18. This Town (Elton John - Live In Vienna: 4/20/1986) (Evening Show)

The Vienna 1986 story continues on this upload as this was originally the only intended show for this date, but due to the bomb threat that happened on April 19th, that show was moved to Sunday afternoon instead. This is the second Vienna show in a single day and while things are generally comparable to the earlier show, the evening Vienna show has its own identity and definitely deserves listens as well. Compared to the earlier show, the recording for this upload is quite a bit better and is almost musically complete. With the better-sounding tape compared to the afternoon show, one can appreciate just how fantastic the 1985-1986 band was for Elton John’s music. Whether it’s Charlie Morgan’s drumming, the prowess of David Paton and Davey Johnstone, the spirited playing of Fred Mandel, the energy of the Onward International Horns, or the precision of the backing vocalists, this band definitely deserves a ton of praise and this show is definitely a highlight for the musicianship. Elton’s voice sounds fairly similar to the earlier show as in he has a husky and tired edge to his singing. While he sounds a bit rougher on this show compared to the afternoon one, he does spice up some sections of songs with creative vocal phrasings and makes up for any vocal weakness or dropped phrasing with creativity and energy behind his performances. Now… time to see how this show compares to the earlier one! “Tonight” is very coarse-sounding and is among the roughest versions prior to the North American leg. Thankfully, his tone clears up a bit towards the end of the song. “One Horse Town” highlights Elton’s tired and husky-sounding tone, but he still sings a good conservative version and Jody Linscott’s percussion playing is highlighted. “Better Off Dead” sounds a bit less rough compared to the afternoon version as Elton eases off the overdrive a bit and the musicianship is stellar. “Rocket Man” has some creative vocals from Elton in the last chorus section and the improvisation is amazing and beats the earlier show by miles. “Philadelphia Freedom” has some really rough vocals in places (much like the afternoon show) and Elton doesn’t go for the “my daddy” note like he did earlier, but he makes up for it by singing a better outroduction and shows great enthusiasm throughout. “Burn Down The Mission” has sections where Elton sounds really tired, but he still sings the key notes well and the outroduction features great energy from the band which compliments Elton nicely. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” has fantastic harmony work from the backing vocalists and Elton delivers a very competent vocal on the demanding song. “The Bitch Is Back” has Elton giving more to the vocals compared to the earlier show and the guitar playing sounds very powerful on this version. “Song For You” has great vocal dynamics and Elton’s phrasing choices are fantastic. “Blue Eyes” has Elton effectively singing the Jump Up ballad with great control and despite the rougher tone, he doesn’t let it impact his delivery in a negative way. Concluding this section, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” is a pretty good version with Fred’s keyboard playing being a highlight. “Restless” ranks among the best versions of all-time as Elton’s aggressive vocal performance fits his huskier voice like a glove and the musical performance is fill with highlights that range from Davey’s superb playing, to Fred’s spirited synthesizer sections, and even Elton adds additional piano licks to elevate the performance even further. “Bennie And The Jets” has.a bit more life to the performance compared with the afternoon show and Elton does funny phrasing in the last chorus. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” has some great vocal changes in the back half of the song and the backing harmonies are superb. “Cry To Heaven” is one of the best versions on the tour as the darker vocal tone fits the song perfectly and the instrumentation is excellent. “This Town” is a great version with the vocals sounding strong and the band prowess being extremely consistent. “Nikita” is has more harsh vocals compared to the earlier show, but the delivery is still pretty strong and the keyboard playing by Fred sounds excellent. “I’m Still Standing” is conservative for the era as Elton sings closer to the album version (although he does throw in a few embellishments here and there). “Song For Guy” is one of the greatest versions performed as the mix highlights just how amazing this band was and the atmosphere is top notch. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” is a spirited version with Elton going for the high notes in the second and third choruses. He also makes up lyrics in the third chorus and does drop phrasing on top of it. Lastly, “Candle In The Wind” showcases Elton’s weary tone (no doubt not helped by having two concerts in the same day), but he still delivers the emotional ballad very nicely. ENJOY!!!