Queen/Osaka,Japan 1976 2 Shows Upgrade

QUEEN returned to Japan in 1976 with the miraculous masterpiece “A Night at the Opera.” A historical masterpiece that captures the scene with wonderful sound is now available. There are two performances recorded in this work. This is a 4-disc set containing 2 discs each of the “Daytime Session” and “Night Session” held at the Osaka Welfare Pension Hall on March 29, 1976. It was a rare day and night performance for QUEEN, but that is also the point of this work. First, let’s check the situation from the schedule. ・March 22: Nippon Budokan ・March 23: Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium ・March 24: Himeji City Welfare Center ・March 26: Kyuden Gymnasium (2 performances) – 2 days off – March 29: Osaka Welfare Pension Hall (daytime session) [Disc 1-2] March 29: Osaka Welfare Pension Hall (evening session) [Disc 3-4]・March 31st + April 1st: Nippon Budokan (2 performances) ・April 2nd: Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center ・April 4th: Ryogoku Nihon University Auditorium This is QUEEN’s second performance in Japan. The total number of performances, 11 performances, was second in scale to the 1979 “JAZZ TOUR”, and it conveys the tremendous popularity of Japan at the time. Among them, Fukuoka and Osaka had a compressed schedule of two performances per day. And this was also the problem. At that time, they were exhausted from their long world tour and were already exhausted when they came to Japan. Although there is no recording of the first day’s performance at Nippon Budokan, Freddie’s throat has not been feeling well since the second day’s performance in Nagoya. It got worse with each performance, and Fukuoka was in a historic slump. I ended up in a situation where my doctor told me not to speak for a while. After that, there was a two-day off period, but the Osaka performance might be canceled… It was held in the situation. This work is a 4-disc set that permanently preserves the entire day in Osaka. Now, let’s introduce each performance individually. [Disc 1-2: Daytime section] First of all, the best audience recording that includes the “daytime section”. This is another historical masterpiece. It was reprinted from the legendary bootleg LP “ZOOM QUEEN” and is a famous recording that has long represented the 1976 Japanese performance. According to one theory, “ZOOM QUEEN” was an extremely rare edition that was said to have been pressed in a limited edition of 100 copies, and it was a phantom edition that rarely appeared on the second-hand market, and was called “the rarest QUENN boot”. “OPERATIC AFTERNOON”, released in 2005 on the Wardour label, turned that illusion into reality. It is a masterpiece that has been digitized to the highest quality with almost no needle pricks, and the pitch and stereo balance, which were slightly distorted on the LP, were also precisely adjusted. It received rave reviews from enthusiasts who knew the sound of the legendary LP, and was soon sold out and out of print. This disc is the definitive version of the masterpiece “OPERATIC AFTERNOON” that has been brushed up once again. In fact, the sound is the best ever. Of course, instead of just trying to increase the sound pressure, we re-adjusted the balance and ringing of each range. The missing parts that were not so good are clearly drawn, and the high notes are extended beautifully. Vividness and three-dimensionality have improved dramatically, while fine details are never lost. The famous recording, which was said to be “the best recording of 1976,” has regained its original natural feel…such a supreme sound has been realized. A show drawn with that quality is a must-listen. Due to the circumstances mentioned above, the event itself was in doubt, but Freddie’s recovery was remarkable, perhaps due to the two days of rest. As a matter of fact, it is not yet in top condition or explosive, but the fulfilling vocalization is wonderful, which is completely different from the Fukuoka performance, which was on the verge of ugliness. Perhaps they were being cautious because of the two performances in one day, but the opening song “Bohemian Rhapsody/Ogre Battle” was a little restrained, but from “Sweet Lady” onwards, they forgot about that and went full throttle. The passionate singing that has regained its original brilliance continues. After this, all you have to do is immerse yourself in the wonderful world of “A NIGHT AT THE OPERA TOUR”. From this tour, the classic Hammersmith performance has been officialized as “A NIGHT AT THE ODEON”, but the set has changed over the years. Including the aforementioned “Sweet Lady,” “Flick Of The Wrist,” “The Prophet’s Song,” “Stone Cold Crazy,” “Doing All Right,” “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon” and other early songs that can’t be heard on “A NIGHT AT THE ODEON.” Lots of famous songs. In particular, “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon” is a rare number only available in 1976. You can enjoy it carefully with the famous sound that represents the tour. [Disc 3-4: Night section] The replacement disc 3-4 is also a wonderful recording. This is the recording that first appeared in the masterpiece “ZOOM” (the title is similar, but it is different from “ZOOM QUEEN”), and it is as good as the daytime part…or should I say, it is even clearer. Although it is a difference in taste level, it is a superb recording that is completely on par with “ZOOM QUEEN”, which was said to be “the best of 1976”. Of course, this has also been brushed up with the latest and meticulous remaster. Although it was a delicate masterpiece recording that was on from the original sound, there was sound deterioration at the beginning as if there was a severe tremolo on one channel, and there were some small noises. The pitch was also inaccurate. In this work, all such (slight) flaws have been reconsidered, and each range has been readjusted to improve the total balance. The results are obvious. The bass, which was quite lumpy, has been loosened up and the range has expanded, and even the undulating bass lines are clear. At the same time, the mid and high tones are clearer and the left and right stereo balance is even. Actually, I had introduced it as “EVENING FALLS”, but it is on a completely different level. We succeeded in maximizing its potential without losing even the slightest bit of the delicacy inherent in the recording itself. With such a sound, the show is completely different from the daytime show. “Big Spender”, which was not played in the afternoon session, will also be played, but what is more important than that is Freddy’s tattered voice. Although it’s not as bad as Fukuoka’s slump, it was a waste of time to skip too much in the daytime. Although she can vocalize, she cannot reach high notes and sings in a very restrained manner. Particularly tough is “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which continues to have high notes. At this point, I’ve reached my limit, and even fakes can’t handle it, and my voice is starting to get scratchy. Still, he will show off the tremendous improvisation in the second half of “Sweet Lady”, and there are some interesting things that can only be expected from a bad performance, such as the strong voice of “The March Of The Black Queen”. I thought it would be a show to enjoy the charm of fakes, but it didn’t end there. Perhaps the break during the guitar solo in “Brighton Rock” worked, as his voice gradually regained its strength from “The Prophet’s Song.” “Doing Alright” powerfully sings the captivating melody, and the rare “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon” also features wonderful fakes and breaks in the middle, leading to the hard-rocking “Keep Yourself Alive” and “Liar” ( I also appreciate that Brian loses track of the composition of “Keep Yourself Alive”). The first half had them in suspense, but by this time they had forgotten that they were not doing well, and the four of them came together as one and dramatically exploded towards the grand finale. “Osaka in 1976” was full of ups and downs. In two performances in one day, there were people who moved us, made us nervous, and made us feel relieved. This is a gorgeous 4-disc set that allows you to experience such a roller coaster-like day with the best sound. Perhaps learning from this visit to Japan, QUEEN stopped performing two shows a day after that, but it is also a valuable document. The highest quality record ever. Koseinenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan 29th March 1976 Afternoon & Evening Shows PERFECT SOUND(UPGRADE) Live at Koseinenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan 29th March 1976 Afternoon Show Disc 1 (40:11) 1. Intro 2. Bohemian Rhapsody 3. Ogre Battle 4 . Sweet Lady 5. White Queen 6. Flick Of The Wrist 7. Bohemian Rhapsody 8. Killer Queen 9. The March Of The Black Queen 10. Bohemian Rhapsody (Reprise) 11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown 12. Brighton Rock 13. Son And Daughter Disc 2 (46:22) 1. The Prophet’s Song 2. Stone Cold Crazy 3. Doing All Right 4. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon 5. Keep Yourself Alive 6. Liar 7. In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited 8. Now I’m Here 9. Jailhouse Rock incl. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On 10. God Save The Queen Live at Koseinenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan 29th March 1976 Evening Show Disc 3 (53:08) 1. Intro 2. Bohemian Rhapsody 3. Ogre Battle 4. Sweet Lady 5. White Queen ☆2:40The lyrics are wrong 6.Flick Of The Wrist ☆Freddie’s pitch is really bad 7. Bohemian Rhapsody☆The pitch is really bad 8. Killer Queen 9. The March Of The Black Queen 10 . Bohemian Rhapsody (Reprise) 11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown 12. Brighton Rock incl. Guitar Solo 13. Son And Daughter 14. The Prophet’s Song 15. Stone Cold Crazy Disc 4 (40:31) 1. Doing All Right 2. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon 3. Keep Yourself Alive 4. Liar 5. In The Lap Of The Gods.. .Revisited 6. Now I’m Here 7. Big Spender 8. Jailhouse Rock incl. Stupid Cupid, Be Bop A Lula 9. God Save The Queen