Uriah Heep / Budokan 1973 / 1DVDR

Uriah Heep / Budokan 1973 / 1DVDR / Non Label

Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 16th March 1973. PRO-SHOT

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[The first visit to Japan of URIAH HEEP legend that was realized in 1973]. Introducing the best multi-camera pro shot that depicts the stage.
Such a film was taken at the “March 16, 1973: Nippon Budokan” performance. This show was televised at that time, and reigned as one of the 70’s representative pro shots. A variety of existing projects have produced half-official works. This work is a DVD containing such a Budokan pro shot the highest edition.

First, let’s review the show’s position from the commemorative date of the first visit to Japan.

・ March 16: Nippon Budokan [This work] ・ March 17: Nagoya City Public Hall
・ March 19: Nagoya City Public Hall
・ March 20: Osaka Kosei Pension Hall
・ March 21: Osaka Kosei Pension Hall

Above, all 5 performances.

The famous venue representing Higashi-Osaka is lined with Zura, and it is almost the same size as the return of DEEP PURPLE, which has already set its popularity in Japan. Furthermore, although there were also YES’s first visit to Japan in March 1973, they did not step on the stage of Nippon Budokan. It is a schedule that is truly transmitted that HEEP at the time boasted tremendous popularity as a hard rock family along with ZEP and DP. Among them, Nippon Budokan is the best of Lee. It was a sudden highlight show.
Such a Budokan pro shot, but two of the broadcast differences are included in this work. Let’s introduce each individually.

[BROADCAST # 1: full color best edition] The first thing to appear is the full official grade color version. Anyway, the image quality is overwhelming, and the freshness is perfect while the image quality makes the film feel of those days.
No deterioration is seen at all, and the glossy image beauty does not shake from beginning to end. The sound is also a perfect sound board. However, it is only 3 songs short.
Only “Look At Yourself”, “Sunrise” and “July Morning”, and “July Morning” is also edited to insert the video of overseas performances.
However, although it is short, the figure is historical. Color is better than anything. The simple thin blue curtain, the red of the timeless band logo. It is a beauty that looks like Jimmy Page, Gary Sain, and David Byron, full-bodied salmon and pink.
Unfortunately, HEEP’s first visit to Japan was devastating because of the Japanese side. It is said that the stage was quite unwilling, as they could not hear each other’s voices or performances, and could not get the chorus pitch (they were said to have been furious even if they returned to England).
However, even among those predicaments, it is extremely charismatic to figure out the hard rock of the new era, and even the aura can rise. The age of 70’s itself is the right to transform into five human beings.

[BROADCAST # 2: Monochrome Long Edition] The second master is even more amazing.
It is a Japanese broadcast version of a long time back then. There is also master deterioration on monochrome, but you can witness over about 38 minutes, add 3 songs same as BROADCAST # 1, and also enjoy “Traveler In Time”, “Tears In My Eyes”, “Rock & Roll Medley” By the way, “Sweet Lorraine”, “Easy Livin ‘”, “Gypsy”, “Circle Of Hands”, “The Magician’s Birthday” and “Love Machine” were also played in the full set at that time. “Rock & Roll Medley” I wanted to leave too full of intense masterpieces … loneliness!).
Its length alone is great, but more than that is the sense of the era of 1973 Japan. Although Japanese narration will be included at the beginning only in Japanese broadcasts, this is overwhelming. It conveys the excitement of youth culture in the tone of a newscaster who reads a manuscript. Let’s write a little.
“The Euriah Heap’s party arrived in Haneda on March 13, 1973, and came to a performance at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on the 16th. A record of 15,000 people (original moms) since the rock concert began The Budokan, which drank a large audience, was swirling with the heat and excitement of young people who were waiting for the appearance of the Euriah Heap, Euriah who overwhelmed the audience with violent volumes and hard actions. A gold disc was also given to a member of Eurea Heap and a bronze record by Columbia of Japan in commemoration of the 50,000 pieces of “anti-nuclear” being surpassed. Now your big excite music, URIAH HEEP !! ”
The largest capacity of Nippon Budokan is 14,471, and it will be less at concerts with stages and equipment. I think 15,000 people are difficult by any means, but I can not say. Speaking of HEEP, it has been known as a fantastic rock that embodies the middle of hard rock and progress, but we introduce them as “a violent volume and hard action”. Indeed, only in 1973. And it is a narration that is only at that time in Japan.

More fantastic than DEEP PURPLE, more wild than YES. It is a video work that can witness the first visit to Japan of URIAH HEEP that has delivered such a British rock to Japan. If you look at both this first visit to Japan and overseas performances, they say that “The performance in Japan just didn’t seem like HEEP”, but the picture projected in this work is incredibly charismatic. It’s a tick. If they were showing off in Japan, if the Japanese side was doing a professional job, they might still have packed up the Nippon Budokan as a pioneer of Fantasy UK HR that precedes RAINBOW. The first visit of the legendary Golden Age URIAH HEEP in many ways. Please fully enjoy this opportunity. ”

東名阪を代表する名会場がズラッと並び、すでに日本人気を決定づけていたDEEP PURPLE再来日とほぼ同規模。さらに言えば、同じ1973年３月にはYESの初来日もあったわけですが、彼らは日本武道館のステージを踏めなかった。当時のHEEPがZEP・DPと並ぶハードロック御三家として凄まじい人気を誇っていたのが如実に伝わる日程です。そんな中でも日本武道館はイの一番。いきなりのハイライト公演でした。
そんな武道館プロショットですが、本作に収められているのは放送違いの２種。それぞれ個別にご紹介していきましょう。

【BROADCAST #1：フルカラーの極上版】
まず登場するのは、完全オフィシャル級のカラー版。とにかく圧倒的な映像美で、当時のフィルム感を漂わせる画質ながら鮮度は完璧。
劣化は一切見られず、艶やかな映像美が終始揺るがない。音声も完璧なサウンドボードです。ただし、惜しむらくは３曲だけという短さ。
「Look At Yourself」「Sunrise」「July Morning」だけであり、「July Morning」には海外公演の映像も挿入される編集です。
しかし、短いと言えどその姿は歴史的。何よりもカラーというのが良い。シンプルな薄いブルーの幕に、時代がかったバンド・ロゴの赤。ジミー・ペイジを思わせる衣装のゲイリー・セインも、全身サーモン・ピンクなデヴィッド・バイロンも目に染みる美しさです。
残念ながら、HEEPの初来日は日本側の不手際によりモニターが壊滅的。互いの声も演奏も聞こえず、コーラスの音程も取れないという状況で、かなり不本意なステージだったと伝えられています（彼らはイギリスに帰国しても激怒していたそうです）。
しかし、その苦境の中でも新時代ハードロックを紡ぎ出す姿は極めてカリスマティックで、オーラさえ立ち上る。まさに70年代という時代自体が５人の人間に姿を変えた権化です。

【BROADCAST #2：モノクロ長尺版】
２つめのマスターはさらに凄い。
長尺な当時の日本放送版です。モノクロな上にマスター劣化もあるのですが、約38分に渡って目撃でき、BROADCAST #1と同じ３曲加え、さらに「Traveler In Time」「Tears In My Eyes」「Rock & Roll Medley」も楽しめます（ちなみに、当時のフルセットではさらに「Sweet Lorraine」「Easy Livin’」「Gypsy」「Circle Of Hands」「The Magician’s Birthday」「Love Machine」も演奏されていました。「Rock & Roll Medley」よりも残して欲しかった強烈な名曲だらけ……惜しい！）。
その長さだけでも素晴らしいのですが、それ以上なのが1973年の日本が吹き出す時代感。日本放送だけに冒頭に日本語ナレーションが入るのですが、これが圧倒的。原稿を読み上げるニュースキャスターのような口調で、若者文化の盛り上がりを伝える。ちょっと書き出してみましょう。
「1973年３月13日、羽田に到着したユーライア・ヒープの一行は16日、東京の日本武道館での公演に臨んだ。ロックコンサート始まって以来という１万5000人（原典ママ）の記録的な大観衆を飲んだ武道館には、ユーライア・ヒープの登場を待ち望む若者の熱気と興奮が渦巻いていた。暴力的なまでのボリュームとハード・アクションで聴衆を打ちのめしたユーライア。その彼らの代表的なアルバム『対自核』の５万枚突破を記念して日本コロンビアよりユーライア・ヒープのメンバー、及びブロンズ・レコードに対してゴールド・ディスクも贈られた。Now your big excite music, URIAH HEEP!!」
日本武道館の最大キャパは１万4471人であり、ステージや機材の入るコンサートではもっと少なくなる。どう考えても１万5000人は難しいと思うのですが、言い切ってしまう。HEEPと言えば、ハードロックとプログレの中間を体現する幻想的ロックで知られてきたわけですが、そんな彼らを「暴力的なまでのボリュームとハード・アクション」と紹介する。まさしく、1973年ならでは。そして、当時の日本だからこそのナレーションなのです。

DEEP PURPLEよりもファンタジックで、YESよりもワイルド。そんな英国ロックを日本に届けたURIAH HEEP初来日を目撃できる映像作品です。この初来日と海外公演を両方見た方は「日本での演奏はまるでHEEPとは思えなかった」と語っているそうですが、本作で映し出される姿はそれが信じられないほどにカリスマティックなのです。もし彼らが日本でも本領を見せつけていたら、日本側がプロフェッショナルな仕事をしていたら、RAINBOWに先駆けたファンタジー英国HRのパイオニアとして今なお日本武道館を満員にしていたかも知れません。さまざまな意味で伝説的な黄金時代のURIAH HEEPの初来日。ぜひ、この機会にたっぷりとご堪能ください。』

[Broadcast #1] 1. Intro.
2. Look At Yourself
3. Sunrise
4. July Morning
[Broadcast #2 / Japanese Broadcast] 5. Intro.
6. Look At Yourself
7. Sunrise
8. Traveler In Time
9. Tears In My Eyes
10. July Morning
11. Rock & Roll Medley
TOTAL TIME (61:19)

David Byron ： Vocals
Mick Box ： Guitars
Ken Hensley ： Keyboards
Gary Thain ： Bass
Lee Kerslake ： Drums