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Audience 8.3 - Always nice to find another decent sounding 1981 show as there’s not an abundance of them compared to other years. The recording is a little bit cluttered in the very middle of the sound spectrum but thankfully does not suffer from the aud killers such as muddiness or distortion. All the instruments fight for the center but are clearly heard notwithstanding. Occasionally you may notice a bit of phasing which helps the recording to my ears because it’s almost like a cool effect that they meant to do! A good one to add to the collection.
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Audience 8.4 - A great find here! So few Power Windows tour shows out there, and this one, while not a “great” recording, is pretty clear and has a lot of atmosphere. Does sound maybe midway in the venue, so you get a little of that “wash” or stadium “verb” effect but to my delight the bass notes are distinct and not just a boominess. It’s maybe the guitar that is slightly lost, with Geddy also being a touch behind the sound rather than in front. Overall, it is still a good listen and well worth having.
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Audience 8.5 - There are some shows where the ratings numbers cannot tell the story. This is certainly the best example of that. I overlooked this show in the past, I did not, could not, get past the “wall of sound” factor. Now, thanks to modern mastering techniques, this recording has morphed into a real gem. Is it better? Yes! Is it perfect? No. But, perhaps while some would still find it too much to handle, other will find it to be a ton of fun. The tapers were real close to the mains, but managed to keep levels just low enough to prevent the dreaded distortion, but in so doing got a tape without dynamics, or at least one dynamic which is SUPER loud intense power – which if you are a hard core Rush fan, will REALLY tickle your fancy when you pop this on the stereo. It’s almost like a heavy metal concert! Unbridled fury, simply an intense concert and intense recording, let yourself get into it, and your ears will adjust and you will find that the audio frequency range here is comfortable to the ears even though it’s off the charts in massiveness.
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Audience 7.4 - A scratchy, distant, and cluttered recording of an energetic show (band and audience). Is it worth getting? It’s on the ragged edge if you ask me, but as a completist you will find that it is not unlistenable muck, thankfully. It is interesting to hear a veteran touring band giving it 100% effort even if the city is other than New York, LA or Chicago. Just another tour stop, in the deep south no less, but there’s Rush giving their fans their all, night after night. God Bless Rush!
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Audience 8.8 - A warm and inviting recording that spreads the audio spectrum out very evenly. May be from midway back in the hall, as it is not super sharp, but likewise it is also not too echoey or bassy either. It is a pretty atmospheric sound, with guitar leads swirling above and around adding to the liveness of the recording.
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Audience 8.6 - A very early tape featuring the bands original guitarist. For those who have not heard anything like this before, well, it does not sound like the Police as we know them, it’s still good, but different. To my ears, the guitarist does not have the polish we have come to expect from this band, but he’s got quite a lot of spit!
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Sale!Rare footage shot with Sony open reel video system (CV-2000 tape format B/W). Entire performance spanning 2 discs (encoded for optimal quality). This comes from the 3/4" Umatic master tapes (CV-2000 reels transferred onto 3/4"). Quality is fair, poor lighting hampered the video shoot, but for historical purposes most fans will find this fascinating due to the exceptional performance of the band and Roky in particular.
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Audience 8.4 - Somewhat one-dimensional and a touch thin but it’s pretty darn clear, with a pronounced emphasis on guitar (cool!). Historically I guess you place this high on the priority list as it is their last show, but as a collector you get it because it’s one of the better sounding recordings.
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Sale!Rare Collectors Item 2LP Black Vinyl
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Soundboard 8.9 - A good one, if slightly below the expectations of perfection you might be anticipating with a mid 70’s board tape. Occasional phasing, and sometimes a little volume fading as the sound man adjusts things on the fly but it’s greatness is derived from the spectacularly cohesive performance by all the musicians and the sometimes disparagingly different styles they run through in the set.