Rainbow / Death Alley Rock Fever Kalamazoo 1982 / 1CD

Rainbow / Death Alley Rock Fever Kalamazoo 1982 / 1CD / Black Box
Translated Text:

Live at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI. USA 15th May 1982

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It is the emergence of a finest board that will make you experience the “Phantom’s opening” dreaming of everyone with the highest peak sound ever. That “phantom” is “Death Alley Driver”. That famous song is a live album that will serve as a pole position!

【I could not experience “a phantom start”】
Such a work is contained in “Karamazoo performance on May 15, 1982”. “STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES TOUR” But it is a concert of the very early schedule. Let’s see how early it is, first from the whole picture of the World Tour.

· May 7th – June 29th: North America # 1 (35 shows) ← ★ Coco ★
· July 10 – 31: North America # 2 (17 performances)
· August 6 – 23: North America # 3 (15 shows)
One month after –
· September 24 – 25: North America # 4 (2 shows)
– After half a month –
· October 12 – 22: Japan (8 shows)
· October 29 – December 3: Europe (23 performances)

Over 100 performances over. The Karamazoo performance of this work is a concert that corresponds to the 5th performance of “North America # 1” which decorates the beginning. At that time, as in the album “STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES” in the Japanese performance, it was expected to start at “Death Alley Driver”, but when it comes to production, it starts at “Spotlight Kid”. After that, “Spotlight Kid” was thought to be a pole position through the tour, but at the beginning of the tour there was also an opening “Death Alley Driver”. It is now said that the excavation and research at that time also proceeded and it was said that at least “Death Alley Driver” was up to “June 12th (22th performances)”.

【Best sound to update the highest peak】
Of course evidence by sound is also left, and the Kalamazoo performance has been known as “best recording” in the past as well. We have also introduced our gift board “ROCK FEVER 1982” and so on. This work is an upgrade board of “DEATH ALLEY ROCK FEVER” which was the top version among them. It is a master provided by overseas Coremania, but it is similar to “DEATH ALLEY ROCK FEVER” generations, but its sound clearly is vivid. Although the gift board was also a clear-class sound of the press class, the performance was pretty good, and one sound was tight. Especially separation between drum and guitar is wonderful, the overall stereoscopic feeling is wonderful. At the time of the gift I got lost and did not press it, but the decision was right answer …… This time it is a sound that is perfect for permanent preservation!
The wonderfulness of the intense rare set painted with that sound! First and foremost attention is the opening scene. This work has been recorded from the “masterful dignity”, followed by “Over The Rainbow” ringing in the venue. Here “What?” Is that the band does not play. Following Dorothy’s storytelling and tape, Ritchie’s arming imitating engine sound roars … …. Of course, the audience is aware of “Death Alley Driver” and the tension rises! And RAINBOW went so fast as to meet that expectation! This is it. I also wanted to listen to Japanese performances!

【Extreme Rare Song “Rock Fever”】
This opening scene is the biggest impact of this work, but this work is not over by that alone. Another intense rare tail that continues from “Man On The Silver Mountain” is “Rock Fever”! This is even more rare than the opening scene. Even with the latest research, only the Karamazoo performance of this work has been confirmed. Immediately replaced by “All Night Long”, Matmo only listens to this work, even in rainbow color history is a rare rare live show in rare. Moreover, the performance is the best again. The introduction synth was also extended to solo of about 1 minute, plenty of spacious mood. It is a different atmosphere as if it were a studio take.
Because there is such “Rock Fever”, another taste comes out in this work. On this day, six of the nine songs of the new work “STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES” are showing off. “Bring On the Night (Dream Chaser)” “Tite Squeeze” “Eyes of Fire” has no record throughout the entire era, a concert closest to the whole picture of “STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES” this day. In other words, this work is one piece to be “Live version” STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES.

Despite being a song for opening, it is opening of “Death Alley Driver” which our Japanese people could not experience. Of course, even though “Spotlight Kid” who served as a pole position in RAINBOW in the 1990s is too famous, the top is still the original place of “Death Alley Driver”. It is a masterpiece of a live album that seems to be disgusted by the scent of rich ” STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES ” including the glare of famous songs that should shine and the rare ‘Rock Fever’.
It is an unprecedented one in the audience album of numerous Joe Lynn Turner era. Please give me this work softly next to your “STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES”.
誰もが夢見る“幻のオープニング”を史上最高峰サウンドで体験させてくれる極上盤の登場です。その“幻”とは「Death Alley Driver」。かの名曲がポール・ポジションを務めるライヴアルバムです！

【体験できなかった“幻の開演”】
そんな本作に収められているのは「1982年５月15日カラマズー公演」。“STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES TOUR”でも極初期日程のコンサートです。どれくらい初期なのか、まずはワールド・ツアーの全体像から見てみましょう。

・５月７日-６月29日：北米#1（35公演）←★ココ★
・7月10日-31日：北米#2（17公演）
・８月６日-23日：北米#3（15公演）
ー１ヶ月後ー
・９月24日-25日：北米#4（２公演）
ー半月後ー
・10月12日-22日：日本（８公演）
・10月29日-12月３日：欧州（23公演）

以上、全100公演。本作のカラマズー公演は、冒頭を飾る「北米#1」の５公演目にあたるコンサートです。当時、日本公演ではアルバム『STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES』と同様に「Death Alley Driver」でのスタートが期待されましたが、いざ本番に臨んでみると「Spotlight Kid」での開演。それ以降、ツアーを通して「Spotlight Kid」がポールポジションだと思われてきましたが、ツアーの冒頭では「Death Alley Driver」オープニングもあったのです。現在では当時の発掘・研究も進み、少なくとも「６月12日（22公演目）」までは「Death Alley Driver」だったと言われています。

【最高峰を更新するベスト・サウンド】
もちろん音による証拠も残されており、カラマズー公演はその中でも従来から“ベスト録音”として知られてきたもの。当店でもギフト盤『ROCK FEVER 1982』等でご紹介してきました。本作は、その中でもトップ・バージョンであった『DEATH ALLEY ROCK FEVER』のアップグレード盤なのです。海外のコアマニアから提供されたマスターなのですが、世代的には『DEATH ALLEY ROCK FEVER』と同様なのですが、そのサウンドは明らかに鮮やか。ギフト盤もプレス級のクリア・サウンドではありましたが、演奏がグッと前に出ていて１音１音がタイト。特にドラムとギターの分離が素晴らしく、全体的な立体感が素晴らしいのです。ギフトの時点で迷いに迷ってプレスしなかったわけですが、その判断は正解だった……今度こそ、永久保存に相応しいサウンドなのです！
そのサウンドで描かれる激レア・セットの素晴らしさ！　まず何よりも注目なのは、開演シーン。本作は「威風堂々」から録音されており、続いて「Over The Rainbow」が会場中に鳴り響く。ここで「あれ？」となるのは、バンドが演奏しないこと。ドロシーの語りとテープに続いて、エンジン音に模したリッチーのアーミングが轟く……。もちろん、観客は「Death Alley Driver」を察知してテンション上がりまくり！　そして、その期待に応えるようにRAINBOWが激走!!　そう、これ！　これですよ。日本公演でも聴きたかったのは！

【激レア・ソング「Rock Fever」】
このオープニング・シーンこそ本作最大のインパクトですが、本作はそれだけでは終わらない。「Man On The Silver Mountain」から続くもう１つの激レアテイクは「Rock Fever」！　これはオープニング・シーンよりも更にレア。最新リサーチでも、本作のカラマズー公演までしか確認されていない。すぐに「All Night Long」に代えられ、マトモに聴ける記録は本作だけという、まさに虹色史でも激レア中の激レアなライヴテイクなのです。しかも、その演奏ぶりがまた最高。イントロのシンセも１分ほどのソロに伸張され、スペーシーなムードたっぷり。スタジオテイクとはまるで雰囲気の違うバージョンなのです。
そんな「Rock Fever」があることで、本作には別の味も出てくる。この日は新作「STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES」の全９曲のうち６曲が披露されている。演奏されていない「Bring On the Night (Dream Chaser)」「Tite Squeeze」「Eyes of Fire」は全時代を通して記録がなく、この日が史上もっとも『STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES』全像に近いコンサート。つまり、本作は“ライヴ版『STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES』”となる１枚なのです。

いかにもオープニング用の曲でありながら、私たち日本人が生体験できなかった「Death Alley Driver」オープニング。もちろん、90年代RAINBOWでもポール・ポジションを務めた「Spotlight Kid」が名曲すぎるわけですが、それでもトップこそが「Death Alley Driver」本来の居場所。いるべき場所で輝く名曲の眩しさ、そして激レア「Rock Fever」までも盛り込んで濃厚な『STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES』の香りにむせ返るようなライヴアルバムの大傑作です。
数あるジョー・リン・ターナー時代のオーディエンス・アルバムでも無類の１本。あなたの『STRAIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES』の隣に、どうぞ本作をそっと差してください。
(75:58)
1. Land Of Hope And Glory 2. Over The Rainbow 3. Death Alley Driver 4. Miss Mistreated
5. I Surrender 6. Can’t Happen Here 7. Tearin’ Out My Heart 8. Man On The Silver Mountain
9. Rock Fever 10. Lazy 11. Stone Cold 12. Power 13. Difficult To Cure 14. Keyboard Solo
15. Difficult To Cure(reprise) 16. Drums Solo 17. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
18. Smoke On The Water 19. Maybe Next Time

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar Joe Lynn Turner – Vocals Roger Glover – Bass
David Rosenthal – Keyboards Bob Rondinelli – Drums

Black Box 016