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Audience 9.5 - You can relax into this show, it's occupying a very pleasant space when the soundwaves wash over you and you begin to have a sense of the size of the venue, the space around you, and the distance from the stage. That's what I like about smaller venue recordings, and modern taping gear is getting so much better with the mic technology and level adjust that it's really hard to screw it up. Susanna Hoffs McCabe's Guitar Shop Santa Monica, Ca April 28, 2012 10:00 PM show 01. intro 02. Raining 03. November Sun 04. Always Enough 05. Different Drum 06. Picture Me 07. All I've Got to Do 08. One Day 09. Eternal Flame 10. All I Want 11. Manic Monday medley 12. In Your Room 13. Hero Takes a Fall 14. Holding My Breath 15. Teacher Teacher 16. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere+ 17. To Sir, with Love 18. King Midas in Reverse* 19. Cinnamon Girl+ Susanna Hoffs - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, tambourine Andrew Brassell - electric and acoustic guitar, vocals Derrick Anderson - bass guitar, vocals Jim Laspesa - drums, vocals Dennis Taylor - electric guitar John Calacci - percussion Val McCallum - electric and acoustic guitar, vocals +Matthew Sweet - vocals, tambourine *John Wicks - vocals -
Soundboard 9.6 - Superb recording that delights the senses in every way with precision attack. The distortion this band uses does not in any way mask imperfection as so many other bands use it for, in fact the band is unbelievably tight, and the mix highlights each of them in a very harmonious way but especially tantalizing is the bass sound and placement in the mix. You'd expect, and even almost prefer that the vocals be the star of the show but they are not particularly highlighted as good as they are. The guitar solos are breathtaking, and each player is panned to one side in a non-synthetic stereo sound-field giving the listener a sense of space, like natural surround sound. Great great recording! Stryper B.B. Kings Blues Club New York, NY. Sept. 24, 2005 Disc 1 1. Intro 2. For You 3. Open Your Eyes 4. Make You Mine (cut) 5. Loud N Clear 6. Loving You 7. The Rock That Makes Me Roll 8. Reach Out 9. Calling On You 10. Free 11. Lady 12. Honestly 13. Passion Disc 2 14. All For One 15. Band Intros - Drum Solo 16. Live Again 17. Reborn 18. The Way 19. To Hell With The Devil 20. More Than A Man 21. Soldiers Under Command 22. Closing Prayer -
Audience 9.7 - It takes the soundman a little while to dial it in, I mean, there's a lot going on so give him a break! Once he gets his mix right, it's off to the raises and one heck of a winning ticket. This is one of the best, Alan White has never been as fluid, even with the extended and complex jamming he's on every beat like a beastmaster. Steve Howe is in excellent form, in fact they all are...amazing! Yes Long Beach Arena Long Beach, CA June 23, 1975 Disc 1 01 Firebird Suite 02 Sound Chaser 03 Close To The Edge 04 To Be Over 05 The Gates Of Delirium 06 Your Move Disc 2 07 Mood For A Day 08 Long Distance Runaround 09 Patrick Moraz Solo 10 The Clap 11 And You And I 12 Ritual 13 Roundabout 14 Sweet Dreams Jon Anderson - Vocals Chris Squire - Bass Steve Howe - Guitar Alan White - Drums Patrick Moraz - Keyboards -
Audience 9.4 - Having listened very critically to this performance, I offer the following conclusion: BRILLIANCE. Simply put, this is a mature John McLaughlin leading an ensemble through a series of confident, muscular, thought-provoking pieces of jazz-rock music that goes into many more places than the old band ever did. Does that mean it's all fire and speed? No, it's really not, although there are places where it is appropriate and the band goes there...with the utmost confidence. Bravo to John McLaughlin for knowing the strengths of his band and really allowing all of them to shine. Very mature and a positive outcome was the result. Great recording too! Mahavishnu Bottom Line New York City, NY August 14, 1985 Early Show Disc 1 01 Tuning 02 Radio - Activity 03 Clarendon Hills 04 Nostalgia 05 East Side West Side 06 Jonas Hellborg Solo - Little Wing Disc 2 07 Living In The Crest Of A Wave 08 Flight Of The Falcon 09 Nem Um Talvez 10 Just Ideas - Jozy 11 Pacific Express - Gottlieb Solo 12 Unknown title - Are You The One? Are You The One? -
Audience 9.3 - The secret to making a lifelike stealth recording is knowing what kind of microphone to use and how to operate peak level control meters. If you master those two aspects, the rest comes down to location inside the venue and physical handling of the gear. In this case, every element is handled appropriately with excellent results. There's a reason why they call the taper (Mike Millard RIP) Mike The Mic. Moody Blues Pacific Amphitheatre Costa Mesa, CA August 30, 1990 Disc 1 01 Lovely To See You 02 Gemini Dream 03 The Voice 04 Rock 'N' Roll Over You 05 Tuesday Afternoon 06 I Know You're Out There Somewhere 07 The Story In Your Eyes 08 Your Wildest Dreams 09 Isn't Life Strange Disc 2 10 The Other Side Of Life 11 I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) 12 Nights In White Satin 13 Legend Of A Mind 14 Question 15 Ride My See-Saw -
SDBRD 9.2/Audience 8.8 - Two sources comprise this offering, with the first (and thankfully the bulk of the recording) being very good quality, I would say excellent more precisely. Being a soundboard it does come off a little on the dry side, and by contrast the audience taped portion (the last 1/3 of the show) is very good, and lively, which wakes up certain instruments giving them more accuracy as far as what they actually sounded like coming through the at the show. The guitar in particular has a different attack and dynamic from the audience tape, in a good way. This is almost the perfect example of what kind of differences there are, both positive and negative, between a board and an audience tape source.
Frank Zappa Hemmerleinhalle Neunkirchen am Brand, West Germany 25-Feb 1978, Disc 1 01 The Purple Lagoon 02 Dancin' Fool 03 Peaches En Regalia 04 The Torture Never Stops 05 Tryin' To Grow A Chin 06 City Of Tiny Lights 07 Baby Snakes 08 Pound For A Brown 09 Is That Guy Kidding Or What 10 I Have Been In You Disc 2 11 Flakes 12 Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 13 King Kong (incl White Person, YCDTOSA 6) 14 Wild Love 15 Yo Mama 16 San Berdino 17 Watermelon In Easter Hay 18 Dinah Moe Humm 19 Black Napkins -
Audience 9.0/9.2 - Two very good captures that convey a lot of information, most notably the popularity of the band at such an early stage of their careers, and that the Japanese used very high quality taping gear and knew instinctively how to stealth record a rock show. This is good for historical purposes in that these recordings always eventually take on much more significance with the passage of time. This is my argument for why artists should relax their stances against "bootlegging" because while your moment may be on the surface a commercial venture, in the long run it is a milestone not just for the artist in their career but in the overall culture and therefore should be, if possible, preserved. End of rant.
Judas Priest Japan Tour 1978 Disc 1 Nagoyashi-Kokaido Nagoya, Japan August 3, 1978 1. Intro 2. The Great Gates Of Kiev 3. Exciter 4. White Heat, Red Hot 5. The Ripper 6. Sinner 7. Beyond The Realms Of Death 8. Better By You, Better Than Me 9. Victim Of Changes 10. Diamonds And Rust 11. Genocide 12. Starbreaker 13. Tyrant Disc 2 Festival Hall Osaka, Japan August 5, 1978 1. The Great Gates Of Kiev 2. Exciter 3. White Heat, Red Hot 4. The Ripper 5. Sinner 6. Beyond The Realms Of Death 7. Better By You, Better Than Me 8. Victim Of Changes 9. Diamonds And Rust 10. Genocide 11. Starbreaker 12. Tyrant -
Audience 9.0 - A big sound here, and I mean it can be asbig as you want because there's just enough headroom here to add volume without fear of too much of any one thing to take away from other frequencies. It's an even sounding mix, with maybe just a little more emphasis on the massive bass/guitar attack. But even then, you still get all the vocals and drums you need...its a well rounded recording giving you sense of venue as one more benefit that comes with audience recordings.
BLACK SABBATH Mayflower Theatre Southampton, UK 6th September 1992 Disc 1 1. E5150 2. The Mob Rules 3. Computer God 4. Children of the Sea 5. Time Machine 6. War Pigs 7. I 8. Die Young 9. Guitar Solo 10. Black Sabbath Disc 2 1. Master of Insanity 2. After All (The Dead) 3. Drum Solo 4. Iron Man 5. Heaven and Hell 6. Neon Knights Ronnie James Dio - Vocal Tony Iommi - Guitar Geezer Butler - Bass Vinny Appice - Drums Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards -
Audience 9.2 - Here is another great Millard tape that gives you a clear picture of an event, capturing it not just with good gear in good location but allowing the atmosphere of the occasion to shine through as well. The show here is not complete, there was a problem halfway through Mysteries And Mayhem (too bad it started here as this song jams), and apparently three songs were not taped from that point. It resumes at Dust In The Wind and is complete the rest of the way. Kansas The Forum Inglewood, CA August 16, 1978 01 Introduction 02 Down The Road 03 Point Of Know Return 04 Paradox 05 Journey From Mariabronn 06 Mysteries and Mayhem 07 Dust In The Wind 08 Band Introductions 09 Miracles Out Of Nowhere 10 Portrait (He Knew) 11 Carry On My Wayward Son 12 Sparks Of The Tempest 13 Bringing It Back 14 Magnum Opus -
Soundboard 9.7 - Possibly the best live Boston in existence. It just does not get much better Than this. Boston The Spectrum Philadelphia, PA. December 18, 1976 1. Introduction 2. Rock And Roll Band 3. Shattered Images (Help Me) 4. More Than A Feeling 5. Peace Of Mind 6. Something About You 7. Smokin' 8. Guitar Solo 9. Foreplay 10. Long Time 11. Television Politician 12. Don't Be Afraid -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Live In Holland 1984. -
Brand New unsealed. The 30th Anniversary Edition of the album remix/remaster on SACD. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Glasgow & Dortmund 1982. -
Sealed original. 1990 Sanctuary UK -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Eindhoven, Netherlands April 1992. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Live In Denmark 1981. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Live In Gelsenkirchen, Germany June 7, 1986. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. Live In San Antonio, TX. 1982 -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Audience 9.2 - Here we have a real treat for those who now realize what we had in our youths with the "Seattle Sound" as epitomized by Soundgarden, a sound that fit the times very appropriately. Now for the kicker: This show not only sounds great but has plenty of fun moments with Chris Cornell and the audience (I think he's a bit toasty on the potent German suds). What I liked most is the live sound here is mixed well for the guitars especially, only Chris gets a bit drowned out during the extreme volume heavier parts but overall it's hitting the sweet spot, at least for me.SOUNDGARDEN April 1, 1994 Musikhalle Frankfurt, Germany Disc 1 01. Night Surf (intro) 02. Jesus Christ Pose 03. Spoonman 04. Let Me Drown 05. Mailman 06. The Day I Tried To Live 07. My Wave 08. Room A Thousand Years Wide 09. Black Hole Sun 10. Searching With My Good Eye Closed - It's A Beautiful Day 11. Superunknown Disc 2 15 12. Rusty Cage 13. Half 14. Mind Riot 15. Fell On Black Days 16. Hands All Over 17. Kickstand 18. Like Suicide 19. Face Pollution 20. encore break 21. Somewhere 22. Head Down 23. Limo Wreck -
Audience 8.5 - -This is a somewhat distant recording, my guess is from somewhere in the middle of the venue. It lacks punch in the middle, definition, and volume in general. In my estimation this one won't get much play except by someone who is not getting enough 1996 tour ROIO's in the o'l collection. Pass if you are a casual fan, collector's who need more 1996 (of which, strangely enough, there's not a preponderence of), you can get this to round out the collection.
Rush San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, California November 23, 1996 DISC 1 01 - Intro - Dreamline 6:35 02 - The Big Money 6:11 03 - Driven 5:48 04 - Half The World 3:55 05 - Red Barchetta 6:35 06 - Animate 6:22 07 - Limbo 5:51 08 - The Trees 5:08 DISC 2 01 - Red Sector A 5:09 02 - Virtuality 5:51 03 - Nobody's Hero 5:15 04 - Closer To The Heart 4:45 05 - 2112 20:27 DISC 3 01 - Test For Echo 6:55 02 - Subdivisions 5:23 03 - Freewill 5:32 04 - Roll The Bones 5:54 05 - Resist 4:45 06 - Leave That Thing Alone - The Rhythm Method 11:47 07 - Natural Science 7:57 08 - Force Ten 4:37 09 - The Spirit of Radio 4:47 10 - Tom Sawyer 6:19 11 - YYZ 4:25 12 - Cygnus X-1 0:49 -
Audience 8.7 - While this tape may not enjoy the same clarity as some of the Japan 82 recordings, it does have a good powerful delivery nonetheless. Vocals come through the clearest, but the combination of bass, and guitars follows with the force of a piledriver to your skull...and I rather like it. The bonus here is the inclusion of the set by the band The Rods, and having never heard of any live tapes of them before, it was a most welcome addition to this great vintage Iron Maiden set.Iron Maiden Colston Hall Bristol, England 1982-03-11 Disc 1 {79:49} 01 - Intro [Doctor Doctor] ........ 3:39 02 - The Ides of March ............ 0:51 03 - Murders in the Rue Morgue .... 3:28 04 - Wrathchild ................... 3:32 05 - Run to the Hills ............. 4:25 06 - Children of the Damned ....... 4:46 07 - The Number of the Beast ...... 5:31 08 - Another Life ................. 3:43 09 - Killers ...................... 5:39 10 - 22 Acacia Avenue ............. 6:31 11 - Total Eclipse ................ 4:12 12 - Drum Solo .................... 3:20 13 - Transylvania ................. 6:12 14 - The Prisoner ................. 5:48 15 - Hallowed Be Thy Name ......... 7:14 16 - Phantom of the Opera ......... 6:51 17 - Iron Maiden .................. 3:58 Disc 2 {63:50} 01 - Sanctuary .................... 6:52 02 - Drifter ...................... 7:46 03 - Running Free ................. 5:03 04 - Prowler ...................... 4:32 Bonus Rods 05 - Rocking And Rolling .......... 3:26 06 - Waiting For Tomorrow ......... 4:02 07 - Get Ready To Rock 'n' Roll ... 5:34 08 - Nothing Going On In The City . 3:32 09 - Too Hot To Stop .............. 4:07 10 - Crank It Up .................. 5:54 11 - Getting Higher ............... 3:42 12 - Drum Solo .................... 3:50 13 - Power Lover .................. 5:23 -
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.
Slayer The Dawn Of Slayer Disc 1 Katwijk aan Zee, Netherlands May 31, 1985 1. Hell Awaits 2. Aggressive Perfector 3. Captor of Sin 4. The Final Command 5. Haunting the Chapel 6. Praise of Death 7. Fight Till Death 8. Necrophiliac 9. Black Magic 10. Die by the Sword 11. Crypts of Eternity 12. Hardening of the Arteries 13. The Antichrist 14. At Dawn They Sleep 15. Drum solo 16. Show No Mercy 17. Evil Has No Boundaries 18. Chemical Warfare Disc 2 Luttenberg, Netherlands June 2, 1985 1. Hell Awaits 2. Aggressive Perfector 3. Captor Of Sin 4. Fight 'Til Death 5. Kill Again 6. Haunting The Chapel 7. Necrophiliac 8. Black Magic 9. Die By The Sword Disc 3 10. Praise Of Death 11. The Final Command 12. Crypts Of Eternity 13. Hardening Of The Arteries 14. At Dawn They Sleep 15. Drum Solo 16. Show No Mercy 17. Evil Has No Boundaries 18. Chemical Warfare 19. Encore Break 20. The Antichrist -
Audience/Soundboard 8.6-9.0 - The majority of the set is very good, audience quality tapes that have a decent enough sound where you can take it easy and not strain yourself trying to hear George rip his leads. I would say the lone exception though might be the Amsterdam tape which is less clear, but even here it's not a trainwreck at all. The board tape from France is good to have, obviously Dokken is clearly the top of the heap when it comes to the 80's "hair" metal bands although I hate to classify them there because they were class musicians first.
Dokken The Important Years 1983-1988 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA December 28, 1983 Breaking The Chains Tour Disc 1 01. Paris Is Burning 02. Going Down Under 03. Young Girls 04. In The Middle 05. Hit And Run 06. Nightrider 07. George Lynch Guitar Solo 08. Live To Rock, Rock To Live 09. Breaking The Chains Jaap Edenhal Amsterdam, Netherlands March 09, 1986 10. Unchain The Night 11. The Hunter 12. When Heaven Comes Down 13. It's Not Love 14. Into the Fire 15. Lightnin' Strikes Again Disc 2 Chapiteau Reims,France April 25, 1986 01. Unchain The Night 02. Tooth And Nail 03. Into the Fire 04. In My Dreams 05. It's Not Love 06. Alone Again 07. When Heaven Comes Down 08. Lightnin' Strikes Again 09. Just Got Lucky Disc 3 Civic Arena Pittsburgh, PA. June 15, 1988 01. Tooth And Nail 02. Just Got Lucky 03. Burning Like A Flame 04. Into The Fire 05. Heaven Sent 06. It's Not Love 07. George Lynch Solo 08. Mr. Scary 09. Standing In The Shadows 10. Alone Again