Item : WHITESNAKE - ULTIMATE SIN: OSAKA 1983(2CD+DVD)
Condition : NEW
Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan, February 14, 1983 - Truly Perfect Sound (from Original Masters)
Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan, February 15, 1983 - Amazing Shot with Perfect Sound (from Original Masters)
Whitesnake's third visit to Japan, the 1983 "Saints & Sinners" Japan tour, featured the Festival Hall performance on February 14, the opening night in Osaka. This limited-edition CD release features an audience recording of exceptional sound quality, a first for Whitesnake fans, using the original master cassette, never before available even among traders. This release also includes the second day's performance at the same venue on the following day, the 15th, on a press DVD featuring a hybrid of rare footage and premium audio. This package allows you to enjoy the thrilling live performance on the 14th with the best sound, and the performance on the 15th with rare footage. The two-day Osaka performance, resurrected in the best and most impressive form to date, is a shockingly dynamite title for all WHITESNAKE fans!
During WHITESNAKE's 10-performance '83 Japan tour, which began on February 7th, the items from the Tokyo Nippon Budokan performance are known as standard. The live performance on the 22nd featured the "BUDOKAN 1983 MONITOR MIX" (Langley), which used soundboard recordings from Cozy Powell's collection, and the following day, the 23rd, saw the release of "ARMED FORCES" (Shades), which directly utilized the finest audience sources. Both are considered definitive items among enthusiasts. However, during the '83 Japan tour, the Osaka performances, which were concentrated four times out of the total 10 shows, were the main focus. Naturally, there have been many excellent audience recordings, but the overwhelming presence of the "BUDOKAN 1983 MONITOR MIX" has overshadowed the impression of the live performance.
However, the newly discovered recording from the 14th is sure to overturn that impression and bring attention back to the Osaka performance! The sound is as clear and on-trend as today's digital recordings, and the outstanding master condition shows almost no deterioration even after nearly 30 years, making it undeniably wonderful. No WHITESNAKE fan would be delighted that an item comparable to the Budokan performance has finally appeared from the Osaka performance!
As mentioned above, the distinctive feature of the 14th recorded on Discs 1 and 2 is the sound, which can be said to be the best audience recording of all of WHITESNAKE's 1983 live shows. The applause that fills the venue from the intro before the show begins will amaze listeners with its brightness and realism, and you'll be knocked out by the opening track, "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues." Not only is Coverdale's vocals clear, but the separation and clarity of each member's performance, including Colin Hodgkinson's bass, allow you to hear every note in detail, and the three-dimensional sound image with realistic depth creates a stunning sound reminiscent of DIO's "DRAGON HEAD" (Shades). The sound is also ideal, with no distortion or crackling even at strong inputs, making this a super audience recording that can be safely called the best of the year in every respect!
Due to the tapered equipment and positioning, Coverdale's vocals are slightly shifted to the right channel, but Cozy's light and straightforward attack on the snare and toms, along with his sharp, razor-sharp drumming on the hi-hat and cymbals, make for a superb listening experience, right from the intro to "Rough An' Ready." "Ready An' Willing" features Jon Lord's rich, smooth organ and Mickey Moody's bluesy guitar, providing listeners with a truly captivating sound. Furthermore, the album includes a barrage of WHITESNAKE classics, including the all-band "Don't Break My Heart Again," the powerful message conveyed through warm tones in "Here I Go Again," and the exquisite combination of Mickey and Colin in "Lovehunter," marking a culmination of the band's early career. Disc 2's opening track, "Crying In The Rain," is nothing short of stunning, beginning with Mel Galley's solo in the intro, and Coverdale's vocals, which can only be described as full-throttle. The directness of the sound is at its peak here, with a dynamic sound that even line sources seem to recoil from, leaving listeners breathless! Cozy's drum solo, which launches into this sound, is so powerful it's hard to believe a mediocre line source is unnecessary. This solo, which adds the familiar "1812 Overture" to the majestic "633 Squadron," is the most spectacular of his career. The final barrage of snare and bass drum hits will shake the venue and pierce the hearts of all Cozy fans (you also need to listen to Coverdale calling out Cozy's name after the solo and promoting his solo album "OCTOPUSS"). It's a truly powerful performance that will literally silence any fan!
Coverdale declared this was a "special song for Valentine's Day," and the mood-filled performance of "(Ain't No Love) In The Heart Of The City" was full of great sound quality in every part, from vocals and guitar to drums (the drums in particular were outstanding), further enhancing the song's emotional impact. The thrilling "Fool For Your Loving" was followed by a fun and lively encore performance of "Wine, Women An' Song"! Fans will be filled with surprises and emotions for approximately 100 minutes until the concert concludes with "We Wish You Well" on a lingering note.
However, because the sound was recorded so on-screen, it's important to note that not only can you hear the applause and cheers from the audience, but even the conversations of the audience near the taper come through ultra-clearly on this recording. The part where you can hear the male and female voices mocking the band members in stereo on both the left and right channels makes you smile wryly (it's amusing to see them mocking the band members and their performance, yet engrossed in the live performance itself). This is also one aspect that speaks to the high sound quality of this recording, and the unique character of the recording. In a way, it's fitting for a WHITESNAKE concert to see a couple enjoying a rock 'n' roll concert on Valentine's Day!
In addition to a number of high-quality sound sources, this Japan tour also included audience shots from the Festival Hall performance on February 15th, the second day of the Osaka performance. Titles like "ARMED AND READY" provided a visual glimpse into the stage scenery in Japan at the time. However, the sound quality of the essential footage in this previously released title was still a step away, and even if its value was taken into account, it was undeniable that it felt "highly accessible." There have been many voices saying, "If only the audio was more stable, the footage would be even more enjoyable..." So, this time, the particularly excellent audience source from the recording on the 15th, included on the audio disc of "ARMED AND READY," has been remastered from the original tape and superimposed onto this footage, and it has been released as a pressed DVD as Disc 3 of this work! A new item has been born, allowing you to enjoy this precious footage with even better sound!
The fully refined sound blends seamlessly into the footage, and both the video and audio enhance each other's new appeal. While the footage has some noticeable camera shake and momentary disturbances, it's undoubtedly one of the best audience shots from nearly 30 years ago. The panoramic view from the front of the stage also works ideally to capture the live performance.
Cozy's drumming explodes on "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues" and "Rough An' Ready," even surpassing the previous day's performances. "Don't Break My Heart Again" and "Crying In The Rain" are simply too cool! Mel Galley, a skilled craftsman, also does a superb job on side vocals. He shared the stage with Glenn Hughes in TRAPEZE, and his soulful, soaring voice exudes a presence that could even surpass Coverdale's (especially on "Fool For Your Loving"). "Soldier Of Fortune," included in "Crying In The Rain," features Jon Lord's beautiful and fantastical playing in the background, creating a dramatic, moving performance. Cozy's drum solo, meanwhile, is doubly captivating thanks to the combination of video and excellent audio. His solo, focused more on captivating the fans than on the performance itself, truly needs to be seen to be fully appreciated! From "Fool For Your Loving," which erupts with excitement in the crowd, to "Wine, Women An' Song," which erupts with festival-like joy, fans will surely experience the same excitement as the top-notch audio recording from the 14th. Throughout the entire 95-minute live performance, fans will be amazed by the interplay between rare and exquisite footage, and will be captivated to the very end. This video will deliver a quality that even the most discerning fan will find familiar yet unexplored. The video's appeal is truly impressive!
The combination of the sound source from the 14th, which is an audience recording but has super high quality comparable to various soundboard recordings, and the definitive February 15, 1983 edition, which was made possible precisely because it was a collector's item, is the "Japan performance version" of that "LIVE... IN THE WEST OF THE RHINE" (Shades), and is sure to become a new classic among fans. We hope you will enjoy the excitement of the Osaka performance, which was even described as "seduction rock" in newspaper reports at the time, to the fullest with this work. The sound quality, performance, realism, and individuality of the items... everything is an unforgettable package once you hear it, and it is now here with a 2-disc limited press CD + press DVD with an original menu!
Disc 1 (43:20)
1. Introduction 2. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 3. Rough An' Ready 4. Ready An' Willing
5. Don't Break My Heart Again 6. Here I Go Again 7. Lovehunter incl. Guitar & Bass Solo
Disc 2 (55:34)
1. Crying In The Rain 2. Soldier Of Fortune 3. Keyboard Solo
4. Drums Solo feat. 633 Squadron & 1812 Overture 5. (Ain't No Love) In The Heart Of The City
6. Fool For Your Loving 7. Thank You Blues / Wine, Women An' Song 8. We Wish You Well
DVD
Live atFestival Hall, Osaka, Japan 15th February 1983
1. Introduction 2. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 3. Rough An' Ready 4. Ready An' Willing
5. Don't Break My Heart Again 6. Here I Go Again 7. Lovehunter incl. Guitar & Bass Solo
8. Crying In The Rain 9. Soldier Of Fortune 10. Keyboard Solo
11. Drums Solo feat. 633 Squadron & 1812 Overture 12. (Ain't No Love) In The Heart Of The City
13. Fool For Your Loving 14. Thank You Blues / Wine, Women An' Song 15. We Wish You Well
COLOR NTSC Approx. 94min.
David Coverdale - Vocals Micky Moody - Guitar, Vocals Mel Galley - Guitar, Vocals
Jon Lord - Keyboards Cozy Powell - Drums Colin Hodgkinson - Bass