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Just got back from Las Vegas. I caught Elton John's 'The Red Piano' show. All I can say is Wow. The guy can rock live. I got the same feeling I got when I saw Clapton the first time. It's unexplainable. You just know when your in the presence of greatness. Any other Elton fans here?
Elton is excellent, I have seen him live a couple of times and he struts around like royalty and the fans love it! He really puts on a show and the money is worth it.
The only song I cannot stand is Crocodile Rock . I think Elton hates it also, but he has to play it cause so many people like it.
My favourite thing to do was put Elton's Greatest Hits album (1974 - with Benny and the Jets, Rocket Man, Your Song, Don't let the Sun, Yellow Brick Road, Saturday's alright for Fighting, etc...) on repeat over and over again and read science fiction and fantasy. Conan the Barbarian anyone? I am dating myself I think ha ha.
Yeah, IMO "I'm Still Standing" marks the beginning of a long downhill slide when you compare it to nearly everything else up to that point. In that sense, I find the 1980s to be very disappointing, as regards the output of nearly all established artists at that time, and in different genres, too. Maybe burn-out was inevitable, but I think changes in technology also contributed to the decline. I mean, the drum machines, those flat brassy amplifiers, the fizzy synthesizers...
How about "Love Lies Bleeding in My Hand" and that long intro up to it? Or the title track from that same album (Captain Fantastic)?
Anyone who hasn't heard the album "11-17-70" should make an effort to find it. Really good live recording of just piano, bass and drums. I've spoken to younger Brits who were really surprised when I mentioned EJ (practically recoiled ). I think they'd only heard later releases like the ones Koella mentioned, and probably a few of the hits that Cathulu mentioned. But "11-17-70" has all the grit and drive that characterized EJ's early years. I haven't listened to it for many years, but I've just seen that an extended reissue came out in 1995.
Anyway, glad to hear it was a rockin' concert, Tom!
Yeah, IMO "I'm Still Standing" marks the beginning of a long downhill slide when you compare it to nearly everything else up to that point. In that sense, I find the 1980s to be very disappointing, as regards the output of nearly all established artists at that time, and in different genres, too. Maybe burn-out was inevitable, but I think changes in technology also contributed to the decline. I mean, the drum machines, those flat brassy amplifiers, the fizzy synthesizers...
My thoughts exactly. I love his material from the 70's. I wasn't into the eighties stuff too much but it was ok. I think at this point in his career, he has come full circle and I'm glad I got the chance to see a legend.
Hi Norman, I think that maybe must happen when practically everything you write and perform is a massive hit.
I think McCartney went through the same thing, so that when he was sitting on the pot having a crap and thought up a few notes for little tune, he thought that once it had been expanded out and strings added then it would be regarded as a work of genius. Hence "Mary Had a Little Lamb"....etc.
Just turn the handle and splurt out another hit.
As a thought aside..
Paco de Lucia was undoubtedly at his peak in his early/mid 20's. Truly genius... just incredibly brilliant!!
Paco de Lucia was undoubtedly at his peak in his early/mid 20's. Truly genius... just incredibly brilliant!!
The rest has just been hero worship IMO.
wow thats a strong statement...but i respect that you have strong opinions and they are actually yours.
Im not in the position to give an educated opinion on that because to tell you the truth i never listen to his old stuff, maybe i will now. As far as your hero worship point i can see your angle somewhat. Paco has such an undeniable elite status as THE flamenco guitar god, a lot of people dont actually come to theyre own opinion of wheather they like a particular trak or not...if it Paco its GREAT. Well even Paco can make a boring trak now and then
I am more of fan of his recent stuff(last three albums) but i do appreciate earlier stuff too. Almoraima obviously is a classic album, but to me its like led zepplin, i thrashed it out so much when i was younger i cannot listen to it anymore. I really beleive the last album he released is one of his best. Its like he sat back and said to himself "i dont need to do lightning fast picado every few minutes to make great music'I think this album really showed his musical ability and genius in relative simplicity, and made it clear for everyone to see, not just other guitarists and musicians who can appreciate and marvel at technical wizardry (which goes straight over the general punters head) I guess the point im trying to make is that possibly it is more accesable to everyones ear.
Interesting observations about fame and success. I've always thought that about McCartney. Of course, he's been focusing on pop fluff for such a long time, maybe we don't actually know what he's really still capable of doing. But I've always thought that if he were to suddenly lose everything and have to start over again (=gigging in order to eat), he'd come up with some brilliant songs.
About an inflated sense of self-importance, I remember he said in an interview that one of the first times he smoked marihuana, he had a secretary follow him around with a notepad to write down the thoughts that would come into his head because he thought they were pearls of wisdom. But I think that has more to do with the nature of marihuana than arrogance or egocentricity.
Actually, your reference to McCartney comes just a day or two after I found something that I hadn't listened to in at least 25 years, and it has to do with the banality of certain recordings. Paul said that this is one of his favorite Beatles songs, although he's also constantly joking in interviews, so who knows. But I've always liked this track very much. Can't explain why, but it has something to do with the flow. By the way, the whole "ska" section you'll hear at this link wan't on the original release (the B side of the Let It Be single). I think it was added to a reissue or something. It lasts over a minute and really drags down the whole thing, IMO. For anyone who "doesn't get" what they're doing, it's a joke recording and is supposed to sound really awful. Yet, check out Paul's bass, and just how did they get those vocals to howl like that? Even the piano sounds great. Really dark and unsettling. Hope you guys like it, let me know if it's a surprise for any of you.
About Paco, I might agree with you on some things but not about the "cutoff point" (early to mid-20s). What about La Tumbona and Piñonate? There are some good things on Cositas Buenas, too. But I think I generally agree with you (I really don't care for Sirocco), although the hero-worship aspect is a complicated sociological phenomenon that might involve other factors like technological progress (audio quality) and a shift toward other playing criteria (clean, efficient, unusual harmonies, etc.), rather than actual hero worship (although there's probably a lot of that, too). I think I'm kind of running on here, but I've got to get back to work, so I'll just post this as is.
Hi Dominic & Norman, Of course anything I say is just an opinion and has no validity other than that. I'm not so stupid as to say Paco is crap or anything...in fact he's a giant of the guitar and Flamenco. It's just that there are quite a lot of astonishing players around now and he is just one of them, not head and shoulders above them, or his work more worthy.
I just like that fresh, sparkling sound and youthful energy he had then, hard to explain.
As for the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney were just brilliant working together. I quite like listening to some really early stuff from time to time. Songs like "From Me to You" and "Tell Me why You Cried" etc. Gems of "3 minute" pop songs IMO. Great harmonies and simple but catchy changes and a great zest in performing.
I'm just chatting really, not trying to create a big argument or anything.
An ex beatle is walking down the street and bumps into God. They are having a nice chat when God finally gets to the reason for his visit. 'I am glad you did not bury your talents Paul but frankly I find you a little arrogant' Paul looks momentarily dumbfounded. 'Well God when was the last time you had a number one ?'
Perhaps Ron you could lead a delegation from amongst foro members to prompt Paco to meet up with Elton for some lessons in musical integrity ?
I saw that picture that Ailsa posted of you at the Nuñez session in London. You look way cooler than I had imagined you! Dig the white hair!
Anyway...
I think all of the Beatles were pretty modest, by today's standards and probably a lot less arrogant than they had the right to be.
McCartney always niggled me a bit and even more so as he got older... (Mind you, if I had £100,000,000 plus farms and properties around the world, I probably wouldn't care too much about stuff either.. )
Ringo, has become a big ex-celeb in Liverpool after an interview in which he was asked "What do you miss most about Liverpool?" And he answered "Nothing"....
Liverpudlians are not that kind of people to take that lightly.
Also his message to fans, (which got broadcast on every radio station and news program as a total fan relationship blunder).....
Funnily enough, McCartney was on Radio 4 tonight talking about something that he recorded during a break in recording when they were doing the "White" album.
It's a track called "Circus of Light" where, as I said, during a break, he asked everybody to go around the studio doing anything they wanted....banging a drum, playing a few notes on the piano, making a noise of some kind. "It doesn't matter if it makes any sense", he said "Just make some kind of a noise".
This track has achieved legendary status now in the Beatles/McCartney story.
He has anounced that he is going to release it shortly...
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. I think Elton hates it also, but he has to play it cause so many people like it. 
). I think they'd only heard later releases like the ones Koella mentioned, and probably a few of the hits that Cathulu mentioned. But "11-17-70" has all the grit and drive that characterized EJ's early years. I haven't listened to it for many years, but I've just seen that an extended reissue came out in 1995. 
No, no, you've already said it... 
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