FM Broadcast 9.8 - Frighteningly great, as in near prefect sound mix, beautiful tonal qualities, excellent performance, and plenty of raw power and sheer brilliance on display. Quite frankly, Yngwie era Alcatrazz blows away the Vai period by miles, and I am not an Yngwie geek either. It’s just he’s that good here.

Alcatrazz Country Club Reseda CA March 29TH 1984 1 -Jim Ladd Intro 2 -Too Young To Die 3 -General Hospital 4 -Kree Nakoorie 5 -Island In The Sun 6 -Evil Eye 7 -Jim Ladd 8 -Since You've Been Gone 9 -Hiroshima Mon Amour 10 -Jim Ladd 11 -Suffer Me 12 -Desert Song 13 -Jet To Jet 14 -Jim Ladd THE BAND Graham Bonnet lead vocals Yngwie Malmsteen guitar Jimmy Waldo keyboards backing vocals Gary Shea bass backing vocals Jan Uvena drums backing vocals

Audience 8.8 - This is a “power” show, meaning the sound coming at you when you play this (hopefully on a decent system) is very forceful, like you really get a sense of the massive volume and power of a band in their prime. That being said, it is a different power than, say, a heavy metal band in that the sound itself is balanced to the degree you get good instrument separation. The other thing I like about this tape is the stereo pan, it’s nice when you are able to get a sense of the event in a more tangible way and this tape does deliver that effect. So, while not as clear as maybe the Radio City Music Hall show (for another example of a ’73 Aud), this recording delivers the goods and should be acquired.

Pink Floyd Maple Leaf Garden Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 11, 1973 Disc 1 01 -Echoes 02 -Obscured By Clouds 03 -When You're In 04 -Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun 05 -Cafeul With That Axe, Eugene Disc 2 01 -Speak To Me 02 -Breathe 03 -On The Run 04 -Time - Breathe (Reprise) 05 -The Great Gig In The Sky 06 -Money 07 -Us And Them 08 -Any Colour You Like 09 -Brain Damage 10 -Eclipse 11 -One Of These Days

Audience 8.8 - A snapshot from the road during a period that for some reason is largely undocumented. The tape is consistent and good, most listeners will settle into it nicely, but those who prefer the pristine boards or Mike “The Mic” Millard quality tapes may be critical of this one. Personally I found this tape to deliver on the essentials, being that it is clear (a little bit overcrowded in the center channel a bit and maybe not the best instrument separation) and reasonably dynamic enough to hold your attention through the duration.

Doobie Brothers Louisville Convention Center Louisville, KY December 6, 1973 01 Introduction 02 Listen To The Music 03 Daughters Of The Sea 04 Slippery St. Paul 05 Clear As The Driven Snow 06 Pursuit On 53rd St. 07 Road Angel 08 Long Train Runnin' 09 Down In The Track 10 Discipline 11 Jesus Is Just Alright With Me 12 Without You 13 China Grove Intro Jam 14 China Grove

Audience 8,7 - A distant recording with that unmistakable large stadium natural reverb that makes you sort of imagine where you are as you listen and squint your eyes to see what Lou Reed is doing on stage.  The good news is that everything pretty much is audible, and reasonably clear too. The recording does lack some low end, but is not overly tinny, and drums/vocals are favored in the mix with guitars sort of chiming in just behind. If this wasn’t a clean/clear recording I would say there’s not much use for it but it has redeeming qualities and some charming renditions of some of his most beloved tunes.

LOU REED Stadio Partenio Avellino, Italy 16 June 1980 Disc 1 1. -Sweet Jane 2. -Real Good Time Together 3. -I'm Waiting For My Man 4. -Coney Island Baby 5. -So Alone 6. -Vicious 7. -Walk On The Wild Side 8. -Standing On The Ceremony 9. -Heroin 10. -Growing Up In Public 11. -The Kids 12. -Caroline Says II 13. -The Bed 14. -Sad Song Disc 2 15. -The Power Of Positive Drinking 16. -How Do You Speak To An Angel 17. -My Old Man 18. -Keep Away 19. -Street Hassle (with band intros) 20. -Rock and Roll 21. -Sister Ray The band: Lou Reed - vocals & guitar Stuart Heinrich - guitar Chuck Hammer - guitar Ellard "Moose" Boles - bass Michael Fonfara - keyboards Michael Suchorsky - drums

Audience 9.1 - A fascinating document! Well, for one thing, it has that visceral, thump to your chest power and immediacy while you are immersed in the pit with your bros…but the crowd only makes this better. Such amazing atmosphere! The other thing is that this is NOT your mid 70’s blues guitar pub rock – it is much more along the punk/grunge aesthetic in how Rory is playing and his tone. Sure, he plays a lot of blues, but it does not come across the same as it did in ’74…it comes across as music that can breathe new life into what could be considered a dated musical form.

Rory Gallagher Inselwiese Dinkelsbühl, Germany 05. Juli 1986 Disc 1 01. -Ansage - Moonchild        8:03 02. -Shinkicker            6:39 03. -I wonder who        12:22 04. -Nadine            9:34 05. -Bad Penny            9:08 06. -Seven Days - I'm Ready    12:03 07. -Tattoo'd Lady        8:46 08. -A Million Miles Away    8:42 Disc 2 09. -Follow Me            7:01 10. -Out On The Western Plain    6:39 11. -Walkin Blues        7:06 12. -Rollin & Tumblin        5:43 13. -Big Guns            7:48 14. -I'm A Man            2:58 15. -Messin With The Kid      8:39 16. -Bullfrog Blues        6:37 17. -Seven Days - I'm Ready    10:22 18. -Follow Me            5:32

Audience 9.3 - A really clean, punchy recording that has realistic presence, and is river deep and mountain high – I especially found the drums, kick drum, toms, this was a pleasant surprise for an audience tape to deliver almost studio quality dynamics and placement in the stage mix was on point. Amazing to think that this tape remained out of circulation to only just recently, while we did have other shows from this week at the Hollywood Palace in 1984.

Frank Zappa The Palace Los Angeles, CA July 17, 1984 Disc 1 01 Tuning and Dialogue 02 Zoot Allures 03 Band Introductions 04 Tinsel Town Rebellion 05 Oh No (includes Son Of Orange County) 06 More Trouble Every Day 07 Penguin In Bondage 08 Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel 09 Dumb All Over 10 Evil Prince Disc 2 11 Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 12 Advance Romance 13 He's So Gay 14 Bobby Brown 15 Keep It Greasey 16 Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? 17 Carol, You Fool 18 Chana In De Bushwop 19 Let's Move To Cleveland 20 Why Don't You Like Me?

Studio 9.5 - A really detailed, complete set which contains just about everything you ever wanted to hear regarding the pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Is it necessary?  I mean, there’s a lot of repetition here, but I have to say it is kind of necessary when you call something complete, you should provide that to the collector and this set does. Quality is great.

Kiss - Complete Wicked Lester Sessions 1971/1972 Disc 1 Electric Lady Studios 18th November 1971 01. Too Many Mondays    [0:03:40.20] 02. Love Her All I Can    [0:02:35.44] 03. Sweet Ophelia    [0:03:06.03] 04. Molly    [0:02:32.12] 05. Keep Me Waiting    [0:03:22.04] 06. She    [0:03:06.41] 07. What Happened In The Darkness    [0:03:10.26] 08. We Want To Shout It Out Loud    [0:02:46.01] 09. When The Bell Rings    [0:03:24.04] 10. Simple Type    [0:02:40.24] 11. She (Take 2)    [0:03:05.20] 12. Molly (Take 2)    [0:02:33.30] 13. We Want To Shout It Out Loud (Take 2)    [0:02:43.42] 14. Too Many Mondays (Take 2)    [0:03:41.08] Electric Lady Studios August 1972 Sessions 1 15. Keep Me Waiting    [0:03:28.12] 16. Love Her All I Can    [0:02:40.72] 17. Molly    [0:02:28.52] 18. She    [0:03:07.43] 19. Simple Type    [0:02:37.73] 20. Sweet Ophelia    [0:03:09.74] 21. Too Many Mondays    [0:04:04.34] 22. When The Bell Rings    [0:03:10.62] 23. Molly (Take 2)    [0:02:25.12] 24. Too Many Mondays (Take 2)    [0:03:59.13] Disc 2 Electric Lady Studios August 1972 Sessions 2 01. We Want To Shout It Out Loud    [0:02:43.14] 02. Keep Me Waiting    [0:03:10.30] 03. Love Her All I Can    [0:02:35.30] 04. Molly    [0:02:29.52] 05. She    [0:03:03.47] 06. Simple Type    [0:02:42.23] 07. Sweet Ophelia    [0:03:01.64] 08. Too Many Mondays    [0:03:38.14] 09. What Happens In The Darkness    [0:03:07.52] Final Album Reel 1972 10. When The Bell Rings    [0:03:17.70] 11. Keep Me Waiting    [0:03:23.47] 12. Molly    [0:02:33.26] 13. Sweet Ophelia    [0:03:06.24] 14. Simple Type    [0:02:43.25] 15. Too Many Mondays    [0:03:44.10] 16. Love Her All I Can    [0:02:35.54] 17. When The Bell Rings    [0:03:25.10] 18. She    [0:03:07.56] 19. What Happens In The Darkness    [0:03:10.60] 20. We Want To Shout It Out Loud    [0:02:49.33] 21. Long, Long Road    [0:04:18.67] Disc 3 Electric Lady Studios Spring 1972 Sessions 01. Keep Me Waiting    [0:03:25.42] 02. Long, Long Road    [0:04:20.25] 03. Love Her All I Can    [0:02:54.69] 04. She    [0:03:09.45] 05. Simple Type    [0:02:48.22] 06. Sweet Ophelia    [0:03:16.64] 07. We Want To Shout It Out Loud    [0:03:10.00] 08. What Happened In The Darkness    [0:03:14.67] 09. When The Bell Rings    [0:03:11.09] 10. Simple Type (Take 2)    [0:02:49.44]

Audience 8.5 - I guess if you want to know what this band was about in their heyday, and if you didn’t mind the fact that one of the few tapes in existence sounded like what your parents thought of your heavy metal noise…this is for you. It’s punkish, it’s brash, it’s snotty, it’s ramshackle, it’s amateur, it’s possibly a glorious mess…and they do Vegetable Man so they get high marks for recognizing what is great and what should be covered (that’s because they don’t have enough profound original music to offer at this stage). So, yeah, I suppose this is worth getting in case you A. want to discover this band and B. want to hear what they were like at the beginning.  OK, last thoughts – want to know what it sounds like when a freight train begins to crash? In slow motion? Very nearby?  Side Note: I liked their song "Taste The Floor" as it reminded me of early Kinks. Plus I could decipher what they were doing...yeah, it was alright.

Jesus And Mary Chain Pavilion Theatre Brighton, England 2 February 1985 01. intro 02. In A Hole 03. Vegetable Man 04. You Trip Me Up 05. Ambition 06. Taste The Floor 07. outro