-
Pro 9.4 - Obviously this is super clean, but I thought some bottom end was missing. Still, it smokes! -
Soundboard 9.6 - Spectacular! -
Pro Live in Studio 8.9 - A fine old tape that shows some compression from having been broadcast over the air. -
Audience 8.0 - A utilitarian tape that captures the action on stage where you clearly get each instrument without much separation or dynamics. The selling point of this show is the set list, some seldom performed numbers including Crossroads which is played with aplomb. Energetic, fresh, all that without any hiccups but lacking clarity and dynamic range. -
Audience 8.7 - Very clear tape, guitar is right up front and sounds bad ass! -
Audience 8.8 - Excellent! -
Audience 7.7 - If you love very loud and raw recordings, like right in front of the PA stacks, guitars BLASTING, this is your show! A lot of the other acts were also recorded, most of them sound distant and thin, not this! Crank it, but I am warning you, this is a sonic ear blast of epic proportions. -
Audience 8.2 - A touch of over saturation but does not detract from a good, strong recording of an equally strong show. -
Audience 8.1 - Exciting live sound here. Not technically perfect, but very strong especially for the guitar which is real clear. -
Soundboard 9.2 -
Audience 8.7 - A lo fi recording that astounds you, how can it be possible? It is like a cassette deck recording with one mic but man, it is VERY hot! Blazing electric guitar runs, manic rhythm section, insane over the top music on a cheap portable deck and it smokes. Wow! Torino show is a strong 7.6 -
Audience 7.8 - Loud and clear pretty much. The recording is very respectable and you can sink your teeth into this set because the guitar is prominent, loud, in the middle and RIPPING. If I could just get one CD of only the solos I would listen to it every day. -
Soundboard 9.3 - For the uninitiated, get ready for mind blowing and far ahead of its time guitar shredding. -
Soundboard 8.6 - Raw and heavy, and the mix is a little funky to my ears but it’s live rock and roll. -
Audience 7.8 - Great guitar, decent and clear! -
Audience 8.3 - Good quality in small club environment. -
Audience 7.8 - Kind of noisy but Ted’s guitar is very up front here, that is kind of all you really need to be honest. It’s actually not that bad really. -
Audience 8.3 - Kind of an intimate sound, most of this is great and clear but when he stomps on that electric, it gets a little hot. Mostly he is on acoustic though, and it’s great. Lovely show. Miss this guy. -
Audience 8.4 - Little know psyche/prog act that delivers a very competent level of performance that captivates the listener. It’s their seemingly improved jamming that sets them apart, I call it “intuitive jamming” and they are masters at it. A little like Jethro Tull at times. Fantastic! -
Pro 9.6 - Possibly recorded for an LP or broadcast but either way it is superbly detailed. Lovely! -
Audience 9.4 - Recorded by the band for a possible live album that wasn’t released. A later concert from the following year eventually did come out though. This one smokes, hence the name! -
FM Radio 9.4 -
Audience 8.8 - Fantastic capture that gives the sound a really spacey and breathing feel, like it is wrapping around your ears and not just coming straight at you. -
Audience 8.5 - Everything very present, only faults are the loss of uppers and lower frequency response due to limitations of analog tape and time. You can add some EQ, although this does sound reasonably fine as it is but season to taste. -
Audience 7.2 - A lot of work went into restoring the sound on these previously un-circulated recordings. History abounds, I mean, you have post-Cream Clapton jamming with Ginger Baker! Very rare, very cool. Oh, and by the way The Jeff Beck Group shreds! -
Soundboard 9.3 -
Audience 8.2 - Kind of bass heavy and muddy mix, but its OK once your ears adjust. -
Audience 9.0 - Great low end and high end signal! Rare to find both intact, you can turn this up loud. -
Audience 8.0 - Typical big rock sound. I like the Palo Alto show here, it’s the stronger of the two as far as clarity, but the San Francisco show sounds somewhat meatier ~ it’s a trade off. -
Radio Broadcast 8.7 - A little generation tape hiss but a good and clear, solid broadcast with excellent instrument sound separation. The band is a hybrid jazz/prog and rock with certain influence by Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, PFM, and Gentle Giant. -
Soundboard 8.8 - Somewhat dated sound, and a touch of hiss, but by golly this is pretty good stuff considering the age! For those who thought Steve Miller began with Fly Like An Eagle, you may want to hear the raw bluesy psychedelia he was rooted in. -
Pro Broadcast 9.3 - Excellent quality! -
Audience 9.0 - Professional audience tape recorded on reel to reel, very lively, vibrant sound. -
Pro Audio 9.4 -
CD 1 - Soundboard 9.0 and Audience 8.7 - The Sparrow show is great, amazing that such an early document was captured so well (by a radio station no less). The Dallas material comes after and is also very good, and at first it may seem it could even be a board tape but closer inspection suggests otherwise but it’s pretty decent. The Baltimore material filling out the 2nd half of Disc 2 is the worst of this collection at an 8.3 Audience rating which is not bad at all really. John Kay sounds very prominent in the mix, guitar and bass pretty heavy sounding, keys and drums kind of washed out a bit, but you hear pretty much all of it nonetheless. -
CD 1 - Audience 7.4 - A much better source tape here for this show, sounds a lot better than I remember it being. It’s still somewhat thin, but the bass guitar is very clear note-wise, just do not expect slamming bottom end. The second show on CD 1 is Soundboard 9.4 - Superb! CD 2 - Audience 7.4 - Similar to the Portland show, with more emphasis on drums, less clarity in the total mix- but heavier low end. CD 3 - All Radio Broadcast 8.8 -
Audience 8.6 - A good stereo pan presents for an interesting listen. The tape sounds like it went through some processing to my ears, yet retains a strange immediacy, like it was just recorded the other day. -
CD 1 - Soundboard 9.0 / CD 2 - Soundboard 8.8 -
Audience 8.8 - Great stuff, a lot of atmosphere without sounding super distant. Love it! -
Audience 9.5 - A lovely recording! -
Audience 8.8 - Very nice live sound, slamming kick drums, great vocals, guitars slightly more behind but overall a lovely recording and the best of this tour so far. -
Soundboard 9.0 - For those who want to know what Bruce Springsteen was about before he went all FM friendly singer songwriter, look no further than this hard and heavy hard rock jam fest from 1971. I do not like Bruce, I think he’s kind of a big douche, but damn you have to give him props because he is a rock and roll survivor and this early stuff smokes. -
Audience 8.6 to 9.3 - From different sources and a great collection! -
Audience 8.4 - Pretty loud and intense recording, sounds close to the stage. -
FM Radio Broadcast 8.6 -
Audience 8.5 - Recorded by French radio, so you would think maybe soundboard or at least multiple stage mics right? Naw, this sounds almost like a bootleg, a REALLY good bootleg recording, but the old reel to reel tape shows signs of degredation…still this is quite good with some flaws here and there. -
Soundboard 9.1 -
Audience 8.7 - A higher rating would be possible if there were some more bottom end on this one, but it is very clear and bright and just perfect for a remastering project. If you love Yes, go for this one.