Hallenstadion, Zurich

After many years, here comes the Zurich Hallenstation 1977 live soundboard/audience matrix second version mixed by Digital Brother Paolo. I always felt that the pure soundboard recording of this show lacked emotion with the audience hardly audible in the recording and sounding more like a flat studio recording. What is the point of a live album if you don’t hear the magic in the air: the interaction with the crowd and the ambiance of the venue where you can feel the power and thrust coming from the PA system? This vibe is essential for any live recording and in fact all sound engineers today would record a concert including some percentage of audience into the mix. This particular matrix has the advantage of having undoubtedly the best quality audience capture from the Wind & Wuthering tour where the taper used high-end recording equipment and tape support. This was not done using an ordinary cassette and tape recorder but rather a portable professional Uher reel -to-reel unit coupled with two Sennheiser mics. The taper had explained that he had to dismantle the unit in smaller parts in order to pass security at the gate and re-assemble it once inside. The soundboard had a gap of more then 3 minutes during the The Carpet Crawlers which was masterfully patched with the audience recording to the point that the transition from soundboard to audience is hardly noticeable. This new matrix uses today’s new digital technology and brings a fresh breath of air into an already spectacular sounding live recording. Enjoy! - Digital Brother Roger [Simon_Funnell]

Even as much as this show is my go-to W&W show, surpassing Seconds Out in MANY ways, I can't believe I hadn't grabbed this version yet. Simply put, this version takes the already superb "Zurich Revisited" and takes it into the stratosphere. The sound quality is amazing, and the small nits (mostly phasing) that existed in the previous version seem to have melted away. The audience sounds, especially in things like the clapping along in FoF, makes the experience transcendent. Without a doubt the best remaster I've ever come across, here or elsewhere. My thanks to the DB team and all those who added their gifts to the effort. [roberthking3]

Notes From VW :
This new mix is not supposed to be the definite version but rather an alternate take on this for those who prefer a more natural sound and don't mind a bit of hiss ;-) There is no noise reduction and almost no reduction of dynamics.
The reason why the trebles appear stronger on Paolo's mix is also the increased loudness of course. Now normally I prefer bone dry sound with as little reverb as possible but I also want stereo big time! So in this particular case there is absolutely no stereo on the SBD except for certain effects, like at the beginning and end of 11th Earl, and especially the drums are totally mono, even when both drum kits are in use, and at the same time the audience recording has big stereo and e.g. at the beginning of 11th Earl you can actually hear the panning effect on it as well and especially during the double drumming parts so this is why I have left as much audience on my mix. I have made sure that all the SBD stereo effects are still clearly there in this mix.[Simon_Funnell]

Wonderful Pro-Tooled version - sounds fantastic [Simon_Funnell]

FINALLY someone pays some attention to Zurich. Now just about as good as Sao Paolo. [speedy]

A Must Have!! Better than the rest! [meek]

Throw away all the other versions you have and get this one! [wbeens]

Wow!! what a great sound, Digital brothers has done a great job, Every genesis fan must have this Recording. [David35]

Absolutely stunning quality - everything is crisp & clear. Great job! [supernaturalpharmacist]

Apart from the inclusion of Cinema Show from 76 on Seconds Out, this closely challenges it for my perfect evenings listening. [davebriddon]

The definate 1977 set to get. Essential. The way "Seconds Out" should have sounded :-) The second last gig with Hackett :-( [PaulHarald]

1 word - perfect [Genesisguru]

I always liked this tour more than any other, perhaps it's the great set or the atmosphere of this tour, I don't know why. When I first heard the GRU Release, I was completely surprised because a new Soundboard concert of this tour has been discovered. But then, I heard the version of the Digital Brothers and I was completely blown away! It sounds really like an official release, everyone is clear in the mix and it's nearly a complete performance of, in my oppinion, the best Genesis Tour. Only the Beginning of "Carpet Crawles" has a cut. A MUST HAVE! [gedlynch]

Absolutely the best of 1977 remasters, clearly superior to Sao Paulo; I would give an A+++ :-) [Gigio67]

The best Digital Brothers release! Absolutely stunning! :) [Jesper Moonen]

Better than Sao Paolo. Unfortunately "Carpet crawlers" is incomplete. [mdekoning]

Matrix of audience and soundboard recordings [Simon_Funnell]

Felt like I was in the Hallenstadion seeing Genesis!! The power of this Matrix is astounding. Never has such a restoration project moved me so much. It is a kaleidosocopic of sounds and the mastering a true labor of love. Great work and grazie to digital brother Paolo! Let the Dance Begin... Digital brother Roger [Simon_Funnell]

That's just my own impression, but again, like it was for Tom's remaster for the 3-1-77, I feel that this revisitation sounds a little bit "unnatural" even if the attempt of the great DB was the opposite. I still think that Zurich is the best 1977 soundboard and that (maybe with the exeception of the "re-joined" Carpet Crawlers) overworking on it was not so necessary. This version sound surely pleasurable and more near to "Seconds Out" that the previous, but the "matrix" give a soft "phasing shift" effect all over, and the widened image has steal a bit of dynamics to the master version. Anyway, grazie mille Paolo, this version is a must-have to enjoy in a different way this wonderful performance. G. [Gigio67]

Amongst all the recordings I made myself and the many, many bootlegs I collected over the last 30 years, this matrix is sound quality wise the most excellent unofficial live CD I came across so far. Compliments to the wizard behind ProTools who delivered this incredible work synching two analogue recordings made on two different machines and still managing tape flutter, aliasing and all the vicious little stones in the way which usually make such an undertaking "impossible"... From the guy who held the MD421s... [Simon_Funnell]

Only an official "Seconds Out Complete" will top this for me! [davebriddon]

Better than Seconds Out? A tall order, but the DBs make a credible run at it here...without the benefit of studio overdubs after the fact! This, along with Sao Paulo and Southampton, are the must-have shows from this tour. This show has the advantage of being the complete show and being free of the aforementioned overdubs. I was especially impressed at how seamlessly the two sources were merged. I couldn't tell where the changeover in Carpet Crawlers occurred. Great job all around and a great contribution to the trading pool! This is the last high quality show with Steve H., and his second to last show with Genesis. Boots from the next night, Munich, aren't nearly as good (lots of distortion and audience noise), and it is missing the Musical Box portion of the encore. So...this show has historical significance as well. [jrsquonk]

I have mixed feelings about this. This audience/soundboard matrix sounds indeed closer to Seconds out than the soundboard (that's a compliment), but new problems have been introduced. The audience over the beginning of several tracks is quite annoying and there's a slight phasing on Phil's vocals, especially audible during his introductions. [mdekoning]

I love it. Great job, Paolo! [speedy]

Great matrix of audience and soundboard. It feels like I'm actually in Zurich seeing Genesis live. [legalbeagle]

It sounds pretty good, also the setlist is very nice with Inside and Out. What makes me a little bit angry is that the Fade Out is for me placed on the wrong places. Look at Squonk, at about 0:25 when the Audience Fades away, this sounds for me too mechanic. And Cant Believe that the Audience was so quiet at one part of the Squonk...Anyway, Its a great mix, but still I Prefer a pure SDB than this Matrix mix ;-) [chinwildchicken]

Not sure why I never listened to this version until now. Perhaps a couple of the comments held me back. Without a doubt, this is the finest complete W&W version out there. Simply fantastic - the matrix works really well in my opinion, and it really feels like being there but with enhanced sound. [roberthking3]

Type: Audience + Soundboard
soundboard: GASP021
audience: Sennheiser MD421 > Uher 4200 reel to reel recorder - except from 3:20 to end of last track of cd2

The version of this show appears to be from MP3 sourced. It is unknown if _all_ versions of this recording are from the same source [Simon_Funnell]

For me, it still sounds like a Soundboard, sounds too dry for an Audience Record :( [chinwildchicken]

Now out as gru02 [therealovo]

Great recording, except for the cut in "Carpet Crawlers". It comes in at the beginning of the third chorus. [assureaseggsiseggs]

Carpet Crawlers first part is patched from the
original raw version (DGY-REM) audience recording

DGY-REM FROM GASP 021
There is no noise reduction used, so it is not really suggested to headphone listeners. For its sound you will get a friendly equalized (Steinberg Wavelab) music with its original details in quality and dynamics.

Taped with Uher 4200 reel-to-reel with two Senheiser MD-421 mics.