Rhiannon on Live in Boston
 

Is this version of Rhiannon brilliant, or what? I have probably listened to this song 10,000 times this summer. I love it!!! Now, I know everyone says Rhiannon sucks these days, but I beg to differ. I just loved the 2003-2005 performances. However, I do have to say that the Live album from the Tusk tour may be a tad better. It just depends on my mood. Your thoughts?

You know, for the intensity and pure power, nothing will match the 70's Rhiannons, but these newer versions are very special in their own way. Good point :)

I'm actually one of the few who love the more recent renditions of "Rhiannon" (especially 'Live In Boston'). Nothing will ever top the 'Rosebud' performance in my mind, but I love the sultry, slowburn of present-day "Rhiannon." :D

LIB/SYW versions of "Rhiannon" were an improvement from "The Dance." However, nothing will top the 75-76 versions.

You asked.

I think the song should be either completely reworked or just plain retired.

The piano intro is excellent - the rest of it, I skip.

The pace is droning. It plods and drags and the song can't be saved from the crippling backdrop of being played too slowly.

The vamp has been gutted. It is rushed through. The end has very little in terms of dynamics, and I am not just talking about her voice. Just thinking about it now, I want to play the Tuscaloosa BN version, which is nearly punk rock, and blown through in about 4 minutes.

This song is an old grey mare that keeps getting trotted out onto the track, but never makes it for a full lap. I can barely tolerate it. It is painful for me to listen to it. The old versions are among my favorite performances of Stevie's career. On the flip side, so was the recent version of BATB. Of course she can still crank out a stellar performance. Just not with that song.

What's kind of funny is that my friend Anne was first introduced to "Rhiannon" through the 'Dance,' and try as might, I can't get her the least bit interested in the earlier live versions.
She says the '70s and early '80s versions sound "way too rushed," and she prefers Stevie's current weathered voice better.

Of course, I don't complain... I think it's pretty cool that she prefers the new performances. :nod:

Speaking of reworking it, I'd actually quite like to see them arrange it similar to the single mix, keeping it a shorter and tighter 4 minute length. Just for the sake of hearing it a different way.

LMAO...very funny...but true!!! :lol:

That reminds me... I always get a good chuckle out of Stevie telling the band, "and don't play it too fast," right before they kick into the song.

Was it Gary Hodges in his Q&A here who said Stevie always complained that they were playing it too fast back then?
Too funny.

Rumours tour :rolleyes:

The only thing I want her to change is, I want her to say "A woman taken by the wind, would you stay if she promised to you heaven, will you ever win?" instead of "A woman taken by the sky, would you stay if promised to you heaven, would you even try?" For a song that has the official title "Rhiannon- Will You Ever Win", how can she take that line out of the song? There has to be some reason she changed the lyrics... I just wish I knew why!

Right, Rumours tour, but the album that came out after the Tusk tour, you know the one with the black and white cover...

Actually, the song's official title is simply "Rhiannon."
They only added the "Will You Ever Win" subtitle, when it was released as a single. Warners probably thought people were more likely to identify it by that line.

For the record, "Edge Of Seventeen" was given the "Just Like The White Winged Dove" subtitle when it was released as a single... for the same identification purposes.

I'm actually VERY surprised that "Dreams" wasn't subtitled as well.

Yeah, I know. I was just trying to drive my point home and make my arguement sound better! :laugh:

But seriously, I miss her singing "Will you ever win"... I wonder why she doesn't do that anymore. :shrug:

How did you like it when the news media retitled "Don't Stop" as "Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow" for the '92 president campaign?

Reason being that the newspaper people, of whom I was one at the time, thought the title "Don't Stop" by itself was too sexual & therefore detracted from the Clinton message. So bingo -- it became "Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow" everywhere you turned that year. Even Stevie herself called it that on Letterman.

Don't Stop sounds sexual? People really need to get a grip!

Dreams - thunder only happens when it's raining.
Dreams - Crystal visions
Dreams - so there you go again.


yeah, now that I tried that, I'm actually not suprised. :laugh:

Oh, baby. Don't stop. That's it. Right there.

Yep, totally sexual. :cool:

This is hillarious! :laugh: I think that it is funny that you posted this today, because I auditioned for American Idon hear in arizona today, and I sang dreams. But of course whenever people would ask "what are you gonna sing?"
I'd say "dreams" by fleetwood mac, and theyd stare at me blankly. but the moment that I said "thunder only happens when its raining" theyd go OH yeah! :lol: Anyway, to bring it back to the thread, I love the "White rhiannon"
from the Mirage tour and espescially the vocals and lyrics on the video." I DON'T CHANGE AND YOU DON'T CHANGE...ALL THE SAME....IF I DON'T CHANGE THEN YOU WON'T CHANGE RHIANNON...." Which is also funny, cause Rhiannon seems to change every tour! They are all good in their own way though..IMHO.

Did the audition go well?

That's what a lot of people think it is, anyway. :laugh:

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, in Vegas, she BELTED Rock and Roll much higher and faster than Rhiannon. As Chili pointed out, if she can do it then, she can do it for Rhainnon. Personally, I think she is bored to tears singinging it these day and it shows.

The best Rhiannon Ive heard in over 10 years was the one I just dowloaded from the July 26th LA show. Its freaking incredible. The Dance and Live in Boston combined dont match this one. And I got to say this. Lindsey doesnt freaking know how to play Rhiannon live anymore. His guitar work to me is quite atrocious on Rhiannon, which is weird because he's the guy who played on the absolutely stunning studio version with its amazing guitar playing, but hes never been able to duplicate that greatness live. Rick Vito was much better at playing Rhiannon live, and I hate hate hate saying this, but so is Waddy. Now im not talking about his solos on the song. His solos were always amazing. But he stopped doing them and now were left with hime butchering the guitar parts that he freaking created.

i've heard better recent performances ;)

Agreed. But the yell at the end of Sorcerer from that show? WOW! :eek:

That whole performance of Sorcerer is fantastic. I usually cringe when she sings that song live, but ho****, it's the best one I've heard yet.

A really, really great boot. The quality is superb, as is most of her performance.

I think it's the best boot of the tour. The performance and the quality just put it way above all the rest, IMO.

We haven't heard the final show yet. :thumbsup:

Since most, if not all of the fans have not heard the last show, I thought that was understood. I didn't think I had to qualify it by saying " of the ones we've heard so far" :)

I also read some of the reviews and a lot of fans said they had seen a few shows and didn't think it was her best performance, so that also had something to do with my remark.

But, I'll wait until I hear the last one and say....


I think it's the best boot of the tour...so far ! IMO, the performance and the quality just put it way above all of the ones I've heard...so far !



How's that? :)

Try listening to Chicago June 26th 03 boot. Prob best rhiannon boot from the SYW tour. I agree Rick Vito was better at playing rhiannon compared to Lindseys recent work on it (dance, SYW). But LIndsey had some killer parts on the tusk tour.

Ive heard that Chicago boot. Its average to me. And yes I agree about Lindsey's guitar playing on the Tusk tour, but starting with Mirage the music to the song while Lindsey is the guitar player has just been all wrong.

I think BTM Rhiannon was the last good Rhiannon. As much as people don't want to admit it she put a lot of effort into it.

the LA show boot is kinda low... i had to turn my speakers all the way up on my computer just to hear it... how is that the best boot of the tour?? hmmm...

I burned it and the volume sounds fine. :shrug: Her vocals are crystal clear, as is the band, and there's next to nothing in the way of audience noise. Can't get much better when it comes to audience recordings, imo. Better than the audio on the Vegas DVDs.

[QUOTE=diamondsnake]Is this version of Rhiannon brilliant, or what? I have probably listened to this song 10,000 times this summer. I love it!!! Now, I know everyone says Rhiannon sucks these days, but I beg to differ.



In my opinon Stevie intentionally "plays around with it" -

she's reminding us of what it used to be like -

She's like, "maybe I'm slowing down -

but I remember -

believe me -

I remember . . . "

Still -

70s, 80s, 90s, 00s - WHAT-ever - to me,

"it's all the same." :cool:

true... but there are better boots out there than the LA show.. in terms of both performance and of quality.. i should know.. i have them :wavey:

Pardon me, your highness.

P.s. -
 

P.S. - but yes, I agree, these days Rhiannon is slower and less intense.

These days, windows shatter, pillars quake, the ground rumbles,

and Arnold Schwarzenneggar runs from the building crying for his mommy.

Give'er a break, she's 57! :] :nod:

ughhh.. your comments are so predictable sometimes.

now bow down before me :wavey:

I'd rather be predictable than constantly pat myself on the back as often as you love to do to yourself.

You're not worthy. :wavey:

hmmm.. where did i pat myself on the back??? i don't recall doing that... all i said was that i heard better boots from this tour and that i have them..... ohhhhhh, you must be refering to the 14 shows i personally recorded this year.. ok, now i get it.

are you implying that i pat myself on the back for risking my ass and personally recording 14 shows?? well, i haven't... but i guess a little gratitude from the ungrateful (you) is asking too much, eh? :rolleyes:


how sweet... neither are u :xoxo: