14. Philadelphia Freedom (Elton John - Live In Philadelphia: 10/28/1984)

Hello you absolutely wunderbar and crazy subscribers! I have finally conquered the streak of flu-stricken gigs from New York. It’s time to move on to shows that will make me less sick while I’m listening to them, in order to upload them onto KZbin! From the “City of Brotherly Love,” this Elton John show has been praised in the past as being one of the best shows on the tour leg due to its consistency, the high energy, and the fantastic atmosphere. Thankfully, this upload is an upgraded copy that doesn’t have digital noise and lackluster quality impeding the listening experience. With a combination of pretty fair audio quality and being nearly musically complete, this recording should be a great listening experience for people who want to hear a rock-solid show from late 1984!
Over the last couple of weeks, Elton was battling a severe flu that caused a few shows to get postponed to November. Through his New York run of shows, he continued to suffer and one show was called off due to his condition. This Philadelphia show takes place two days after his last New York show where he sounded extremely drained and it’s a night and day difference. Elton seems to have gotten his flu symptoms under control as he sounds way more energetic compared to the past few shows and his voice sounds nowhere near as rough. While still not at 100%, Elton’s performances are generally strong and he clearly wants to give everything he has to deliver a high-quality show. The rest of the band are in excellent form as their energy from the New York gigs carry over into this show and heavily compliment Elton. Now, time to discuss the performances!
“Tiny Dancer” is a massive improvement over the last couple of versions as Elton sings the song more smoothly and has a cleaner tone overall. “Levon” has Elton sounding fairly strong vocally and the guitar work sounds excellent. “Li’l ‘Frigerator” is one of the better live versions as the musicianship is great and Elton is able to sing the song effectively without sounding excessively rough. “Rocket Man” is a solid version with Elton singing the song with more ease compared to the New York versions and the improvisational section features some very effective musicianship. “Daniel” is a pretty strong performance with Elton sounding more vocally confident compared to previous versions. “Restless” still features excessive overdrive and some harsh vocals, but Elton’s energy is there and the band sound strong on this version of the Breaking Hearts opener. “Candle In The Wind” has a smoother vocal delivery from Elton (compared to many previous versions) and the ending embellishment sounds fantastic. “The Bitch Is Back” is an energetic performance with Elton pushing his voice and the guitar work is reminiscent of some European Express performances. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” is a great version and one of the best on the tour leg as Elton sings the song cleanly. Bits of his European Express form also poke through the performance at times. “Who Wears These Shoes” has the overdrive in full force, but Elton sounds spirited and the band sound great on this version. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” has Elton nearly train-wrecking during the second verse, but the band stay composed and maintain a solid foundation. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” still has Elton sounding a bit weary, but he gets through the Blue Moves classic. Concluding this section, “Bennie And The Jets” has Elton flubbing the lyrics in the second chorus and being goofy with his tonal and phrasing choices throughout the performance.
“Philadelphia Freedom” has one of the best atmospheres on the song as the crowd cheer loudly throughout the performance. While Elton sounds a bit tired, the energy level is crazy on this version. “Blue Eyes” is a pretty solid performance with some great harmony work. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” has some tired-sounding vocals, but Elton delivers the song pretty decently. “Kiss The Bride” has Elton nearly flubbing the lyrics in the second verse and sounding rough in spots, but the effort is there and the band are in great spirits during this performance. “One More Arrow” doesn’t sound too bad for tour leg standards as Elton sings the song fairly smoothly - although some of the phrasing is still choppy. “I’m Still Standing” has Nigel changing up the drum part (using toms instead of the snare - possibly due to issues) and despite sounding rough in places, Elton hits a Bb4 for the first recorded time during the outroduction. “Your Song” is cut, but what’s featured is Elton flubbing lyrics in the first chorus. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” doesn’t have the cleanest vocals, but the energy, atmosphere, and musicianship compensate it very nicely. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” has the Walls Pork Sausages lyric and Elton bungles a chord during the last chorus (playing C# minor instead of major). Lastly, “Crocodile Rock” features some sexy baritone phrasing from Elton!
ENJOY!!!