With me rebuilding an old channel from scratch, it is very easy to go back to shows you uploaded on your old channel as I can re-write descriptions again with more detail! Staying in America, this next upload was on my old channel and a show I personally like! Portland 1980! The recording is in fantastic quality plus it's complete!

This is the year that Elton started to take drugs and show his presence under the influence onstage. This is clearly evident through his brand new obnoxiousness and new-found confidence that is visible on the Central Park show. I believe this show is better than Central Park and is a top 1980 show with Elton singing brilliantly and his different band to normal playing fantastically, in particular James Newton Howard whom I admire greatly for his musical skills. His keyboard playing shines at this show (Rocket Man, Philadelphia Freedom, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, Bennie And The Jets, Ego and Someone Saved My Life Tonight!) Also credit goes to Nigel Olsson who performs two of his own songs with the band and he sounds fantastic vocally! Highlights from Elton include Tiny Dancer with awesome embellishments from Elton, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road with great harmonies, Rocket Man with a fantastic improvisation, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word with excellent vocals from Elton, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting with a fantastic extended jam plus Elton incorporates some of the 1979 improv towards the end which sounds awesome, Harmony with an amusing speech before the song plus it's a great performance, Bennie And The Jets with the awesome jam towards the end which sounds like lounge music (or a TV opening for a chat show, you decide!) Imagine which is a top version from Elton, Ego which isn't as fast as other versions but is still obnoxious, Someone Saved My Life Tonight with a great extended ending plus is one of the best 1980 versions, Your Song with great phrasing from Elton and Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance!) which is one of my favorite endings to a show! Enjoy this show!

Note 1 - Elton changes the words in Rocket Man with interesting results!

Note 2 - Elton flubs words in Philadelphia Freedom!

Note 3 - The band introduction is one of Elton's most amusing/obnoxious!

- Greg, GregsynthWizard