EXPERT SKY CABINET

2 CD
Label: Gypsy Eye 201/202
Country: Japan
Released: September 2001
Recorded: Koseinenkin Kaikan, Osaka  Japan,  March 29th. 1976.  (Evening show).
Sound: Very good & excellent audience recording.
Comments:  Nice cd from the evening concert on March 29th. Queen did 2 show's this day in Osaka.    
This 2cd is same concert as earlier cd releasing, but not sure from same mother tape. 
The afternoon concert from ultra rare "Zoom Queen" 2LP vinyl, is now (Feb 2005)out on for first time on a 2CD called "Operatic Afternoon" (Wardour label).
Roots: Original bootleg 2CD. Same show as "Zoom" 2CD, but probably from another mother tape.   
Time: 52:59 / 40:33


Front cover
 Intro: Bohemian Rhapsody (end part - tape)
 Ogre Battle
 Sweet Lady
 White Queen
 Flick Of The Wrist
 Medley: Bohemian Rhapsody
               Killer Queen
               The March Of The Black Queen
               Bohemian Rhapsody (end part)
 Bring Back That Leroy Brown
 Brighton Rock ~
 Son And Daughter (end part)
 The Prophet's Song
 Stone Cold Crazy
  Doing All Right
 Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
 Keep Yourself Alive
 Liar
 In The Lap Of The Gods.....revisited
 Now I'm Here
 Medley: Big Spender
              Jailhouse Rock
              Shake Rattle & Roll (vocal bit)
              Stupid Cupid
              Be Bop A Lula
              Jailhouse Rock (reprise)
 God Save The Queen


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Back cover

 
Review by Collectors music reviews

Queen played two shows at the Festival Hall in Osaka on March 29th, 1976.  The early show is documented in a very good audience recording on the famous Zoom vinyl release in the seventies and on compact disc on Operatic Afternoon on Wardour.  The evening show was first released on the compact disc titles Zoom (LLX) and copied on Zoom (LLX 1/2) in 1994 with an erroneous attribution to the afternoon show.  Expert Sky Cabinet is a very good and clear audience recording with very nice atmosphere.  Gypsy Eye corrected the speed over the older titles although some collectors claim this isn’t as good sounding as the others.

The afternoon show is classic, but the evening show is very uneven.  Brian May has tuning issues with the guitar that first appear in the solo for “White Queen” and the “Brighton Rock” solo, and Freddie’s voice is a bit weak too.  He makes a mistake in “Bohemian Rhapsody” by singing the second verse in the first and takes a while to correct himself.  Otherwise the show is pretty solid with an energetic performance in front of an enthusiastic audience.

In the center of the show are the two great set pieces, “Brighton Rock” and “The Prophet’s Song.”  The former is dominated by May’s long solo where the riffs seem to bounce around the arena and through the audience, and in the latter Freddie takes control, singing to himself with a massive echo and even throwing in a bit of “Frère Jacques.”  It was about this time, when “Now I’m Here” was moved as set opener to first encore, that a Freddie double would appear onstage making it appear as if he were moving around in time to the lyrics of the song and the audience react to this stage effect.  The second encore begins with “Jailhouse Rock” and includes also  “Be Bop A Lula” and “Stupid Cupid” (not mentioned on the artwork).  Expert Sky Cabinet is a latter day Gypsy Eye release which, as far as silver releases go, is pretty good but could be improved upon.