Re: WN vs QUAD + Stones & Beatles

[Litgo@aol.com]

>You should say: "On QUAD live in `73, the backing tapes etc." However, that
>was just the way they did it that time. Since, they have played many songs
>from the album without the tapes quite successfully. Drowned from Toronto
>`82, for instance, is quite good. 5:15 and Love Reign O'er Me are concert
>regulars, sans backing tapes. <


No, there weren't backing tapes in '82, but there wasn't a keyboard player in
73/74. Much of the backing (not horns) was the piano track from Drowned,
5:15, etc. Love Reign... uses piano as well as extensive synth parts to play
the strings on 82/89 tours.

IMO, the difference is for Tommy and everything before it, it was primarily a
trio in the studio (not counting the occasional horn or dog), and the piano
was used to reinforce the rythym. This sound was easily adapted to the stage,
primarily with volume. No one missed the piano parts in Go to the Mirror, for
example, on stage, because it doesn't play a front role. After LAL, with WN,
but especially with QUAD, the trio is playing behind a 'wall of sound,' (Phil
Spector term) so to speak, that couldn't be replicated with guitar, bass and
drums. The piano, and string sounds dominated the music. Chris Stainton's
piano is great on Drowned, but by refusing to add a keyboardist for the
stage, those songs wouldv'e required completely different arrangements.


Litgo