GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Sting/ Budokan 2017 3rd Night / 2CD / Wardour
Translated text:
Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 8th June 2017
A great success and a ringing performance in 2017 in Japan. The best live album of the performance “June 8, 2017: Nippon Budokan” which is also the Kanto Final appears.
This week, we also released “BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT (Wardour-238)” and “OSAKA 2017 (Wardour-241)” from this Japan tour. First of all, let’s check the position of each title in the tour schedule.
· June 6: Nippon Budokan
· June 7: Nippon Budokan “BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT”
· June 8: Nippon Budokan 【this work】
· June 10: Osaka City Central Gymnasium “OSAKA 2017”
This is the schedule this time. Originally, Nippon Budokan was only two days, but “June 8th” included in this work was an additional performance. The biggest point of such work is the best sound. “BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT” that is released at the same time can not be attached to a wonderful sound only, but his personality is totally different. Whereas “2ND NIGHT” made the whole venue “Nippon Budokan” totally visible, this work has a furious direct feeling amazing. It feels like an octagonal Budokan in “Ringing” which is played by the son Joe Sumner who decorates the beginning, but in the full band Sting main volume, intense rock sounds can be beaten in front of you. Of course, it is supposed to be a 100% original audience recording directly transferred from the name recording person himself …. It is a soundboard zero sound distant feeling so much that even it can not be believed.
The secret is the position. It is a recording recorded in the very close seat of the 4th row of the arena. Of course, “front seats = good sounds” is not always limited, and all sounds turn around if they wrap around. However, there is not such a drawback in this work at all, intense just as the core of super beautiful musical tone pulls. It is a live album overflowing with a sense that “there is Sting right there.”
It is a sound that is far away from the audience, but it is real. Realistic workplace feeling boasting · Realistic feeling is firmly engraved. However, there is a fourth row. The enthusiasm of Nippon Budokan who is boiling is not getting in between the stage, a stereoscopic feeling like being burdened. “2ND NIGHT” is another live album of three dimensions in a different meaning.
When drawn with that quality, the show is even hotter. The three-part composition and the basic set are the same as “2ND NIGHT”, but truly it is on the third day of the same venue, or slightly changing songs. First, Joe Sumner. I am playing “Drink” instead of “Two Sisters”. Even though the next day, fluent Japanese MC also evolved. After attracting parent-child collaboration with “Heading South On the Great North Road”, I invite you to laugh with “Thank you, Dad” and tickle the hearts of the Japanese with “Good evening, Kudanshita!” After all, pronunciation is wonderful and it is so skillful that laughter will happen just by speaking “After yesterday ‘s concert …”. Were they also told in the surroundings? “Many people say” Why, why, why speak Japanese? “(Laugh). I love Japan and I love Japanese!
And Sting changed one song. In this tour, I play five songs from the new work “57 TH & 9 TH”, but I will drop “Down, Down, Down” on this day and play “Seven Days” of “TEN SUMMONER’S TALES”. This song was played only on this day even for all four performances. It is a song, but it is a special show.
More than anything, the experiences of the fourth row. It is a sense of the workplace that feels the great enthusiasm on his back from the voice and performance. Although the special “taste of Nippon Budokan” gave way to “2ND NIGHT”, the feeling that Sting is in front of me is delicious anyway. It is intimate live album that I want to reach out for invisible Sting unexpectedly. It is a masterpiece that brings Sting to your room.
大盛況と鳴った2017年の来日公演。その関東ファイナルでもある「2017年６月８日：日本武道館」公演の極上ライヴアルバムが登場です。
今週は今回のジャパンツアーから『BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT（Wardour-238）』『OSAKA 2017（Wardour-241）』も一気呵成にリリース。まずは、ツアー・スケジュールで各タイトルのポジションを確認しておきましょう。
・６月６日：日本武道館
・６月７日：日本武道館 『BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT』
・６月８日：日本武道館 【本作】
・６月10日：大阪市中央体育館 『OSAKA 2017』
これが今回の日程。当初、日本武道館は２日間だけでしたが、本作に収められた「６月８日」は追加公演でした。そんな本作最大のポイントは、極上のサウンド。同時リリースの『BUDOKAN 2017 2ND NIGHT』も素晴らしいサウンドだけに甲乙付けられないのですが、個性はまったく違う。『2ND NIGHT』がホール会場“日本武道館”をトータルに感じさせてくれたのに対し、本作は激烈なダイレクト感が凄い。冒頭を飾る息子ジョー・サムナーのステージでこそ弾き語りの“鳴り”に八角形の武道館らしさを感じますが、フルバンドのスティング本編では、強烈なロックサウンドが目の前に叩きつけられるよう。もちろん、名録音家本人から直接譲られた100％本生のオーディエンス録音……のはずなのですが、それさえも信じられなくなるほどサウンドボード的な距離感ゼロのサウンドなのです。
その秘訣は、ポジション。アリーナ中央も４列目という激近席で録られた録音なのです。もちろん「前方席＝良い音」とは限らず、音が回り込んでしまったら総て台無し。ところが、本作にはそんな欠点はまったくなく、超美麗な楽音の芯だけが引っぱたくように強烈。「すぐそこにスティングがいる」感覚に溢れ返ったライヴアルバムなのです。
それほどオーディエンス離れしたサウンドなのですが、そこは本生。沸き立つリアルな現場感・臨場感もしっかりと刻まれています。しかし、そこは４列目。沸きに沸く日本武道館の熱狂もステージとの間に入り込まず、背負い込むような立体感。『2ND NIGHT』とはまた違った意味で３次元感覚のライヴアルバムなのです。
そのクオリティで描かれると、ショウも更に熱い。３部構成や基本のセットは『2ND NIGHT』と同一ですが、さすがに同会場３日目とあってか、わずかながら曲を代えている。まず、ジョー・サムナー。「Two Sisters」の代わりに「Drink」を演奏しています。さらに翌日にも関わらず、流暢な日本語MCも進化。「Heading South On the Great North Road」で親子共演を魅せてくれた後には「ありがとう、お父さん」と笑いを誘い「こんばんは、九段下！」と日本人の心をくすぐる。何しろ発音が素晴らしく「昨日のコンサートの後……」と話し出しただけで笑いが起きるほど巧い。当人も周囲に言われたのか「たくさん、たくさんの人が『なぜや、なぜ日本語をしゃべる？』（笑）。それが日本は大好き、日本語愛してます！」と語っています。
そして、スティングも１曲変化。今回のツアーでは新作『57TH & 9TH』から５曲演奏していますが、この日は「Down, Down, Down」を落とし、『TEN SUMMONER’S TALES』の「Seven Days」を演奏してくれます。この曲が演奏されたのは、全４公演でもこの日だけ。１曲ではありますが、特別なショウになっているのです。
何よりも、４列目の体験感。その声と演奏を前から、大熱狂を背中に感じる現場感覚です。特別な“日本武道館の旨み”は『2ND NIGHT』に譲るものの、目の前にスティングがいる感覚がとにかく美味しい。思わず見えないスティングに手を伸ばしてしまいたくなるほど親密なライヴアルバム。あなたの部屋にスティングを連れてきてくれる大傑作です。
Disc 1 (70:57)
1. Intro
2. Heading South On the Great North Road 3. Looking For Me Looking For You (Joe Sumner)
4. Don’t Change The Love (Joe Sumner) 5. Drink (Joe Sumner) 6. Jelly Bean (Joe Sumner)
7. Maria (The Last Bandoleros) 8. River Man (The Last Bandoleros)
9. I Don’t Want To Know (The Last Bandoleros) 10. Where Do You Go? (The Last Bandoleros)
11. Take Me To It (The Last Bandoleros)
12. Intro. 13. Synchronicity II 14. Spirits in the Material World 15. Englishman in New York
16. I Can’t Stop Thinking About You 17. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
18. One Fine Day 19. She’s Too Good for Me
Disc 2 (73:57)
1. Mad about You 2. Fields of Gold 3. Petrol Head 4. Seven Days 5. Shape of My Heart
6. Message in a Bottle 7. Ashes to Ashes 8. 50,000 9. Walking on the Moon 10. So Lonely
11. Desert Rose 12. Roxanne / Ain’t No Sunshine 13. Next to You 14. Every Breath You Take
15. Fragile
Wardour-239
