1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (Elton John - Live In Atlanta: 2/18/2003)

A few people have requested more 2003 shows to appear on this channel, so I will oblige and upload one! Unlike the previous upload from 2003 which had poor sound quality, this upload from Atlanta features an excellent audience recording and is mostly complete. Despite missing bits of “Tiny Dancer,” “Levon,” and the entire band introduction, this show isn’t to be skipped as we get 164 minutes of a highly inspired Elton John and his band kicking a ton of ass! A big shoutout goes to “EltonStuff” for telling me to throw out my old copy of this show so he could send me this upgrade!
With Elton’s voice in great shape and clearly being inspired by the nature of this event (the show is for his AIDS foundation), he puts in a ton of extra effort on the piano with very creative and passionate playing being the main highlight of the night. The band are in exquisite form with amazing chemistry between the members and Elton being caught on this recording. Now… time to go through everything…
“Love Lies Bleeding” is a good start to the show with the high fidelity of the audio highlighting the chemistry between Elton and his band. “Bennie And The Jets” has everything kicking up a notch during the improvisation section as Elton’s piano work is amazing and the band respond accordingly. “Daniel” contains some nice vocal dynamics with Elton and the backing harmonies sound strong. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” features Elton getting more confident with his vocal approach as the performance progresses along with some excellent guitar work from Davey Johnstone. “Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes” has a more assertive edge to the vocal delivery compared to the Bakersfield version along with more punchy embellishments being utilized. “Philadelphia Freedom” contains some moments that aren’t as clean as Bakersfield, but Elton is still gutsy and doesn’t hold back on the liveliness aspect. “The Wasteland” is a fantastic rendition with Elton’s vocal flourishes, piano licks, and gritty tone being on point. “Rocket Man” has some beautiful musicianship during the improvisation section with Davey’s acoustic guitar providing an atmospheric aura and Elton’s piano work being the cherry on top. Elton also gives his absolute all during the outroduction. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” showcases Elton’s spirited nature as he throws his voice around in a variety of directions while sounding like he’s having the time of his life on stage. “I Want Love” highlights Davey’s guitar skills and Elton does a great job with the vocals. “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” is an excellent version with Elton giving a strong vocal delivery on top of the band providing a rock-solid foundation for the music. “Take Me To The Pilot” contains an energetic and creative introduction along with Elton not being afraid to experiment with his vocal approach throughout the performance. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” has some nice vocal embellishments early on and Elton uses a softer tone in spots to give a more dynamic performance. Concluding this section, “Oh My Sweet Carolina” showcases Elton’s warm mid-range tone and he makes the song his own!
“Dixie Lily” sounds amazing at this show with brilliant musical chemistry being put on display and Elton’s aged baritone providing great vocal strength. “Harmony” features some great vocals from Elton and he nails the final sustain with authority. “All The Girls Love Alice” has Elton struggling on the falsetto notes that he attempts, but his piano work is great and most of the singing outside of the choruses is pretty solid. “The Bitch Is Back” completely makes up for the last performance as Elton’s overdriven approach works wonders and he plays some fiery and spicy piano on top of things. “Believe” combines Elton’s 2003 tone and vocal style with elements from the 1997 Big Picture Tour which leads to an emotional and powerful rendition. “Tiny Dancer” highlights Elton’s robust belting approach and he mixes it with some softer vocals to great effect. “Levon” is full of lively piano playing and while some of Elton’s vocals aren’t the prettiest, he still throws his voice around to see what works. “Original Sin” features a passionate vocal performance along with added flourishes which really help to elevate things to the next level. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” has a gritty and edgy vocal delivery which Elton has good control over as he phrases the cadences effectively. “Crocodile Rock” showcases the electrifying atmosphere on stage and from the audience. “Pinball Wizard” is a highly energetic version and while Elton really pushes his voice, there’s still enough control being used to avoid complete vocal thrashing. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” features some great changes to the vocal cadences with Elton alternating between vocal tones. Lastly, “Your Song” has Elton singing with a more relaxed approach (while throwing in a prime live embellishment in the last verse) with a great tone!
ENJOY!!!

[@gaminglegend]

Glad to see you uploading more 2003 shows! 2003 is a very underrated year for Elton in my opinion, he also looked his goofiest then

[@GregsynthWizard]

I see a lot of comments about his pineapple hair!
More 2003 stuff will be uploaded soon!

[@tsskiller08]

6:06 original lyrics.