Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen/Tokyo,Japan 1.31.1997

Bruce Springsteen last came to Japan in 1997. Yes, exactly 20 years ago. The solo “GHOST OF TOM JOAD” tour that came to Japan at that time has become a bit of a mystery to fans, since the E Street Band was reformed two years later and continues to this day. On the contrary, it seems that Springsteen’s live performances in the 1990s, along with the “LUCKY TOWN” and “HUMAN TOUCH” tours in the early 1990s, have become a decade that is rarely remembered by fans. There was even a community on Facebook called “Weird 90s Blues”. Springsteen did several solo tours and gigs after this, but those were more familiar, so the appreciation of the “TOM JOAD” tour, which was a solo tour, was all the more diminished. I can’t help but think that this was due to the fact that the stage was mostly for performances of monotonous tunes. This tendency was especially strong in the 1995-96 stage when the tour began, and while one would think that he would be able to hear his past hits, the songs from the album “GHOST OF TOM JOAD” and the past songs were played in a monotonous arrangement that seemed to match them, which made it sound even more monotonous. From Springsteen’s perspective, he had no intention of only playing songs that he was famous for playing and singing, but rather wanted to do a solo tour in the role of a storyteller. This concept was thoroughly implemented until the middle of 1996, and as a result, it seems that this has determined the impression of a “monotonous” acoustic show. In that respect, when Springsteen performed “The River” at a live show in his hometown of New Jersey in November 1996, his past repertoire finally began to increase. Furthermore, past songs such as “Two Hearts” and “Bobby Jean” were also introduced, so the 1997 Japan tour was the most well-balanced selection of songs on the “TOM JOAD” tour. Springsteen’s live performance at the newly completed Tokyo Forum was held four times. Moreover, on the 27th, when the first show was held, he was interviewed by a news program after the show, which surprised me with his energetic activities. There were also songs that were only played at each show, and the staging was satisfying for enthusiasts who went every day. As the title suggests, the release date this time is the final performance on January 31st. This is the day when Crystal Cat’s masterpiece “TOKYO NIGHT” was released. Of course, it is not only a completely different audience recording, but also a superb sound source that gives off a different charm. The recording was made by our store’s familiar taper with titles such as Stones, Clapton, and Jeff Beck, and of course it is a valuable sound source that was not distributed at all among traders. The high quality of the final day’s stage that he recorded, it is worthy of being called “clearness”. “TOKYO NIGHT” was a recording with a great sound pressure like a soundboard, but this recording is also of astonishing soundboard-level quality, but the more delicate sound quality conveys the delicacy of the acoustic performance to the fullest. Furthermore, the voices of the surrounding audience are quieter than in “TOKYO NIGHT”, and in some places it is so silent that you can hear it even if you drop the needle. There is no better recording condition for listening to an acoustic live performance. During the 1997 Japan tour, Springsteen tried his best to speak Japanese between some songs, as it was the Storyteller Stage. His sincerity in trying to get the audience to understand him even a little, even on a stage in a country where English is not spoken, is moving. The delicate performance of each song is equally moving. Of course, I am also attracted to the classics such as “Atlantic City” and “The River”, but the soothing sound part from “Sinaloa Cowboys” to “Across The Border” as the live show moves from the middle to the latter half is a point that I would like to reevaluate with this release, and the gentle performance is attractive as it seems to resonate with Japanese people. And above all, please enjoy the wonderfulness of the new sound source that captures such delicate sounds without equalization. I can confidently recommend it to fans who have not listened to the “TOM JOAD” tour. Live at Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan 31st January 1997 TRULY PERFECT/ULTIMATE SOUND(from Origial Masters) Disc 1 (66:05) 1. Intro. 2. The Ghost of Tom Joad 3. Atlantic City 4. Adam Raised a Cain 5. Highway 29 6. Darkness on the Edge of Town 7. Murder Incorporated 8. Highway Patrol Twoman 9. Red Headed Woman 10. Hearts 11. The River 12. Born in the U.S.A. 13. Dry Lightning 14. Youngstown Disc 2 (67:09) 1. Spare Parts 2. Sinaloa Cowboys 3. The Line 4. Balboa Park 5. Across the Border 6. Bobby Jean 7. This Hard Land 8. No Surrender 9. Galveston Bay 10. If I Should Fall Behind 11. The Promised Land