Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer Group / Boston 1976 Ultimate Edition / 2CD

Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer Group / Boston 1976 Ultimate Edition / 2CD / Wardour
Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, USA 10th October 1976

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This time, could you read this sentence as a continuation of “DEFINITIVE PALLADIUM 1976” released last week? Although the 1976 tour by Jeff Beck and the Jan Hammer Group has an official called “Live Wired”, the sound source that completely reproduces one performance on the sound board has not even leaked, let alone the official. Fortunately, however, this tour has the highest level of audience recording in 1976, and on the contrary, there are many sound sources of amazing quality that can still be used in 2023.
Among the high-level recordings of the 1976 tour, the New York Palladium and Boston Music Hall in October were two of the biggest giants. That’s why Palladium realized the long-awaited upper version and re-release as “DEFINITIVE PALLADIUM 1976” last week. Such a classic was finally sold out triggered by Beck’s obituary in January.
In the case of Palladium, the re-release of the title has been eagerly awaited for several years, while Boston’s has just sold out. Nevertheless, such a new version, which also appears as an ultimate, is nothing more than that the two major giants of 76 are always a sound source that should be stably supplied as an introductory edition of Beck Audience recording. Even more so after Beck’s death.

Because of the shocking quality of such 1976 Boston, it is also a sound source that has been released since the beginning of the 21st century. That is why masterpieces such as “WIRELESS”, “WIRED UP 1976”, and “LIVE AT BOSTON 1976” were produced in rapid succession, but the literally definitive version released to put an end to such confusion is “ BOSTON 1976 DEFINITIVE EDITION”. It was also the forerunner of the title bearing “DEFINITIVE” that continues to this day.
However, “BOSTON 1976 DEFINITIVE EDITION” (hereinafter referred to as “existing board”) did not have any drawbacks, and first of all, it was mixed in at 4:44 of “Darkness (Earth In Search Of A Sun)” The digital noise called “Jari” that has been done. There is no doubt that this was the biggest drawback in the existing board. The other is the wobble caused by the deterioration of the sound and the deterioration of the left channel due to the deterioration of the tape that occurred at the beginning of “Blue Wind”.
Therefore, this time, under the supervision of “GRAF ZEPPELIN”, we avoided using the master that was used when the existing board was released in 2009, and this time it was based on the version that was in good condition after that. In other words, since the original is the same sound source, it is a “branching” copy, but by adopting this, all the problems mentioned above are solved. In particular, “Darkness (Earth In Search Of A Sun)” was also a song that symbolizes the outstanding sound quality of this sound source, so that noise is extremely regrettable. This time, we realized recording in perfect condition without such noise.
In the first place, the existing board was a transfer that made full use of the technology at the time of 2009, but this version, which has been several years since then, has the feeling that even in the same natural state, the original sound of the sound source has been fully brought out. Now it will be reflected in the sound that the existing board is thin and cozy. And this is also the result of a meticulous overhaul unique to “GRAF ZEPPELIN”, such as minimizing the scattered cuts.

Also, the Palladium and Boston this time were records of the stage in a close period with the Philadelphia performance in between, but the performance content and atmosphere are completely different, which is unique to the peak tour. Normally, if the performances are close to each other, it is natural that the atmosphere will be similar even if the degree of perfection is high. However, the Palladium is like a different live. What they have in common is that Beck is in great shape and in a good mood.
He probably had in mind that he had made a triumphant return to the same venue as “DEFINITIVE BOSTON 1975”, which was the masterpiece of the previous year. It is interesting that Beck speaks profusely on this day, starting with the audience saying, “I am happy to be back in my favorite Boston.” For example, after finishing “Come Dancing”, I joked about introducing the song, and then I was pleased with “She’s a Woman”, which was a reggae arrangement unique to this tour, and said, “Everyone loves reggae. What is it? Phew!” looks fun.
In fact, Beck’s play is very aggressive, and he plays the first song of his own part, “You Know What I Mean”. In addition, the part of the Jan Hammer group is significantly different from the palladium, showing off “Stepping Tones / Drum Solo / Awakening”. For those who want their interplay, it’s a song selection that you can’t ask for.
And in contrast to Palladium, whose appeal was its lively sense of presence and amazing freshness that did not make you feel the passage of time at all, the power of the shocking sound image that should be described as “just like a soundboard” has not faded even now. Boston, one of the two giants of the 76-year tour, has been reborn under the supervision of “GRAF ZEPPELIN” beyond a mere recurrence!

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(remastered memo)

REMASTERED BY GRAF ZEPPELIN

* Phase correction

★The low range is longer than the last version (*No unnecessary boost processing).

★ High frequency noise removal around 16khz

★ “Darkness” No digital noise around 5:01 in the previous edition

★ Resolved the left channel instability problem that frequently occurred until the middle of “Blue Wind”

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