Even though Once Upon a Time was a great surprise, it could really do with a bit higher tempo. From Sailing up until Paraguay, the show is one big lullaby. Pretty, well-crafted songs and performance and all that, but I don't know.
Yeah, I wish Once Upon would be a little bit faster, but hey, it would mean faster solos and this is not what Mark is up to it seems, because he's an "old guy". Totally acceptable for me though, because his solos over this song are cooler than ever. Cooler than 35+ years ago.
There isn’t necessarily a connection between age and BPM in music. He might just prefer to play the songs in a certain tempo because he thinks they sound better. If so, I agree with him. I really enjoy his tempo now and all of the more slow songs from his catalogue, and I’m only half as old as he is...
Yes. Faster does not necessarily mean better.
Best example, TR in 1992. The end solo, granted, was out of this world, but it just didn't fit the song. This was a case were the playing was *TOO* fast. I was more a show-off exercice, really. As if Mark was so bored with this OES tour that his only distraction was demoing his guitar skills... Subsequent solo versions in 96 were way better and perfectly suited the song.
This being said, I like it fast
I prefer up-tempo versions of BIA (1985, 2019) to slow ones (1996, 2001). Same for MFN, 1985 was fast, I like it better than slower Knebworth 1990. But MK is right to say that the song in king, too fast can be harmful. Like Going Home in 1985 with Henk, it was up-tempo, too much I think. And above all, this TR in 92, out of the world but otherwise ruined by lack of intro, abuse of pedal steel and sax, and unsuitable pace...
