Since the year of 1997 will be featured heavily over the next several weeks, a very good friend of mine that goes by the name of “tsskiller” has asked me to upload this special Elton John concert. Since he insists that it’s in his top 3 Elton John concerts of all time and can’t stop talking about it, I figured that uploading it to Youtube with a full description would satisfy him. This is a better-sounding alternative source compared to the old version that once was on this channel. This version of the show is also musically complete. While distant-sounding, the sound is generally clear with a great atmosphere caught on the recording.

This is Elton’s first full concert since November 1995 and the lack of heavy touring and concert appearances have made a noticeable difference to his voice. Free from the constant use, Elton’s voice sounds much better than it did during the Made In England Tour and his tone has a much cleaner and dynamic sound when compared to that tour. Songs that were either a struggle or marred by unhealthy-sounding growling/vocal thrashing now have improved deliveries and a much better-sounding voice to sing them. Elton is also very gutsy throughout the show as he goes for demanding notes and he phrases songs in ways that wouldn’t sound too out of place on tours from the 80s. Besides the excellent performances by Elton, the rest of the band are in fantastic form with the members playing with great enthusiasm and complementing Elton extremely well. Now, time to discuss the performances!

“I’m Still Standing” is a strong start to the show as Elton delivers the classic hit single with a surprisingly clean and gutsy vocal (especially compared to the last tour that the song was featured on). “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” has Elton changing the lyrics around and he delivers the song with a flexible edge to it. “I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That” has Elton using overdrive throughout, but it sounds more controlled compared to the Made In England Tour versions and the piano solo is fantastic. “Sacrifice” has an excellent vocal performance and tight band performance (with the exception of a Bob Birch bass flub) to complement it. “Live Like Horses” is the best band version of the song as Elton delivers the vocals with excellence and the musicianship shines on all fronts. “Border Song” has a slight clunker from Elton early on, but is otherwise fantastic with Elton’s vocal control and the band prowess being highlights. “Something About The Way You Look Tonight” makes its debut live performance at this show - and it’s a really good rendition! Elton sings The Big Picture single with confidence and the band sound more natural compared to the record version. “Simple Life” has slightly flubbing a word in the first chorus, but makes up for it with an extremely powerful vocal delivery and the band shine throughout the performance. “The One” is one of the best versions from the year as Elton passionately delivers the song with great embellishments. “Take Me To The Pilot” has high energy from all involved and Elton’s band crank up the intensity during the instrumental sections. Concluding this section, “Made In England” from this show surpasses the previous tour’s versions as Elton’s vocal performance is strong and he delivers the lyrics with vigor.

“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” sounds great with Elton singing the song smoothly and the backing harmonies sounding fantastic. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” has Elton sounding like a mature version of his 1984 self in places and displaying a clean tone which sounds superb. “Bennie And The Jets” features an aggressive Elton vocal and a fantastic piano improvisational section. “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” has Elton flubbing the lyrics in the second verse, but otherwise delivers an excellent rendition of The Lion King classic. “Believe” has more overdrive and growl compared to upcoming versions from The Big Picture Tour, but still contains nice embellishments and passion behind the vocal delivery. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” has Elton aggressively delivering the song, but the growling sounds more controlled compared with versions from the Made In England Tour. “The Bitch Is Back” is an extremely gutsy version with Elton singing the song similar to a prime live rendition. “Candle In The Wind” features Elton’s smooth tone and great vocal resonance. Apart from a couple of piano clunkers at the end, this version is quite a good one! “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” is one of the best performances of the decade as Elton gives his absolute all on the vocals and brings back elements of his prime live voice. The rest of the band are on fire and their energy is captured well on the recording. Lastly, “The Last Song” has flubbed lyrics in the first verse, but the vocal delivery is fantastic with great dynamics being delivered.

ENJOY!!!

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