Audience 8.4 - A recent discovery, and man what a good one. A very strong recording for the time, minimal errors although maybe a touch hot on the upper end of the bandwidth but not enough to harm. The sound is pretty direct and forceful, if even a touch of rawness that harkens back to his really early days with Taste. |
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Audience 8.0 - One of those “back to the clubs” gigs where you assume, because Zep were so loud, that any recording of them in a small club would sound like crap. This one is not crap, you can clearly enjoy each member as the separation of instruments is actually very good, in fact the bass notes are distinct here. The mix is good, the sound is decent, the performance is very good. I see no reason why not to have this. -
Discs 1 & 2 Soundboard 9.3 - Sounds to be professionally recorded possibly for a radio broadcast, but aside from very minor tape noise (I am nitpicking here), this tape is brilliant and has survived the passing of time in grand shape. Disc 3 Soundboard 9.6 - Superb, in almost every way! -
Audience 8.6 - The recording here leans toward the bright and trebly side but that lends an excellent opportunity to hear specifically what the guitar is doing, and the bass now has articulation so it’s not just a loud, dull rumble like most recordings tend to be with these blasting grunge bands. Chris sounds brilliant, and he’s maybe the clearest instrument on the stage too. Once you get used to the general timbre of the sound, it’s a fun, wild ride.
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Audience 9.4 - For the uninitiated, well all I can say is be careful because you are diving into the deep end of the pool with this one! Bristling with improvisational madness at times magnificent and other times lost in the woods but always right on the ragged edge. Very daring music, which if played today would be met with blank staring faces but here the audience is in total rapture.
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Sale!CD 1 - Audience 7.7 - A very rare tape that only recently surfaced. Hard to complain when presented with something as rare, so just be aware that the tape was recorded in the middle of the venue and features a boomy, echoey sound. CD 2 - A very good recording, clear and immersive, you can really get into this one. CD 3 Surprisingly clear, a welcome addition to the not so well documented 1977 period where the band starts to really fray around the edges (and in the middle!) but that is not evident here – this is the band in fine form.
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Soundboard and Audience 8.7 – 8.6 – 8.4 - The first two discs are soundboard but show signs of age and lack brightness although both are clear. Disc 1 sounds like it was broadcast over the air, and is slightly better than disc 2. Disc 3 is an audience recording that sometimes peaks in volume causing some high end distortion (mainly present in the cymbal crashes) but is not bad overall.
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Audience 8.5 - This recording has a lot working in its favor by mainly allowing the listener to hear each instrument clearly. The tape does have sonic limitations in that it sounds like the taper wisely dialed down the levels so as not to overload the signal, especially as JP was probably quite loud. This means that you will want to turn the volume up a little even though it may mean that you also bring up some background noise, which is present but not invasive. It’s a very good tape, I believe that this has been re-mastered too, so I consider it an upgrade to other versions that may be out there, although I was unfamiliar with this show until recently.
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Sale!Soundboard 9.6 (March 19th) - This is, of course, a must have. In my opinion, John Paul Jones emerges as the star of the show. Robert’s voice takes a little bit before it smooths out, he was having some problems around this time. Overall, this is as enjoyable as it gets.
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Sale!ALL Soundboard 9.7 - Dive right into this amazing collection of sonically superb live offerings and get a totally new appreciation for Eddie Money and his super-tight band.
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Sale!Audience 8.7 - This is from the Royal Albert Hall, so be prepared for a lot of atmospherics as the sound dances around almost right above your head. The music is very present though, so there’s no harm in having some ‘verb which is probably exactly how you would have received the sound at the venue anyway.
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Audience 8.5 - A recording that leans towards brassy but presents the concert in a way that you get a pretty clear representation of the evening, in a slightly better than average way. The band, at times, seems to be feeling the songs out rather than be fully committed to them but that gives the show an edginess that some might find more interesting. For instance, Stairway to Heaven, the band must have played this a thousand times yet here Jimmy can’t figure out the solo!
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Sale!Audience 8.8 - This recording was made with obviously good gear, the sound on occasion will lead you to believe it is a pro-job but it really isn’t. What may give it away is the slightly buried guitars, and I mean slightly. The vocals are soaring and direct at the same time – just lovely. Good band, good recording, the magical 1970’s.
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Audience 8.5 - Slightly low recording levels meaning go ahead and turn up the volume on this one, and thankfully there’s no distortion. Recording is clear, not overly dynamic (it is metal after all) but you’ll probably enjoy this immensely if you understand that it’s really about the lyrics and the stage banter. Always fun, and it’s two discs so you get a lot of songs!
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Soundboard 9.5 - The evening before this show in Kansas City, the band had just played a stadium with a stacked line-up, so they were probably pretty amped up for this show. They got to showcase some of the Marathon LP material in front of an appreciative, but much smaller crowd than the night before. A great one!
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CD 1 - Audience 8.8 - Direct into face, a driving and persistent intensity, very clean, very clear. CD 2 - Audience 8.3 - A more open spaced recording where you lose some of the dynamics, and vocals tend to get muffled and placed further back but guitar and drums are prominent and clear…bass is present but not as articulate or deep. A good tape and collectors will be happy to hear it since it is not widely circulated.
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Sale!Audience 9.5 - When you listen to this, just keep in mind it is taped by someone in the audience…you won’t believe it. Great balance, superb low end, sweet middle band tone, lush and warm with the perfect amount of high end (no sizzle or annoying squeal or cymbal wash). Just terrific, and the band sounds great!
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Sale!Audience 8.9 - A really good, solid, and clear tape, showcases the considerable talent of Zappa and the always excellent cast of characters he assembles each tour. This show features a lot of solid horn work, and Zappa plays very nicely with a good tone. There were a couple songs I was unfamiliar with and enjoyed quite a bit. I rather like the song Rollo! Fun stuff.
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Sale!Early and Late Shows - Soundboard 9.1 and Soundboard 8.6 - The late show board tape is slightly problematic in that vocals and to some extent the drums are really prominent in the mix but the rest is pushed back. Acoustic songs come through nicely, they bring up piano and acoustic guitar so you get everything more even. At times it gets a little better, it’s not bad it’s just not as good a mix as the early show.