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Audience 8.4 - Not super dynamic but pretty clear, a decent ’74 tape where you can hear and enjoy everything (including the crowd) quite clearly but without a wide palate of audio spectrum. Not saying it is thin, not saying it is one-dimensional either, just that from highs to lows you aren’t going to have much depth although you can EQ and probably adjust to your specific needs. A good tape.
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Audience 8.6 - A “crisp” sounding tape, emphasis on drummer and vocals in the mix but you also can really hear the background keys which is nice. Not saying Joe is buried, just that this house mix seems very democratic in allowing all players to have a presence. I appreciate hearing how much the piano and keys helped shape this material. The audience is very respectful, and they love their Joe, that’s for sure.
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Audience 8.6 - A gem of a show, and a recording that thankfully is pretty decent although it does highlight Halford at the expense of the rest of the band. That actually works well here because Rob is just killing it, hitting every high note and wowing the audience. The musicianship is as always a cut above the rest, hence the reason this band lives on to this day. A keeper!
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Soundboard 9.6 - This guy literally can play Happy Birthday and make it sound sexy and groovy (proof is available). Too bad I was so hard-headed and never went and saw him live. I could have on many occasions, but I just never saw myself as one of the “beautiful people” I guess. What a shame I would have loved it. (Soundchecks, Rehearsals and Jams)
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CD 1 - Audience 8.8 - Direct into face, a driving and persistent intensity, very clean, very clear. CD 2 - Audience 8.3 - A more open spaced recording where you lose some of the dynamics, and vocals tend to get muffled and placed further back but guitar and drums are prominent and clear…bass is present but not as articulate or deep. A good tape and collectors will be happy to hear it since it is not widely circulated.
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Soundboard 9.4 - What a great year for Santana, really it all came together 71-72 and they were smart to record a number of shows in preparation for the live album release that became known as "Lotus" (the Japan 1972 show which is great). Any one of these other ’72 shows could have been the album as they are all stellar.
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Soundboard 9.5 - The evening before this show in Kansas City, the band had just played a stadium with a stacked line-up, so they were probably pretty amped up for this show. They got to showcase some of the Marathon LP material in front of an appreciative, but much smaller crowd than the night before. A great one!
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Soundboard 9.6 - A professionally recorded and mixed affair that was actually broadcast on the radio and it’s obvious as nobody would take the time and care to produce such a convincing live tape unless they had a good reason. The performance is marvelous, and the recording shimmers. A must have for Spirit fans!
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Audience 8.5 - Slightly low recording levels meaning go ahead and turn up the volume on this one, and thankfully there’s no distortion. Recording is clear, not overly dynamic (it is metal after all) but you’ll probably enjoy this immensely if you understand that it’s really about the lyrics and the stage banter. Always fun, and it’s two discs so you get a lot of songs!