Rock a Little Tour

[DashingDan]

There's been so much terrific video from the RAL tour made available lately (big thank you to the content providers, so kind of you to share) that I can't let it go by without commenting on the tour itself.

Having seen 3 RAL shows personally, it's been wonderful to have these documents available. Both sets of videos (Iowa and Jones) are a much better representation of the tour than Red Rocks Video.

As I relive my RAL shows (Hartford, Worcester night 1, and Mansfield) through these videos I can't help but STILL think that the RAL tour was a real turning point for her as a singer and performer. The power and control of her instrument is at times is absolutely thrilling and at times cringe-inducing and the riffing and variations on melody are at times truly inspired and at times annoying...yet, we've only seen glimpses of both extremes since then.

Some thoughts:
For those of you who were not fans back then for whatever reason, please know that there wasn't the ever-present use of video during concerts as there is now. You saw what you saw and that was it. No screens flanking the stage to help the folks in the 'cheap seats'. Watching these far-shot RAL videos is fun because that's how I remember the shows and remember her, as a shape or form. It's that shape created by the super blond, super long, super shagged out hair and the drapes of cloth that continued the shape that started with the hair that bring the visceral memories back for me. I know that may sound weird, but to a visual thinker, like me, it's how I remember things.

Bobbye Hall and Ms. Wright, how I miss you. Jennifer Condos and Bobby Martin, how I do not (just never got into them). I used to think her RAL band was her best band, but I don't think that any more. They could be too much, and too sloppy, at times. She's had one or two better band line-ups in my opinion.

She did move around more back then, didn't she?

People around me, at all three shows, commented on her weight, even back then (EVEN from 40 rows back). People around me, at all three shows, commented on her voice not being as good as it was 5 years before, even back then...some things never change.

I like the Iowa "Has Anyone ever written..." version. It's how I like that song sung best (it plods a bit less in my opinion) and it's how I remember she sung it at the Hartford show. Even by Mansfield it had changed to it's more current, or recognizable, phrasing.

Sorry if I bored you with this, folks. It's been a pleasure watching these vids. Thank you again.

[Nathan]

Great post. Great videos.

[AliceLover]

Thank God for cocaine!

Seriously though, Stand Back on the Jones Beach show (and Iowa, too) is so friggin EPIC. In the middle, when she just marches to the side of the stage and everyone is going crazy. Shes hopping over all sorts of gifts and security is trying to keep up with her!! Love it.

I Can't Wait on both videos is also truly great. Love the middle segment when she busts out her moves!

Rhiannon from Iowa is just truly awesome. Its funny to watch her bodygaurd book from one side of the stage to the next. They were probably extra cautious at this show because I think she had fallen off the stage only 4 nights before in Dallas?

Also, question to everyone. What is she doing right before Outside the Rain starts on Iowa? It doesn't look like she took a drink from something.

[Nathan]

Yea - Thank God for cocaine.

I don't know what the deal is with Iowa Outside the Rain.

They seem to be her best versions of Outside the Rain/Rhiannon/Edge walk/etc., etc...

Dan just described it so well.

[whitesoxx]

Please please please somebody upload the Iowa dvd to either dime or throwndow.net, I want to watch the show on a big tv :-)

[badanimals87]

Originally Posted by whitesoxx

Please please please somebody upload the Iowa dvd to either dime or throwndow.net, I want to watch the show on a big tv :-)

I will try to upload it this weekend.

Tim

[wheart]

Originally Posted by DashingDan

There's been so much terrific video from the RAL tour made available lately (big thank you to the content providers, so kind of you to share) that I can't let it go by without commenting on the tour itself.

Having seen 3 RAL shows personally, it's been wonderful to have these documents available. Both sets of videos (Iowa and Jones) are a much better representation of the tour than Red Rocks Video.

As I relive my RAL shows (Hartford, Worcester night 1, and Mansfield) through these videos I can't help but STILL think that the RAL tour was a real turning point for her as a singer and performer. The power and control of her instrument is at times is absolutely thrilling and at times cringe-inducing and the riffing and variations on melody are at times truly inspired and at times annoying...yet, we've only seen glimpses of both extremes since then.

Some thoughts:
For those of you who were not fans back then for whatever reason, please know that there wasn't the ever-present use of video during concerts as there is now. You saw what you saw and that was it. No screens flanking the stage to help the folks in the 'cheap seats'. Watching these far-shot RAL videos is fun because that's how I remember the shows and remember her, as a shape or form. It's that shape created by the super blond, super long, super shagged out hair and the drapes of cloth that continued the shape that started with the hair that bring the visceral memories back for me. I know that may sound weird, but to a visual thinker, like me, it's how I remember things.

Bobbye Hall and Ms. Wright, how I miss you. Jennifer Condos and Bobby Martin, how I do not (just never got into them). I used to think her RAL band was her best band, but I don't think that any more. They could be too much, and too sloppy, at times. She's had one or two better band line-ups in my opinion.

She did move around more back then, didn't she?

People around me, at all three shows, commented on her weight, even back then (EVEN from 40 rows back). People around me, at all three shows, commented on her voice not being as good as it was 5 years before, even back then...some things never change.

I like the Iowa "Has Anyone ever written..." version. It's how I like that song sung best (it plods a bit less in my opinion) and it's how I remember she sung it at the Hartford show. Even by Mansfield it had changed to it's more current, or recognizable, phrasing.

Sorry if I bored you with this, folks. It's been a pleasure watching these vids. Thank you again.

You didn't bore me at all, quite the contrary. I love hearing "first hand" discussion about Stevie shows from her heyday. I feel like I just missed seeing her on the RAL tour. I had become a fan after buying the RAL album but it had been out a while by then and the tour was pretty much over. I remember a coworker had gone to see her (a middle aged woman went with her kids!) and she was telling me that Stevie had put on a lot of weight but it was a great show, and at one point Stevie was "on the floor". I remember being somewhat intrigued by this but again, I was not a fan yet until shortly after so it didn't really register. But thanks so much for the insights and your experiences!

[goldustsongbird]

I used to say I hated RAL, because at one point, I did. It's grown on me and now I love it in all it's cheesy, 80's-synth glory. Her voice from 83-86 did some crazy ****.