Montreux (on June 26,1976 in spite of what the CD says) was taped for radio broadcast, so it is a sound board recording and not an audience recording. That is why it sound so "good". But the mix is really dreadful. You are kind in your comment about the too prominent backup vocals. Mind you, some of the songs sound great with backup vocals (as they are on the studio recordings), but Montreux really demonstrates what can happen when someone who doesn't know what they are doing produces the mix for the recording. I really have to laugh when I listen to Terry on Race Among The Ruins (when it's really Gord I'd rather hear!) ...
The funniest part of the recording is when Gord, frustrated by the audience clapping along, yells out (mid-song) "Cool it! Cool it! Leave the driving to us" ... I remember him doing that at a 70s concert at SPAC (Saratoga Springs) as well, and during the same song (The Auctioneer). Some people criticize him for that, but if you listen carefully to the recording you can tell that - difficult as the cadence of the song is - he has a hard time maintaining it with the audience clapping along imperfectly as would be true of any group of people. To this day, I cringe when people clap along with his songs. He never complains anymore, but I can't believe that he really likes it. Amazingly, at Massey in November, when he was taping the concert for a possible live album, people there - who should know better - clapped along, even to Trilogy. Now really, how can anyone think that CRT is a "clap-along" song?
Regarding official release of this concert, Gord wasn't taping it for an album release. It was taped for a radio broadcast, and the later release on CD was unauthorized. Gord never intended it for a live album, so it would never have been considered by WB for an official album.
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Valerie Magee
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