UK/DE, USA 2012

Four years have passed since the band stopped their activities in U.K. Two years have passed since Holdsworth and Wetton passed away, and with Jobson also announcing his retirement from live performances, U.K. has virtually disappeared from the music world, but the last time they showed their true brilliance was Probably in 2012, when the second U.K. reunion between Jobson, Wetton, and Bozzio was realized. During the tour titled “NIGHT AFTER NIGHT 2012” that started on May 1st, they showed their bravery here in Japan in June, but that was already 7 years ago. However, did you know that in the summer of 2019, an ultra-high quality stereo soundboard sound source was suddenly uploaded onto the internet, sending U.K. fans all over the world into a whirlwind of joy and amazement, even though they still regret the band’s demise? Is it? That was the Wilmington performance held on May 7, 2012, just seven days after Reunion’s second stage U.K. restarted, and a complete recording of it on a perfect stereo soundboard with ultra-high sound quality has been released. I have come. I’m surprised that a board recording from this period that was not even officially released came out (*probably the first in history), but this source is also intense, and it is DAT from the stereo soundboard master recorded on the day. It was a somewhat unusual ultra-class high-quality sound source that was directly digitally cloned with zero deterioration. This is truly an ongoing “incident” that will be the biggest thing this summer for prog rock fans all over the world, and the world’s fastest pressed record of this is the latest work “WILMINGTON 2012”!! Disc start Then, the bass suddenly appears… Naturally, this is the introduction to “Alaska,” but within 3 seconds of starting, you can feel that this is a one-in-a-decade ultra-high-quality record. is. The bass that is distributed to the left and right channels gradually increases the stereo feel, and when the ensemble begins, the sound image where the three sound layers of drums, bass, and keyboard overlap with overwhelming resolution will be accompanied by an excitement rarely seen in recent years. When Wetton’s vocals come in on “Night After Night,” their elongation and luster spread in all directions, and the well-defined keyboard sound envelops them. There is also a wonderful sound diffusion in the parts where partial echo is applied to the vocals, and you can clearly see where the switching is being done. In “Thirty Years,” Terry’s detailed work can be heard throughout the song, and you can feel the sense of depth and space as the ensemble begins to move. Amidst the sea of ​​keyboards, the rumbling bass and superbly skilled drums are right in front of your eyes, interacting with stereo sound, so it’s sure to cause many people to faint. “Rendezvous 6:02” was played by Jobson and Wetton the previous year as a special encore tune with a piano and vocal duo, but here you will be reminded that Terry is the main character. It clearly picks up the very minute hitting sounds that would be impossible to record with normal AUD recordings or mediocre board recordings, and the bass resonates with the best arrangement that doesn’t overwhelm Wetton’s singing voice. And the highlight is “Carrying No Cross”. The luster and elongation of the singing voice in the introductory part, the synth tone that envelops the whole thing, and all the tones released by the three members progress in perfect balance.In particular, the drums are played with the tom in the center, the hi-hats on the right, and the floor tom and crash. With the cymbal on the left side, you can see that the sound was recorded three-dimensionally from at least three directions, and you will get a sense of the structure of the sound, which is difficult to imagine as simply recording for recording purposes. Track (7) features Jobson’s improvisations backed by the familiar bouncing hard spherical sound effects of “Inner Secrets” and “Memories Of Vienna” from his solo album “THEME OF SECRETS”. I believe that intellectual curiosity will be stirred as the sound cinema gradually takes shape in stereo. Terry’s drum solo also shows the toms of different pitches moving from right to left and center to right at an amazingly close distance. In “Danger Money,” the colors of the original sound captured at the mixer table are vividly released with no degradation, and the power of the sound shines sharply with high resolution so that you can even see the echo and timbre trajectory. The sound quality of this is also so excellent that almost 100% of people may forget that it is an unofficial sound source. “In the Dead of Night” is an abbreviated version of “Presto Vivace and Reprise” (*As you know, the full version including “By The Light Of Day” will be played on the opening day performance on May 1st. (From the second day onwards, we shortened what they were playing without omitting it.) The sharp granularity of each instrument and the direct feeling of Wetton’s singing voice were irresistible here as well, and the three members You will be astonished by the amount of information available about how these individuals moved and how this performance was formed. Even in the synthesizer solo in the middle (= Guitar solo substituted by Holdsworth), you can clearly hear the difference in sound output between the main melody tone and the other tones surrounding it, and it is amazing. The euphoria of the tones can be said to be a gift from the past that all fans experience for the first time. “Caesar’s Palace Blues” is also recorded with a perfect sound, with the tonal expression dynamically changing before your ears, with the vivid feel of the pizzicato violin, and the explosive sound of the drums (* The bass drum is used differently) (The attack feeling is also amazing), and of course, the unique Wetton bass that roars and roars as one, perfectly welcoming the texture of the coda will be reported in the highest quality sound quality. Crimson’s “Fallen Angel” also features an overwhelming sound image of the duo carefully spelling out their musical sparkle, and “The Only Thing She Needs” also features a realistic drum at the beginning. I think you will feel dizzy from the blissful ecstasy that comes in the stereo. Furthermore, the smooth and clear high-frequency sensitivity is also a topic here, and the surging performance from the middle to the final song, which starts at 3:51, perfectly captures the expression of each instrument and does not muddy the tone in the slightest. It has been recorded with a wonderful sense of volume, and you will be amazed not only by its performance, but also by the sound artistry left by the engineers on the day. Naturally, there are no pre-release records. The shocking original recording source by the second-generation trio U.K. Reunion, which appeared for the first time in history, and the complete uncut recording from the beginning to the end of the performance with a perfect stereo sound board that was beautifully mixed, makes this not an “incident”. What is that? It is natural that the sound quality is excellent because it is DAT converted from a stereo soundboard master, but this is a professional recording that easily surpasses the framework of a bootleg, and it has an amazing resolution that can be used for professional purposes as is. The sound and finish of this album are unique and unparalleled as unofficial recordings left by musicians who desire a highly complete sound. In other words, this is an immortal record left behind by U.K. in 2012, when it completed its mission and departed into the realm of time, and is its last earthly memory. ★ You can fully enjoy this with a normal home component, but we strongly recommend listening to it with headphones if possible. You will be amazed at the perfect stereo sound!! Live at World Cafe Live at the Queen, Wilmington, DE, USA 7th May 2012 STEREO SBD Disc 1(61:50) 1. Alaska 2. Night After Night 3 . Thirty Years 4. Rendezvous 6:02 5. Carrying No Cross 6. Keyboard / Violin Solo 7. Drum Solo Disc 2(39:57) 1. Eddie Jobson MC 2. Danger Money 3. Presto Vivace and Reprise 4. In the Dead of Night 5. Caesar’s Palace Blues Encore: 6. Fallen Angel 7. The Only Thing She Needs STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING John Wetton – Bass, Vocal Eddie Jobson – Keyboards, Electric Violin, Vocal Terry Bozzio – Drums, Percussion