15. Blue Eyes (Elton John - Live In New York: 10/26/1984)

After taking a couple of days off to regain my sanity (somewhat) and to get over my “eardrum flu” from the past few uploads, it is now time for me to upload Elton’s final show from his New York run of concerts from October 1984. Thanks to the magic of “EltonStuff,” we can enjoy this recording! Like the previous New York show, this recording has excellent sound quality which highlights everything that happens on stage! This recording is also almost musically complete (“I’m Still Standing” is cut). I’d like to dedicate this upload to Anthony Maniglia who attended this show (along with the first night from the 23rd) and got to see Elton dressed up like Tina Turner! Despite Elton postponing last night’s show (which would be made up on November 12th) due to him being unable to perform due to the severe flu, his voice doesn’t seem to have improved very much since the previous concert (from the 24th). Elton is still suffering vocally and he sounds extremely worn-out throughout the recording. Notes that he normally can hit in his sleep are either missed, growled to oblivion, or shouted/forced with a rougher tone that sounds unhealthy. Likely due to his condition, “One More Arrow” is not performed at this show. Besides being vocally fatigued, his energy level is drained to the point where he actually needs to be revived with oxygen after “Restless”. From fan reports and reviews written, Elton went over to the side of the stage after performing “Restless” to take a knee in order to catch his breath and nearly passes out. After being administered oxygen for nearly a minute, Elton regains his bearings and resumes the show as normal. The rest of the band support Elton’s ailing condition by playing excellent at this show (perhaps stepping up their game to offset Elton’s performances) and the high quality of the recording highlights this! Now, time to get through another flu-stricken gig with the performance paragraphs! “Tiny Dancer” is one of the worst versions from the tour as Elton sounds strained and his raspy tone doesn’t suit the song at all. “Levon” continues the trend of raspy/strained vocals along with a weary tone, but Elton still is able to sing the original melodies. “Li’l ‘Frigerator” is a great band version with some excellent guitar work from Fred and Davey, but Elton doesn’t sound too hot and he forces his voice in many spots to make his notes. “Rocket Man” has Elton sounding very rough throughout, but the improvisational section contains a band that is absolutely on fire (Dee in particular, sounds amazing). “Daniel” has Elton singing conservatively in spots, but he sounds decent on a tonal level and the band compliment him nicely. “Restless” has Elton sounding weak, strained, and singing in a way that doesn’t help his flu-affected vocal cords. “Candle In The Wind” features an uneasy-sounding Elton and the ending embellishment isn’t as strong as it usually is. “The Bitch Is Back” has great energy, some fantastic guitar work, and Elton hammering his voice into the ground. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” has Elton’s soft tone sounding fragile in spots and he unnecessarily overdrives his voice hard on some of the higher vocal melodies. “Who Wears These Shoes” doesn’t have as much growling on the “Darling” bits compared to other versions, but other parts of the song feature very rough vocals. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” is one of the weaker versions from the tour leg as Elton sounds unstable in spots and his intonation is questionable throughout the performance. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” has a weary-sounding Elton struggling with intonation in a few places. Concluding this section, “Bennie And The Jets” has Elton stumbling over lyrics in the first verse, struggling to sing some of the higher notes on top, and sounding awkward in the last chorus as he abandons trying to sing the original melody. “Philadelphia Freedom” has Elton sounding strained throughout the performance, but he surprisingly gets through the song. “Blue Eyes” has Elton not singing with clean intonation in spots. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” features a rough-voiced Elton stumbling on lyrics and singing with sour intonation in spots. “Kiss The Bride” is flying fast and Elton completely forgets the lyrics in the second verse (to the point where he stops singing). “I’m Still Standing” has Elton stumbling on lyrics in the first verse and sounding rough in general. “Your Song” has a really nice and unique introduction. Elton also sings the song quite well (despite some roughness) considering his condition. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” has Elton sounding ragged, but pushes through the song and the guitar work is brilliant on this version. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” has Elton laughing in the first verse and the last chorus (he came out dressed as Tina Turner before the song), but sings the song pretty well. Lastly, “Crocodile Rock” features some forced singing, but surprisingly - no baritone vocals! ENJOY!!!