GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Keith Richards & The X Pensive Winos / Washington 1988 / 1CDR / Uxbridge
Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C., USA 27th November 1988
Play sample :
Expensive Wynose led by Keith Richards, who reunited after a long time at the “LOVE ROCKS NYC Benefitting God’s Love We Deliver” event. Items will appear for the first time in a long time since the 1988 tour, which was the starting point of their activities.
The 1988 “TALK IS CHEAP” tour, which took place during the suspension of Stones activities and was a hot topic as Keith’s first solo tour, produced many items in the rear tie, but was later promoted to the official Hollywood Palladium. It is undeniable that the release has calmed down at once when the sound board recording of No. appeared.
Also, unlike Stones, where arenas and stadiums are commonplace, it is a dilemma of this tour that the surroundings are noisy because the audience recording is a small venue because it was a tour in the basic concert hall, and the best example is made by Kinney released at that time. It was the maze “LA CONNECTION”.
However, the November 27th Washington performance released on CD-R from the UXBRIDGE label does not have any of the noise that is typical of audience recordings on this tour, and it is surprisingly easy to hear. The sound image has a moderate sense of distance, and the sense of presence unique to a small venue is transmitted without the stress as before.
Perhaps the taper that recorded this sound source got on in front of Keith, and even if the point that the sound image sometimes fluctuates is subtracted, the clearness of the performance is wonderful, for example, the latter half of “How I Wish” When it comes to, you can enjoy Keith’s solid play, which is devoted to backing.
It is very attractive that Keith’s singing voice echoes in the theater with a big balance. Furthermore, the performance is really clear at the end of “Too Rude” where the performance becomes quiet and “Looked Away” where Keith sings. If this sound source was in 1988, it would have been released on a press CD.
In fact, the quality is comparable to “BOSTON, YOU’RE BIG ENOUGH” on the second day of Boston, which was considered to be the best audience board of this tour released at that time, and even there, the excitement of the surroundings was conspicuous as usual. On the contrary, this time may seem easier to hear.
Boston, which was a staple of audience recording, was a document when one month had passed since the start of the tour, but this time it is still fresh that the stage is the third day from the start of the tour. This week, to commemorate the release of this title, Memphis, who lived in front of Washington on November 25th, will be on the sound at the same time as a free gift item, but Keith is out of order at the beginning of the live. That’s why I’m even more impressed with the resurrection here in Washington. Even so, the tension unique to the beginning of the tour where Keith is the first frontman (I mistaken the lyrics of “Happy” that I should be accustomed to singing).
And until this day, “Little T & A” was not on the set list, and thanks to that, the length that fits crisply on one disc is also attractive. In the first place, the sound quality itself is very natural and mild and easy to hear, which is unique to cassette recording.
By the way, where the interlude starts with “Take It So Hard”, another sound source is patched in the member introduction, but the former is hardly worrisome.
After all, the point is that you can listen to the performance without being bothered by the excitement of the surroundings in the audience recording of this tour. First appearance from the nostalgic “TALK IS CHEAP” tour Audience has been released for the first time in a while!
「LOVE ROCKS NYC Benefitting God’s Love We Deliver」イベントで久々の再集結が実現したキース・リチャーズ率いるエクスペンシヴ・ワイノーズ。彼らの活動のスタート地点であった1988年のツアーから久々にアイテムが登場します。
ストーンズ活動休止中に行われ、なおかつキース初のソロ・ツアーとして大きな話題を呼んだ1988年の「TALK IS CHEAP」ツアーはリアタイで多くのアイテムを生み出した半面、後にオフィシャルへと昇格するハリウッド・パラディアムのサウンドボード録音が登場するとリリースが一気に沈静化してしまった感が否めません。
またアリーナやスタジアムが当たり前のストーンズと違い、基本コンサートホールでのツアーだったことから小会場ゆえにオーディエンス録音は周囲が騒がしいというのが本ツアーのジレンマといえ、その最たる例が当時リリースされたキニー製の迷盤「L.A. CONNECTION」でした。
ところが今回UXBRIDGEレーベルからCD-Rにてリリースされる11月27日のワシントン公演はこのツアーのオーディエンス録音にありがちな騒がしさが一切なく、びっくりするくらい聞きやすい状態で捉えてくれているのです。音像には程よい距離感があり、小会場ならではの臨場感も先のようなストレスなく伝わってくる。
この音源を録音してくれたテーパーがキースを前にして思わず乗ってしまったのか、たまに音像がふらついてしまう点を差し引いても演奏のクリアネスは素晴らしいものがあり、例えば「How I Wish」の後半になるとバッキングに徹するキースの堅実なプレイなどもばっちり楽しめます。
それ以上にキースの歌声が大きなバランスでシアターに響き渡る様子が非常に魅力的。さらに演奏が静かになる「Too Rude」終盤やキースが歌いこむ「Looked Away」なども本当に演奏がクリアー。もし今回の音源が1988年当時であればプレスCDでリリースされていたのではと思えるほど。
実際、当時リリースされていた本ツアーのベスト・オーディエンス盤とされていたボストン二日目の「BOSTON, YOU’RE BIG ENOUGH」に匹敵するクオリティですし、そちらでも例によって周囲の盛り上がりが目立っていただけに、むしろ今回の方が聞きやすく感じられるかもしれません。
またオーディエンス録音の定番だったボストンはツアー開始から一か月が経過した時期のドキュメントでしたが、今回はまだツアー開始から三日目のステージというのが新鮮。というのも本タイトルのリリースを記念して今週は無料ギフト・アイテムとしてワシントンの前のライブである11月25日のメンフィスが同時に音盤化されるのですが、そこではキースがライブ序盤で絶不調だっただけに、なおさらここワシントンでの復活ぶりに感激させられます。それでいてキースが初めてフロントマンを務めるツアー序盤ならではの緊張感（歌い慣れているはずの「Happy」の歌詞を間違えてしまう）までも。
そしてこの日までは「Little T & A」がセットリストになく、おかげで一枚のディスクにサクッと収まる長さというのも魅力的。そもそも音質自体がいかにもカセット録音ならではのナチュラルでマイルドな聞きやすさ。
ちなみに「Take It So Hard」で間奏が始まるところ、さらにメンバー紹介では別音源がパッチされていますが、特に前者はほとんど気になりません。
やはり本ツアーのオーディエンス録音で周囲の盛り上がりに煩わされることなく演奏が聞き込めるというのはポイントが高い。懐かしの「TALK IS CHEAP」ツアーから初登場オーディエンスが久々のリリース！
(75:16)
01. Take It So Hard
02. How I Wish
03. I Could Have Stood You Up
04. Before They Make Me Run
05. Too Rude
06. You Don’t Move Me
07. Make No Mistake
08. Time Is On My Side
09. Big Enough
10. Whip It Up
11. Band introduction
12. Locked Away
13. Struggle
14. Happy
15. Connection
16. Rockawhile
17. It Means A Lot
Keith Richards – Guitar, Vocals
Waddy Wachtel – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ivan Neville – Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Charley Drayton – Bass, Backing Vocals
Steve Jordan – Drums, Backing Vocals
Bobby Keys – Saxophone, Percussion
Sarah Dash – Vocals
Uxbridge 1605
