Al Di Meola / Long Beach Arena 1978 Mike Millard Master Tape / 1CD / Uxbridge
Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, USA 26th May 1978
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What is it… what is it? How can this be? A sister work has appeared in the transcendent work “SANTA MONICA 1978 (Uxbridge 1703)”, which was touted as the best masterpiece in the absolute master Millard Collection. Moreover, the same … no, an abnormal work with more shocking sounds will be released urgently.
Such an unusual live album was recorded on “May 26, 1978 Long Beach Arena Performance”. It should be that transcendental audience recording …. No need to be confused. This work is the latest work that appeared from Mike Millard’s original master excavation project that entered three years ago. 100% definitely audience recording. However, even with that fact, I can’t get rid of the feeling that “this is the sound of the audience!”
In fact, the prestigious “JEMS” staff who has been in charge of excavation this time said, “This one of the most soundboard-like recordings Millard ever made” and “I can’t imagine a better sound than this. (I can’t imagine this sounding any better).” Moreover, even such full-fledged praise is not exaggerated, and it feels like it is still insufficient. Lively cheers fly here and there, but the performance sound is completely soundboard … No, it seems as if the cheers were overdubbed on the studio masterpiece.
A ferocious show that can only be called a “masterpiece” that is depicted with such a different dimension sound. Like “SANTA MONICA 1978”, it is the “CASINO” era, but the timing is slightly different. In order to grasp the positional relationship, let’s look back at the schedule at that time and check the position.
《“CASINO” will be released on February 25》
・ April 5-May 5: North America # 1 (10 performances)
・ May 20-June 13: North America #2 (10 performances) ← Coco
・ July 2-8: North America # 3 (5 performances)
・ July 25-30: North America # 4 (4 performances) ← * SANTA MONICA 1978
・ September 30-15: Europe (5 performances)
This is the 1978 Al Di Meola. The previous work “SANTA MONICA 1978” was about 5 months after the album was released, but this work is 3 months later. Although this work was discovered later, it is a live album that is an older sister. If the time is close, the members are the same, but in fact the set is slightly different. Let’s sort things out here.
●Casino (5 songs)
・ Side A: Egyptian Danza / Chasin’ The Voodoo / Dark Eye Tango
・ Side B: Fantasia Suite For Two Guitars / Senor Mouse
● Others (3 songs)
・Midnight Earth: Short Tales Of The Black Forest / The Wizard
・Elegant Gypsy: Midnight Tango
… and it looks like this. Roughly speaking, it is a style that shaved the last song “Race With The Devil On Spanish Highway” of “SANTA MONICA 1978”. Di Meola greets after the last song “The Wizard” of this work, and it is difficult to think that the tape has run out even considering the recording time of about 60 minutes. Perhaps this was a full show. However, the beginning of the first song “Egyptian Danza” is recorded as a leak and is recorded with a fade-in.
Considering the lack of one song and the lack of the beginning, Millard’s apex work may be his previous work “SANTA MONICA 1978”. However, the “surprise degree” of the sound is (largely) higher than this work, and it is precisely because of such a sound that the intense live performance is poured directly into the brain.
“After all, this work must be a masterpiece.” “SANTA MONICA 1978”, which reigns at the top of the two wheels of “beauty of the audience” and “complete recording”, and this work that embodies the limit of “sound board feeling”. I have introduced mirrored recordings of many bands / artists so far, but there is no sister work that stands as high as this. No way, two masterpieces were recorded at Al Di Meola’s show. No matter how many rhetoric are lined up, it is not enough, this is the ultimate concert record. It is the birth of a masterpiece of peerless beauty that I would like you to face with all your heart.
★ Superb audience recording of “May 26, 1978 Long Beach Arena Performance”. It is a sister work two months before “SANTA MONICA 1978 (Uxbridge 1703)”, which was said to be Mike Millard’s masterpiece, and the quality is even more shocking. An abnormal sound that the JEMS staff who excavated even says, “The most sound board-like among the mirrored works so far” and “I can’t imagine a better sound than this.” It is the ultimate work of concert record, which is not enough even if you arrange rhymes.
★★The sound is the best among the mirrored sound sources so far.
Uxbridge 1817