Let's Active 1985-02-02 The Ritz New York, NY

LET'S ACTIVE

Saturday, 2 February 1985

The Ritz
119 East 11th Street
New York, New York  10003
USA


FLAC master, 21 August 2023, by elegymart:
Analog audience recording (stereo) {recorded by Gene Poole}: unknown mics/recorder > US 1982-83 Maxell XLII-S Superfine Epitaxial XLII-S 90-minute (Type II CrO2) analog audio cassette master > probably BBE Sonic Maximizer > US 1982-83 Maxell XLII-S Superfine Epitaxial XLII-S 90-minute (Type II CrO2) analog audio cassette {from the Gene Poole collection} > Sony TC-WE435 (azimuth adjustment) > Roland R05 (24/96) > Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (audio cleanup, convert to 16/44) > SHNtool (fixed SBE) > CD Wave (track splits) > TLH (WAV > FLAC8).
Created this text file.


Total running time  [73:57]
-----------------------------------------------------------
01  intro [0:17]
02  Shakin' Street [2:35]
03  Room with a View [3:58]
04  Co-star [3:39]
05  Prey [3:48]
06  Ornamental [3:30]
07  In Between [4:31]
08  Ring True [3:44]
09  Whispered News [5:10]
10  Edge of the World [4:12]
11  Flags for Everything [3:28]
12  Crows on a Phone Line [3:24]
13  Easy Does [3:36]
14  Every Word Means No [3:28]
15  Blue Line [4:02]
-- encore 1 --
16  Waters Part [5:20]  
17  Back of a Car [2:21]
18  surf instrumental [4:21]
-- encore 2 --
19  Grey Scale [5:01]
20  I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen [3:21]


Band line-up:
Mitch Easter – guitar, vocals
Faye Hunter – bass guitar, vocals
Tim Lee – keyboards
Jay Peck – drums
-- special guest --
Don Dixon - bass on t20


Notes:

THE GENE POOLE COLLECTION VOL. 212

Here's the latest installment of the Gene Poole Collection, a random wellspring of recordings which surfaced during the pandemic at the top of the decade. To paraphrase Lou: This is gonna go on for a while, so we should get used to each other, settle back, pull up your cushions, whatever else you have with you that makes life bearable in what has already been the start of trying decade...

Some of Gene's handiwork has probably been heard by your very ears before, for the most part via the Stonecutter Archives, but this is the first major unearthing of tapes direct from the legend himself. As promising as that may seem, it's best to let the surprises hit as they are shared. The trade-off to the prolific taping on Gene's part is that the expectations for a perfect track record would be unrealistic and unfair. There will be instances of incomplete recordings, caused by late arrivals to gigs, recorder and microphone malfunctions, and other assorted foibles as would befall any mortal taper. There will be times where a master from another source exists which could be superior. For the most part, Gene recorded with a variety of mics and recorders, and many shows suffered from wire dropouts, so that only one channel was extant in the capture. Due warning about the past imperfect given and out of the way, credit should be given where due as well -- for many shows thought lost forever, it's exciting to discover that many of these even in incomplete form have now cropped up.

The transfers, the audio fixes, and the research all have required some lead time -- many tapes had scant info (sometimes just the name of the artist/band, with no date listed for the performance). Needless to say, gear documentation is virtually nil -- if we wait around for that precise detail to be forthcoming, nothing from the collection would probably see the light of day.

Taking a break from the dB's to bring us back to the Ritz this time, for a headlining set from Let's Active where they played with Tommy Keene second on the bill. It sounds like perhaps Dexter Romweber opened the show, but it's hard to make out what Mitch is saying before "Whispered News."

This one is another two-channel mono dub done by Gene back in the day, run through a BBE Maximizer presumably to give it some more bass presence. "Easy Does" cuts in at the start of the vocals, but no other flaws to be noted.

The band here is sort of an Mk II of Let's Active following Sara's departure on drums, when they were working out their configuration permutations. They do a Big Star cover followed by a surf instrumental doesn't sound like the Ventures, anyone know?), and they bring out Mr. Dixon on bass for their final encore of a Slade number. Before the encore, you can hear the Good Doctor talking to Gene complimenting Mitch's guitar playing, which admittably never seems to get its due credit.

Enjoy,
elegymart 

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