GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Elton John & Billy Joel / Hartford 2002 / 3CD / Zion
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT, USA 8th February 2002 SBD
Play sample :
The “FACE TO FACE” tour, which was very well received by the piano man and rocket man standing on the stage together, was held for a long time. Hartford in 2002 was the representative sound source of the sound board in the middle period. Items have been released many times, partly because it is a PA-out digital sound board recording that boasts outstanding sound quality.
However, since it is a PA out, it is undeniable that the sense of presence is weak in exchange for the clearness of the two singing voices and performances. The texture that is often found in PAs, which is more monaural and narrower in range, was also quirky.
Therefore, the version released this time was remastered by a maniac who calls himself “Chuckness” by making full use of the latest technology in 2021. The range of this sound source was narrowed and the dark texture was improved brilliantly.
However, it is not an intrusive thing that changes the impression of the sound source by applying excessive equalization, and there is a finish that shines with a sense of Chuckness. It can only be said that it is wonderful that the sound is so sharp and spacious.
Originally it was a sound board with excellent sound quality, but with such sound quality, it would not be strange if it was originally released on a press CD.
In 1998, the “FACE TO FACE” tour was realized until the performance in Japan, and since it was held many times, I had the impression that it was a popular tour that made me think that it was a duo at that time. thing.
Regarding the 2002 stage, there was a big change in Elton. Since the new album “SONGS FROM THE WEST COAST” was released half a year ago, the place where new songs such as “I Want Love” and “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” are set in from the album is a feeling of activeness. Is drifting.
Kataya Billy announced his retirement from rock composition and was in the midst of a shift to classical music, which he was obsessed with at the time. Therefore, he also plays a fragment of the melody that seems to be in the works in front of “Angry Young Man”. In this way, it was also a valuable recording that conveys the contrasting appearance of the two people at that time.
Even so, Billy, a rare showman, has only a few peeks at his devotion to classical music, and after that, his usual scenes are repeated. For example, in front of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” where he sings while playing the guitar, it seems to be Billy to sing Elvis’s “All Shook Up” in one chorus.
And the biggest attraction of this sound source is that he played “Here Comes the Sun” at the beginning of the joint corner of Elton & Billy in the latter half in memory of George Harrison who had just died three months ago. Probably.
This is not just a short performance that Billy is good at, but rather that he and Elton played with a full chorus with plenty of four. In addition, the atmosphere is full band performance and the arrangement feels respect for George. If you can hear it on an outstanding sound board, you may be able to reaffirm the wonderfulness of this sound source.
Although it was a tour that attracted a lot of attention at that time, it was also a tour where the set list tended to concentrate on the representative songs because it was a co-star of a big name. Among them, it is a wonderful upper version of the classic sound source that captures the day with a lot of things to hear!
★ Ultra high-quality sound board upgrade sound source.
ピアノマンとロケットマンが一緒にステージに立ったことで大好評を博し、長きに渡って行われた「FACE TO FACE」ツアー。その中期におけるサウンドボード代表音源であったのが2002年のハートフォード。抜群の音質を誇るPAアウトのデジタル・サウンドボード録音ということもあって幾度となくアイテムがリリースされてきました。
とはいえPAアウトですので二人の歌声や演奏のクリアネスと引き換えに臨場感の希薄さが否めない。それ以上にモノラルチックなレンジ狭めというPAにありがちな質感も癖のあるものでした。
そこで「Chuckness」を名乗るマニアが2021年の最新テクノロジーを駆使して新たにリマスターしてくれたのが今回リリースされるバージョン。本音源のレンジが狭めかつ暗めな質感を見事に改善してくれたのです。
かといって過剰なイコライズを施して音源の印象をガラリと変えてしまうような押しつけがましいものではなく、そこはChucknessのセンスが光る仕上がり。これほどまで音にメリハリが付いて、なおかつ広がりが生まれたのはお見事だとしか言いようがない。
元々が音質に秀でたサウンドボードではありましたが、これほどの音質であれば、本来ならプレスCDでリリースされたとしてもおかしくないレベル。
1998年には来日公演まで実現した「FACE TO FACE」ツアー、それから何度も行われてきただけに、当時はデュオになってしまったのではと錯覚するほどポピュラーなツアーという印象があったもの。
2002年のステージに関してはエルトンの方に大きな変化がありました。半年前にニューアルバム「SONGS FROM THE WEST COAST」をリリースしたということもあり、同アルバムから「I Want Love」や「This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore」といった新曲がセットインしているところが現役感を漂わせている。
かたやビリーはロックの作曲からの引退を表明し、当時ご執心だったクラシックへの転向の真っただ中。よって「Angry Young Man」の前で作りかけと思われるメロディの断片を弾いてみせる場面も。このように当時の二人の立ち位置の対照的な様子まで伝わってくる貴重録音でもあったのです。
そうは言っても稀代のショーマンたるビリー、そうしたクラシックへの傾倒を覗かせるのはほんの少しであって、後はいつもの彼らしい場面が連発。例えば彼がギターを弾きながら歌う「We Didn’t Start the Fire」の前ではエルヴィスの「All Shook Up」をワンコーラス歌ってみせるのがビリーらしいところ。
そして本音源における最大の魅力と言えば、三か月前に亡くなったばかりのジョージ・ハリスンを偲んで「Here Comes the Sun」を後半のエルトン＆ビリーのジョイント・コーナーの幕開けで演奏してみせたことでしょう。
こちらはビリーがお得意とするさわりだけの短い演奏ではなく、むしろ彼とエルトンががっぷり四つ、なおかつフルコーラスで演奏してくれたというもの。おまけにフルバンド演奏でアレンジもジョージへのリスペクトが感じられる雰囲気。それが抜群のサウンドボードで聞けるとなれば、改めて本音源の素晴らしさを再認識させられるのではないでしょうか。
当時は大きな話題を呼んだツアーながら、ビッグネームの共演ということでセットリストが代表曲に集中しがちだったツアーでもある。そんな中でも特に聞きどころの多い一日を捉えた定番音源の見事なアッパー版です！
★超高音質サウンドボード・アップグレード音源です。
Disc 1 (77:46)
1. Yankee Doodle Intro
2. Union Jack Intro
Billy Joel & Elton John
3. Your Song
4. Just The Way You Are
5. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Elton John
6. Funeral For A Friend > Love Lies Bleeding
7. Someone Save My Life Tonight
8. Philadelphia Freedom
9. I Want Love
10. Rocket Man
11. Take Me To The Pilot
12. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
13. Levon
Disc 2 (64:47)
1. Band Introduction
2. This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore
3. I’m Still Standing
4. Crocodile Rock
Billy Joel
5. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
6. Allentown
7. Don’t Ask Me Why
8. Movin’ Out
9. Prelude
10. Angry Young Man
11. Lullabye
12. River Of Dreams
13. New York State Of Mind
Disc 3 (54:10)
1. I Go To Extremes
2. All Shook Up
3. We Didn’t Start the Fire
4. Only The Good Die Young
5. Ode to Joy / My Life
Billy Joel & Elton John
6. Here Comes the Sun
7. The Bitch is Back
8. You May Be Right
9. Bennie and the Jets
10. Great Balls of Fire
11. Born to Be Wild / Piano Man
SOUNDBOARD RECORDING
ZION-208
