sense of comfort never more clearly evident than manicured keys. That's right, the piano keys are individually filed and shaped to receive Elton's fingers with greater comfort. There's plenty of input from the main protagonists, including the late Mark Fisher whose concept was realised in all it's glory. The set design being a classy collision of regal pomp and religious glory. The development from the piano upwards and outwards to complete the full spectacle is detailed in depth by various facilitators. 

The rest of the bonus material is a bit of a disc filler I think. The Kiev show was widely available on the unofficial market as soon it was broadcast in June 2012. EJ.com released it officially through the Rocket Club recently. Yet we get 4 tracks from it, making it two versions of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me on the disc. Anybody familiar with this period on the Elton timeline will know poor old Bob Birch was suffering. No need to elaborate here on all that. But to see him sitting there when he was clearly under stresses we can't imagine was sad and almost distressing. It's a curious show to have chosen from to tack on a few extra tracks. The main feature is a glorious tribute to him when he was still in his groove. You could see he was enjoying the Vegas show, the Kiev one not so much. Same goes for this particular viewer for both shows.

Overall it's an excellent showing off of the show in Vegas. It's a pity that Hey Ahab or even Empty Garden couldn't have been included but as I intimated earlier events meant that anything filmed after summer 2012 would have been impossible to tie in with the existing footage. The better sound mix really makes the home viewing experience a far more satisfying moment. It's a terrific performance overall...thankfully what stays in Vegas doesn't always stay under wraps!!

'Silent Movies, Talking Pictures'

'Elton John Showbook - New 2014 Tour Programme'

It's always good to get a new Elton item...the newer the better...and they don't come much fresher off the production line than the new tour book.

I love collecting the tour books, my collection isn't yet complete (will it ever be!) but it's almost there. They are a great snapshot from the visual point of view of the wonderful pictures and the contemporary narrative they contain of where Elton was at that point in time of his career. Always exquisitely produced, they are items to treasure.

Thanks to the angel of the north, I've been able to get my little mits on one right now. The wait till December this year wasn't an option! And waited we have for a new one. The last edition was in 2011, a grand affair that was befitting of all those inside it. However, life can change overnight as it did suddenly in 2012. Bob's passing and Matt's arrival was a significant moment on the Elton timeline. However, the powers that be didn't get the memo on that and up to quite recently...earlier this year in fact...were still selling the old edition. No need to explain to anybody reading this blog the total disregard at best, insensitivity at worst for that state of affairs. Thankfully the penny fell and equilibrium has been restored.  

The new edition, entitled 'Elton John Showbook' is a large square sized book in keeping with recent versions. The cover has a mock vinyl record type cover that may play...but that would mean cutting it up to find out. Inside it's lavished with new photos from the current tour. This is important as it includes Elton and the band in action on the new stage design. That bang up to date aspect makes it feel incredibly current. Excellently photographed, Elton having a keen eye for the odd photo will no doubt appreciate their stunning capturing. There's a brief bio text of Elton from John F. Higgins. Bernie has a piece dedicated to him...by none other than Mrs. Taupin. It's a general oversight from her with some personal insights. A man of many talents is our Bernie and she leaves us in no doubt as to what his capabilities are. 

The band are featured prominently...as is proper order...with Matt finally getting his dues paid. His mention of Bob is a touching connection with the immediate past. 

Ray Cooper also features with two pages dedicated to him. 

This is where the multi purpose aspect of the new book comes into focus. It mentions that some or all of the featured musicians may or may not appear. So the new book will be around for a while yet it seems. It's one size fits all edict will cover band, solo or Ray shows. A Ray show...hopefully more than a promise and more of a treat.

Overall it's typical of the standard we've come accustomed to over the years, it's value for money on any day of the week. A colourful souvenir of a colourful performace. An interesting aspect is the fact there's no advert for The Diving Board. But one for the Million Dollar Piano DVD. As I mentioned earlier, life can move on very quickly. One interesting footnote to end on is a 'where are they now' question has been answered. Under the title of tour road merchandising sales is Chris Thomas. Who knew...

'Look At Dolly, She Did It Right'

Over the weekend we had a couple of great sets from what can only be best described as fitting into the categories of late 60's (not the decade) and being a diva. Yes, Elton. And no, not Elton.

Glastonbury has always been of those strangely all together type events. A rag tag mixed bag that are usually climate experts by the end of the weekend. Due to it's inherent attraction of rain over the years. I always try to catch bits of it on TV or radio over the three days, the benefits of onlining means that you can pick and mix the best bits without having to sit through the music version of the test card. All colour and nothing interesting happening soundwise. The World Cup has grabbed my attention soley recently so it was good to divert for a while.

The reason I'm conjuring up the mysticism of Glastonbury, because it is by all accounts a slightly kooky venue at the worst never mind the great times, is to make the case as to why Elton should be first on the list of Michael Eavis's (the organiser) list for next year. Whether it be headlining or doing the legends slot (careful) at tea time as is now the norm. During the last decade Elton had some not kind words for the event, hopefully that outburst didn't burn any bridges to the part of the countryside. He gave an interview over the weekend lamenting the fact he's never been asked to play it. I wonder why that is. Elton has certainly developed an appetite for the festival diet again. Bestival last year and Bonnaroo this year being the major appearances. Maybe he only plays those with a 'B' at the start of it is name. Whatever the reasons why or why not, it's gotta be on the bucket list (awful phrase). Lets see why there and not where he was over the last weekend...

Anybody who picked up any sort of news information device this morning won't have failed to notice how Dolly Parton shepherded in nearly a a quarter of a million souls and corralled them for an hour. She wouldn't be my cup of tea, all that fake bona mie stuff has to be act. Hasn't it? The music is a bit glam for my taste. But is that the cliche? The whole thing on paper kinda doesn't work. But work it did in practice. Check out the reviews if you haven't seen them. The deal with Glastonbury is the tickets are sold before the acts are announced. Because of that high degree of security etc. it's very unlikely the diehards will have infiltrated in large numbers. If at all. So the crowd is a tough one. But if you do your 'thing' without straying from the laid out script then you're on the way to winning the battle. Whether it be mimed or not. A predominately (though not exclusively) young crowd who won't take any messing. Daphne and Celeste made a fortune at the bottle bank, didn't they. Though here on this blog we can't condone such behaviour. Glass is very expensive in today's market. The surprise element for both parties is a terrific spark. More than fireworks ignited, for sure.

The crowd at Glastonbury always strike me as one who will probably have a good time even if the stages weren't there. But as they are there, they will want feeding from them occasionally. So you gotta do your weekend best or you're toast. Look at the run down of this years list and it's a veritable A-Z of the current, past and the future. There's no bracketing, no pigeon holing. If you're good, you're on. If not, you do something else for the weekend. It's a hardcore, back to the people type exercise. If Dolly can do it, then there's no reason why others of a similar persuasion can't.

Further east on the Saturday night Elton was doing his thing. This time in a solo setting. A rare type of show nowadays, a chance to show off the lesser cuts. Except not this time. What it did end up was an 18 song set that was devoid of The Diving Board songs. A type of show we were told by those who claim to be clued into this type of thing that was to be the very environment where these things would appear. Except they didn't. So any inference of it being some grandiose moment to perform songs from the album evaporated. The event at Stoke Park was a lavishly over priced occasion (for charity I believe, but that still doesn't mean rip offs can be allowed) that was the polar opposite of the above event. Posh nosh and champers were the order of the day. A luxury location that the prices reflected. Except it poured rain and a shorter set than normal was the ultimate reward for the hardy annuals. So rather than commanding a restless sea of humanity, it was Daniel (for the millionth time) being played with rain drops in the eyes. And slowly flattening champers.

As I alluded to earlier, at this stage of things everybody, anybody and a lot of nobodies have played Glastonbury over the years. The gaping omission at this stage is Elton. These upper echelon type events, where it's almost a dinner party on a large scale in the uncertain outdoors, are all fine and dandy in their place. But he should be pitching up his tent (naughty) in the west country and giving a stellar, possibly late live career defining moment. Hold on, I hear my readers say. We all know great he is live!! That's not the point. The point is, as Dolly showed, you turn up to an unsuspecting and unknowing crowd, catch them, tame them and then do with them what you please. I suspect all this could be done in the space of Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. After that, they have been assumed. 

The solo show at Stoke Park was quite all right in it's own time and place. But when Elton mentioned Glastonbury in the aforementioned interview it said more to me than what it appeared to say. He turned up to play a venue that didn't sell out by any stretch of the imagination whereas he could have been commanding a whole legion of listeners. Rather than a comparatively small company. The clash of both these contrasting shows and the style that they emit couldn't be more harsh. An unlikely old timer basically stealing the show from a list of acts as long as your arm. Elton on the other hand does a shortened set at hugely inflated ticket prices. The event was for a worthwhile charity, but it's the contrast I mentioned earlier. What's wrong too is the location. It's alludes this air of exclusivity and disconnect from the average fan. The ticket prices confirm that. It all seems too safe and cosy on some levels. Promoters and advisers are badly directing and catching the mood all wrong. 

Elton at this stage won't stray from the setlist to any great degree. So why not take it to the biggest and most watched festival on Earth? And expose it to virtually a whole new audience. Elton has dipped the toe back into the festival pool, no matter how many he plays over the next few years none will touch Glastonbury. Both for prestige and plain old entertainment. He's obviously itching to do more dates of this type. I'd say the itch to do Glastonbury is one than frequently, especially at this time of the year, decides to boil up. If or when he plays it, then he will sweep all the old cliches and stereotypes that the man in the street who works 9 to 5 has become accustomed to over the years to one side. Whatever time he comes on stage at, it will have a massive television audience supplemented by those online. Come on Elton, see what Dolly did. She did it right!!

'All Is Not Quiet On The World Cup Front'

Elton with the home shirt of Atlético Mineiro in 2013 at  Mineirão

Alcides Ghiggia, Frank Sinatra and Pope John Paul II. What have they all in common? All three have silenced the Maracana. A tough thing to do when Brazilians are at full pelt at the spiritual home of football in South America. At the moment in the World Cup, the Brazilian fans are hovering over the line between despair and joy. Tonight they stared over the abyss from the position of paradise. This evenings match was low in quality but high in tension. 

If people think I'm opinionated about Elton matters, then they ain't heard or read anything yet. My opinions on football makes my Elton outlook very bland. Bland being a golden sin in my book. At the moment the World Cup is gripping my attention. I remember the 1978 edition in Argentina vaguely, Espana '82 being the first true experience of the beautiful game in a beautiful place. The Brazil team of that tournament being the best never to win the World Cup. Because the 2014 team ain't gonna lift little Jules. 

Elton did some incredible tours over the last two years on the southern continent of the America's. Any show down there is a must see. Following them is always a pleasure, the locations are as exotic as the fans are passionate. If anyone has been watching the tournament will have noticed some familiar locations. Mineirão, Fortaleza and Salvador being the notable ones. Fantastic stadiums with great atmospheres. There's been some great matches played there so far in the tournament, some of the best of the tournament in fact. Not for the first time though they've played host to big names showing off their talents. Elton played the former in 2013, the other two in 2014. Massive attendances. The huge roar at the end of the penalty shoot out during the Brazil v Chile match was incredible. As huge no doubt when Elton would have walked out. The silence when Neymar stepped up to take his penalty as hushed as when Elton played Skyline Pigeon. 

The three people I mentioned at the start may have silenced a nation for different reasons. It's part and parcel of what they do. Or did I suppose. The ability to stir up emotions and control them. The World Cup has been great so far. And will be till the end. If you're watching over the next couple of weeks, watch the games at those stadiums and sit back in the knowledge that Elton was supported and idolised like the players from Brazil. Well, almost as much!!

'Look At Them Working'

There won't be too many updates on the blog for the next while due the World Cup grabbing all my attention! It's been a terrific tournament so far, I won't be missing one second of it.

But to keep everyone going I'll post this YouTube clip that may be of some interest. Both of these guys have played on Elton albums and have had very successful careers in their own right. Anyone who has kept up with the blog for the past year will know that I have high regard for David Paton. His work on the mid 80's albums and on the 85/86 World Tour and the subsequent Tour De Force is legendary. 

Rick Wakeman...younger readers may be familiar with him on Watchdog or even on Countdown a few years back...but he's one of the keyboard greats. The old debate of Wakeman versus Emerson kept many a prog head up all night slugging it out about who was the greatest. My opinion on that topic is not that important. But consider this, Keith Emerson was asked to replace to Wakeman in Yes for the Relayer (1974) album. Point being, somebody somewhere considered them both on a par. Wakeman's albums with Yes in the 70's are all top class. His solo albums, especially the studio (1973) and live version (2009) of The Six Wives of Henry VIII are incredible pieces of work. Check out the credits on both those albums, plenty of Elton connections on them. Ray Cooper appears on both for example.

As you can see and hear on this clip, David is a terrific six string player. He has a fine touch and musically is incredibly interesting. Traits he brought to his bass playing. Wakeman is sometimes critiqued in some quarters as being too flashy. Not in my eyes or ears. He merely makes the music sound grander. And no grander piece than Eleanor Rigby. David playing the familiar melody and Wakeman introducing a flamboyant arrangement. Two masters playing a classic form two masters.

'Sounds For Saturday - DVD Review'

When I was doing the tours retrospective series, I mentioned this briefly. Though not necessarily part of a tour it's still a critical performance from Elton, Nigel and Dee.

Unfortunately the DVD is an unofficial one though in saying that it's still excellent quality. Sound and picture are A1. Filmed by the BBC in late 1971 for an early 1972 broadcast it's one of the lucky TV broadcasts from that era that has survived the BBC's criminal wiping policy. Expertly directed, it's filmed with great panache and detailed attention. All the key moments are captured.

Dressed in a super shirt (I want it!), Elton highlights and delights with his serious side in this performance. His chatter is reserved yet engaging. His playing is altogether another matter. Playing that is of the entire Madman album less All The Nasties. The three piece demonstrating yet again why they were cut above the rest. Madman is one of my favourite albums of all time, a glorious audio land. Stripped of all the terrific arrangements, this live example is a tremendous companion piece to the recorded version.

Seated at an open lid piano, he delicately and roughly plays as needs be as he runs through the set. Nigel on a riser with his huge kit towers over Elton. Dee is placed between them, standing solidly and playing with the equivalent ability. Deep in concentration. The interesting way it was filmed gives us some unique views of Nigel from the rear and the incredible footwork he does. The first time we see Nigel and Dee however is with them both standing at the microphone 'la, la, la-ing' on the outro to Rotten Peaches. Holiday Inn has the extra verse that was snipped from the album cut, the broken rhythms played with great timing by Nigel. The title track is a 10 minute odyssey of feelings and moods. The solo's are wildly temperamental. Dee's heavy bass notes adding great weight, Nigel's switching from ride cymbal to hi-hat carrying those swings with ease. 

The small audience gives it that intimate affair, when does he does some of the songs solo it draws the walls in further. Indian Sunset purely solo is mesmeric. The intensity of it is powerful. Even the opening of the show with Tiny Dancer is gripping. On the bridge to the chorus Elton's left switches to a heavy sound that hammers home with tenacity. The sound of a proper grand piano stepping up and coming through very clearly at that moment.

Overall it's an excellent one off show, an almost full album performance is very rare. Then or now. The marriage of the rhythm section and leader is on full display here. They didn't play on any of the songs on the album performed on this broadcast apart from some backing vocals but they make them their own. Elton's early voice is on the rise to it's defining moment, he still has that slight American twang in there that creeps out every so often. But it's the playing as per usual that seals the deal. The piano man made his stand...