Deep Purple / Osaka 2016 / 2CD

Deep Purple / Osaka 2016 / 2CD / Darker Than Blue

Translated Text:
Live at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 16th May 2016

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“This is is, is my ideal” …… understated while Takumi of inscription article has been sent along with the strong words also appeared. The main of this word, the people there and known virtuoso “West strongest taper” Mr. Japan. The center also HR / HM until now, a number of wide range of masterpiece from classic rock up to the Nile Rodgers in the recording who’ve been in mono, is a master craftsman in the master craftsman, which is said to the sometimes “better sound than the site” . This work, that he was, you live album that tighten say it “they sound itself, which has the aim”. Its protagonist, DEEP PURPLE. Just the other day 15 time of the visit to Japan, “May 16, Osaka Festival Hall 2016” than the performance of the just finished is the audience, the album that contains the performance. It is live, which was introduced in just the other day coupling board of the Nippon Budokan also performed “LIVE IN JAPAN 2016 (Shades 647)”, but of course this work is another recording.
This master craftsman who has earnestly to record a masterpiece of much not be reminded to talk about “my ideal.” Definite winner, but I tried to amazing sound of wonder and thought to play ……… This is, certainly. And I will speak on this occasion, “the strongest” Mr. does not mean us to offer anything and everything what was Roku’. Even if the popular band, not Kudasara never to hear also ask you were sound that does not convince yourself. Out of the high’s mouth such pride “ideal” So, we can knew not odd, but ….
Even if the other day of “LIVE IN JAPAN 2016”, Osaka performance is especially popular in the high-quality sound. In fact, it is was a great name recorded in more than twelve minutes listening to now, the “ideal” of the master craftsman was the lone pass. All of the range, each instrument is Kiritachi as clearly as in the sound board, stable and that Nante glossy …… to each sound is preeminent, commonplace dimension. It is building a whole in perfect balance. As used herein, the term “balance” is not a story of only stereo senses and treble, bass, direct feeling and field sense of thick, clear and sound pressure, delicate and powerful, beauty and vivid, and come up with a three-dimensional sense of …… all point has been established in the exquisite balance, such as standing on top of the blade. In addition, you it is through a full-length in the sense of stability not move an inch. More powerful and musical sound a like a sound board, “God is built was” in the Osaka Festival Hall, which is said to the acoustic beauty. They are drawn out to the maximum, it still sounds mutually enhance each other. “Strongest” he said, “would like IEMs matrix? But this, I’m pure audience,” but had been laughing with, not such the outrageous story. No matter how precisely mix, in Gotoki interception can not have this natural sound and feeling of air. ‘s The frontier of sound inhospitable for any mix and equalizing.
In this work, the name of the venue acoustic, technology and equipment of the master craftsman, and I mean luck is unhurried ambience, it does not lead to frontier up here alone it. The last piece is in there sound DEEP PURPLE of great performance. Of course, it is not exactly the same as the “MADE IN JAPAN” because it is 44 years from the first visit to Japan. However, it unabated also somewhat the splendor of the know exhausted was “sound” musical instruments, flexible ensemble is going to flexibly dominate the space. But it was mentioned in the commentary of “LIVE IN JAPAN 2016”, this time of the Japan tour very early in the World Tour, which was resumed. Soredakeni early in the schedule I heard was also firmness to the performance, in Osaka, which was doing a concert every day, while loose feel good, tired also unfolds with no top form of performance at all. Venue, recording artist, band …… all of which’s the what of the live album because I engaged all.

Anyway, and say audience recording of “should I Re recorded at a high microphone in the vicinity of the PA desk” but some taper. Certainly, but still it becomes a reasonably good sound, but the people of the “master craftsman”, “masters” have seen that earlier. Years and years also continue to carry the foot to the venue looking for a good position, it is bought a new nothing units of equipment to explore the setting. No longer “investigator” and Why is determine the “ideal sound of” the stoic about even say. It is, because I like the lock is solely. Because I want to leave a good sound with full force. And, … because I want to share with people understand. ‘re Stuck in this work is evident because we were Yarra is in “audience recording” made a strange culture, “frontier of sound” mind shaken are. LIVE of 44 years, which played to the ideal of the master craftsman IN JAPAN, please.

「これが、私の理想です」……控えめながらも力強い言葉を添えて送られてきた匠の銘品が登場です。この言葉の主は、日本にその人ありと知られた名手“西日本最強テーパー”氏。今までもHR/HMを中心に、クラシック・ロックからナイル・ロジャースに至るまで幅広い名作の数々をモノにしてきた録音家で、時に“現場よりも良い音”とまで言われる名匠中の名匠です。本作は、その彼をして、“自分が目指してきたサウンドそのもの”とまで言わしめたライヴアルバムなのです。その主役は、DEEP PURPLE。つい先日終了したばかりの15度目の来日公演より「2016年５月16日・大阪フェスティバルホール」公演を収めたオーディエンス・アルバムです。つい先日も日本武道館公演とのカップリング盤『LIVE IN JAPAN 2016（Shades 647）』でご紹介したライヴですが、もちろん本作は別録音です。
これまで思い出しきれないくらいの名作を録音しまくってきた名匠が語る「私の理想」。さぞや凄いサウンドなのだろうと思って再生してみましたが………これは、確かに。この機会にお話しさせていただきますと、“最強”氏は録ったものを何でもかんでも提供してくださるわけではありません。たとえ大人気バンドであっても、ご自身で納得しないサウンドだったら頼んでも決して聴かせてくださらない。そんなプライドの高い氏の口から出た「理想」ですから、半端なものではない事は分かっていたのですが……。
先日の『LIVE IN JAPAN 2016』にしても、大阪公演は特に高音質で大好評。実際、今聴いても十二分以上に素晴らしい名録音だったのですが、名匠の「理想」は孤高の域だった。各音域・各楽器のすべてがサウンドボードのようにクッキリと切り立ち、１音１音がバツグンに安定して艶やか……なんてことは、当たり前の次元。それが絶妙なバランスで全体を構築している。ここで言う“バランス”は、ステレオ感覚や高音・低音だけの話ではなく、極太のダイレクト感と現場感覚、クリアさと音圧、繊細さと迫力、美しさと生々しさ、そして立体感覚……思いつくあらゆるポイントが刃の上に立つような絶妙なバランスで成立している。しかも、それが微動だにしない安定感で全編を貫いているのです。サウンドボードのように詳細で力強い楽音と、“神が建てた”とまで言われる大阪フェスティバルホールの音響の美しさ。それらが最大限に引き出され、さらに互いを高め合うサウンドなのです。“最強”氏は「IEMsマトリクスみたいでしょ？　でもこれ、純オーディエンスなんですよ」と笑っていましたが、そんなのとんでもない話。いかに精緻にミックスしようとも、傍受ごときではこの自然な鳴りや空気感はあり得ない。一切のミックスやイコライジングを寄せ付けない音の境地なのです。
本作には、名会場の音響、名匠の技術と機材、そして運が組み合わさっているわけですが、それだけでもここまでの境地には至らない。最後のピースは、そこで鳴るDEEP PURPLEの名演にある。もちろん、初来日から44年ですから『MADE IN JAPAN』とまったく同じではない。しかし、楽器を知り尽くした“鳴り”の素晴らしさは些かも衰えず、フレキシブルなアンサンブルは柔軟に空間を支配していく。『LIVE IN JAPAN 2016』の解説でも触れましたが、今回の来日公演は再開したワールドツアーのごく序盤。それだけに初期の日程では演奏に堅さもあったそうですが、連日公演をこなした大阪では、良い感じにほぐれつつ、疲れもまったくない絶好調のパフォーマンスを繰り広げる。会場・録音家・バンド……そのすべてが総て噛み合ったからこそのライヴアルバムなのです。

とかく、オーディエンス録音というと「PA卓の近くで高いマイクで録ればいい」というテーパーもいます。確かに、それでもそこそこに良い音にはなりますが、“名匠”・“巨匠”の方々はその先を見ている。何年も何年も会場に足を運び続けては良いポジションを探し、何台もの機材を買い換えてはセッティングを探求する。もはや“求道”とさえ言えるほどストイックに「理想の音」を求めるのはなぜか。それは、ひとえにロックが好きだから。全力の良い音で残したいから。そして、分かる人と分かち合いたいから……。本作に詰まっているのは、“オーディエンス録音”なる奇妙な文化にヤラれた私たちだから分かる、心揺さぶられる“音の境地”です。名匠の理想で鳴る44年目のLIVE IN JAPAN、どうぞ。

Disc 1 (53:55)
1. Intro. 2. Mars, Bringer of War 3. Highway Star 4. Bloodsucker 5. Hard Lovin’ Man
6. Strange Kind of Woman 7. Vincent Price 8. Contact Lost 9. Guitar Solo
10. Uncommon Man 11. The Well-Dressed Guitar 12. The Mule

Disc 2 (63:41)
1. Lazy 2. Demon’s Eye 3. Hell to Pay 4. Keyboard Solo 5. Perfect Strangers 6. Space Truckin’
7. Smoke On The Water 8. Hush 9. Bass Solo 10. Black Night

Ian Gillan – Vocal Steve Morse – Guitar Roger Glover – Bass Ian Paice – Drums
Don Airey – Keyboards
Darker Than Blue 222/223