Pink Floyd - 1974-12-14 - Bristol, UK (AUD/FLAC)

(Audience FLAC)

Lineage:

T-308 release in 2003: Mics and recorder unknown > Cassette generation unknown > Tascam 130 > Nikko 32 Band EQ > Akai DR16 Digital Hard Disk Recorder > Sony PCM-R500 DAT Recorder > Sony DAT Tape > HHB CDR-800 Compact Disc Recorder > HHB CDR > WAV > SHN

this release in 2013: T-308 SHNs > WAV > Sound Designer II (speed correction, patch, glitch correction) > WAV > Audacity (tracking) > xACT (SBE correction) > FLAC (level 8) > Tag (FLAC tags)

Disc 1:
- First Set -
1. Introduction (2:02)
2. Raving and Drooling (15:24)
3. Gotta Be Crazy (18:17)
4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (22:45)

- Second Set -
5. Speak to Me (4:27)
6. Breathe (2:58)
7. On the Run (4:52)

Disc 2:
1. Time (5:18)
2. Breathe (Reprise) (1:01)
3. The Great Gig in the Sky (6:11)
4. Money (9:21)
5. Us and Them (7:56)
6. Any Colour You Like (9:06)
7. Brain Damage (3:40)
8. Eclipse (2:55)

- Encore -
9. Echoes (24:20)

Total duration: 140:41

Quality: VG+ to EX- (7/10 to 8/10)

This fileset is based on the release known as T-308, which I edited for my own purposes 4-5 years ago, and am now distributing for the first time. To the best of my recollection, the following things were done:

1. The original release ran significantly slow. This has been corrected, though I don't remember the exact percentage.

2. T-308 was also missing about 3 minutes of music from the beginning of Any Colour You Like. This has been patched using a different source of the same recorder, from an unknown-gen tape transferred to CDR. The recording used for the patch is in mono, and required speed correction as well to match the speed-corrected T-308; I also suspect it has some NR.

It's not a seamless transition by a long shot, especially the crossfade into the patch, but the crossfade back into T-308 came out pretty well, I think.

3. There was some sort of digital glitch at the end of On the Run. This has been corrected, but the abrupt ending of Disc 1 (and transition into Disc 2) was on T-308 and is still present.

Nothing else has been changed, and no EQ, dehissing, or other "remastering" processes have been used. I've tried to keep the track breaks roughly the same as they were on the T release, but I did add one for Breathe (Reprise) which wasn't tracked individually on T-308. And of course, I encoded the finished files as FLACs rather than SHNs; even with the added music this release is over 100MB smaller than T-308, thanks to the more efficient FLAC compression.

I know that T asks his releases not be tampered with or "remastered", but given the speed problem and missing music on T-308, I'd like to think my work on this is an excusable upon the original. In any event, T-308 came out ten years ago, so I think the statute of limitations has run out!

This release isn't intended as an archival reference, but as a listening copy for enjoyment. Since the taper had problems with one of the mics dropping out, many copies of this show are strictly in mono, including a very low-gen source I received a while back that I might torrent as well. The stereo imaging on T's tape makes a huge difference, though, and really gives added life and depth to the recording.

And most importantly of all, this is one of Pink Floyd's best performances of all time, IMHO. Even Roger remarks on what a great gig it is with which to end the tour! It may literally be the very last time that the band ever had such a quiet, attentive crowd, and it makes a big difference.

I think this is the best DSOTM I've ever heard, hands down. Almost no other performance captures the feeling of the album so well, while at the same time it's not a slavish reproduction of the LP, and there are extended jams like the one on ACYL (now restored to its full length). The first set material is about as good as it can be in this embryonic state, and the version of Echoes is far more inspired than most later performances of the song. Simply put, the band is at the top of its game.

And T's tape complements the whole thing perfectly. It's by no means hi-fi, and some people may find that there's not enough top end for their tastes, but something about the acoustic makes me feel like it's 1975 and I'm sitting in my living room, listening to a quality vinyl bootleg of a great show I just attended.

Thanks to T for his original release, and to the band for all these years of great music!