Audience 8.7 - This is definitely the best sounding version of this show. Not bad either – typical of the time period but tapers managed to capture the entire show in pretty good quality. You can easily forgive some of the minor flaws because that is what they are…minor. A keeper!
The Rolling Stones Soldier Field Chicago, IL 1978-07-08 Disc 1 1. -Let It Rock [03:25] 2. -All Down The Line [04:46] 3. -Honky Tonk Women [05:10] 4. -Star Star [04:28] 5. -When The Whip Comes Down [06:49] 6. -Lies [05:55] 7. -Miss You [10:42] 8. -Beast of Burden [06:09] 9. -Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) [08:34] Disc 2 1. -Shattered [05:50] 2. -Respectable [04:01] 3. -Far Away Eyes [05:53] 4. -Love In Vain [06:08] 5. -Tumbling Dice [06:07] 6. -Happy [03:40] 7. -Sweet Little Sixteen [03:49] 8. -Brown Sugar [04:41] 9. -Jumping Jack Flash [09:43] 10. -(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [05:47]-
Audience 9.4 - A very tight and brassy sound, super detailed with enough of the surroundings to provide realism…without intrusion. Outstanding!
Santana Pacific Amphitheatre Costa Mesa, CA September 3, 1989 Disc 1 01 Angels All Around Us - Spirits Dancing In The Flesh 02 For Those Who Chant 03 Batuka - No One To Depend On 04 Bella 05 It's A Jungle Out There 06 Unknown 07 Smooth Criminal 08 Black Magic Woman - Gypsy Queen 09 Oye Como Va 10 Unknown 11 Super Boogie 12 Blues For Salvador Disc 2 13 Marbles 14 Unknown 15 Savor - Percussion 16 Goodness And Mercy 17 Everybody's Everything 18 Toussaint L'Overture 19 Soul Sacrifice 20 Love Theme from 'Spartacus' 21 Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile) 22 Ponta de Areia - Deeper, Dig Deeper - Band Introductions -
Audience 9.6 - This venue has always been very acoustically prime for capturing from the audience. There is great atmosphere, the kind that not only adds feeling to the recording but also the kind that inspires the artist. This tape showcases everything one looks for in a sound recording.
Steve Morse Band Bottom Line New York City, NY August 22, 1984 Disc 1 01 On The Pipe 02 The Introduction 03 Pride O’ The Farm 04 What If 05 Ice Cakes 06 Steve Talks - Band Introduction 07 Mountain Waltz 08 Northern Lights 09 Picture This 10 The Whistle 11 Steve Talks - Jazz Vamp 12 Donna Lee Disc 2 13 Out On The Tiles 14 Dregs Medley -Take If Off The Top -I”m Freaking Out -Road Expense -Bloodsucking Leeches -Assembly Line -Night Meets Light 15 Huron River Blues 16 Cruise Missile 17 Freeway Jam 18 Cruise Control -
Audience 9.1 -A great show and a great capture here. Highly recommend this one!
Steve Hackett Civic Centre, Guildford 1983-01-28 (With P. Gabriel - M Rutherford) Disc 1 01. -THE STEPPS 02. -FUNNY FEELING 03. -JACUZZI 04. -HACKETT TO PIECES 05. -EVERYDAY 06. -A TOWER STUCK DOWN 07. -SPECTRAL MORNINGS 08. -HORIZONS 09. -KIM Disc 2 10. -OVERNIGHT SLEEPER 11. -SLOGANS 12. -THE SHOW 13. -CLOCKS-THE ANGEL OF MONS 14. -HERE COMES THE FLOOD 15. -SOLISBURY HILL 16. -REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE 17. -I KNOW WHAT I LIKE -
Audience 9.6 - Exciting and full bodied, this is what I want from any recording from the modern era…there’s no excuse for a sub-par bootleg post 1980 in my opinion. PA’s were better, recording gear better (that may be subjective), but the point is it SHOULD sound great from 1991 and this does – and not only that but the band JAMS!
Steve Winwood Pacific Amphitheatre Costa Mesa, CA May 10, 1991 Disc 1 01 I’m A Man 02 While You See A Chance 03 Hearts On Fire 04 Another Deal Goes Down 05 One And Only Man 06 In The Light Of Day 07 Valerie 08 The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys Disc 2 09 Glad 10 Feelin’ Alright? 11 Medicated Goo 12 Split Decision 13 The Finer Things 14 Roll With It 15 Higher Love 16 Back In The High Life Again 17 Gimme Some Lovin’ Russ Kunkel - Drums Larry Byron - Guitar, Keyboards Randall Bramlett - Saxophone Michael Rhodes - Bass Luis Conte - Percussion -
Birmingham 1976 Pro Radio 9.5 - Obviously this should be excellent quality seeing as how it was recorded for British Biscuit radio broadcast. Well, yeah, it’s really good!
Dallas 1981 Pro Radio 8.9 - Sounds maybe a gen or two down (but no tape hiss) or perhaps just the age of the tape this was recorded on as it was presumably tapes off the air. Still, it’s very good and I am sure with some EQ touches could really bring more of the highs out.
Marshall Tucker Band Disc 1 The Odeon, Birmingham, England November 29th, 1976 1 -British Biscuit Intro 2 -Long Hard Ride 3 -Searching For A Rainbow 4 -Can't You See 5 -This Old Cowboy 6 -Fire On The Mountain 7 -Take The Highway THE BAND Doug Gray lead vocals percussion Toy Caldwell lead electric and acoustic guitar steel guitar Tommy Caldwell bass guitar backing vocals George McCorkle electric and acoustic guitar banjo Jerry Eubanks flute alto baritone and tenor saxophone backing vocals Paul Riddle drums Disc 2 Wintergarden Theater Dallas, TX March 15th 1981 1 -K.B.F.H. Intro 2 -It Takes Time 3 -See You One More Time 4 -Tell The Blues To Take Off Tonight 5 -This Time I Believe 6 -Take The Highway 7 -Fire On The Mountain 8 -In My Own Way 9 -Ramblin' 10 -This Ol' Cowboy 11 -KZAM THE BAND Toy Caldwell Guitars Steel Guitar Background Vocals Doug Gray Vocals Jerry Eubanks Flute Saxophone Keyboards Background Vocals Paul Riddle Drums Background Vocals George McCorkle Guitar Franklin Wilkie Bass Background Vocals -
Audience 8.3/8.5 - Despite the low approval ratings of these audio tapes, I have to say I still think they are important to the Megadeth collector for several reasons. There’s just not a lot of recordings from these early periods for some unknown reason, and these shows, having been cleaned up and re-mastered as well as could be done, represent listenable time capsules of perhaps one of the all-time greatest metal band. Megadeth do not get the same accolades as some of the other big metal bands (do I have to mention them?) but I always loved their complexity and sarcasm. I did listen to both of these shows and once my ears adjusted I stuck with it and wrote this review without bias. Average tapes that deserve a place in any collection because of the significance of this band.
Megadeth The Windy City Gigs Disc 1 Metro, Chicago, IL (USA) June 30, 1985 01. -Last Rites - Loved To Death 02. -Killing Is My Business 03. -Skull Beneath The Skin 04. -These Boots 05. -My Last Words 06. -Looking Down The Cross 07. -Chosen Ones 08. -Mechanix 09. -Bad Omen 10. -Encore break 11. -Good Mourning - Black Friday 12. -Rattlehead Disc 2 (U.I.C) Pavilion University of Illinois Chicago, IL 1987-02-12 1. -Intro 2. -Wake Up Dead 3. -The Conjuring 4. -My Last Words 5. -Bad Omen 6. -Rattlehead - Dave's talking about Chicago 7. -Peace Sells 8. -Devil's Island 9. -The Mechanix
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Audience 9.3 - One thing you must concede about recordings from this venue – they are almost 100% of the time decent overall but more importantly extremely pleasant atmospherically. Audiences here are generally very attuned to the performer on stage, knowing the music, and there to listen to the music. The Roxy was a venue for music connoisseurs. A brilliant tape here to add to your collection.
Peter Gabriel The Roxy West Hollywood, CA September 30, 1978 Early Show Disc 1 01 Me And My Teddy Bear 02 On Presuming To Be Modern 03 On The Air 04 Moribund The Burgermeister 05 Perspective 06 Indigo 07 White Shadow 08 D.I.Y. 09 Waiting For The Big One 10 Band Introductions 11 Mother Of Violence Disc 2 12 Slowburn 13 Flotsam And Jetsam 14 I Don't Remember 15 Solsbury Hill 16 Modern Love 17 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 18 Animal Magic 19 Here Comes The Flood
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Soundboard 9.0 - Nothing particularly wrong with this one, but a did feel as though the mix was a little bit overcrowded at time (especially when the band was cooking), but at the same time I loved how the organ sounded and the sheer power of this band came across very convincingly.
Patti Smith Group The Place Eugene, Oregon, USA May 4, 1978 Disc One 01 -Land 02 -Rock And Roll Nigger 03 -Privilege 04 -Free Money 05 -Pissing In A River 06 -Pumping 07 -You Really Got Me 08 -Time Is on My Side 09 -Ghost Dance 10 -Because the Night Disc Two 01 -Easter 02 -Radio Ethiopia 03 -Gloria 04 -Jailhouse Rock 05 -My Generation Civic Center Santa Monica, California May 12, 1978 06 -Land 07 -Rock And Roll Nigger 08 -Privilege 09 -Kimberly 10 -Till Victory 11 -Redondo Beach
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Soundboard 9.2 - What I like most about this board tape is that it emphasizes Bill Wyman, and I mean where you can hear individual notes that he is playing, while also laying down a strong, sonically speaking, low end (so it’s not just bass notes being plucked out). This is a new, and good way to listen to another ’81 Tour board tape without being bored…’cause we all know the set list didn’t change at all.
Rolling Stones Rosemont Horizon Des Plaines, IL. 11-23-1981 Disc 1 1. -Take The A Train - Under My Thumb 2. -When The Whip Comes Down 3. -Let's Spend The Night Together 4. -Shattered 5. -Neighbours 6. -Black Limousine 7. -Just My Imagination 8. -Twenty Flight Rock 9. -Going To A Go Go 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. -Band Intros 3. -Little T&A 4. -Tumbling Dice 5. -She's So Cold 6. -Hang Fire 7. -Miss You 8. -Honky Tonk Women 9. -Brown Sugar 10. -Start Me Up 11. -Jumping Jack Flash 12. -Satisfaction 13. -Star Spangled Banner - School Day -
Soundboard 8.8 - Not your typical board tape here, in fact I hesitate to even call it one because to me it sounds like a stage recording. Either way, it is decent but not great. What is great, however, is this period of the band and this performance is indicative of that peak they attained. Marvelous playing throughout – and like I said the sound quality is decent and enjoyable but I expected more from a professional recording.
The Coliseum St Austell, UK 28th April 1982 Disc 1 01 -Blackout 02 -Dont Make No Promises 03 -Loving You Sunday Morning 04 -Make It Real 05 -We'll Burn The Sky 06 -Coast To Coast 07 -Lovedrive 08 -Always Somewhere 09 -Holiday Disc 2 01 -Cant Live Without You 02 -He's A Woman She's A Man 03 -Another Piece Of Meat 04 -Dynamite 05 -The Zoo 06 -Steamrock Fever 07 -Cant Get Enough -
Pro Audience 9.2 - This rating may seem confusing and that is because I just don’t believe this to be a board feed recording, nor do I believe it to be a straight audience tape. I believe this may have been recorded for broadcast locally and the station probably hung mics or placed them somewhere in the hall because there’s too much ambience for a straight board tape. It’s very good, it’s got a critical element missing in every board tape and that’s some sense of the room, the audience, etc.
Black Sabbath Civic Center Hartford, CT 1980-08-10 Disc 1 101 Supertzar 102 War Pigs 103 Neon Knights 104 N.I.B. 105 Children Of The Sea 106 Sweet Leaf 107 Drum Solo 108 Sweet Leaf (Reprise) 109 Black Sabbath Disc 2 201 MC 202 Heaven And Hell 203 Iron Man 204 Guitar Solo 205 Die Young 206 Paranoid 207 children Of The Grave Bonus track Hammersmith Odeon London, UK 1980-05-08 208 Children Of The Sea -
Audience 9.3 - A beautiful wide, spacious, and clear recording of a band absolutely demolishing it. How much friggin’ better do you want it? I’ve heard major label released live albums that didn’t sound as good as this.
Black Sabbath Stadthalle Offenbach, Germany 1980-06-02 Disc 1 101 Supertzar 102 War Pigs 103 Noen Knights 104 N.I.B. 105 Lonely Is The Word 106 Sweet Leaf 107 Drum Solo 108 Sweet Leaf (Reprise) 109 Children Of The Sea Disc 2 201 Black Sabbath 202 Heaven And Hell 203 Iron Man 204 Guitar Solo 205 Die Young 206 Paranoid 207 Children Of The Grave -
Soundboard 9.3 - There are quite a few board tapes from this period, so which ones do you get? After listening to this one, I really think it’s one of the ones to get. Great sound, but a really strong performance (when did they not?) too.
The Police "Live In Melbourne '81" Disc 1 01 Voices Inside My Head 02 Don't Stand So Close To Me 03 Walking On The Moon 04 Death Wish 05 Fallout 06 Man In A Suitcase 07 Bring On The Night 08 De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da 09 Truth Hits Everybody 10 Shadows In The Rain Disc 2 01 When The World Is Running Down 02 The Bed's Too Big Without You 03 Driven To Tears 04 Message In A Bottle 05 Roxanne 06 Can't Stand Losing You 07 So Lonely -
LA 1977 Soundboard 9.4 - THIS is what PUNK should sound like live…loud, brash, and totally in your face – that is exactly what this board tape delivers and I LOVE IT! Get it and you’ll see why. CBGB’s 1977 Audience 9.2 - A pretty clean recording, which is surprising to me as this is a punk band in a small club at full volume (presumably). So, either taper is affiliated with the club and set up somewhere with some good equipment or it’s a fan who just knew what he was doing and nailed it. I am going with the former. Ramones LIVE 1977 Disc 1 Whisky a Go Go Los Angeles, California October 21, 1977 01 -intro 02 -Loudmouth 03 -Beat On The Brat 04 -Blitzkrieg Bop 05 -I Remember You 06 -Glad To See You Go 07 -Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment 08 -You're Gonna Kill That Girl 09 -I Don't Care 10 -Sheena Is A Punk Rocker 11 -Rockaway Beach 12 -Commando 13 -Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 14 -Surfin' Bird 15 -Cretin Hop 16 -Listen To My Heart 17 -California Sun 18 -I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You 19 -Pinhead 20 -break before encore 21 -Suzy Is A Headbanger 22 -Chain Saw 23 -Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World 24 -break before second encore 25 -Now I Want To Be A Good Boy 26 -Let's Dance Disc 2 CBGB's New York, NY 10-27-77 1. -Loudmouth 2. -Beat on the brat 3. -Blitzkrieg Bop 4. -I Remember You 5. -Glad To See You Go 6. -Teenage Lobotomy 7. -You're Gonna Kill That Girl 8. -53rd And 3rd 9. -Sheena Is A Punk Rocker 10. -Rockaway Beach 11. -Commando 12. -Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 13. -Surfin' Bird 14. -Cretin Hop 15. -Listen To My Heart 16. -California Sun 17. -I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You 18. -Pinhead 19. -Let's Dance 20. -Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World -
Upper Darby 1975 Audience 8.7 - This is not an easy one to pull off – you have to give a lot of credit to this taper as he’s trying to capture an excessively loud and aggressive rock band in a smallish club. That means you’d better be in a good spot with a tape machine that can prevent distortion due to high volume. Taper got those two essentials right. What is the flaw then? I would say unless you are super picky, you really will understand the value of this tape. Good sound quality, you hear everything (both guitars clear!), drums, bass even! So it isn’t board tape perfect, but I think this rare 1975 audience tape belongs in every fan’s collection. It is that good. Central Park 1975 Soundboard 9.8 - What a thrill this is! Man, if you can’t get excited listening to this you are dead. This recording wakes the dead! Get ready for max rock madness in crystal clear excellence. Ted Nugent Live '75 Disc 1 Tower Theater Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania May 3, 1975 01. Intro 02. Hibernation 03. Stranglehold 04. Lady Luck 05. Pony Express 06. Tuning Up 07. Queen Of The Forest 08. Living In The Woods 09. Where Have You Been All My Life 10. Feedback Frenzy 11. Papa's Will Disc 2 Schaeffer Music Festival Central Park New York, NY August 29, 1975 01. -Hibernation 02. -Stormtroopin' 03. -Just What the Doctor Ordered 04. -Stranglehold 05. -Motor City Madhouse Ted Nugent - lead guitar, vocals Derek St Holmes - vocals & rhythm guitar Rob Grange - bass Cliff Davies - drums