With most products, people have their favorite brands. As far as bootleg records go, Andy Capp Records is certainly one of my all-time favorite labels. Based out of Italy (I think), these guys do a ton of really interesting Pink Floyd releases. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with one of their offerings.
The record we are looking at today was released somewhere around September 2023, and I only got a hold of a copy in the last few weeks. Andy Capp is well known for the quality of their products, and they really do seem to put a good deal of care into putting out a good quality package. The King of Battersea comes on colored vinyl (green in my case), along with a high-quality printed gatefold sleeve and two posters. As per usual, an obi is also included on the cover. Each copy is numbered out of 100 (100 were made in this color… I know there are sets of at least one other color as well).
When I opened and cleaned the records, I noticed a slight warp on disc 2. Thankfully, this didn’t affect the play in any way. The actual vinyl itself is of good quality, although my green colored vinyl does have what looks to be some sort of dirty streaks in it. I suppose it adds some character. Let’s call it “dirty marbled green”. The sticker in the upper right-hand corner of the sleeve has a picture of a marker (mine is green…the color of the marker differs based on what color of vinyl that edition is pressed on) and notes that two posters are included inside.
The only annoying thing I spotted right away were the disc labels, which is the only continuous problem I have with Andy Capp Records. The labels look cool but provide no information. This is tolerable on single disc releases, but gets to be annoying when more than one disc is involved. To tell them apart and know which side is which, you have to check the tiny print in the deadwax which is very difficult to see. Besides that, the records had no scratches or other visible defects which is always a good start.
Recorded Live at Hallenstadion- Zurich on 3 February 1977 during the “In The Flesh” Tour
A1 Sheep
A2 Pigs On The Wing (Part 1)
B1 Dogs
B2 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1/5)
C1 Welcome To The Machine
C2 Have A Cigar
C3 Wish You Were Here
D1 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 6/9)
D2 Money
Whoever taped this show did a very good job, and in most parts it’s almost good enough to pass for an official recording. Although the ordering of the songs seems kind of bizarre, the set list is thankfully different than the usual Atom Heart Mother era boots that are so widely available.
This particular performance of Dogs is great, but infuriatingly, it gets cut off early. I’m not entirely sure if this was an issue with the original audio source, or perhaps it was cut for time here. I’d like to think the people putting this together wouldn’t do such a thing, so I imagine it’s the aforementioned. After hearing that cut, I was afraid that parts of Shine On might also be cut out, but thankfully they were not. There might have been one or two edits, but mostly, the concert just plays as if you were there, which is my favorite way to hear these shows.
It should be said that this is not the best vocal performance by either Roger Waters or David Gilmour. I can see why they might not be thrilled with stuff like this getting out there to the public. If you ever wondered why no one from the band sings on the album version of Have A Cigar, you can listen to this concert and find your answer. At one point in the show (I think it was during Cigar), Gilmour actually starts laughing after he just can’t reach some of the high notes.
As someone who is primarily interested in recordings like these because I was too young to see the band in person, all of these flubs are very interesting. While some of the songs were very tight, others have a jam-like atmosphere that I just didn’t expect to hear. There is a major contrast between the flawless performances we see today from Waters, Gilmour and Mason and a live show from the 70’s like we have here on The King of Battersea.
Overall, I would give this release an 8/10. The production of the actual physical release was well done as always by Andy Capp, and they didn’t get in the way of the great show that was presented in the original recording. There might be one or two clicks and pops here and there, but nothing major at all. If you are a fan of the Wish You Were Here and Animals period, this is worth going out of your way to pick up. Be warned however, that the price is a little high for this one. If you can manage to find a copy, expect to pay between 120.00 US and 175.00 US before shipping costs. I don’t think I would pay any more for it at that price point. Small run prints like these are expensive to make, but we have to draw the line at some point.
If you’ve read this far, thanks very much. I am just getting started, and while there will be a lot of boots reviewed here (and a lot of Pink Floyd), I will be doing some other things as well. Not everything will be a review, but I also promise to talk about some more mainstream items that are easier for everyone to get a hold of if you happen to be interested in them.
Until next time….