Does it ruin a live show for you when the singer reads the song words *

Oh, give him a break. At least he's aging well overall, he could be cheating and wearing a rug.

 

Has anyone here who screams "laziness" realized how hard some songs are to memorize?

Look at Arlo Guthrie - at least once, "Alice's Restaurant" has turned into a meandering improvisation that ended up stopping mid-song because he said it's difficult to commit that song to memory, especially if he hasn't done it for a long time.

 

too freakin' bad. it's his job, right?

 

So you're saying you'd remember, word for word, an 18-minute spoken word piece you haven't performed for 15 years?

No, you wouldn't.

 

Seems like a graceful time to exit public performance.

 

Oh good, tell us how many times you've performed live and how perfect your shows were every single time.

No, really, I'm waiting.

 

I don't notice those who use teleprompters reading from it for a whole song\show - it always appears to me they look at it for reference. As in "ok - this is the verse that starts that with...." and they go from there. The only person I've noticed not use one that I think would is Dylan (as others have mentioned)

 

Hey, if you're not going to remember them when you sing them live, don't make it so hard when you write 'em!

 

First time I saw Rocket From the Tombs Dave Thomas used a stand, a chair and a cane. I've lamost never been as completely blown away by a band as I was that night.

 

Ah, that old canard. Can't critique ANYTHING unless you've done it yourself. Well, I actually have, but that has nothing to do with my opinion. I'm not a beloved singer-songwriter charging money to see me live.

 

As a Brian Wilson fan i consider these teleprompters to be useful and even essential for live performances. If Brian's didn't say "breathe" after every line the guy would have expired on-stage in 1999 though it was embarrassing the time in Santa Rosa when every line of Surfin USA ended with "breathe".

 

You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

 

Tremspeed . Me and my wife paid $5 to see you and you forgot the words to a verse and middle 8 and screwed up a guitar solo. You need a teleprompter and sheet music dude.
Don't worry though, you are still beloved and TheLazenby it was still perfect.

 

As long as she's cute and she rubs me the right way.

 

He just sings any old **** though doesn't he. I saw him at Brixton Academy a few years back , he was excellent and no-one had the slightest idea what he was playing until he hit the punchline - eg. boots of spanish leather, tangled up in blue etc...

 

No.

 

I have a lot of live Elvis CDs and don't recall hearing many instances where he had to restart songs. (Only one instance immediately comes to mind, but that was because Elvis was recording the show for a live album and wanted to get the intro right...it had nothing to do with forgetting the lyrics.)

Perhaps you're exaggerating just a tad when you say "just about every concert he ever did."

 

I prefer it when they sing the lyrics.

 

Every concert you have on CD or DVD has been edited.

 

Even the bootlegs and fan recordings?

 

Especially the bootlegs and fan recordings.

 

Did it really happen like that? He sung the word, "breathe"?

 

I think he left a word out, like "if Brian's ROADIE didn't say 'BREATHE' after every line..."

 

Gotcha (but doesn't that emphasise the white knuckle ride that is going to a Brian Wilson show ! ) crap hope i don't start an urban myth.

 

Saw Stephen Stills recently. Great show BTW. Anyway, prior to doing "Thoroughfare Gap", a rather long song, he owns up to this, as well as speaks in awe, of people such as Dylan, who can sing yards of lyrics, from memory. He seemed to only make use of this for songs difficult, unfamiliar songs, such as "Thoroughfare Gap". Good, bad or indifferent as far as how you feel on the subject, you gotta hand it to the guy for being transparent about the subject, right up there in on stage.