After a break I'm back with a new upload. And since it's been 25 years since the Tour De Force tour which happens to be one of my favorite tours I thought I'd pay tribute to it. I've chosen Elton's most recent tour with an orchestra which is also the 2nd tour he has ever done with an orchestra. This show is from the Radio City Music Hall in New York on July the 17th 2004. The quality of the recording is pretty bad, but it's listenable anyways.

Since this show is with an orchestra the setlist is quite interesting as many of the songs are played for the first time in 15 years or more. And many of the songs are played very fine. Examples of those songs are I Need You To Turn To which is a very good version and a great version of Burn Down The Mission which features a choir that makes the song much better. Some other rare performances are Tell Me When The Whistle Blows, which is played for the first time since the mid-seventies, Freaks In Love, which has only been played during these concerts, and Have Mercy On The Criminal which is not a usual song in Elton's set. 
It's obvious to hear that Elton is having fun on stage. Throughout the show he is very funny and makes jokes here and there. A quite remarkable thing is that Elton sings Bob Birch's introduction during the band introduction. He also says before Madman Across The Water that when the album was released in Japan is was accidentally named Madam Across The Water. Saturday Night's is fantastic and I love it when there's an orchestra on it!

- Emil, EltonJohnGigs