![]() ![]() ![]() Other highlights include “Rain on the Scarecrow,” about the struggles of farmers, and the wistful “Minutes to Memories,” which sounds like a precursor to 2008’s “Longest Days” and includes lines like “Days turn to minutes and minutes to memories / Life sweeps away the dreams that we have planned.” in the U.S.A.,” which is subtitled “A Salute to 60s Rock” the effusive and distinctive rocker “Lonely Ol’ Night,” which namechecks the Four Tops’ “Standing in the Shadows of Love” and “Small Town,” a clearly autobiographical number that extolls the virtues of living you know where. Featuring his most sophisticated writing to date, it focuses largely on the ways in which the American dream has fallen short and spawned three Top 10 singles: “R.O.C.K. That said, Scarecrow did a lot to reinforce Mellencamp’s position as a major artist. 9 with 1983’s Uh-Huh, and enjoyed Top 10 singles with “Hurts So Good,” “Crumblin’ Down,” “Pink Houses,” and the chart-topping “Jack & Diane.” 1 LP with 1982’s American Fool, made it to No. (Read about my 1974 encounter with Joel here.)Īn Expanded Version of a John Mellencamp Standoutīy the time he issued Scarecrow, his eighth studio album, in 1985, John Mellencamp didn’t need a career boost: he’d already scored a No. lounge singer whose audiences would “sit at the bar and put bread in my jar.” Performing this tune in the city of his birth as more than 50,000 admirers sing along, Joel exudes a sense of triumph and validation-and understandably so. 1 & 2” that’s featured in the video.Īt least both versions of the show end with a fine rendition of Joel’s signature song and frequent concert closer: “Piano Man,” the 1973 number that’s based on his real-life, pre-fame gig as an L.A. But they also both feature a few of Joel’s less-memorable numbers, such as “Storm Front,” “That’s Not Her Style,” and “Shameless.” It’s unfortunate that the Blu-ray includes those while eschewing some well-known tunes that the CDs embrace, such as “Big Shot,” “You May Be Right,” “Allentown,” and “An Innocent Man.” It’s also unfortunate that the audio discs are missing the high-octane cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout, Pts. The video and CDs share lots of high points-“A Matter of Trust,” “New York State of Mind,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” to name a few. The package comes with a 28-page booklet that offers new liner notes by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke. ![]() The Blu-ray, though marred somewhat by choppy video editing, has a lot to recommend it, including an exuberant, previously unseen version of “Uptown Girl,” while the CDs-which incorporate a much longer setlist-introduce 11 previously unreleased performances. The package pairs a high-definition, surround-sound Blu-ray video with a newly mixed and mastered two-CD audio recording of the show. (Note, though, that unlike the Shea gig, which added such stars as Paul McCartney, this one featured no guest artists aside from violinist Lisa Germano, who performed on “The Downeaster ‘Alexa.’”)Ī film of the concert-which incorporates two brief interview segments and was previously available only as a VHS videotape-has been significantly upgraded for the new Live at Yankee Stadium. That they were, thanks to well-chosen setlists, Joel’s enthusiastic performances, a gargantuan audience of adoring fans, and a first-rate backup band. A native of the state and a serious baseball fan (who, 18 years later, would also appear at Shea Stadium), Joel clearly regarded these concerts as special. Billy Joel ’s ‘Live at Yankee Stadium’ Hits Some Homersīilly Joel had already recorded nearly all his best-known songs by June 1990, when he performed two shows at New York’s Yankee Stadium. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |