Mr. Big - new live boxset coming!

I just stumbled onto this new release accidentally while looking for something to buy on CDJapan b4 my current buyers points expire. I know I would have appreciated learning about this so am posting this up here for any other "big" Mr. Big fans.



Did some googling around to learn more about it and found this writeup on it on Blabbermouth dated Feb 9, 2021 below. Btw some interesting comments below from Billy Sheehan about how the record label ruined their last studio album with a rush mastering job. I knew that that album was a rush job in the first place without proper time for songwriting etc but didn't know about the after the fact butchering.

MR. BIG To Release Collection Of PAT TORPEY's Final Performances In Japan

MR. BIG To Release Collection Of PAT TORPEY's Final Performances In Japan

MR. BIG will release a new live set, "Raw Like Sushi Mega Edition - Revive 2017: 2017 Japan Tour Official Bootleg Box", on February 24. A complete collection of MR. BIG's 2017 performances in Japan, it features all nine concerts which took place between September and October of that year.

Speaking to Rodrigo Altaf of Sonic Perspectives about how the live release came about, MR. BIG singer Eric Martin said: "A couple of months ago, I got an e-mail from our record company in Japan saying that they recorded all nine concerts — Pat Torpey's last shows, as well, in Japan — but all nine concerts in Japan. I even called Michelle Sabolchick, who's our sound engineer, and has been for the last 10 years — live sound — and I go, 'Did you see any Pro Tools equipment? You're front of the house. Did they record?' And she goes, 'Nobody was recording around me.' And I'm, like, 'How did you guys do that? We didn't even sign off on it or anything.'

"I didn't realize this, but they kind of did it every year that we were there; I just never knew it," he continued. "And they did it on the monitor board. So they have the monitor mix of all nine concerts. Anyway, that being said, they mixed it, and what it is is nine shows, a lot of the same songs, different energy in different cities, and there's about three or four shows that have a medley of songs that we never freakin' play live — switching instruments and that kind of thing, if you've ever seen a MR. BIG concert. It's pretty good. I'm glad that they captured it. And I'm glad I didn't know about it, because if I knew about it, I'd get all scared."

Last November, MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan said that no decisions have yet been made regarding the band's future following the passing of Pat Torpey. The drummer died in February 2018 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Speaking to FOX17 Rock & Review about MR. BIG's legacy, Sheehan said: "It was quite a band. We had incredible success with the band, especially internationally, which worked out really nice for us, 'cause right around the mid-'90s, the world went grunge — well, the U.S. and Europe kind of went grunge, but everywhere else, it didn't, so South America, Southeast Asia and all those places, we could still sell out shows and do really well.

"We had a great run," he continued. "We still exist, but, as you know, sadly we lost our drummer, and we don't have any plan at this point for anything. We'll just let nature take its course. At some point, maybe we'll do something again. We don't know. Maybe me and Paul [Gilbert, guitar], maybe me and Eric [Martin, vocals], maybe Eric and Paul, maybe us with a different drummer — it could be anything — but we have not discussed it at all, and we're just kind of letting it go.

"It was tough for us [to deal with Pat's death]. The four component parts had to be there in order for it to be MR. BIG. But we appreciate [the support]. I still get a lot of e-mail every day regarding MR. BIG and our songs. Some amazing e-mails from people that, you begin to realize how you touch people around the world. Some little girl in Pakistan is having a hard time, and she listens to our music, and now everything's okay again. [It's] pretty amazing."

Last May, Sheehan gave an interview to the "Music Mania" podcast in which he claimed that a "mastering problem" with MR. BIG's latest album, "Defying Gravity", which came out three years ago, made the LP "unlistenable." He went on to say that "the label ruined the record" by insisting on having the album and "putting it out when it's not ready." He explained: "If we had another day to get it to proper mastering and get it done right, it would have been fine. 'Cause I was there for the final mixes — I went in there every day and listened to mixes. Pat was there with us too. We went through the mixes, and they were sounding great. And, unfortunately, we got screwed.

"I've seen it before in many other situations with many other bands," he added. "We've got the marketing department and they're ready to go and they've gotta have the record now. And then I've also seen other bands just say, 'No. The record is not done. You're out of luck.' And I wish we would have just said that, because I just don't think the record had the kind of life it had when I heard the final mixes."

A short time later, Frontiers Music Srl released a statement clarifying that it wasn't the label responsible for "ruining" "Defying Gravity", which marked Torpey's final recorded appearance with MR. BIG.

"Defying Gravity" was released via Wowow Entertainment, Inc. in Japan and Frontiers Music Srl in most of the rest of the world.

After announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, Torpey continued to write, record and perform with MR. BIG, who also recruited Matt Starr to share drum duties.

MR. BIG, formed in 1988, produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits include "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".​

After checking out some sites for prices like Amazon, DeepDiscount, etc I found the best price I could get was via CDJapan even with the shipping added so I ordered it from them. The release date is not as stated in the Blabbermouth article above. According to CDJapan it is coming out next week (March 24th).

Revive 2017 2017 Japan Tour Official Bootleg Box [Limited Release] [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)] MR.BIG CD Album



And speaking of Mr. Big, stumbled on this blurb on Blabbermouth about Paul Gilbert, he has a new album coming out in a couple of months which I did not know about:

PAUL GILBERT To Release 'Werewolves Of Portland' Solo Album In June

PAUL GILBERT To Release 'Werewolves Of Portland' Solo Album In June



MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert will release his 16th solo studio album, "Werewolves Of Portland", on June 4 via The Players Club. The video for the disc's first single, "Argument About Pie", can be seen below

MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert will release his 16th solo studio album, "Werewolves Of Portland", on June 4 via The Players Club. The video for the disc's first single, "Argument About Pie", can be seen below.

With the international lockdown putting the world on hold, Gilbert decided to, rather than wait, he got on with playing all the instruments on the album himself. "It took me about six months to think of it, but it finally occurred to me that I could play all the instruments myself. I've always loved playing drums, and I can play bass and keyboards well enough to get the job done," he says.

Talking about the first song released from the album, he explains: "Most of my titles come from the lyrics that I write in order to get a melody going. I've even printed the lyrics in the liner notes of the album, so you can 'read along' as you listen to the music.

"'Argument About Pie' is one of my favorites. This lyric came from my pre-lockdown experiences of stopping by my local pie shop for a slice of strawberry rhubarb. Amidst all the brewing angst in Portland, the pie shop was a place where everyone was happy and at peace. Eating pie seemed to be something that everyone could agree on. Since my mind has the habit of searching for contrasts, I started to wonder what people might be against eating pie."

Recorded at Opal Studio in Portland with co-producer and engineer Kevin Hahn, "Werewolves Of Portland" saw Gilbert pulling out some of his current favorite guitars for the job. "I mostly used my Ibanez Fireman guitars," he says. "I've been collecting vintage Ibanez guitars lately, too. I brought some models from the '70s, '80s, and '90s like the Ibanez Artist, Roadstar II and Ghostrider. I also brought and modified a '60s Epiphone Olympic. I used to play those in the early days of RACER X, so it was fun to have a guitar that reminded me of my early shredder style."

The album title's inspiration partly comes from the Warren Zevon song "Werewolves Of London". "I live in Portland and thought it would be funny to substitute the name of my much lesser-known city," Paul says. "My original idea for the 'Werewolves' was just the guys in my band and me. When we play music, it is our version of 'howling at the moon'. Unfortunately, Portland has become more 'known' in the last year for events that are pretty sad to watch. And 'Werewolves' could take on other meanings that I certainly hadn't anticipated. But the title, to me, still has a musical meaning."

Gilbert is a formidable force. From his time in Los Angeles metallers RACER X to helping form MR. BIG, one of the era's most revered names, his distinguished solo career has seen him putting out 15 acclaimed records and guesting on albums from such diverse names as Todd Rundgren, BOWLING FOR SOUP, Glenn Hughes and MC Lars. He also toured with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in 2007 ("G3") and two years later with Richie Kotzen and George Lynch ("Guitar Generation"). This is not to mention a lengthy tenure as a much-in-demand teacher and instructor. This began when he was still a teenager, being hired in 1985 by the prestigious Guitar Institute Of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles.

"I didn't become a musician to shout my ideas, complaints, or philosophies at anyone," Paul says. "I love music because of the music. So I love my method of using my inner rants as scaffolding to build melodies. This scaffolding can then be pulled away to unveil some pure emotional music. This works perfectly for me and hopefully for my listeners.

"I need to be able to visualize the look and sound of my fretboard well enough to play accurately in my mind," he explains. "It's almost like real air guitar! Then when I actually go to play the music, I've got a good chance of having my melodic intentions come true. And that's about the best feeling in the world."

"Werewolves Of Portland" track listing:

01. Hello North Dakota!
02. My Goodness
03. Werewolves Of Portland
04. Professorship At The Leningrad Conservatory
05. Argument About Pie
06. Meaningful
07. I Wanna Cry (Even Though I Ain't Sad)
08. A Thunderous Ovation Shook The Columns
09. Problem-Solving People
10. (You Would Not Be Able To Handle) What I Handle Every Day

Photo by Jason Quigley​

That music video above might be my favorite ever! Love the animation of his drawings set to the music, especially the bits with the words sung by his guitar. The whole thing is a must see IMO, lots of cool moments (not giving anything away). Can't wait for this one.

 

P.S. I do not understand why not, but some images I copied into my post above did not come through (at least when looking at it now) despite being visible in what I wrote & check with the "preview" option.

Am trying again for the hell of it...








Oh well. Something is wrong with the forum right now I guess..

 

Just in case anyone is interested in this set here is a heads up.

My preorder for this that I placed at CDJapan has been cancelled for unknown reason (they did not even let me know, had to discover it in paypal) and going back to CDJapan they have this marked now as SOLD OUT.

To get it I had to order it elsewhere now for about $40 more.

If you want this you may need to move on it now or pay OOP prices later (or try to get lucky on the used market).

 

Just wanted to ask, did anyone else get this?

I am curious if the box you got properly fits all the CDs. Because mine does not. Has enough extra space for like 3-4 more double foldout album sleeves/discs. I bought it as "new" on ebay but since these releases are not truly sealed (they come in plastic sleeve with glue on it that can be opened then closed back up) I wonder if mine is missing something.

Also regarding what happened to my preorder on CDJapan above, I went through a long frustrating dialog with them, had no idea how much they suck customer service wise. They should NOT have canceled my preorder (they got plenty more in stock a few days later). They SHOULD have let me know when they did cancel (they did NOT). They should have answered my questions & acknowledged that they made a mistake. They should have contacted me originally to give me the option to wait for more to come in or take a refund. They should have offered me some type of credit or extra $10 refund due to the fact that when they canceled this - not just for the hassle involved & my then thinking this was truly sold out/OOP so I ended up buying for an extra $40) - but plus the fact that when they refunded my money in yen, that paypal used a DIFFERENT exchange rate for my paying in $ converted to yen for them vs that they used a DIFFERENT exchange rate for the reverse way when they refunded my $$ and ended up costing me over $10 for nothing. They simply do not give a damn about their customers AT ALL. CDJapan's customer service guy flat out REFUSED to put me in contact with someone else to discuss the entire mess when I tired of his non-answers and BS and asked him to put me in touch with someone above him. Ended up I told him to delete my account since I would never give them another dime for anything after all this hassle - after my spending like 5-10k there over the years. Unbelievable. I did complain to paypal about the $ shortage conversion hassle and THEY refunded me with no problem whatsoever since none of this was my fault, I am not the one that canceled my order etc. Rant over....