| Review by Collectors
Music Reviews
Queen’s penultimate show on their first
tour of Japan was on April 30th, 1975 in Yokohama. Unlike the famous
Budokan show the following night, no tapes circulated for the Yokohama
until a couple years ago. In 2010 a good sounding tape was posted on
YouTube which was missing the encores (the taper claims he couldn’t find
them and also refused to share the actual tape with collectors).
Recently Tarantura released a second tape
source on In Hama. Another Mr. Peach recording, it is
substantially more clear and powerful than the YouTube tape and has the
missing encores. The only negative against this release are the cuts
right after “Bring Back That Leroy Brown” (eliminating some of
Freddie’s introduction to “Son And Daughter”) and at the beginning
of “In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited” omitting the introduction and
opening lines which could have been patched with the other tape.
The tape begins with the audience reacting
to the “Procession” as the band come onstage and start “Now I’m
Here.” Originating from their latest album Sheer Heart Attack,
it was their latest single and biggest hit so far in 1975. It’s
also one of the heaviest songs to start a Queen concert. In the
coming years the middle section would expand with Freddie’s vocal
harmonies, but here is played straight as it appears on the album.
Afterwards Freddie greets the audience with
some involved Japanese phrases before “Ogre Battle.” Instead of
feedback cacophony, Brian May begins the song straight from the main riff.
And to celebrate their first tour of Japan Queen brought back “Great
King Rat” to the setlist and drop “Father To Son.” Freddie
calls it a song “about a dirty old man” from their first album Queen
I.
The medley contains several new songs from Sheer
Heart Attack beginning with “In The Lap Of The Gods.”
Without the studio tricks on the vocals it sounds rather flat, but it
still retains some of it’s mysterious aura. It segues right into
“Killer Queen,” one of their biggest hits in Japan.
Freddie either forgets the final two lines
of the second verse or his microphone cuts out. His vocals cut out
and the band carry on with the instrumental and continue through to the
segue into “March Of The Black Queen.” The vocals aren’t ready
on cue so the band play the melody for a few more bars until Freddie can
sing the song. The medley ends with “Bring Back That Leroy
Brown.”
The cut in the tape eliminates much of
Freddie’s next introduction, but he mentions them seeing something on TV
before “Son And Daughter.” May plays the “Brighton Rock”
guitar solo in the middle before the song returns to the Queen II
track.
After “Keep Yourself Alive,” played
much like the studio recording, Taylor introduces “Seven Seas Of
Rhye,” saying it was “written by him at the piano” pointing
to Freddie. A “bit of rock and roll” follows as they start “Stone
Cold Crazy.” Freddie again has problems with his microphone at the
very end, cutting in-and-out.
During the clapping section of “Liar”
Freddie tells the audience that “I’m going to teach you some English
words” and mentions he wants them to “shag out” before the “mama
I’m gonna be your slave” chorus. The anthem “In The Lap Of The
Gods … Revisited” closes the main set.
For the long encore set they start off with “Hey Big Spender,” one of
their all-time favorite campy cover tunes. Taylor’s heavy
“Modern Times Rock N Roll” follows. They close with “Jailhouse
Rock” and the slow blues “See What A Fool I’ve Been,” another
rarity pulled out for the audiences in Japan that year.
In Hama is certainly another very good Queen release on
Tarantura. Packaged in a gatefold sleeve, the artwork emphasizes the
band’s first tour of Japan when they came as conquering heroes and
superstars. The cuts in the tape are unfortunately not filled with
the older tape source, but that’s just about the only flaw in what is a
very strong release.
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