I know i may come across as mildly excited about this shake up, and in my mind this is no different then every other line up change. But that’s only if it’s done the right way. The more I think about it, the less likely I feel it will be the reality, but stranger things have already happened so I’m not giving up.
If this tour is marketed as a full 50 plus year career retrospective tour (farewell or otherwise, although personally I hope it’s farewell) then this line up works for me. it’s like the concert we’ve talked about many times throughout the years on this board of an all 16 (or at least most of them) member concert. This could be a compromise. I hope Neil Finn primarily is used as a voice to sing peter and bob songs. Lindsey songs should be kept to the bare minimum, since he is still active and Bob/Peter aren’t. Go Your Own Way only. None of those signature uniquely Lindsey songs (Tusk, in fact no tusk songs at all, so afraid, big love) go your own way has always been more about Mick and ajohn to me anyway. It’s just a generic break up song compared to the vast majority of Lindsey’s career. So go your own way should be the sole Lindsey song as a nod to him, but let the man himself handle performing the majority of those songs one his solo tour this year.
I hope if the set is 25 songs long
it looks something like this:
At least 8 songs from pre 1975 (and at least 2 of those from Christine) ebony eyes would qualify for this category.
No more then 1 Neil Finn song
No more then 3 Tom Petty Related songs (sang by Stevie or Neil) this included SDMHA
At least 2 stevie/Christine alone on stage performances
- 1 “new” song a piece from stevie and Christine. Christine plays one of her 5 buckvie songs and stevie a song from In Your Dreams. I think that could tie into the above scenerio. I feel a Christine/stevie only version of Moonlight would steal the show and have even I’d say at least half of the biggest critics of this tour change their minds after witnessing that done right.
- 2 “demo/outtake” versions of songs done. With all the reissues lately,
Pretty much every song has at least 2 officially released versions out there. This could also be a big crossover category since there are many good stevie piano only demos. #1 on the wishlist is the piano demo version of planets of the universe. But even more enticing would be Smile At You done Mirage outtake style.
Or and this is a lot of set space to devote to one song, but I would commit to buying a ticket at any price now if they did:
the Chain Stevie Demo
Keep Me There Christine outtake
the Chain normal version
Not doing the mcvie bass solo, guitar solo twice, just during the Chain.
No Stand Back! This is forgivable if the rest of the set is great, but this the Last solo song i think should be played. First off, musically I think this new band should not be wasted on Stand Back. They should do one her many heartbreaker connected songs. SDMHA is an obvious choice but even Outside the Rain features MC in the original version and features those Dreams drums. The OTR/Dreams combo comes and goes so much now that I wouldn’t hate hearing that transition with Mick at the drums finally.
I have a lot of really specific yet vague broad requests tha can go a lot of different ways and make me happy or unhappy but there are probably 5 specific songs that I want to see enough that any one of their appearance in the set would get me to buy a ticket. They are:
1. Smile At You- close to one of the mirage outtakes style
2. The full chain experience mentioned above
3. Green Manalishi- with stevie giving some kind of wail at the end.
4. Any song that is actually brand new. Slated to go on this new line ups upcoming album.
5. Moonlight as a duet with Christine as Stevie’s solo contribution
So basically what would make me join the haters about this tour and sit this out would be if in this same 25 song setlist scenerio it breaks down more like this:
20 standard hits/concert staples
Neil Finns voice is used primarily to do Lindsey’s parts on songs and the set is still filled with SHN, Monday Morning, NGBA (a song that I now realize is right up neil Finns alley, finally hearing some of his stuff) And he only does
Oh Well from before 1975.
The Deep cuts done are anything done since The Dance:
So Storms and Beautiful Child won’t cut it for me As the depth of theses cuts
I’m all for hearing at least one of these in the set, especially as a closer instead of Silver Springs, but it’s not worth cutting lindsey and that being the only pay off. These deep cuts must be more plentiful then 5, cover multiple eras of the band, and I want some creative arrangements done. And repeated from above any song that somehow indicates they’ve been considering making an album forgives all the other rules.