Set List critique
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Is anyone else blown away by the long scream he's been doing towards the end of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (during the guitar solo, right before the final "Shake it, don't break it")? It seriously sounds like 1973-era screaming.
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My Salamander:
I believe Paul could handle No More Lonely Nights just fine now - problem isn't with his range, he still has tremendous upper register range. The problem is rather with lower key melodies such as Long And Winding Road and Blackbird - age makes it difficult to hold and navigate lower key notes/melodies especially at a slower tempo.
To me, the biggest difference in his voice now (well second biggest after simple having a deeper tone now) is how he finishes a word or line...The first part of the word or the line sounds much like the Paul we've always known (give or take)...but then it almost sounds like he doesn't have the power or stamina to finish it off properly or as strongly as he did in the past. I'm not a singer and thus can't tell you what it takes to properly xo that...but I can clearly hear that's what gives him a problem these days...but it doesn't personally bother me nearly as much live as it does from a studio recorded vocal (not that I'm terribly bothered either way since I understand his age)
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Dear Boy:
Is anyone else blown away by the long scream he's been doing towards the end of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (during the guitar solo, right before the final "Shake it, don't break it")? It seriously sounds like 1973-era screaming.
Seriously THIS. My friend & I looked at eachother in amazement!
I went looking for the video to this...fantastic! About 3:23
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Dear Boy:
Is anyone else blown away by the long scream he's been doing towards the end of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (during the guitar solo, right before the final "Shake it, don't break it")? It seriously sounds like 1973-era screaming.
YES!!! I first caught that in 2010 in Kansas City and then again this month in Lincoln, NE. At the KC show I remember hearing that scream and I was thinking " Wow! I wonder who's wailing on that!! I was looking around the stage thinking it might be Abe or Rusty or Brian then I saw it was Paul! Really amazing! The man is brilliant.
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yankeefan7:
favoritething:
I think our best chance for Paul doing deep cuts is one of those intimate things like "Unplugged" or "Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road." But still, you've got to realize that he isn't just gonna pull these old songs out of the back of his head and just play them. First, he's got to have the idea to do it (which occasionally has come from his band), then the feeling that HE would enjoy doing it, then decide if there are enough people in the audience that would WANT him to do it, then RE-learn how to play it, then come up with an arrangement that this band can play (like, would Rusty re-create David Gilmour's guitar solo in "No More Lonely Nights"? Would Wix's keyboards sound convincing enough for the horns in "Take It Away"?). Paul would want it to sound pretty darn awesome and blow everyone away; I don't think he'd be satisfied with a few hearty cheers from one little corner of the arena. Having said all that, it's definitely the acoustic guitar set where he seems to have the most leverage just kind of busking, because the focus on him becomes so intense that anything he does carries that much more weight (so to speak!), and only HE has to learn the song, not the band. I remember his obvious surprise at the roars of approval for "I Will," for one thing. But still: Beatles song, not solo. He's very cautious.
Why not try "Little Willow" for the acoustic set?
____________________________________________________ Yankeefan, Little Willow is a great example of a song that Paul should have played in one or more of his tours in the 2000's. Little Willow, in my opinion, is equal to his best Beatle songs. The lyrics are good as the music. If Willowwas the White Album, I think it would be as "iconic" today as Blackbird. The problem is that Paul is his worst enemy when it comes to promoting his best Solo songs. Having done so many tours since 2002, I think it is crazy that he hasn't played this song. Like you, I'm not saying that Paul should have revamped his entire setlist for Solo songs but just playing 3-4 songs from the last 25 years in each of his tours (not including the latest album he would be promoting) would have given so much better balance to his entire career. And I'm not talking the obscure here. Songs like Little Willow, Put It There, Young Boy, My Brave Face, Somedays, Take It There, Tug of War, etc. The Beatle Paul fans would still have gotten their fill of Beatle tunes. It is a shame when you think about it. In another thread under "Not Such a Bad Boy" I speak about all the great solo songs from Macca's career. It is titled " A Case for Macca's Solo Career. With all of these great downloading apps for phones, tablets etc. at least we can download many Solo Macca for our own enjoyment. Little Willow was one of the first songs I downloaded. I hadn't heard it in quite a while (never on the radio) and man did it sound great.
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oobu24:
Dear Boy:
Is anyone else blown away by the long scream he's been doing towards the end of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (during the guitar solo, right before the final "Shake it, don't break it")? It seriously sounds like 1973-era screaming.
Seriously THIS. My friend & I looked at eachother in amazement!
I went looking for the video to this...fantastic! About 3:23
I guess that's the "singing out of the top of your head" he talks about, which was John's way of reaching a powerful high note.
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favoritething:
oobu24:
Dear Boy:
Is anyone else blown away by the long scream he's been doing towards the end of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (during the guitar solo, right before the final "Shake it, don't break it")? It seriously sounds like 1973-era screaming.
Seriously THIS. My friend & I looked at eachother in amazement!
I went looking for the video to this...fantastic! About 3:23
I guess that's the "singing out of the top of your head" he talks about, which was John's way of reaching a powerful high note.
sounds great, eh?
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This will make a few people crazy, but at an Elvis Costello concert in Kew Gardens, London a few weeks ago, he performed "My Brave Face." Elvis is quite the opposite of Paul when it comes to digging deep into a set list and trying different things.
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SingtheChanges:
This will make a few people crazy, but at an Elvis Costello concert in Kew Gardens, London a few weeks ago, he performed "My Brave Face." Elvis is quite the opposite of Paul when it comes to digging deep into a set list and trying different things.
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WixRocks!:
SingtheChanges:
This will make a few people crazy, but at an Elvis Costello concert in Kew Gardens, London a few weeks ago, he performed "My Brave Face." Elvis is quite the opposite of Paul when it comes to digging deep into a set list and trying different things.
Not the best quality, but here's a snippet:
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SingtheChanges:
This will make a few people crazy, but at an Elvis Costello concert in Kew Gardens, London a few weeks ago, he performed "My Brave Face." Elvis is quite the opposite of Paul when it comes to digging deep into a set list and trying different things.
Yes. He often does the songs that he and Paul co-wrote, tho mainly the ones from his albums -- So Like Candy, Pads Paws and Claws...But Elvis hasn't done My Brave Face in quite a while, -only a few performances in 1989 (I saw one), so him digging it out this year is a surprise even for him.
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Sgt._Pepper:
WixRocks!:
SingtheChanges:
This will make a few people crazy, but at an Elvis Costello concert in Kew Gardens, London a few weeks ago, he performed "My Brave Face." Elvis is quite the opposite of Paul when it comes to digging deep into a set list and trying different things.
Not the best quality, but here's a snippet:
Thanks, that's so cool! I'm a huge EC fan, and that's what I love about his live shows. (What I don't like are the people who just yak it up the whole show, going in and out for drinks and tripping over you until he gets to "Pump It Up", but I digress.) He will pull out anything from his catalogue?deep album cuts, B-sides, covers?and perform them with passion. He doesn't seem to care if some of the audience gets restless, and he WILL (unlike Paul) get energy from just the one guy in the back who shouts "Wooo!" when he recognizes the intro of some obscure track. His solo show that I saw last fall was just amazing, and I would love for Paul to do something like that, but it seems unrealistic, to say the least!
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Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
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RMartinez:
Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
I don't think it's better but why not play both?
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oobu24:
RMartinez:
Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
I don't think it's better but why not play both?
I don't know. But clearly it is a superior song. Lyrically, melodically. In every way. IMO. The verse melody of Save Us is a throw away, seems it was created merely to justify the chorus. It is rushed, uninteresting and clunky to sing. The verse melody of My Brave Face is smooth with an ascending melody that leaves itself open to harmony and flows nicely into the descending melody of the pre-chorus, then BAM! "Now that I'm alone again!" Lyrically there is no comparison. Obviously collaborating with Costello will produce a better lyric and melody. You think this: Keep on sending your love In the heat of battle You've got something that'll save us Save us now is as good as this? Ever Since You Left I Have Been Trying To Compose A "Baby Will You Please Come Home" Note Meant For You. As I Clear Away Another Untouched Tv Dinner From The Table I Laid For Two. Now That I'm Alone Again I Can't Stop Breaking Down Again, The Simplest Things Set Me Off Again And Take Me To That Place Where I Can't Find My Brave Face If you say so! I don't agree.
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The verse melody of Save Us is a throw away, seems it was created merely to justify the chorus. It is rushed, uninteresting and clunky to sing. The verse melody of My Brave Face is smooth with an ascending melody that leaves itself open to harmony and flows nicely into the descending melody of the pre-chorus, then BAM! "Now that I'm alone again!"
Exactly! I've thought the same thing for awhile. Save Us sounds weak, uninspired, and half-baked - shouldn't have made final cut for the album, much less taking up room in the current set list. Mediocre at best. Not anywhere near in the same league as My Brave Face, Figure Of Eight or any number of other tunes that should have made the setlist.
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B J Conlee:
yankeefan7:
favoritething:
I think our best chance for Paul doing deep cuts is one of those intimate things like "Unplugged" or "Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road." But still, you've got to realize that he isn't just gonna pull these old songs out of the back of his head and just play them. First, he's got to have the idea to do it (which occasionally has come from his band), then the feeling that HE would enjoy doing it, then decide if there are enough people in the audience that would WANT him to do it, then RE-learn how to play it, then come up with an arrangement that this band can play (like, would Rusty re-create David Gilmour's guitar solo in "No More Lonely Nights"? Would Wix's keyboards sound convincing enough for the horns in "Take It Away"?). Paul would want it to sound pretty darn awesome and blow everyone away; I don't think he'd be satisfied with a few hearty cheers from one little corner of the arena. Having said all that, it's definitely the acoustic guitar set where he seems to have the most leverage just kind of busking, because the focus on him becomes so intense that anything he does carries that much more weight (so to speak!), and only HE has to learn the song, not the band. I remember his obvious surprise at the roars of approval for "I Will," for one thing. But still: Beatles song, not solo. He's very cautious.
Why not try "Little Willow" for the acoustic set?
____________________________________________________ Yankeefan, Little Willow is a great example of a song that Paul should have played in one or more of his tours in the 2000's. Little Willow, in my opinion, is equal to his best Beatle songs. The lyrics are good as the music. If Willowwas the White Album, I think it would be as "iconic" today as Blackbird. The problem is that Paul is his worst enemy when it comes to promoting his best Solo songs. Having done so many tours since 2002, I think it is crazy that he hasn't played this song. Like you, I'm not saying that Paul should have revamped his entire setlist for Solo songs but just playing 3-4 songs from the last 25 years in each of his tours (not including the latest album he would be promoting) would have given so much better balance to his entire career. And I'm not talking the obscure here. Songs like Little Willow, Put It There, Young Boy, My Brave Face, Somedays, Take It There, Tug of War, etc. The Beatle Paul fans would still have gotten their fill of Beatle tunes. It is a shame when you think about it. In another thread under "Not Such a Bad Boy" I speak about all the great solo songs from Macca's career. It is titled " A Case for Macca's Solo Career. With all of these great downloading apps for phones, tablets etc. at least we can download many Solo Macca for our own enjoyment. Little Willow was one of the first songs I downloaded. I hadn't heard it in quite a while (never on the radio) and man did it sound great.
Great post and I enjoyed the "Case for Macca's Solo Career" thread also. So much beautiful and rocking music that will never be heard and enjoyed by the masses which is a shame IMO. As much as I have loved the Beatles, I listen mostly to Mr. McCartney's solo work now. Since 1989, he has put together quite a impressive body of work and I truly wish more of it would have made it in his concerts - oh well. Like you said, at least we have our recordings.
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RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
I don't think it's better but why not play both?
I don't know. But clearly it is a superior song. Lyrically, melodically. In every way. IMO. The verse melody of Save Us is a throw away, seems it was created merely to justify the chorus. It is rushed, uninteresting and clunky to sing. The verse melody of My Brave Face is smooth with an ascending melody that leaves itself open to harmony and flows nicely into the descending melody of the pre-chorus, then BAM! "Now that I'm alone again!" Lyrically there is no comparison. Obviously collaborating with Costello will produce a better lyric and melody. You think this: Keep on sending your love In the heat of battle You've got something that'll save us Save us now is as good as this? Ever Since You Left I Have Been Trying To Compose A "Baby Will You Please Come Home" Note Meant For You. As I Clear Away Another Untouched Tv Dinner From The Table I Laid For Two. Now That I'm Alone Again I Can't Stop Breaking Down Again, The Simplest Things Set Me Off Again And Take Me To That Place Where I Can't Find My Brave Face If you say so! I don't agree.
I agree, "My Brave Face " is better musically and much better lyrically. Both would never be played live because there is very little room for his solo career songs in his set lists.
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yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
I don't think it's better but why not play both?
I don't know. But clearly it is a superior song. Lyrically, melodically. In every way. IMO. The verse melody of Save Us is a throw away, seems it was created merely to justify the chorus. It is rushed, uninteresting and clunky to sing. The verse melody of My Brave Face is smooth with an ascending melody that leaves itself open to harmony and flows nicely into the descending melody of the pre-chorus, then BAM! "Now that I'm alone again!" Lyrically there is no comparison. Obviously collaborating with Costello will produce a better lyric and melody. You think this: Keep on sending your love In the heat of battle You've got something that'll save us Save us now is as good as this? Ever Since You Left I Have Been Trying To Compose A "Baby Will You Please Come Home" Note Meant For You. As I Clear Away Another Untouched Tv Dinner From The Table I Laid For Two. Now That I'm Alone Again I Can't Stop Breaking Down Again, The Simplest Things Set Me Off Again And Take Me To That Place Where I Can't Find My Brave Face If you say so! I don't agree.
I agree, "My Brave Face " is better musically and much better lyrically. Both would never be played live because there is very little room for his solo career songs in his set lists.
True. And playing Save Us let's him say he is also contemporary and not living in the past. I suppose in 1989 it would be like asking him to play Junior's Farm instead of My Brave Face!
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RMartinez:
yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Listening to that video of Elvis Costello performing My Brave Face reminded me what a great song it is. It is better than Save Us. Why not play it live???
I don't think it's better but why not play both?
I don't know. But clearly it is a superior song. Lyrically, melodically. In every way. IMO. The verse melody of Save Us is a throw away, seems it was created merely to justify the chorus. It is rushed, uninteresting and clunky to sing. The verse melody of My Brave Face is smooth with an ascending melody that leaves itself open to harmony and flows nicely into the descending melody of the pre-chorus, then BAM! "Now that I'm alone again!" Lyrically there is no comparison. Obviously collaborating with Costello will produce a better lyric and melody. You think this: Keep on sending your love In the heat of battle You've got something that'll save us Save us now is as good as this? Ever Since You Left I Have Been Trying To Compose A "Baby Will You Please Come Home" Note Meant For You. As I Clear Away Another Untouched Tv Dinner From The Table I Laid For Two. Now That I'm Alone Again I Can't Stop Breaking Down Again, The Simplest Things Set Me Off Again And Take Me To That Place Where I Can't Find My Brave Face If you say so! I don't agree.
I agree, "My Brave Face " is better musically and much better lyrically. Both would never be played live because there is very little room for his solo career songs in his set lists.
True. And playing Save Us let's him say he is also contemporary and not living in the past. I suppose in 1989 it would be like asking him to play Junior's Farm instead of My Brave Face!
True. I wasn't thinking of the lyrics or structure or chords...I just like them both.