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Audience 8.4 - Tapers sitting kind of close it seems, and the recorder admirably managed to prevent too much over-saturation although there is a touch of it and the instrumentation gets cluttered up in the middle a bit at full volume. Overall this is simply a wonderful document of a band that seems to be very comfortable with the material (obviously) and firing on all cylinders. -
SDBRD 8.8 - A solid one, albeit there’s some tape hiss present, and vocals are a little muddied in the mix but it’s still a really good and anyone can appreciate. -
Audience 9.0 - This rating is representing a lot more than strictly audio fidelity, because truth be told it’s more of an 8.7 for sound, but the show, and the crowd, and the atmosphere…simply incredible! It’s also important to note that this show is the last live recording of Bon Scott. -
Audience 8.9 - Most of the recent tour recordings are excellent and all offer something different for the ears in terms of atmosphere, intensity, and clarity. This one I find has less of an emphasis on separation of instruments and more on depth of bass and overall sound. The guitar comes right at you, and the bass is nicely anchoring the bottom, drums are not as clear but still nicely placed. So, overall I like what this recording delivers. -
Soundboard 9.6 - This rating reflects what I feel about this recording in the way that the guitar and bass come across in the mix. So, what you get is a well rounded, brassy bass sound that is articulate and not lost in the low end wastelands or overshadowed by Pete. It sounds like two guitar players playing in perfect harmony, and a lot of Who recordings you do not get that effect so much as just a wall of power and volume. This one is just so good in that sense and deserves a special acknowledgement. -
Audience 9.1 - A good atmospheric recording with the sound coming at you front and center channel with power. I love the song selection, a lot of focus on the music, not that I mind the vocals but you get more band interplay at this show. -
Audience 8.3 - Always nice to find another decent sounding 1981 show as there’s not an abundance of them compared to other years. The recording is a little bit cluttered in the very middle of the sound spectrum but thankfully does not suffer from the aud killers such as muddiness or distortion. All the instruments fight for the center but are clearly heard notwithstanding. Occasionally you may notice a bit of phasing which helps the recording to my ears because it’s almost like a cool effect that they meant to do! A good one to add to the collection. -
Audience 8.8 - This is considered to be one of those recordings that every Rush collector should have, possibly because it is a great recording of arguably their peak performance year. I really do think 1979 was them at their best, and this recording shows clearly why that remains my opinion. -
Audience 8.4 - A great find here! So few Power Windows tour shows out there, and this one, while not a “great” recording, is pretty clear and has a lot of atmosphere. Does sound maybe midway in the venue, so you get a little of that “wash” or stadium “verb” effect but to my delight the bass notes are distinct and not just a boominess. It’s maybe the guitar that is slightly lost, with Geddy also being a touch behind the sound rather than in front. Overall, it is still a good listen and well worth having. -
Audience 8.5 - There are some shows where the ratings numbers cannot tell the story. This is certainly the best example of that. I overlooked this show in the past, I did not, could not, get past the “wall of sound” factor. Now, thanks to modern mastering techniques, this recording has morphed into a real gem. Is it better? Yes! Is it perfect? No. But, perhaps while some would still find it too much to handle, other will find it to be a ton of fun. The tapers were real close to the mains, but managed to keep levels just low enough to prevent the dreaded distortion, but in so doing got a tape without dynamics, or at least one dynamic which is SUPER loud intense power – which if you are a hard core Rush fan, will REALLY tickle your fancy when you pop this on the stereo. It’s almost like a heavy metal concert! Unbridled fury, simply an intense concert and intense recording, let yourself get into it, and your ears will adjust and you will find that the audio frequency range here is comfortable to the ears even though it’s off the charts in massiveness. -
Audience 7.4 - A scratchy, distant, and cluttered recording of an energetic show (band and audience). Is it worth getting? It’s on the ragged edge if you ask me, but as a completist you will find that it is not unlistenable muck, thankfully. It is interesting to hear a veteran touring band giving it 100% effort even if the city is other than New York, LA or Chicago. Just another tour stop, in the deep south no less, but there’s Rush giving their fans their all, night after night. God Bless Rush! -
Audience 8.5 - Solid punch but maybe some lack of clarity in the lower mid to low end, although for some reason the bass kick is clear. It’s nice to have something from this early on in pretty decent fidelity though, so I have to recommend this one. It’s nice! -
Audience 8.8 - A warm and inviting recording that spreads the audio spectrum out very evenly. May be from midway back in the hall, as it is not super sharp, but likewise it is also not too echoey or bassy either. It is a pretty atmospheric sound, with guitar leads swirling above and around adding to the liveness of the recording. -
Audience 8.9 - A great way to discover this band, with a realistic and well captured recording of a very professional performance. -
Audience 9.4 - Superior to a board tape in my opinion because it is recorded in the way that your ears would have picked up the sound in the venue, with the perfectly balanced stereo mixing and balancing of instruments to each side of the stage. Wonderful! -
SDBRD 9.9 - The only thing that gets this to a 10 is a better kick drum sound (extreme nitpicking here).