Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band / Frankie Goes To Cleveland / 4CD

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band / Frankie Goes To Cleveland / 4CD / ESB

Live at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH 7th April 1976 SBD, & Live at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC 28th March 1976

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Bruce Springsteen grabbed a great success in the “tomorrow defunct runaway” to the previous year is also doing a tour from March 1976, riding on the momentum. This tour is intended to dizzying stroke back and forth between the United States northeast has been referred to as the “chicken-scratch” tour, is this time of the title that was coupled two of the finest sound source from the tour. First, sound board recording of Cleveland performances of the first to have been recorded on April 7 days. Mono recording from the mixing desk, but very clear sound quality and goodness of balance is what has been referred to as the best source of this tour. However, while such high-quality sound source, so far had been released with only the title “LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE”, where the skipping of at Sprit In The Night opening, Rosalita and Quarter To Three trouble such as incomplete recording although there were, there was the name board of about copy machine is produced from the goodness of its sound quality. But the release of “LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE” is that from the more than 20 years ago now, was also the source of release is not a copy or an upgrade, has been awaited from there.
However become last year appeared finally low generation of tape, was surprised the mania around the world. (Because it is not the original recording for the official, such a state it is and it seems) also skipping and unreleased part listed above will not change this time How can, upgrade in sound quality is evident. While the “LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE” is a clear will hiss many, it has also been found here and there, such as finer sound break between songs, here you have reduced such a instability is greatly. More to become a much more rich and thick sound quality, it was realized the upgrade of 20 New Year’s Eve. Exactly wax Generation unique, it states to listen in peace.
Even more than the splendor of sound quality, also stands out because splendor of the performance of the day. Hit and excitement of the release last year of the summer “tomorrow defunct runaway” is established, is the stage that took place in an atmosphere that truly popular hight. After this, although the 76-year blues is the sudden activity by the lawsuit with Mike Appel was at the time of the manager would on the rocks, was fortunate that the problem was the tour that took place just prior to the fore It was time. Particularly the dash feeling of kick off stage in the Night. Playing cover It’s My Life of Animals, such as take a breather from the mood press press of the early stages is that of the unique 76 years, but further Frankie is at the time of the blues, which say that unique a new song is falling back to the end unpublished , that makes us hear the overwhelmingly wonderful performance is more of a live performance here than appeared in the studio recording after it is attention.
In addition there is an initial representative song Blinded By The Light, which was no longer being played long live is also a time that was revived with a short period of time, also of the valuable and hard-playing has been captured in the sound board recording would be a big attraction of this sound source. And a masterpiece is also a sublime performance of early It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City. The performance of the large force has been deployed from the intro, please realize the terrific of Come on sound board recording.

Live, which is another recording is also very valuable first appearance sound source. On this tour is in response to the smash hit of “tomorrow defunct runaway” have been confirmed to have been played all in the same album songs for the first time one of the stage, only the sound of Michigan University of the April 4, until now that was the sound source who has to clear the facts. But it exists advent of sound source was recorded live at Duke University Thus the second of the “defunct runaway tomorrow” songs played performances in Durham revealed become last year. I mean it was just even first appearance sound source of shock but, surprisingly sound quality is very good, while the sound quality of a very rich delicate realism can enjoy also, that drowned out is not on a sound image to it, of this era ‘s the stunning recording that could be called the best. The best example I thought you might be in the context of Born To Run. I climax at the moment when the title song of the smash hit album has started terrible, but still because performance comes hear clearly. Sound quality is to ensure that it is a taste Align with us stunning recording to fully realism instead of the sound board recording therefore dilute Cleveland despite clear. However, to adjust the perfect deviation of a pitch to the sound source, moreover Raise Your In Hand and two-songs of Sandy but unrelated music from the left channel I was happening trouble ringing by transcription of the tape, here such as to eliminate it by the Journal from intact the right channel, and Yes to restore the listener-friendly state than the original sound source.
Although songs played live Nowadays “tomorrow defunct runaway” has been realized in recent years of the tour to it, the atmosphere is so completely different on the extremely small number of times when it comes to songs playing in the 70s, very valuable also in that regard it says that a sound source. Among them, Meeting Across The rare ones that are played in the River Max Weinberg of the drum filled in. This song itself was is being played several times from the time of 1975, including the April of the sound source of the example when it comes to playing in such a band format, which is also valuable that the second of appearance Thing. Moreover, unlike the time of the April 4, such as playing the Blinded By The Light also on this day, at this time I was also a valuable source that captures the day was a charming set list the most rare. Sound board of Cleveland and of “defunct runaway tomorrow” songs played Durham, which is also the sound quality good release decision titles luxury coupling the rare sound of the charm has maps and at the limit of the press CD!

前年に『明日なき暴走』で大成功を掴んだブルース・スプリングスティーンはその勢いに乗って1976年も3月からツアーを行っています。このツアーはアメリカ北東部の間を行ったり来たりする目まぐるしい行程が「チキン・スクラッチ」ツアーと呼ばれたもので、そのツアーから二つの極上音源をカップリングしたのが今回のタイトルです。まず、最初に収録されているのは4月7日のクリーブランド公演のサウンドボード録音。ミキシング卓からのモノラル録音ですが、非常にクリアーな音質かつバランスの良さはこのツアーのベスト音源と呼ばれていたものです。ところがこのような優良音源ながらも、これまでリリースされたのは「LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE」というタイトルのみで、そこではSprit In The Night序盤での音飛び、RosalitaやQuarter To Threeが不完全収録といったトラブルがあったものの、その音質の良さからコピー盤が生み出されるほどの名盤でありました。しかし「LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE」のリリースは今から20年以上前のことであり、そこからのコピーではないリリース、あるいはアップグレードが待ち望まれていた音源でもありました。
ところが昨年になってようやくロウ・ジェネレーションのテープが登場し、世界中のマニアを驚かせました。今回も先に挙げた音飛びや未収録部分は変わらない(元々オフィシャル用の録音ではないので、そのような状態だと思われます)のですが、音質面でのアップグレードは歴然としています。「LIVE AT ALLEN THEATRE」はクリアーですがヒスノイズが多く、さらに曲間で細かい音切れなども散見されたのに対し、こちらはそういった不安定さが大幅に減っています。それ以上にずっと豊かで厚みのある音質となり、20年越しでのアップグレードが実現しました。正にロウ・ジェネレーションならでは、安心して聴ける状態なのです。
音質の素晴らしさもさることながら、この日の演奏の素晴らしさというのも際立っています。前年の夏にリリースされた『明日なき暴走』のヒットや盛り上がりが定着し、正に人気絶頂という雰囲気の中で行われたステージです。この後、76年のブルースは当時のマネージャーだったマイク・アペルとの裁判沙汰によって突如活動が暗礁に乗り上げてしまうのですが、その問題が表面化する直前に行われたツアーだったことが幸いした時期でした。Nightで幕を開けるステージの疾走感は格別。序盤の押せ押せムードから一息つくようなアニマルズのカバーIt’s My Lifeの演奏は76年ならではのもので、さらに当時のブルースには異色な新曲と言えたFrankieは結局未発表となってしまうのですが、後に登場したスタジオ録音よりもここでのライブ演奏の方が圧倒的に素晴らしい演奏を聴かせてくれる点が注目です。
さらにライブで長らく演奏されなくなっていた初期の代表曲Blinded By The Lightが短期間ながら復活した時期でもあり、その貴重でハードな演奏がサウンドボード録音に捉えられたのもこの音源の大きな魅力でしょう。そして圧巻なのは同じく初期のIt’s Hard to Be a Saint in the Cityの壮絶な演奏です。イントロから大迫力の演奏が展開されており、その凄まじさを是非サウンドボード録音で実感してください。

もう一つ収録されているライブがまた非常に貴重な初登場音源です。『明日なき暴走』の大ヒットを受けてこのツアーでは同アルバム収録曲が初めて一回のステージですべて演奏されたことが確認されていて、今まで4月4日のミシガン州大学の音源のみがその事実を明らかにしてくれた音源でした。ところが昨年になってダーラムにあるデューク大学でのライブを収録した音源の登場よって二つ目の『明日なき暴走』全曲演奏公演の存在が明らかとなったのです。それだけでも衝撃の初登場音源だった訳ですが、驚いたことに音質が非常に良好で、非常に豊かで繊細な臨場感が楽しめる音質ながらも、それにかき消されないオンな音像という、この時代のベストとも言える見事な録音なのです。その最たる例がBorn To Runの場面ではないでしょうか。大ヒット・アルバムのタイトル曲が始まった瞬間の盛り上がりが凄まじいのですが、それでも演奏がはっきりと聴こえてくるからです。音質がクリアーながらもサウンドボード録音故に希薄なクリーブランドの代わりに臨場感を存分に味わせてくれる見事な録音であることを保証します。ただしこの音源にあったピッチの狂いは完璧にアジャストし、しかもRaise Your HandとSandyの二曲では左チャンネルから無関係な音楽がテープの転写によって鳴っているトラブルが起きていたのですが、ここでは無傷な右チャンネルからの収録によってそれを解消するなど、元の音源よりも聴きやすい状態にレストアしてあります。
それに今でこそ『明日なき暴走』の全曲演奏ライブは近年のツアーで実現しましたが、70年代での全曲演奏となると回数が極端に少ない上に雰囲気がまったく違うので、その点でも非常に貴重な音源と言えます。中でもMeeting Across The Riverではマックス・ワインバーグのドラム入りで演奏されるというレアなもの。この曲自体は1975年の時点から何度か演奏されてはいましたが、このようなバンド形式での演奏となると例の4月の音源を含め、これもまた二つ目の登場という貴重なものです。しかも4月4日の時と違い、この日もBlinded By The Lightを演奏するなど、この時期ではもっともレアで魅力的なセットリストだった一日を捉えた貴重音源でもあったのです。サウンドボードのクリーブランドと『明日なき暴走』全曲演奏のダーラム、どちらも音質良好で魅力満載のレア音源を贅沢にカップリングしたタイトルが限定のプレスCDにてリリース決定です!

Live at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH 7th April 1976 SBD

Disc 1
1. Night 2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 3. Sprit In The Night 4. It’s My Life 5. Thunder Road
6. She’s The One 7. Born To Run 8. Incident On 57th Street 9. Frankie

Disc 2
1. Backstreets 2. Growin’ Up 3. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City 4. Blinded By The Light
5. Jungleland 6. Rosalita 7. Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
8. Detroit Medley 9. Quarter To Three

Live at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC 28th March 1976

Disc 3
1. Night 2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 3. Sprit In The Night 4. It’s My Life
5. Thunder Road 6. She’s The One 7. Born To Run

Disc 4
1. Meeting Across The River 2. Backstreets 3. Blinded By The Light 4. Jungleland 5. Rosalita
6. Raise Your Hand * 7. Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) * 8. Detroit Medley

* Original source has left channel fault so used the right channel only and made a mono version.

Bruce Springsteen – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica Roy Bittan – Piano, Keyboards
Clarence Clemons – Tenor, Baritone, and Soprano Saxophones, Backing Vocals, Percussion
Danny Federici – Organ, Accordion, Glockenspiel, Piano Garry Tallent – Bass, Percussion
Steven Van Zandt – Guitar, Backing Vocals Max Weinberg – Drums

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