I see your point, and it's a good one. But...

Honestly, I think you have to take it for what it is... it's a soundboard recording. Like Rob alluded too, it's not a big mastered project (like the Tennessee shows are gonna be). This was what went through the soundboard and re-directed onstage... so it's not a clear representation of how it sounded live at all.

Anyone who has copies of old soundboard recordings can tell you that those things will vary by venue too depending on how the soundguy sets things up. Levels on drums will be higher than levels on guitars. Vocals will sound strained and prominent, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. A lot of those old recordings weren't soundboarded but recorded using an external mic on a DAT or cassette recorded (so it included more audience and evened the levels the way they came out through the speakers).

But a soundboard recording is... well... just a soundboard recording. I wouldn't use it to judge how the show was at all. That's like watching a quick homemade mpeg that I post on the internet of a show, and then you judge how the concert was based on that... Depending on the person, we'd get many varying responses.

With all that said, it's a cool little time capsule, but I honestly take it for what it is... a cool (but not mastered) recording of a show. I've heard it was awesome live, and from my experience, naked soundboards don't capture that at all.

Me? I'm waiting for the official live Tennessee shows to be completed...