KEITH RICHARDS – HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM 1988 SOUNDBOARD MASTER (2 CD)

Description

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, USA 15th December 1988 STEREO SBD (from Original Masters)
★UPGRADE & LONGER!!!

The phrase “everyone loves them” perfectly describes Keith Richards’ 1988 Expensive Winos. Their live performances, particularly their Hollywood Palladium show towards the end of the tour, were released as an official live album, seemingly bringing closure to the spectacle.

However, the official 1991 release was incomplete, and perhaps to fit everything onto a single CD, or perhaps to adjust the Winos’ characteristic loose playing style to the sensibilities of the time, the pitch was raised. In 2020, a revamped version was released, and while the pitch issue was resolved, the additional tracks were only available on vinyl or digitally, so it was still not a straightforward release.

What deserves re-evaluation is the classic Mistral release “HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM, 1988,” the first title to feature recordings from Hollywood Palladium. At the time, the impact of live recordings, seemingly derived from leaked multi-tracks by Winos, appearing relatively in real time was significant, and the sound quality was outstanding. This single release was a masterpiece that instantly elevated the reputation of Yellow Dog-affiliated Mistral. This album uses a master provided from overseas as “SOUNDBOARD MASTER,” but it is likely the original master for the Mistral release (given the source of the recordings, there is no doubt about it).

Of course, because this recording is a leaked rough mix, there are some unrefined aspects to the balance, such as the backing vocals and Waddy Wachtel’s guitar fluctuating from section to section. However, that raw texture is its charm, and it feels more like The Winos than the polished official release. Furthermore, the fact that it contains the longest recording of this performance to date is a major strength.

On the other hand, the Mistral recording also had its problems. First, “Connection” was not included. Second, the pitch was low throughout. Conversely, if these issues could be resolved and “Connection” added, the best possible version of the Hollywood Palladium recording would emerge. The Mistral recording was such a masterpiece that even TSP released a copy of it, so its value as source material was clear.

With the release of the official album, what actually became more apparent as a charm of the Mistral version was the atmosphere between songs. Winos’ live performances are basically loose and laid-back, and it’s natural for there to be relaxed pauses between songs as the members switch instruments or chat with each other. While these parts were thoroughly edited out in the official album, the Mistral version retained that sense of being there on the spot.

Also, the noise at the beginning of “Too Rude” was mistakenly thought to be scratch noise when the Mistral disc was first released. At the time, it was speculated that it might actually be based on an acetate disc or something similar, which is amusing now, but in reality, it was a genuine “live sound” generated from the band’s cables. The TSP disc and official release each had processing done to remove this noise, but that left an unnatural sound. So this time, instead of trying to remove it, we’ve included it as is.

This release is groundbreaking simply because it’s a complete version based on the Mistral recording, with pitch adjustments and the addition of the previously unreleased track “Connection.” However, the true value of this release doesn’t end there. Mike Millard also recorded this day. However, since the soundboard recording has reigned as the standard for this concert, even amidst the recent trend of unearthing Millard’s masters, this particular recording remained unreleased as a standalone item until now.

This time, we’ve used the previously overlooked Millard recordings as supplementary material. It includes footage from before Keith & Winos appeared, a point not captured on the official release or even the Mistral recording, and seamlessly fills in several cut sections. Because all the fill-in is done in the gaps between songs, not overlapping with the performance, if you listened without knowing anything beforehand, it would sound as if it had always been this way.

The quintessential stereo soundboard recording of Keith Richards & The Expensive Winos’ 1988 Hollywood Palladium concert is finally available in its long-awaited complete and longest version. This is not simply an addition of “Connection,” but a thoroughly enhanced version that even includes Millard recordings, resulting in an undeniably high-quality definitive edition!

————————————–
(Remaster Notes)
★Based primarily on SB, Connection is supplemented with official sources, and cuts between tracks are filled in with Mirrored Master, resulting in a non-stop, complete recording!
In the Aud Millard recordings, there are cuts between songs after each performance of “How I Wish,” “You Don’t Move Me,” and “Locked Away,” making this album the longest recording to date.

★The plug noise heard in songs like Too Rude is left as is, as removing it would defeat the purpose of the song, as it’s meant to differentiate the song. Incidentally, while the official version removes this noise, it does cause a slight drop in quality due to the processing, so it sounds a bit strange if you’re aware of it.
————————————–

Disc 1 (48:56)
1. Introduction ★0:00-1:02 ミラード
2. Take It So Hard
3. How I Wish
4. I Could Have Stood You Up
5. Before They Make Me Run
6. Too Rude
7. I Wanna Be Your Man
8. You Don’t Move Me
9. Make No Mistake ★6:22-7:00 ミラード
10. Time Is On My Side

Disc 2 (49:44)
1. Big Enough
2. Whip It Up
3. Locked Away
4. Little T&A
5. Struggle
6. Happy
7. Connection ★Full Official
8. Rockawhile
9. It Means A Lot ★From 6:11 onwards (end of performance) Millard