This started in another thread so I started another to tackle the never ending study of what hits we could do without in concert and what are must haves...
Must Have's:
Grace Too
Bobcaygon
Blow at High Dough
Wheat Kings
Could totally do without forever:
Courage (I don't mind the song, just wished GD would find the wonderful melody insted of screaming through it)
New Orleans
Gift Shop
Little Bones (same as Courage)
M@W
Fireworks
don't care either way:
In View
Poets
ABAC
They've gotta keep Grace, Too, Meridian, Poets, New O, Blow, Courage and ABAC.
I could pass, eternally, on Fireworks, In View and Bobcaygeon.
Of course, I'd take all these songs if it meant the other half of the gig was filled with Born in the Water, Flamenco, Opiated, Chagrin Falls and Daredevil.
Must haves:
Grace (should be played at EVERY show. I'll never get tired of this tune. EVER.)
Nautical
Bobc
Fully
Wheat
Poets
Fiddler's
Gift
Locked
Good life
Bones
Can do without:
ABAC- such a wonderful song ruined by Gord's singing of late. It's like he's singing behind and around the beat, instead of with the music. Poor Paul is back there trying to sing the harmony the way it's supposed to be sung. Meanwhile Gord is all over the damn place, and it just doesn't sound right. Notice he only does this stuff on the older hits? It's weird.
NOIS- this is my pee break song. I'm just not into it anymore. This song used to be really interesting, as the band would veer off into crazy exploratory jams, bits of new songs, or Gord's unique storytelling. Now it's just a snooze-fest.
In View- sure it's catchy and everything...but it wouldn't upset me if they stopped playing it.
Fireworks- same as In View
Courage- The verses are still great, but for some reason Gord feels the need to scream out the chorus instead if singing the actual melody. Drives me nuts.
Blow- they need to put this one away for a while.
Music@Work- I absolutely loved this song when it first came out, but they've played it at every single show I've seen since, and it's lost a lot of it's original charm.
Song I could love again if they breathed new life into it:
At the Hundredth Meridian- much like NOIS, this song used to be so freakin' badass. As recently as 2007 they were still doing awesome things with this tune. Remember the 20-minute versions they were doing on the WC tour where they'd break into "Walking on the Moon"? I want more of that!
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I'd love to see Courage performed this way.
The Heron Outside Wrote:They've gotta keep Grace, Too, Meridian, Poets, New O, Blow, Courage and ABAC.
I could pass, eternally, on Fireworks, In View and Bobcaygeon.
Of course, I'd take all these songs if it meant the other half of the gig was filled with Born in the Water, Flamenco, Opiated, Chagrin Falls and Daredevil.
I'm the same the 3 songs I could pass on are Fireworks, In View and Bobcaygeon (especially Bobcaygeon)
it's hard to say its sad but true, i'm kinda dumb and so are you, The Last of the unplucked Gems'
Give me Nautical and Locked every show, Poets, Grace, and ABAC every other show.
Other than that, I don't care to hear hits anymore.
Yea I forgot to include Meridian. Used to be when you heard the intro, you knew you were in for a musical journey to the unknown on that song. I don't care to hear the "stock" version...
Also, I never get tired of Fully Completely.... always a little different each time.
I suggest trade Meridian and Courage for Locked and 50 MC....
Trade View for Ocean
Bones for Pistols
etc....
Must have:
Blow At High Dough
Little Bones
Wheat Kings
Never again please:
Love is a First
In View
New Orleans is Sinking
Must: Grace, too
Must not: Fireworks
without getting too carried away:
Always: Locked, Fully, Grace, Bobcaygeon and Poets
Never: ABAC, In View, Fireworks or anything from IBE. (dont hate the album, but the live songs just dont do it for me)
Wish they would play: Opiated, Dire Wolf, An Inch an Hour, No Threat(rocks live), Long Time Running and Twist My Arm
in view is the only song i absolutely hate either live or especially hate the record version.
also every song on WATS besides, depression suite, country day are terrible as well.
besides that everything else in their catalogue is great and depends on how gord sings em like others mentioned....
I'd actually love to hear The Depression Suite live. I missed out on the 2009 tour. And through seven shows I've never heard Locked. That would be a treat.
Love: Grace, Fully
Could do without: NOIS, Blow, ABAC, In View, Courage, Meridian, M@W
Yes: grace, nautical, escape, depression, 50, fully, locked,
No: NOIS, in view, courage
Bring back: tiger, emperor, Canuck, recluse, inch, impossibilium, yawning, she didn't know, 38, scar, vapor, membership, you're everywhere, drop off.
Tthip Wrote:Must: Grace, too
Must not: Fireworks
Seconded.
Rather nots for me also include Poets and Springtime (although I've recently re-grown an affinity for their studio versions that had been missing due to their over play, particularly on the IVL and IBE tours). Wheat Kings is getting up there too, despite the ways it's been livened up over the past couple of years, including the way Robby plays the guitar and Paul taking a verse. Too many awful covers at open mic night may have killed the song for me. I've resigned myself to hearing New O at just about every gig, so it really doesn't matter any more. I prefer it close to closing the set as opposed to the beginning, but I'd rather not kill an encore slot with it.
But let's be positive. Nautical and Locked have always been two of my favourite songs. I miss the Bob C->Nautical transition that was prevalent for a number of tours (and liked it a lot better than the NewO->Nautical->NewO bit we've been getting, which I don't think sounds nearly as good as it did 20 years ago before Day for Night came out). The version of Scared at the Sound Academy show was an absolute highlight. In View is a great pop song, but needs the keys behind it to make it an every night song. Compare tapes from the World Container tour to the We Are The Same Tour; it really is two different songs.
At the same time, just keep playing. Tonight is the third time for me seeing them this week. That sentence, to me, sounds better than just about anything else.