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Soundboard 8.5 and Soundboard 8.2 - One half of the show is much clearer than the other for some reason. Both have been remastered but one can only do so much. Still, this can be appreciated and being a board tape, it is pretty easy to hear each instrument. -
Audience 8.8 - Another great Halloween show at the Felt Forum in NYC. This was Franks favorite Holiday and so I think he always enjoyed playing at his best and with the help of whatever line up he chose to have, the performance was always top notch. -
Audience 8.6 - A tape that starts off pretty rough and then gets better and better until it is quite good and clear, especially nice when you consider that it has taken the better part of 40 years to start getting half decent ZZ Top live recordings. -
Soundboard 8.8 -
Soundboard 9.3 -
Audience 8.7 - Very direct sound, as if taper had great seats, but there’s some background hiss that is not too bad, and the sound is not exactly “full bodied” but it’s pretty darn clear. A good one, and 1977 was not a tour where there is an overwhelming amount of recordings for some reason. -
Soundboard 9.2 - Clear sound and great mix and very worth having. -
Soundboard 9.1 - Love the bass sound here, very defined, and good mix but I think keys could have been up more, but they are there. Guitars sound very present and living room live. -
Soundboard 9.7 - GREAT mix here, very bright and lively recording that will please everyone. -
Audience 8.4 - A somewhat narrow sound field but a thoroughly enjoyable 1973 performance nonetheless. There are one of two tape flips and a little audience conversation (in Norwegian) but that is to be expected. -
Soundboard 9.2 - Leaning toward treble but still a good, tight show again by Zappa and crew. -
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. -
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. -
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 8.8 - 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! -
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 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). -
Audience 8.2 (both shows) -
Audience 8.7 - Clear, and a good mix with Frank at the front – performance here is stellar! -
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. -
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 8.8 - 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! -
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. -
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 8.5 - 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. -
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. -
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. -
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 9.0 - Sourced from a 1st generation master - this show is quite friggin’ excellent. -
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 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! -
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.