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Audience 9.2 - Both shows represented here are very similar and probably done by the same crew, in roughly the same vicinity because both are close to the P.A. (and not distorted!). In fact, both are exactly the kind of audience tapes I like the most – brutally powerful with just enough atmosphere to get the feel of the day. When I say powerful, I mean this stuff is comin’ at ya! Love it to death! Jeff Beck Oakland Stadium Day On The Green 4 Oakland,California June 5-6,1976 Band: Jeff Beck-Guitar Jan Hammer-Keys Tony Smith-Drums,Vocals Fernando Saunders-Bass Steven Kindler-Violin Disc 1 June 5th, 1976 1-Oh Yeah 2-Country And Eastern Music 3-Darkness - Earth In Search Of A Sun 4-You Know What I Mean 5-Freeway Jam 6-Sophie 7-Earth (Still Our Only Home) 8-Diamond Dust 9-Full Moon Boogie 10-Led Boots Disc 2 June 6th, 1976 1-Intro 2-Oh Yeah 3-Country and Eastern Music 4-Darkness-Earth in Search of a Sun - You Know What I mean 5-Freeway Jam 6-Sophie 7-Diamond Dust 8-The Groove 9-Blue Wind 10-Full Moon Boogie -
Audience 8.7 - A huge surprise this was to me, being the first gig with Jan Hammer in 1976 and at the Roundhouse, which was not known as being hospitable for taping (acoustics) but this tape is pretty good! The surprise of the year. Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer Group Roundhouse London, UK May 23th, 1976 *First Gig! *Announced as "Jeff Beck Band" *Supporting Alvin Lee Jeff Beck Guitar Jan Hammer Keyboards Tony Smith Drums, Vocals Fernando Saunders Bass Steven Kindler Violin? T1 -Intro >:40 T2 -Country & Eastern Music 7:27 T3 -You Know What I Mean 3:06 T4 -Freeway Jam 5:22 T5 -Earth [Still Our Only Home] 4:53 T6 -Diamond Dust 7:56 T7 -Full Moon Boogie 8:05 T8 -Led Boots 2:47 -
Audience 7.7 - A little crowded but at times it clears up a bit, it’s actually pretty decent and Jeff is very much up front in this one. Well worth getting. -
Audience 9.3 - Turn it up, it just gets better and better. A wide open stereo sound field lets the music breath and soar. -
CD 1 - Audience 8.4 - A lively, jumping tape that is a fun listen but the limitations include some minor over-saturation which surprisingly does not ruin anything, but keeps the rating in the mid 80’s technically speaking. I like this recording personally, I find it exhilarating! CD CD 2 - Audience 8.8 - A very well made recording with a great balance to it, a warmth and tone that is pleasing to the ears. Lovely! CD 3 - Audience 8.2 - A tape with a preponderance of low end, to the point where you can’t ignore it, not that it is particularly muddy, just that it is bass heavy. I do get the other instruments thankfully, but like I said…bass. CD 4 - Same as disc 3, but I will say this much, on songs where the bass work is minimized, it sounds excellent. -
Audience 8.4 - A pretty loud recording, and not super defined but it’s VERY good nonetheless and well worth hearing. It certainly has a very immediate and live feel to it, even after all these years it’s as if it happened yesterday. -
Audience 8.9 - One thing for certain, you can’t knock this recording for not having enough wide open and bright atmosphere! Holy crap it’s got that in spades, at maybe at a little expense of the lower register – although the bass is present in a sort of brassy and sassy kind of way. If you want to hear that guitar detail and don’t mind that the recording favors that sort of mid band/upper high range of sound and less emphasis on deep bottom end (most people would prefer not being overloaded with bass as it tends to muddy the sound) than you will like this a lot. I did not miss having phatness in the bottom end because I cranked up my bass on the EQ and lo-and-behold there was bass! Jeff Beck Group (with Jan Hammer) Palace Theatre Waterbury, Connecticut October 12, 1976 01 - Earth (Still Our Only Home) 02 - Scatterbrain 03 - You Know What I Mean 04 - Bass Solo - Come Dancing 05 - She's A Woman 06 - Diamond Dust 07 - Full Moon Boogie 08 - Blue Wind 09 - Led Boots Jeff Beck - guitar Jan Hammer - keyboards Fernando Saunders - bass Tony Smith - drums Steve Kindler - violin -
Audience 8.6 - Pretty hot levels on this one, but it is clear and good balance of instruments with plenty of low end and highs (slightly overloaded but not distorted). -
Audience 9.4 - Famous for its clarity and dynamics, this well recorded gig is probably a must-have for anyone into this period Jeff Beck, or any period for that matter. Jeff Beck with Stanley Clarke Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan December 2, 1978. Disc 1 01. -Opening 02. -Darkness 03. -Star Cycle 04. -Freeway Jam 05. -Cat Moves 06. -Goodbye Pork Pie Hat 07. -School Days 08. -Journey To Love Disc 2 01. -Lopsy Lu 02. -Diamond Dust 03. -Scatterbrain 04. -Rock 'n Roll Jelly 05. -'Cause We've Ended As Lovers 06. -Blue Wind 07. -Superstition Jeff Beck - Guitars Stanley Clarke - Bass Tony Hymas - Keyboards Simon Phillips - Drums -
Soundboard 8.9 - Great recording that is guitar centric with vocals a little behind the action. The June 15th fragment is a funky SDBRD feed with guitar panned hard right and vocals hard left. It’s also a bit harsh or I should say “biting” but it’s still a joy to hear. Jeff sounds incredible! -
Audience 8.8 - Another great tape made by someone obviously knowing what they were doing. There are a couple of cuts here and there, not deal breakers by any means but full disclosure. Anyway, a solid, in the pocket recording of a sizzling gig with great interplay between Jobson and Beck. -
Audience 7.8 - Good and clear but missing some fatness in the bottom. Still a good one and the band is hot. -
Audience 8.7 - a good recording with some signs of age, and a minor buzz that occurs only occasionally which is not related to the stage sound. Thankfully it’s not prominent during the actual music. The show itself is very tight, Beck is in good form. Very worthwhile! -
Audience 7.0 - Compressed, all squeezed up in the center…problem is there is just so precious few 1972 recordings and many consider this period to be very important in Beck’s career. -
Pro Studio 9.7 and SDBRD 9.4 - Only the cleanest and best source material is used in this set. I would recommend this as a good starting point for a 70’s era Jeff Beck collector.
