I went down the YouTube hole last night after following the recommendations in the sidebar.
First up was Phil Collins performing In The Air Tonight at Montreux in 2004. Terrific performance though I was wondering till the last second whether he'd make it to the drum kit on time.
Released in 1981, with its video a staple on the early MTV, In The Air Tonight remains a standard with its mysterious image-laden lyrics and, of course, the dramatic entrance of the drums in the third verse (and inspiration for generations of air drummers!). It's also a reminder of how good a drummer Collins is. To really appreciate his drumming listen to Genesis before Peter Gabriel left.
That prompted me to remember another version of the song by Phil. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Amnesty International ran two fundraising concerts in London called The Secret Policeman's Ball and The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, which became two albums and a movie. This was back when AI was a genuine human rights organization supporting those persecuted across the political spectrum and before it was taken over by the Leftists who now wear its skin as a suit and demand the same respect once accorded that organization.
In the 1981 concert, Phil does a solo version which is quite different but quite good. His voice was much more supple twenty years earlier.
Which then reminded me of Sting's performance at the same concert of Message In A Bottle. What a voice!
And finally, I recalled Pete Townshend's performance at the 1979 event. He does Pinball Wizard from Tommy, a lovely and sensitive version of Drowned from Quadrophenia, and Won't Get Fooled Again from Who's Next in a way you've never heard before.
EXCELLENT!!!!!
ReplyDelete