Rough Cutt / Tokyo 1987 / 2CDR

Rough Cutt / Tokyo 1987 / 2CDR / Shades
Live at Shibuya Kokaido, Tokyo, Japan 28th January 1987

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ROUGH CUTT, the famous band that produced the best LA metal singer: Paul Shortino. A live album that conveys the miraculous performance in Japan that was realized in the golden age is now available.
The performance of “January 28, 1987: Shibuya Public Hall” is imbued in this work. It is the best audience recording. Speaking of 1987, it was also the time when Shortino joined QUIET RIOT and appeared in the legendary festival “JAPAN AID 2”. First of all, let’s look back on the 1987 Japan performance realized by the two bands.

● ROUGH CUTT
・January 28: Shibuya Public Hall ← This work
・ January 29: Nagoya Gas Hall
・January 31: Mido Kaikan
《Transferred from ROUGH CUTT to QUIET RIOT》
● QUIET RIOT
・October 4: Appearance at JAPAN AID 2

This is the 4th performance in Japan in 1987. ROUGH CUTT’s first visit to Japan was “SUPER ROCK ’85 IN JAPAN”, and this work was a solo tour one and a half years later. In February, Kevin DuBrow was dismissed from QUIET RIOT, and Shortino transferred. The ROUGH CUTT side will disband soon after welcoming former WARRIOR Perimore McCarty. The Shibuya performance of this work was also the first day of a solo visit to Japan that was realized in 1987 in such turbulence.
This work, which has been vacuum-packed from such a scene, is truly a superb audience. The most wonderful thing is the on and thick core. Although it can be understood that it is an audience because it also sucks in real clapping, the essential performance sound and singing voice go “just like a sound board” on the ground. It has nothing to do with the feeling of being empty, and the clear and vivid contours, the close contact with zero distance, and the wonderful separate feeling … the cheers between songs and the chorus of the chorus finally remind me of “It was a customer record”. That’s a wonderful name recording.
The superb sound depicted is the scene of the golden age, which is valuable worldwide. Speaking of the 80’s live, there is also an official excavation board “LIVE”, but this work is a 2-disc set that is much longer than that. Let’s organize the set while comparing here.

● Rough cut (9 songs)
・Kids Will Rock (★)/Dressed To Kill/She’s Too Hott (★)/Take Her/Dreamin’ Again/Piece Of My Heart/Cut Your Heart Out/Never Gonna Die (★)/Black Widow
● Wants You (7 songs)
・Rock The USA/Don’t Settle For Less (★)/Take A Chance (★)/Bad Reputation/We Like It Loud/Double Trouble/Let ‘Em Talk
* Note: “★” marks are songs that could not be heard on the official version “LIVE”.

… and it looks like this. Exactly the concentration reduction of the golden age. While covering all the repertoire that can be heard on the official edition “LIVE”, 5 more songs have been added. 16 out of 20 songs of “ROUGH CUTT” and “WANTS YOU!”
Of course, the performance that spells it out is also wonderful. Shortino was 33 years old at the time, and if his tension and stretch were top notch, his control was perfect. He is just showing off a wonderful singing voice with fat as a singer. And the performance that supports it is also powerful and gorgeous like LA metal. QUIET RIOT with more astringency was also good, but ROUGH CUTT is unique in its bright and tough liveliness.
A husky and deep voice with a terrifyingly good singing ability. It is a live album where you can experience the best ROUGH CUTT in its prime, where the charm of Paul Shortino, the famous singer among the famous singers, shined to the fullest. Moreover, the site is extremely valuable, here in Japan. It is a hidden treasure of LA metal all over the world, and for us it is a 2-disc set that is packed with even more value. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

★ “January 28, 1987: Shibuya Public Hall” performance recording of the best audience. The thick core is strong when turned on, and the clear and vivid contours, the zero-distance contact feeling, and the wonderful separate feeling go “just like a sound board”. “Kids Will Rock”, “She’s Too Hott”, “Never Gonna Die”, “Don’t Settle For Less”, “Take A Chance”, etc. You can experience it.

LAメタル最高のシンガー：ポール・ショーティノを輩出した名バンドROUGH CUTT。その黄金時代に実現した奇跡の来日公演を伝えるライヴアルバムが登場です。
そんな本作に吹き込まれているのは「1987年１月28日：渋谷公会堂」公演。その極上オーディエンス録音です。1987年と言えば、ショーティノがQUIET RIOTへ電撃加入し、伝説フェス“JAPAN AID 2”にも出演した時期でもある。まずは、２つのバンドで実現した1987年の日本公演を振り返っておきましょう。

●ROUGH CUTT
・１月28日：渋谷公会堂　←★本作★
・１月29日：名古屋ガスホール
・１月31日：御堂会館
《ROUGH CUTTからQUIET RIOTへ移籍》
●QUIET RIOT
・10月４日：JAPAN AID 2出演

これが1987年の来日４公演。ROUGH CUTTの初来日は“SUPER ROCK ’85 IN JAPAN”で、本作はその１年半後の単独ツアーでした。２月にはQUIET RIOTからケヴィン・ダブロウが解雇されており、ショーティノが移籍。ROUGH CUTT側は元WARRIORのペリモア・マッカーティを迎えるも程なく解散してしまいます。本作の渋谷公演は、そんな激動の1987年に実現した単独来日の初日でもありました。
そんな現場を真空パックした本作は、まさに極上の銘品オーディエンス。何よりも素晴らしいのは、オンで極太な芯。リアルな手拍子も吸い込んでいるのでオーディエンスと分かるものの、肝心な演奏音や歌声は「まるでサウンドボード」を地で行く。スカスカ感などまるで無縁ですし、微細部までくっきり鮮やかな輪郭やゼロ距離な密着感、見事なセパレート感……曲間の喝采やサビの唱和でやっと「そう言えば客録だった」と思い出す。それはそれは見事な名録音です。
その極上サウンドで画かれるのは、全世界的にも貴重な黄金時代の現場。80年代のライヴと言えば、オフィシャル発掘盤『LIVE』もありますが、本作はあれより遙かに長尺な２枚組。ここで比較しながらセットも整理しておきましょう。

●ラフ・カット（９曲）
・Kids Will Rock（★）／Dressed To Kill／She’s Too Hott（★）／Take Her／Dreamin’ Again／Piece Of My Heart／Cutt Your Heart Out／Never Gonna Die（★）／Black Widow
●ウォンツ・ユー（７曲）
・Rock The USA／Don’t Settle For Less（★）／Take A Chance（★）／Bad Reputation／We Like It Loud／Double Trouble／Let ‘Em Talk
※注：「★」印は公式盤『LIVE』でも聴けなかった曲。

……と、このようになっています。まさに黄金時代の濃縮還元。公式盤『LIVE』でも聴けたレパートリーはすべて網羅しつつ、さらに５曲も増量している。『ROUGH CUTT』『WANTS YOU!』の全20曲中16曲が畳みかけられ、１回のショウとして流れも見事に構成されているのです。
もちろん、それを綴るパフォーマンスも素晴らしい。ショーティノは当時33歳で、張りも伸びも絶好調ならコントロールも完璧。まさにシンガーとして脂の乗った素晴らしい歌声を披露している。そして、それを支える演奏もLAメタルらしいパワフルで煌びやか。渋みを増したQUIET RIOTも良かったですが、明るくもタフな活きの良さはROUGH CUTTならではです。
ハスキーでディープな声質の旨みと、恐ろしく巧い歌唱力。名シンガー中の名シンガー、ポール・ショーティノの魅力が最大限に輝いていた全盛ROUGH CUTTを極上体験できるライヴアルバムです。しかも、その現場は貴重極まる、ここ日本。全世界的にもLAメタルの秘宝であり、私たちにとってはそれ以上の価値がずっしりと詰まった２枚組です。どうぞ、存分にご堪能ください。

★「1987年１月28日：渋谷公会堂」公演の極上オーディエンス録音。オンで極太な芯が強力で、スカスカ感などまるでなく微細部までくっきり鮮やかな輪郭やゼロ距離な密着感、見事なセパレート感は「まるでサウンドボード」を地で行く。「Kids Will Rock」「She’s Too Hott」「Never Gonna Die」「Don’t Settle For Less」「Take A Chance」など、公式作『LIVE』でも聴けない名曲も美味しい集大成のライヴ・イン・ジャパンを極上体験できます。

Disc:1 (67:14)
1. Intro.
2. Rock The USA
3. Kids Will Rock
4. Don’t Settle for Less
5. Dressed to Kill
6. She’s Too Hott
7. Take A Chance
8. Take Her
9. Drum & Bass Solo
10. Dreamin’ Again
11. Bad Reputation
12. Guitar Solo
13. We Like It Loud
14. Double Trouble

Disc:2 (25:16)
1. Piece Of My Heart
2. Cutt Your Heart Out
3. Never Gonna Die
4. Let ‘Em Talk
5. Black Widow

Paul Shortino – lead vocals
Amir Derakh – guitars
Chris Hager – guitars
Matt Thorr – bass
Dave Alford – drums

Shades 1665