OPERATIC AFTERNOON 

2 CD
Label: Wardour 008 
Country: Japan
Released: March 2005
Recorded: Kosei Nenkin, Osaka Japan  March 29th. 1976.  Afternoon show.
Sound: Very good ~ excellent audience recording
Comments: Queen did two shows at this day in Osaka. This is the first show, afternoon concert. First time released on CD. It's the "Rock'n Roll" medley at the end, which is basically the different between these two shows at this day in Osaka. The encore medley, is more than less short versions of the songs.
Nice bootleg, alright sound quality.
Roots: I guess from the ultra rare 2LP "Zoom Queen" (LLX records). Don't know of other live tape source, of this show.
Time: 40:11 / 46:23


Front cover
 Intro: Bohemian Rhapsody  ('opera part' tape)
 Bohemian Rhapsody  (end 'rock' part)
 Ogre Battle
 Sweet Lady
 White Queen
 Flick Of The Wrist
 Medley: Bohemian Rhapsody
              Killer Queen
              The March Of The Black Queen
              Bohemian Rhapsody  (end part)
 Bring Back That Leroy Brown
 Brighton Rock
 Son And Daughter  (end part)
  The Prophet's Song
 Stone Cold Crazy
 Doing Alright
 Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
 Keep Yourself Alive
 Liar
 In The Lap Of The Gods....revisited
 Now I'm Here
 Medley: Big Spender
              Jailhouse Rock
              Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
              Jailhouse Rock  (reprise)
 God Save The Queen....

You might find (fake) info that the legendary "Zoom Queen" 2lp vinyl bootleg, is from the evening concert. But I have listen true the beginning, and Freddie's say's "....good evening..good evening...good afternoon everyone...." right after 'Ogre Battle'. So ZOOM QUEEN 2LP is from the afternoon concert, which also this 2CD is.

On the evening show ('Zoom' 2CD),  he say's "...it's nice to do to shows here in Osaka..."
So that bootleg is from the evening show.



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Back cover

 
 Review by Collectors music reviews
 
Operatic Afternoon is Wardour's second release from Queen's Night At The Opera tour and they choose to release the famous afternoon concert in Osaka.  This is the best sounding tape from their early tours of Japan and is the source for the very famous and obscenely rare Zoom LP.  The 2LP set was limited to only 400 copies.  The police destroyed most of the copies, so only about 50 copies are in existence.  A CD was released by the name of Zoom (LLX 1/2) which claimed to be this famous show, but in reality it is from the evening concert on this date.  The evening show was also released as Expert Sky Cabinet on Gypsy Eye (201/202) in 2001.  So this current release is the very first commercially produced compact disc edition of the afternoon concert.

 

Like many famous titles from the seventies, the master tape source is unfortunately not available.  Wardour used a pristine vinyl copy recorded from a laser turntable.  There is very little evidence of its vinyl origin.  Just a few almost inaudible pops in "Sweet Lady" and "White Queen".  The transfer is so good it might as well be the tape.  For this alone I would recommend Operatic Afternoon.  But the show itself is what we know Queen are capable of before a Japanese audience.  After "Ogre Battle" Freddie greets Osaka with  "Good evening...afternoon.  Konichiwa!  You're too quiet!"  "Bohemian Rhapsody" has already settled into being a crowd favourite and all three of its appearances in the set is greeted with very loud and enthusiastic applause.  They also really like Queen's "nostalgia" numbers like "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" and "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon".  "Doing Allright" is augmented with lots of screaming girls!  Roger Taylor gives a good drum solo in "Keep Yourself Alive" and the encores are a riotous way to end a great show.  The great performance along with the sound quality and the superb mastering by Wardour makes this an essential release to seek out.  (GS)