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Sale!Audience 8.6 - This recording straddles the fence a little. On the one hand, it’s got very defined highs and good overall acoustics but also a pretty rowdy audience that whoops and hollers (this is Texas after all). I can’t really blame them though, this is actually THE best Presto gig I have ever heard as far as the performance. Not all Rush shows are homogenous by the way. Listen to Alex rip on La Villa Strangiato for example. They are firing on all eight (with the lone exception being a marginal effort on the beginning of Xanadu).
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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.
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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!Audience 8.9 - Just the right amount of sonic clarity and separation of instruments with “live atmosphere” to make for a realistic listening experience. Sounds much like what you could have expected having been there. This was also the last show of the tour. Excellent!
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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 8.7 - 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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Sale!Audience 9.0 - Ok, so here’s the deal with this one – skip past the first song because it’s toast, the levels were not set and the distortion is off the charts. After that the taper readjusts levels and off we go to a really nice, atmospheric and clear recording of a powerful show.
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Sale!Soundboard 9.8 - One of the best board tapes I have heard, I love where each instrument sits in this mix. It also helps that the gig is exceptional, therefore I must categorize this one as a must have.
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Sale!Audience 8.7 - This is a radio broadcast that sounds very good with some minor signs of age and occasionally a dodgy mix in spots that get corrected quickly, at least. The band play pretty much every song that you remember most by them, the set list is thrilling.
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Audience 8.1 - This is actually an admirable capture, getting the entire performance with relatively few (if any) cuts. The tape is not that bad, it is just pretty old and struggles to contain the entire frequency spectrum so you get a tiny bit of “static” where the band is really loud and jamming. It’s pretty clear though, and thankfully the guitars shine through well, with a good rounded bass holding down the lows.
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Audience 8.6 - A little bit thin as far as this recording goes in that it could use a little more bottom end but that is not a deal breaker because it is not a “shrill” thin, just could use more lows. That being said, there’s a lot to chew on with this show. Great performance, good quality, so just be aware the singer requires some getting used to! Have fun.
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Audience 7.8 - Both shows roughly the same with enough differences to say one has qualities the other doesn’t have and vice versa. So whereas in one show you might get more definition on guitar, the other will have more vocal presence and a slightly better rhythm section. Take your pick, two vintage Atomic Rooster gigs hardly a losing proposition.
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Audience 9.0 - Both Shows are 9.0 ... Simply gorgeous, lush, well balanced recordings made by people who obviously knew what they were doing. The only knock is maybe a little squishing in the middle during peak volume moments. I wish I could get my hands on any other tapes these guys made! Get this you won’t regret it.