PINK FLOYD – CLEVELAND 1972 (2 CD)

　Before we get to the quality, let’s first look at the show’s position. Our store carries the complete history of Pink Floyd, and we have meticulously archived the “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Tour,” which produced a historically significant masterpiece. Let’s delve into the overview of their activities at that time, along with our collection of representative works.

●1972
– January 17-19: Rehearsals
– January 20 – February 20: UK (16 shows) ← *THE BEST OF TOUR ’72 and others
– March 6-13: Japan (6 shows) ← *SAPPORO 1972 and others
– March 29 + 30: Manchester (2 shows)
– April 14 – May 4: North America #1 (17 shows) ← ★HERE★
– May 18 – June 29: Europe #1 (5 shows) ← *BRIGHTON 28TH JUNE 1972
– September 8-30: North America #2 (17 shows) ← *HOLLYWOOD BOWL 1972 and others
– October 21 – December 10: Europe #2 (23 shows) ← *ZURICH 1972 MATRIX and others
● 1973
– January 13th – February 4th: Paris (4 shows)
《March 1st “The Dark Side of the Moon” released》
– March 4th – 24th: North America #3 (16 shows) ← *DEFINITIVE BOSTON 1973 and others
– May 18th + 19th: London (2 shows) ← *EARLS COURT 1973 2ND NIGHT and others
– June 17th – 29th: North America #4 (13 shows) ← *TAMPA 1973 and others
– October 12th – November 4th: Europe #3 (4 shows) ← *RAINBOW 1973 and others
*Note: Only representative press titles are listed for each leg.

　This is the overall picture of the “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Tour.” While the biggest impact of 1972 was undoubtedly their second visit to Japan, this Cleveland performance was part of “North America #1,” which took place a month later. Naturally, we’ve already showcased as many masterpieces from “North America #1” as possible. Let’s further organize our collection by focusing on specific dates.

■ Details of “North America #1”
– April 14th + 15th (2 shows)
* April 16th ‘COLUMBIA 1972’
– April 18th – 23rd (5 shows)
* April 24th: Cleveland show ←★This show★
– April 26th + 27th (2 shows)
* April 28th ‘DEFINITIVE CHICAGO 1972’
– April 29th + May 1st (2 shows)
* May 2nd ‘CARNEGIE HALL 1972’
– May 3rd: Washington DC show
* May 4th ‘DEFINITIVE BOSTON 1972’

[A superb sound that could become a masterpiece of 1972, right from its debut]
…And that’s how it is. In recent years, classic albums like “DEFINITIVE CHICAGO 1972 (Sigma 306)” and “CARNEGIE HALL 1972 (Sigma 319)” come to mind, but this album is from a concert that took place about a week before those.

　The mere existence of a new recording capturing such a show is shocking enough, but what’s even more impressive is the sound itself. Despite being mono, the directness and clarity of the core are superb, and there’s absolutely no sense of distance when picking out a single note from any instrument. Moreover, it’s intensely fresh and beautiful. The online recording that was released is said to be of “unknown generation,” but even listening carefully with headphones, there are no signs of overdubbing, and it sounds exactly like the original master. Or perhaps the enthusiast who unearthed it said “unknown” to imply, “It might actually be the original master?”… It’s so beautiful that such speculations run through my mind.

　As mentioned earlier, when it comes to “North America’s #1,” ‘CARNEGIE HALL 1972 (Sigma 319)’ is probably the most famous, but frankly speaking, there’s no comparison. The sound of this album is incredibly clear, capturing even the most subtle nuances, the tone is brilliantly vibrant, and even the silent parts are crystal clear. The clarity of the contours is on a completely different level. After listening to this album, even the sound of ‘CARNEGIE HALL 1972,’ which I thought was so wonderful, now seems like a dull vintage tape.

[An ideal full live album with no cuts during performances]
　What’s equally impressive, alongside the superb sound quality, is the complete absence of cuts during the performance. Of course, since it’s a cassette recording, there are pauses for tape changes, but these are all managed between songs. This is rare for Pink Floyd recordings from the 70s, and it’s especially appreciated in cases like this where it’s not possible to fill in gaps with separate recordings. For a recording first released in 1972, the level of perfection is unexpected.

　And this album is also the best version of that previously unreleased recording. The internet source that has been generating buzz has been polished up with meticulous mastering by “GRAF ZEPPELIN”. Crossfades have been applied to several cuts between songs, and the equalization has also been fine-tuned. Of course, as is typical of “GRAF ZEPPELIN” which is committed to the original sound, there is absolutely no indiscriminate boosting of sound pressure. They have focused solely on reproducing “the sound that was heard at the venue in 1972”, bringing out the best of the source material while maintaining a delicate balance that does not distort the performance sound. This is the best existing full live album that has undergone such delicate polishing, much like the restoration of a cultural artifact.

　This groundbreaking recording, awakened from a 54-year slumber, is one of the finest live albums of 1972. A vibrant and fresh, yet faithfully reproducing cultural heritage album that captures the reality of half a century ago. Please enjoy it to the fullest on this permanently preserved 2-CD set, meticulously mastered by “GRAF ZEPPELIN.”

★A superb audience recording of the “April 24, 1972 Cleveland concert.” Breaking 54 years of silence, this shocking newly unearthed recording has been polished to the best version with the meticulous mastering of “GRAF ZEPPELIN.” With no cuts in the performance, this is a new cultural heritage album that allows you to experience the full “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Tour” show like you’ve never heard it before.

REMASTERED BY GRAF ZEPPELIN
★First live appearance!
Although it’s mono, the sound is close, clear, and quite good.
There are cuts between songs, but it seems there are no cuts within songs, which is a big plus.
It seems that the original sound was converted to mono with a phase shift, so there is a slight undulation in the sound around 4kHz, but this is unavoidable.
The cuts between songs that were present in several places have been crossfaded.
A noteworthy new sound source from ’72 Pink Floyd!

Disc 1 (52:39)
The Dark Side Of The Moon
01. Speak To Me
02. Breathe
03. The Travel Sequence
04. Time
05. Breathe (reprise)
06. The Mortality Sequence
07. Money
08. Us And Them
09. Any Colour You Like
10. Brain Damage
11. Eclipse

Disc 2 (73:56)
01. Audience
02. One Of These Days
03. Careful With That Axe, Eugene
04. Echoes
05. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun