Audience

CDR

2

DVD 19; lineage: "Musical Rainbows" PRRP034. Nakamichi 550 cassette deck and Nakamichi CM-100/CP-1 microphones. 5th row.

It is a wonder we even got this recording!†

Thanks to an experienced and dedicated Yes fan, PRRP is able to present to you one of the best audience recordings made during the 1977 Going
For the One tour. The setting was the Providence Civic Center and our man was in the fifth row with a Nakamichi 550 cassette deck and Nakamichi
CM-100/CP-1 microphones. Below is his recollection of the events of that night.
ìAs hockey rinks go, the Providence Civic Center has good acoustics. However,†the PA system levels and the mix were all over the place. Later
on, I read that Yes had a substitute sound man on that tour.†He had high-end hearing loss†which explains why†the mix is so bright. (PRRP: we fixed this is
the remaster process) As far as levels, the Firebird opening was okay, but when the band started playing Parallels, you could hardly hear them. The sound
man was trying to let people get used to the volume slowly and overdid it. He kept nudging up the volume during All Good People. It actually got a
little too loud at one point, then came back down. I†was taking photographs and had an experienced friend (a Deadhead) monitoring the levels on my
deck. He did his best to compensate for what was happening. Close to the Edge and Wondrous Stories were okay but the sound man jacked up the
volume for the silly tour song (Colours of the Rainbow) and then dropped it way back down for Turn of the Century. (PRRP: Again, fixed in the remaster
process) I think my friend was wasted by then. The levels were a little†on the low side for the rest of the show.î
ìÖWhen the show started, the ushers allowed all the rowdys from the cheap seats to rush down to the stage and jam themselves into every inch
of space. They were all†jumping up and down,†the whole building was literally shaking, and the crowd noise was unbelievable. Then, the people in the
front row decided to stand up on their rickety wooden chairs, which was completely unnecessary.†You can hear the people behind them yelling at them
to sit down.î
ìÖIn spite of all that, the band was on fire that night. Steve played wailing solos on Starship Trooper and Yours Is No Disgrace. I think they're the
best versions I've heard other than the Close To The Edge tour in 73. Rick was superb on Close to the Edge and Awaken. Awaken was recorded on a
C120 tape so it's a complete, uncut version. I've also†been told by several Yes traders†that it's one of a very few†100% complete Going For The One
concerts with no side change in AwakenÖ.î
ìI was standing on a rickety wooden chair†trying to hand-hold a 300mm telephoto lens for close-ups while the whole building was literally†shaking
throughout the night. Towards the end of the show, I had run out of film and was watching through binoculars, again, from the fifth row. Jon nudged
Chris and pointed at me, laughing at the crazy guy who just couldn't see enough Yes up close. †I miss those days.î

Notes from the Re-Master

Given the outstanding equipment used during this event, the quality of the recording is quite exceptional. The master tape source was very clear and
only partially encumbered by the surrounding audience. Because of proximity and other factors, the audio signal was initially clipped but restoration
routines easily corrected the problem. Tape hiss produced only a modest amount of interference and was easily reduced. Claps and other audience
noise were also easily brought under good control with standard routines.
††††††††††† The acoustics of the venue provided quite a challenge. The venue and location combined for some excessive bass and other tonality inequities.
After multiple trials, appropriate filters were constructed to optimize clarity and compensate for the surroundings. Dynamics were quite good but in
certain places were also adjusted to provide added emphasis.
††††††††††† Because each tape source was provided separately, a number of mergers were needed to provide one smooth recording, conforming to the
time constraints of the CD format. The speed of the recording was checked against standard commercial live sources and found to be acceptable,
needing no adjustment. The show was tracked, using standard commercial source references.

19

0