Soundboard 8.7 - What we have here with these two shows are a couple of primitive soundboards, and by that I mean they may have run the sound through the board but what ended up on the tape is NOT what you would expect. It's not a manicured, expert mix and pristine sound, it's a very raw, brutal, loud, obnoxious, hellish, and violent turbulence of sound that somehow fits the vibe to a tee. This is Slayer, in 1985, and it sounds like it. Wonderful in its rawness, brutal in its aggressive sonic assault, and 100% vintage Slayer.

Audience 8.7 All shows appear to have been recorded by the same taper who was diligent to show up to all the Sabbath shows in his town three years in a row. I am impressed with his effort, you can tell he's not an amateur and but for the fact he's not using pro equipment, he most certainly would otherwise have gotten a stellar result. As it is, it's fine but not winning any dynamics awards. What it does deliver is consistent, strong, error-free recordings that you can relax into, and let yourself adjust to what is there because it's certainly not that bad. I started listening to these shows in order to rate them and ended up just letting them play because it's cool to hear this great line-up playing in a far away place away from the glitz and glamour of the metropolis, year-after-year-after-year, and yet deliver a performance no different from one they might have done at, say, Radio City Music Hall or Madison Square Garden.

Soundboard 9.1 - All of this material is soundboard but keep in mind these 60's Zappa boards all have a somewhat "dated" sound quality which is not a bad thing because it creates a sonic time capsule that allows you to feel the vibe of the times. I think some of his audience might have been a little bewildered by what they were seeing and hearing because the reactions are sometimes very telling.

Audience 9.4 - I really found this to be a real gem. First, I think it starts with a respectful but enthusiastic Japananese audience and then because of the immaculate source tape. The recording, while maybe light on bottom end just a touch, is crisp and clean and features a flawless midrange. Drums have an extremely "live" feel, you almost just kind of look off to your left and right to make sure a drummer isn't there in your living room!

Audience 8.6 - By all accounts, this is a real find! First, you get a rare tape that only recently has surfaced, and then it's from a poorly documented tour AND best of all it sounds pretty decent! It's just a great day to be a DLR era Van Halen collector.

Audience 8.7 - It's not the clearest, deepest of recordings but it is not boomy, muddy, irritating, or ruined by shouting morons either. It gets the job done, and what's more it's one of those shows where another guitar legend just happens to be there and just happens to get on stage and jam at the end...this guitar legend is none other than Jeff Beck so there is that.