The latest concerts were clearly fantastic gigs, with Steve and the boys playing some wonderful songs brilliantly. However, I have to question the need to play Beatles / Dylan songs at the expense of the likes of Tumbling Down, Best years, Bed in the corner, Nothing is sacred, even some of the new stuff like No Bleedin Hearts or Stranger comes to town. The list could go on.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he did the covers brilliantly, and since i wasn't there I have no right to criticise. But I remember feeling just a little disapointed when I saw him last in Brighton, when again he missed out Tumbling down at the expense of 'True Love will find you', another cover version, and in my humble opinion, a pretty ordinary song.
If Steve covered Aggado or Barbie Girl, it would no doubt be the best version of the song you are likely to hear, but give me his own material anytime. With Steve having so many fantastic songs of his own, I can't see the need to do covers, either in concert or even on his new albums.
I know you can't please all the people all of the time, and with so many brilliant songs, you have to leave some off the playlist....but Tumbling Down? Not for a Dylan song!

I must agree with you on that one.There's too many great Harley songs left unplayed so why doesn't Steve rehearse these ones? I guess for those with very long memories we also must remember that the Dylan cover was performed live by the very first Cockney Rebel in 1973.

Rebel: There is no "need".
It's called "fun", or as Steve might put it, "sending a nod to those without whom..." Showing respect, and having fun on stage. He played 20+ of his own songs, and people have nbeen begging for change, nagging for him to re-introduce old songs. Were you looking in this Forum then??

Anyway, Prince plays covers (He doesn't NEED to), seemingly out of nowhere (see recent Live reviews); Springsteen plays covers (He doesn't NEED to - War, and others); U2 play covers (They don't NEED to - many - also linked in with their own material as Steve often does); Steve occasionally plays covers, and like those other artists the main point is to give people fun, a memory, a chance to remember where it all began; for Steve it was with Dylan and The Beatles; one day he'lll probably perform a Motown song on stage...but not at the "expense" of any other track. He sang, on stage at those recent concerts, for two and a half hours. He's entitled to rock out with a couple of minutes of covers in all that time, don't you think? "Tumbling Down" might well have appeared if there had been a fourth show in that short run - and you would have missed it anyway. On the other hand, it might not have appeared. With 12 albums and a myriad of others' songs to use, why would Steve play "Tumbling Down" for the rest of his life?
Maybe if you'd been there, your criticism might carry some weight....but you weren't thetr, to ENJOY the FUN those who were there enjoyed. I saw two and they were hugely memorable nights. Maybe those who were there will give their own views, many have already, on the 2 short covers SH played in amongst the 150 minutes spent on stage.....RACHEL

PS Steve has explained many times on stage the depth, the hidden messages in the seemingly simple True Love Will Find You In The End - it's not, in Steve's humble opinion, "pretty ordinary" after all

always great to see Steve's people backing him up (nice one rachel)........the set list you've read is just words, or type on paper (screen>>>) but being there, watching and listenting is very different. Believe me no one left Leamington on Thursday night after THAT performance moaning that he disn't play Tumbling down. We were all too happy ans stunned to even think of what WASN't played! Two and a half hours of Steve being Steve basically. We felt privlieged actually.

I believe Cockney Rebel Mk1 might have played the Dylan cover at a gig very late in 1973 - I am 52 and sometimes the mind plays tricks, but when I heard it at Wavendon it wasn't instantly recognisable until the chorus (I have a lot of sixties Beatles and Dylan recordings - but didn't really get into them until 1973/4 when I really started buying albums-God bless Virgin Records, 100 New Oxford Street, Basement! - and as for the cover from Rubber Soul - PURE BLOODY GENIUS!

I know what you are getting at Rebel, and you have a perfect right to an opinion. That said, Leamington was an outstanding success, mixing old with new, and the covers added not subtracted to the performance/occasion. It was jaw droppingly good I can assure you. The safety net withdrawn, this was a setlist much appreciated by me and many others.

Oh what a night!