15. Bennie And The Jets (Elton John - Live In Manchester: 12/3/1985)

For the subscribers that enjoy the 1985-1986 uploads, it’s your lucky day today! The last Manchester night has audio - and it will be featured on today’s upload! This is a sizable upgrade compared with previous copies that were once featured on this channel. Besides the improved quality, this recording is also musically complete which is also a positive. This is a fun and energetic show with Davey Johnstone and Charlie Morgan having an especially brilliant night at the office. With the improved quality of this recording, the musicianship throughout this show can be appreciated more and subtle nuances can be spotted more easily. In this quality, the prowess of the backing singers can also be appreciated as their harmonies are fantastic throughout the concert. This is a great show from this leg of the tour to listen to if you want a high-quality audience tape showcasing the band! As for Elton, this is a somewhat strange gig for him as his vocals are a bit unpredictable throughout. On the vocal shape side of things, he sounds pretty rough early on (likely due to the same issue that was present at the first Manchester show), but gradually gets stronger as the show progresses. On the delivery and phrasing sides of things, Elton seems to alternate between every available possibility! Some songs feature more of a soft tone than usual, while on others - the 1984 overdriven style is in full force. He also sings a number of songs with greater dynamic range (even on more uptempo numbers) which makes for a very unique listen at times. Whether this approach is influenced by substances, vocal shape, or Elton just having a blast on stage - it’s certainly unorthodox (even for this era)! Now, time to discuss these performances! “Tonight” is an inauspicious start to the show as Elton flubs lyrics and sounds ragged in places. “One Horse Town” is the weakest version from the tour leg as Elton once again flubs lyrics and he doesn’t sing the song with as much power and ease as other versions. “Better Off Dead” has more rasp and overdrive compared to other versions from the tour leg. “Rocket Man” is an improvement over the first Manchester’s performance, but still doesn’t have the cleanest delivery of some of the Bb4s and Elton uncharacteristically dodges the final falsetto at the end. “Honky Cat” is a strange version as Elton’s vocal delivery is somewhat lackadaisical in places and the dynamics are a bit erratic. “Burn Down The Mission” has been sung cleaner at other gigs, but Elton still gives the song a good effort and the backing vocalists along with Charlie Morgan’s drumming make this performance worth a listen! “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” is a strong effort from Elton (despite not singing the song as cleanly as others from this tour leg) and the quality highlights the prowess of the entire band. “The Bitch Is Back” has Elton turning up the rasp and overdrive in places. In response, the band crank up the energy and pull off an excellent version of the Caribou classic. “Song For You” contains some unique phrasing from Elton and he displays great dynamic versatility throughout. “Blue Eyes” is a quirky version with Elton delivering the song with an experimental edge to it. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” has sections that sound like 1984 and others that foreshadow post-surgery versions. “Restless” has Elton flubbing lyrics, but he sings an aggressive take on the song (similar to some of the European 1984 versions) and the band sound smoking hot on this version. “Passengers” is the weakest live version as Elton sounds a bit rougher than normal and he botches lyrics in a couple of places. Concluding this section, “Bennie And The Jets” has overdriven vocals in places (similar to the Live Aid performance) and Elton has fun in the third chorus! “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” has Elton turning up the growl and really pushes his voice in spots. “Shoot Down The Moon” has Elton cutting off some phrases, but he sings the song smoothly with a great soft tone. “This Town” is one of the best performances of the night as the musicianship is amazing and Elton sings the song with an added edge. “Nikita” is a rock-solid rendition with strong Elton vocals and fantastic work from the backing singers. “Wrap Her Up” has a conservative vocal from Elton as most of the higher notes towards the end are lowered. “I’m Still Standing” is full of energy with Elton being gutsy in spots. To add to the fun, Davey breaks a guitar string during his solo spot towards the end. “Your Song” is the duet version with Elton singing his part with excellence. “Candle In The Wind” is one of the best from the era as Elton shows off great dynamics and sings the ballad with more delicate phrasing compared to other versions. “Kiss The Bride” has Elton having fun with the vocal phrasing (which ranges from completely random, to proto-1989 style). Lastly, “Can I Get A Witness” is full of vocal overdrive from Elton and great enthusiasm from the band! ENJOY!!!