Omni Center
Atlanta, Georgia
December 13, 1983
Overall:
After Phil introduces Daryl and Chester, a woman inexplicably says the word "Spandex", but I can't imagine who was wearing it. I wanted to begin with this tape because it's the closest thing I have to a recording of the show I saw on the next evening, Dec-14-83, in Jacksonville, FL. This is a good audience recording from a tour that's under-represented in bootlegs.
Sound: * * *
There is some high end distortion and a bit of flutter in places. But the instruments and vocals are all well-defined. There's a great deal of talking which I find entertaining at times, a bit like being in the crowd. It's mostly the taper himself and his female companion.
Mix: * * * *
Overall the crew's mix is quite well balanced. Curiously, Tony drops into the background on occasion and we get an unusually good listen at the guitars. A mixing flaw, but interesting to hear. The only technical glitch I noticed was a few missing beats from one of the Simmons drums at the beginning of Second Home By the Sea.
Performance: * * * *
I would be surprised to find the band having an off-night on this tour. They really were at the top of their game. Misses earning five Alberts only because of a mediocre performance of "Follow You, Follow Me" and "That's All".
Raw Notes:
1. Dodo- First minute or so missing. Typically great performance. Phil is in very strong voice. Crowd cheers when he belts out "I'm back in the sea!" Couple dropouts. (Woman: Are you gettin' a bootleg?)
2. Abacab - (Man: ..."rocking back and forth" "Nows he's holding it up like here. They're not doing anything about it.") Crowd cheers intro to extended instrumental, probably the lights. Drums and bass get heavy toward the end, almost like a short solo as keys and gtr drop out briefly. Not sure if was intentional. Crowd cheers. Great performance.
3. Phil talks - Lots and lots of new songs! (Man: Bullshit! BOOO!).
4. That's All - Good performance.. very album-like
5. Mama - Crowd claps along w/ drum machine. Chatters. Crowd really into laughs! Song was fresh and new. Strong. (Man: "The lights move, look at that!")
6. Phil talks: Hey you! ... we got out all our old albums... then we put them back. A little of this, a little of that, a little of the other. Made this kind of thing. (Man sings: Lammmb lies down doowwwn on Broadway..)
7-9. Eleventh Earl of Mar --> Squonk-->Firth of Fifth. Daryl's Firth gtr solo doesn't begin to follow the original until the end, unlike 92 when it follows Steve's original nearly note for note for the first minute. Phil sings the final section of Firth on this tour for the last time.
(tape flip)
10. Phil Speaks. (Woman: "perfect.. perfect"). Fugitives from justice.
11. Illegal Alien - Crowd claps along. Very similar to album version. (Woman: "That would spoil it, now wouldn't it?")
12. Man On The Corner - The high-end distortion gets bad here. But it's an excellent emotional performance, superior to the album. Mix is different... Mike does gtr solo toward the end. Drum machine continues for a while at the end... right into...
13. Whodunnit. Ack. Interesting use of vocal delay not on the album. Phil ad libs a little at the end. (Man: "It's dumb! We know we know we know.... it's bullshit.")
14. Phil Speaks. The Other World. (Woman:"OOh, scary!") Phil: If you're sitting next to somebody in the Other World. You'd better watch your ass... your buttocks.
15. Home By The Sea - Crowd cheers first instr break.. probably lights again. One of the Simmons drums doesn't trigger for the first several seconds of Second Home, or is perhaps not up in the mix at first. Close to album version. Mike has a very cool crunchy guitar sound here. Deviates from the album during the end of Second. Guitar solo different from album before going into final "Images of sorrow" section. All this talk about Mike makes me realize that I can't hear Tony all that well. Great crowd response.
Disc 2
1. Phil speaks - Hey you! Shithead! (Man: "I'm trying to find which is first side") Atlanta is, in fact, the center of the Universe! Tomorrow night, I'll be saying the same bullshit to Jacksonville. (And he did!) Crowd enjoys banter.
2. Keep It Dark - Played a little too slow. You can really hear Chester's kick drum. Segues into...
3. It's Gonna Get Better - (Tape change) (Man: I couldn't wait. If I had waited any longer...") . The band performed the extended (12") version on the tour. Mike goes into a guitar solo at the end again. Tony is deep in the mix again. (Man: "I only missed a minute of it.")
4. Follow You Follow Me - Damn close to the album version. A tad uninspired. Slightly different ending than Three Sides version.
5. Phil Speaks - Daryl and Chester Intro. (Woman "Spandex.") "From Los Angeles CA where all the finest athletes come from." Reference to upcoming 84 Summer Olympics?
6-8. In The Cage (man: Holy Shit!) --> Cinema Show-->Quiet Earth-->Raven--->Afterglow . Crowd cheer the lights when the "Outside the cage I see my brother John" part comes. Cage is a typically wonderful performance. Rarely changes from tour to tour, but thats a good thing in this case. Tony is using a different synth patch for the lead on Cinema than on 3 Sides. Outstanding. Taper is surprised when the band goes into Quiet Earth instead of straight into Raven as on 3 Sides.Tony nearly absent during Afterglow. Drums loud. Tape develops a nasty flutter and warbles in pitch. Batteries? Short drop out. Taper: "It was one minute too long".
9. Drum Duet --> Los Endos - Yet another jaw-dropping performance of the Drum Duet. I always found it amazing that Chester and Phil could sync up so well together. Sounds a little strange in mono because you can't single out either drummer. Into Los Endos. Flutter returns. Another performance the band has nailed to perfection. Like Cage, it never changes, even on Tony's newer equipment. Chester's kick drum rattles the arena.
10. Misunderstanding. As an encore? Crowd is grateful. Left channel drops out for half a minute. Nearly identical to 3 Sides version
11. Turn It On Again (w/ oldies medley) - Phil: "I'd like to thank each of you individually.. you you you you you you you you you you you you you and you."
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