Queen / Definitive Seattle 1977 / 2CD

Queen / Definitive Seattle 1977 / 2CD / Wardour

Live at Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA, USA 13th March 1977

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Brilliant up with the famous board of the live album representing the wonderful “A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”. It is a permanent preservation press appeared in 2CD.
The masterpiece was recorded in “Seattle Performance March 13, 1977”. That super superb audience recording. “A DAY AT THE RACES” was released in December 1976, but the tour began in January 1977 when the year was revised. Speaking of 1977, “NEWS OF THE WORLD TOUR” is also involved, so let’s review the two tours in battle and check the position of the show.

● 1977
“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”
· January 13 – March 18: North America # 1 (40 shows) ← ★ Coco ★
· May 8 – June 7: Europe # 1 (19 performances)
“October 28” NEWS OF THE WORLD “Release”
“NEWS OF THE WORLD TOUR”
· November 11 – December 22: North America # 2 (26 performances)
● 1978
· April 12 – May 13: European # 2 (20 performances)

An outline of 1977 when this was running up the stairs of success. “A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR” began with the United States to capture, but the Seattle performance of this work was a concert that was the 37th performance of the final stage of “North America # 1”.
This show is famous for having super-superlative recordings more than anything. From the analog era “P.N.W.” “DUCK SOUP” is a big staple in the classic that has continued to be loved. This work is also a superb audience recording born from such a show, the name recording which becomes the longest and highest peak of “A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR” which was excavated 10 years ago from now. The appearance was a shock. The freshness digitized from the original reel master before becoming LP is the ultimate, and it was not recorded in the analog board “A Day At The Races Intro” “Tie Your Mother Down” “Stone Cold Crazy” “Keep Yourself Alive “also appeared. To the goodness of too much sound, “It is really sound board”, “Is not it recording different from analog?” “It might be the same taper as the 1975 Seattle recording of LED ZEPPELIN”, etc. It was so intense that I could nod either of those theories, it was a miraculous sound that I could not stay searching behind the scenes.
In our shop, we introduced that name recording as “A DAY AT SEATTLE”, but sold out and out of print in a blink of an eye. This work is a thing that polished so much ultra-determined recording with further latest and meticulous remaster. That point is a soundboard feeling. As mentioned earlier, it was clear and vivid enough to say “Actually SBD !?”, but the hall ringing is obviously an audience recording. Therefore, this work restrains the hall ringing, detailing one sound one by one. The sound pressure is not raised up to an extent that it will be adjusted indefinitely, but as the contour becomes vivid, it is more on and feels close. Especially Freddie’s singing voice and piano are full of close contact feeling flowing directly into the ear, and it is really finished like a direct sound like a sound board.
Another point is glossiness. As a matter of fact, this recording is also known for its high treble (although it is a very high-level story), it is hard for high tones to peak. Especially it was felt that the lyrics “Sa line” was kinkin. In this work, such high tone is individually adjusted. It is preparing the whole balance at the level not damaging the sound quality.
It is the world of wonderful “A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR” that is drawn with such a sound. This tour is in the process of growing from an up-and-coming young band to a big band, afterwards popular songs such as “Somebody to Love” which is going to become a standardization afterwards increase. “Brighton Rock” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are also beginning to play full. It is full of delicious songs such as “The Millionaire Waltz” “You Take My Breath Away” “White Man / The Prophet’s Song” “In The Lap Of The Gods … Revisited”. Although it is not an explosion tension that makes the brain cramp, it is overwhelmed by only the colorful famous piece rush which is delivered one after another.

It is regrettable that the final recording “God Save The Queen” will not reach, recording will end. However, other disadvantages are not found at all. There is no other live album that you can enjoy “A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR” on this long length with miracle sound so far. It is one to update the highest peak in historical name recording ever. “A DAY AT THE RACES If you listen to the era, first of all, it is a famous masterpiece that will become a kore. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content with permanent preservation press 2CD.

★ “A DAY AT THE RACES” The highest sound quality on the tour is the main board.

素晴らしき“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”を代表するライヴアルバムの大名盤がブラッシュ・アップ。永久保存プレス2CDで登場です。
その代表作が記録されたのは「1977年3月13日シアトル公演」。その超極上オーディエンス録音です。『A DAY AT THE RACES』がリリースされたのは1976年12月ですが、ツアーが始まったのは年の改まった1977年1月から。1977年と言えば、“NEWS OF THE WORLD TOUR”も絡んできますので、2つのツアーをまとめて振り返り、ショウのポジションを確認してみましょう。

●1977年
“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”
・1月13日-3月18日:北米#1(40公演)←★ココ★
・5月8日-6月7日:欧州#1(19公演)
《10月28日『NEWS OF THE WORLD』発売》
“NEWS OF THE WORLD TOUR”
・11月11日-12月22日:北米#2(26公演)
●1978年
・4月12日-5月13日:欧州#2(20公演)

これが成功の階段を駆け上がっていた1977年の概要。“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”は攻略すべきアメリカから始まりましたが、本作のシアトル公演はその「北米#1」の終盤37公演目にあたるコンサートでした。
このショウは、何よりも超極上録音が存在する事で有名。アナログ時代から『P.N.W.』『DUCK SOUP』といった名盤が愛され続けてきた定番中の大定番なのです。本作もまた、そんなショウから生まれた極上オーディエンス録音であり、今から10年前に発掘された“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”の最長・最高峰となる名録音。その登場は衝撃でした。LPになる前の大元リール・マスターからデジタル化された鮮度は究極的で、アナログ盤には未収録だった「A Day At The Races Intro」「Tie Your Mother Down」「Stone Cold Crazy」「Keep Yourself Alive」も登場。あまりの音の良さに「本当はサウンドボードだ」「アナログとは別録音じゃないか?」「LED ZEPPELINの1975年シアトル録音と同じテーパーかも知れない」等々、さまざまな憶測まで飛び交った。そのいずれの説も頷けてしまうほどに強烈で、裏側を探らずにいられないほどに奇跡的なサウンドだったのです。
当店では、その名録音を『A DAY AT SEATTLE』としてご紹介しましたが、瞬く間に完売・廃盤。本作は、それほどの超・決定録音をさらに最新・細心リマスターで磨き込んだものなのです。そのポイントはサウンドボード感。先述のように「実はSBD!?」と言われるほどクリアで鮮やかだったわけですが、やはりホール鳴りは明らかにオーディエンス録音。そこで本作はそのホール鳴りを抑え、1音1音をディテール・アップ。音圧は整える程度で無闇に上げてはいないのですが、輪郭がビビッドになったことで一層オンで間近に感じる。特にフレディの歌声やピアノは耳元に直接流れ込む密着感を湛えており、本当にサウンドボードのようなダイレクト・サウンドに仕上がっているのです。
もう1つのポイントは、艶やかさ。実のところ、この録音は(非常に高いレベルの話ですが)高音が強いことでも知られており、高音がピークに達するとキツい。特に歌詞の「サ行」がキンキンして感じられたのです。本作では、そんな高音も個別に調整。音質を損ねないレベルで全体バランスを整えているのです。
そんなサウンドで描かれるのは、素晴らしき“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”の世界。このツアーは新進気鋭の若いバンドから大物バンドへと成長していく過程にあり、その後に大定番化していく「Somebody to Love」といった人気曲が増量。「Brighton Rock」や「Bohemian Rhapsody」もフル演奏し始めている。それでいながら「The Millionaire Waltz」「You Take My Breath Away」「White Man/The Prophet’s Song」「In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited」といった美味しい曲も満載。脳がクラクラするような爆テンションというわけでもないのですが、次から次へと繰り出されるカラフルな名曲ラッシュだけで圧倒されるのです。

惜しむらくは最後の「God Save The Queen」に届かず、録音が終了してしまう事。しかし、それ以外に欠点らしい欠点がまるで見当たらない。ここまでの奇跡サウンドで、これほど長尺に“A DAY AT THE RACES TOUR”を楽しめるライヴアルバムは他にない。そんな歴史的名録音の史上最高峰を更新する1本です。「A DAY AT THE RACES時代を聴くなら、まずはコレ」となる大名盤。永久保存プレス2CDで心ゆくまで存分にお楽しみください。

★「A DAY AT THE RACES」ツアーで最も高音質なのは本盤です。

Disc 1 (42:50)
1. A Day At The Races Intro. 2. Tie Your Mother Down 3. Ogre Battle 4. White Queen
5. Somebody To Love 6. Killer Queen 7. The Millionaire Waltz 8. You’re My Best Friend
9. Bring Back That Leroy Brown 10. Brighton Rock 11. Guitar Solo 12. Brighton Rock(reprise)

Disc 2 (59:56)
1. ’39 2. You Take My Breath Away 3. White Man 4. The Prophet’s Song 5. Bohemian Rhapsody
6. Stone Cold Crazy 7. Keep Yourself Alive 8. Liar 9. In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited
10. Now I’m Here 11. Big Spender
12. Jailhouse Rock / Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula

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