Elton John / Seattle 1975 1st Night / 4CDR

Elton John / Seattle 1975 1st Night / 4CDR / Uxbridge

Live At Seattle Center Coliseum Seattle WA USA 16th October 1975.

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Elton John in 1975 was in the midst of sending six works in a row to No. 1 in the United States. Introducing a big 3-disc set that allows you to experience the scene in the best possible way.
This work was recorded in “October 16, 1975 Seattle performance”. This is a superb audience recording that vacuum-packed one act of “WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR”. The biggest point of this work is the tremendous quality by the prestigious “JEMS” and the enthusiasm that exceeds 3 hours, but before that, the position of the show. Let’s look back on the schedule at the time of the peak.

・ June 21: Wembley Stadium performance
“5TH TROUBADOUR ANNIVERSARY SHOWS”
・ August 25-27: West Hollywood (6 performances)
・ September 6: Borehamwood performance
“WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR”
・ September 29-October 21: North America (15 performances) ← ★ Coco ★
“October 24,” ROCK OF THE WESTIES “released”
・ October 25 + 26: Los Angeles (2 performances)

This is Elton John in 1975. Contrary to the title, most of “WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR” was held before the album was released, and it was only the last two performances in Los Angeles that I could understand and participate in. And the Seattle performance of this work was the 11th concert about a week before the album release date.
This work recorded at such a show is an audience recording that truly depicts “excellent” and “excellent”. Anyway, the core is very thick and there is no sense of distance, and the details are clear even in the fine parts. If you listen carefully with headphones, you will notice the sound of the hall, but it does not become cloudy or muddy, and the midrange, which tends to be squishy, ​​is also dense. I feel that the vocals are stretched and the piano is pouring down, but it is also a type that adds thickness and dynamism, and it is almost like FM broadcasting.
Audience noise further emphasizes such FM feeling. I can feel the spectacle of the waves of loud cheers spreading throughout the venue, but there are no upcoming screams or voices. It’s as if the performance and cheers were recorded separately and mixed later (it’s just a metaphor. In reality, it’s a one-shot guest record), and it spreads beautifully at delicious points without disturbing the music.
The “Seattle Center Coliseum” that became the site was an ordinary indoor stadium, but the sound was so wonderful that it was strange how it was recorded. If you wonder who this trick is … It was “JEMS” himself who recorded this work at the scene. The prestigious master of excavation was a great master of recording. If you think about it, it may be natural. Find the sweet spot of the venue, read the sound of the artist, and set the equipment. The series of work requires knowledge, sense, and imagination for sound. Rather, the know-how and sense trained in recording may support the current fame of excavation.
Anyway, the show captured by the prestigious people who fascinate enthusiasts all over the world is a treasure chest of famous songs on 3 CDs. Actually, it is not a complete recording because there is no last encore last “Pinball Wizard (cover of THE WHO)”, but it is still a large-scale behavior of 27 songs in about 3 hours 13 minutes. is. Moreover, it is not just a huge number, but only the brilliant masterpieces of the great heyday. Let’s organize the set here so that you can feel the denseness.

● My song is your song (4 songs)
・ Your Song / I Need You To Turn To / Border Song / Take Me To The Pilot
● Twilight Brick Road (5 songs)
・ Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / Bennie And The Jets / Harmony / Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
● Caribbean (3 songs)
・ Dixie Lily / The Bitch Is Back / Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
● Captain Fantastic (5 songs)
・ Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy / Bitter Fingers / Someone Saved My Life Tonight / (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket / We All Fall In Love Sometimes
● Others (10 songs)
・ Empty Sky: Empty Sky
・ Elton John 3: Country Comfort
・ Madman: Levon
・ Honky Chateau: Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time) / Hercules
・ Rock of the Westies; Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) / Island Girl
・ Others: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds / I saw Her Standing There / Philadelphia Freedom

… And it looks like this. Only 4 albums with many songs were selected and the albums with only 1-2 songs are summarized in “Other”. If you don’t do that, the number of lines will be huge. What’s more, can you understand that all of them are masterpieces? Moreover, the band that spells the set is also a golden member. Not only the quantity but also the quality is wonderful because it is the peak period. It is an entertainment blockbuster that continues to be blissful for three hours.
As mentioned above, the last “Pinball Wizard” was missed in recording, and the sound quality was excellent but monaural. With these two points, I missed the permanent preservation press, but the real thrill of being able to experience Elton’s heyday is irreplaceable. A superb 3-disc set that the prestigious “JEMS” recorded by himself and digitized. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content!

6作連続で全米No.1に送り込む絶頂の最中にいた1975年のエルトン・ジョン。その現場を極上体験できるビッグな3枚組が登場です。
そんな本作が記録されたのは「1975年10月16日シアトル公演」。“WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR”の一幕を真空パックした極上オーディエンス録音です。本作最大のポイントは名門「JEMS」の手による凄まじいクオリティと3時間超えとなる大熱演ですが、その前にまずはショウのポジション。絶頂を極めた当時のスケジュールから振り返ってみましょう。

・6月21日:ウェンブリースタジアム公演
“5TH TROUBADOUR ANNIVERSARY SHOWS”
・8月25日-27日:ウェストハリウッド(6公演)
・9月6日:ボアハムウッド公演
“WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR”
・9月29日-10月21日:北米(15公演) ←★ココ★
《10月24日『ROCK OF THE WESTIES』発売》
・10月25日+26日:ロサンゼルス(2公演)

これが1975年のエルトン・ジョン。“WEST OF THE ROCKIES TOUR”はタイトルに反してほとんどがアルバム発売前に行われ、中身を理解して参加できたのは最後のロサンゼルス2公演だけでした。そして、本作のシアトル公演はアルバム発売日の約1週間前となる11公演目のコンサートでした。
そんなショウで記録された本作は、まさに「絶品」「極上」を画に描いたようなオーディエンス録音。とにかく芯が極太で距離感がなく、ディテールも微細部まで克明。ヘッドフォンで耳を澄ませるとホール鳴りにも気づくのですが、それが曇りや濁りにならず、スカスカになりがちな中音域も密度タップリ。ヴォーカルの伸び具合やピアノの降り注ぎ感にオーディエンスらしさを感じますが、それも厚みやダイナミズムを添加するタイプで、ほとんどFM放送の様な聴き応えなのです。
そんなFM感覚をさらに強調しているのがオーディエンス・ノイズ。大喝采の波が会場に広がるスペクタクルは感じるものの、間近な絶叫や話し声は全然ない。まるで演奏と歓声を別々に録って後からミックスしたかのよう(あくまで比喩です。現実には一発録りの客録)に音楽を邪魔せず、美味しいポイントで綺麗に広がるのです。
現場となった“シアトル・センター・コロシアム”は普通の屋内競技場なのに、どう録ったのか不思議なほど見事なサウンド。こんな芸当、一体誰が……と思ったら疑問氷解。現場で本作を録音したのは、なんと「JEMS」本人。発掘の達人として名高い名門は、録音でもスゴ腕だったわけです。考えてみれば、当然なのかも知れません。会場のスウィートスポットを見つけ出し、アーティストの出音を読み解き、機材をセッティングする。その一連の作業には音に対する知識・センス・想像力が必要。むしろ、録音で鍛えたノウハウとセンスが現在の発掘の名声を支えているのかも知れません。
ともあれ、世界中のマニアを魅了する名門が捉えたショウは、CD3枚に渡る名曲の宝箱。実のところ、最後の最後となるアンコール・ラスト「Pinball Wizard(THE WHOのカバー)」がないために厳密には完全収録ではないのですが、それでも約3時間13分で27曲の大盤振る舞いなのです。しかも単に膨大なのではなく、一大全盛期の輝ける名曲ばかり。その濃密ぶりを実感するためにも、ここでセットを整理してみましょう。

●僕の歌は君の歌(4曲)
・Your Song/I Need You To Turn To/Border Song/Take Me To The Pilot
●黄昏のレンガ路(5曲)
・Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Bennie And The Jets/Harmony/Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
●カリブ(3曲)
・Dixie Lily/The Bitch Is Back/Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
●キャプテン・ファンタスティック(5曲)
・Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy/Bitter Fingers/Someone Saved My Life Tonight/(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket/We All Fall In Love Sometimes
●その他(10曲)
・エンプティ・スカイ:Empty Sky
・エルトン・ジョン3:Country Comfort
・マッドマン:Levon
・ホンキー・シャトー:Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)/Hercules
・ロック・オブ・ザ・ウェスティーズ;Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)/Island Girl
・その他:Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds/I saw Her Standing There/Philadelphia Freedom

……と、このようになっています。取り上げられた曲の多いアルバム4作だけ抜き出し、1-2曲だけのアルバムは「その他」にまとめました。そうでもしないと行数ばかりが膨大になる幅広さ。しかも、そのすべてが名盤という豪華ぶりがご理解いただけるでしょうか。しかも、そのセットを綴るバンドも黄金メンバー。絶頂期だからこそ量だけでなく質も素晴らしい。3時間に渡ってひたすら至福が続く娯楽超大作なのです。
前述したように、ラストの「Pinball Wizard」が録音漏れになった事、音質は極上だけれどもモノラルである事。この2点で永久保存プレス化は逃しましたが、エルトンの全盛期を極上体験できる醍醐味は何物にも代え難い。名門「JEMS」が自ら腕によりをかけて録音し、デジタル化した極上の3枚組。どうぞ、思う存分お楽しみください!

Disc 1(65:24)
1. Intro
2. Your Song
3. I Need You To Turn To
4. Border Song
5. Take Me To The Pilot
6. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)
7. Country Comfort
8. Levon
9. Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
10. Hercules
11. Empty Sky

Disc 2(60:30)
1. Intro
2. Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)
3. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
4. Bennie And The Jets
5. Harmony
6. Dixie Lily
7. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
8. Bitter Fingers
9. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
10. The Bitch Is Back

Disc 3(67:37)
1. Audience
2. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
3. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
4. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
5. I saw Her Standing There
6. Island Girl
7. Philadelphia Freedom
8. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
9. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

Elton John – vocals, piano
Davey Johnstone – guitar
Caleb Quaye – guitar
James Newton-Howard – keyboards
Kenny Passerelli – bass
Roger Pope – drums
Ray Cooper – percussion
Cindy Bullens – backing vocals
Jon Joyce – backing vocals
Jim Haas – backing vocals

Uxbridge 1360

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