Dave Mason / NY, USA 07.08.1978 Complete Pre-FM Soundboard Edition

Dave Mason’s 1976 year had the king of recordings, the official “CERTIFIED LIVE,” and his 1977 visit to Japan, which came at the perfect time, resulted in the masterpiece “TOKYO 1977 2ND NIGHT,” an audience recording obtained independently. Naturally, the next thing one would want to hear is a live performance from 1978. This was the year that the masterpiece “MARIPOSA DE ORO” was released, following his appearance at California Jam 2, yet there have been extremely few live recordings released. This release from El Mont, New York, satisfies the thirst of such fans. This is not just a radio broadcast, but as the subtitle “Pre-FM” suggests, it is a perfect stereo soundboard recording on a different level from typical broadcast airchecks. It’s astonishing that such an amazing recording hasn’t been released until now. Moreover, while his California Jam 2 performance was a short set and featured “MARIPOSA DE ORO,” this recording fully features songs from the newly released album. Given the extreme scarcity of live recordings after the album’s release, the discovery of such a comprehensive recording, especially in stereo soundboard format, is truly a remarkable achievement. The band’s live performances after the album’s release featured a unique lineup with two guitarists, partly due to the temporary departure of longtime right-hand man Jim Krueger. This made them perfectly suited to recreating the refined harmony work of “MARIPOSA DE ORO,” and these magnificent harmonies can be enjoyed in the finest stereo soundboard recording. However, with only two guitarists, Mason himself often focused solely on vocals and rhythm guitar, a tendency even more pronounced than during the Krueger era. “We Just Disagree,” a remnant of the Krueger era and a massive hit, elicits tremendous cheers from the audience. Yet, the richer harmony work resulting from the increased number of members also shines brightly. Although Mason’s role as lead guitarist had diminished as he shifted more towards singing, he still fully showcased his signature lead guitar skills on “So Good to be Home” from the new album. Of course, he played even more guitar on his favorite “All Along the Watchtower,” demonstrating that his skills hadn’t dulled, even with two other guitarists in the band. For the encore, he delivered a magnificent finale with a cover of Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” also from the new album, amidst tremendous excitement. This stereo soundboard album captures Mason’s 1978 performance in perfect sound quality, a period when recordings were scarce compared to before 1977! Belmont Park, Elmont, NY, USA 8th July 1978 STEREO SBD (75:57) 1. Tuning 2. Only You & I Know 3. Searchin’ for a Feelin’ 4. Pearly Queen 5. Every Woman 6. So Good to be Home 7. We Just Disagree 8. So High (Rock Me Baby & Roll Me Away) 9. Let it Go, Let it Flow 10. No Doubt About It 11. Takin’ the Time to Find 12. All Along the Watchtower 13. Share Your Love 14. Warm & Tender Love 15. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow 16. Band Introductions & Outro Dave Mason – Guitar/Vocals Johnne Sambataro – Guitar/Vocals Gerald Johnson – Bass Rick Jaeger – Drums Carl Graves – Percussion Tony Dean – Guitar Mark Stein – Keyboards STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING