Eric Martin/Osaka,Japan 2015

Eric Martin’s latest Japan tour, which took place the other day, has been released! During his MR. BIG Japan tour in 2014, he said, “In 2015, I want to spend time with my fans in a more casual and closer environment, even if it’s just a solo performance in a small club,” and this unplugged show was exactly what he said. Besides Eric, there were only three people in the show, Australian blues guitarist John McNamara and Pat Torpey (!), making it a very personal tour. This work was recorded during the “Osaka performance on July 19, 2015.” The venue, Sankei Hall Please, is a theater type with a seating capacity of around 900. It was recorded by the familiar “West Japan’s Strongest Taper.” He usually specializes in the hot sound of hard rock/heavy metal, but in this unplugged performance, the sound is more sparkling and transparent than ever. The acoustic guitar and singing voice, slightly wrapped in the elegant echo unique to this venue, reach straight to you. From light arpeggios to hard chord strokes, all the nuances are delicate, and it’s as if they are being played and sung right next to you. This time, too, the title “strongest” has been given a gloss… A live performance recorded with such a sound is truly “personal” and “private” and is a perfect fit for words. The beauty of the melody and the quality of the songs, which are completely naked in the unplugged performance, stand out, and Eric’s soulful singing voice is also glossy and beautiful. Of course, MR. BIG has a great singing voice, but the acoustic version, which makes even a little vibrato and playful fakery stand out, is an exquisite singing voice. There is no need to fight against loud instruments, and the singing voice that is relaxed and fully engaged in the main role is irresistible. Not only the performance, but also the relaxed show and mood, as if you were invited to a home party, are also the best. Eric, the main character, was in a good mood from start to finish, and even the MC was full of jokes. There was plenty of communication with the audience, and the audience also talked to Eric, creating a homely atmosphere from start to finish. The set list symbolizes this free atmosphere. The set is different at each venue on this tour, but it’s not just one or two songs added, it’s flexible enough to completely change the composition. The Osaka performance also had plenty of fun here, including MR.BIG’s “Big Love” and “Listen To Your Heart,” his solo “There Goes The Neighborhood,” TMG’s “I Wish You Were Here,” and more (the audience reacted to all of these rare songs, which was amazing!). A television broadcast of the Akasaka BLITZ performance is scheduled for September, but it’s a completely different show. And this work, which contains the Osaka show, starts peacefully with a playful cover of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, and proceeds from ERIC MARTIN BAND’s “Sucker For A Pretty Face” to MR.BIG, his solo album, and TMG, tracing Eric’s history. Even MR. BIG’s songs, such as “Shine”, “Superfantastic”, “Electrified” and “Dancin’ With My Devils”, which will never be played by the original band, were performed in the Richie Kotzen era. Looking at the song list, it seemed a little plain, but when you actually listen to the songs completely stripped down, you’ll think, “Was the melody really this good!?” (The cheers singing “Shine” are so good that they make you shiver). Furthermore, the special point that resonates deeply in the heart is Pat Torpey. Although he has progressive Parkinson’s disease and cannot hope for recovery, he fully participates in the two-hour show. Pat, who hits the guitar-shaped cajon and tambourine with that smile and sings the chorus. He also takes part in MCs after “Fragile” and “Voodoo Kiss”, jokes about “We Are The World”, and even performs a duet with Eric on “East/West”. The singing voice is not at all tragic, as he fights against an incurable disease, but enjoys music from the heart and sings harmoniously. Because the voice is natural and calm, it is even warmer and quietly trembling with emotion. The audience cheers the three back for the encore, saying “Welcome back!” in Japanese. Eric and Pat, who have visited Japan many times and are deeply connected to each other, would have understood even in Japanese. And there was cheering because they knew they could understand. MR. BIG and Japan understood each other so well that there was no need to check. This work is a live album where the bond stands out more than the original. The beauty of simple music, the delicate and vivid singing voice, the bond that goes beyond words and music… it’s a two-disc set that is filled with all of that. Eric, Pat, the song exchanged by the audience, and the breath. Whether it’s a pro shot or a sound board, you can’t capture this atmosphere. Because it’s the audience master who inhaled the atmosphere on that day and in that place, we will deliver it to your room 100% real. Live at Sankei Hall Breeze, Osaka, Japan 19th July 2015 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (53:40) 1. Intro 2. Sweet Home Osaka (Sweet Home Alabama) 3. Sucker For A Pretty Face 4. Don’t Stop 5. Big Love 6. There Goes The Neighborhood 7. Fragile 8. What If We Were New 9. Goin’ Where The Wind Blows 10. Voodoo Kiss 11. Shine Disc 2 (64:08) 1. MC 2. Listen To Your Heart 3. Superfantastic 4. Where Do I FIt In? 5. I Wish You Were Here 6. To Be With You 7. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy 8. Alive And Kickin’ 9. Electrified 10. We Are The World (Eric & Pat) 11. Dancin’ With My Devils 12. East/West (Pat & Eric) 13. Gotta Love The Ride Eric Martin (Vocal, Acoustic Guitar) Pat Torpey (Percussion, Vocal) John McNamara (Acoustic Guitar, Vocal)