David Bowie/CT, USA 1974 & more

The 1974 “DIAMOND DOGS TOUR” is highly popular among enthusiasts. It was a time when Bowie, fueled by cocaine, aggressively pursued his creativity, with large stage sets and theatrical performances eventually transforming into soul shows. The secret to its popularity is the fact that it changes not only on a weekly basis but also on a daily basis. Even the backing members of that tour continued to change, and during the first leg of the tour from June to July, the rhythm section consisted of Tony Newman and Harvey Flowers, who had a long studio relationship with Bowie. It was a time when the sound was more rock-oriented. During this period, we were not satisfied with CD items, and in order to meet the demands of freaks, we released rare sound sources such as “TAMPA 1974” and “COBO ARENA 1974 FIRST NIGHT”. And this time, the New Haven performance on July 14th will appear. The audience recording of this day did not appear often, and it was a show that was veiled in a sense, but now it has completely penetrated among enthusiasts. Rather, it was the day when the release as an item was eagerly awaited. Therefore, this time we received a first generation copy from an overseas enthusiast who is an authority on Bowie research. The opening “1984” does not capture the beginning, and the sound quality is still a bit muffled, but fortunately from “Rebel Rebel” the view suddenly becomes better and it suddenly becomes easier to listen. The sound image with a good sense of distance and warm sound quality are attractive enough. Even if it does not reach the level of “BOSTON JULY 1974”, which contained the famous sound source by Joe Maloney on CD, it will be of a quality that allows you to fully enjoy July’s DIAMOND DOGS TOUR like the previous Tampa and Cobo Arena. However, there is a tape change cut in “Moonage Daydream” and “Watch That Man”, and it is regrettable that the performance itself is incompletely recorded in the latter. Even so, the day the show was held is really interesting. It just belongs between the official “DAVID LIVE” Tower Theater and “BOSTON JULY 1974”, but the atmosphere of the performance is different from both. For example, in “Moonage Daydream” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me”, I am surprised that Bowie’s voice comes out very well compared to the shows before and after those. However, during the customary “greeting time” in the intro of “All the Young Dudes,” he spoke in a gentle tone, saying, “Good evening, New Haven,” which was a change from his previous hyper-accurate performances. The sense of realism that melts the venue is clearly conveyed. However, in the second part of the show recorded on the second disc, the hyper atmosphere subsides and a loose rock sound is heard. His ex-wife, Angie, testified in her autobiography that “the performance on this tour was uneven due to the effects of David’s cocaine,” and this change in sound seems to prove exactly that, in a good way. is really interesting. In such a situation, Bowie singing the finale “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” (this is also amazing!) is the highlight. Please enjoy a show that is different from any of the items released so far from June to July. And the bonus includes the Detroit performance on October 19th. Since this is a recording of only 30 minutes from the start of the show, it is a sound source that has been included in the bonus of “RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL 1974 3RD NIGHT” in the past, but this time the JEMS master version is included. The starting part of “Space Oddity” is recorded for a slightly longer time. Although it is an audience recording with a distant sound image, it is enough to hear the scene that captures the bold attempt of the opening “Space Oddity” (from the usual “Rebel Rebel” in Detroit before and after) only on this day. worth it. When he finishes singing the first song of Bowie’s career, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, the impact of the soul show-like opening that announces “Ladies and Gentlemen, David Bowie!” is considerable. In addition, by recording the July show and October show at the same time, it becomes a sampler that allows you to understand how the 1974 tour changed. The rhythm section’s groove feel is finally getting funky. It’s amazing how much the sound has changed in just 3 months! Live at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum. New Haven, CT, USA 14th July 1974 TRULY AMAZING SOUND Disc 1(47:01) 1. 1984 2. Rebel Rebel 3. Moonage Daydream 4. Sweet Thing / Candidate / Sweet Thing (Reprise) 5. Changes 6. Suffragette City 7. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?) 8. All the Young Dudes 9. Cracked Actor 10. Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me 11. Watch That Man Disc 2(69:20) 1. Future Legend 2. Diamond Dogs 3. Panic in Detroit 4. Big Brother / Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family 5. Time 6. The Width of a Circle 7. The Jean Genie 8. Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide David Bowie : Vocals Earl Slick: Guitare Michael Kamen: Electric Piano / Moog Synthesizer / Oboe Mike Garson: Piano / Mellotron David Sanborn: Alto Saxophone / Flute Richard Grando: Baritone Saxophone / Flute Herbie Flowers: Bass Tony Newman: Drums Pablo Rosario: Percussion Gui Andrisano : Backing Vocals Warren Peace: Backing Vocals BONUS TRACKS Michigan Palace Theater, Detroit, MI, USA 19th October 1974 9. Space Oddity 10. Rebel Rebel 11. John I’m Only Dancing 12. Sorrow 13. Changes 14. 1984 15. Moonage Daydream 16. Rock ‘N’ Roll With Me David Bowie: Vocals Earl Slick: Lead Guitar Carlos Alomar: Rhythm Guitar Mike Garson: Piano / Mellotron David Sanborn: Alto Saxophone / Flute Emir Kasan: Bass Dennis Davis: Drums Pablo Rosario: Percussion Warren Peace: Backing Vocals Ava Cherry: Backing Vocals Robin Clark: Backing Vocals Anthony Hinton: Backing Vocals Diane Sumler: Backing Vocals Luther Vandross: Backing Vocals