Description
The “Slippery When Wet Tour” was a massive, record-breaking success. Now, a new master recording has emerged that sets a new benchmark for quality among the classic FM soundboard recordings of this tour. This release captures the concert held in Cincinnati on March 19, 1987. It features a stereo soundboard recording originally broadcast on “Superstar Concerts,” the renowned radio program from the prestigious Westwood One network. As the show was so famous, the broadcast itself has long been widely known, spawning countless bootlegs derived from home recordings—making it a quintessential classic. While the broadcast is familiar, the audio quality here is anything but ordinary; this release represents the definitive version, digitally transferred directly from Westwood One’s own archival broadcast master LP, “Show #88-D.” Before diving into the details of that impressive sound quality, let’s first look at where this show fits into the bigger picture—specifically, the “Slippery When Wet Tour,” a trek that truly conquered the globe. 1986: July 14–26: North America #1 (8 shows); August 11–25: Japan #1 (10 shows) [*Slippery When Wet* released Aug 18]; August 30–31: West Germany (2 shows); September 9–October 18: North America #2 (21 shows); November 7–December 8: Europe (23 shows) [incl. Leicester 1986]; December 19–31: North America #3a (8 shows). 1987: January 2–August 9: North America #3b (134 shows) [←★Here★]; August 22: Monsters of Rock appearance; September 5–19: Oceania (12 shows); September 24–October 7: Japan #2 (10 shows) [incl. Budokan 1987 Final Night]; October 15–17: Honolulu (3 shows). This release features ultimate sound quality, digitally transferred directly from a newly discovered broadcast master LP—this is Bon Jovi in 1986/1987. Spanning approximately 220 shows, the world tour was a powerhouse event of immense scale and scope. This title captures the Cincinnati performance, part of the massive “North America #3” leg—specifically, the 56th show of that run. While the acclaimed *Landover 1987 Soundboard* (Zodiac 626) is a classic, top-tier soundboard recording from the “Slippery When Wet” tour, this release captures a show that took place about four months prior. It serves as the perfect substitute for an official release. Although *Landover 1987 Soundboard* was praised as being of “official quality” thanks to its direct-from-mixing-console source, the sound quality here surpasses even that. After all, this is an authentic FM broadcast soundboard recording produced by the prestigious Westwood One; the stability is rock-solid, and the mix balance is perfect. Aside from cutting out the commercials, the sound is flawless and required absolutely no further tweaking. As previously mentioned, this broadcast is already legendary, but what has been unearthed here is the ultimate master—a top-tier version digitized directly from the pre-broadcast master LP. Far from showing signs of dubbing, the audio retains a freshness from before it ever hit the airwaves—a quality on a completely different level from the countless fan-made “airchecks” out there. The soaring quality of Jon’s vocals, the rich sheen of Richie’s guitar, the depth created by David’s keyboards, and the crisp definition of the rhythm section’s groove—everything resonates with the exact balance intended by the radio station’s engineers. If *Landover 1987 Soundboard* is “official-quality,” perhaps this release should be called “classic official album-quality.” Honestly, the sound possesses an elegance and superiority that far surpasses many mediocre official archival releases. It offers about 79 minutes of listening—a top-tier live album that serves as a perfect substitute for an official release. Of course, since the content follows the broadcast schedule, it doesn’t feature as many tracks as the complete show found on *Landover 1987 Soundboard*. However, the 79-minute runtime offers a far more satisfying listening experience than your average official live album. Let’s break down the tracklist: “Wild in the Streets” era (5 songs): “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wild in the Streets,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Let It Rock,” “Livin’ on a Prayer”; Others (5 songs): *Bon Jovi* (Debut): “Get Ready” (★), “Runaway”; *7800° Fahrenheit*: “Silent Night” (★), “In and Out of Love”; Cover: “Drift Away.” (Note: “★” indicates songs not heard on the classic *Landover 1987 Soundboard* release.) That covers the lineup. While it is only natural that five tracks from *Slippery When Wet* are included, the real highlights are “Silent Night” and “Get Ready.” Both are early-era songs not found on the *Landover 1987 Soundboard* release; “Silent Night,” in particular, is a rare track that was seldom performed after the *Slippery When Wet* tour concluded. This release captures the entire broadcast—including the intro and outro by renowned DJ Steve Downes—offering that authentic “broadcast master” feel that perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the band’s peak era. It is a soundboard album that preserves live performances from the time of their astronomical success with ultimate, “official-masterpiece-class” audio quality. While it may not quite match the raw intensity and complete show coverage of the celebrated *Landover 1987 Soundboard* (sourced directly from the mixing desk), this release wins out if you are looking for a polished, beautiful alternative to an official release. It fulfills the long-held dream of owning an official-quality live album from the band’s prime. This is a stereo soundboard recording of the March 19, 1987, concert in Cincinnati. Digitized directly from the original Westwood One broadcast LP, it represents the pinnacle of sound quality—a definitive release that serves as a perfect substitute for an official live album from the *Slippery When Wet* tour era. Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH, USA – March 19, 1987 (78:57) 1. Steve Downes intro 2. You Give Love A Bad Name 3. Wild In The Streets 4. Wanted Dead Or Alive 5. Silent Night 6. Let It Rock 7. Guitar Solo 8. In And Out Of Love 9. Drift Away 10. Get Ready 11. Livin’ On A Prayer 12. Runaway 13. DJ outro STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING
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