David Bowie/MA, USA 1976

Items from the 1976 “Isolar” American tour have been released for the first time in a while. So far, from this tour we have released excellent audience albums called “SEATTLE 1976” and “CLEVELAND 1976 2ND NIGHT”, but the former captured the early stage of the tour and the latter captured the middle stage of the tour. In contrast, this time, the Springfield performance on March 21st, which is the final stage of the first American tour, has been released. For some reason, the “Isolar” American tour had many audience recordings that were recorded in monaural, and not only the two titles released in the past, but this time as well, the recording state will be the same. However, in terms of the closeness of the sound image, it exceeds Cleveland, and is close and powerful to Seattle, which was called the best during the American tour. Of course, it’s not in the range that can be described as “just like a sound board,” but combined with the solid texture unique to monaural, it has a wonderful sound quality that fully inhales the air of the day. However, in the opening song “Station to Station” there are several parts where the sound gets stuck, and when the next song “Suffragette City” comes, the sound cuts out. Although it is the same audience recording, it is certainly inferior in stability compared to the two titles released in the past. Still, there is a clear reason why this performance is being released. That means it’s worth it. In recent years, the photo of Bowie’s arrest in which he appears too dignified has become a hot topic on the internet, and it is said that the arrest took place on this day. He and Iggy Pop, with whom he was touring, were arrested in the middle of the night at a hotel on suspicion of marijuana possession. The case was later dismissed, but what was strange was that it was marijuana, not cocaine, which Bowie was addicted to at the time. Ironically, the result of non-prosecution was unavoidable. If this were to happen in Japan, it would create a level of uproar that could end an artist’s life, and the tour would have to be cancelled. However, this is America. Bowie pays bail and performs the concert as scheduled. That is the Springfield performance that will be released this time. Then, on the 23rd, after completing that standard radio broadcast at the Nassau Coliseum, Bowie turned himself in again, and the mug shot (arrest photo) was taken there. Considering this outcome, it makes sense that the opening of the show that day, “Station to Station,” began with an unusually high level of excitement. Even if you compare it with the February sound source that has been released so far, the difference in the tension is clear. After all, it’s only natural since he went through a police incident. After all, the strength of Stacey Haydon’s lead guitar, which defined the unique sound of the “Isolar” tour, is very clear. In other words, the concert was forced to take place under the cover of trouble. From Bowie onwards, there is no way that the members on stage will not put their effort into it. From the opening to “Stay”, the tension is completely sharp, and you can clearly feel that they are playing with a really tense atmosphere. It was confirmed by the performance from the opening to the same song that it was a unique performance among the “Isolar” American tours. “I’m Waiting for the Man”, which takes a breather from such a series of intense performances, is also special. Since the first half of the show was like that, I thought it would get rough again when it became “Panic in Detroit,” but surprisingly, Bowie’s song felt relaxed. Speaking of this song, it is Dennis Davis’s drum solo, but the familiar scat is hardly emitted, and it is surprisingly unusual for this tour to have a normal drum solo-like development. However, the scene where the surrounding audience starts chatting during the solo is very American. And after “Changes”, Bowie is in top condition, free from everything, full of ease and confidence. After all, the eternal classic Nassau Coliseum was created as a result of being able to go beyond this shambles and carry out the tour. It is also a valuable document until reaching that state. However, it can also be said to be a bridge between February’s items and Nassau. As evidence of this, it is surprisingly unusual that “TVC 15” is played at the end of the setlist rather than the latter half. Although the tour is very popular among enthusiasts, until now the spotlight has tended to be on the radio broadcast and official Nassau and the two classics produced since February. However, this time, the high-quality audience and ultimate masterpiece of March will finally be released. Bowie, who went on stage after going through the big trouble of being arrested, was just overwhelmed by the performance he gave in the first half of the show. For enthusiasts who love this tour. Live at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA, USA 21st March 1976 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND (The morning/day of Bowie/Iggy Pop 3am drug arrest in Rochester, NY) Disc 1 (39:47) 1. Station to Station 2 Suffragette City 3. Fame 4. Word on a Wing 5. Stay 6. I’m Waiting for the Man 7. Queen Bitch Disc 2 (41:46) 1. Life on Mars 2. Five Years 3. Panic in Detroit 4 Band Introductions 5. Changes 6. Rebel Rebel 7. Diamond Dogs 8. TVC 15 9. The Jean Genie David Bowie – Vocals, saxophone Carlos Alomar – Rhythm guitar, backing vocals Stacy Heydon – Lead guitar, backing vocals George Murray – Bass guitar , backing vocals Dennis Davis – Drums, percussion Tony Kaye – Keyboards