Def Leppard & Tesla / Leicester 1987 / 2CDR

Def Leppard & Tesla / Leicester 1987 / 2CDR / Shades
Live at De Montford Hall, Leicester, UK 15th September 1987

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Introducing a live album that completely records the home country live of the “super” heyday with TESLA on the undercard! This work was recorded at “September 15, 1987 Leicester Performance”. This is the 18th performance of “HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988” that started on June 24, 1987. However, even though it is the 18th performance, the album “HYSTERIA” was released on August 3, so it has not been two weeks since the release. The band’s engine warmed up just right, and the audience in their home country was excited about the new song, but the lyrics were just memorized.
It was Mr. Crazy S. who recorded such a delicious live performance. When I play this work, it feels like “Yeah, it’s pretty good for this era”, but that’s the story up to the first half of the second song “Rock Rock (Till You Drop)”. From there, the sound suddenly improved and transformed into a “What, this is !!” class. The musical sound becomes clear at once, and the sound becomes like a line recording with a direct feeling. This feeling is just like a field of vision with new glasses. It looks like it’s not a problem until then, but as soon as I put on my glasses, the world becomes more transparent in every corner and the outline stands out. It’s an auditory version of that sensation. Even in the Crazy S. collection, which is crowded with famous recordings, there is not much clear sound so far. At the beginning, I couldn’t decide the position, or even the guards hid the microphone … Either way, it was a terrifying and exhilarating moment.
The early enthusiasm of “HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988” that was imbued with that sound was exceptional. After all, they were 26.6 years old on average at that time. Rick Allen is as young as 23 years old. At the beginning of the tour, the passion is burning, but they are not the only ones in this work. The tragedy that hit Rick, the pressure of the blockbuster previous work “PYROMANIA”, and the blank of four years (for that time) … Of course, the response of the new work “HYSTERIA” and the 17 performances so far would have been sufficient, but there was still a lot of work to be proved. The performance of this work is full of urgency to repel such anxiety. This week, Phil Collen’s first day “MARQUEE 1983 (Shades 606)” and “YOKOHAMA 1988 (Shades 608)”, which is the latter half of “HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988”, will also appear. However, this work is full of passion that is different from the innocent explosion of 1983 and the Japanese performance that has already proved its resurrection all over the world.
TESLA, the undercard, is also included as a bonus in this hot work. This is the debut work “MECHANICAL RESONANCE” that hit the 32nd place on the US chart and has just started invading the UK to conquer the world. The set list is a selection of 9 songs from all 12 songs of the “MECHANICAL RESONANCE”, which is exactly “the original version of MECHANICAL RESONANCE”. They later became famous for being unplugged, but here they rock hot electric. You can fully enjoy the performance that strikes you with a young and innocent passion. At the beginning of TESLA, it’s hard to say “the best!”, But like DEF LEPPARD, it transforms from the middle of “Cover Queen” to a super clear sound that awakens your eyes, and runs through to the end at once.

American TESLA, which appeared with noise and hits young ambitions against British people, and DEF LEPPARD, who overcame hardships and appeared to fans in their home countries. Master “Crazy S.” captured the two sets of delicious moments and the season that never returns. Enjoy the masterpiece of the live album, which strikes ambition and passion for beautiful melodic hard rock!

“超”全盛期の本国ライヴを前座のTESLAつきで完全収録したライヴアルバムの登場です！　本作が録音されたのは「1987年９月15日レスター公演」。1987年６月24日から始まった“HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988”の18公演目となる初期ライヴです。ただし、18公演目とは言っても、アルバム「HYSTERIA」のリリースが８月３日でしたから、リリースから２週間と経っていない。バンドのエンジンはちょうど良く暖まり、母国の観客は新曲に興奮冷めやらぬ中、歌詞もばっちり覚えたばかりという絶妙なタイミングのショウなのです。
そんな美味しいライヴを記録したのは、かの名匠“Crazy S.”氏。本作を再生すると「うん、この時代にしてはなかなか良いね」という感じなのですが、それも２曲目「Rock Rock (Till You Drop)」の前半までの話。そこから急激に音が良くなり、「なんだ、コレは!!」級に変貌。楽音が一気にクリアになり、ダイレクト感満点でライン録音のようなサウンドになる。この感覚は、ちょうど新調したメガネをかけた視界のよう。それまでも別に困らない程度に見えているのですが、メガネをかけた途端に世界が隅々まで透明感を増し、輪郭まで際立つ。あの感覚の聴覚版なのです。名録音ひしめくCrazy S.コレクションでも、ここまでのクリア・サウンドはなかなかありません。冒頭はポジションを決めかねていたのか、警備員にでもマイクを隠していたのか……いずれにせよ、恐ろしく爽快な瞬間です。
そのサウンドで吹き込まれた“HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988”初期の熱演は、また格別。なにしろ、当時の彼らは平均26.6歳。リック・アレンに至っては23歳という若々しさ。ただでさえツアー初期は情熱燃え上がるところですが、本作の彼らはそれだけではありません。リックを襲った悲劇や大ヒットした前作「PYROMANIA」のプレッシャー、（当時にしては）長かった４年というブランク……。もちろん、新作「HYSTERIA」やここまでの17公演の手応えは十分だったでしょうが、まだまだ証明すべきことが山ほど残っていた。本作の演奏には、そんな不安材料を跳ね返そうという気迫が充満している。今週、フィル・コリンの初日「MARQUEE 1983（Shades 606）」、“HYSTERIA TOUR 1987-1988”の後期となる「YOKOHAMA 1988（Shades 608）」も登場します。しかし、本作には1983年の無垢な爆発とも、既に世界中で復活を証明してきた日本公演とも違う情熱に充ち満ちているのです。
そんな熱さ溢れる本作には、前座のTESLAもボーナス収録されています。こちらは、デビュー作「MECHANICAL RESONANCE」を全米チャート32位に叩き込み、世界制覇に向けて英国へ侵攻を開始したばかり。セットリストは、その「MECHANICAL RESONANCE」の全12曲から９曲をセレクトしたもので、まさに“本生版MECHANICAL RESONANCE”。後にアンプラグドでも有名にもなる彼らですが、ここではエレクトリックに熱くロックする。若く、無垢な情熱を叩きつけるパフォーマンスがたっぷりと味わえます。TESLAも冒頭は「最高！」とは言い難いサウンドですが、DEF LEPPARDと同じく「Cover Queen」の中盤から、目も醒める超クリアサウンドに変貌し、最後まで一気に駆け抜けます。

鳴り物入りで登場し、若き野望を英国人にぶつけるアメリカのTESLAと、苦難を乗り越えた姿を母国ファンの前に現したDEF LEPPARD。２組のイチバン美味しい刹那、二度とは戻らない季節を名匠“Crazy S.”が捉えた。美しいメロディアスなハードロックに野心と情熱を叩きつけるライヴアルバムの傑作、たっぷりと味わってください！

Disc 1(77:14)
1. Intro 2. Stagefright 3. Rock Rock (Till You Drop) 4. Women 5. Another Hit And Run
6. Too Late For Love 7. Billy’s Got A Gun 8. Armageddon It 9. Steve Clark Guitar Solo
10. Gods Of War 11. Die Hard The Hunter 12. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak 13. Foolin’
14. Animal 15. Pour Some Sugar On Me 16. Phil Collen Guitar Solo 17. Let It Go

Joe Elliott – Lead Vocals Phil Collen – Guitars, Vocals
Steve Clark – Guitars, Vocals Rick Savage – Bass, Vocals Rick Allen – Drums

Disc 2(69:49)
1. Rock Of Ages 2. Photograph 3. Wasted 4. Tear It Down

TESLA
5. Comin’ Atcha Live 6. 2 Late 4 Love 7. Gettin’ Better 8. Cover Queen 9. Changes 10. Little Suzi
11. EZ Come EZ Go 12. Rock Me To The Top 13. Modern Day Cowboy

Jeff Keith – Vocal Tommy Skeoch – Guitar Frank Hannon – Guitar
Brian Wheat – Bass Troy Luccketta – Drums

SPECIAL THANKS CRAZY S.

Shades 607