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Post by BiteUrLip on Feb 17, 2021 23:03:44 GMT
From Live In Russia live album.
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Post by BiteUrLip on Feb 17, 2021 23:05:28 GMT
It's been pretty much my least CPT Fantastic song. This live version works because the original was arranged simply as well.
4 stars.
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Post by dougs on Feb 18, 2021 1:45:12 GMT
"Better Off Dead" LIVE FROM MOSCOW 1979:
In 1979 Elton and Ray Cooper launched into a year-long series of concerts which took them to locations such as Russia, East Germany, and Israel rarely played by major western music acts. The tour eventually hit the US and Canada in the autumn of 1979. Elton & Ray played 8 concerts in Moscow & Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in the spring of 1979 causing a global fuss in the process. The events resulted in a worldwide video and eventual DVD release of one of the Moscow concerts. The LIVE IN MOSCOW 1979 album with Ray Cooper made its debut on vinyl for RECORD STORE DAY 2019 and then digitally shortly thereafter.
The concert routine for Elton & Ray was that Elton would play solo for about 1 1/2 hours and then during "Funeral For A Friend" Ray would be revealed dramatically through dry-ice fog to much applause. "Funeral For A Friend" would segue into "Tonight" and then the duo would launch into this power rhythmic version of "Better Off Dead."
The song was one of those from CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY that Bernie had not heard until it was completed. Apparently, when Bernie wrote it he saw the song being more of a John Prine folk song. Surprise, surprise, it sounded more like what one author described as a Gilbert & Sullivan opera. Lyrically, "Better Off Dead" is about heading out to cafés in the later hours after spending the day in the studio recording...in those Dick James recording days. One bar that EJ & Bernie ventured to in order to watch the creatures of the night slide by was the Wimpy Bar in London. Lyrically, this is what the song is about; those uncertain nights watching the world around them wondering if there was a place for them in the world of music.
This version from LIVE IN MOSCOW 1979 features Elton's still fluid elastic vocals and extremely strong piano work supported by Ray's kettle drums which do Nigel's original studio drums quite impressively. Lots of power and passion from two musicians!
Elton has played "Better Off Dead" a lot over the years; 24 years have seen at least one performance. Elton made it a familiar song in the setlist whenever he toured solo, with Ray Cooper, and later in the Las Vegas shows. Its first appearance was in Edinburg in September 1976 and its last was in May 2018 in Las Vegas.
Rating: 5 stars
Doug
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Post by newloneranger on Feb 27, 2021 23:32:55 GMT
Its ok, prefer other live versions to this one. but still pretty good.
4 1/2 stars
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