What are you listening to? (2015)

[1995hoo]

Springsteen has started releasing old concert recordings. The latest one is one I've had on bootleg CD for several years, but it's now available as a high-rez 24-bit/192-kHz FLAC recording: The legendary Nassau Coliseum show on December 31, 1980, stretching past midnight into 1981. Outstanding show, one of his longest ever (surpassed a few years ago by a show in Helsinki) and an outstanding setlist. I just purchased the high-rez recording and the sound blows away the Crystal Cat CD release.

If you're into Springsteen and you've never heard this concert, this is the place to begin collecting full concert recordings:

http://live.brucespringsteen.net/live-music/0,12284/Bruce-Springsteen---The-E-Street-Band-mp3-flac-download-12-31-1980-Nassau-Veterans-Memorial-Coliseum-Uniondale-NY.html

Here is what Backstreets.com says about it:

Maintaining an impressive release schedule, the Springsteen Live Download series returns with a show that has surely been at or near the top of many fans' wish lists: the New Year's Eve concert from Long Island's Nassau Coliseum, December 31, 1980.

The 38-song set ranks as one of Springsteen's longest, and that fact alone kept fans' regard for it high since the show ended in the wee hours of January 1, 1981. It's one of the best because it has it all: 12 core songs from The River, key unreleased "hits" of the era ("Because the Night," "Rendezvous," "Fire"), vital transition songs that signaled what was to come in Europe and beyond ("This Land Is Your Land," "Who'll Stop the Rain"), seasonal specials ("Merry Christmas Baby," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Auld Lang Syne"), true rarities ("In the Midnight Hour," the one-off "Held Up Without a Gun," ), and three night songs to kick things off strong ("Night," "Prove It All Night," "Spirit in the Night").

Like the Tower Theater (recorded exactly five years earlier), Nassau was newly mixed from multi-track tapes by Toby Scott earlier this month (and mastered again by Adam Ayan at Gateway), working from tapes made by the Record Plant Remote recording unit, which was on site to capture all three nights of the stand. Songs from Nassau '80 have previously appeared on Live 1975-85, Tracks and Essential.

The legendary performance has a long history on bootlegs, first on vinyl with titles like The Night They Drove Old ’80 Down and Happy New Year, and later on CD (In The Midnight Hour and Nassau Night). But even the best of these was never quite as good as the best ’78 broadcasts or earlier soundboards, and some drew on performances from other nights in the run to fill in gaps.

Like its predecessors, 12/31/80 is available in four formats: MP3, CD (shipping in late April), lossless standard 16 bit /44.1 kHz, and high definition 24 bit / 192 kHz.

[Natsinpwc]

That's cool he is realeasing that one. I have not heard but I saw the show in Philly on that same tour.  It was the night before John Lennon was killed. I believe he played Philly the night of Lennins death also. Also saw Bruce in 78.  He sure put in great shows.

[1995hoo]

That's cool he is realeasing that one. I have not heard but I saw the show in Philly on that same tour.  It was the night before John Lennon was killed. I believe he played Philly the night of Lennins death also. Also saw Bruce in 78.  He sure put in great shows.

I know he played the night after Lennon was killed (1980-12-09). I have a copy of that show. The audio isn't the greatest quality, but the raw emotion is the reason for having it. He came out and talked about how difficult it was to play that night, that the first record he'd owned was the Beatles' recording of "Twist and Shout" and that it's a cruel world that asks you to go on with the show but there was nothing else to do. Show then kicked off with a searing version of "Born to Run" and ended after 36 songs with, of course, "Twist and Shout."

I have the Nassau Coliseum show playing as I'm typing this and the sound quality improvement over the Crystal Cat bootleg is astonishing—and the Crystal Cat release is one of the best-sounding bootlegs out there, excellent quality recording. But the high-rez release has whole layers of sound I haven't noticed before. (I'm playing it directly from 24-bit/192-kHz FLAC via a Logitech Squeezebox Touch and then a Musical Fidelity VDAC II and a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.2s. Weakest link in the system is the 1992-vintage Denon receiver. I've thought about upgrading to a NAD D3020 but don't have the cash to spare right now due to some very expensive car repairs!)

[imref]

Any thought I had about trying to see van halen this summer ended after watching them tonight on kimmel.  Roth is horrible though the band sounded good.   Roth nailed himself in the face earlier with a baton and badly cut his nose as well.  Bring back Hagar. 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/R6RaoMXV87Q

[whytev]

Any thought I had about trying to see van halen this summer ended after watching them tonight on kimmel.  Roth is horrible though the band sounded good.   Roth nailed himself in the face earlier with a baton and badly cut his nose as well.  Bring back Hagar. 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/R6RaoMXV87Q

He also orders plain lattes and then demands 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce every day and doesn't want to pay for the sauce.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He also orders plain lattes and then demands 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce every day and doesn't want to pay for the sauce.

Barista much between gigs?

[whytev]

Barista much between gigs?

I'm retired but I've done my time.

[imref]

And no green m and ms.  If you watch the video of panama, at about the 3:40 mark Eddie gives Dave a look of death.  What are the odds that they make it with Dave to the JLL show in August?   

[varoadking]

Any thought I had about trying to see van halen this summer ended after watching them tonight on kimmel.  Roth is horrible though the band sounded good.   Roth nailed himself in the face earlier with a baton and badly cut his nose as well.  Bring back Hagar. 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/R6RaoMXV87Q

No kidding...the vocals were fer sh1t!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

No kidding...the vocals were fer sh1t!

gosh the vocals were disappointing.  I'm not sure who keeps their voice into their 50s / 60s.  Guitar sounded great, enough to make me wonder if some of the stuff was taped, especially the backing vocals.

[dracnal]

And no green m and ms.  If you watch the video of panama, at about the 3:40 mark Eddie gives Dave a look of death.  What are the odds that they make it with Dave to the JLL show in August?

I think it was brown M&M's.  But that one wasn't actually about being a prima donna. It had to do with riders.  They had a very long and detailed document with the precise fire, electrical and safety information they required spelled out.  If they got to a gig and it didn't have the M&M bowl (this was buried somewhere in the middle of the safety riders), they knew they needed to have their own safety people review the whole place to make sure it was okay to play.

Essentially, it was a way to doublecheck the venue's attention to detail, rather than just be random knobs.

[Nathan]

gosh the vocals were disappointing.  I'm not sure who keeps their voice into their 50s / 60s.  Guitar sounded great, enough to make me wonder if some of the stuff was taped, especially the backing vocals.

Dio did.

[varoadking]

Dio did.

So has Stevie Nicks...at least she had as of age 64...she's a few years older...

[Nathan]

Too bad Michael Starr already has a band.

[skippy1999]

Dio did.

So has Stevie Nicks...at least she had as of age 64...she's a few years older...

I think Roger Daltrey and Rod Stewart still sound good, maybe raspy-voiced singers age better?  David Lee Roth was kind of raspy but not like them and I've gotta agree, he sounded BAD, and that is way sad since the band sounded great

[whytev]

I think Roger Daltrey and Rod Stewart still sound good, maybe raspy-voiced singers age better?  David Lee Roth was kind of raspy but not like them and I've gotta agree, he sounded BAD, and that is way sad since the band sounded great

He's still doing better than Vince Neil!

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/242806/watch-a-hammered-vince-neil-slur-his-way-through-the-national-anthem/

[skippy1999]

He's still doing better than Vince Neil

But Vince Neil was never good

[imref]

gosh the vocals were disappointing.  I'm not sure who keeps their voice into their 50s / 60s.  Guitar sounded great, enough to make me wonder if some of the stuff was taped, especially the backing vocals.

Hagar is 67 and still sounds great.

[whytev]

But Vince Neil was never good

I am no fan of the Crüe, but dude could sing.

Side note...this entire video is somehow a mirror image.

[mitlen]

So has Stevie Nicks...at least she had as of age 64...she's a few years older...

Ah, so she sings too?   Never noticed.

[varoadking]

But Vince Neil was never good

 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Meh on Daltrey now.  compare it to Who's Next and you'll see what I mean.

Stevie Nicks always sounded like a goat.  a sexy goat, but a goat nevertheless.  Rhianon.  Sounds like a goat.  don't get me wrong - that picture on the inside jacket of Rumours is fantastic, but I was amazed that the South Park episode on the boys sneaking over to Afghanistan had a goat appear for Stevie Nicks on her visit to the troops.  The writers of South Park also think recognized she sounds like a goat.  "Sara" is another goat song. 

I have not heard Rod lately, so honestly can't say.  I think the singers who do the worst as they age are the ones that both scream and try to sing.  Springsteen is a good example.  I love The Rising and Magic, but he just can't hit the notes he used to and makes it up on amplification.  compare the vocals to say, Greetings or The River and you can hear the deterioration.

[skippy1999]

haha sorry, didn't mean to make the Crüe crew angry   I didn't like Vince Neil's voice at all, sounded just so whiny or something to me, but then my husband got free tickets to see them on their Dr. Feelgood tour and I became a fan, they were some kind of fun to watch and I even liked listening to them on the radio after that. 

But I still don't think Vince Neil has a good voice

[skippy1999]

Springsteen is a good example.  I love The Rising and Magic, but he just can't hit the notes he used to and makes it up on amplification.  compare the vocals to say, Greetings or The River and you can hear the deterioration.

All you had to do was watch the concert for the veterans last year to know Bruce's voice is shot, was pretty sad

[blue911]

Willie and Merle know how to take care of their voices.