2002.10.13 - Colorado Springs, CO, USA @ World Arena

Source A:  DAT --- MBHO ka200n> MBHO Actives > JK Labs DVC V-12 > Sony PCM-M1
Taper:       Billy
Gen:          1st from Master   

Notes: Tool is very tight this night. Have a feeling that the crowd, as a whole, realizes that Tool are playing an alteration to their more standard set list of the 2002 leg of tours. This is the first time Tool played Cold & Ugly since 1998 & they perform it like they've been doing so forever. As for the recording, it is hard to compare the quality simply because this taper & his rig are far above 90% of other tapers around as far as sound, outcome & equipment. I think this sounds perhaps a little bit better than a Schoeps recording; which is saying quite a bit, I think. One of the better Fall 2002 recordings. Definitely a superb capture of a very interesting performance = highly recommended. Hands down, this is the best source for this performance.

    CD 1
Time: 75:29                                                                              

CD 2
Time: 46:48

Tuva
Cold & Ugly
Commando
The Grudge
(-) Ions
Stinkfist
46 & 2
Schism
Parabol
Parabola
Ænema
Intermission
Disposition
Reflection
Triad
Lateralus

Source B: DAT --- MM Sennheiser MKE40 > BB/69 > Sony TCD-D8

Notes: Really, a nice performance which sort of demonstrates how & why Tool has as much respect as they do. If you don't know what I mean, then you should hear this recording. Simple as that. As for the recording itself, the crowd is low & the audio is crisp, clean & clear. The only problem is that for the first 30 or so minutes, the taper was messing with his microphone or something. Left channel sporadically drops in then out. Kind of irritating. For that reason, that reason alone, this maybe best left for collector's even though the majority of copies that are around are from this source. Also, there are lots & lots of SHN sourced copies of this show. I was told this is not SHN but I suspect it may be. Not that it really matters, all of them seem to be.

 CD 1
Time: 59:23                                                                                  

CD 2
Time: 41:14

Source C: Analog --- Sonic Studios DSM-6S/L > PA-6LC2 > Sony WM-D6C
Taper:      DP
Gen:         1st from Master 

Notes: Overall, the sound seems to a little distant and the vocals a little bit muddy. Although not -bad- in any sense, there are better recordings/sources for this show available. The crowd can overpower the microphones on a few occasions and, due to the distance from the stacks, this may cause some listeners to become slightly agitated. Really, in a sense, this sounds like a recording from 1994 or so. Really, the taper is using the same technology as was the norm 10 years back. But, that is a matter of taste. For some people, the slight tape hiss will drive them nuts, for others, they won't even notice it. For me, I like the sound of analog as well as digital. The thing which I am not too terribly impressed about on this recording are the echoes and the "hall" sound that give it the total vibe.

 CD 1
Time: 62:36                                                                                 

CD 2
Time: 49:08

Source D: Mini Disc --- Core Sound Cardioids > Sony MZ-R700

Notes:
For those looking for information or opinion on this particular performance, I suggest you look at other sources as there is no sense of repetition here. This particular recording, apparently, surfaced in late 2003. This is a basic MD recording and seems to be a a little below average in overall sound presence. It is a decent enough capture but the flaws in the sound are noticeable if you are looking for it. This is certainly not a bad or terrible recording as there are positives about it such as a crispness that is unique. The taper was not close to the sound source as there is a slight echo that is audible. Taking a guess, from where the taper was, the choice of cardioids mics actually was beneficial as had binaural mics been used, I think the sound would not be as decent. This is a show that collectors or completionist (if there is such a thing) may want just to get. Had this been the only recording of this show perhaps this CSC>R700 show would be more collectible. But since it's not, people may choose to just grab a better sounding source, like the MBHO version.
Maynardism: "We were told that this is Colorado Springs, is that true? Well it... it sounds like Denver to me. Are you sure you are Colorado Springs? We noticed that you still had your clothes on...that's a problem." 

 CD 1
Time: 75:43

CD 2
Time: 43:31