Olivia Newton-John/Tokyo,Japan 1976

Olivia Newton-John’s 1976 Budokan performance recorded by Miracleman! ! Titled “Love Performance Tour in Japan,” Olivia Newton-John’s first solo visit to Japan attracted 130,000 people in major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hiroshima, and became a social phenomenon that even involved the general media. This is a complete recording of the Budokan performance on December 1, 1976, with high-quality audience recording! The 1976 performance was a big hit due to the unusually short publicity, the scramble for tickets, and the synergistic effect of her overwhelming popularity in Japan. From the whispering opening “Love Song” to the ending “I Honestly Love You,” everything is filled with her signature songs, and although it is a short 66-minute stage, it is a satisfying one for fans. Miracleman recorded Rainbow’s best audience recording “An Evening In December” (sold out) at the same Budokan on December 16th of the same year, so this was recorded at the same venue just 16 days before. Therefore, even though it is an early recording of Miracleman, it is believed that this day was recorded with the same level of equipment as Rainbow, and the sound quality is truly amazing. Needless to say, the sound quality is much higher than the already released “BRING YOUR LOVE AROUND” (TRIAL) and its remastered version “FAIRY AT BUDOKANFAIRY AT BUDOKAN”. Looking at the attached ticket replica, the seat is “South Stand 2nd Floor Row D No. 21”, and although it is far from the stage, it is only the front of the south stand, and the clear and delicate sound emitted directly from the front of the PA is recorded very well. This is a high-quality document of how Olivia, with her delicate and fairy-like looks, sounded in the second floor of the Budokan, and I can say with certainty that no fan will be dissatisfied with this title. It is a wonderful recording. If you like recording takes from the 70s, you will probably be fully satisfied with this natural sound and the graininess of the sound, which is distant but not lacking. It is wonderful that the high frequencies remain undegraded so far in the cassette recordings of that time, and the delicate sound is firmly captured with a natural texture. In Take Me Home, Country Roads, there are parts where applause occurs and the musical sounds become distant, but the performance heats up and sounds even more moving from the middle stage onwards. The clapping also sounds loud in Let Me Be There, but it is moving on the contrary. The audience listened quietly when it was quiet, got enthusiastic when they should, and clapped when they should, so it was a very good audience that I felt it was reliable to listen to. There is a tape change cut at 1:07-1:17 of Jolene, but it has been compensated from the previous release. trk18, in which the audience who had been listening to Olivia’s singing in I Honestly Love You as if they had been hit with water, responded enthusiastically, is a really amazing recording and a great document. After listening to it, I thought that it is rare to find such a wonderful recording of a 70’s concert. Like the previous 1973 Mountain recording, this is a masterpiece that some people think will be the best recording of the year. The reason I rated it “Perfect” from a distant view of the second floor is because of the high originality of this recording take, and because it is a documentary that is so well made that I don’t think there is anything better than this. (In that sense, it’s similar to Mountain.) Disc 2 contains 8 songs taken from the Budokan on the same day from the TBS Radio recording, released for the first time on CD. The DJ’s comments at the time give a sense of the era, but they are elegant and don’t ruin the atmosphere. This air check recording was provided by Miracleman and seems to have been stored properly, so the tape is in very good condition and the high frequencies are well-produced, making it a very excellent take. Since it was broadcast on AM radio, it is a mono soundboard recording, but the sound quality is fine. The quality of the sound, the mix, and the DJ’s comments are all full of the Showa era scent, and it’s a certain emotion to be able to touch something like this at the end of 2012. Wouldn’t it be meaningful to put these recordings on a press disc to record them forever? The last 6 songs are additional radio on-air takes excerpted from the Osaka performances held on December 3rd and 4th. This is the same sound source that was heard in the bonus release, but the reception noise has been reduced to make it easier to listen to. It is a little louder than the Budokan take, but there is no problem with the sound quality. This performance was planned to be released as a live album at the time, but Olivia did not give the OK, so it was released as “Love Performance” in 1981. However, it includes songs that were not included in the live album, so it is a valuable sound source. It is a perfect piece to enjoy together with the audience recording on disc 1. With the best audience recording ever and valuable radio recordings, you can relive the 1976 Budokan performance that took place at this time exactly 36 years ago, a 2-disc CD that fans will love. Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 1st December 1976 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (66:18) 1. Opening 2. Love Song 3. Let It Shine 4. Please Mr. Please 5. Feeling Too Good Today 6. Take Me Home, Country Roads 7. The Air That I Breathe 8. Don’t Stop Believin’ 9. Let Me Be There 10. Pony R ide 11. Never The Less / As Time Goes By 12. Love Is Alive 13. New Born Babe 14. Something Better To Do 15. Jolene 16. Have You Never Been Mellow 17. If You Love Me, Let Me Know 18. I Honestly Love You Disc 2 (53:34) Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 1st December 1976 1. Love Song 2. Let It Shine 3. Feeling Too Good Today 4. Take Me Home, Country Roads 5. The Air That I Breathe 6. Let Me Be There 7. Pony Ride 8. New Born Babe Live at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 3rd & 4th December 1976 9. Love Song 10. Let Me Be There 11. Take Me Home, Country Roads 12. Jolene 13. Have You Never Been Mellow 14. I Honestly Love You Radio Broadcast Recording