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Radio Broadcast 9.7 -
Pro Soundboard 9.6 -
Audience 9.1 - Now, we all know how Zappa felt about bootlegs, so it begs the question – how come there are so many fantastic audience recordings from every tour? Well, here’s yet another one, a very well balanced and clear (and bold!) tape. Love it! -
Soundboard 9.3 - The venue is unknown as is the exact date, but here’s what we do know – the show smokes! It captures the imagination, and is what I love about collecting. Do you remember what you were doing in May of 1973? I am sure the band played this gig and quickly forgot about it as they traveled to the next town, but it never ceases to amaze me how here they are in some college town probably, completely engaged and engulfed on this tour, yet manage to produce exemplary performances over and over again like it’s no big deal. Then, move on to whatever is next…it’s almost a little melancholy. -
Audience 8.8 - This is the exact kind of audience tape I love the most. It’s taped from pretty close to the stage, is not overloaded, but it is overloaded with manic energy and intensity. Steve Vai brought out the best in Frank, you can hear it on full display here. A wonderful show (open air), a great tape, a must have. Also there are fewer 1982 shows recorded than you might think. -
Audience 8.1 - Do not be dismayed by this sound rating, in fact this has been re-mastered and is vastly superior to all other versions out there. The lineage of this recording was the cause of some confusion for decades – it was believed to have been from Rotterdam but is in fact Amsterdam. Why this show has been overlooked by collectors is beyond me, it’s a marathon concert and should be in the collection. Maybe it was the marginal sound quality of previous versions? Oh well, now we have this. -
Audience 8.9 - A sort of mid-rangey tape without any kind of high end to speak of but because it is clean and warm, it is perfect to season to taste. It’s a recording that begs for personalization, because it is actually quite good, and could benefit from just minor EQ here and there. I like this one! -
Soundboard 9.4 - (with portions filled in with Audience 8.7) Most is Soundboard of excellent quality, including the mix, and with some great crowd response. Band is in high spirits, a great show! -
Audience 9.0 - Sourced from a 1st generation master - this show is quite friggin’ excellent. -
Soundboard 9.2 - Super clean if just a tiny little bit of over-driving happening in the extreme lows, which will probably be cool if you are playing through a very high end system that can filter that out a little. It’s not a real “spacious” board but 90% of the time board feeds are not going to be very atmospheric. -
Audience 8.8 - This is a smooth and clear recording without much on the bottom end but such a decent middle that it almost doesn’t matter…besides you can add bass if you feel it is needed. What makes this such an interesting document to me (and obviously once upon a time it made an impression on someone else enough to make an LP of it) is that contrary to just being another US tour stop in the middle of the country, it is an energetic show with the band being in good spirits and an impressive set list to boot. -
Audience 9.1 - Every now and then you get a tape you knew nothing about and it just blows you away. This is one such. Epic performance for starters, but it’s also got a great, lively energy and a totally in-the-pocket sound. The whole band is inspired, the songs just sound incredibly fresh, every solo is a thrill, and the crowd seems to be aware that they are witnessing an inspired concert performance. -
Soundboard 9.4 - (Early and Late Show) - Both sets are predominately 9.4 Soundboards with occasional audience sources patched in for completeness. Both shows are highly enjoyable too. Good guitar tone, and good mix! -
Audience 8.5 - Sounds typical of medium halls where there’s some atmosphere but not terrible echo, a nice balance. Sonically, this is a little above average maybe, you get everything in balance, no ultra high highs or deep throbbing lows either. -
Early Show - Audience 8.4 - Not a tape that delivers a lot of dynamic range but is clear and everything on stage is heard. Also, some slight tape hiss present. A good recording maybe slightly above average. Late Show - Audience 8.8 - A lot more dynamic and brighter than the early set, this is a well recorded show. -
CD 1 - Studio 8.8 - Some tape hiss present and the music can get a little bunched up when at full blast but this is a good and lively recording nonetheless. CD 2 - Studio 8.6 - Some tape hiss and mildly compressed but overall should make for a fun listen as the material is certainly more fleshed out here as opposed to disc one where songs are being dissected and worked on. * Bonus: The live bonus tracks sound great! -
Audience 8.4 - A weird sound mix on this show, the kick drum is up front, and then vocals, with an indistinct full band behind it all. A recording that lacks a lot of mid range kick, so an EQ boost in that range would help a lot. That all being said, it seems taper did eventually move to a better spot because it gets clearer as it goes, and Frank’s guitar does shine at many intervals as well. Note: Also features a pre show interview with Frank on WGRQ 97 Rock. -
Audience 8.8 - A tape that showcases a great guitar tone that soars above the audience with a nice biting attack. The rest of the music is slightly behind it and not as clear but whoa when the guitar is jamming this one RULES! Get it! -
CD 1 - Audience 8.7 - A good and vibrant sound with maybe a touch of tape noise, but not enough of it to ruin the experience at all. CD 2 - Audience 9.1 - A much crisper and clearer tape than the first set, Both are highly enjoyable, the second set is really well done! -
Audience 8.3 - A tape that desperately cried out for remastering finally got its wish, and man, what a difference! This show really deserved something to help it from what was a painful mid range boominess. It got that and more. A great show and a great set list is now a great addition to your collection thanks to some skilled handiwork in the art of re-mastering. -
Audience 8.7 - Clear, and a good mix with Frank at the front – performance here is stellar! -
Audience 8.2 (both shows) -
Audience 7.3 - Hissy, compressed leaning towards bottom end side and vocals are drowned out. Somewhere in the middle is where all the music is and you can actually discern pretty much all of it, mainly bass, keys, and some drums in there too (drums in the stew). -
Soundboard? I think it could be because there’s no audience noise here. It’s an OK board if it is, but quality is hovering around 8.6 so it is well worth getting. -
Audience 7.4 - Interesting to listen to this, it’s almost like they are performing on a soundstage, but the quality is only so-so. I do not know what to make of it, my instinct says this was a TV broadcast, maybe this was recorded off the TV volume? It’s not too bad, just not a very wide dynamic range. -
Soundboard 8.6 - Starts off rough but quickly things improve and soon a really bright, vibrant tape emerges. Might be a touch too much high end here, but I interpret that to mean this must be a low gen source. Most everyone is going to dig this, add it to the collection for sure! -
Audience 8.4 - Pretty darn good for a small club gig with amateur audience recording technique, if indeed it was done by an audience member. As you know, Frank sometimes recorded the band, not always through the board either. -
Soundboard 8.7 - It’s real good, but maybe needs boosting of some frequencies somewhere, and the mix does not favor drums or keys too much, but, um, loves the guitar so there ya go. -
Audience 8.8 - Someone did their homework on how to capture a great sound on their recording device. Guitar especially, very defined and crisp. Drums are somewhat behind the action but everything is still clearly heard. Good job! -
Audience 8.4 - Using a master tape source, this show has been remastered to reveal what is a very decent recording with flaws. There are occasional hiccups throughout mainly the 1st half then it evens out, but even those have been carefully edited for a smoother flow. Overall this is a great find, a band that seems to be enjoying every performance and especially when it is time to improvise. -
Audience 8.7 - A good, solid audience tape that has been remastered nicely to showcase what was already decent sound, bringing out the life and helping with some clarity. You can tell there was once some tape noise or background noise once but this sounds really good now. From what I understand, it is a very rare tape. -
Soundboard 9.0 - Some piano trouble apparently began this show, and there’s some hissiness (not that bad) to contend with in the quieter parts. Still, a lot of fun.