Calderone Concert Hall

Introduction

A dilemma always arises when collecting audio audience recordings. Is an average sounding recording from an obscure era better than a superior sounding show from a well-documented era ? This Hempstead show falls into the former instead of the latter.

Background

This show is the sixty-eighth show of the seventy-two date Dressed To Kill tour. The Alive album was released a little less then a month after this show.

Audio Specifics

Gene’s bass is dominant throughout most of the show. The overall audio quality of the show is around a 5-6 out of 10.

On the positive side, this is a complete show from an era where few complete recordings exist. For some, this positive might outweigh the negatives. Also, Chip Rock’s book Outtakes has some great photos from this show, which helps complement the audio recording.

The Show

Deuce- in my opinion this is the best song to open the show. This version is solid but Gene’s bass is a little too high and Peter’s drums are invisible which don’t help.

Strutter- Ace’s guitar is more prominent than on Deuce but average vocals at points throughout this song hold it back from being a really good version.

Got To Choose- see above

Hotter Than Hell- this is probably the best of the early songs in the show, which seem to be plagued by either high bass or warbled vocals. Peter does a standout job on this version.

Firehouse- Not a high point of the show.

She- “ now for something a little slow but a lot heavier ’’ is Paul’s introduction to this song. This version probably sounded better in person than on tape. Ace is very difficult to hear until his solo and there are some minor recording problems which take away some of the subtlety of the song.

Nothin’ To Lose- if this song is played well then it is as good as any song in the setlist. On this occasion, it is. The beginning of the song starts with a little bass/cowbell tradeoff then they plow right into the song. This song is probably the most balanced sounding song (audio wise) of the setlist. Peter’s playing and vocals are on fine display in this version.

C’mon and Love Me- before they start this song, Paul says something a little odd, “ if you need better seats, you can come up front ’’. Wouldn’t most fans at a show want to be near the front ? This particular version is played with a little more tempo but there is a slight dropout midway into the song.

100,000 Years- a faithful version. The rest of the show from this point sounds very much like an outtake from the Alive sessions. There is a slight cut during Paul’s rap, which is almost exactly like the one from Alive.

Black Diamond- again, Peter vocals and playing make this version a cut above the rest.

Cold Gin- Paul’s rap is identical to the Alive version. The vocals aren’t great on this song.

Rock and Roll All Nite- “ this is a song we feel really strongly about…its our whole reason for being ’’. Gene screws up the lyrics by repeating the second verse twice and misses the third verse altogether. Gene’s vocals are not as convincing as in other versions but this version is still decent.

Let Me Go Rock and Roll- Ace’s playing is faster which gives the song a frenzied feel to it. Aside from Ace, this version is similar to the one heard on Alive.

Overall

I’m not a big fan of this show. The poor sound quality detracts from many of the songs. This show is good to have for the collection but you’d better get the Long Beach show from the same tour, which is far superior in audio quality. I would rate the show a 6-6.5 out of 10.