Billy Joel/MA,USA 1978 Complete Upgrade

The historic masterpiece “52ND STREET” was released and the US tour was carried out in the latter half of 1978. The performance in Boston on September 30th made its name as the best audience among the tours that were at the peak of their popularity. (That’s how little Billy talked about at the time.) Ten years later, in 2019, “BOSTON 1978” was finally promoted to release and is now Sold Out. However, it would be a mistake to have this best audience album disappear from the market at this time in 2024, when Billy fever will be at an unprecedented level, triggered by his performance in Japan in January this year. Therefore, the third release since the release in 2009 will be realized. The problems of “high pitch” and “volume fluctuations caused by the taper at the start of “Stranger”” had already been resolved by the release of “BOSTON 1978” in 2019, and I think that this reissue would have been sufficient, but with the evolution of technology over the past five years, further adjustments have been made at a fine level. In particular, the problem of the volume of the right channel being slightly lower than the left has been a chronic issue for this superb audience, and this time it has been adjusted properly. If you listen with headphones, you will be able to enjoy a stable and solid left and right stereo balance and a wider sound field. On the other hand, almost no other adjustments were required, and it was a reminder that it was an outstanding recording. While it conveys a rich and expansive sense of presence, there are no harsh audience members nearby. And yet the performance is captured with an on-balance, and the value of the recording state is so magnificent that even Mike Millard would be green with joy as an audience recording from 1978. In addition, the 1978 “52ND STREET” tour was at the height of its popularity, so there are many other audience recordings, but none of them approach the level of this Boston. In fact, the sound image is so close that the opening “Stranger” even captures Billy’s voice. As his popularity exploded, the number of tours increased, and the time of each show was extended, which led to a throat condition that he himself had not expected. However, on this day, PA trouble occurred in the first half of the live. Naturally, the progress of the live was hindered, but Billy was quick to lighten the mood with a Joe Cocker-style ad-lib “Technical Difficulty Blues,” which also gave him a rest, turning a disaster into a blessing. In fact, when he returned from this incident with “I’ve Loved These Days,” Billy’s voice was clearly restored. In addition, Billy’s custom in the 70s was to play the instrumental “Root Beer Rag” in the middle of the live performance, so this was also a miracle cure for him to rest his throat. And above all, he was young himself and sang until the end of the live performance. And it was a valuable content that pleased enthusiasts since his appearance in 2009. After all, the masterpiece “52ND STREET” was just about to be released, so the reaction to the songs from the album was slow. The reaction from the audience to both the eternal standard “My Life” and “Honesty” was weak, and it was interesting that Billy said he would play songs from his new album that will be released soon, but played both songs with a cautious atmosphere. Boston also captured the fresh appearance of these representative standards with the best sound quality. As for “Big Shot”, Billy did not sing in a singer state like later, but sang while playing the piano until the end, which was also too precious, and at the same time, the sound quality was so good that you could hear it clearly. However, the entire set list is still Billy’s standard pattern from the 70’s, and the composition that can only be heard at this time when the new songs from “52ND STREET” are interrupted is also valuable. In such a situation, the arrangement in which “Miami 2017” and “Captain Jack” are played as a medley is also unique to this time. A new version of a once-in-a-lifetime famous sound source that captured the truly special period just before the release of “52ND STREET” with a perfect audience recording, this is a one-of-a-kind level. Remastering notes) *Phase correction *Slight adjustment of the frequency band above 10kHz *After phase correction, the volume of the right channel was increased, and the area around 4-8kHz was also raised. Live at Boston Garden, Boston, MA, USA 30th September 1978 ULTIMATE SOUND (UPGRADE) *Amazingly high sound quality Disc 1 (67:11) 01. Intro. 02. The Stranger 03. Somewhere Along The Line 04. Summer Highland Falls 05. Piano Man 06. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) 07. Prelude/Angry Young Man 08. Technical Difficulty Blues 09. I’ve Loved These Days 10. My Life 11. New York State Of Mind 12. The Entertainer 13. Until The Night 14. Vienna Disc 2 (72:59) 01. Stiletto 02. She’s Always A Woman 03. Root Beer Rag 04. Just The Way You Are 05. Big Shot 06. Honesty 07. Only The Good Die Young 08. The Ballad Of Billy The Kid 09. Member Introduction 10. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant 11. Miami 2017 12. Captain Jack 13. Say Goodbye To Hollywood 14. Get It Right The First Time 15. Souvenir Billy Joel – Piano, Vocals David Brown – Guitar Javors – Guitar, Vocals Richie Cannata – Sax, Keyboards Doug Stegmeyer – Bass Liberty DeVitto – Drums