Japan – Live From The Budokan Tokyo FM, 1982

This version is what Oil of Canvas could have been. Don't believe some reviews about the "poor" sound quality of this one. For a "bootleg" this one sounds more than great, period, Yes it's a bit rough but imo much better than I expected. Recommended!

What I like about this recording is that it isn't patchwork and rerecorded; it is raw and similar to the actual show, if a little rough at the edges at times!

It has been verified by former Japan band members Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri that the label behind this release, Voiceprint, did not obtain clearance from the master rights holders for the recording in question. Unfortunately, I was not aware of that information prior to purchasing this product. That alone should dissuade fans and collectors from purchasing this release; however, if further discouragement is required, read on.

The accompanying booklet only verifies that this is the 8 December 1982 live performance at Budokan that was broadcast on Tokyo FM - it does not identify the source used to create this product. Presumably, that should be the master soundboard recording; however, the overall sound quality suggests otherwise. CD1 (52.08) would be passable were it downloaded for free from a blog or torrent, but CD 2 (49.43) is far worse. In particular, "Quiet Life" sounds as though it were sourced from a vinyl bootleg with heavy noise compression applied. I have an unofficial recording of the Brussels show from the same tour (in only 192 MP3 format, no less) which honestly sounds better than this CD.

Don't make the same mistake I made - please avoid this release and stick to "Oil On Canvas."