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SDBRD 9.4 /Audience 8.1/Audience 8.8/Audience 8.3 - A comprehensive collection but not everything is represented here, but I would say the more complete recordings are…and so, well, what you get is a pretty mixed bag. The good stuff is very good, and the not so good stuff is…not so good. What does it mean? Should I get this 4 disc set? Yes you should if you care anything at all about this seminal band. There just isn’t a whole lot of live “bootleg” recordings because they predate the era of the taper – not to say there aren’t tapes from 1967-1968 because there are, but not nearly as plentiful or as good as tapes that were made subsequently. That being said, I still found myself listening to everything in this set because you can’t argue the fact that hearing Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page before they were rock gods is immensely interesting. The Yardbirds "The Anthology 66-68" Disc 1 Stockholm, Sweden (Featuring Jimmy Page) April 1967 01 -Shapes Of Things 02 -Heart Full Of Soul 03 -Mr. You're A Better Man Than I 04 -You Go Your Way 05 -Over Under Sideways Down 06 -Little Games 07 -My Baby 08 -I'm A Man Unknown Location 1966 (Featuring Jeff Beck) 09 -Shapes Of Things 10 -For Your Love 11 -Hang On Sloopy Disc 2 Civic Center Santa Monica, CA July 22, 1967 01 -Train Kept A Rollin' 02 -You're A Better Man Than I 03 -Heartful of Soul 04 -I Wish You Would - Hey Gyp 05 -My Baby 06 -Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine 07 -Smile On Me 08 -I'm A Man 09 -Over Under Sideways Down Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH April 25, 1968 10 -Train Kept A Rollin' 11 -You're A Better Man Than I 12 -Heartful of Soul 13 -Dazed & Confused 14 -White Summer 15 -I'm A Man Disc 3 The Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco, CA, USA July 25 or 26, 1967 First Set 1. -Intro 2. -Train Kept A-Rollin' 3. -You're A Better Man Than I 4. -Heart Full Of Soul 5. -I Wish You Would - Hey Gyp 6. -My Baby 3:08 7. -Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I‘ll Go Mine) 8. -Shapes Of Thing Second Set 9. -Smokestack Lightning 10. -Bye Bye Bird 11. -Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 12. -Smile On Me 13. -Glimpses 14. -I Ain‘t Done Wrong 15. -Over Under Sideways Down Disc 4 Shrine Exposition Hall Los Angeles, CA May 31, 1968 00 -Intro 01 -Train Kept A Rollin' 02 -You're A Better Man Than I 03 -Heartful of Soul 04 -Dazed & Confused 05 -Shapes of Things 06 -I'm A Man 07 -White Summer 08 -Smokestack Lightning 09 -I'm Waiting For The Man 10 -Bye Bye Bird 11 -Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 12 -Drinking Muddy Water 13 -New York City Blues 14 -I Wish You Would 15 -Hey Gyp -
FM Broadcast 8.8 A tape recorded off air sounding its age but surprisingly it’s actually decent enough that fans of this venerable band will rejoice at hearing such an early gig in very good quality. If you compare it to a typical FM broadcast you’ll be less ecstatic, but I tell you this: in the year 1982 there were few bands that could match the intensity and precision of Iron Maiden. This gig highlights that fact, personally I can’t recommend this one highly enough I loved it! IRON MAIDEN The Beast on the Road Tour Pavillon Baltard Nogent-sur-Marne, France March, 24th 1982 01. Wrathchild (03:05) 02. Run to the Hills (04:07) 03. Children of the Damned (04:47) 04. The Number of the Beast (04:43) 05. Phantom of the Opera (06:46) 06. Killers (04:53) 07. Transylvania (06:01) 08. The Prisoner (05:47) 09. 22 Acacia Avenue (06:31) 10. Sanctuary (04:23) 11. Drifter (08:40) 12. Running Free (03:31) 13. Prowler (04:26) -
Cleveland 1981 is an FM Broadcast 9.2 which I had not heard before believe it or not, so, I was suitably impressed. Anyone would be appreciative! The second disc (and most of the 3rd) is Montreal 81 and is an FM Broadcast 8.9 due to a more subdued signal that does not take away any frequency range but rather slightly compresses the sound just a bit. Now I want the listener to realize that this is a subjective opinion, technically speaking the audio here is excellent so it’s a matter of personal taste in this case. The second half of disc 3 is all studio quality. Ozzy Osbourne 1981-05-11 & 07-28 Definition Of Blizzard Disc 1 1981-05-11 Music Hall Cleveland, Ohio 101 Radio Announcer Introduction 102 Carl Orff Carmina Burana 103 I Don't Know 104 Crazy Train 105 Believer 106 Mr. Crowley 107 Flying High Again 108 Revelation (Mother Earth) 109 Steal Away (The Night) 110 Drum Solo 111 Blizzard Of Ozz Radio Advert 112 Suicide Solution 113 Guitar Solo 114 Suicide Solution (Reprise) 115 Iron Man 116 Children Of The Grave 117 Paranoid Disc 2 1981-07-28 St. Denis Theatre Montreal, Canada 201 Radio Announcer Introduction 202 Flying High Again 203 I Don't Know 204 Crazy Train 205 Believer 206 Mr. Crowley 207 Suicide Solution 208 Guitar Solo 209 Suicide Solution (Reprise) 210 Revelation (Mother Earth) 211 Steal Away (The Night) 212 Drum Solo 213 Paranoid Disc 3 1981-07-28 St. Denis Theatre Montreal, Canada 301 Carl Orff Carmina Burana - Radio Announcer Introduction 302 I Don't Know 303 Crazy Train 304 Believer 305 Mr. Crowley 306 Iron Man 307 Children Of The Grave Quiet Riot 308 Suicidal Show 309 Just How You Want It 310 West Coast Tryouts 311 Slick Black Cadillac 312 Killer Girls -
Audience 9.3 - As good as it could be for a large stadium concert. Despite the soundmen fighting mic feedback issues during the first few songs, it certainly gets dialed in and becomes quite nice with the feeling of this being an event, the atmosphere, the way the sound sort of envelopes your ears and you get a sense of size and space. Really sweet!Elton John Sports Arena San Diego, CA September 29, 1975 Disc 1 First Set 01 Your Song 02 I Need You To Turn To 03 Border Song 04 Take Me To The Pilot 05 Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) 06 Country Comfort 07 Levon 08 Rocket Man 09 Hercules 10 Have Mercy On The Criminal 11 Empty Sky Disc 2 First Set Cont'd 12 Street Kids 13 Intermission Second Set and Encore 14 Funeral For A Friend - Love Lies Bleeding 15 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 16 Bennie And The Jets 17 Harmony 18 Dixie Lily 19 Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy 20 Bitter Fingers 21 Someone Saved My Life Tonight 22 The Bitch is Back Disc 3 23 Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me 24 (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket 25 Better Off Dead 26 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 27 I Saw Her Standing There 28 Island Girl 29 Philadelphia Freedom 30 We All Fall In Love Sometimes 31 Curtains 32 Pinball Wizard -
Audience 9.2 - A very interesting tour that featured just two individuals on stage working in coordination to bring audiences a new perspective on Elton’s music…and it works marvelously. Audio quality here is great, and that is a huge benefit to the listener as they get to enjoy the subtleties of what is happening on stage, including the witty banter between songs. Elton John Universal Amphitheatre Los Angeles, CA September 29, 1979 Disc 1 01 Your Song 02 Sixty Years On 03 Daniel 04 Skyline Pigeon 05 Take Me To The Pilot 06 Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) 07 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 08 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 09 Roy Rogers 10 Candle In The Wind 11 Ego 12 Where To Now St. Peter 13 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Singing In The Rain Disc 2 14 Funeral For A Friend 15 Tonight 16 Better Off Dead 17 Island 18 I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself 19 I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) 20 Scott Joplin Intro > Bennie And The Jets 21 Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 22 Mama Can't Buy You Love 23 Part-Time Love 24 Crazy Wate 25 Song For Guy 26 Saturday Night 's Alright For Fighting 27 Pinball Wizard 28 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On 29 I Saw Her Standing There 30 Twist And Shout 31 Crocodile Rock 32 Back In The U.S.S.R. -
Audience 9.1 - Capturing the unbridled excitement of the flamboyant maestro in his prime in Los Angeles during perhaps his biggest tour. What more can you ask for? The sound is great (especially the drums!) and the appreciative audience never intrudes onto the recording. Elton John The Forum Inglewood, CA October 5, 1974 Disc 1 01 Funeral For A Friend - Love Lies Bleeding 02 Candle In The Wind 03 Grimsby 04 Rocket Man 05 Take Me To The Pilot 06 Bennie And The Jets 07 Daniel 08 Grey Seal 09 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 10 Burn Down The Mission Disc 2 11 Band Introduction 12 You're So Static 13 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 14 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 15 Honky Cat 16 All The Girls Love Alice 17 Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting 18 Crocodile Rock 19 The Bitch Is Back 20 Your Song -
Audience 8.7 - Both tapes sound as if they were recorded by the same person they are very similar although the slight nod goes to London for being just a touch brighter. That being said, both tapes do an admirable job (for 1971 standards) of capturing the epic ferocity of this amazing rock band in their prime, or just before they got universal “commercial” success. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like being there in person, the volume, the intensity, I would have been drained after the first song! Emerson, Lake & Palmer ABC Cinema Plymouth, UK March 12, 1971 Disc 1 101 The Barbarian 102 Tarkus 103 Knife Edge 104 Pictures At An Exhibition Disc 2 201 Take A Pebble 202 Rondo Disc 3 Royal Theatre, Drury Lane London, England June 20, 1971 01. -Pictures at an Exhibition 02. -Knife Edge Disc 4 01. -Take a Pebble 02. -Tarkus -
Soundboard 9.1 - This is not a bad board tape, leans just a touch maybe on the more trebly side, giving bass the title of “second guitar” I guess. Still, it’s not a static board, it’s very exciting. Led Zeppelin Eisstadion Mannheim, Germany July 3rd 1980. Disc 1 1. -The Train Kept A Rollin' 2. -Nobody's Fault But Mine 3. -Black Dog 4. -In The Evening 5. -The Rain Song 6. -Hot Dog 7. -All My Love 8. -Trampled Underfoot 9. -Since I've Been Loving You Disc 2 1. -Achilles Last Stand 2. -White Summer - Black Mountain Side 3. -Kashmir 4. -Stairway To Heaven 5. -Communication Breakdown 6. -Rock And Roll -
Soundboard 9.6 - A very very clean tape, still after all this time it has been properly preserved. The band is in fine form, it’s the right time frame in history and the world is pretty familiar with the band by this time.Blood Sweat & Tears Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1970-09-20 Disc 1 01 - introduction (1:44) 02 - Fire and Rain (4:31) 03 - Somethin' Comin' On (7:09) 04 - 40,000 Headmen (5:24) 05 - I Can't Quit Her (4:25) 06 - Smiling Phases (15:42) 07 - Sympathy for the Devil (9:37) 08 - Sometimes in Winter (4:46) 09 - Lucretia McEvil (18:19) Disc 2 10 - And When I Die (9:05) 11 - Hi De Ho (6:46) 12 - Spinning Wheel (8:20) 13 - You've Made Me So Very Happy (11:26) 14 - Blues Part 2- Somethin' Goin' On (32:37) Bobby Colomby - Drums Steve Katz - Guitar & Vocals Jim Fielder - Bass Dick Halligan - Keyboards,Trombone,Flute Fred Lipsius - Alto Saxophone, Keyboards Lew Soloff - Trumpets Chuck Winfield - Trumpets Jerry Hyman - Trombone David Clayton Thomas - Vocals -
Audience 8.9 - The capture here is as good as you could do, what you are hearing then is what the sound was like in a very literal sense. If you were sitting in tapers seats, your ears are now hearing what his ears heard at the time. That is all you can hope for and that is what this tape is. David Bowie Convention Center Anaheim, CA September 16, 1974 Disc 1 01 Intro - 1984 02 Rebel Rebel 03 Moonage Daydream 04 Sweet Thing 05 Candidate 06 Sweet Thing (Reprise) 07 Changes 08 Suffragette City 09 Aladdin Sane 10 All The Young Dudes 11 Cracked Actor 12 Rock ’N’ ’Roll With Me 13 Knock On Wood Disc 2 14 It's Gonna Be Me 15 Space Oddity 16 Future Legend 17 Diamond Dogs 18 Big Brother 19 Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family 20 Time 21 The Jean Genie 22 Rock ’N’ ’Roll Suicide 23 Somebody Up There Likes Me -
Soundboard 9.7 - Why this tape isn’t more celebrated I’ll never understand. It’s just mind blowing! The performance is off the charts great, and the sound is very bold and nicely mixed. Lots of good 73 board tapes out there but how many are featuring all four Zeppers on top of their games on every song? Led Zeppelin Sports Arena San Diego, CA. May 28, 1973 Disc 1 01. -Rock and Roll 02. -Celebration Day 03. -Black Dog 04. -Over the Hills and Far Away 05. -Misty Mountain Hop 06. -Since I've Been Loving You 07. -No Quarter 08. -The Song Remains the Same 09. -The Rain Song Disc 2 10. -Dazed and Confused 11. -Moby Dick 12. -Stairway to Heaven 13. -Heartbreaker Disc 3 14. -Whole Lotta Love 15. -The Ocean Salt Palace Salt Lake City, Utah May 26, 1973 16. -Dazed And Confused -
FM Broadcast 9.8 - A recording that sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Sparkling, dynamic, and soaring high. Anyone can get into this, even if the ARP synthesizer reminds you of disco sounds, you get enough of Boz and his cool little electric guitar fills to make up for it. BOZ SCAGGS Schaefer Music Festival Central Park New York, NY (USA) July 31, 1976 1 -Intro's 2 -Lowdown 3 -You Make It So Hard To Say No 4 -What Can I Say 5 -Slow Dancer 6 -It's Over 7 -Angel Lady 8 -Running Blues 9 -Georgia 10 -Jump Street 11 -Lido Shuffle 12 -Dinah Flo 13 -DJ Talk 14 -Boz Talks 15 -Band Intros 16 -I Got Your Number 17 -Good Night From Delsener Productions 18 -You're Mine 19 -Outro 20 -WBCN Outro -
Audience 9.0 - This recording was made by the same crew that did the previous evening’s LA Forum gig. The quality is very similar and the only difference would be a result of where they were seated. It’s a really good recording! New Barbarians Sports Arena San Diego, CA May 22, 1979 Disc 1 01 Sweet Little Rock & Roller 02 Buried Alive 03 F.U.C. Her 04 Mystifies Me 05 Infekshun 06 Rock Me Baby 07 Sure The One You Need 08 Lost And Lonely 09 Breathe On Me 10 Love In Vain Disc 2 11 Let's Go Steady Again 12 Apartment No. 9 13 Honky Tonk Women 14 Worried Life Blues 15 I Can Feel The Fire 16 Come To Realise 17 Am I Grooving You 18 Seven Days 19 Before They Make Me Run 20 Jumping Jack Flash -
Audience 8.8 - Excellent recording for the time period when it seemed most audience tapes sounded very flat and tinny. This one is pretty dynamic but for one fault (not tapers fault). The PA system, while good, did not give vocals enough clarity. During quieter passages, yes, but in louder parts (most of the gig) it’s sort of indistinct, but audible and not buried (just not real distinct). I mean, he’s totally audible is what I am getting at, but for some reason I can’t make out anything he’s singing about (is this par for the course with Marillion?). BTW the Genesis comparisons are accurate! Marillion Rock City Nottingham, England 30 Mar 1983 Disc 1 1 Script For A Jester’s Tear 2 Garden Party 3 Three Boats Down From The Candy 4 The Web 5 Charting The Single Disc 2 6 Chelsea Monday 7 He Knows You Know 8 Forgotten Sons 9 Market Square Heroes 10 Margaret -
Soundboard 8.8 - It’s kind of hard to rate this any higher due to the extreme hotness in the recording levels but it rates as high as it does because it’s unique among board tapes in that Mick Jagger sounds so live and in your face it’s like he’s singing next to you…scary I know. Now, just because this is a “hot” tape doesn’t mean you can’t hear anything, it’s all there but it’s all pretty forcefully delivered. I can’t say in this case it’s entirely a bad thing…’cause it does make for a rather “intimate” encounter with the Stones, especially you know who. The Rolling Stones The Astrodome Houston, Texas october 28, 1981 Disc 1 1. -take the a train 2. -under my thumb 3. -when the whip comes down 4. -let's spend the night together 5. -shattered 6. -neighbours - time is on my side 7. -black limousine 8. -just my imagination 9. -twenty flight rock 10. -let me go 11. -time is on my side 12. -beast of burden 13. -waiting on a friend 14. -let it bleed Disc 2 1. -you can't always get what you want 2. -introductions 3. -little t&a 4. -tumbling dice 5. -she's so cold 6. -all down the line 7. -hang fire 8. -miss you 9. -start me up 10. -honky tonk women 11. -jumping jack flash 12. -satisfaction 13. -star spangled Banner -
Audience 9.5 - Brilliant! After sound adjustments the PA system just cranks out the best, clearest sound you could hope for. Almost everything is clear and balanced in the mix, I mean it ain’t perfect (for instance we don’t get the best balance between Keith and Ron) but it’s darn good. The sound mix has nothing to do with how well the audio capture is but it factors slightly in the rating. Rolling Stones Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA October 22, 1989 Disc 1 01 Introduction 02 Start Me Up 03 Bitch 04 Sad Sad Sad 05 Undercover Of The Night 06 Harlem Shuffle 07 Tumbling Dice 08 Miss You 09 Ruby Tuesday 10 Angie 11 Rock And A Hard Place 12 Mixed Emotions 13 Honky Tonk Women 14 Midnight Rambler Disc 2 15 You Can’t Always Get What You Want 16 Little Red Rooster 17 Before They Make Me Run 18 Happy 19 Paint It Black 20 2000 Light Years From Home 21 Sympathy For The Devil 22 Gimme Shelter 23 It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll 24 Brown Sugar 25 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 26 Jumpin’ Jack Flash