Michael Schenker/Osaka,Japan 1983 & Film

The 1983 Japan tour was the second time M.S.G. led by Michael Schenker came to Japan with the song "ASSAULT ATTACK." The live performance at the Osaka Welfare Pension Hall on January 19th, which is a staple of this tour where various excellent sound sources are known, will be released on CD based on the best audience master! This work is a 3-disc set that also includes audience shots from the same day. This work is the definitive version of M.S.G.'s '83 Osaka performance, both in name and reality! In 1982, M.S.G. was shaken up immediately after the production of "ASSAULT ATTACK" with the departure of Graham Bonnet and the re-joining of Gary Burden, but after Gary's return, the lineup solidified and they began to perform stably at live performances. It will be. Although the band lineup, consisting of Michael, Gary, Chris Glenn and Ted McKenna's rhythm section, and keyboardist Andy Nye, is different from around 1981, when Cozy Powell and others were included, the band's sense of unity, The well-balanced performance was appealing. As for the sound source of this "ASSAULT ATTACK" tour, the sound source of the '82 European tour was recently discovered one after another. However, the standard live performance associated with this work is the item from the Japan tour held in January 1983. Songs such as "GOD RETURNS", which recorded the Fukuoka performance with a stereo soundboard sound source leaked by the people involved, and "BURNIN' WITH DESERT FIRE" from the Nippon Budokan performance in Tokyo, are supported by fans as classics. Among those performances in Japan in 1983, the one that stands out is the performance at the Osaka Welfare Pension Hall held on January 19th. This live is known for its excellent audience sources for "ULCER" and "ASSAULT TO DESTROY" (both currently sold out and out of print), and the audience footage of "OSAKA 1983" also appeared, surprising Schenker fans. I did. This time, these sound sources and videos have both undergone careful remastering and authoring work, and have come to fruition as a single item. The sound source is on two CDs, and the video is on a DVD, both of which are engraved in their reborn form! Discs 1 and 2 include the latest (and definitive) version of the same day's excellent audience sources. Here, the sound source known as the masterpiece "ULCER" is remastered from the original cassette master. While maintaining the natural texture heard in "ASSAULT TO DESTROY", which is a non-equalized version of the same sound source, the performance has been upgraded to be more dynamic and easier to listen to. The brightness and clarity of the sound are excellent, and the listening experience of the performance is also exquisite. Above all, the sense of realism created by the applause and cheers that envelops the listener will make you enjoy the true pleasure of a collector's item, which can be called ``This is a live tape!'' In addition, one of the great advantages is that "Courvoisier Concerto" 1:03 - 1:17, which was cut in the previous release, can be heard connected for the first time on this album. The opening is a medley of "Ulcer" and "Cry For The Nations," and the graceful and magnificent melody unfolds seamlessly. The guitar sounds great and is a great listen. With a cohesive band ensemble in the background, Michael seems to be playing the guitar at ease, and the instrumentals such as “Bijou Preasurette” and “Into The Arena” are becoming more and more clear. Furthermore, what surprised fans when he returned to Japan in 1983 was Gary's vocals, which had greatly improved compared to his previous visit in 1981. Last time, even though it was my own song, there were many difficult moments, and I left out many parts, but this time I listened to ``Victim Of Illusion'' and ``Let Sleeping Dogs Lie'' with ease, and listened to the songs that Graham left behind. Songs from "ASSAULT ATTACK" such as "Rock You To The Ground" and "Desert Song" are also doing well (some of the fans at the time changed their perception of Gary after watching this '83 live show) It seems like there were a lot of them). And the highlight of the live performance will be “Looking For Love” which explodes at the beginning of disc 2. The excitement of the venue reached its peak as the masterpiece of the 2nd album was featured, and the following “Armed And Ready”, “Doctor Doctor” and “Are You Ready To Rock” were also played in a wonderful excitement. And in the last song, "Rock Bottom," Michael's long solo hits the audience and knocks it out! The 112-minute recording concludes with a grand finale that is suitable for the climax. On disc 3, the audience video of the same day is recorded on the DVD. This video surprised fans when it was released as "OSAKA 1983." This time, in order to enjoy the video even more, we have synchronized the audience source used on Discs 1 and 2. The excellent sound makes the video and the live performance even more interesting, and viewers will be glued to the screen without even realizing it. (Audio can be selected even during playback). The shot was recorded with a composition that gives a bird's-eye view of the stage from the second floor seats of the venue. The shot is a little unstable in the first half of “Ulcer” immediately after the live start, but from around the middle of the song you can clearly see the members on stage, such as Michael and drummer Ted McKenna. Since this is an audience video from 30 years ago, it doesn't have the vibrancy or zoom that digital video has in recent years. However, the freshness of the master is extremely high, and the image quality with little blur or blurring is surprising. The outlines of the people are also sharp, and it can be said that the quality is top-level for audience footage from the same period. The unique action that young Michael attracts can be clearly seen in the medley of “Ulcer” and “Cry For The Nations”. The sight of him crouching down and playing his unique guitar is sure to impress fans. The sensual and edgy guitar sound is at its best in the following “Attack Of The Mad Axeman”. Although there are some scenes that are difficult to see because they are hidden by the audience in front of the camera, you can clearly see Gary's appearance and performance. The second half of the live “Looking For Love” attracts fans here as well. I could understand the audience's clapping and excitement as they supported the band from the sound source, but when I watched it on video, the excitement and excitement in the venue felt even more realistic. And even in the last “Rock Bottom”, the camera properly follows the combination of Michael, Chris, and Gary on the stage, allowing you to vividly enjoy the best part of the live performance. This audience shot is one of the earliest live footage of M.S.G. in Japan. It is worth getting this work just to be able to enjoy this valuable video containing the live performance at that time in the definitive version using 2 audio. When I think of a title that includes a sound source and video from this 1983 hard rock concert in Osaka, I remember WHITESNAKE's "ULTIMATE SIN" (the video composition was also similar to that one) . This work, like that one, is a combination of the finest sound source and valuable and worth seeing images, making the live performance thoroughly enjoyable. Furthermore, the added value of ``same live performance'' of this work ensures its materiality and item quality. This work is of great interest not only to Schenker enthusiasts, but also to '80s hard rock fans. Please don't miss out on this definitive title that can only be found as a collector's item! Live at Koseinenken Kaikan, Osaka, Japan 19th January 1983 TRULY AMAZING/PEFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (67:44) 1. Opening 2. Ulcer 3. Cry For The Nations 4. Attack Of The Mad Ax Man 5. Rock You To The Ground 6. Bijou Pleasurette 7. Victim Of Illusion 8. Member Introduction 9. Into The Arena 10. Desert Song 11. Courvoisier Concerto 12. Lost Horizons 13. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Disc 2 (44:48) 1. Looking For Love 2. Armed And Ready 3. Doctor Doctor 4. Are You Ready To Rock 5. Rock Bottom DVD (with 2 different audio sources) 1. Opening 2. Ulcer 3. Cry For The Nations 4. Attack Of The Mad Ax Man 5. Rock You To The Ground 6. Bijou Pleasurette 7. Victim Of Illusion 8. Member Introduction 9. Into The Arena 10. Desert Song 11. Courvoisier Concerto 12. Lost Horizons 13. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie 14. Looking For Love 15 Armed And Ready 16. Doctor Doctor 17. Are You Ready To Rock 18. Rock Bottom COLOR NTSC Approx.109min. Michael Schenker - Guitar Gary Barden - Vocal Chris Glen - Bass Ted McKenna – Drums Andy Nye – Keyboards