David Bowie 1974-11-15 Boston ,Music Hall – Plastic Soul –
Sound Quality Rating
01. Memory Of A Free Festival.flac
02. Intro – Rebel Rebel.flac
03. John, I’m Only Dancing Again.flac
04. Sorrow.flac
05. Changes.flac
06. Young Americans.flac
07. 1984.flac
08. Footstompin.flac
09. Rock’n’Roll With Me.flac
10. Love Me Do – The Jean Genie.flac
11. Moonage Daydream.flac
12. Band Intro.flac
13. Can You Hear Me.flac
14. Somebody Up There Likes Me.flac
15. Suffragette City.flac
16. Rock’n’Roll Suicide.flac
17. Diamond Dogs.flac
Label: Main Stream – MAST-114
Audio Source : audience recording
Lineage :
Total running time : 1:17:37
Sound Quality : Much noise ,dull ,but still good listened to
Attendance : 4.225
Artwork : Yes.
Bowie starts playing Changes ,but then suddenly stops: “Still don’t know what I was waiting for,and my time was run ning wild … I wanna do a fast one … Panic in Detroit”. He gives the band a sign and Earl Slick starts. Then Changes after all; lots of hysterical screaming of the audience during this song. They are wildly enthusiastic and clap along with many a song,which lends the tape a fine atmosphere. Al though this is the last part of the tour,Bowie’s voice is still powerful. Rock & Roll With Me he sings beautifully,and halfway the song he explains to the audience what it is about: “This is called When You Rock & Roll With Me, it’s about me,and singing and why people would do – getting on stage and sing. I wouldn’t he able to … you start off thinking one thing,and you would end up thinking another – the music sings for you, and kind of makes it work that way. I suppose that’s what it’s about”.
This is an excellent audience recording of the late 1974 Soul Tour, possibly THE Best recording of this leg lots of audible detail from every instrument.
however apart from excellent tight grooving versions of Sorrow, Rebel Rebel & Changes – the last 2 being very like the superior Station To Station Tour, this rock fan feels David is journeying up a musical blind alley that leaves him sounding like a retro nostalgia act. Earl Slick was getting impatient and this reviewer can see his point.
Things are redeemed somewhat with The Jean Genie where slick can let loose, Moonage Daydream follows but its very soulified , the worst of the tour, vastly inferior to Madison University or Radio City Music Hall. Earl Slick provides a great solo but the effect is of a Lion roaring in captivity, the song ends in a confused mess.
a couple of soul songs then Suffragette city is murdered, Earl Slicks guitar is mixed ridiculously low and the song is smothered by awful over the top backing vocals of the coked-up shouting variety, for a second it seems like slick is breaking through but the fader is soon yanked down again.
the “tedious psychodrama of Rock ‘n’Roll Suicide” – to quote a newspaper review of the tour follows and David does the vocal equivalent of “Blacking-up” – cringeworthy, embarrasing and borderline offensive.
Diamond Dogs follows and the sound mixers hand on Earl Slicks fader is relaxed a little but not enough. theres more saxophone than we’ve ever heard on this song, but I must acknowledge that the audience clearly love what they are hearing “see you tommorow!” says Bowie and thats it.
The Tour Band – The Soul / Philly Dogs Tour (October–December)
• David Bowie – vocals
• Mike Garson – piano, mellotron, music director
• Earl Slick – lead guitar
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone, flute
• Willie Weeks – bass
• Dennis Davis – drums
• Pablo Rosario – percussion
• Warren Peace – backing vocals
• Ava Cherry – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – backing vocals
• Anthony Hinton – backing vocals
• Diane Sumler – backing vocals
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals
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