Brian Setzer, Stray Cats Brian Setzer/Osaka, Japan 2004

The latest installment of Brian Setzer’s superb soundboard series is here. This series is a live in Japan by a master of the leaked sound brought to us by our own route. The super high-grade sound unique to the people involved is shocking, and the recently released “TOKYO 2006 FINAL NIGHT” with THE NASHVILLAINS was also highly praised. Two such superb series are released at the same time. This work is a live album of “Index Osaka on February 1, 2004”. At this time, the trio “BRIAN SETZER, SLIM JIM PHANTOM of STRAY CATS with MARK WINCHESTER” participated in the winter festival “SONICMANIA 2004”. There were two performances in total, one at Makuhari Messe on January 31 and one at Osaka on February 1, and this work is the latter. [Superb Stereo Soundboard Album] This work, which contains such a show, is a superb stereo soundboard that can only be described as “superb”, “ultimate” and “supreme”. To be honest, it is even more amazing than “TOKYO 2006 FINAL NIGHT”, which is currently receiving rave reviews. It is the highest peak of the direct-connected system, and it feels super direct, as if you are plugging it directly into your brain and playing it in your head, not just your ears. Also, the direct-connected system often has a distant audience enthusiasm and makes it difficult to feel the realism. This is often considered a drawback, but I cannot recommend this work to those who think so (bitter smile). If you listen carefully with headphones, you can faintly feel the loud cheers, but it is also at the level of ripples in the distant sea. However, this does not seem to be a drawback. There is no sense of realism at all at the live venue, but if it is done thoroughly to this extent, it even becomes refreshing, and it creates a fierce sense of synchronization with the band. It’s like a science fiction movie, with your consciousness drifting in the PA circuit, or your head becoming the soundboard itself… You can shout with all your might that the sound quality itself is “just like the official one,” but you can never experience this sense of unity and immersion in an official work. In fact, this recording was once all the rage as “BRING IT BACK AGAIN,” but this time it has been newly released on CD from the original master. The direct sound quality itself is not very different, but it is much better than the previous release, and perhaps because of this, the balance is well-balanced. The mid-range sound is particularly neat, and you will feel an even fresher “sound” from just one snare. [Simple & Dynamic Trio Live] The show depicted by that sound is so intense that it’s overwhelming! Unfortunately, Lee Rocker is not participating, but the content of the show is undoubtedly STRAY CATS. The trio ensemble, which is completely different from the gorgeous BSO, is very solid. The Slim Jim Phantom stand drums, which drive a wedge into the stage one by one, are very powerful. To be honest, it gives a slightly chaotic impression, but Tsuyoshi’s show transforms it into a forceful “momentum”. The set drawn by the ensemble is, of course, STRAY CATS style. When you think of 2004, the official live album “RUMBLE IN BRIXTON” comes to mind, and this work also features the same basics, but also “My One Desire”, “Rev It Up And Go”, “I Fought The Law”, and “Something Else”, which cannot be heard there. “Mystery Train” is, of course, a live performance. In particular, “My One Desire” is a song that is not even included in the vast “LIVE FROM EUROPE 2004” series. It is a special performance in Japan, but the content is also a masterpiece of a live album. Brian Setzer has come to Japan under the name of “STRAY CATS” for the first time in 12 years since 1992. This is a live album with a solid ensemble different from BSO and the masterpieces of STRAY CATS exploded on a superb soundboard. BSO is great, but “STRAY CATS” is special… This is a super masterpiece of Live in Japan that you should definitely enjoy. Live at Intex-Osaka, Osaka, Japan 1st February 2004 STEREO SBD(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (47:36) 1. Pre-Show Music 2. Rumble In Brighton 3. Double Talkin’ Baby 4. Something’s Wrong With My Radio 5. My One Desire 6. Ubangi Stomp 7. Stray Cat Strut 8. Gene & Eddie 9. Sleepwalk 10. Too Hip, Got ta Go 11. I Won’t Stand In Your Way 12. Mystery Train Disc 2 (38:55) 1. Rev It Up And Go 2. Blast Off 3. Runaway Boys 4. Bring It Back Again 5. (She’s) Sexy + 17 6. Rock This Town 7. 18 Miles To Memphis 8. I Fought The Law 9. Fishnet Stockings 10. Something Else Brian Setzer – Guitar & Vocal Mark Winchester – Bass & Vocal Slim Jim Phantom – Drums STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING