by the ghost of guitarplayer » Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:45 am
As a recorded album, Ocean Rain is on par with Crocs, HUH and Porcupine, but I don't think it was a debate about which is the best album. I generally don't like hearing that album live other than that footage of the band on The Tube that Dr Cheese posted on Youtube. I particularly didn't like Mac's vocals when he performed Thorn of Crowns or Nocturnal Me in 2008 - songs that were written around Mac's singing ability when he could belt those ones out. If you compare the two:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEThL6WcgF4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwiz_vJNrVs[/youtube]
He really seems uncomfortable trying to sing Thorn of Crowns on that 2008 performance.
Crocs and HUH; HUH moreso, sound like they have to be performed live to be fully appreciated, and that was clearly the case, and it didn't appear to matter whether Mac could belt of the songs exactly as he did in the 80s or as he is now. So much so I was surprised by his vocals on songs like Pride, A Promise, It Was A Pleasure and Heaven Up Here when I thought it might go wrong or not work. In my opinion, the loss of Mac's vocal ability actually made some of the songs more refreshing helped by a perfect performance of the band and the atmosphere of the stage set up. I haven't always been able to get my head around the whole of Heaven Up Here and sometimes found it difficult to listen to the whole album, but that has changed since Thursday.
I was also wrong on the encore. I didn't think there would be one.