"Diamond" is one of my all time fave and did have very few opportunities to hear it live (actually two times) so I would have been delighted if I was there.
With only 16 songs performed in less than 2 hours and such a catalogue to choose from you can't please everybody.
Especially if several songs are toward or over the 10 minutes long.
So another reason to think that current Marbletown is a waiste of time.
Early 2008 version was quite a fun shorter and strong version, then it evolved and it wa still fun, although the "new part", although highly entertaining, is something that is a very common heard on the folky scene. Now extended that long it had become to "boring" state.
Same boring feel for all the first half of TR, a real sleeper part culminating with thin Richard solo where it needs something loud and strong. Just have to wake when Mark switch to the Pensa with the hope he will not f.ck the final solo...
Hey, Marbletown is the only extended stuff, like TOL used to be, so let's keep it that way !
As for TR, I like Istanbul a lot, despite the "karaoke mode": energetic, with a bit of synth, fantastic solo, feels back to 2005.
Even the karaoke mode is a bit better than usual: no guital, but Jim' tries his best to make up for it jamming the piano !
what I never understood, is to "cut" the rolling river solo on guitar, but to not replace by another instrument.
in 91/92, it was "logic" : the guitar was "replaced" by the sax. you may like it or not (I like it), but at least it has a "logical" sense, that Mark did many times in many new arrangements : a special part played by a specific instrument in studio is played live by another intsrument. ok
but, since 2008, he decided to replace the guitar by...nothing. and it gives indeed the famous "karaoke" mode like Herlock said.
Mark has a 8-members band, and he hasn't got any idea to give this place to another musician ? Instaed of two cittern, it could have been a violin solo on this part ? or flute or... ok I iknow you don't like flute
But I prefer having an sintrument playing somethnig, then...no solo at all
nonsense IMHO.