Posted by Mr. Ventilator on September 13, 2000 at 14:20:27:
In Reply to: Re: The way they play songs live... posted by Stray Cat on September 13, 2000 at 14:11:35:
: To me they seem to have gotten tighter as the years go by. 81 was a very good tour but at times a little sloppy, same goes for 78. Why? Not sure. The drugs and booze influence, maybe. Remember the half empty bottle of J. Daniels always present on Charlie's drun riser. Those were the days!
Tighter? Yes..but at the cost of spontaneity, energy and real connection to the music. Their performances have been much tighter, and less risky since '81. Maybe it's a result of needing to put on a bulletproof show every night in huge outdoor venues. On the bright side, you don't have the out-and-out disasters that you had on some of the big '78 gigs. On the down side..what's the point if there's no passion, especially in the guitar playing?
I thought '81 was a good compromise - arrangements that worked for huge venues but didn't sound programmed. They were a little ragged, and sometimes clunky on the first few numbers, but the guitars dominated and when they hit a groove, it was for real.