Queen / Definitive Knebworth 1986 / 2CD

Queen / Definitive Knebworth 1986 / 2CD / Wardour

Live at Knebworth Park, Stevenage, UK 9th August 1986

Play sample :

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The last concert which “that 4 people” gathered, “Nebworth show on August 9, 1986”. The ultra superb album that recorded the whole picture is appearing in permanent preservation press 2CD.
For the fans …. No, it’s two stages that have heavy implications for rock history. Although this show is also adopted in the official board “LIVE MAGIC”, it is too regrettable that it is a mixture with other performances, and the used songs were made scratchy by editing up to intense . This work is a live album that can fully experience such “last Freddie” without stagnation.
Also, for this collector this show is familiar even in name recording. There is a transcendent name recording that is said to “enter five fingers even in QUEEN’s entire audience recording”, and has been loved by the “Amsterdam label” ELECTRIC MAGIC “in the old days. Actually, this person who recorded this supernatural recording is the masterpiece of taper “Crazy S.”. This work borrowed master cassette from his “Crazy S.” himself again and re-digitized with the latest equipment of 2019.
That sound is exactly overwhelming. There is nothing wrong with the sound board because it is absorbing enthusiasm that reached the heyday again, but the core of the performance sound and the singing voice reaching straight goes on and the details are super clear. This will affect not only the master of the master but also the venue. The reason is that the outdoor stage was set up in “Nebworth Park”. For that reason there is no wall or heaven that reflects the sound, causing no cloudiness or turbidity at all. Of course, it is not necessarily a good sound in the open air, but there is a risk of blurring at a distance or a sound flowing in the wind, but it is a skill of a good hand not to feel it. Whether you recorded on the immediate side of the PA, you can record the output directly. The terrible taste of such a name recording was even called “the ELECTRIC MAGIC” of Jen’s fall, although it was called “the best 5 of QUEEN”, this work is its original. The freshness of Ultimate Genes is overwhelming, the freshness of ringing and the glossiness of dubbing trace zero are totally different things. It is a transcendental sound that does not need the pillar of “at that time”.
To tell the truth, I introduced the re-digital board “KNEBWORTH 1986 (Wardour-153)” of the same concept several years ago, but this time we succeeded in digitizing more beautifully with the evolution of equipment. However, the last board has been upgraded by refining remastering, it can not be said that this time it was born extremely. However, this time realizing a sense of unrivaled stability without digitizing hands. Although extremely slight instantaneous shaking and noise are processed, it is not exactly 100% itself, but it is a real real site sound sucked almost entirely from the original · tape. Still it realized super high quality sound of remastered boards.
The final original QUEEN drawn with such transcendental sound. And the last Freddie. Another sound, one voice is a series of special moments. Besides, it is a wonderful masterpiece even if it makes that feeling nude. In the first place, “MAGIC TOUR” performed two performances at the Wembley Stadium which was a miracle site with LIVE AID, and was added specially for fans who could not enter yet. As a result, the audience became a large crowd of 150,000 people. Freddie, a genuine showman who says “The bigger the bigger the better,” there is no reason for it to burn on this big stage. Due to the 4 day break just before, compared to the show in the second half of the “MAGIC TOUR”, the voices are also well presented and the spirit is sufficient. And if Freddie is doing great, there is nothing scary of QUEEN. Three other players also performed in a magnificent performance, and the wonderful performance that seems natural to be adopted as an official work “LIVE MAGIC” will flow without stagnation.

In the final highlight “We Are The Champions” Freddie makes tweets “I thank you all” and the audience returns “Thank you all”. This is the last night. That is the document of the truth. However, there is no feeling of tragedy in this work. Freddie cries cheerlessly as usual and is singing satisfactorily. It seems to have told the members “I want to end it” after this show, but it was not “anymore” anymore “was done” ……… It is such a spreading show .
A super masterpiece of a live album that allows you to experience the whole story with the historical high quality sound. One to become a cultural heritage of rock. It is a decision to permanently save with a newly built board from the original master.

★ Queen’s Freddie Mercury’s last concert.

“あの４人”が揃った最後のコンサート、「1986年８月９日ネブワース公演」。その全貌を記録した超極上ライヴアルバムが永久保存プレス２CDで登場です。
ファンにとって……いえ、ロック史にとって重い意味を持つ二つとないステージ。このショウは公式盤『LIVE MAGIC』にも採用されているわけですが、残念すぎる事に他公演との混ぜ物であり、使用された曲も苛烈なまでの編集でズタズタにされてしまいました。本作は、そんな“最後のフレディ”を淀みなくフル体験できるライヴアルバムなのです。
また、コレクターにとってこのショウは名録音でも馴染み深い。「QUEENの全オーディエンス録音でも五指に入る」と言われる超絶な名録音が存在し、古くはAmsterdamレーベルの『ELECTRIC MAGIC』でも愛されてきたのです。実は、この超名録音を記録した人物こそ、かの名匠テーパー“Crazy S.”氏。本作は、その“Crazy S.”氏本人から改めてマスター・カセットを借り受け、2019年の最新機材で再デジタル化したものなのです。
そのサウンドは、まさに圧倒的。再び全盛を迎えた熱狂も吸い込んでいるためにサウンドボードと間違える事はありませんが、真っ直ぐに届く演奏音と歌声の芯が究めてオンで、ディテールも超鮮明。これは名手の腕だけでなく、会場も影響しているのでしょう。と言うのも、現場となったのは“ネブワース・パーク”に設営された野外ステージ。そのために音を反射する壁や天上が存在せず、曇りや濁りをまったく起こさない。もちろん、野外なら必ず良い音になるわけではなく、遠さでボケたり、音が風に流れるリスクもあるわけですが、それを感じさせないのが名手の腕前。ＰＡのすぐ側で録音したのか、出力をダイレクトに記録しきっているのです。そんな名録音の凄味はジェネ落ちの『ELECTRIC MAGIC』ですら「QUEENのベスト５」と呼ばれたわけですが、本作はそのオリジナル。究極ジェネの鮮度は圧倒的で、鳴りの瑞々しさとダビング痕ゼロの艶やかさはまるで別物。「当時にしては」の枕詞を必要としない超絶サウンドなのです。
実のところ、数年前にも同じコンセプトの再デジタル盤『KNEBWORTH 1986（Wardour-153）』をご紹介しましたが、今回は機材の進化でさらに美しいデジタル化に成功しました。もっとも、前回盤はリマスタリングの磨き上げによってアップグレードもしており、今回も極端に生まれ変わったとは言えない。ただし、今回はデジタルで手を加えるまでもなく絶品の安定感が実現。極々わずかな瞬間的な揺れやノイズは処理したので厳密に100％そのものではないものの、ほぼほぼオリジナル・テープの吸い込んだリアルな現場音そのまま。それでいてリマスター盤並の超ハイクオリティ・サウンドを実現したのです。
そんな超絶サウンドで描かれる、最後のオリジナルQUEEN。そして、最後のフレディ。もう一音、一声が特別な瞬間の連続なのです。しかも、その感慨をヌキにしても素晴らしい名演。そもそも、“MAGIC TOUR”はLIVE AIDで奇跡の現場となったウェンブリー・スタジアムで２公演行っており、それでも入りきれなかったファンのために特別に追加されたショウ。それだけに観客は15万人に及ぶ大群衆となった。「大きければ大きいほど良い」と言う生粋のショウマンであるフレディが、この大舞台に燃えないわけがない。直前に４日間の休みが入ったせいか、“MAGIC TOUR”後半のショウと比べても声も良く出ていて気合いも十分。そして、フレディが絶好調ならQUEENに怖い物はなし。他の３人も堂々とした演奏ぶりで、オフィシャル作品『LIVE MAGIC』に採用されるのも当然と思える素晴らしい演奏が淀みなく流れ出るのです。

最後のハイライト「We Are The Champions」でフレディが「I thank you all」とつぶやき、観客が「Thank you all」と返す。これが最後の夜。その真実のドキュメントです。しかし、本作には悲壮感はない。フレディはいつも通り威風堂々と叫び、満足げに歌い上げている。このショウの後、メンバーに「もう終わりにしたい」と告げたそうですが、それは「もう限界」ではなく「やり切った」だったのではないか………そんな想像さえ広がるほどのショウなのです。
その一部始終を歴史的なハイクオリティ・サウンドで現場体験できるライヴアルバムの超傑作。ロックの文化遺産となる１本。オリジナル・マスターからの新装盤で永久保存化決定です。

★クイーンの、フレディ・マーキュリーの最後のコンサートです。

Disc 1(60:11)
1. One Vision 2. Tie Your Mother Down 3. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited
4. Seven Seas Of Rhye 5. Tear It Up 6. A Kind Of Magic 7. Vocal Improvisation
8. Under Pressure 9. Another One Bites The Dust 10. Who Wants to Live Forever
11. I Want To Break Free 12. Impromptu 13. Guitar Solo 14. Now I’m Here

Disc 2(54:24)
1. Love Of My Life 2. Is This The World We Created? 3. (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care
4. Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart) 5. Tutti Frutti 6. Bohemian Rhapsody
7. Hammer To Fall 8. Crazy Little Thing Called Love 9. Radio Ga Ga 10. We Will Rock You
11. Friends Will Be Friends 12. We Are The Champions 13. God Save The Queen
14. Harvey Goldsmith Farewell Announcement

Special Thanks: Crazy S.

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