FIRST AMERICAN TOUR  

1 CDR

Label: Breakdown  
Country: Japan 
Released: January 2008 
Recorded: Live At Exposition Hall, Portland, Maine USA  April 28th. 1974  
BBC session October 1977
Sound: VG+ live audience recording (US date), BBC session are in excellent stereo, best quality so far.
Comments:  A 'new' better source of the Maine, USA 1974 concert. Previously released by 'Breakdown' label on CDR ('Early Battle) in November 2006. This BBC session  is still un-released officially, but well known on various bootlegs. But, this time it's the BEST sound so fare of this session available on bootleg. It's taken from "Concert Vault" web page of live recordings.
The first days this session was made available on this page, it's included 'I Go Crazy', which actually is b-side only of 1984 single 'Radio Ga Ga'. The track was removed from the web when this was pointed out to the editor of the page. The bootlegger hasn't knowledge of this, so the track is included as a BBC session, which of course is a fake. But, nevermind all in all this is a ok bootleg to get if you want the best recording of this two recording dates..
Roots: Portland concert is from a 'new' tape source, which newly has been spread around, The BBC session from 77 comes from  'Wolfgang's Vault' homepage. 
Time:   


Front cover

 

 Intro: Procession  (tape)
 Father To Son
 Ogre Battle
 Son And Daughter
 See What a Fool I've Been
 Liar
 Keep Yourself Alive
 Modern Times Rock'n Roll
 Big Spender
 Bama Lama Bama Lou
 (Exposition Hall, Portland, Maine USA  April 28th. 1974)  

 It's Late
 Spread Your Wings
 My Melancholy Blues
 We Will Rock You (Fast & slow version,)
 I Go Crazy  (b-side only of '84 single "Radio Ga Ga". Not a BBC session track) 
 (Recorded At Maida Vale Studio, London UK October 28th 1977)

 

Taken from Wolfgang's Vault
This stunning audio recording made at Maida Vale Studios on October 28, 1977 (and broadcast on BBC Radio 1 two weeks later), has become one of the most bootlegged Queen recordings ever. The idea to capture the band live in a state-of-the-art broadcast recording studio was indeed a smart one, since Queen’s success came from a combination of high-end, tech-driven guitar wizardry and passionate musical performances.

Recorded right as their popular News of the World album was being released, Queen during this time sounded as if Led Zeppelin had run smack dab into Ziggy-era David Bowie while he was shopping for mascara in the mall. The Zep influence is most apparent on the opening track, “It's Late,” whose dreamy center is a direct rip-off of the Zeppelin interlude in the center of “Whole Lotta Love.” Of course, Freddie Mercury’s over-the-top showmanship was certainly influenced by the thin white duke, but Queen was certainly an amazing band in its own right.

Queen wrote strong, melodramatic rock ’n’ roll songs; just take a listen to “Spread Your Wings.” The familiar anathematic version of “We Will Rock You” is followed by a fast, full band rock ’n’ roll version. The band closes with “I Go Crazy,” their hard rock original, not the classic James Brown R&B hit from the early ‘60s. It’s a story about a guy who is frustrated when his groupie girlfriend runs off with a myriad of rock stars. You’ve got to hand it to any band that rocks the chorus, “I ain’t gonna see the Rolling Stones no more; I ain’t gonna see Queen, no more.”

Tragically, most people know that Queen’s amazing career essentially came to an end when Freddie Mercury became the first public rock star to die of AIDS. The band did re-group with guitarist Brian May and ex-Free/Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers as more of a tribute act, and they have had a successful run as a touring group since 2004.

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