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!