Rolling Stones/PA,USA 7.22.1972

Speaking of the Stones’ 1972 US tour, soundboard recordings such as “Philaspe” have existed since the middle of the tour. These were also sound sources linked to the live album and the movie “Ladies & Gentlemen” that were not released even though work was being done to release them. The SBD correlation diagram of the 1972 tour is still very easy to understand, with them being consolidated. As an exception, TMOQ’s LP “WELCOME TO NEW YORK”, which captured the state of Madison Square Garden on the final day of the tour with a vivid stereo soundboard recording, is also a classic famous sound source, but generally it seems that the image of soundboard recordings of the Philadelphia and Fort Worth shows is strong. As if to throw a stone into such a situation, a new soundboard recording that appeared exactly twenty years ago from now is the Pittsburgh performance on July 22nd. This sound source, released under the title “AN AMERICAN AFFAIR”, seemed to attract attention as an excavated sound source that captured a show completely different from the Philadelphia and Fort Worth shows familiar to enthusiasts. However, the lack of clarity and the muffled sound made it difficult to listen to, and the impact of the new soundboard recording was diminished. Although a slightly improved version was later released as “THE ROYAL DORAGON”, it was still an item for hardcore enthusiasts due to the instability of the pitch and the lack of fundamental clarity. If you think about it purely, this Pittsburgh soundboard is a recording of the same tendency as “WELCOME TO NEW YORK”. It is a real stereo with each instrument beautifully separated, and it is different from the flatness that is common in soundboard recordings from PA out. Therefore, the balance of the performance is fully conveyed, and it can be said that the sound quality problem is regrettable. Pittsburgh has been overlooked because of its fluffy, real stereo soundboard. However, this year, an upper version of this sound source suddenly appeared. Of course, it is still in a rough state, and the problems inherent to the sound source are the same as those of the previously released version. For example, the noise that crosses immediately after the opening “Brown Sugar” begins, the non-recording of “Sweet Virginia”, and the fact that the recording of the last “Street Fighting Man” ends less than two minutes in. In particular, the non-recording of “Sweet Virginia” was a soundboard recording of the same song in Fort Worth about a month ago that was repurposed in the previously released version, but for this release, since it was not included in the soundboard recording of the Pittsburgh main body, it was left unrecorded without supplementing it. However, what is particularly noteworthy is the upper state of the sound quality. The chronic muffled sound has been eliminated at once, and if you are a maniac who has listened to the state of the previously released version, you will be surprised by the clarity, as if two layers were peeled off at once, not just a thin layer. Compared to that fluffy state, it has been reborn with a much clearer clarity. The overall image is that the fluffy feeling has been wiped away, and it may be likened to a state similar to that of the 1975 Detroit (= “A STONE IN MY SHOE”) or 1976 Knebworth (= “HOT AUGUST NIGHT”) soundboard recordings of the same tendency. In any case, there is no doubt that a fairly upper state has been achieved. The previously released version also had pitch problems, but the version that appeared this time had a different problem from the previous one, that of randomly large slow or fast pitch deviations. This point has also been thoroughly adjusted. Furthermore, the outstanding stability has been adjusted even to the drop in volume level that occurred in “All Down The Line”. It’s perfect for enjoying the soundboard of Pittsburgh, which has been overlooked until now. And as for the performance, it’s only in late July, so it’s already an ironclad 72 Stones sound. In particular, the performance of the whole “Rocks Off” and Taylor’s phrase in the interlude of “Gimme Shelter” are both full of the momentum that is unique to late July. The reason we can enjoy the splendor unique to this time of year, such as “Tumbling Dice” with Mick’s wild singing and “Midnight Rambler” that runs through the intro at once, is because the muffled sound has been eliminated. Although it is still a rough soundboard recording, it has become much easier to listen to. Live at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA. USA 22nd July 1972 STEREO SBD(UPGRADE) (65:45) 1. Brown Sugar 2. Bitch 3. Rocks Off 4. Gimme Shelter 5. Happy 6. Tumbling Dice 7. Love In Vain 8. You Can’t Always Get What You Want 9. All Down The Line 10. Midnight Rambler 11. Band Introductions 12. Bye By e Johnny 13. Rip This Joint 14. Jumping Jack Flash 15. Street Fighting Man