John Norum/Osaka,Japan 1997 DAT Master

John Norum, accompanied by the hidden singer Leaf Sundin, made his first solo visit to Japan in 1997. The original DAT master is here to give you the best experience of the scene. This work is recorded at the “June 19, 1997: Osaka Banana Hall” performance. It is a superb audience recording. Speaking of his first solo visit to Japan, the official live album “FACE IT LIVE ’97” is also left, but this work is a completely different performance. Moreover, it is a definitive board that allows you to enjoy a longer full show. First of all, let’s look back at the schedule at that time and check the relationship with the official work. ・June 19: Osaka Banana Hall ←★This work★ ・June 20: Nagoya Bottom Line ・June 21: Club Citta Kawasaki ←※Official All three performances. The official live album “FACE IT LIVE ’97” was recorded on the last day in Kawasaki, but the Osaka performance of this work was the first day. It was the first stage 11 years after the legendary first visit to Japan in EUROPE. This work, which vacuum-packed such a memorable scene, is truly a superb product. Since there is a genuine official work, it cannot be said lightly that it is “sound board class!”, but the thickness of the core and the fineness of the details make you want to mistake it for a sound board. At least, there is no audience-like feeling other than the tone, and the vividness and immersiveness of the performance sound and singing voice do not take a step back from the official work. On top of that, it is a super-excellent recording that exudes a real experience of “being at the scene”. While it is close to the official work in terms of sound, it certainly transcends in terms of content. In order to explain the meaning, let’s organize the set here while comparing it with “FACE IT LIVE ’97”. Face the Truth (5 songs) – Face the Truth / Night Buzz / Good Man Shining / Opium Trial / In Your Eyes Worlds Away (5 songs) – Make A Move / Where the Grass Is Green / Manic Distortion (★) / C.Y.R. / From Outside In Others (6 songs) – Solo: Blind / Let Me Love You / Resurrection Time – Others: Wishing Well / Heart Of Stone / Scream Of Anger *Note: The “★” mark indicates songs that could not be heard on the official live album “FACE IT LIVE ’97”. …And so on. The style is centered around the latest work “WORLDS AWAY” at the time and the masterpiece “FACE THE TRUTH”, with “TOTAL CONTROL” and EUROPE numbers scattered throughout. Among them, “Manic Distortion”, which could not be heard on the official work, is also performed. The heavy “WORLDS AWAY” song has a cheerful and fast-paced melody that is easy for Japanese people to get used to. You can enjoy the performance with a close-up sound that is so good that you wonder why it was not included in “FACE IT LIVE ’97”. And the performance that spells out such a set is amazing. John’s guitar is very sharp. The sound is a little heavy due to the era, but it is fundamentally different from the dull guitarists of the 90s. The edges of the riffs are very sharp and feel good, and the obbligatory and solo lines are smooth and elegant. The machine gun picking inherited from his master Gary Moore is also beautifully arranged one by one and pours out with the force of a waterfall. In addition, Leif Sundin’s singing voice is also superb. It has been said that Norum’s mild voice and soulful singing ability, reminiscent of Eric Martin, are more suited to Norum’s songs than Michael Schenker’s, and their compatibility is on full display in this album. In particular, the masterpieces of “FACE THE TRUTH” are nothing like Glenn Hughes’s, yet they sound natural (the sadness of the heart-rending “In Your Eyes” is just too much). In his subsequent solo albums, he was treated as a guest on a few songs, but if he had been made an equal main singer, there might have been a different future than the EUROPE reunion… You can enjoy their compatibility to the point that you can even fantasize about it. Göran Edman, Glenn Hughes, and Leif Sundin. John Norum’s solo activities, which were connected to famous singers. Sundin, who showed his compatibility even without any of his own original songs, was a rare talent. This album allows you to experience a full show with him at its finest. A new masterpiece that is approaching the official masterpiece “FACE IT LIVE ’97” but surpasses it in terms of the number of songs and the feeling of the scene. A utopia of European melodic hard rock. A superb audience recording of the performance “June 19, 1997: Osaka Banana Hall”. A different performance from the official “FACE IT LIVE ’97”, there is no audience-like feeling other than the tone, and the thickness of the core and the fineness of the details do not take a step against the official work. On top of that, it adds a real experience of “being at the scene”. You can fully experience “the essence of Noram-style HR” revived by Leif Sundin’s singing voice, including “Manic Distortion” that could not be heard in the official work. Banana Hall, Osaka, Japan 19th June 1997 ULTIMATE SOUND (78:50) 1. Intro 2. Face the Truth 3. Night Buzz 4. Make a Move 5. Good Man Shining 6. Wishing Well 7. Where the Grass Is Green 8. Manic Distortion (★) 9. Resurrection Time 10. Opium Trial 11. In Your Eyes 12. Blind 13. C .Y.R. 14. Guitar Solo 15. Heart of Stone 16. From Outside In 17. Let Me Love You 18. Scream of Anger John Norum – Guitars, vocals Leif Sundin – Lead vocals, guitars Anders Fastader – Bass, keyboards, backing vocals Henrik Hilden – Drums