The Evolution of "The Blues"

[themovieaddict.com]

I love how this song has developed over the years. It's always been my favorite of the live tracks we've heard (a studio version would be amazing).

I think it's particularly interesting to hear how the song has evolved. At RIR3 it was a bit faster-paced, the vocal style was different and the outro was different. It was a bit more like CITR with its pace and all. At House of Blues Axl gave an awesome scream at the outro (instead of the "only memories" part being kind of a climbing tone, he bellowed it out at full force) and he's done this a few times since then - including at one or two of the Hammerstein shows.

By '02 the song had a new, slower pace with a bit of a more snyth-y intro with louder guitars and the vocals were a bit higher-pitched than at RIR. The outro differed by performance - I kind of miss that little background snyth pattern they used at Tacoma '02, loved that.

As far as I know Axl didn't do the scream outro at all in 2002 but I could be wrong. He developed a new intro that become pretty typical for each performance, but sometimes he'd change it a bit.

'06 lost the guitar intro and was a little bit slower again. Axl sang it with more of a rasp and the song wasn't quite as "clean" in this regard - it sounded less layered but the vocal range wasn't as large.

Then at Rock Am Ring he gave it another new outro which was nice to hear but I didn't really like it all that much.

Anyway, my favorite outro was definitely the House of Blues style which was when he screams "only memory" - so much raw emotion in that!

[Poof!]

Personally, I feel that they can take the RIR3 performance, clean it up in the studio with a couple of overdubs and then put it on the album. I just feel that The Blues was perfect at RIR3, the intro, the guitars, the singing...everything. I'm not a big fan of the "new" arrangement and I truly hope the guitar intro is still on the studio version.

[themovieaddict.com]

Personally, I feel that they can take the RIR3 performance, clean it up in the studio with a couple of overdubs and then put it on the album. I just feel that The Blues was perfect at RIR3, the intro, the guitars, the singing...everything. I'm not a big fan of the "new" arrangement and I truly hope the guitar intro is still on the studio version.

I like Axl's quiet vocals on RIR but his voice was a bit shaky. I also like it better the way it was performed in '02. I think a mix of Boston and Tacoma '02 would be amazing. And I totally agree about the guitars. I didn't mind at first, but the more I hear the new live performances, the less I like the "new" style of the song - I mean, it's still great, but those guitars and the effects throughout the song really made it stand out. It sounds a bit more standard now, not quite the song that blew me away when I first heard it.

[Poof!]

Personally, I feel that they can take the RIR3 performance, clean it up in the studio with a couple of overdubs and then put it on the album. I just feel that The Blues was perfect at RIR3, the intro, the guitars, the singing...everything. I'm not a big fan of the "new" arrangement and I truly hope the guitar intro is still on the studio version.

I like Axl's quiet vocals on RIR but his voice was a bit shaky. I also like it better the way it was performed in '02. I think a mix of Boston and Tacoma '02 would be amazing. And I totally agree about the guitars. I didn't mind at first, but the more I hear the new live performances, the less I like the "new" style of the song - I mean, it's still great, but those guitars and the effects throughout the song really made it stand out. It sounds a bit more standard now, not quite the song that blew me away when I first heard it.

Exactly, it took away from the songs grandness. I'm sure the studio version will have a raspy voice on it, but the guitars need to come back. I went from downloading every live version of that song to only one this year, because when I heard it this year I was so disappointed. I loved the guitars and the old arrangement. That's what made it a classic to me.

[vicente]

The 2001/2002 version is the better one. It has to have the guitars, it enhances the power of this song which, along with Better, are the two outstanding songs so far.

Vicente

[CheapJon]

i remember that i sang "ok nevermind" a very long time after i heard it, even after i heard thath it wasn't supposed to be like that adn after i saw the video after i downloaded it

[Demon Wolf]

... I don't get what all the fuzz about the RIR version is. Axl's voice is... 
I think it doesn't hold a candle against the Rock Am Ring version, but that's just my opinion.

[JohnMorrison73]

i never liked this song

[-Jack-]

It's all about the synths in the 2002 versions. Yummy.

The 06 version bores me.

[bazgnr]

Personally, I feel that they can take the RIR3 performance, clean it up in the studio with a couple of overdubs and then put it on the album. I just feel that The Blues was perfect at RIR3, the intro, the guitars, the singing...everything. I'm not a big fan of the "new" arrangement and I truly hope the guitar intro is still on the studio version.

Anywhere I can hear the RIR3 version?  The Pittsburgh '02 version is what I'm used to...I love the low-key into, the vocals at the end...everything.  I can't say  I was thrilled to hear the '06 version in NYC earlier in the year.

[nateinthehon]

I loved this song when it first debuted online from The HOB show. It zipped along, I think Axls Vocals and Brains drumming made it, it was smappy ala SCOM

Then the 02 version, I thought sucked. It slowed down too much, I didnt like the synths, and Axl didt nail it like he did at HOB and Rio.

But in 06, with the longer piano intro, Axl's doing a better job singing it, it seems to sped up again,,,I like it again

[slash2001]

I fell in love instantly after hearing it at Rock in Rio 3, I have adjusted to the changes to the song since then but the RIR version is still my favourite, put in Richards Guitar solo at the end and its the one.  Im sure it'll sound amazing on the album though but I still listen to the RIR version almost every day on my ipod.
 

[Dead N' Bloated]

Personally, I feel that they can take the RIR3 performance, clean it up in the studio with a couple of overdubs and then put it on the album. I just feel that The Blues was perfect at RIR3, the intro, the guitars, the singing...everything. I'm not a big fan of the "new" arrangement and I truly hope the guitar intro is still on the studio version.

Ya Recon?

I think the Blues from rir3 was the worst version ever. HOB 2001 kicks the arse outta that and any other version of the blues. MSG 2002 was pretty good, but Axl's voice in 2001 HOB version was killer. The outro ooos and aahhhs are done perfectly.