SMITHS – ARAGON BALLROOM 1986 (2 CD-R)

Description

Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, USA 15th August 1986

　A stunning new original master recording has been unearthed from the highly acclaimed “Jacobs Collection”! This treasure trove of a live album allows you to experience the authentic, 100% raw performance from the era of the masterpiece “THE QUEEN IS DEAD.”

　This album features a recording of their Chicago concert on August 15, 1986. It’s a superb audience recording. 1986 was the peak of The Smiths’ career, following the release of their masterpiece, “The Queen Is Dead,” and before they began their journey towards disbandment the following year. To understand the full scope of that period, let’s start by looking at an overview of their activities at the time.

●1986
– January 31st – February 12th: UK #1 (5 shows)
《June 16th ‘THE QUEEN IS DEAD’ released》
– July 16th – 20th: UK #2 (4 shows)
– July 30th – September 10th: North America (24 shows) ←★HERE★
– October 13th – 30th: UK #3 (12 shows) ←※Official RANK
– December 12th: London show
●1987
《THE SMITHS disband → September 28th ‘STRANGEWAYS, HERE WE COME’ released》

[The original master recordings from the “Jacobs Collection” make their first appearance]
　This is THE SMITHS from 1986/1987. By the time their next album, “STRANGEWAYS, HERE WE COME,” was released, they had already disbanded, and there were no tours. “THE QUEEN IS DEAD Tour” was their last tour. The main leg of that tour was the “North American” leg. This Chicago performance is the 11th show of that tour. The 1986 live performances are also featured on the official classic album “RANK,” but this recording is from about two months earlier.

　This recording of such a show is a newly unearthed original master from the collection of the renowned Adam Jacobs. Jacobs has been documenting the Chicago club scene with just a tape recorder since 1984, and his vast archive of over 10,000 tapes is being digitized and made publicly available on the Internet Archive. His Nirvana pressings, “CLUB DREAMERZ, CHICAGO 1989 (Zodiac 855)” and “CABARET METRO, CHICAGO 1989 (Zodiac 859),” have been met with great acclaim, and this release is the THE SMITHS edition.

　And what flows from that original master is an upgraded sound that’s “like something else.” The overdubbing marks that plagued the previous master have been completely wiped away, and it has been reborn with incredible richness. The previous releases had undergone digital processing to enhance clarity, but in doing so, they also highlighted a roughness to the sound. However, this new master doesn’t have that roughness to begin with. Even the finest details are beautifully preserved without the need for digital processing.

　In fact, it’s not the kind of recording that could be mistaken for a soundboard; it does pick up some of the hall’s resonance, but the detail is so clear that it doesn’t create a sense of distance. The richness of the sound actually translates into dynamism in the performance, resulting in a dense and full sound without any thinness. Johnny Marr’s guitar sounds beautiful, from the sparkle of the 12 strings to the distortion, and Morrissey’s vocals resonate with a rich depth. It’s the “beautiful sound unique to an audience” that only the original master recording can produce.

[A full show featuring a plethora of great songs not found on the official ‘RANK’ album]
　This beautifully presented show centers around the masterpiece ‘THE QUEEN IS DEAD’. The setlist is quite different from the traditional ‘RANK’ album, so let’s compare and organize it.

● The Queen Is Dead (8 songs)
– There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (★) / Frankly, Mr. Shankly (★) / The Boy with the Thorn in His Side / Cemetry Gates / Never Had No One Ever (★) / The Queen Is Dead / I Know It’s Over / Bigmouth Strikes Again
● Others (11 songs)
– The Smiths: Still Ill / Hand In Glove (★)
– Meat Is Murder: I Want The One I Can’t Have (★) / How Soon Is Now? (★) / What She Said / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (★) / Meat is Murder (★)
– Singles: Panic / Stretch Out and Wait (★) / Is It Really So Strange? / Money Changes Everything (★)
*Note: Songs marked with “★” were not included in the official traditional album ‘RANK’.

…And that’s how it goes. Out of 19 songs in total, 10 are from a repertoire not found on the official ‘RANK’ album. More than half are different from ‘RANK’. This set reminds us once again of the fact that signature songs like “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” “How Soon Is Now?”, “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore,” and “Meat Is Murder” are not heard at official live performances. Eight songs from ‘THE QUEEN IS DEAD’ are included, and the stage performance, delivering this masterpiece live just two months after its release, has the energy that was unique to the 1986 summer North American tour. It’s a condensed version of their most brilliant moment before their breakup.

　The Smiths’ live performances, forever lost due to their breakup the following year, are captured in this new masterpiece, a fitting finale, on the original master recording from the “Jacobs Collection.” With its lustrous, beautiful sound free from any overdubbing, Johnny Marr’s guitar and Morrissey’s vocals are brought back to life with freshness, and this absolute live album offers a wealth of rare and excellent tracks not found on “Rank.” Please enjoy it to your heart’s content.

★A superb audience recording of the Chicago concert on August 15, 1986. Newly unearthed from the much-talked-about “Jacobs Collection,” this original master boasts a lustrous, beautiful sound completely free of overdubbing, resulting in a “completely different” upgrade. Featuring a large number of great songs not found on the official “RANK” album, this is an absolute must-have for experiencing the final “THE QUEEN IS DEAD Tour” in its entirety.

Disc:1 (47:03)
1. Intro　★追加曲切り
2. Still Ill
3. I Want The One I Can’t Have
4. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
5. How Soon Is Now?
6. Frankly, Mr. Shankly
7. Panic
8. Stretch Out And Wait
9. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
10. Is It Really So Strange?
11. Cemetry Gates
12. Never Had No One Ever
13. What She Said

Disc:2 (37:50)
1. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
2. Meat Is Murder
3. The Queen Is Dead
4. Money Changes Everything
5. I Know It’s Over
6. Hand In Glove
7. Bigmouth Strikes Again

Morrissey – Vocals
Johnny Marr – Guitar
Andy Rourke – Bass
Mike Joyce – Drums