I've had a chance to hear all of it, and I guess my observation is not very original...some of it is very good, and some of it is too mellow. Too, too, too mellow...
Some of the songs are mellow already...so when you take a bunch of other opportunities to mellow out songs that were not originally mellow (Truth Hits Everybody probably being the most egregious example)...you end up with a show that is destined to keep people sitting down. It's almost as if Sting recoils into the fetal position at the mere thought of playing rock and roll...
Again, there were spots where they did "rock out"...just not nearly enough. I like some of the changes they made too, so it's not a matter of not liking change. It's change that results in a song that had energy being reduced to a lullaby that's not good...
Walking in Your Footsteps is better than the album version, though. I'll give it that, although I've never been a big fan of the song.
Any Updates from the Fan Show??
by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 00:19
Last edited by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 00:41, edited 2 times in total.
- Wait and See
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by sockii on 30 May 2007 00:24
So I downloaded and popped the show on my ipod before heading to the gym today. My first reactions (besides of coure OMGYAYSOAWESOME)...
- Stewart was just a joy to listen to, as always. Slow, fast, or midtempo, I always find something delightful in listening to his playing and he didn't disappoint me one bit. Even without being there or seeing the video, I could just picture him grinning like a madman and pounding away.
- Sting's voice sounded wonderful. I'll quibble about some of his choices of phrasing and changeups but can't argue with the sound of his singing.
- Andy's playing seems to be a point of some contention. There were, yeah, a couple songs I wans't sure about. But at the same time, I've gone to quite a few of his solo jazz shows through the years, and have just come to appreciate and enjoy the way he experiments with his playing. So it wasn't a big surprise to me that he didn't stick to the original parts to the letter, and I happen to enjoy the way he takes off with things. It doesn't always work, but when it does, the result can be amazing.
Song by song:
Message in a Bottle - perfect choice of opener, sounded great, I'm sure it'll only get even better later on!
Sync II - love the song, wasn't sure how I felt about some of the changeups that softened it a bit but overall liked it.
Don't Stand - I was excited about the descriptions of this, hoping it would sound a bit like Stew's Derangement of the original and '86 versions (which is my favorite of the derangements). Didn't quite hit that level, though, and I agree with those who said it was a little bit of a slowdown to early in the set.
VOICES / WHEN THE WORLD - loved it, loved it, as much as I did when I saw them do this at the Whiskey and it sounded even tighter this time through. A high point for Andy for sure.
SPIRITS - never was my favorite song, admittedly, and did sound a bit rough at points, but when it clicked together it sounded really damned good.
DRIVEN TO TEARS - Stewart rocked that freight train straight through this one! I had to up my incline level three grades on the stairmaster to keep up.
WALKING ON THE MOON - Maybe started a little disjointed to me but came together beautifully by the middle...really looking forward to hearing this one in person myself.
TRUTH HITS EVERYBODY - You know, I never really appreciated this song until hearing the very somber, slow '83 version of it, which I thought brought out the power of the lyrics so much more. So I didn't have a problem with the pacing of this one bit, thought the beat rocked through it damned steady even if at a slower pace than the original.
EVERY LITTLE THING - I personally really enjoyed this mix up, even if I wasn't completely sold on some of the phrasing of Sting's singing. To me it brought out the Caribbean feel of the song and I just don't know if the original version could have possibly worked well with just the three of them on stage.
(gong)
love the gong, heh. more gong!
WRAPPED - Very cool, slow, and sexy version, with great percussion work by Stewart. I kind of wanted the final section to rock a little harder and faster, though.
BED'S TOO BIG - Oh, sweet. This was the one song I was really keeping my fingers crossed for, so I'm thrilled to see it's in the setlist. A few changeups but nothing too major, great jamming, let's hear it go even further (HINT HINT FOR BONNAROO...if you're really gonna do a 20-30 minute jam? This song is perfect for it.)
MURDER - I love this song but agree that it sounded like it lost some steam with the audience, especially on the verses. Wasn't crazy about the phrasing of Sting's singing on the verses either, but by the instrumental sections it was grooving.
DE DO DO DO - I liked it. I didn't hear anything really off about it at all.
INVISIBLE SUN - Again not one of my favorite tracks but I really liked this arrangement and the subtle changes made, especially Andy's intro.
FOOTSTEPS - Oh man, just brilliant. Another song that was never near the top of my favorites list but this version is SO much more rocking and cool than the original!
CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU - Loved it. Not much to say beyond that it felt like a really classic groove here.
ROXANNE - Better than I was expecting! Sometimes I can get bored of this song but I had a lot of fun listening to this version.
....
KING OF PAIN - Nice version, sounded pretty tight to me.
SO LONELY - Ditto the above. The whole encore set really felt like the pace had picked up considerably into a very good groove.
BREATH - Again, not a favorite of mine, but about as good as I would expect it to sound and pretty much obligatory.
...
NEXT TO YOU - a nice treat, loved Stewart's drumming, would have loved it even more if the entire song had been up to the tempo of the final end reprise!
Overall - I'm not going to complain. This was, after all, a dress rehearsal and just a joy to hear in so many ways that it doesn't feel right to me to quibble too much over the small details at this point. It's still such a thrill to think about this happening at ALL. I guess I *do* hope--and expect--to hear everything just get better, tighter...and yeah, a little bit faster-paced as everyone warms up. I saw The Who on the opening night of their last tour, and it's just par for the course for there to be some fuckups and rough spots out the gate. I thought our guys did a damned fine job, here, from what I've heard.
Let's keep it coming, guys!
- Stewart was just a joy to listen to, as always. Slow, fast, or midtempo, I always find something delightful in listening to his playing and he didn't disappoint me one bit. Even without being there or seeing the video, I could just picture him grinning like a madman and pounding away.
- Sting's voice sounded wonderful. I'll quibble about some of his choices of phrasing and changeups but can't argue with the sound of his singing.
- Andy's playing seems to be a point of some contention. There were, yeah, a couple songs I wans't sure about. But at the same time, I've gone to quite a few of his solo jazz shows through the years, and have just come to appreciate and enjoy the way he experiments with his playing. So it wasn't a big surprise to me that he didn't stick to the original parts to the letter, and I happen to enjoy the way he takes off with things. It doesn't always work, but when it does, the result can be amazing.
Song by song:
Message in a Bottle - perfect choice of opener, sounded great, I'm sure it'll only get even better later on!
Sync II - love the song, wasn't sure how I felt about some of the changeups that softened it a bit but overall liked it.
Don't Stand - I was excited about the descriptions of this, hoping it would sound a bit like Stew's Derangement of the original and '86 versions (which is my favorite of the derangements). Didn't quite hit that level, though, and I agree with those who said it was a little bit of a slowdown to early in the set.
VOICES / WHEN THE WORLD - loved it, loved it, as much as I did when I saw them do this at the Whiskey and it sounded even tighter this time through. A high point for Andy for sure.
SPIRITS - never was my favorite song, admittedly, and did sound a bit rough at points, but when it clicked together it sounded really damned good.
DRIVEN TO TEARS - Stewart rocked that freight train straight through this one! I had to up my incline level three grades on the stairmaster to keep up.
WALKING ON THE MOON - Maybe started a little disjointed to me but came together beautifully by the middle...really looking forward to hearing this one in person myself.
TRUTH HITS EVERYBODY - You know, I never really appreciated this song until hearing the very somber, slow '83 version of it, which I thought brought out the power of the lyrics so much more. So I didn't have a problem with the pacing of this one bit, thought the beat rocked through it damned steady even if at a slower pace than the original.
EVERY LITTLE THING - I personally really enjoyed this mix up, even if I wasn't completely sold on some of the phrasing of Sting's singing. To me it brought out the Caribbean feel of the song and I just don't know if the original version could have possibly worked well with just the three of them on stage.
(gong)
love the gong, heh. more gong!
WRAPPED - Very cool, slow, and sexy version, with great percussion work by Stewart. I kind of wanted the final section to rock a little harder and faster, though.
BED'S TOO BIG - Oh, sweet. This was the one song I was really keeping my fingers crossed for, so I'm thrilled to see it's in the setlist. A few changeups but nothing too major, great jamming, let's hear it go even further (HINT HINT FOR BONNAROO...if you're really gonna do a 20-30 minute jam? This song is perfect for it.)
MURDER - I love this song but agree that it sounded like it lost some steam with the audience, especially on the verses. Wasn't crazy about the phrasing of Sting's singing on the verses either, but by the instrumental sections it was grooving.
DE DO DO DO - I liked it. I didn't hear anything really off about it at all.
INVISIBLE SUN - Again not one of my favorite tracks but I really liked this arrangement and the subtle changes made, especially Andy's intro.
FOOTSTEPS - Oh man, just brilliant. Another song that was never near the top of my favorites list but this version is SO much more rocking and cool than the original!
CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU - Loved it. Not much to say beyond that it felt like a really classic groove here.
ROXANNE - Better than I was expecting! Sometimes I can get bored of this song but I had a lot of fun listening to this version.
....
KING OF PAIN - Nice version, sounded pretty tight to me.
SO LONELY - Ditto the above. The whole encore set really felt like the pace had picked up considerably into a very good groove.
BREATH - Again, not a favorite of mine, but about as good as I would expect it to sound and pretty much obligatory.
...
NEXT TO YOU - a nice treat, loved Stewart's drumming, would have loved it even more if the entire song had been up to the tempo of the final end reprise!
Overall - I'm not going to complain. This was, after all, a dress rehearsal and just a joy to hear in so many ways that it doesn't feel right to me to quibble too much over the small details at this point. It's still such a thrill to think about this happening at ALL. I guess I *do* hope--and expect--to hear everything just get better, tighter...and yeah, a little bit faster-paced as everyone warms up. I saw The Who on the opening night of their last tour, and it's just par for the course for there to be some fuckups and rough spots out the gate. I thought our guys did a damned fine job, here, from what I've heard.
Let's keep it coming, guys!
-
sockii - Posts: 4888
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by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 00:59
sockii--
Your thoughts mirror mine almost exactly on every song, except I thought Synch II was good, and really disliked Truth Hits and Don't Stand. Invisible Sun was also unnecessarily slow.
Some of it sounded a little tentative and sloppy (Spirits, Walking on the Moon), which should improve with a few gigs, but almost all of it should have been played faster.
As for Sting's singing, I'm not sure how much is him not being able to hit certain notes anymore, which can't be helped, and how much is a "stylistic choice". There's no question he takes it down from the original a lot of times though.
I also think Andy could stand to use a little more distortion...or just turn it up louder, and use the Telecaster more.
They should also be playing Bring on the Night instead of Murder by Numbers.
I don't want to give the impression that it was all bad though. Message, Synch II, World Running Down, Driven to Tears, So Lonely, and a few others were every bit as good as you'd expect. There was just too much down time. Too much "lull".
The ending of Next to You was apparently supposed to be a joke, but that's more or less the way it OUGHT TO BE DONE.
Your thoughts mirror mine almost exactly on every song, except I thought Synch II was good, and really disliked Truth Hits and Don't Stand. Invisible Sun was also unnecessarily slow.
Some of it sounded a little tentative and sloppy (Spirits, Walking on the Moon), which should improve with a few gigs, but almost all of it should have been played faster.
As for Sting's singing, I'm not sure how much is him not being able to hit certain notes anymore, which can't be helped, and how much is a "stylistic choice". There's no question he takes it down from the original a lot of times though.
I also think Andy could stand to use a little more distortion...or just turn it up louder, and use the Telecaster more.
They should also be playing Bring on the Night instead of Murder by Numbers.
I don't want to give the impression that it was all bad though. Message, Synch II, World Running Down, Driven to Tears, So Lonely, and a few others were every bit as good as you'd expect. There was just too much down time. Too much "lull".
The ending of Next to You was apparently supposed to be a joke, but that's more or less the way it OUGHT TO BE DONE.
Last edited by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 01:07, edited 2 times in total.
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by sockii on 30 May 2007 01:06
>They should also be playing Bring on the Night instead of Murder by Numbers.
Bring on the Night, Deathwish, or One World would be three songs I've love to hear added into the mix. It would be nice if there were at least 2 changeable song slots each night, considering the volume of songs in their body of work, even if it feels necessary to "play the hits". (Maybe Truth Hits and Murder for the switch-up slots?)
Bring on the Night, Deathwish, or One World would be three songs I've love to hear added into the mix. It would be nice if there were at least 2 changeable song slots each night, considering the volume of songs in their body of work, even if it feels necessary to "play the hits". (Maybe Truth Hits and Murder for the switch-up slots?)
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by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 01:10
I also want to add, if I forgot to say--- Stew always brings it. The weak spots ain't Stew's fault. He's just doing it the way Sting wants it.
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by DirtyMartini on 30 May 2007 01:14
[quote="Wait and See"]There was just too much down time. Too much "lull".
[/quote]
I'll agree with that critique of the setlist. For some the tempo changes are problematic, but I think another part of the issue lies in the fact that a lot of the hits happen to be slower-tempo songs. Personally, I could kick Walking on the Moon and EBYT out of the line-up completely, but they were major hits so that's a pretty hard call to make.
[/quote]
I'll agree with that critique of the setlist. For some the tempo changes are problematic, but I think another part of the issue lies in the fact that a lot of the hits happen to be slower-tempo songs. Personally, I could kick Walking on the Moon and EBYT out of the line-up completely, but they were major hits so that's a pretty hard call to make.
Dramatic highlights & a unique musical cosmos. Guaranteed.
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by razorboy on 30 May 2007 04:02
i agree... i could go my whole life and not hear EBYT played live again, but you know they'll play it every night. i thought probably 60-70% of the performances were pretty spot on, and will probably tighten up and hopefully speed up as the tour progresses, but there were a few (spirits, sun, walking on the moon, etc) that really need to be sped up. i love murder by numbers, but this version just doesn't cut it.
that telecaster should never leave andy's shoulder... it sounds like the police when he plays it, and they need a little more of that.
that telecaster should never leave andy's shoulder... it sounds like the police when he plays it, and they need a little more of that.
"i have to fake it when i deal with the system..."
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razorboy - Posts: 39
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by Jose on 30 May 2007 04:17
Sokii, I really agree with all your cool description of the set list... from miles away I hearing and watching from great POLICE video trailer at www.thepolice.com this is my opinion:
Great version of "Every litle thing..." in rehearsals... outstanding version of "Message in a bottle" with that furious andy's guitars chords that makes the song punchy... but I want to watch the start with the classic bombs beats of Stewart drums... the other one "Synchronicity II" awesome Stings improvisation chorus at the end of the song makes it really pretty as a european cantata.... "Spirits in the material world" another one would I like to hearing the start drum of Stew...but the highlights for me in this song is Andy's guitar with that minimalistic sound that capture the entire song with that repetitive but charming guitar sound that changes in a good way the song... really cool... I really love THE POLICE 2007 YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
Great version of "Every litle thing..." in rehearsals... outstanding version of "Message in a bottle" with that furious andy's guitars chords that makes the song punchy... but I want to watch the start with the classic bombs beats of Stewart drums... the other one "Synchronicity II" awesome Stings improvisation chorus at the end of the song makes it really pretty as a european cantata.... "Spirits in the material world" another one would I like to hearing the start drum of Stew...but the highlights for me in this song is Andy's guitar with that minimalistic sound that capture the entire song with that repetitive but charming guitar sound that changes in a good way the song... really cool... I really love THE POLICE 2007 YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
"One World is enough for all of us"
http://the-police-al-peru.blogspot.com/
http://the-police-al-peru.blogspot.com/
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by cpriddims on 30 May 2007 04:37
Sounds like a good suggestion would be for everyone to have a beverage or two (or ten for some) before seeing the show. Perhaps to loosen up for the new arrangements and block out some of the type-a analysis that's been going on here (and starting to ruin some vibes!).
The setlist is only going to get better, performance wise, pacing-wise, order-wise. Our boys are going to tweek it. They always have.
The crowd response is going to get even better, especially when they hit the US (sorry Vancouver). Wait until the American diehard crowds (who can't afford the airfare and Vancouver sky high taxes) get there. Let's remember it was America who first whole-heartedly embraced the Police. (not trying to be patriotic or anything)
Perhaps the people not sure of what they are seeing and not completely blown away are over-analyzing what they see at the show, instead of loosening up and just taking the music as it comes, in whatever form it comes.
I just hope the show has some loud and aggressive moments. I can handle anything else that happens with the music. I am just glad they got back together for us all to see. They are allowed their liberties with the music. Especially after all these years. We can at least give them that!
And by the frickin way..."Murder by Numbers" is one of the most brilliant Police songs ever, especially from a musician's standpoint not to mention the witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics. I hope that you all can recognize that so no more bitchin. Screw pleasing the "Stadium Audience." What exactly is a stadium audience and when did this enter as a category? Anyway, If they play "Murder" at Bonnaroo or Tampa I am going to be totally mesmerized and completely satisfied.
Now let's just shut up, loosen up, listen up, and dig the hell out of what we've been waiting the last twenty years for !
The setlist is only going to get better, performance wise, pacing-wise, order-wise. Our boys are going to tweek it. They always have.
The crowd response is going to get even better, especially when they hit the US (sorry Vancouver). Wait until the American diehard crowds (who can't afford the airfare and Vancouver sky high taxes) get there. Let's remember it was America who first whole-heartedly embraced the Police. (not trying to be patriotic or anything)
Perhaps the people not sure of what they are seeing and not completely blown away are over-analyzing what they see at the show, instead of loosening up and just taking the music as it comes, in whatever form it comes.
I just hope the show has some loud and aggressive moments. I can handle anything else that happens with the music. I am just glad they got back together for us all to see. They are allowed their liberties with the music. Especially after all these years. We can at least give them that!
And by the frickin way..."Murder by Numbers" is one of the most brilliant Police songs ever, especially from a musician's standpoint not to mention the witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics. I hope that you all can recognize that so no more bitchin. Screw pleasing the "Stadium Audience." What exactly is a stadium audience and when did this enter as a category? Anyway, If they play "Murder" at Bonnaroo or Tampa I am going to be totally mesmerized and completely satisfied.
Now let's just shut up, loosen up, listen up, and dig the hell out of what we've been waiting the last twenty years for !
Bonnaroo, Miami (front row), Tampa, Atlanta, SAVANNAH!
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cpriddims - Posts: 581
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by Wait and See on 30 May 2007 06:11
>>>I'll agree with that critique of the setlist. For some the tempo changes are problematic, but I think another part of the issue lies in the fact that a lot of the hits happen to be slower-tempo songs. Personally, I could kick Walking on the Moon and EBYT out of the line-up completely, but they were major hits so that's a pretty hard call to make.<<<
Walking on the Moon is one of my favorite songs of theirs, so I have to disagree there, although it was kind of disjointed. I think the new middle section is cool, but once again, Sting sang the chorus almost in a whisper.
My observation is...there are several songs that they play a lot slower than the originals. If they played those at the appropriate speed, the slower songs would be a change of pace, rather than merely a continuation of the slowness...
I've had a chance to listen to it again, and this is my opinion of the changes:
CHANGES I LIKED:
- The extra "drum breaks" in Message.
- The guitar solo in Synch II.
- Voices/World Running Down combo. Sting should sing the chorus on World the way it ought to be, though. The way he's been doing it is not nearly as good.
- Middle section of Walking on the Moon.
- Andy's guitar intro to Invisible Sun (repeated in the middle). All of his playing on it, really. Good stuff. Very cool. Still, they played it too slow.
- Walking in Your Footsteps. The lyrics are still weak IMO, but they "fixed it" musically. Way better than the album. Way better than any of the other changes they made. If it was all up to that standard, it would be unassailable. They were also a lot tighter on it than anything else they played.
- Stewart's drumming on the end of So Lonely. Almost turned into ska for a minute. They let him cut loose a few times. He should be doing it even more.
CHANGES THAT WERE OK:
- Every Little Thing. It's not bad, and it kicks into what it ought to be by the end, so it's OK.
- Middle section of King of Pain. Eh...no problem, but the song needs to kick harder, especially on the bridge ("there's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out") and it's another one Sting ought to just sing the way it is on the record.
CHANGES THAT WERE NOT GOOD:
- Don't Stand So Close To Me. They didn't play the intro. That ought to be sacred. Took out all the reggae. Andy didn't even play the reggae rhythm on guitar. The rest of it-- Zzzzzzz. One of their best and most famous songs, and they botched it.
- Truth Hits Everybody. You gotta be kiddin' me. You GOTTA be kiddin' me. If there is any opportunity for them to rock people out of their seats it's that song, and they played it at least half-speed, with another "mellowed out" chorus by Sting. Totally unacceptable.
- The random key change on De Do Do Do. Awkward and unnecessary.
- On the record, Wrapped Around Your Finger "kicks in" on the line "I will turn your face to alabaster..." it didn't on the show, for absolutely no reason. Just stayed slow and mellow...like a lot of other stuff.
- Next to You. Slowed down, altered harmony on the chorus. Same as Sting had done with his solo band. Don't like it. Another lost opportunity to rock, until the end when Stewart went ape$hit for about 10 seconds.
Any songs I didn't mention were good. Thumbs up...although there was some sloppiness and a few mistakes, surprisingly...but I'm sure that'll get cleaned up. Except: *Murder By Numbers. They should ditch it, in favor of Bring on the Night. I'm extremely surprised they aren't playing that.
A couple of other observations:
I think Sting can still sing the way he used to, he just refuses to. I don't think he's lost much of his range.
The sampled BG vocals sounded pretty artificial at times, but what can you do...if they need it they need it.
Stewart rules. Stewart is the man. Stewart Copeland owns all other drummers. You know he was like "I want the biggest gong ever made!". Now he just needs to set it on fire, to complete the Bonham homage.
Walking on the Moon is one of my favorite songs of theirs, so I have to disagree there, although it was kind of disjointed. I think the new middle section is cool, but once again, Sting sang the chorus almost in a whisper.
My observation is...there are several songs that they play a lot slower than the originals. If they played those at the appropriate speed, the slower songs would be a change of pace, rather than merely a continuation of the slowness...
I've had a chance to listen to it again, and this is my opinion of the changes:
CHANGES I LIKED:
- The extra "drum breaks" in Message.
- The guitar solo in Synch II.
- Voices/World Running Down combo. Sting should sing the chorus on World the way it ought to be, though. The way he's been doing it is not nearly as good.
- Middle section of Walking on the Moon.
- Andy's guitar intro to Invisible Sun (repeated in the middle). All of his playing on it, really. Good stuff. Very cool. Still, they played it too slow.
- Walking in Your Footsteps. The lyrics are still weak IMO, but they "fixed it" musically. Way better than the album. Way better than any of the other changes they made. If it was all up to that standard, it would be unassailable. They were also a lot tighter on it than anything else they played.
- Stewart's drumming on the end of So Lonely. Almost turned into ska for a minute. They let him cut loose a few times. He should be doing it even more.
CHANGES THAT WERE OK:
- Every Little Thing. It's not bad, and it kicks into what it ought to be by the end, so it's OK.
- Middle section of King of Pain. Eh...no problem, but the song needs to kick harder, especially on the bridge ("there's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out") and it's another one Sting ought to just sing the way it is on the record.
CHANGES THAT WERE NOT GOOD:
- Don't Stand So Close To Me. They didn't play the intro. That ought to be sacred. Took out all the reggae. Andy didn't even play the reggae rhythm on guitar. The rest of it-- Zzzzzzz. One of their best and most famous songs, and they botched it.
- Truth Hits Everybody. You gotta be kiddin' me. You GOTTA be kiddin' me. If there is any opportunity for them to rock people out of their seats it's that song, and they played it at least half-speed, with another "mellowed out" chorus by Sting. Totally unacceptable.
- The random key change on De Do Do Do. Awkward and unnecessary.
- On the record, Wrapped Around Your Finger "kicks in" on the line "I will turn your face to alabaster..." it didn't on the show, for absolutely no reason. Just stayed slow and mellow...like a lot of other stuff.
- Next to You. Slowed down, altered harmony on the chorus. Same as Sting had done with his solo band. Don't like it. Another lost opportunity to rock, until the end when Stewart went ape$hit for about 10 seconds.
Any songs I didn't mention were good. Thumbs up...although there was some sloppiness and a few mistakes, surprisingly...but I'm sure that'll get cleaned up. Except: *Murder By Numbers. They should ditch it, in favor of Bring on the Night. I'm extremely surprised they aren't playing that.
A couple of other observations:
I think Sting can still sing the way he used to, he just refuses to. I don't think he's lost much of his range.
The sampled BG vocals sounded pretty artificial at times, but what can you do...if they need it they need it.
Stewart rules. Stewart is the man. Stewart Copeland owns all other drummers. You know he was like "I want the biggest gong ever made!". Now he just needs to set it on fire, to complete the Bonham homage.
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by adam1516 on 30 May 2007 11:20
The problem with all of this is wild expectation.
Most folks, including me, haven't seen the Police live, and the only reference I have is the peerless Synchronicity Concert on DVD. It is so deeply etched onto my memory, it might be difficult to seperate how the guys were then, and how they are now.
Whether intentional or not, much of the criticism is maybe subconscious in its foundation.
The overwhelming vibe I'm getting is one of - dare I say it - mild disappointment. Words like "mellow", "lull", "whisper", "slow", etc, are not words one would usually associate with a Police concert.
Are we being driven by unrealistic expectations by all of this? Are we guilty of being swept away by the hysteria of it all? And when things don't sound quite the way we want them too, are we over-reacting?
I have a long, long wait (Birmingham NIA) until I see the guys. Perhaps the best thing for me, and others, is to not read the reviews - and therefore not enter the arena with any preconceived ideas or baggage.
All I know is that I desperately want to leave the concert hall totally overwhelmed - not just satisfied, but completely "over the moon" as it were.
I know all of you guys want the same.
Most folks, including me, haven't seen the Police live, and the only reference I have is the peerless Synchronicity Concert on DVD. It is so deeply etched onto my memory, it might be difficult to seperate how the guys were then, and how they are now.
Whether intentional or not, much of the criticism is maybe subconscious in its foundation.
The overwhelming vibe I'm getting is one of - dare I say it - mild disappointment. Words like "mellow", "lull", "whisper", "slow", etc, are not words one would usually associate with a Police concert.
Are we being driven by unrealistic expectations by all of this? Are we guilty of being swept away by the hysteria of it all? And when things don't sound quite the way we want them too, are we over-reacting?
I have a long, long wait (Birmingham NIA) until I see the guys. Perhaps the best thing for me, and others, is to not read the reviews - and therefore not enter the arena with any preconceived ideas or baggage.
All I know is that I desperately want to leave the concert hall totally overwhelmed - not just satisfied, but completely "over the moon" as it were.
I know all of you guys want the same.
- adam1516
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by razorboy on 30 May 2007 14:41
most of it was really great, could have been sped up a bit, but i'm sure things will continue to be tweaked... i think it is a reasonable expectation for them to rock out; they've proven they can do it, so why tease with it? step on the gas and blow us away...
"i have to fake it when i deal with the system..."
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razorboy - Posts: 39
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by DirtyMartini on 30 May 2007 18:43
[quote="Wait and See"]Walking on the Moon is one of my favorite songs of theirs, so I have to disagree there,[/quote]
Just personal preference, of course. But either way, a hit's a hit.
[quote="Wait and See"]I think Sting can still sing the way he used to, he just refuses to. I don't think he's lost much of his range.[quote]
I think I agree here. He really belted those high notes in Roxanne. (I actually kinda liked that he held off til the last section to do so cuz it was a nice tease.) But because he was able to belt 'em so well, I do wonder why the lower transpositions. Most of them didn't bother me at the time, but I do wonder the reasoning behind them.[/quote]
Just personal preference, of course. But either way, a hit's a hit.
[quote="Wait and See"]I think Sting can still sing the way he used to, he just refuses to. I don't think he's lost much of his range.[quote]
I think I agree here. He really belted those high notes in Roxanne. (I actually kinda liked that he held off til the last section to do so cuz it was a nice tease.) But because he was able to belt 'em so well, I do wonder why the lower transpositions. Most of them didn't bother me at the time, but I do wonder the reasoning behind them.[/quote]
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DirtyMartini - Posts: 9622
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by mudspoke on 31 May 2007 02:10
I'm sorry to say this, but I feel I must. If you weren't at the concert, you cannot judge the quality of the concert. Seeing it on You Tube can give you some information as to the pace of the songs, but you cannot evaluate the concert unless you were there. There is simply no way one can gauge the atmosphere, the vibe, that existed.
Again, my biggest impression of the concert was how informal it was; how relaxed the band was; how well they got along. You can't "feel" that on You Tube.
Again, my biggest impression of the concert was how informal it was; how relaxed the band was; how well they got along. You can't "feel" that on You Tube.
Mudspoke
"If you don't like my arrogance you can suck my socks."
"If you don't like my arrogance you can suck my socks."
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