Pink Floyd/London,UK 5.18.1973

The famous sound source recorded in “EARLS COURT 1973”, which had been out of print for a long time, has finally been released as “EARLS COURT 1973 2ND NIGHT”, and there must have been many enthusiasts who were ecstatic. “EARLS COURT 1973” alone had a sound quality that was satisfactory enough, but in 2017, an upper version that easily surpassed it appeared. However, there was a big problem with this release. Yes, as the title indicates, only the second day’s stage on May 19th appeared as an upgraded version. There is no doubt that it is an astonishing quality improvement, but even so, only the second day is a one-sided thing… everyone could not help but feel that way. But don’t worry, the person who provided the upper version of the second night has now uploaded the first generation master of the sound source known as “recorder 2” from the first day of Earls Court on May 18th! A person named Neonknight uploaded a first generation recording owned by a taper who goes by the name of careful53 (he acquired it in 1983). Although the order is reversed, the upper version of the two days of Earl’s Court is now available! When it comes to audience recordings in the early 1970s, there were still fewer stereo recordings in the UK than in the US. As if to back this up, both of these Earl’s Court performances were recorded as mono audience recordings. Moreover, there is an interesting phenomenon in these recordings, where the sound image on the first day is recorded with a closer balance. On the other hand, since ZEP in 1975, Earl’s Court has become a major venue for big British groups, but since it was originally built without the premise of a rock concert, it is true that there were acoustic problems at first. When the Stones performed here in 1976, Mick Jagger said something like “We have no other (big) venues in the UK, so we have no choice but to use this place” even though he was in the middle of a live performance. However, as a result of the huge success of the album “THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON”, Floyd set the precedent for a concert in London using a larger venue than before, and the show at Earl’s Court. With that in mind, the sound quality of the audience recording on this day, the closeness of the sound image and the clarity are amazing. This first generation master has evolved it into a clearly prominent upper state. Although the sound source has a completely different texture from the second day in the first place, this time the bold clarity stands out. In particular, the free-flowing sequence sound of “On The Run” in the “THE DARK SIDE ~” set and Nick Mason’s percussive sound at the beginning of “Time” resonate pleasantly. The taste is not only different from the sound source on the second day. Above all, there are many excellent recordings of the 1973 live performance on the American tour, but even with those, there is no sound source that captures such a lively tone. Moreover, unlike the American audience, the politeness of the audience in his native England, who listened carefully to Floyd’s performance, allowed Floyd to listen to his music without stress, which is a phenomenon unique to the UK (this also applies to 1974, etc.). Therefore, Floyd’s own performance conveys an overflowing sense of confidence. A year ago, “THE DARK SIDE” was finally completed, which had been brewing since the tour, and the album was a huge hit, so it even feels like a glorious atmosphere of a triumphant return. The 1973 stage is a solid performance that is sure and completely safe, but the two-day performance at Earl’s Court has a special atmosphere. In addition, considering that this was the first time the venue was used for a concert, the persuasiveness of the performance is even more overwhelming. Not only the “dark side” part in the latter half of the show, but also the opening pattern unique to 1973, which avalanches from “Obscured By Clouds” with that “Myoon” sound to “When You’re In”, is so confident that it is hard to believe that this is the first day of the UK performance in 1973. In particular, the power of the moment when it moves to the latter is remarkable, with the upper feeling unique to the first generation, and it feels more vivid. And the missing part of “Any Colour You Like”, the only cut point of this version, was completely recorded by filling in the so-called “recorder 1”. In addition to the improvement of the sound quality that cannot be complained about, this editing is also perfect in terms of content. I think there were many maniacs who were anxious because the second day came out first. But now you can rest assured, the beautiful upper version of the two days of Earl’s Court in 1973 is finally complete! Earls Court Exhibition Hall, London, UK 18th May 1973 Disc 1 (61:55) 1. Obscured By Clouds 2. When You’re In 3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun 4. Intro. 5. Careful With That Ax, Eugene 6. Echoes Disc 2 (59:37) The Dark Side Of The Moon 1. Speak to Me 2. Breathe 3. On the Run 4. Time 5. Breathe (Reprise) 6. The Great Gig In The Sky 7. Money 8. Us And Them 9. Any Color You Like 10. Brain Damage 11. Eclipse 12. One Of These Days