Pink Floyd / St Louis 1973 1st Gen Scotch Reel / 2CD

Pink Floyd / St Louis 1973 1st Gen Scotch Reel / 2CD / Sigma
Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO, USA 6th March 1973

Play sample :

Click Image To Enlarge

Pink Floyd’s 1973 recording, for which no representative title was found due to the severity of sound quality deterioration, suddenly emerged at the forefront of the scene with the appearance of the Scotch reel tape 1st gen !! The source is here !!

March 1973. On the 1st, the masterpiece “Insanity” was released, and from the 4th, the US tour accompanying this release started, and Floyd in March finally became a turbulent month when the mountains moved. The third performance of this US tour, the St. Louis performance on the 6th, was an air pocket-like performance day with no outstanding title, although the existence of the recording was known for a long time. From our shop, “ST. LOUIS 1973 (PF3673)” existed as a bonus title and gift item of Sigma, but the current situation is that there is no such decision board even if you look over overseas labels. .. Rarity is high, including “Childhood’s End” which was performed live only a few times for the purpose of the performance, and it was an on-parade of 1973 Floyd’s youthful energetic performance that finally started to move to any performance. There are so many things to listen to, but it seems that the reason why each manufacturer was reluctant to make a record in the press was still the lack of sound quality and quality.

However, this year is October 2020. The recording of this day, which was almost unmarked for most unofficial sound source fans, was released online as the 1st gen reel tape sound source that was dropped directly from the master cassette, and attracted the attention of unofficial sound source fans all over the world. The uploader is the familiar Hyundai Digital Taper Neonknight, and the reel he received from the California Taper in 1999 is the actual 1st gen reel tape made by Scotch that was dropped directly from the master cassette (* monaural). When this was played on the high-performance reel deck “A77 MK-IV” made by Revox, the sound from the left channel was very clean and gave a strong signal, so the sound on the left was evenly distributed on both channels. Seems to have been the online public source this time.

However, unfortunately, as many tapers have pointed out in the past, the fact is that there is a slight signal loss on the treble side due to hiss noise occurring throughout the scene. In fact, all the existing sources and other sounds that can be picked up on the net are in this state (* = that’s why every manufacturer avoided making a record), but what makes this public source special is that it is carefully equalized. By doing so, we have succeeded in restoring the sound image to the appearance before the reel, that is, the sound as close as possible to the original recorded sound. This alleviates that hiss noise that was noticeable in the treble range to the utmost limit, and revives the moist sound and sound density that should have been originally, but this is from the beginner of the unofficial sound source to the taper of the old man. , The improvement in texture is exuding so that everyone who listens to the sound will smile. To be honest, this upper feeling can be said to be a minor incident.

Yet another sound topic was “One Of These Days,” which was performed in the encore of the day. By the time the show for nearly two hours was nearing the end, the battery of the recorder was weakened and the behavior of the drive system became unstable, which was a problem unique to that time, and only this song had a remarkable problem. The figure remained in the source of all versions in the past. However, this time we tackled this problem head-on, and by fixing the segments that subdivided many deterioration scenes one by one, we succeeded in completely repairing almost all the troublesome problems that made it difficult to listen to the song. I did. As a result, the whole picture of this song and the show that can be heard with this source is reproduced with higher accuracy than any version of the source in the past, and a sound image that awakens a fresh impression to everyone who hears the sound is born.

The public sources on the net have been processed so far, but if you listen carefully, there is still room to enhance the sound, such as removing petit noise and adjusting the phase, correcting the slightly higher pitch and correcting the sound pressure to compensate for the weakness of the punch, and There is still room for growth in the review of the entire waveform, and Sigma’s talented engineers will further scrutinize these issues. As a result, we have achieved a listening comfort and quality that surpasses that of public sources. This latest work, which is a two-disc press record of the best sound at the moment, is as close as possible to the master original sound with the sound quality of the 1st gen reel, St. Louis in 1973, which is different from the source so far. It’s a sound source !!

The sound image that is on enough for recording in 1973 is fully opened from the beginning “Echoes”. Already released board (* Because there is no representative title, we call our gift item “ST. LOUIS 1973 (PF3673)” here for convenience) Since the strong tape hiss that was conspicuous in the source has almost completely disappeared. The reproduction power of quiet scenes that have been difficult to hear has improved from the beginning, and everyone will be surprised at the sound image with its depth and tranquility. In the second half, in the scene where the singing part replies, a trouble occurs in Dave’s microphone, and in the second half of the lyrics, there is a rare scene where Rick sings alone (* 17: 42-18: 27), but this about 40 The vividness of the seconds is also a beautiful sound image that is different from the existing board with chilly noise on the ears. The tuning after the performance that can be heard on track (2) also has no hiss, so the familiar “One, Two …” muttering by Roger arrives smoothly, and the scene where the firecracker suddenly sounds in the hall is also a shocking sound. Is doubling the feeling of documentary. “Obscured By Clouds” also has an upper feeling in the high-quality sound image that is different from the existing sound that was mixed with tape hiss called “Sir” from beginning to end. In particular, the direct hit feeling of the bass and the sound of the guitar without hiss increase its brilliance, so the overlapping of the pulsating rhythm and ornamental sounds peculiar to this song will permeate your ears. In addition, although I do not credit it, the sound check centering on the guitar is recorded uncut even after the end of the next song “When You’re In”, which can also be heard with a denser reel sound than the existing board. Let’s also note.

“Childhood’s End”, which was played live only a few times, is full of convincing upper feelings. Dave’s singing voice, which had a rough sound image and noticeable cracks, has returned to his original moist voice, and the guitar has regained the comfort of passing through noiselessly with glossy tones. Although there is a slight omission of the scene at 6:08, probably because of the tape change, this editing mark also appears in the sound image without hiss noise, so it is also admitted that it appears with a vividness close to the master original sound. It’s a vantage. The tuning that will be re-entered after the end of the song is also assigned as a single track (6) this time, and the inter-track information exceeding 2 minutes and 40 seconds is completely recorded. We are widening the gap in terms of information organization from the existing boards that have not been divided into tracks. Note that “Careful With That Ax, Eugene” can be heard with the original high-density sound of the original sound, with the strong propulsion and sound pushing that continues for a while after 7:11. As with the existing board, there is a slight lack of scene at 8:29, but this also has a much denser sound before and after that, and the feeling of discomfort in the ear is much less.

In the latter half of the show, the sound quality improvement of this source is at the top in the complete reproduction of the dark side, which has not been released for a week. There is no doubt that it is the same source on the same day from the surroundings, but the sound image is sharper whether you changed the direction of the microphone or changed to another microphone with different directivity during the 20-minute break. It becomes straight, and from here onward, scenes that are overwhelmed by the bottomless playback power peculiar to reel tape will continue from here to the disc end. For example, in “The Great Gig In The Sky” where some equipment troubles occurred on this day, the appearance of Karina and Vanetta singing while recovering it while the strong howling echoed is revived with the highest direct hit sound ever. “Money” also brings the dynamic feeling of the punchy midrange to the ear with a moist and realistic transparent sound, so it fully satisfies the musical thirst that could not be obtained with the existing board with a lot of hiss noise. It is.

In “Us And Them”, the scene is missing due to the tape change in 2 seconds from 1:28 to 30 like the existing board, but here too, I am struck by the moist sound image that cancels it. I think. In particular, the high-quality organ and guitar tones are so beautiful that it is hard to describe, and the performance here, which is spelled sweetly and elegantly with a thick core sound, will be confirmed in agony. In “Any Color You Like”, the sound of the guitar by the talking modulator leaves a certain lingering sound with all five senses, and in “Eclipse”, the harmony of Roger and the female chorus corps has a distinctive luster from the existing board. As it progresses in a certain sound image, you should be surprised at the difference in the ears. The track (12), which directly catches the sound output and tuning waiting for the encore, is revived with a more textured sound that Dave is carefully checking the sound output, and it has reached “One Of These Days”. Is revived with a dynamic sound that shows how vivid the sound of Floyd at that time was, so I would like you to enjoy the excitement that pierces your hearing.

It was recorded in St. Louis in 1973, which was finally revived with the advent of the 1st gen reel tape, but when you actually listen to this sound with hiss noise disappeared, you can see that it was a sound image that was more than enough on. The rare song “Childhood’s End” is revived with this sound, and above all, the second half of the show = the listening response of Disc 2 is considerable. In addition, the joy of adding such a performance to the collection will be fully bitten by the source that has received much attention but has not received much attention. This week, “Rotterdam 1970 4th Gen (Sigma 264)”, which recorded the 1970 Rotterdam performance with an amazing 4th gen, and “Another Brighton Dome performance” in 1972, “Brighton 28th” on June 28th. “June 1972: 1st Gen (Sigma254)” and other titles with excellent sound quality and content will be released at the same time, so please pick them up and try them out. All of them are release rushes with only famous recordings and high sound quality !!

音質劣化の激しさによってこれまで代表タイトルが見当たらなかったピンク・フロイド1973年の録音が、スコッチ製のリール・テープ1st genの登場でシーン第一線に急浮上!! マスター録音に肉迫する激震ソースの登場です!!

1973年3月。その1日には傑作『狂気』がリリースとなり、4日からはこのリリースに伴う米国ツアーがスタートするなどいよいよ山が動く動乱の月となった3月のフロイド。この米国ツアーの3公演目となる6日のセントルイス公演は以前からその録音の存在が知られていたものの、さほど際立つタイトルが無いエアポケット的な公演日でした。当店からはSigmaのボーナスタイトルやギフトアイテムとして『ST. LOUIS 1973 (PF3673)』が存在していましたが、この他は海外レーベルを見渡してもこれといった決定盤が存在していないのが現状です。演目的には僅か数回しかライブ演奏されなかった「Childhood’s End」を含んでいるなどレア度も高く、どの演奏にも遂に動き出した73年フロイドの若々しいエネルギーに溢れた熱演のオンパレードで聴きどころが非常に多いのですが、それでも各メーカーがプレスでの音盤化を敬遠していた理由はやはり音質と品質のイマイチ感にあったと思われます。

ところが今年2020年の10月。殆どの非公式音源ファンにとってほぼノーマークだったこの日の録音がマスターカセットから直落としされた1st genリールテープ音源としてネット公開され世界中の非公式音源ファンの注目を集めました。アップローダーはお馴染みの現代デジタルテーパーNeonknight氏で、彼が1999年にカリフォルニアのテーパーから受け取ったというこのリールはマスターカセット(※ モノラル)から直落としされたスコッチ製の1st genリールテープ現物。これをRevox製の高性能リールデッキ” A77 MK-IV “で再生したところ左チャンネルから出ている音が非常にクリーンで強い信号を出していたため、この左側の音を両チャンネル均等に配したものが今回のネット公開ソースだった様です。

ただ残念ながらこの録音は、過去に多くのテーパーが指摘してきた様にシーン全体でヒスノイズが生じている事によって高音側で僅かに信号損失が発生しているのが実情です。既発ソース及びネット上で他に拾えるサウンドも実は全てこの状態(※= だからどのメーカーも音盤化を敬遠していた)なのですが、今回の公開ソースが特別なのはこれに注意深いイコライゼーションを緻密に施した事により音像をリール以前の姿、つまりオリジナル収録音に限りなく近いサウンドを復元する事に見事成功している点なのです。これによって高音域に目立っていたあのヒスノイズが極限まで軽減され、本来そうであった筈の湿り気あるサウンドと音の密度が甦っているのですが、これは非公式音源のビギナーから古豪のテーパーまで、その音を聴いた全員からつい笑みがこぼれてしまうほどの質感の向上が滲み出しているのです。正直、このアッパー感はちょっとした事件と言っても良いでしょう。

更にもう一つのサウンド・トピックがこの日のアンコールで演奏された「One Of These Days」。2時間近いショウが終盤に差し掛かる頃には録音機のバッテリーが弱まり、駆動系の挙動が不安定になるという当時ならではの問題がこの曲にのみ顕著に出ており、その不安定な曲の姿が過去全てのバージョンのソースにも残っていました。しかし今回はこの問題にも真正面から取り組み、数多くの劣化シーンを小分けにしたセグメントを一つずつ修正した事で、曲を聴き辛くしていた厄介な問題点のほぼ全てを完全修復する事に成功したのです。これによって本ソースで聴けるこの曲とショウの全体像は過去のどのバージョンのソースよりも高い正確さで再生され、音を耳にする全員にフレッシュな感動を呼び覚ます音像が誕生した訳です。

ネット上の公開ソースはここまでの処理したが、でもよく聴くとまだ音を高められる余地としてプチノイズの除去と位相の調整、若干高かったピッチの修正とパンチの弱さを補う音圧補正、そして波形全体の見直しにも伸びしろが残っており、この諸問題をSigmaの敏腕エンジニアが更に精査。結果、公開ソースを超える聴き心地と品質を得るに至ったのです。この現時点最高のサウンドを2枚組でプレス音盤化させたものが本最新作、1st genリールのサウンド・クオリティでマスター原音に限りなく肉迫する、これまでのソースとは別格感みなぎる73年セントルイス音源なのです!!

73年の録音としては充分過ぎるほどオンな音像は冒頭「Echoes」から全開。既発盤(※ 代表タイトルが無いため、便宜上ここでは当店のギフトアイテム『ST. LOUIS 1973 (PF3673)』をそう呼びます)ソースで目立っていた強いテープ・ヒスがほぼ完全に無くなっているので、これまで聴き取り辛かった静かなシーンの再生力が序盤から向上しており、その奥行きと静謐さが備わった音像に誰しも驚かれるでしょう。後半、歌唱パートがリプライズするシーンではデイヴのマイクにトラブルが発生し、歌詞の後半はリックが単独で歌い切るという珍しいシーンが出てきますが(※ 17:42~18:27)、この約40秒間の生々しさもチリチリしたノイズが耳に付いた既発盤とは異なる綺麗な音像になっています。トラック(2)で聴ける終演後のチューニングもヒスが無くなった事でロジャーによるお馴染みの「One, Two…」の呟きが滑らかに届き、場内で爆竹が突然鳴らされるシーンもそのショッキングな音がドキュメンタリー感倍増しています。「Obscured By Clouds」もまた終始”サーッ”というテープヒスが混在していた既発サウンドとは異なる上質な音像にアッパー感が漲ります。特にベースの直撃感とギターがヒスの無い音でその輝きを増しているので、この曲特有の脈打つ様なリズムと装飾音の重なりが耳に染み渡るでしょう。尚、クレジットはしていませんが次曲「When You’re In」の終演後にもギターを中心としたサウンドチェックがノーカット収録されており、これも既発盤より密度の高いリール音で聴ける事も特記しておきましょう。

僅か数回しかライブ演奏されなかった「Childhood’s End」も納得のアッパー感が目白押し。ザラザラした音像で音割れが目立っていたデイヴの歌声が湿り気のある彼本来の声色に戻り、ギターも艶のあるトーンがノイズレスに通り抜ける心地良さを取り戻しています。テープチェンジの為か6:08で僅かにシーンの欠落が生じてはいるものの、この編集痕もヒスノイズの無い音像の中に現れるため、マスター原音に肉迫する生々しさで出ている事もアドヴァンテージでしょう。終曲後に再び入るチューニングも今回は単体トラック(6)として割り振り、その2分40秒超えの曲間情報を完全収録。トラック割りしていなかった既発盤とは情報整理の面でもその格差を拡げています。「Careful With That Axe, Eugene」は7:11以降で暫く続く強烈な推進力と音の押し込みが原音本来の高密度なサウンドで聴ける事に注目。既発盤同様に8:29で僅かにシーンの欠落もあるのですが、これもその前後が既発盤より濃密な音で出ているぶん耳当たりの違和感が遥かに少なくなっています。

ショウの後半、発売から未だ1週間経っていないダークサイド完全再現では本ソースの音質向上感が頂点に。周囲の様子からしても同日の同ソースであるのは間違い無いのですが、20分間の休憩中にマイクの向きを変えたのか指向性の違う別マイクに変えたのか音像がより鋭角的でストレートになり、ここから先はディスクエンドまでリールテープ特有の底知れない再生力に圧倒されるシーンが続出します。例えばこの日若干の機材トラブルが生じている「The Great Gig In The Sky」では強めのハウリングが響く中でカーリナとヴァネッタがそれをリカバリしながら歌い上げる姿が過去最高の直撃音で甦っていますし、「Money」もパンチの効いた中音域の躍動感が湿り気のあるリアルな透明サウンドで耳元に運ばれるため、ヒスノイズの多い既発盤では得られなかった音楽的な渇望を存分に満たしてくれるのです。

「Us And Them」は既発盤と同じく1:28~30の2秒間でテープチェンジによるシーンの欠落が生じていますが、ここもそれを帳消しにしてしまうほどの潤いある音像に身を焦がされると思います。特に質感高いオルガンとギターの音色は筆舌に尽くし難いほど麗しく、芯の太い音で甘く流麗に綴られてゆくここでの演奏は悶絶確定でしょう。「Any Colour You Like」ではトーキング・モジュレーターによるギターの響きが五感により確かな余韻を残しますし、「Eclipse」もロジャーと女性コーラス隊のハーモニーにザラつきが目立った既発盤とは別格の艶のある音像の中で進行するため、その耳当たりの違いに驚かれる筈です。アンコール待ちの音出しとチューニングをダイレクトキャッチしたトラック(12)もデイヴが念入りに音出しチェックをしている様子が更に質感豊かなサウンドで甦っていますし、「One Of These Days」に到っては当時のフロイドがどれほど鮮烈な音を放っていたかが分かる豪快サウンドで甦っていますので、聴覚に突き刺さるその興奮を是非御堪能戴きたいと思います。

こうして1st genリールテープの登場により遂に甦った73年セントルイス録音ですが、ヒスノイズが消えたこのサウンドを実際に聴いてみると充分過ぎるほどオンな音像であった事がよく判ると思います。レア曲「Childhood’s End」がこのサウンドで甦っているのは目玉ですし、何よりショウの後半=ディスク2の聴き応えは相当なもの。またそうして聴きどころは多いものの殆ど注目されてこなかったソースだけに、これほどの演奏をコレクションに新規追加出来る喜びも存分に噛み締められるでしょう。今週は70年のロッテルダム公演を驚異的な4th genで収録した『Rotterdam 1970 4th Gen (Sigma 264)』や、72年にあった” もうひとつのブライトンドーム公演 “こと6月28日の『Brighton 28th June 1972: 1st Gen (Sigma254)』等、音質的にも内容的にも非常に優れたタイトルが同時リリースされますので、是非そちらも手に取ってお試し下さい。どれも名録音・高音質ばかりのリリースラッシュです!!

 

Disc 1 (61:00)
1. Echoes
2. Tunings
3. Obscured By Clouds
4. When You’re In
5. Childhood’s End
6. Tunings
7. Careful With That Axe, Eugene

Disc 2 (54:47)

The Dark Side Of The Moon
1. Speak To Me
2. Breathe
3. On The Run
4. Time
5. Breathe (reprise)
6. The Great Gig In The Sky
7. Money
8. Us And Them
9. Any Colour You Like
10. Brain Damage
11. Eclipse

12. Tunings
13. One Of These Days

Sigma 260

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.