ELTON JOHN – SEATTLE 1974 SECOND NIGHT (2 CD-R)

Description

Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA, USA 13th October 1974 TRULY PERFECT SOUND

　1974 was the year ELTON JOHN’s albums “CARIBOU” and “GREATEST HITS” consecutively dominated the US charts. A new masterpiece has arrived that captures that stage performance at the peak of his golden age in perfect soundboard quality.

　This album features a recording of their Seattle concert on October 13, 1974. It’s a superb audience recording. Some of you may be reminded of “SEATTLE 1974 (Uxbridge 1556)” by the title of this album, and in fact, there is a deep connection between this album and that masterpiece. To explain that, let’s start with some basic knowledge. Let’s take a look at the band’s activities at the time and then explore the position of this album.

・February 1st-13th: Japan (12 performances)
・February 21st-March 18th: Oceania (4 performances)
・May 5th-27th: UK #1 (3 performances) ← *Official HERE
《June 28th ‘CARIBOU’ released》
・September 25th-November 4th: North America #1 (24 performances) ← ★Here★
《November 8th ‘GREATEST HITS’ released》
・November 8th-December 3rd: North America #2 (20 performances) ← *Official THERE
・December 20th-24th: UK #2 (5 performances) ← *COMPLETE CHRISTMAS 1974

[Perfect SBD-quality recording by masterful Gutsky]
　This is Elton John in 1974. The Seattle performance on this album was the 14th performance of “North America #1”, which took place immediately after the release of ‘CARIBOU’. In Seattle, they performed two consecutive nights, with the masterpiece ‘SEATTLE 1974’, released five years ago, being performed on the first night, and this album being performed on the second night.

　Moreover, the two recordings are not simply consecutive performances of the same concert. In fact, they were recorded by the same taper: Stan Gutsky, a founding member of the prestigious “JEMS” label and a legendary recording engineer known as “Seattle’s Millard.” Gutsky passed away in 2020, but he was a pioneer who began his career in 1972, even earlier than Millard. He was a master who left behind historical masterpieces for artists such as Led Zeppelin, George Harrison, and Pink Floyd, and this work is a masterpiece among masterpieces, transferred from the master tapes of such a great man.

　Another point worth mentioning about Mr. Gutsky is his use of the “Tandberg Model 11.” This was a full-track mono open-reel deck, a more advanced piece of equipment than what was typical for early tapers, and it captured music on a vastly larger tape surface than cassettes. However, while it was high-performing, it was a massive machine weighing over 4.5 kilograms and powered by 10 D-cell batteries (!). It’s incredible that he brought such a monstrous machine to venues to record.

　The results are evident in the sound. Gutsky’s method involves using a 25-foot cord to place the microphone on the edge of the seating scaffolding near the PA system, capturing direct sound while preventing the conversations of nearby audience members from being picked up. The resulting sound is “perfectly soundboard quality.” There is no hiss whatsoever, and a richness and beauty of resonance permeates the entire performance.

　This incredibly powerful sound is strikingly similar to his previous album, “SEATTLE 1974,” released five years prior, but they aren’t exactly the same. If we had to point out a difference, this album is clearer and more vocal-oriented. Elton’s vocals are balanced to stand out from the backing music, and while the previous album was a total sound excelling in dynamism and a well-structured overall picture, this album is a vocal album where you can revel in Elton’s voice. The luxurious opportunity to compare the two masters, played over two consecutive days, is a pleasure only audience members can enjoy.

[A full show to enjoy the hit parade of the golden age]
　The setlist depicted by this superb sound is the same as the previous album, “SEATTLE 1974,” but it differs from the soundboard masterpiece “COMPLETE CHRISTMAS 1974 (Uxbridge 1565)” from the same period. Let’s organize it here while comparing it to the latter.

●Twilight Brick Road (7 songs)
– Funeral For A Friend-Love Lies Bleeding / Candle In The Wind / Bennie And The Jets / Grey Seal / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / All The Girls Love Alice (★*) / Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (*)
●Others (12 songs)
– My Song Is Your Song: Take Me To The Pilot (★) / Your Song (*)
– Honky Chateau: Rocket Man / Honky Cat
– Don’t Shoot the Pianist!: Daniel / Crocodile Rock
– Caribbean: Grimsby / You’re So Static (★) / Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me / The Bitch Is Back
– Others: Burn Down The Mission / Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
*Note: “★” indicates songs that were not included in the soundboard masterpiece “COMPLETE CHRISTMAS 1974”. “*” indicates songs that were included in the “D & D” recording.

…And that’s how it is. Gutsky’s recording missed a few tracks during tape changes, and those parts were supplemented by cassette recordings from another Seattle taper, “D & D” (there are cuts on “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” and “Crocodile Rock”).

　That said, this greatest hits compilation, totaling 19 tracks and approximately 126 minutes, is truly magnificent. Centered around seven songs from “Twilight Brick Road,” it features a parade of astronomical hits such as “Rocket Man,” “Daniel,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” It also includes “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “All The Girls Love Alice,” and “Grimsby,” which cannot be heard on the official live album “HERE AND THERE.”

　This is a newly unearthed live album by the legendary master Stan Gutsky, known as “Seattle’s Millard.” The Tandberg master captures the full show from Elton John’s golden age in 1974. With a vocal-oriented, soundboard-quality sound, you can fully immerse yourself in Elton’s voice.

★A superb audience recording of the Seattle concert on October 13, 1974. Recorded the day after the masterpiece ‘SEATTLE 1974’, this is another masterpiece with a complete soundboard quality, mastered by Stan Gutsky at Tandberg. Characterized by a clearer, more vocal-oriented balance than the previous work, this is a vocal album that will enchant you with Elton’s voice.

Disc:1 (52:20)
1. Intro.
2. Funeral For A Friend > Love Lies Bleeding
3. Candle In The Wind
4. Grimsby
5. Rocket Man
6. Take Me To The Pilot
7. Bennie And The Jets
8. Daniel
9. Gray Seal

Disc:2 (73:56)
1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
2. Burn Down The Mission
3. Band Introductions
4. You’re So Static
5. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
6. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
7. Honky Cat
8. All The Girls Love Alice (D & D)
9. Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) (D & D)
10. Crocodile Rock
11. The Bitch Is Back
12. Your Song (D & D)