David Bowie / Seattle 1976 / 2CD

David Bowie / Seattle 1976 / 2CD / Wardour
Translated Text:

Live at Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA. USA 3rd February 1976.


Click Image To Enlarge


An upgraded version of the superb sound source representing “ISOLAR 1976 TOUR” appears. That superb sound source is “Seattle performance on February 3, 1976”. It is the very early show of “ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”. When I say “the early 1976”, I also introduced the decision board “CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT (Wardour – 228)” the other day, but there are tours 19 tours over there. On the contrary, this work is a tour 2 tour of the past two more weeks back.
Recording such an early Seattle performance was once released as “THROWING DARTS IN” from the Uxbridge label. This work is not what remastered that “THROWING DARTS IN” ……. In our shop, we receive supervised mastering and mastering from the worldwide authority of Bowie research, but this work is the latest bullet. The authority is the vertex board that pushes the drumming with “this best masters”.
That quality is exactly the top of “ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”. Originally it was a work published from the “THROWING DARTS IN” by a prestigious JEMS, but it was somewhat felt the distance. However, this time the master goes “as much as a sound board” on the ground. The sound music is thick, and it makes us full of full show without trivial blurring or shaking. In the scales of the workplace, “CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT” gets ridiculous, but with direct feeling and clear, this work goes up. That is all the notes of all the instruments, from the hi-hat of the drum and the one of the base slapping, are clear, but especially the wonderful is the singing voice of Bowie. It reaches straight from within a balanced ensemble, sometimes bullshit, sometimes gently whispers. Even until its breathing is vivid, the reality is correctly 100% real.
The quality of “The Thin White Duke’s world” painted with its quality is wonderful and precious. As a matter of fact, “ISOLAR 1976 TOUR” has extremely low quality live recordings. Although there are some soundboards, they are both incomplete recordings. There is also a full pro shot of the famous rehearsal, but it is a rehearsal to the last. It was far from the feeling of tension such as redoing the failure. On the other hand, this work can fully taste the full show of the stage with the spectators in front, with top quality.
Also, plenty of taste unique to the tour early. In ‘CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT’, the moment when changing the set was drawn, but this work is the very early form before changing. The station dash “Station To Station” “Suffragette City” is exactly the same, but from there enter the “Im Waiting For The Man” of THE VELVET UNDERGROUND and show variety. Then, he pulls in “The Thin White Duke’s world” with three consecutive “Word On A Wing” “Stay” “TVC 15”. Conversely “Fame” “Queen Bitch” is arranged in the late climax. This trend is also fresh, but the extreme is “Sister Midnight”. We also revived in 2003, but until that time it was the cover of Iggy Pop which was limited in 1976. Not to mention “CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT”, this song is a rare song that I could not listen even with the soundboard album “ROTTERDAM 1976 (Wardour-186)”. It can be tasted with the finest sound.
While the performance itself can see the solidity of the beginning of the tour, on the other hand, high-tension ad-lib bursts in “Panic In Detroit” as soon as possible. Dandy singing mouth, plenty of aggressive scats. The keyboard of Tony Kay (original yuan) involved in it is also interesting, while also noticing the grooving of the time when he was leaning towards Seoul. Using a 60’s style organ, melodon, piano, the performance which reminiscent of the later DETECTIVE builds a unique world view.
After such a main part show, we recorded precious sound board recording as bonus. This is a pattern when I appeared on CBS’s popular program “DINAH SHORE SHOW” recorded on “January 3, 1976” preceding the tour. Although this screen is somewhat sweet on the screen, what is known with wonderful sound. In this work, I recorded it with the master carefully selected by the aforementioned researcher.

Both “Ziggy” and “Berlin era” also differ from the name board “STATION TO STATION” and the world of “pearl marquis”. A masterpiece of a full live album that draws the singing voice with the finest sound. It is the top of the 100% sound of the 100% sound which is superior to “CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT” which received great popularity. This masterpiece, by all means to your collection.

“ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”を代表する極上音源のアップグレード版が登場です。その極上音源とは「1976年2月3日シアトル公演」。“ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”の極初期ショウです。「1976年の初期」というと、先日も決定盤『CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT(Wardour-228)』もご紹介しましたが、あちらはツアー19公演目。それに対し、本作はさらに2週間ほど遡ったツアー2公演目です。
そんな極初期のシアトル公演の録音は、かつてUxbridgeレーベルから『THROWING DARTS IN』としてリリースされたこともある。本作は、その『THROWING DARTS IN』をリマスターしたもの……ではありません。当店では、ボウイ研究の世界的権威からマスター提供とマスタリング監修を受けておりますが、本作はその最新弾。権威が「これぞベスト・マスター」と太鼓判を押した頂点盤なのです。
そのクオリティは、まさに“ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”の頂点。そもそも『THROWING DARTS IN』からして名門JEMSが公表した業物だったわけですが、やや距離を感じるものでもありました。ところが、今回のマスターは「まるでサウンドボード」を地で行く。骨太な楽音はどこまでも肉厚で、些細なブレも揺れもなくフルショウをたっぷりと聴かせてくれる。現場のスケール感では『CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT』に軍配が上がりますが、ダイレクト感とクリアっぷりでは本作が上を行く。それこそ、ドラムのハイハットやベースのスラッピング1発に至るまで、すべての楽器の全ノートが克明なのですが、特に素晴らしいのはボウイの歌声。均整の取れたアンサンブルの中から真っ直ぐに届き、時に雄々しく吠え、時に優しく囁く。その息づかいまでもが鮮やかでありながら、リアリティは正しく本生100%なのです。
そのクオリティで描かれる“The Thin White Dukeの世界”は素晴らしくも貴重。実のところ、この“ISOLAR 1976 TOUR”はハイクオリティなライヴ記録が極端に少ないのです。サウンドボードもいくつかあるものの、それはいずれも不完全収録。有名なリハーサルのフル・プロショットもありますが、それはあくまでもリハーサル。失敗をやり直すなど本番の緊張感とはほど遠いものでした。それに対し、本作は観客を前にしたステージのフルショウが頂点クオリティで存分に味わえるわけです。
また、ツアー極初期ならではの旨みもたっぷり。『CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT』では、セットを変化させていく刹那が描かれていましたが、本作は変化する前の極初期形。スタートダッシュの「Station To Station」「Suffragette City」こそ同じですが、そこからTHE VELVET UNDERGROUNDの「Im Waiting For The Man」へ突入し、バラエティを見せつける。その上で「Word On A Wing」「Stay」「TVC 15」の3連発で“The Thin White Dukeの世界”へ引き込む。逆に「Fame」「Queen Bitch」は後半のクライマックスに配されています。こうした流れも新鮮ですが、極めつけは「Sister Midnight」。2003年に復活もしましたが、それまでは1976年限定だったイギー・ポップのカバーです。この曲は『CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT』はおろか、サウンドボードアルバム『ROTTERDAM 1976(Wardour-186)』でも聴けなかったレア曲。それが極上サウンドで味わえるのです。
演奏自体にはツアー序盤の堅実さも見えますが、その一方で「Panic In Detroit」では早くもハイテンションなアドリブが炸裂。ダンディな歌い口も、アグレッシヴなスキャットもたっぷり。ソウルに傾倒していた時期のグルーヴもさることながら、そこに絡むトニー・ケイ(元YES)の鍵盤も面白い。60年代スタイルのオルガンやメロトン、ピアノを駆使し、後のDETECTIVEを彷彿とさせる演奏ぶりが独特な世界観を築いています。
そんな本編ショウの後には、貴重なサウンドボード録音もボーナス収録いたしました。これはツアーに先立つ「1976年1月3日」に収録されたCBSの人気番組“DINAH SHORE SHOW”に出演した際の模様。この放送は画面こそやや甘いものの、素晴らしい音声で知られるもの。本作では、前述の研究家が厳選したマスターで収録いたしました。

“ジギー”とも、“ベルリン時代”とも違う名盤『STATION TO STATION』と“青白い侯爵”の世界。その歌声を極上サウンドで描ききったフル・ライヴアルバムの大傑作。大好評を賜った『CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT』に勝るとも劣らない本生100%サウンドの頂点盤。この傑作、ぜひあなたのコレクションに。

Disc 1 (58:10)
1. Intro. 2. Station To Station 3. Suffragette City 4. I’m Waiting For The Man 5. Word On A Wing
6. Stay 7. TVC 15 8. Sister Midnight 9. Life On Mars? 10. Five Years

Disc 2 (43:20)
1. Panic In Detroit 2. Fame 3. Changes 4. The Jean Genie 5. Queen Bitch 6. Rebel Rebel

Bonus Tracks
Dinah Shore Show
CBS Television City, Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA. USA 3rd January 1976

7. Stay 8. Five Years

The Thin White Duke: Vocals / Saxophone

Raw Moon:
Carlos Alomar: Rhythm Guitar Dennis Davis: Drums / Percussion George Muray: Bass
Stacey Heydon: Lead Guitar Tony Kaye: Keyboards / Synthesizers’

Wardour-232

 

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.