Blood Sweat & Tears / Stockton 1971 / 2CDR

Blood Sweat & Tears / Stockton 1971 / 2CDR / Uxbridge

Live In Stockton, California, USA 27th May 1971

Play sample :

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Translated text:

Brass lock male, BS & T, who blew the world from the end of the 60 ‘s to the beginning of the’ 70 ‘s. Ultra precious ultimate original recording which recorded its heyday is appearing.
Such a work is contained in “Stockton performance on May 27, 1971”. It is an audience recording which recorded the site completely. When I play it, I can hear a Japanese conversation (it is modest enough to finally understand Japanese at full volume, contents can not be distinguished), but in fact it was Japanese who recorded this work. It is original recording only of this work by the record company staff at that time.
Even just that fact is too rare, but its preciousness is also wonderful for outstanding quality. Although it is not the type that sound board mistake, it is a name recording where the powerful core reaches straight in extremely thick. Middle range is a luxurious but still fat, while in audience recording a lot of bass that tends to be weak are plenty. Actually, if the loud is a bit more loud, the peak will be distorted? It is stubborn enough to think that it is still glossy that stops beyond the limit is wonderful. There is not a feeling of skusker that tends to be found in the guest books of the 1970s.
This strength is precisely because it is the official’s seat. I guess it is perfectly guessed, but was not it recording for work materials? Speaking of zero distance, it is a lie, but both talking and cheering are far away, and the ensemble jumps into hand at hand, despite the nine large households including 4 tubes. Another, the strength of the original master is freshness. Smoothness without dubbing, distortion free in every range. It feels firmly from the sound.
It is the treasure of brass rock that is painted with such a vintage sound. Speaking of BS & T at the time, it is three months after the legendary first visit to Japan, just before the release of “BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS 4”. The members are the same as 2nd “BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS” of a huge hit, and the set also acts on a large scale from 2nd album. Not to mention “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, “Smiling Phases” and “And When I Die”, 7 songs out of 10 albums will be shown.
And, Classics which is overwhelmed between those is delicious. “Somethin ‘Comin’ On” for debut, 3rd album “Lucretia MaccEvil / Lucretia’s Reprise”. “Go Down Gamblin ‘” and “Cowboys And Indians” will be played from the 4th album just before release, which will be a single hit two months later. Even if you compare it with the official masterpiece “IN CONCERT”, only 4 songs are dubbed, and this work is more concentrated in early masterpieces. That is the live album that you can enjoy as a live performance “GREATEST HITS”.
It is a goods which can be enjoyed with the finest vintage sound that makes elegance of the ensemble intact as it is the legendary first visit to Japan. After this, BS & T will lose David · Clayton · Thomas and decay rapidly. However, what is inscribed in this work is the season’s stage just before that. Enjoy the wind of success throughout the body and the ensemble reached mature range. It is a real live album that stays in the scene and can soak the whole body in the brass rock of the highest. One to call it a cultural heritage. Please, please thoroughly bit me all my heart.

60年代末から70年代初頭にかけて一世を風靡したブラスロックの雄、BS&T。その全盛期を記録した超貴重な極上オリジナル録音が登場です。
そんな本作に収められているのは「1971年5月27日ストックトン公演」。その現場を完全収録したオーディエンス録音です。再生すると日本語の会話も聞こえます(フルボリュームでやっと日本語と分かるほどささやかで、内容までは判別できません)が、実は本作を記録したのは日本人。当時のレコード会社スタッフによる本作だけのオリジナル録音なのです。
その事実だけでもレアすぎるのですが、その貴重さも度外視のクオリティが素晴らしい。サウンドボード間違えるようなタイプでこそありませんが、極太で力強い芯が真っ直ぐ届く名録音。中音域は艶屋でありながらファットであり、オーディエンス録音では弱みになりがちな低音もたっぷりとした手応え。実際、もう少しラウドだったらピークが歪むんじゃないか?と思うほどに逞しく、それでいて限度を超える寸前で止まる艶やかさが素晴らしい。70年代の客録にありがちなスカスカ感がまるでない。
この力強さは、恐らく関係者席だからこそのもの。完全に推測ですが、仕事の資料用に録音したのではないでしょうか。ゼロ距離と言えばウソになりますが、話し声も歓声もやけに遠く、4管を含む9人の大所帯にも関わらずアンサンブルが手元に綺麗に飛び込んでくる。もう1つ、オリジナル・マスターの強みは鮮度。ダビングを経ていない滑らかさ、すべての音域で歪みのない瑞々しさ。それがしっかり音からも感じられるのです。
そんな瑞々しいヴィンテージ・サウンドで描かれるのは、ブラスロックの至宝。当時のBS&Tと言えば、伝説の初来日の3ヶ月後であり、『BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS 4』の発売直前。メンバーは大ヒット作の2nd『BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS』と同一で、セットも2ndアルバムから大盤振る舞い。「You’ve Made Me So Very Happy」「Smiling Phases」「And When I Die」はもちろんのこと、アルバム全10曲中7曲が披露されるのです。
そして、その合間にまぶされるクラシックスも美味しい。デビュー作の「Somethin’ Comin’ On」、3rdアルバムの「Lucretia MaccEvil / Lucretia’s Reprise」。発売直前の4thアルバムからは2ヶ月後にシングルヒットすることになる「Go Down Gamblin’」と「Cowboys And Indians」が演奏される。公式の名作『IN CONCERT』と比較してもダブるのは4曲だけであり、本作の方がより初期の名曲が濃厚。それこそ、生演奏版の『GREATEST HITS』として楽しめてしまうライヴアルバムなのです。
 伝説の初来日そのままのアンサンブルを気品さえ漂わせる極上のヴィンテージ・サウンドで楽しめる銘品です。この後、デヴィッド・クレイトン・トーマスを失って急速に衰退して行ってしまうBS&T。しかし、本作に刻まれているのはその直前に迎えた旬のステージなのです。成功の風を全身で楽しみ、アンサンブルも円熟の域に達した時期。その現場に佇み、至高のブラスロックに全身を浸しきれるリアルなライヴアルバムです。まさに文化遺産と呼ぶべき1本。どうぞ、心ゆくまでじっくりと噛みしめてください。
Disc 1(39:24)
1. Intro. 2. More And More 3. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy 4. Go Down Gamblin’
5. God Bless The Child 6. Somethin’ Comin’ On 7. Sometimes In Winter
Disc 2(49:31)
1. Lucretia MaccEvil/Lucretia’s Reprise 2. Cowboys And Indians 3. Smiling Phases
4. And When I Die 5. Spining Wheel
David Clayton-Thomas – lead vocals Fred Lipsius – alto saxophone, piano
Lew Soloff – trumpet Chuck Winfield – trumpet Jerry Hyman – trombone
Steve Katz – guitar Dick Halligan – keyboards Jim Fielder – bass Bobby Colomby – drums

 

Uxbridge 968

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