16. Band Introduction (Elton John - Live In Cuyahoga Falls: 8/19/1986)

Since the poll I recently did featured Cuyahoga Falls 1986 winning, it’s only fair that I upload it on my channel! While the quality isn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, it is quite an improvement over old copies that plagued my channel years ago. The recording is also musically complete which is a plus and can provide more information about the band and Elton’s vocal condition when compared to the previous recording from Clarkston. A big shout-out goes out to my friend “Brady Love” for being an excellent singer, a fan of this tour leg, a great friend, and most importantly - a huge fan of this show!

This show highlights why this tour leg was a cataclysmic roller coaster for Elton John’s voice. While not yet hideous-sounding and still passable throughout the show, Elton’s voice sounds more ragged and strained compared to Clarkston with several demanding vocal sections being avoided on many of the songs. It is likely that he pushed his voice too hard at the previous two Clarkston shows and this being the third night in a row would showcase a more vocally impacted Elton. The band members are in good form tonight with Davey’s guitar work being a highlight. Now… time to talk about this show…

“Tonight” highlights Elton’s increasing vocal damage as his tone sounds more ragged than any other version previously heard on this tour. Despite this, he still is able to sing the falsetto bits in the choruses and the ending sounds pretty strong. “One Horse Town” gets vocally stronger as the performances progresses as Elton’s tone starts to clear up and there’s a high amount of energy present (even in this quality). “Better Off Dead” is sung effectively and the backing harmonies sound nice. “Rocket Man” has Elton attempting Bb4s in two of the choruses (both miss the mark) and he sounds pretty harsh in spots. In contrast, he gets some solid falsetto during the improvisational section. “Philadelphia Freedom” is noticeably weaker than the previously available performance from Clarkston as Elton struggles a bit on the “shine the light” falsettos and the outroduction vocals are lackluster with the first two “yes I do” phrases sounding unenthusiastic and out of place. “Burn Down The Mission” has Elton singing conservative phrasing (which would become Elton’s normal delivery for future performances) in the choruses, but still sings a good bridge and he attempts the original melody on the final “it’s only chance of living” line. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” features Elton giving the song a good effort, but he sounds quite strained throughout and all of the C5s are dodged during the outroduction section. “The Bitch Is Back” is full of energy and Elton delivers the vocals very well despite his tone sounding rough and ragged. “Song For You” has some really forced vocals in places. “Blue Eyes” has Elton’s vocal and piano getting a bit out of sync in the first verse, but the rest of the performance is decent and an improvement from Clarkston as Elton’s delivery is stronger. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” sounds pretty good as Elton’s vocal delivery is still strong enough to carry the song. Concluding this section, “Paris” is sung aggressively (which is surprising, considering the state of Elton’s voice) and the delivery is somehow still stronger than the album version.

“Restless” has Elton pushing his voice too hard throughout, which causes intonation issues - although the phrasing used is unique and the guitar solo is melodic and lively. “Bennie And The Jets” is full of random vocal phrasing and the band sound excellent on this version. “Love Song” has Elton taking it easier with some of the vocals (compared to Clarkston), but the performance is still rock-solid with great guitar work being put on display. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” is a lively rendition with Elton giving a strong effort on the vocals. “This Town” highlights the prowess of the 1985-1986 band as Charlie Morgan’s drumming is exquisite and David Bitelli’s saxophone work is first class. “I’m Still Standing” features chorus Ab4s in varying states of quality and Elton attempts several Bb4 embellishments with some of them sounding off. “Nikita” has botched lyrics in the first verse, but Elton still is able to sing the Ice On Fire hit single fairly well and the final chorus vocals are solid. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” features the original arrangement (with all of the choruses) and while the vocals and instrumental work aren’t the cleanest versions, the energy is still present with a great atmosphere. “Candle In The Wind” showcases a weary tone from Elton, but he channels it into a very respectable version of the classic ballad. “Daniel” sounds pretty decent, but Elton’s vocals are a far cry from the 1984 versions as his tone is strained with the dynamics being nearly totally lost. Lastly, “Your Song” has Elton embellishing all over the place and he sings as if this was the last song he would ever sing on stage!

ENJOY!!!