Bon Jovi / Yokohama Stadium 1996 1st & 2nd Nights / 2CDR+2DVDR

Bon Jovi / Yokohama Stadium 1996 1st & 2nd Nights / 2CDR+2DVDR / Shades

Live at Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama

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BON JOVI from the “THESE DAYS” era showed off their tremendous popularity in Japan by holding stadium tours for two consecutive years even in the 1990s when heavyness was raging. Two titles of the best live set will be released at the same time.
Both of these two series are masterpieces that convey the story of three consecutive performances at Yokohama Stadium. This work is a 4-disc set that includes a superb audience recording of the first part, “May 18, 1996 (first day) performance,” and a multi-camera professional shot of the following “May 19, 1996 (second day) performance.” . As mentioned above, “THESE DAYS Tour” has come to Japan twice, and this time there will be 3 performances with 2 titles. To avoid confusion, be sure to check the dates for both visits to Japan.

●1995
・May 13th “FOREVER AND A DAY (Fukuoka)”
・May 16th: Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium
・May 19th: Tokyo Dome
《“THESE DAYS” released on June 12th》
●1996
・May 14th: Fukuoka Dome
・May 16th: Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium
・May 18th: Yokohama Stadium ←★This CD edition★
・May 19th: Yokohama Stadium ←★DVD edition★
・May 20th “YOKOHAMA STADIUM 1996 3RD NIGHT”

This is Live in Japan in the “THESE DAYS” era. What is recorded in this work is the first and second day of the three consecutive performances at Yokohama Stadium in 1996. Now, let’s introduce each one individually.

[CD version (first day): 2-disc set of original recordings with superb sound] The first thing that will appear is a transcendental audience recording that allows you to fully experience the first day. This is an original DAT recording given to me by the recording artist himself, but it has extremely high sound quality. There was no sense of spacing in the dense core, and since Yokohama Stadium had no ceiling or walls, there was no echo. Probably the sound from the PA was picked up directly. Even if you listen carefully with headphones, you won’t be able to feel any atmospheric elements, and every detail will be clear and vivid right into your ears.
To put it bluntly, it’s called “just like a soundboard,” and even when I listened to it alternately with the soundboard audio from the standard 2nd day pro shot (described later), I was surprised that it didn’t lose at all. In other words, it is even comparable to the official work “LIVE FROM LONDON”, which is a symbol of “THESE DAYS Tour”.

[DVD version (2nd day): Best master of the classic professional shot] The original recording alone is heart-warming, but this work also includes a video version. This is a multi-camera professional shot of the second day’s performance. This show was broadcast on a certain satellite broadcasting station, and it is a classic among the classics that has produced many existing groups since that time. In particular, our gift title “YOKOHAMA 1996 2ND NIGHT” was a masterpiece that was praised by enthusiasts as “this is the best!”. This work is a set of best masters that still cannot be surpassed.
Well, what is depicted with such a transcendent full recording and the best master of professional shots are two delicious performances of the valuable “THESE DAYS” number. The sets for the first and second days are slightly different, so let’s organize them here.

●These Days (8 songs + α)
・Hey God/All I Want Is Everything(*)/(It’s Hard) Letting You Go(★*)/Something To Believe In/Something For The Pain/These Days/My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms(★)/Diamond Ring (incl. Damned) (★)
●Classics (15 songs + α)
・Wild in the Streets: You Give Love A Bad Name/Wanted Dead Or Alive/I’d Die For You/Livin’ On A Prayer
・New Jersey: Lay Your Hands On Me/Bad Medicine/Blood On Blood/I’ll Be There For You (★)
・Keep The Faith: In These Arms/I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (incl. Brown Sugar)/Keep The Faith
・Others: Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night/Always (★)/Runaway/Blaze Of Glory
*Note: Songs marked with an asterisk (*) are only included in the first day live album version. Also, songs marked with a “★” cannot be heard in the sister work “YOKOHAMA STADIUM 1996 3RD NIGHT (Shades 1875)”.

…and it looks like this. Originally, it should be compared with the official work “LIVE FROM LONDON” of the same tour, but the official video was edited to only 90 minutes. It is not an enemy of this work, which is “approximately 2 and a half hours x 2 performances”. Moreover, the content is a large number of “THESE DAYS” numbers that can no longer be expected. In particular, “My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms” and “All I Want Is Everything”, which was a bonus track on the Japanese version, are limited edition songs that have not been played since this tour. You can enjoy even such rare songs with the highest quality of official bare feet. Furthermore, the performance that spells out such a set is also wonderful. The album had a somber style, but they injected stage tension and dynamism into it. The masterpieces are pumped up with rock-like dynamism while retaining the richness of the melodies.
BON JOVI from the “THESE DAYS” era countered the increasingly depressing scene with a rich and rich melody. This is a superb live set that brings the treasured songs contained in the hidden masterpieces to life in an open stadium. A blockbuster 4-disc set that rivals the official work “LIVE FROM LONDON”…or even beats it. Please enjoy to your heart’s content!

★4-disc set of Yokohama Stadium performance set of “May 18, 1996 (superb audience recording) + May 19, 1996 (multi-camera professional shot)”. The CD version is a reprint of the legendary recording said to be official quality from Omoto DAT, and the DVD version is the best master of the classic professional shot. It is an absolute work that exceeds the official work that even the official work “LIVE FROM LONDON” of “THESE DAYS Tour” is out of the question.

ヘヴィネス吹き荒れる90年代にあっても2年連続のスタジアム・ツアーを実現させ、絶大な日本人気を見せつけた『THESE DAYS』時代のBON JOVI。その極上ライヴ・セットが2タイトル同時リリース決定です。
今回の2連作は、どちらも横浜スタジアムの3連続公演を伝える大作。本作は前編にあたる「1996年5月18日(初日)公演」の超極上オーディエンス録音と、翌「5月19日(2日目)公演」のマルチカメラ・プロショットをセットした4枚組です。前述の通り“THESE DAYS Tour”の来日は二度あり、しかも今回は2タイトルで3公演。混乱を避けるためにも、二度の来日日程をまとめて確認しておきましょう。

●1995年
・5月13日『FOREVER AND A DAY(福岡)』
・5月16日:阪急西宮スタジアム
・5月19日:東京ドーム
《6月12日『THESE DAYS』発売》
●1996年
・5月14日:福岡ドーム
・5月16日:阪急西宮スタジアム
・5月18日:横浜スタジアム ←★本作CD篇★
・5月19日:横浜スタジアム ←★本作DVD編★
・5月20日『YOKOHAMA STADIUM 1996 3RD NIGHT』

これが『THESE DAYS』時代のライヴ・イン・ジャパン。本作に収録されているのは、1996年の横浜スタジアム3連続公演のうち初日と2日目にあたります。それでは、それぞれ個別にご紹介していきましょう。

【CD篇(初日):超絶級サウンドのオリジナル録音2枚組】
まず登場するのは、初日をフル体験できる超絶級オーディエンス録音。録音家本人から譲られたオリジナルDAT録音なのですが、これが凄まじいまでの高音質。密度たっぷりの芯にはスカスカ感がまるでなく、天井も壁もない横浜スタジアムだけに反響もゼロ。恐らくPAの出音を間近でダイレクトに拾ったのでしょう。ヘッドフォンで耳を澄ませても大気成分が感じられず、細部の微細部までくっきり鮮やかなディテールが耳元に飛び込んでくるのです。
ぶっちゃけた話が「まるでサウンドボード」というヤツでして、大定番の2日目プロショット(後述)のサウンドボード音声と交互に聴いてもまったく負けていないからビックリ。もっと言えば、“THESE DAYS Tour”の象徴である公式作『LIVE FROM LONDON』にさえ匹敵するのです。

【DVD編(2日目):大定番プロショットのベスト・マスター】
そんなオリジナル録音だけでも胸アツなのですが、本作はさらに映像篇もセット。2日目公演のマルチカメラ・プロショットです。このショウは某衛星放送局で放送され、当時から幾多の既発群を生んできた定番中の大定番。特に当店のギフト・タイトル『YOKOHAMA 1996 2ND NIGHT』はマニア筋から「これぞベスト!」の誉れ高き最高峰マスターでした。本作は、今なお超える物のないベスト・マスターをセットしたわけです。
さて、そんな超絶フル録音とプロショットのベスト・マスターで描かれるのは、貴重な『THESE DAYS』ナンバーも美味しい2公演。初日と2日目では微妙にセットも異なっていますので、ここで併せて整理しておきましょう。

●ジーズ・デイズ(8曲+α)
・Hey God/All I Want Is Everything(*)/(It’s Hard) Letting You Go(★*)/Something To Believe In/Something For The Pain/These Days/My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms(★)/Diamond Ring (incl. Damned)(★)
●クラシックス(15曲+α)
・ワイルド・イン・ザ・ストリーツ:You Give Love A Bad Name/Wanted Dead Or Alive/I’d Die For You/Livin’ On A Prayer
・ニュージャージー:Lay Your Hands On Me/Bad Medicine/Blood On Blood/I’ll Be There For You(★)
・キープ・ザ・フェイス:In These Arms/I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (incl. Brown Sugar)/Keep The Faith
・その他:Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night/Always(★)/Runaway/Blaze Of Glory
※注:「*」印は初日ライヴアルバム篇だけの曲。また「★」印は姉妹作『YOKOHAMA STADIUM 1996 3RD NIGHT(Shades 1875)』で聴けない曲。

……と、このようになっています。本来なら同じツアーの公式作『LIVE FROM LONDON』と比較すべきなのでしょうが、オフィシャル映像はわずか90分に編集された不甲斐なさ。「約2時間半×2公演」の本作の敵ではありません。しかも、その内容は今では望めなくなった『THESE DAYS』ナンバーの大盤振る舞い。特に「My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms」や日本盤ボーナストラックだった「All I Want Is Everything」はこのツアー以降は演奏されていない限定曲。そんなレア曲までオフィシャル裸足の極上クオリティで楽しめてしまうのです。さらに、そんなセットを綴るパフォーマンスも素晴らしい。アルバムは渋みの効いた作風でもありましたが、そこにステージ・テンションと躍動感を注入。メロディの滋味深さはそのままに、ロックらしいダイナミズムで名曲群がパンプアップしているのです。
重苦しくなる一方だったシーンに対し、滋味深いメロディで対抗していた『THESE DAYS』時代のBON JOVI。隠れ名盤に封じられた秘宝曲を開放的なスタジアムで躍動させた極上ライヴ・セットです。オフィシャル作品『LIVE FROM LONDON』にも負けない……いや、勝ってさえいる超大作4枚組。どうぞ、お腹いっぱいお楽しみください!

★「1996年5月18日(超極上オーディエンス録音)+5月19日(マルチカメラ・プロショット)」の横浜スタジアム公演セット4枚組。CD篇はオフィシャル級と言われた伝説録音を大元DATから復刻した銘品で、DVD編は大定番プロショットのベスト・マスター。“THESE DAYS Tour”の公式作『LIVE FROM LONDON』さえ問題外にするオフィシャル超えの絶対作です。

CD
Live at Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan 18th May 1996
Disc 1(78:19)
01. Lay Your Hands On Me
02. Bad Medicine
03. Hey God
04. You Give Love A Bad Name
05. All I Want Is Everything
06. (It’s Hard) Letting You Go
07. Something To Believe In
08. Blood On Blood
09. Wanted Dead Or Alive
10. I’d Die For You
11. In These Arms
12. Something For The Pain
13. Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night

Disc 2(75:41)
01. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead~Brown Sugar
02. Keep The Faith
Encore 1
03. Always
04. These Days
05. Runaway
Encore 2
06. Blaze Of Glory
07. I’ll Be There For You
Encore 3
08. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
09. Diamond Ring~Damned
10. Livin’ On A Prayer

DVD
Live at Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama, Japan 19th May 1996 PRO-SHOT
Disc 1(95:02)
1. Lay Your Hands On Me
2. Bad Medicine
3. Hey God
4. You Give Love A Bad Name
5. Runaway
6. I’ll Be There For You
7. Something To Believe In
8. Blood On Blood
9. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Acoustic)
10. I’d Die For You (Acoustic)
11. In These Arms (Acoustic)
12. Something For The Pain
13. Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
14. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead/ Brown Sugar / I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
15. Keep The Faith

Disc 2(43:20)
1. Always
2. Blaze Of Glory
3. These Days
4. My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms
5. Diamond Ring (Acapella)
6. Damned / If Loving You Is Wrong / Damned
7. Livin’ On A Prayer

PRO-SHOT COLOUR NTSC Approx.138min.

Shades 1874

 

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