JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS – LOS ANGELES 1988 1ST NIGHT

Description

Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA, USA 30th November 1988

　The project to unearth new recordings by the legendary Mike Millard has begun again. The latest installment, featuring Joan Jett, is now available for the first time.

　This album features a recording of the “Los Angeles concert on November 30, 1988 (the first night).” It’s a superb audience recording. At the time, Joan Jett was in the midst of a tour supporting her platinum hit album “UP YOUR ALLEY.” On this day, she took to the stage as a support member for Robert Plant. That’s right, it’s a live album from the same day and venue as “LOS ANGELES 1988 1ST NIGHT: MIKE MILLARD MASTER TAPES,” which is being released this week, where she was the opening act.

　Here, we’ll focus on Joan’s activities and try to understand Shaw’s position within that overall picture.

● 1988
– January 23rd / February 21st: North America #1 (2 shows)
– March 22nd – May 27th: North America #2 (9 shows)
《May 2nd: “UP YOUR ALLEY” released》
– July 4th – September 25th: North America #3 (20 shows)
– September 28th + October 1st: Europe (2 shows)
– October 12th – December 29th: North America #4a (31 shows) ←★HERE★
● 1989
– January 5th – July 2nd: North America #4b (37 shows)
– August 2nd – October 31st: North America #5 (6 shows)
– December 14th + 16th: Asia (2 shows)

[A masterpiece recording with a soundboard feel, even within the absolute master collection]
　This is Joan Jett from 1988-1989. There are some uncertainties in the data from that time, so please don’t take details such as the number of performances as absolute truth, but you should be able to understand the general flow. The ‘UP YOUR ALLEY’ era was a time when her career was on the rise again with the hit “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and this Los Angeles performance is part of the main leg, “North America #4.” It was a two-day event at the Universal Amphitheater, and this recording is from the first day of that concert.

　As mentioned earlier, this show was Plant’s opening act. The entire opening performance was captured on a cassette discovered alongside Millard’s Plant recordings. And the sound is absolutely superb. It’s not from the original master but a digital transfer from a first-generation cassette, yet it’s incredibly amazing. The punchy, on-the-edge density is tremendous, and Joan Jett’s vocals and guitar come right to your ears without any sense of distance.

　It captures the raw applause, so it’s definitely an audience recording (you can hear people talking to you during “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” which is unusual for Millard), but it’s a masterpiece with a direct, almost soundboard-like feel, even within the collection of absolute masters.

[A concentrated opening stage that captures the golden age of the 80s]
　This sound paints a picture of a scorching hot stage, fueled by a resurgence in popularity. Let’s take a look at the setlist here.

● Up Your Alley (3 songs)
– I Hate Myself For Loving You / Little Liar / I Wanna Be Your Dog
● Others (6 songs)
– Bad Reputation / Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
– I Love Rock N’ Roll / Crimson & Clover
– Others: Light Of Day / Roadrunner

　This is a superb live album of Joan Jett from the 80s, delivered by the revived Millard unearthing project. This album itself is a superb live album of the precious “UP YOUR ALLEY Tour,” a hidden treasure whose existence was previously unknown. And when combined with the main Robert Plant edition, you can experience “one night in 1988” in its entirety. A must-listen and must-have for Joan Jett fans, Plant collectors, and Millard enthusiasts alike. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

(39:15)
1. Intro
2. Bad Reputation
3. Light Of Day
4. I Hate Myself for Loving You
5. Roadrunner
6. Little Liar
7. I Wanna Be Your Dog
8. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
9. Crimson & Clover
10. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)