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Audience 7.7 - Lo-fi but surprisingly clear with a good biting guitar tone, and solid bass. Drums kind of buried. -
Audience 7.2 - Sound not good but artwork is spectacular. For collectors only. -
Audience 8.4 - Very good job here by an astute taper who knew to capture the opening band as well – also featured here! -
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. -
Audience 8.4 - A rather decent tape that delivers a clear representation of the music happening on stage. I found that maybe the levels were a tad hot, but I prefer that over low levels that you end up having to crank up causing terrible hiss. This one is not suffering at all from that problem! -
Radio Broadcast 8.3 - A few generations down, some hiss, but you will love it anyway. -
Soundboard 9.3 - Of course it’s great but I am not too thrilled with the sound of the drums. -
Soundboard 8.7 - Raw, unfiltered and killer. Sure, it ain’t perfect, it is a little squishy and compressed but it’s all there, and there’s plenty of headroom if you want to add Equalizer or even some reverb would help. -
Ranges 7.7 to 8.7 - Not a lot out there on this band. After listening you will gain an appreciation for them and maybe compare them to ELP and you could be forgiven for that. Sound quality is not spectacular but neither is it dog shit. I think this music should be remastered because it is excellent heavy prog! -
Soundboard 8.7 -
Audience 8.7 - Clear and bright recording. Point of Special Interest: The official double release of "Strangers in the Night" is composed of 3 different shows and not all of the Chicago, Amphitheater show, like many might think, so you will find some of the same titles on this one that are different recordings. This is the rare 1978 Chicago show in its entirety with nothing left out, hence the title "The Real Strangers in the Night". -
Audience/Pro? 8.7 - It sounds like this is recorded from the audience, but to my ears it sounds like it may be a television audience or in some kind of studio. It sounds like microphones were placed strategically, and there’s no ancillary noises that you would expect from a stealth audience recording. -
FM Radio Broadcast 9.7 -
FM Radio Broadcast 9.3 -
Audience 8.4 -
Audience 8.8 -
Audience 7.7 - Noisy but good, exciting atmosphere. The music seems to move through the audience, the audience responds, it’s kind of cool to hear. -
Soundboard 8.9 (4-3-79) -
Soundboard 8.8 (4-13-79) -
Soundboards 8.7 - A bit on the thin side with some minor tape noise. Altogether it’s not bad because the sound is clear enough to get every player on stage, and if you have your own Equalizer, you can bring in a little more low end very easily. -
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. -
9.5 - Professionally recorded with a mobile truck, open mic direct to reel to reel. Difficult to accurately describe this, you could call it so many things. Uli Trepte was the bassist in Krautrockers Guru Guru, this is what he did after that. I should say “after his brain cells all waved bye bye” because this Spacebox stuff is about as “out there” as “music” can possibly get. -
Audience 8.8 - Very cool, great atmosphere! -
Audience 8.1 - One of the better early recordings. Get it! -
CD 1 - Audience 7.4 - Strong and loud without the dreaded over driven distorted mess or squashed lo fi sound. Jamming! CD 2 - Audience 7.0 - Tape is a bit over-saturated but even so, you do get everything on the stage in full force (meaning sledgehammer to your skull). -
Audience 9.0 - This may have been a radio broadcast but I don’t know. It is Excellent! -
Audience 8.2 - Above average Audience recording with one very critical feature – contains perhaps the most sinister, gnarliest Hammond organ sound ever committed to tape. Just ferocious, and the band is on fire. Brilliant! -
Audience 7.2 - For the time, this is actually pretty decent. I mean, this band was LOUD, and really there’s no way to properly record on some cheap cassette player. Still, a rare early show, applaud this taper please! -
Audience 7.0 - Might not be the highest fidelity, but you can hear all the instruments, each one, so no dynamics here, just enjoy the wild music these guys made back in the day. Historical artifact for collectors. -
Audience 8.8 - Aww yeah! This is the stuff. Great sound! -
Audience 7.6 - I rate this highly because I am amazed that the taper got something this decent because it is obvious the gear is amateur and the band is LOUD as all hell. That being said, this should give you a very good idea of what you could have expected seeing this band in the early 70’s. -
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 7.8 -
FM Radio Broadcast 8.5 -
Audience 7.9 - A very loud and almost distorted tape, not quite, but certainly pushed to the max which gives this show an immense feeling of unbridled power and fury. Absolutely intense! I really think you are going to dig this one, I certainly did. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Audience 9.0 - Fantastic! Stunning performance and incredibly realistic feel of the show captured on this tape. Right up close, freakin’ PA’s pumping but recording levels are set proper and you get slammed in the face with a red hot Van Halen. Love this! -
Audience 8.4 - Man, what an amazing show this is! and not for the reasons you might think. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this BECAUSE OF THE AUDIENCE! Yes, it's so unique to find a show that I get into the crowd as much as the band. In this case, the band, as good as they are (and they are extremely pumped up as the crowd pushes them further and further every song), the audience is the real star of the show. I've just never heard anything like this - the recording is excellent, capturing the atmosphere and the audience very well - notice I did not say "the music" here? Really, I kid you not, this show is about the crowd and the band is just along for the ride. Incredible document. Wish I was there! -
Audience 8.7 - Solid! Good presence, great clarity with just occasional moments where maybe someone walks in front of the mic. A nice “live” atmosphere makes for a very enjoyable show. -
Audience 7.8 - Not bad big stadium sound, a little muddiness but compared to other 78 audience tape (especially overseas shows) this is one of the best. -
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 -
Audience 8.5 - The better of the Japan shows. Clear, in your face, average separation of instruments but Eddie in great form and can hear every note. -
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 8.2 - This is a very in demand show from this tour. Why? Because it is perhaps the best audience recording from 1984, but it is not perfect, it just has more great qualities than bad. I think the only knock is the absence of bottom end, but that is what an Equalizer is for. Get this and have fun! -
Audience 8.4 (both shows) - I absolutely love this set. A must for fans. -
Audience 8.6 - Slight tape saturation. Eddie is front and center and is SMOKING hot. I love DLR in the first song forgetting the words and turning it into a lyric. Classic VH in every way.