Description
Among Billy Joel’s 1984 Japan tours, the Budokan performance on May 30th was circulating among traders even before the release of “INNOCENT NIGHTS”, and items were released on CD one by one. At that time, there were very few items that recorded Billy’s live performances, and enthusiasts were grateful to hear that the 1984 Japan tour was the first to be released on CD, despite being a decent audience recording in terms of sound quality. When May 30th was recorded again with the release of “INNOCENT NIGHTS”, it was mistaken for the first appearance of the audience because the sound quality level was too different, which is nostalgic now. However, when you actually listen to it… it’s the same sound source. The truth is that “INNOCENT NIGHTS” was recorded from the master, while the version circulating among traders had been dropped overseas and the sound quality had deteriorated significantly. This was also the reason why “INNOCENT NIGHTS” was called a masterpiece, but compared to the first day of the tour, which was released at the same time, the sound image was a little distant, and in the previous version, the sound was even muffled and difficult to hear. That’s the difference between “INNOCENT NIGHTS”. Therefore, for this re-release, a new remaster was carried out after more than 10 years. It is a finish that highlights the contours of the performance that tend to be buried in the sense of distance. Since this day was the end of the tour, the excitement was even more intense, but the equalization this time makes the performance easier to hear, and for example, you can feel the difference between the previous version and this one with the exciting “My Life”. Nowadays, it is impossible to get the trader version or CD-R release that was available 10 years ago, and it may be difficult to compare the difference in sound quality, but this remaster has finally evolved into a state that is easy to hear. What is most amazing is the excitement of this day and Billy’s high tension. As he and his band went through the schedule, they must have gained confidence after successfully performing in Japan in the “AN INNOCENT MAN” mode. Instead of dropping some of the past repertoire from the first day, they added a lot of new songs from that time, such as “This Night” and “Leave A Tender Moment Alone”. And yet Billy seemed to have plenty of room to breathe in Japanese here and there. The audience at the Budokan was delighted to see him so high. On the other hand, the excitement during “Pressure”, which was also sung on the first day, was so amazing that it seemed like it was the best of the day, and the excitement that literally united Billy and the venue was captured in a wonderful balance. As was the case with “Goodnight Saigon” on the first day, many audience members headed to the Budokan looking forward to hearing the repertoire from “NYLON CURTAIN”, which did not come to Japan. Anyway, the high-tension Billy started singing the Beatles’ “Tell Me Why” before “Don’t Ask Me Why”, which could be said to be a “Why” connection, and the band played a short song along with it, and the scene where the audience was excited to hear this and exclaimed “It’s a new song!” is also a masterpiece. By 1984, there were many music fans who were not familiar with the Beatles but were dyed in Western music because of Billy, and this was a fun scene that symbolized that. And when it comes to the 1984 “From a Piano Man to an Innocent Man Tour”, the video of the Wembley performance in London that took place about a week later is known as a standard, and in fact “WEMBLEY 1984 UPGRADE” is also a best-seller, but in terms of the excitement and the awesomeness of the performance, it seems to surpass it. This masterpiece audience, which captured Billy’s high-tension day at the height of his popularity and which had gained great popularity in Japan beyond the boundaries of Western music, has been long-awaited to be re-released with a new remaster. Towards the end of the concert, popular singers of the time even appeared on stage to sing “Tell Her About It,” and the Budokan was so excited it seemed as if it was going to explode. Enjoy the excitement of “Showa Billy” that was unique to 1984, along with the first day at the Budokan, to your heart’s content. Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 30th May 1984 PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters)*UPGRADE Disc 1 (41:08) 1. Opening (The Mexican Connection) 2. Prelude / Angry Young Man 3. My Life 4. The Stranger 5. Don’t Ask Me Why 6. Allentown 7. This Night 8. Pressure 9. Just The Way You Are Disc 2 (71:39) 1. Band Introductions 2. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant 3. An Innocent Man 4. The Lion Sleeps Tonight 5. The Longest Time 6. Leave A Tender Moment Alone 7. Sometimes A Fantasy 8. It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me 9. Uptown Girl 10. Big Shot 11. Tell Her About It ★Popular singers of the time jump in 12. You May Be Right 13. Only The Good Die Young Billy Joel – Vocals, Piano David Brown – Guitar, Backing Vocals Russell Javors – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals Doug Stegmeyer – Bass, Backing Vocals David Lebolt – Keyboards Mark Rivera – Saxophones, Flute, Backing Vocals Liberty Devitto – Drums, Percussion
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