In this volume we get the famous Lone Star Café 28 December 1986 2nd
show where Keith Richards guested on two tracks: Key To The Highway where he
also sung and Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.
Two versions from this show have already circulated. In its initial
form, Maidenlane’s recording was not so interesting because of an average sound
quality and being a partial recording. To improve it though, it was decided to
make different tests to merge it with different versions. The best results came
using one source for the 3 first tracks and the soundboard version for the other
3.
The soundboard was heavily focused on the drums and vocals in both tracks
where Keith Ricards played. There were too many gaps in Put It Where You Want
It to create a satisfying track from it.
Giddy Up is partial (Maidenlane recorded only the first 6 minutes), in Red
House, on Maidenlane’s recording there was a gap from 0’43 until 0’57: it was patched
with the other source so a difference with or without merging can be heard.
In Key To The Highway the first seconds come from a mix of both sources because
of some small defaults. All used sources have been de-clicked, their sound
amplified and channels rebalanced with the speed synchronized by decelerating them
from -1,7 to -2,2%. Because some space was left, it was decided to add the best
mixed versions to complete the disc. In detail:
On the merged versions:
01 - Intro & tuning *
02 - Soliloquy *
03 - Red House *
04 - Giddy Up (faded out)**
05 - Key To The Highway **
06 - Can't You Hear Me Knocking **
* (left = 1st source & right = Mdl)
** (left = sdb & right = Mdl)
This live version of Can’t You Har Me Knocking has been for over 25
years the only one to have been available with Keith Richards & Mick Taylor
playing together since no live version from 1971 ever surfaced, before Taylor
rejoining the Stones in 2014 on stage; here we can hear Keith’s rhythm guitar
leading with Taylor’s melodic solos somehow restricted to an embellishment,
while in the live versions where he played alone, he was allowed all the time
required to develop them. Both tracks with Leith came out in the underground
market in vinyl format as Lone Star Café New York (Saban 3000VG) and Can’t You
Hear Me Knocking 2 LP (Dead Dodo Rec. & Bullshit Rec.); on cdr on a number
of releases like First Lone Star Café 1986, 986 12 28 New York City and recently
on Lone Star Café 1986 (Screamer 04020).
