ROLLING STONES – PHILADELPHIA SPECIAL: GRAF ZEP REMASTER (CD)

Description

Reissue of the 2022 sold out release.

Spectrum Sports Arena, Philadelphia 21st July 1972
Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth 24th June 1972

　More than 40 years after its release, the Stones’ 1972 live LP, “PHILADELPHIA SPECIAL,” remains popular. Not only is it a sought-after item, but the secret to its enduring popularity is that the original recording has yet to be discovered, and the LP remains the original source. However, it was originally a rough mix of a multi-track recording intended for a live album. Therefore, CD versions of the LP have continued to be released over the years.

　However, the original European LP itself was a leaked recording, so it had some quirks. First of all, the basic pitch was high. Some early CD items were released without correcting the pitch. Because of this, if you don’t adjust the pitch with a pitch controller, you’ll end up listening to the original LP with a high pitch.

　Although the 2020s Philspe series has been released three times after carefully resolving these issues, the third release, released at the end of 2022, was particularly praised by enthusiasts as a clean transfer that even eliminated the circumferential distortion that has been a pitfall in recent LP tracing.

　This distortion can be eliminated by adjusting the stylus’ compatibility with the record, and this was utilized in the third release. The second Philspe release showed signs of this in the tracks recorded near the record’s circumference, with “Street Fighting Man” being particularly prone to distortion and muddiness. The third release, which completely eliminated this issue, is now sold out. This week’s re-release is a realization.

　The third Philharmonic performance was also highly praised for its ability to perfectly capture the unique sound quality of the original LP. There’s a fairly loud buzzing noise at the beginning of Mick’s “Good morning” greeting, but this isn’t due to poor quality of the original record; it’s just there from the start.

　Furthermore, the LP had the drawback of having reversed stereo positioning on sides A and C, but the fact that they were able to adjust this was a major advantage. The same goes for the noticeable sound fluctuation in the middle of “Midnight Rambler.” It was also great that they were able to restore this to a stable state in one go.

　It’s only natural to convert the original European LP to a clean CD. Although it’s a stereo multi-track recording, the original, often peculiar sound that often comes from leaked material has been completely cleaned up, resulting in an overwhelmingly easy-to-listen-to CD. Furthermore, the delicate high tones that are unique to analog LPs are also an attractive feature of the sound quality.

　Furthermore, the original LP was a two-disc set, but when it was made into a CD, it was long enough to fit on a single disc, and even after correcting the high pitch, it still fit on one disc, so it could be said that it was an audio source that was extremely suited to CD. This is why it was essential to carefully convert Philspe to CD in terms of both sound quality and content. Recording without scratch noise was a given.

　As a result, the Philharmonic CD is easier to handle than the original double LP, and can be listened to quickly on a single CD, making it a masterpiece that perfectly captures the charm of the 1972 American tour. When it was released in 2022, it was hailed as the best Philharmonic CD to date, and now the long-awaited third version is finally back. This clean, stable CD release allows you to enjoy this masterpiece from start to finish with confidence!

REMASTERED BY GRAF ZEPPELIN

[Notes from the previous release]
★Transferred in 2022, the master recording and digitization equipment are different from previous releases!
★Extremely delicate and natural sound that extends effortlessly from high to low frequencies!
★While the high frequencies extend naturally, there are also some slight hissing sounds, but this is entirely down to the characteristics of the needle.
A pure sound without any forced feeling, unrelated to EQ processing on a PC (*No additional EQ processing on the PC this time).
If you listen to the quiet parts between songs, the difference from previous releases is clear, such as the texture of the trace noise (previous releases had a lot of rough noise, but this one is much quieter). There is also very little distortion on the inner periphery.
★The point of this album is that you can easily experience the atmosphere of an analog record on a CD, so the trace noise from the edge of the record is also included for a longer period of time.
★Pitch correction
* Pinpoint noise is removed without any film-like processing.
* AC side corrects left and right stereo reverse channels
*Fixed pitch distortions in Midnight Rambler (5-8 minutes) and All Down The Line (around 2:29)
★A warm sound with a wide dynamic range that is easy on the ears. Turn up the volume and enjoy this vintage sound!

(73:09)
1. Brown Sugar *
2. Bitch *
3. Rocks Off *
4. Gimme Shelter *
5. Happy *
6. Tumbling Dice *
7. Love In Vain **
8. Sweet Virginia **
9. You Can’t Always Get What You Want **
10. Midnight Rambler ***
11. All Down The Line *
12. Rip This Joint **
13. Jumping Jack Flash **
14. Street Fighting Man **

* Philadelphia 21st July 1972 1st Show
** Fort Worth 24th June 1972 1st Show
*** Fort Worth 24th June 1972 2nd Show