While hub's away, this mouse will play...CLACK! Having managed to rationalize away everything I SHOULD be doing this morning (hey, they're all GOOD reasons!), I've been having the ultimate clack-fest. CLAY, I LOVE YOU FOR LETTING US GET CLACK!! <3

What great quality we're getting - congrats to all the clack-gatherers who have the kindness to share, and to suspend jumping and screaming and generally eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeing in order to bring us steady videos and decent sound...

What's thrilling me the most about these concerts is that the quality (HIGH) is consistent, but that the banter and the mood is different from venue to venue. The two Michigan concerts alone really demonstrate that and I LOVE it! Clay connects with an audience better than many seasoned performers I've seen and worked with - and it shows. I'm dl-ing version after version of the same songs/sets and not bored yet, because they're all fresh. That'll give fans a good concert every time!

Bless the people who are filming not just the songs but the intros and segueways - it's the next best thing to being there, for those of us who can't get there no matter how much we want to (and HOW we want to!)

About the new songs - don't know if it's sound quality or the music, but I still can't get into the verse easily on BFM. Absolutely love the chorus! I'd love to hear a studio version and hope I'll get my wish on the album...

I'm missing "Just You"! That hook in the chorus did something for me. I've heard folks say it was too high, pushing his up register, etc. - and yeah, I'd agree it would be quite a workout night after night in live concert. But I wasn't hearing strain in the versions I've dl'd so far (the occasional bobble on the top notes, probably 'pushing' them out a little hard is all), and I'm still hoping hard for a studio version of that one, too. Clay's lower register is growing beautifully (I'd stake a bet he's having vocal coaching, but not from me, alas...LOL. I know I know, people don't want him singing Pavarotti-style sigh) but his upper register is one of the things that makes his voice so special...

"1000 days" - hmmmmm. I like it a lot (later versions best) but I have a feeling that one thing I like about this one is the way Clay is putting it across...in other words, I think the live aspect is helping this one. Not sure I'd enjoy a studio version quite so much.

Wonder if anybody besides me is puzzled by Clay saying he'll never sing "Touch" no matter what? What's the deal? I always thought it was that he didn't want to project a certain (non-family-friendly) image, but he's doing "Great Balls of Fire" and others with somewhat suggestive lyrics, and WCD, albeit snark, packs a sugggestive visual, so it can't be that? I used to think he thought it was a little too 'candy' and 'Ricky Martin-ish' - but hey, he's doing LLVL. So now I'm puzzled. Maybe he just plain doesn't personally like it...though why he'd put a song he just plain didn't like on the album after fighting to change other lyrics, etc. has me puzzled. Not my fave - I'd adore to have him do "Shine" in concert - but "Touch" is certainly a rollicking good dance tune and crowd pleaser.

And I'm still dyin' to hear him do "When a Man Loves a Woman", though I sure am happy I've heard (part of) "Great Pretender" and "ICMYLM". Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" is on my list, too...yeah, and about 100 other tunes, who'm I kidding?!

Back to CLACK!!!!!!!!!