Sunday, June 12, 2011

Renaissance - 1978-05-06 - Boston Music Hall

Here

1 comment:

Dr. Forrester said...

Renaissance
Boston Music Hall
May 6, 1978
performance quality: B+ (at least, very nice!)
recording quality: B (a few problems in parts, but mostly quite enjoyable)
source: 1st generation audience tape
runtime: 71:43
lineage: Sony mono cassette deck/ built in mike
(auto-leveling, I think a TC-48) >
Maxell UD master cassette (normal bias) >
transfer to Maxell UD 7" reel (3 3/4 IPS) >
soundforge 4.5 (to WAV) > CD >
CD extractor (to WAV) > FLAC > torrentially yours.
setlist:
1: stage introduction >
brief walkon recorded music >
can you hear me?
2: carpet of the sun
3: thinking about things I don't understand
4: opening out
5: the day of the dreamer
6: midas man
7: northern lights
8: touching once is so hard to keep
9: a song for all seasons
10: prologue
comments:
A very nice concert (gee it sounds like a broken record saying that
with Renaissance concerts.) This recording has some problems,
especially during A Song for All Seasons, but most of it is quite
listenable. This was the last stop on the 1st half of Renaissance's
U.S. tour, and the opening act for this show was Al DiMeola! Alot of
folks felt Renaissance should have been the opening act! (Including
me, I liked both alot.) My recording of Al's set was much less complete
than this one and many more problems (thus only posting this set).
This set is close to complete, a few short chunks are rough here and there
due to master tape flaws but not alot, not nearly enough to pass up
hearing an inspired show with several tasty songs. There wasn't a weak
one in the set, well played good music from a great live band with
the one and only Annie! My friend who went with me went to see Al.
Wanted to leave for Renaissance set and almost fell asleep during it.
Not me, but after a Casino set, yes, it did sound like lounge music
by comparison. Weather Report had same problem in 1976 Boston concert,
another solid headliner set, but theirs had to follow Shakti, and
how does Weather Report do that? Same way Renaissance follows Electric
Al DiMeola. Don't even think about it. Apparently Renaissance wasn't
bothered at all. I've seen Renaissance in 77, 78, 79 and 83, all of
those have been posted. Quality varies on these, all with different
decks and mikes, and from varying spots in audience. the 79 is distant,
83 is the best (2 shows, both from masters) and this and the
77 are 1st gen. reels of master cassettes. This one is a balcony
recording so it's a little distant, not nearly as much as my 79 one.
It's a you're pretty much there production. Much better than a wish you
were there (even if it's Pink Floyd!), cuz you can hear what's happening
well enough so you don't have to wish you were there. All these shows
I'm posting by Renaissance were very good shows, and even the 79
(definitely the least in quality of all of them) is enjoyable. The
rest are all considerably more close up to the action.