What's Your Favorite Single Performance...

[Don]

With Foreigner not playing any newer material and Journey pretty much ditching Eclipse live, I just don't think it's worth my money.

[portland]

With Foreigner not playing any newer material and Journey pretty much ditching Eclipse live, I just don't think it's worth my money.

Agreed.

[DK23]

Let me go a bit off topic:

For those (including myself) who think la raza del sol live in 2001 is awesome..
Start listening at the 3:07 mark.. see if it sounds familiar cuz I can definitely hear a resemblance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uNB2sg ... re=related

I personally don't hear anything that immediately makes me think of La Raza but that's just me. Neal is FAMOUSLY NOTORIOUS for robbing licks/runs, etc. from himself whether it's from Journey to Neal Schon or vice verse. Just as a for instance (and this is the first one that came to mind but there are at least a dozen....) check out the intros to these two songs.

Never Walk Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0wCjlmaykw

Believe In Me (JSS tune)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOAW6Q75FNw

And these are definitely not the best or even the clearest examples they're just the first ones that came to mind and I'm working at the moment so don't have time to search/provide links for comparison - although I'm sure if you wait a few, they'll be provided for you.

Yeah The first time I heard Believe in Me, I immediately thought of NWA. Would be awesome to hear what other ones you have. (If you can, can you point out where WCN appears on Signs of Life? I still can't hear that one)

[JRNYMAN]

Let me go a bit off topic:

For those (including myself) who think la raza del sol live in 2001 is awesome..
Start listening at the 3:07 mark.. see if it sounds familiar cuz I can definitely hear a resemblance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uNB2sg ... re=related

I personally don't hear anything that immediately makes me think of La Raza but that's just me. Neal is FAMOUSLY NOTORIOUS for robbing licks/runs, etc. from himself whether it's from Journey to Neal Schon or vice verse. Just as a for instance (and this is the first one that came to mind but there are at least a dozen....) check out the intros to these two songs.

Never Walk Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0wCjlmaykw

Believe In Me (JSS tune)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOAW6Q75FNw

And these are definitely not the best or even the clearest examples they're just the first ones that came to mind and I'm working at the moment so don't have time to search/provide links for comparison - although I'm sure if you wait a few, they'll be provided for you.

Yeah The first time I heard Believe in Me, I immediately thought of NWA. Would be awesome to hear what other ones you have. (If you can, can you point out where WCN appears on Signs of Life? I still can't hear that one)

Yeah, I'll be happy to point out a few (or more) when I get home tonight. Then, after exploring the thievery Schon committed on himself, we can examine the piracy that occurred by other bands that ripped off early Journey stuff. And again, this is just a quick for instance.... compare the main melody riff from Carry On Wayward Son to I'm Gonna Leave You from Look Into the Future which was released in Jan 1976. Leftoverture didn't come out until nearly a full year later. So, you be the judge.

[DK23]

Right, I'm aware of that one. Nickel and Dime with Rush. Where Were You and that Motley Crue song. And a couple more.

(Aside: Have you noticed that near the :30 second mark or so of Neal Schon's "I'll Be Waiting" sounds exactly like Rough Boy by ZZ top?)

[HydraRed]

THIS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0u9yp3D ... ideo_title

[Arkansas]

Tough, very tough call. I guess it all depends on the state of age, the state of appreciation, the state of mind.

I mean, way back when - KISS in '77, Journey w/Gregg Rolie, Van Halen II, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet (I know, I know), the list goes on. When you're in the formidable years, aren't they all 'totally amazing'? And when you come in to realization of musicianship, your flavours vary. I once thought that RUSH, Kansas, & Angel were the best. But were they really? Like 'southern rock' or not, but Lynyrd Skynyrd & Tom Petty, were absolutely fantastic!

I saw Cheap Trick @ Mud Island (Memphis), and still swear that it was the best sounding concert ever...Aldo Nova opened. Wow! But much later, Journey came through with ROR...and OMG, like Red Beard said while @ Rock103, "The mix was mint!" And what about Bruce Springsteen? The 'Born in the USA' show still gives me goosebumps. I'll also add that U2 and Paul McCartney are still way high on my list.

Now then, do you drink? Do you 'smoke'? Did you have different girlfriends/dates for different shows? The state of mind probably dictates, to a great extent, your perception of the 'best performance'. You may have had no idea what musicianship was going onstage, but you damn-well woke up the next day thinking that you'd just seen the best show ever. (Monsters of Rock, Texas Jam, pick one...)

But never the less, this is a really great question. I'm sure that the answers vary for everyone.


later~

[annie89509]

Let me go a bit off topic:

For those (including myself) who think la raza del sol live in 2001 is awesome..
Start listening at the 3:07 mark.. see if it sounds familiar cuz I can definitely hear a resemblance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uNB2sg ... re=related

I personally don't hear anything that immediately makes me think of La Raza but that's just me. Neal is FAMOUSLY NOTORIOUS for robbing licks/runs, etc. from himself whether it's from Journey to Neal Schon or vice verse. Just as a for instance (and this is the first one that came to mind but there are at least a dozen....) check out the intros to these two songs.

Never Walk Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0wCjlmaykw

Believe In Me (JSS tune)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOAW6Q75FNw

And these are definitely not the best or even the clearest examples they're just the first ones that came to mind and I'm working at the moment so don't have time to search/provide links for comparison - although I'm sure if you wait a few, they'll be provided for you.

Back in the Arrival days, it was scandalous that Neal took his famous outro solo from WCN (which SP was very fond of) and put it in Signs of Life. Talk among the fans was that it was another subtle dig directed at their former lead singer …(SP)”who’s crying now?”… (Journey)“signs of life”(reborn).... Previously, Neal had revealed the band’s new official corporate name… Nomota LLC, dba Journey. (NoMoTa = NoMoreTails).

Were these digs toward SP? Who knows…speculation…that’s what fans do.

[annie89509]

I liked Deen's take better.

Deen does do a great job on that one (lol not better than Perry). I wish he'd sing more, I like his husky vocal tone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT5WEF5rTmo

All the songs that Deen has performed in the shows are just so uncanny perryish. Shame he doesn't get to sing them anymore.

[JRNYMAN]

Tough, very tough call. I guess it all depends on the state of age, the state of appreciation, the state of mind.

I mean, way back when - KISS in '77, Journey w/Gregg Rolie, Van Halen II, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet (I know, I know), the list goes on. When you're in the formidable years, aren't they all 'totally amazing'? And when you come in to realization of musicianship, your flavours vary. I once thought that RUSH, Kansas, & Angel were the best. But were they really? Like 'southern rock' or not, but Lynyrd Skynyrd & Tom Petty, were absolutely fantastic!

I saw Cheap Trick @ Mud Island (Memphis), and still swear that it was the best sounding concert ever...Aldo Nova opened. Wow! But much later, Journey came through with ROR...and OMG, like Red Beard said while @ Rock103, "The mix was mint!" And what about Bruce Springsteen? The 'Born in the USA' show still gives me goosebumps. I'll also add that U2 and Paul McCartney are still way high on my list.

Now then, do you drink? Do you 'smoke'? Did you have different girlfriends/dates for different shows? The state of mind probably dictates, to a great extent, your perception of the 'best performance'. You may have had no idea what musicianship was going onstage, but you damn-well woke up the next day thinking that you'd just seen the best show ever. (Monsters of Rock, Texas Jam, pick one...)

But never the less, this is a really great question. I'm sure that the answers vary for everyone.

later~

Your analysis is dead on precise! And even though the question was specifically directed to the single best performance from each show which was professionally recorded and widely released - by JOURNEY, you do bring up some very interesting and extremely relevant points which undoubtedly weigh heavy on one's own perception of what is considered to be the best in their opinion - an opinion which itself is formed based on many factors not the least of which and perhaps carries the most weight in the process is your understanding and appreciation of the collective musicianship of the performer.

Case in point:
When I was 13, I won tickets on the radio to go see ABBA. My very first concert (Concord Pavilion, 1977). Got to go with the DJ, the whole works! Having never been to a concert, I had nothing to compare to so of course it was the best show I'd ever seen. However, it wasn't until many years and many concerts later that I realized just how incredibly good that show actually was. It took going to shows that the performance might as well have been phoned-in, shows fraught with technical difficulties, shows where the performer(s) were sick, drunk, off key, etc., shows where the venue itself played a roll in how bad the performance was - or great it was (Ref. Red Rocks, Denver, CO), the quality of the sound and the individuals operating the sound boards, etc., etc., etc. Then, once I had a better understanding and appreciation of what's involved in the creation and delivery of a show that is worthy of being someone's favorite or best performance, I was able to reflect on the ABBA show and realize how phenomenal that show was as well as have an even deeper appreciation of the band themselves - who were a group of polished, professional musicians.

Years later, after attending perhaps another 50 or so shows, the criteria became even tougher to meet due to the quality of the shows, the performers themselves and with the aid of technology, the quality of the sound and the specific mechanical devices delivering the sound to your ears. It got a lot cleaner as time went on. Heh, some of the best "sounding" shows I saw were those of some of the biggest acts of the 80's which incorporated a very digitized sound into their music and were able to reproduce it flawlessly in concert but that sound wasn't being produced by a human, it was by a machine which for me personally plays heavily into my opinion of a band and how I find the performance to be.

And over the years the top spot in the live performance category has changed a few times but each time it has I'm blown away by what it took that band and their supporting crew to achieve it since, as I noted before, the criteria is tougher each time. To date, the best live performance by a major act I've personally attended was:
Indoor - YES (90125 Tour)
Outdoor - Heart (Brigade Tour. That show might have been skewed since I sat at the sound board that night. )

Are there other bands which I think are "better" or more talented or "bigger" than these acts? Of course I do but that's not what we're talking about. The subject is best live performance.

Thanks Arkansas for your reply and expanding the subject a little bit. Good points!

Steve

[Arkansas]

... To date, the best live performance by a major act I've personally attended was:
Indoor - YES (90215 Tour) ...

I thought of this too. And I must say that Chris Squire's bass solo - a 10 minute 'Amazing Grace' - still ranks up near the top for me.


later~

[Don]

Well, if we are talking best acts live, for me it it would have to be Pink Floyd at the Oakland Coliseum in '94.

[JRNYMAN]

Well, if we are talking best acts live, for me it it would have to be Pink Floyd at the Oakland Coliseum in '94.

Unfortunately, I never saw them (kicks self in the ass!) But, I suspect if I had, they'd be VERY HIGH on the list. I've never heard or read of a single person who saw them live that didn't come away from their show completely satisfied and even altered to some extent! That's why I'm really excited about seeing Australian Pink Floyd in a couple weeks. Obviously not the real deal but if Waters feels they're good enough to give them his personal stamp of approval and have them play at a private event, well....

You really have to hand it to the individuals who are responsible for producing the quality of sound they do in large venues like outdoor stadiums and very large arenas. By the end of Floyd's career, they were playing those types of venues almost exclusively to be able to accommodate the sheer numbers of people wanting to attend their shows. And for someone to be able to come away from a show played at let's say Sun Devil Stadium - a large stadium which seats 70,000 for a game - feeling it was the best show they've ever seen, it really speaks volumes about the sound technicians and engineers. Delivering sound outdoors is a NIGHTMARE! When there's no ceiling, sound travels straight up faster than it broadcasts outwardly and combating that physical element really takes knowing what you're doing to be able to produce and maintain the kind of sound quality you desire. There are people on this board that understand the situation far better than I do but what I've learned has given me a tremendous respect for the people who are responsible for that stuff. I saw McCartney at that same venue back in '89 and I remember commenting more on how loud the show was rather on how good it sounded which surprised me that it could even be as loud as it was given the size of the stadium and the 70,000 people who were there. Pretty surprising.

Apparently producing a lot of "sound" hasn't been a problem for some bands - or at least not for The Who who were fined for cracking the ceiling of the Kingdome in Seattle the year after it was built!

[Don]

Well, if we are talking best acts live, for me it it would have to be Pink Floyd at the Oakland Coliseum in '94.

Unfortunately, I never saw them (kicks self in the ass!) But, I suspect if I had, they'd be VERY HIGH on the list. I've never heard or read of a single person who saw them live that didn't come away from their show completely satisfied and even altered to some extent! That's why I'm really excited about seeing Australian Pink Floyd in a couple weeks. Obviously not the real deal but if Waters feels they're good enough to give them his personal stamp of approval and have them play at a private event, well....

You really have to hand it to the individuals who are responsible for producing the quality of sound they do in large venues like outdoor stadiums and very large arenas. By the end of Floyd's career, they were playing those types of venues almost exclusively to be able to accommodate the sheer numbers of people wanting to attend their shows. And for someone to be able to come away from a show played at let's say Sun Devil Stadium - a large stadium which seats 70,000 for a game - that's really speaks volumes about the sound technicians and engineers. Delivering sound outdoors is a NIGHTMARE! When there's no ceiling, sound travels straight up faster than it broadcasts outwardly and combating that physical element really takes knowing what you're doing to be able to produce and maintain the kind of sound quality you desire. There are people on this board that understand the situation far better than I do but what I've learned has given me a tremendous respect for the people who are responsible for that stuff. I saw McCartney at that same venue back in '89 and I remember commenting more on how loud the show was rather on how good it sounded which surprised me that it could even be as loud as it was given the size of the stadium and the 70,000 people who were there. Pretty surprising.

Apparently producing a lot of "sound" hasn't been a problem for some bands - or at least not for The Who who were fined for cracking the ceiling of the Kingdome in Seattle the year after it was built!

I have to clarify that it was a GIlmour led Floyd, that I saw. I didn't get to see Roger Waters until last Christmas. His show was off the charts too but not quite as spectacular.

[JRNYMAN]

Well, if we are talking best acts live, for me it it would have to be Pink Floyd at the Oakland Coliseum in '94.

Unfortunately, I never saw them (kicks self in the ass!) But, I suspect if I had, they'd be VERY HIGH on the list. I've never heard or read of a single person who saw them live that didn't come away from their show completely satisfied and even altered to some extent! That's why I'm really excited about seeing Australian Pink Floyd in a couple weeks. Obviously not the real deal but if Waters feels they're good enough to give them his personal stamp of approval and have them play at a private event, well....

You really have to hand it to the individuals who are responsible for producing the quality of sound they do in large venues like outdoor stadiums and very large arenas. By the end of Floyd's career, they were playing those types of venues almost exclusively to be able to accommodate the sheer numbers of people wanting to attend their shows. And for someone to be able to come away from a show played at let's say Sun Devil Stadium - a large stadium which seats 70,000 for a game - that's really speaks volumes about the sound technicians and engineers. Delivering sound outdoors is a NIGHTMARE! When there's no ceiling, sound travels straight up faster than it broadcasts outwardly and combating that physical element really takes knowing what you're doing to be able to produce and maintain the kind of sound quality you desire. There are people on this board that understand the situation far better than I do but what I've learned has given me a tremendous respect for the people who are responsible for that stuff. I saw McCartney at that same venue back in '89 and I remember commenting more on how loud the show was rather on how good it sounded which surprised me that it could even be as loud as it was given the size of the stadium and the 70,000 people who were there. Pretty surprising.

Apparently producing a lot of "sound" hasn't been a problem for some bands - or at least not for The Who who were fined for cracking the ceiling of the Kingdome in Seattle the year after it was built!

I have to clarify that it was a GIlmour led Floyd, that I saw. I didn't get to see Roger Waters until last Christmas. His show was off the charts too but not quite as spectacular.

Well, in that case, disregard everything I said.

[knox]

Back on topic for a bit:

Houston - Mother Father

[JRNYMAN]

Back on topic for a bit:

Houston - Mother Father

Killjoy! JK. Thanks for bringing it back around!

[knox]

Back on topic for a bit:

Houston - Mother Father

Killjoy! JK. Thanks for bringing it back around!

Sorry about that. I know the rabbit trails are the real fun around here.

[SF-Dano]

The Bammies 1981

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=659zk35_wRQ

Excellent!!! Never saw that before. Freaking jammin