I just remembered why Landslide sucked at the show I attended.

[PenguinHead]

I'm sitting here watching Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas TV show. He started the show by saying to the studio audience "you might be so moved by one of these Christmas classics that we're going to do, that you all actually start singing along with us here on the stage. But don't do that. Because if you do, the mikes will pick up your voices and you'll screw everything up."

That's sort of what has happened to Landslide. In earlier times, you could barely hear a pin drop from the audience; it was a dramatic moment, where everyone was silently focused on Stevie, paying reverence the song and the intense emotion being channeled. But now it's just become an audience participation sing along and sounds like a karaoke performance. I could barely hear Stevie over thousands of off key voices. Unwelcome to the choir sir! And welcome to the social media age where everyone gets to play a part! It ruined the moment.

[Macfan4life]

This is the case with ALL concerts. They were talking about this on the Howard Stern show a few months ago where some of the hosts attended an Eagles concert in New York. The young people in front of them seemed to not care about the music. They were texting during the show, taking selfies, and talking the entire show.
I never like to ruin anyone else's fun during a concert though. If you like to sing, go for it. But I also find it annoying when someone is loudly singing next to you. The only more annoying thing is when they loudly sing and don't even know the words

Flashback 1983. My first concert was the Wild Heart tour. Stevie thanked the audience for being so quiet during Beauty and the Beast. I wish I had those statements on tape but after the song she openly appreciated how respectful and quiet everyone was. Its common during songs like that were people shout out all kinds of things during the quiet moments of the song.

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

I'm sitting here watching Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas TV show. He started the show by saying to the studio audience "you might be so moved by one of these Christmas classics that we're going to do, that you all actually start singing along with us here on the stage. But don't do that. Because if you do, the mikes will pick up your voices and you'll screw everything up."

That's sort of what has happened to Landslide. In earlier times, you could barely hear a pin drop from the audience; it was a dramatic moment, where everyone was silently focused on Stevie, paying reverence the song and the intense emotion being channeled. But now it's just become an audience participation sing along and sounds like a karaoke performance. I could barely hear Stevie over thousands of off key voices. Unwelcome to the choir sir! And welcome to the social media age where everyone gets to play a part! It ruined the moment.

I've definitely had that happen, but at the show I attended last week, I thought the audience was surprisingly quiet during Landslide, and the fact that I would even notice such a thing really shows what a marked change it was.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

But now it's just become an audience participation sing along and sounds like a karaoke performance. I could barely hear Stevie over thousands of off key voices. Unwelcome to the choir sir! And welcome to the social media age where everyone gets to play a part! It ruined the moment.

The first time I heard Landslide live in person was during the Enchanted tour in 1998- well before the social media era. Even then, it was a big old sing along. For me, it was a very touching, poignant moment- that old song having the same spontaneous effect on thousands of people. I thought it was great, and I truly felt the love. However, I can also see how it could sour some people who are there simply to hear the music.

[bethelblues]

I think Landslide has consistently been one of Stevie's best vocal performances. She's grown with the song, her voice has changed, but her tone quality is still quite lovely. I like how she does the song now over both the studio version as well as performances in the 70s. Also--how great is it that she's allowed the song to age? So many singers are afraid to do that and try to do everything they can to keep what they once had, be it vocally or in the original recording. I've always wondered why she's never done Landslide as an encore, but maybe that explains it...she likes a more quiet audience at the end who are not singing along with her.

[bombaysaffires]

I love the version of Landslide on the Live album… it has that quiet reverence feel to it, and even at the end, when she's done, it's like the audience isn't entirely sure she's finished, and then when they figure out she is they burst into raucous applause and cheering. The quiet gives the song a poignancy it just doesn't have with the rowdier versions. Which are fun, I get that, but it's a qualitatively different experience.

[bethelblues]

Your post reminded me of this version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLobSQlet3s

The quiets really make it sound so distinct from her current version. In some ways, it's more introspective, for sure.

[bombaysaffires]

this reminds me how great it sounded with Christine playing on Landslide as well.

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by bethelblues

I think Landslide has consistently been one of Stevie's best vocal performances. She's grown with the song, her voice has changed, but her tone quality is still quite lovely. I like how she does the song now over both the studio version as well as performances in the 70s. Also--how great is it that she's allowed the song to age? So many singers are afraid to do that and try to do everything they can to keep what they once had, be it vocally or in the original recording. I've always wondered why she's never done Landslide as an encore, but maybe that explains it...she likes a more quiet audience at the end who are not singing along with her.

She did during the Timespace/Whole Lotta Trouble tour in 1991.

[Macfanforever]

Wow I never look at this this way.How many shows we heard somebody bellowing out."I LOVE YOU STEVIE" in the quiet parts of the song.

That could throw her off in concentrating singing the tune.She's a pro and marches on with the song.

[michelej1]

Oh, Beauty and the Beast is the famous one for them screaming things during the quiet parts, because it's not gentle, supportive stuff, it's more along the lines of, "Hey Stevie! I'll be your beast" or "I'm a beast in bed, baby."

Michele

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Oh, Beauty and the Beast is the famous one for them screaming things during the quiet parts, because it's not gentle, supportive stuff, it's more along the lines of, "Hey Stevie! I'll be your beast" or "I'm a beast in bed, baby."

Michele

Yes.I agree.Songbird is another tune thats quiet and has fans giving their love to Chris as she sings Songbird.

[nicole21290]

I cannot explain how irritated I get when I find a wonderfully filmed, recorded video of Love Is (another regular victim) and it has some audience member screaming and shouting all over it. Ugh.

[bethelblues]

Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You? is another.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

this reminds me how great it sounded with Christine playing on Landslide as well.

There is a bootleg from one of the last two nights of the BTM tour, after it was announced Christine and Stevie would no longer be touring with the band, when Lindsey joined them on stage for "Landslide" and it was just the three of them. Gooseflesh.