David Lindley & El Rayo X / Los Angeles 1989 Mike Millard First Generation Cassette / 1CDR / Uxbridge
Live At Universal Amphitheater Los Angeles CA USA 13th August 1989.
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Master excavation project of legendary master Mike Millard who became a big business symbolizing 2020. Even after entering December, the excavation momentum has accelerated rather than slowed down, and the source is not likely to run out. The latest work of such a project, David Lindley, is now available. What is recorded in this work is “August 13, 1989 Los Angeles performance”. It is the best audience recording. Speaking of Lindley in 1989, it is memorable that the performance in Japan was realized, but at the same time, it was also the time when the band “EL RAYO-X” was disbanded. In order to understand the situation, let’s look back on the schedule at that time. ・ March 4-April 15: North America # 1 ・ April 24-May 3: Japan (8 performances) ・ May 21-June 25: North America # 2 ・ July 29-September 9: North America # 3 ← ★ Coco ★ ・ November 15-December 31: North America # 4 《EL RAYO-X dissolution》 This is David Lindley in 1989. There are many vague points in the data at that time, and it is hard to say the details such as the number of performances. However, I think you can understand the overall flow. The final work “VERY GREASY” with “EL RAYO-X” was released in 1988, and the following 1989 is only a tour. After the performance in Japan in early spring, I have been working on a national tour, and at the end of the New Year’s Eve live, “EL RAYO-X” was disbanded. The Los Angeles performance of this work is the latter half of such a national tour. It was the first act of “North America # 3” which was the opening of Jackson Browne. This work recorded at such a show is a valuable audience recording. Lindley’s recording itself is valuable in the first place, but it is also rare as a mirrored collection. Actually, Millard is a person who doesn’t record the undercard band very much. His work is said to be over 300, of which only a little less than 20 are the opening recordings. In fact, Lindley was recorded twice in the few undercard recordings. It’s an episode that shows how Millard liked Lindley. Aside from that, this work is also a “regrettable!” Live album that was not perfect while being superb. What is regrettable is the opening scene. The first minute and a half of “Mercury Blues” was messed up and almost no music. This turbulence is a bit daring, as if it started with avant-garde krautrock or noise music. It’s not krautrock because it returns to normal sound in a minute and a half (it’s natural), but even so, it’s a mistake that is not like Millard, which is also a symbol of recording history. Kobo also says that it is a mistake in writing, but … However, after the turbulence, it suddenly turned around! This time, even in the mirrored collection, it will be a special super-super … (omitted) … It will quickly change to the best sound. Completely official class from corner to corner. It’s not a story without a sense of distance, but there is no sense of space in the sound and there is no audience-like feeling. Official live album … No, it’s a super-adhesive sound that seems to overdub the studio work. In 2020, we introduced countless mirrored works, but in the sense that it is “not like an audience”, this work is probably No. 1. The show drawn with that sound is a show that concentrates on the short time of the undercard (about 38 minutes). As a matter of fact, it’s only 5 songs, so it’s not enough to analyze the set, but among them, “EL RAYO LIVE” only suffers from “Mercury Blues” and “Talk To The Lawyer”. Lightnin’Hopkins’ “Ain’t It Crazy” and “Let The Good Times Roll” will entertain you with a variety of numbers. Even so, even if I return it, I regret the first minute and a half of “Mercury Blues”. If it weren’t for that disorder, it could have been an ultra-high-quality album that was outstanding even in the Mirrored collection … To put it the other way around, it’s a rare document with mistakes that aren’t like masters, and it’s a live album with a shocking quality that can’t be helped even if the shortcomings are aside. One of the super-impact that can’t be found anywhere else, good or bad. Please take a look and experience it. ★ The best audience recording of “August 13, 1989 Los Angeles performance”. A brand name by legendary master Mike Millard, it is completely official class from corner to corner. It’s not a story without a sense of distance, but there is no sense of space in the sound and there is no audience-like feeling. Official live album … No, it’s a super-adhesive sound that seems to overdub the studio work. However, at the beginning of “Mercury Blues”, there was a disturbance that was not like a mirrored one. It is a rare document with mistakes that are not like a master, and it is a live album with a shocking quality that can not be helped even if the defects are aside.
これが1989年のデヴィッド・リンドレー。当時のデータにはあやふやな点が多く、ちょっと公演数などの細部は断言しがたいところ。ただ、全体的な流れはご理解いただけるのではないでしょうか。“EL RAYO-X”との最終作『VERY GREASY』は1988年中にリリースされており、翌1989年はツアーのみ。春先の来日公演の後は全米ツアーに勤しんでおり、大晦日ライヴを最後に“EL RAYO-X”解散となりました。本作のロサンゼルス公演は、そんな全米ツアーの後半。ジャクソン・ブラウンのオープニングを務めた「北米#3」の一幕でした。 そんなショウで記録された本作は、貴重なオーディエンス録音。そもそもリンドレーの録音自体が貴重なのですが、ミラード・コレクションとしても珍しい。実は、ミラードはあまり前座バンドを録音しない人。彼の作品は300以上とも言われているのですが、そのうちオープニング録音は20回弱しかないのです。それほど数少ない前座録音の中で、実はリンドレーは二度録音されている。ミラードがいかにリンドレーを気に入っていたのかが透けるエピソードです。 さておき、そんな本作は超絶級に極上でありつつ、完璧とは行かなかった「惜しい！」ライヴアルバムでもあります。何が惜しいかと言えば、開演シーン。「Mercury Blues」の冒頭１分半がメチャクチャに乱れ、ほとんど音楽になっていないのです。この乱れ方はちょっと豪快で、まるでアヴァンギャルドなクラウトロックかノイズミュージックでも始まったのかと思うほど。１分半で通常のサウンドに戻るのでクラウトロックではない（当たり前ですね）のですが、それにしても録音史の象徴でもあるミラードらしからぬミス。弘法にも筆の誤りとは言いますが……。 しかし、その乱れを過ぎると一気に大逆転！ 今度はミラード・コレクションでも別格の超・超・…（中略）…極上サウンドに早変わりする。もう隅から隅まで完全オフィシャル級。距離感がないどころの話ではなく、鳴りにも空間感覚が皆無でオーディエンスっぽさゼロ。公式ライヴアルバム……いえ、スタジオ作品に手拍子をオーバーダブしたかのような超ド密着サウンド。2020年には無数のミラード作品をご紹介してきましたが、こと「オーディエンスらしくない」という意味では、本作がNo.1でしょう。 そのサウンドで描かれるショウは、前座の短い持ち時間（約38分）に持ち味を濃縮したようなショウ。実のところ、わずか５曲なのでセット分析をするほどでもないのですが、その中でも『EL RAYO LIVE』と被るのは「Mercury Blues」「Talk To The Lawyer」のみ。ライトニン・ホプキンスの「Ain’t It Crazy」や「Let The Good Times Roll」など、多彩なナンバーで愉しませてくれるのです。
GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) 
