Aud 7.6 - decent all around without a lot of dynamics but strong |
-
Audience 8.6 - This is a very fine recording that has recently surfaced, a tour that had the band displaying their absolute mastery of the ultra complex progressive rock extravaganzas that sometimes took up nearly the entire side of an LP. Audiences back then were fully engaged with such performances, unlike today.
-
Soundboard 9.1 - The source used for this CD is a DAT tape made from a direct transfer of Joey Molland’s tapes of the show. Whether that means it is the same as what else is out there, I do not know, but it is possible that the radio station did their own recording for broadcast and other releases use the FM broadcast. This is not that! The sound quality is uneven at times while the levels are adjusted but after that it’s smooth sailing.
-
2 Shows: CD 1 - Audience 8.3 - A very good, reasonably clear tape that does not showcase a wide dynamic range but doesn’t really need to, I mean to say, it’s an historic artifact that most fans and collectors of Love/Arthur Lee will be very happy to hear. CD 2 - Audience 8.1 - This tape starts off kind of rough but gradually gets better until it gets to a consistency that you can appreciate for what it is. It does not take much of the show before it gets better which is a relief because it is a good, strong show. Disc 3 is a video CD (MP4 file) of 6 minutes, very Rare, never before seen b/w video footage of Love a few days before the show on disc one.
-
FM Broadcast 9.2 - This was a real revelation for me because I had not known much about this band other than “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”. I find them to be similar in a lot of ways to maybe Marshall Tucker Band and Allman Brothers, where perhaps if Allmans were Southern Comfort then CDB would be Jack Daniels. This period of the band features Billy Cox (Hendrix/Band of Gypsys) on bass too, which I never knew about either (I would have lost on Jeopardy).
-
Sale!Audience 8.5 - A significant evening for the band as they headline their first show, just after being booted from ZZ Top tour. Sounds fine, taper does maneuver at times and the movement is picked up on the sensitive mic, but overall this is very listenable if not overly dynamic. Good to have it, a very important show in Black Crowes history.
-
Sale!Audience 9,6 and Audience 8.4 - The UK 78 material is fantastic! Vibrant and dynamic, should be released officially.
-
NEW SOURCE Audience 8.7 This is a major upgrade to the previous version (see old review below for comparison) and as such we felt that it had to be offered here as a replacement. If you purchased the previous version (the artwork is untouched, only the music has been replaced in this set) than you are entitled to receive replacement discs without charge (pay postage cost only). Just reach out to us and we will take it from there. If you have never bought this title, than consider this one worthy of the collection. I will offer this caveat though - it is a recording that still shows its share of shortcomings, such as maybe a touch of overload during more bombastic passages (not nearly as bad as previous!), and the last track is incomplete (better an incomplete but listenable track than a totally un-listenable mess). OLD SOURCE Audience 7.2 This one is rather mediocre, although it is not “unlistenable” at all, but compared to other 1977 recordings it is what I would classify as “for completists only”. That being said, I can point out a few moments of this concert that I found interesting in a lot of ways. Like, during Pigs On The Wing Pt.1 you hear large explosions from the audience (possibly fireworks or maybe PA problem?) and you immediately think of Roger and how he’s probably disgusted with the whole thing by this time. Pink Floyd Spectrum Theater Philadelphia, PA, USA 29 June 1977 Disc 1 01 Sheep 02 Pigs On The Wing, Part 1 03 Dogs 04 Pigs On The Wing, Part 2 05 Pigs (Three Different Ones) 06 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V) Disc 2 07 Welcome To The Machine 08 Have A Cigar 09 Wish You Were Here 10 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX) 11 Money 12 Us And Them
-
Sale!Audience 7.3 - A tape new to the collectors, it is not without its limitations but it is audible. Without the re-mastering I would not recommend it on any level but for its rarity, however, it is now listenable (as if a layer of grime was wiped away).
-
Sale!Audience 7.5 - Technology has done wonders for the collecting world, this tape is a classic example of going from unlistenable muck to actually hearing what the band was doing. You will still place this one in the “fair to average” category but in the pantheon of Sabbath shows this is one hell of a barnburner. I wish we had something a little better, but this tape is MUCH better sounding now than it was 10 years ago.