Audience

CDR

2

DVD 2938; lineage: Audience recording. "Watford Wizards" [WHORU-02] Silver CD > WAVE + channel balance (Soundforge) > FLAC (Level 8)

This is a liberated bootleg and it has been bugging me for a long time. The performance is really fine, especially considering the fact that it is one of the very last gigs with the late John Entwistle, but it is marred by miserable mastering. Maybe the problem lies already in the taping equipment or equaliser setting, who knows. I bought it some time ago and I desperately wanted to improve it, because the performance deserves it, but to no avail. The
original recording has the channels well out of balance, which I corrected quite easily, but it has virtually no lower frequencies, which makes Johnís bass almost inaudible. So I thought some EQing would serve it well, but when I added a bit of the lower frequencies it just became too boomy and even more unpleasant to listen to than the original flat sound. So I only got the channel balance right and added but a pinch of bass which still makes it bearable. I thought I might return to improve it one day, but then I let it lie for more than two years and when I eventually got back to it I ended up helpless. So if some gadget wizard manages to squeeze better sound from it, please do and reseed a remaster. (I can also provide the original recording so that you can begin from scratch.) The Real Me sbd recording from this concert is available on the Greatest Hits Live, so you can compare this one with the fully fledged sound. Youíll notice a massive difference, this being rather distant and flat, with Johnís bass prominent only a little during the ìpaving stonesî fills. Considering the technological possibilities in the new century, Iíd still rate this audience recording as B-. But itís a great performance; it would just be great to have it in better quality. (Obviously, if they could release one song from that night, a recording of the whole gig must sit in the bandís archives.)
Nevertheless, here you have it as is, the last of three warm-up gigs before Johnís final two TCT charity shows at the RAH a week later.
I added the original artwork; it is interesting that the booklet contains the original schedule of the American tour, beginning at the Joint in Vegas, which might lead one to assume that it was released still before Johnís demise.
Also the inclusion of the www.thewho.net domain makes you wonder.

2938

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