-
Audience 7.8 - A MAJOR upgrade here folks! This recording used to suffer a horrible low mid range boom and muddiness that killed an otherwise decent tape and really good performance capture. Now, even though it is still roughly an average tape, it is minus that deal-breaking boom/mud in the middle. Apparently, the recording being in stereo, while mastering they found by moving it wider (stereo panning) they got the affected channel muted enough where it was crap sounding, but saved what music was there. It worked wonders. Now this tape is worth your time, so rediscover it today. -
Soundboard 8.8 - A loud board mix, with a little crispiness in the ultra high frequency but what this actually translates to as the show plays is CRUNCH factor which helps liven up what could have been a flat, lifeless board tape. The remastering helped because the levels were kind of low, and the bass needed to be dialed back just a tick, but just that light touch really made this tape a whole point better. Fantastic prime era Halen comin’ out yer speakers like lightning bolts. MUST HAVE!!! -
Audience 7.8 - Stadium sound all the way. Boomy and loud and CRAZY audience but damn, it’s hard not to love it. The good news here is the drums are defined and not just a sloppy boomy mess, the guitar slices through the mud and lands on your ears in the right spot, then Dave yelps, and does his thing. The end of Hot For Teacher when the drum solo starts the whole place goes bananas. -
Audience 8.4 (both shows) - I absolutely love this set. A must for fans. -
Early Soundboard 8.6 - High energy; it does get a little "hot" as far as the mix but it doesn't detract from the experience of hearing Van Halen in a small club playing their asses off before they hit the big time. Dave is in fine form, as always. A great gig, a very good recording, a great band at a great time. Highly recommended. -
Audience 8.7 - Really loud and up front sound but no distortion makes for a real thrill ride. I love this recording. I think it captures the manic energy happening on stage. Wonderful -
5.1 - Sounds like it was recorded on a cheap old cassette recorder. No low end, squeaky sounding...but, historically significant recording. Bonus tracks sound excellent. -
This is an Audience recording, my rating is a 7.3 quality, not a bad show. It's got one thing I can appreciate, a lively atmosphere without being obnoxious and intrusive although I got to tell you, sometimes the audience makes the performance...want proof? Listen to the Madison Square Garden 1984 show - you can honestly say that the loud, obnoxious, and totally over the top crowd and atmosphere is what totally makes that show. I found myself more interested in the crowd believe it or not. I must offer that show in the future - seriously the audience is the best part even though the band is on fire and inspired by the crowd. This one is close to that mania, but nothing compares to that MSG show. -
Audience 7.2 - A bit thin sounding but I could get everything that was happening, and while it is not hi-fi sound, I could equalize and bring out the bottom end a bit. Still decent enough. -
FM Radio Broadcast 8.5 -
Audience 8.2 - A real gem! Someone did a great remastering on this very low generation tape, what used to be a frustrating, muddy mess is now a real treat. Technology has made it possible to breathe new life into the old tapes of yore. -
Audience 10 - This is the first 10 rating I have ever issued. Why? Simply put, this recording is BREATHTAKING. The detail, the precision, the mix, the dynamics, the atmosphere, the playing, the quality is nothing short of PERFECT. So, if I had the information on these tapers I would ask them for copies of anything else they recorded. It’s THAT GOOD folks. -
FM Radio Broadcast 9.7 -
Audience 8.8 - Perhaps lacking in sonic depth, it makes up for it in clarity and detail, the kind that allows you to hear the nuance because this band had nuance in spades. -
BBC - Soundboard 9.6 - Paris Theatre, London. Another personal favorite of mine. -
Soundboard 9.8 - What makes this so great is not only the excellent live mix but also the performance itself. So few Thin Lizzy recordings out there to begin with, so when we get one this good, you know, it’s something to treasure. -
Audience 8.6 - The tape starts off kind of funky, and the band, or I should say, Phil Lynott, is having difficulty with the sound of his bass. Things get progressively better, until what you have is a pretty darn good show and recording. -
Soundboard 9.3 -
Frankfurt 1972 - Audience 7.1 - Vocals buried but this is so cool, such an early show – guitar is smokin’ hot! Berlin 1973 - Audience 8.4 -
Audience 8.5 - If you call yourself a fan of The Who and you do not have this yet, just put down the sandwich and get this one right now. Holy guacamole Batman this friggin’ RULES! Is it perfect? Nope. Is it crystal clear? No, but it is RIGHT smack dab in your face with LOADS of electric atmosphere. Even the excited shrieks of the girls will give your spine a little tingle. This is what collecting live music is all about. Soundboard purists will be missing something amazing if they never give this rough, not so perfect audience recording a listen. This is The Who raw, live, intense, and exciting and it simply will fry your brain! -
Audience 8.2 - This recording, while not astounding, has an unusual feature for an amateur recording early 70’s – and that is good highs and good lows! There’s stuff to work with here. Very enjoyable! -
Audience 9.3 - Another excellent, clear, bright 75 show with all the dynamics you could want, good punchy drums and bass, clear vocals, crunchy guitars. Lovely! -
Audience 7.4 to 7.7 - A tape that varies in consistency but man oh man, this is incredible! I don’t care about the limitations of the tape, I can hear everything, at times it gets quite good and clear, there is some phasing at times, sometimes the taper is walking around too but it doesn’t even matter. This is amazing! -
Soundboard 9.2 -
Soundboard 9.0 and Audience 8.6 - This is a very interesting document of a period of time in the band’s history where they lost a key member of the band in guitarist Randy Bachman. That did not stop them, as these shows attest. Quality varies but is consistently good across all shows with the first part being Soundboard and the rest very clear and reasonably dynamic Audiences. -
Soundboard 9.6 -
Audience 8.8 - Tapers used good gear, because even though they sound middle of the venue somewhere, it is a strong capture giving nice depth and clarity. So, loads of headroom and atmosphere, a bit far back, but strong, clear, with depth all in all very nice. For those who do not know, this band is an offshoot of Roxy Music featuring Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno (Simon Phillips on drums). -
Pro 9.7 - Superb in every single way possible. Whoa! Get this! -
Pro Broadcast 9.3 - A very good Radio Broadcast. -
Soundboard 9.5 - Wow this one is fantastic! Could be released officially. -
Soundboard 8.8 - Aw yeah! Crank it up! -
Soundboard 9.2 -
Audience 7.3 - A little overcrowding and a little compressed but not the worst I’ve ever heard. -
Soundboard 9.0 -
Live in Studio Pro 9.4 -
Audience 9.3 - Very well placed mic allows the perfect balance of instruments in a setting that seems to breath, there’s space for the music and the audience to provide ideal atmosphere and balance. -
Soundboard 9.5 - An absolutely marvelous, bright, snappy recording here! Get it! -
Audience 8.4 - Some tape hiss present, and recorded from maybe midway back in the hall but if you turn up the volume a bit, this actually is very decent quality. Having relatively low recording levels means, essentially, they were conscience of overloading and distortion so they protected against that. You can turn the volume up as loud as you can stand, and it sounds better and better! -
Audience 7.9 - Not the best sound mix here, and it kind of blasts through your speakers, but it’s rollicking good fun mate! -
Audience 8.7 - A little noisy but man what a great gig! Everything is clear and well mixed. -
Soundboard 9.5 - Good, airy, and dynamic tape! I also like the way this is mixed, and the playing is top shelf by anyone’s standards. The only small thing I can complain about is a little too much sizzle on the cymbals. -
Audience 8.9 - This recording gives off a sense of massive power with Geddy’s bass sound being huge and round and dead on – with a great open expanse overhead allowing the music to breathe a little. This atmosphere allows the music to sometimes move around in the stereo field a little which is nice. I like this kind of recording when it comes to the larger venues. -
Audience 8.8 - Easily one of the best pre-Fly By Night live recordings! -
Audience 9.1 - Incomplete show but man, get this one now! Superb capture with a good tight bass, some airiness in the drums but maintaining lovely timbre both high and low, guitar good but maybe just behind bass and drums…overall yeah this smokes! -
Audience 7.5 - What saves this is a rich bottom end that is surprisingly warm without overt boominess. Guitar is present but sometimes hides behind the noise. Sound tends to come in and go slightly out in a wave like fashion but it’s subtle. Sometimes this gets clear and decent and then sometimes it seems to be brittle and cluttered in the lower end of the midrange. The rating is pretty accurate. It’s not atrocious – it’s for collectors though. -
Audience 8.8 - Everything is where it should be in this sound mix except I find Geddy’s vocals just a hair behind but it does not bother me at all. In fact this mix allows me to appreciate more of the bass and guitar playing. Really good stuff here! -
Audience 8.8 - Warm sound, leveled off somewhere in the upper mid and stays there…with quality. -
Audience 9.3 - Some might not agree with my super high rating here, but a rating in my opinion should combine not only fidelity (which is great here) but also performance and atmosphere. This is a must have to my ears.