MOODY BLUES – PORT CHESTER 2012 SOUNDBOARD (2 CD-R)

Description

Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA 27th November 2012

An extraordinary situation is unfolding! A massive amount of top-quality, official-grade soundboard recordings have suddenly been unearthed from Port Chester! The THE MOODY BLUES edition is being released urgently!!

　This recent surge in unearthed recordings is truly extraordinary and shocking. We don’t know the reason or circumstances, but without any warning, various previously unreleased soundboard recordings have suddenly started appearing one after another. The bands/artists are not consistent at all, but there is a clear commonality: the “releaser/venue/time period.” They are all being released online by the same person, the live venue is the famous Port Chester venue, the Capital Theatre, and the time period is almost entirely concentrated in the 2010s. We cannot say for certain, but judging from this circumstantial evidence, these may have been recordings made by staff who worked at the Capital Theatre in the 2010s.

　This week sees the release of the first installment of this newly unearthed series. This release is the first soundboard recording of THE MOODY BLUES’ performance on November 27, 2012, in Port Chester. At the time, nine years had passed since their final album, ‘DECEMBER’, but their live performances were as active as ever. Let’s start by reviewing their activities at that time.

●2012
“THE VOYAGE CONTINUES – HIGHWAY 45 Tour”
March 11th – April 21st: USA #1 (33 shows)
May 30th + June 1st: South Africa (2 shows) July
21st / September 12th + 30th: USA (3 shows) November
23rd – December 15th: USA #2 (18 shows) ←★HERE★
●2013
March 8th – 17th: USA #3 (8 shows)
June 5th – 26th: Europe (16 shows)
“TIMELESS FLIGHT Tour”
September 26th – November 2nd: USA #4 (31 shows)

[A superb soundboard recording that captures the immersive feeling of swimming in a musical microcosm]
　This is THE MOODY BLUES from 2012-2013. At the time, they were celebrating the 45th anniversary of their monumental album “DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED” with the “THE VOYAGE CONTINUES – HIGHWAY 45 Tour,” which was actively carried out mainly in the United States from the beginning of 2012 to the fall. This Port Chester performance is the fourth show of “US #2.” It took place over Thanksgiving weekend, making it a concert that marked the start of the holiday season.

　The sound of this recording, captured at such a show, is what you might call “official-grade.” The fact that it’s a soundboard recording of THE MOODY BLUES is remarkable in itself, but the quality is extraordinary. The signal was taken directly from the mixing console and sealed within, allowing every instrument and vocal to ring out without any muddiness.

　What’s most amazing is the “immersion” in the sound. Justin Hayward’s guitar and vocals seem to float right before your eyes, John Lodge’s bass shakes you from your feet up, and the keyboards and flutes rain down. That grand and fantastical soundscape spreads throughout your skull, and you experience an otherworldly sensation as if the very contours of your body are dissolving. The coexistence of the sealed sound space of the soundboard and a floating sensation like spacewalking… it’s a 100% pure musical experience that is fundamentally different from the concert mood reproduction of official works.

[A third absolute live album, alongside the two official releases]
　This otherworldly soundboard recording captures a full show lavishly sprinkled with landmarks from their progressive rock era and hit songs from their reunion. While there are also the official releases ‘LOVELY TO SEE YOU: LIVE’ and ‘DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED LIVE’ from their later period, this album features a different selection from both. Let’s compare and organize the tracks here.

●Prog Rock Era (12 songs)
– Days of Future Past: Tuesday Afternoon / Peak Hour (★) / Nights In White Satin
– Seventh Sojourn: You And Me (★＊) / Isn’t Life Strange / I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
– Others: Gypsy (★＊) / The Story In Your Eyes / Higher And Higher (＊) / Are You Sitting Comfortably (＊) / Question / Ride My See-Saw
●After Reunion (8 songs)
– Voyager (Tenkai Mei): Gemini Dream (★＊) / The Voice / Nervous (★)
– Others: Steppin’ In A Slide Zone / Say It With Love (★) / I Know You’re Out There Somewhere / Your Wildest Dreams / The Other Side Of Life (＊)
*Note: “★” indicates songs from the official “LOVELY TO SEE YOU: LIVE”, and “＊” indicates songs from “DAYS OF FUTURE A song not included in ‘PASSED LIVE’.

…And that’s how it is. The set is built around three pillars: “DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED,” “SEVENTH SOJOURN,” and “LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER,” and features a lineup of hit songs from each era. Overall, the selection is somewhere between the official releases “LOVELY TO SEE YOU: LIVE” and “DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED LIVE,” but it also includes “You And Me,” “Gypsy,” and “Gemini Dream,” which are not found in either of those albums, making it a great addition. It truly is a third absolute live album that stands alongside the two official releases.

　Immerse yourself in that cosmic sound world, feeling as if your whole body is melting and becoming one with it. This is a truly otherworldly experience, and this first-ever soundboard album is incredibly enjoyable. With official-level quality, yet filled with a pleasure you can’t get from official releases, this is a new masterpiece. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

Disc:1 (52:09)
1. Gemini Dream
2. The Voice
3. Steppin’ In A Slide Zone
4. You And Me
5. Tuesday Afternoon
6. Gypsy
7. Nervous
8. Say It With Love
9. Peak Hour
10. I Know You’re Out There Somewhere
11. The Story In Your Eyes

Disc:2 (56:37)
1. Your Wildest Dreams
2. Isn’t Life Strange
3. The Other Side Of Life
4. Higher And Higher
5. Are You Sitting Comfortably?
6. Band Introductions ★追加曲切り
7. I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
8. Nights In White Satin
9. Question
10. Ride My See Saw

SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, vocals
Justin Hayward – vocals, guitar, keyboards
John Lodge – vocals, bass, guitar
Gordon Marshall – drums, percussion
Alan Hewitt – keyboards, backing vocals
Norda Mullen – flute, guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Julie Ragins – keyboards, percussion, guitar, saxophone, backing vocals