21. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (Elton John - Live In New York: 10/22/1988)

Well... here we are and look at the time! This is the last New York show from the 1988 leg of the Reg Strikes Back Tour and the final show from the tour leg! What a journey and roller coaster all these uploads have been! This upload uses two different sources to make things as complete as possible with the better-sounding one making up around 95% of the audio. Thank you guys for dealing with my crazy uploading schedule! The last night in Madison Square Garden ends the tour leg with a bang as the overall experience surpasses the previous two nights at the same venue. While the band are very slightly more subdued compared to last night's show, there are less little mistakes scattered throughout and the tempos of the songs are a bit more under control. Elton is also in better voice with his tone, mental state, and vocal deliveries being at a generally higher quality compared to the last two nights at the Garden. While Elton does introduce harsh growling at points and some of his singing isn't pristine, his general focus is pretty solid and is clearly still having a great time on stage. The set-list is slightly different compared to the previous nights as "Daniel" is moved into the middle of the set and "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Parts 1 & 2)" is not performed. Now... time to talk about the performances... "Sixty Years On" showcases Elton's rough and non-warmed up voice along with Elton forcing things in the final verse. "I Need You To Turn To" features Elton still shaking coarseness out of his tone, but still able to deliver a decent rendition. "The King Must Die" has improved vocals compared to the last couple of renditions as Elton doesn't sound nearly as rough on the higher notes. "Burn Down The Mission" has some growly bits mixed into the vocal delivery, but things sound a bit more under control when compared to the previous two New York concerts. "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" is a nice rendition with Elton's vocal tone sounding quite good throughout. "Have Mercy On The Criminal" ranks fairly well for the tour leg as Elton doesn't overdrive his voice into the ground and keeps whatever growling left under control. "Love Lies Bleeding" has some rough vocal moments and heavy growled bits, but is still not too bad vocally and the musicianship is fantastic. "Tiny Dancer" has moments of vocal overdrive and excessively rougher vocal tones, but still has enough natural voice to keep things fairly balanced. "The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)" has a ton of aggressive vocals behind the delivery where Elton really pushes his voice to its limit. He also channels this energy into the piano solo which is excellent as always. "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" features Elton throwing his voice around and showcasing his enthusiasm for performing on stage. "Philadelphia Freedom" ranks among the better versions from this part of the tour leg as Elton keeps the vocals fairly consistent throughout, produces powerful falsetto, and the band sounding fantastic! "The Bitch Is Back" has the intro being botched, but things recover with the energy being through the roof and the entire band giving their all throughout. Concluding this section, "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" is a rocking version with the guitar work and energy being amazing highlights along with Elton giving a spirited vocal performance. "Daniel" sounds pretty nice at this show as Elton doesn't sound too rough and the musical chemistry is top notch as usual. "Goodbye Marlon Brando" doesn't have the healthiest vocals as Elton showcases some really harsh growling (especially in the first two choruses). "A Word In Spanish" is very surprisingly vocally with Elton going back to a cleaner style of vocal delivery which sounds wonderful. "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" is a punchy rendition with Elton showing off his beautiful growling technique and the solos are creative and fun to listen to. The ending gets botched (since no one knows when to end it), so another repeat of the outroduction vocals commences! "Candle In The Wind" has some rougher bits in the main song, but at least the ending has clean vocals. "Rocket Man" features Elton playing around with his voice with the improvisational section containing many interesting and fun sections. "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" goes off much better compared to last night's rendition with tighter musicianship and less abrasive singing from Elton. "Your Song" has great phrasing and a passionate edge to Elton's vocal delivery. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" has Debbie Gibson and Billy Joel as special guests and it's a fun and lively rendition of the Beatles classic. Lastly, "I'm Still Standing" has piano flubs in the introduction, but the vocals are fairly good without major angry birding issues! ENJOY!!!