Pink Floyd Pink Floyd/Austria 1977 Recorder2 1st Generation Tapes

The definitive 3CD+1DVD version of Pink Floyd’s 1977 Vienna concert, “DEFINITIVE VIENNA 1977”, is now available for a surprise release. However, this latest release was originally planned as a 5CD+DVD set. The AUD recording used for discs 1 and 2 of this latest release is commonly known as Recorder 1, but in fact, there is also a separate recording of the same day, Recorder “2”, and the CD side was planned to consist of a total of 5 discs, including Recorder 1 (= 2 discs) + Recorder 2 (= 2 discs) and an SBD recording (= 1 disc). However, during production, Recorder 2 was removed from the disc configuration of the latest release, “DEFINITIVE VIENNA 1977”, due to reasons such as “the cuts were noticeable” and “the sound quality was inevitably inferior to Recorder 1”, and so it was released in the form (3CD+1DVD) this time. Even the Sigma production team, who are Floyd professionals, were divided on the significance of Recorder 2 until the end, but in other words, “Even if Recorder 2 has the drawback of noticeable cuts, its sound and documentary nature have the potential to be ignored even in modern sensibilities.” Since it is a performance on the same day, please refer to the commentary on “DEFINITIVE VIENNA 1977” released this week for the contents of the recording, and here we will note the differences with Recorder 1 adopted for discs 1 and 2. First of all, this Recorder 2 is missing the entire “Sheep” at the beginning of the show, and starts with a cut-in from the beginning of “Dogs” (※ Only the intro performance part that introduces the song is missing for a few seconds, but the singing part is recorded perfectly from the beginning). There is also a partial cut of a few seconds at 13:38, but this sound image allows you to easily hear each instrument sound. Judging from the overall sound image and the sound of the guitar, it is easy to imagine that the recording position was slightly to the left of the back of the venue. “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” has a pitch problem from 11:41 to 11:47 (※ It seems that the battery or power of the recorder was dead or the tape was temporarily blocked physically), but the sound quality is still as good as ever. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. I-V)” suddenly drops in recording level from 9:48 to 10:04 and 10:48 to 10:54, and ends with a cut-out just before the end of the song, but the excitement in the venue is captured from a different angle in each part where the guitar comes in impressively, which will further complement the liveliness of the day as a documentary. It is true that the sound is a little farther away than Recorder 1, but Recorder 2 is also characterized by the fact that it is not a rounded mass of sound that is common in mediocre recordings, and the individuality of each instrument reaches the ear with a proper uneven appearance. In particular, the clear and eloquent guitar vibrations of “Wish You Were Here” evoke a different sound impression from Recorder 1, and although the chorus harmony is slightly cut at 3:14 (due to a tape reverse point or change?), there is little blurring in the sound image and the impression is hardly lost. In “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. VI-IX)”, there is another cut for a few seconds due to a tape change or reverse point at 6:41, and there is even a slight sound drop in the left channel from 11:05 to 11:28 in the middle of the song, but the smooth diffusion sound of the synthesizer that appears in that scene and the good high-frequency sound of the electric piano that follows are of noteworthy quality. After the song, Roger and others comment “Thank you, Good Night”, but while the recording ends a few seconds after the comment on Recorder 1, Recorder 2 records the thunderous applause that came together in a call for an encore and a thunderous cheer for about a minute, which is also an advantage of the on-site feeling that can only be found in this recording. “Us And Them” also features a powerful guitar arpeggio, and the fact that the recorder is (probably) located farther away than Recorder 1 works in reverse, allowing you to enjoy the sound of the entire venue with a clear, bird’s-eye view. It is also worth checking out the organ played in the background, which has a core tone that is not inferior to Recorder 1. Indeed, if we judge the quality of the recording, such as sound quality and seamlessness, it is inevitable that Recorder 1, which is by far the best and most solid, will win. However, this is filled with scenes that could not be recorded with Recorder 1 and the charm of the sound unique to Recorder 2, and it is no exaggeration to say that at least in terms of its high documentary value, this recording is on par with Recorder 1. It should also be noted that Recorder 2, which can be heard in this work, carefully corrects the pitch that was largely and randomly out of sync in the original sound, and has a level of perfection that is orders of magnitude better than the sounds that can be picked up on the Internet or the sounds that were traded between tapers. Live at Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria 1st February 1977 Disc 1 (48:11) 1. Dogs 2. S.E. 3. Pigs (Three Different Ones) 4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. I-V) Disc 2(53:22) 1. Welcome To The Machine 2. Have A Cigar 3. Wish You Were Here 4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. -IX) 5. Money 6. Us And Them