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Audience tape of mediocre quality, about a 5.4 rating - maybe, but here's the thing - there are a handful of live tapes of this band from this vintage or thereabouts - until the band release what they have, this is all we will ever get. It's two discs worth of vintage ZZ Top before they made it big - I can deal with the mediocre sound.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.