Art Garfunkel/Tokyo,Japan 1988

The Tokyo Dome opened in 1988, at the height of Japan’s bubble economy, and on July 24th that summer, a beer manufacturer hosted an event similar to what we now call Summer Festival at the same venue. On this day, Billy Joel was the final act, and several other artists such as the Hooters and Impellitteri (!) appeared. In addition to these, Boz Scaggs made his first long-awaited visit to Japan at this event, and Art Garfunkel also performed his first live solo stage for the first time. The fact that his solo stage was held at the Tokyo Dome is a very bubble-like era, but the audience recording that captured that stage also has the typical texture of the Tokyo Dome when it first opened, or rather, the sound quality wrapped in echo. This sound source was previously released as a bonus item, but it will be revived for the first time in a long time with the release of the S&G live at the Tokyo Dome five years later. For the reasons mentioned above, the sound quality has a strong echo, and for example, in the song So Much In Love from the latest album Lefty at the time, the performance is difficult to hear due to the applause from the audience, which makes the sound quality of the Tokyo Dome at that time feel full of nostalgia. However, the cassette recording has a very warm texture, which matches Art’s singing sound stage and is easy to listen to. The original sound picks up a lot of reverberation that is unique to the dome, but for this release, it has been equalized to reduce that part and bring the performance to the forefront. The applause of the audience, which was a concern throughout the album, has been reduced as much as possible without compromising the sound of the performance. During this period, there were no notable live activities other than one-off live performances in the UK and Japan, so this recording is truly valuable. The stage, which started with the opening with the S&G classic The Sound of Silence, would have appealed to the audience who gathered at the dome that day to see the other artists. In addition to the S&G numbers, the set includes three songs from the new album “Lefty” at the time, as well as a cover of James Taylor’s If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight. The late Nicky Hopkins participates on piano, and Nicky’s solo time is one of the highlights. The repertoire from his solo albums is now all Art’s standard songs, and this recording captures a performance that can be called the “Best of Art Garfunkel,” making it a must-listen for fans. Live at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan 24th July 1988 TRULY AMAZING SOUND(from Original Masters) (67:32) 1. The Sounds Of Silence 2. When A Man Loves A Woman 3. All I Know 4. So Much In Love 5. If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight (James Taylor Cover) 6. (What a) Wonderful World 7. If Love Takes You Away 8. Homeward Bound (Nicky Hopkins Solo ) 9. Texas Girl at the Funeral Of Her Father 10. Scarborough Fair 11. Eyes For You 12. Skywriter 13. Cecilia 14. Bright Eyes 15. A Heart In New York 16. Bridge Over Troubled Water 17. Cecilia Art Garfunkel with Nicky Hopkins – Piano Mick “Woody” Woodmansey – Drums Micky Feat – Bass Jeffery Jones – Guitar Rob Sabino – Keyboards