08-Jan-70 Colston Hall, Bristol, England
09-Jan-70 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
28-Feb-70 Copenhagen, Denmark
10-Mar-70 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
11-Mar-70 Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany
07-Mar-70 Montreaux Jazz Festival, Montreaux, Switzerland
21-Mar-70 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver BC, Canada
25-Mar-70 Denver Coliseum
27-Mar-70 L.A.Forum, CA.
28-Mar-70 Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas
29-Mar-70 Hofheinz Pavilion, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
07-Apr-70 Dorten Auditorium, Raleigh, North Carolina
09-Apr-70 Curtis Hickson Hall, Tampa
14-Apr-70 Ottawa Civic Centre, Ontario, Canada
28-Jun-70 Bath Festival, Shepton Mallet, England
15-Aug-70 Yale Bowl: New Haven, Connecticut
17-Aug-70 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
21-Aug-70 Tulsa, Oklahoma
31-Aug-70 Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
02-Sep-70 Oakland, CA.
04-Sep-70 L.A. Forum, CA.
06-Sep-70 International Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii
09-Sep-70 Boston, MA.
19-Sep-70 Madison Square Garden, New York
08-Jan-70 Bristol
Bristol Stomp (No Label) Per **** SQ **1/2 Appeal HC
New show to appear in this double CD set from the Colston Hall, Bristol on January 8, 1970. This audience recording starts off in We're Gonna Grove as very muffled, distorted and distant but does afterward become clearer even if tape wobble is heard in places. Moby Dick is severely cut and there are drop out's in Dazed. Most songs are played in short but intense arrangements, especially I Can't Quit You and Communication Breakdown. Good guitar work on Heartbreaker, White Summer and How Many More Times. There are other 1970 shows which are easier on the ear. (Tony Gassett Feb 99)>
09-Jan-70 London
Historical Birthday. (Shout To The Top)
Track List(51:38).Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/C'mon Everybody/Something Else/Bring It On Home /How Many More Times (The Hunter/Boogie Woogie/High Flyin' Momma/Leave My Woman Alone/Lemon Song /That's Alright).
Single-CD from the Royal Albert Hall on January 9 1970. Allegedly sourced from a new AM master, this is the soundboard recording previously available. The sound quality is indeed sharper and brighter only slightly compressed when compared to a no-label release I own, with absolutely no hiss at all. The only minor flaw is that this release has some faint pops throughout, only noticeable while listening upclose. The quality improvement is not great but certainly very enjoyable, and with the added bonus that this is not a reissue expensively packaged. Nice pictures from the event on the outside of a standard CD case, out of place pictures from the Lyceum '69 gig on the inside. My copy doesn't have a transparent CD holder so a photograph is covered underneath. For the slightly-below-average asking price and the excellent sound quality of a legendary performance, this is worth having for collectors old and new.
28-Feb-70 Copenhagen
Dancing with Snow Queen (2CD, Babyface, Babyface 9602) Copenhagen, 2.28.70, aud
Set List: DaC, HB, WS-BMS, SIBLY, TY, MD, HMMT, WLL, CB, C'mon Everybody, Something Else, BIOH, Long Tall Sally
Source tape is identical to that of 'The Nobs!' (2CD), and 'A Riot Goes on' (2CD). Both sound quality and completeness of these 3 titles, including Babyface release, is almost equivalent. Strictly speaking, 'The Nobs!' is a bit inferior to the rest since it contains a slight dropout in HMMT.
Dancing with Snow Queen BabyFace Single Paper Slip Case SQ: 6
Set List: Dazed&Confused, Heartbreaker, White Summer ~ Black Mt. Side, Since I've Been Loving You, Organ Solo~Thank You, Moby Dick, How Many More Times, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown, C'mon Everybody, Something Else, Bring It on Home, Long Tall Sally.
Not a great deal needs to be said about this release. It is basically a re-issue of previous releases of this show (Riot Going On, The Nobs). The Nobs is slightly inferior. The performance is devastating as most will attest. The recording is perhaps *slightly* above average, though at times (with the incessant clapping etc... it is almost unlistenable). I have never understood the praise afforded this recording (i.e. Luis Rey and Mark McFall among others). The source used for these CD releases, as well as the tapes I have of this show, are definitely not in the "very good" range. Distance, distortion and some audience disturbance deter from the enjoyment of this recording. These notwithstanding, it is definitely a quite listenable show. That said, the performance is perhaps the best of the 1970 Euro - Tour recordings. "Dazed" is performed at a fevered pitch. Bonham is in a thrashing mood throughout "Dazed" as well as a frantic "Heartbreaker". "White Summer" is a drastic change of pace. Another early live version of "Since I've Been Loving You" emotes raw energy, but lacks the refined dramatic quality of later live versions. Early version of the Organ Solo intro to "Thank You" is extremely brief; Jones has yet to transform it into a piece worthy of scrutiny. The distance of Page's guitar deters from the enjoyment of a concise, beautiful solo in "Thank You". Plant has not yet developed his "Bum, Ba, Bum, Ba, Bum, Ba, Bum" for the conclusion, but he hints at it. Few Page fanfares as well. "How Many More Times", as usual, is the showstopper. The band is hounded by the incessant clapping at the outset. Same dramatic intro riffs as the Royal Albert Hall show from just over a month earlier. This is the real "riot going on" portion of the show... with Robert exhorting the crowd, and some '69 style call and response. The rare encores "C'mon Everybody", "Something Else", "Bring It on Home" and "Long Tall Sally" make this show a classic.
Summary: It is a good idea to get a copy of this show, due to the great performance, the rarities, and the historical value (this is "The Nobs" show after all). No need to purchase this release if you already have a copy of the show, as this is not an upgrade. (Paul Holdren Oct 97)
Dancing With Snow Queen (Baby Face) Per **** SQ *** Appeal General
This is the show at the KB Hallen, Copenhagen on February 28 1970 where the band were billed as The Nobs. This 2 CD set is the previously issued audience recording of most of the performance and is generally good sound quality. All the instruments are discernible with a bias towards the bass frequencies and some low end distortion. The audience is noisy and clap along in the quite passages and become more excited on each number and then go wild on Whole Lotta Love. The group play well throughout, especially Bonham and only Page's solo in Since I've Been Loving You is a bit too cool. Worth getting as this is the best show from the early 1970 European tour.
10-Mar-70 Hamburg
Mystery European Gig (The Symbols BS 38-39)
Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany March 10th, 1970
Disc 1: Were gonna groove, I cant quit you baby, Dazed and confused, Heartbreaker, White summer/Black mountain side, Since I've been loving you, Organ solo/Thank you (fades out)
Disc 2: What is and what should never be, Moby dick (slightly cut), How many more times (inc. The hunter, Boogie chillun, Truckin little mama, Rollin and tumblin, Down by the riverside, Travelling riverside blues, Long distance call blues, The lemon song), Whole lotta love.
There has been lot of speculation about the place where this gig is recorded. Some people say its Hamburg, some people (and back cover of the CD) say its Frankfurt. Personally, I place this show to Hamburg, as Plant clearly mentions Hamburg in the beginning of How many more times. Anyway, now to the show itself. Were gonna groove kicks off the show. At this point, sound quality is still little murky but in I cant quit you baby it has get better. Dazed and confused has grown itself almost a 20-minute long epic and Heartbeaker has a very quiet intro. And if you listen carefully, you can hear Plant starting to sing first lines from Living loving maid (She's a woman) after the song is finished. White summer/Black mountain side is on turn next and before the song starts, somebody from the audience shouts something in German (something funny, I guess, `cause the audience starts to laugh). Next the preview from LED ZEPPELIN III (released in October 1970), the slow blues Since I've been loving you. As this piece is finished, Jones starts his organ solo (he is doing marvellous job again), which is followed by Thank you (personally, I think this version is one of the strongest they ever played live). Unfortunately this brilliant piece fades out just before the final verse is about to begin. Disc 2 starts with What is and what should never be from the second album. Then its time for John Bonham and Moby dick. Bonham plays this piece like he has always played and very polite audience applauses for him after he has finished his playing. The long (one of the longest ever played) How many more times medley follows and Plant introduces the band members. Then it's the final track Whole lotta love and another marvellous night is over.
11-Mar-70 Hamburg
Everybody, Everybody (IQ-053/054)
Musikhalle, Hamburg, Germany March 11, 1970
CD 1: (69:09) introduction/ We're Gonna Groove, I Can't Quit You, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker (dropout during guitar solo), White Summer/ Black Mountain Side (contains a cut in the middle), Since I've Been Loving You (minor dropout near end), organ solo/ Thank You
CD 2: (47:40) Moby Dick (muffled in the beginning), How Many More Times (includes The Hunter (digital distortion in one spot), Ravels Bolero, Needle Blues, Boogie Woogie, Truckin' Little Mama, Long Distance Call Blues, Shake �m On Down, Lemon Song)/ Whole Lotta Love (contains 2 small separate bumps during the spaced out guitar section)
The sound quality of the audience tape used for this release starts off good. The recording is overloaded by the bass which distorts the tape a little. We're Gonna Groove sounds cluttered and the instruments lack definition. There is also tape hiss in the upper frequencies. A good equalizer will temper the tape hiss. The tapers talk around the recorder in places, but it's minor. The recording clears up a bit by I Can't Quit You, but the bass still overloads the tape in places. The quality of the recording ranks somewhere between good and very good from this point on. The recording does drop back a notch from How Many More Times to the end of the tape as the bass gets a little heavy and the instruments lose clarity. Whole Lotta Love is not cued separately. The tape ends shortly after the *looove* portion of Whole Lotta Love.
Everybody, Everybody (Image Quality) Per *** SQ *** Appeal G
After much confusion over dates and places in the German section of the first European tour this is a 2 CD set from the Musikhalle, Hamburg on March 11, 1970. The audience recording starts off a little distant, muddy with some bass overload. The sound starts to become clearer after the first number and then becomes muddy again at the end of the recording. Two songs, Thank You and Since I've been Loving You sound a bit closer and more distorted - maybe from a second source. A low level of hiss is heard during the quieter moments. There are cuts in Heartbreaker, White Summer and the end of Whole Lotta Love is missing. Standout performance is Dazed And Confused and Jones' jazzy organ intro to Thank You is worth noting. Plant almost raps with the audience during the How Many More Times medley. This is a good but not outstanding show from this early period.
07-Mar-70 Switzerland
Divinity (Atlantic Ocean 208)
Disc 1: We're Gonna Groove/I Can't Quit You, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker, White Summer/Black Mountain Side.
Disc 2: Since I've Been Loving You, organ solo/Thank You, What Is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, How Many More Times (cut...)
March 7th, 1970 at the Grand Casino in Montreaux. This comes from the excellent audience recording of this show. All of the other titles used the vinyl source. But here, the master tape has been used which is a significant upgrade. Also, for the first time, the original running order has been restored (previous releases have put White Summer after I Can't Quit You). This recording has all of the virtues of both soundboard and audience. There is very little audience noise, and all of the instruments are perfectly balanced. The performance itself is excellent, including Robert's funny attempts to speak French! This title is a wonderful production, and might be considered to be the greatest Led Zeppelin bootleg of all time! It's that good. The only negatives are that there minor levels of tape hiss in the quieter moments, and How Many More Times is still not complete. But the packaging and the quality and the performance are simple wonderful. Definitely recommended.
All That Jazz (TDOLZ 339701/339702 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Montreaux Jazz Festival, Montreaux, Switzerland, March 14, 1970 (Date is 7th March)
CD 1: (44:04) introduction/ We're Gonna Groove (contains a tape speed up), I Can't Quit You, White Summer/ Black Mountain Side (contains a small cut near the end), Dazed & Confused, Rice Pudding intro./ Heartbreaker
CD 2: (45:16) Since I've Been Loving You, organ solo/ Thank You, What Is & What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Suzie Q intro./ How Many More Times (ending cut)
This release is sourced from a very good to near excellent audience recording. There is some tape hiss, but it's in a high frequency that can be easily reduced. Page comes in late after Moby Dick's drum solo. The tape ends during How Many More Times just as Page starts his guitar work before the medleys. Since I've Been Loving You, labelled on disc one, is on disc two. There are three prior releases of this show: We're Gonna Groove (Scorpio), Feel All Right (Cobla) and Dark Tower (Tarantura). We're Gonna Groove did not include Moby Dick and was sourced from vinyl. Feel All Right was also sourced from vinyl, but contained Moby Dick. Its mastering included all the pops and clicks plus Cobla's overabundance of high-pitched tape hiss from over equalization. It also runs 4% slower than All That Jazz. On the other hand, Tarantura used tape sources (as did TDOLZ). However, they were either high generation tapes or Tarantura used too much noise reduction because they sound flat. They also run 6% slower than All That Jazz. All releases contain the same cuts (Feel All Right has a minor dropout near the beginning of Dazed & Confused) and tape speed up (edited out on Feel All Right). How Many More Times on Dark Tower is two minutes shorter than the other releases. It would have been nice if TDOLZ had included the broadcast portions of the show as bonus material.
All That Jazz (Diagrams of Led Zeppelin) Per **** SQ **** Appeal G
This is the audience source from the Montreaux Jazz Festival on March 14, 1970. The 2 CD set contains the whole show up to the How Many More Times medley. All instruments are clear, with slight hiss and a little distortion. There is a minor bit of tape speed-up in the opening track. Dazed And Confused is the standout number and White Summer/Black Mountain Side is also excellent. There is a good vocal workout on Since I've been Loving You, nice bass work on I Can't Quit You and within the inventive organ intro to Thank You, variations of Tim Harding's Hang On To A Dream can be heard. Although coming too late after the Moby Dick solo, Page produces good guitar work on Heartbreaker. Previous versions of this show ran at varying speeds. A nice release to finish off the first full European tour.
21-Mar-70 Vancouver
Mudslide (TDOLZ Vol. 44)
Heartbreaker, organ solo/Thank You, What Is and What Should Never Be, Communication Breakdown (include. Ramble On), We're Gonna Groove, Since I've Been Loving You, Whole Lotta Love (middle cut).
March 21, 1970 show in Vancouver. Opinions are split on this tape. Some call it a "night to forget," were others call this a "demonic display." This release uses the soundboard tape source (not from vinyl). This is a title that is required for any collection. TDOLZ have packaged it using the TMQ cover, making this a celebration of the original vinyl release. The tape is poorly edited, but it definitely worth having. Communication Breakdown, with the Ramble On interlude, We're Gonna Groove, and Heartbreaker are definite stand outs.
25-Mar-70 Denver
Denver 1970 (Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Per **** SQ *** Appeal: General
Two disc audience sourced set out for the first time from the Denver Coliseum on March 25 1970. Starting off distant, muddy and hissy the sound brightens up after a while allowing more detail to be discernible, but there are volume fluctuations later on. Also, in Thank You some tape print-through can be heard in the left channel, which does clear towards the end of the show. A very upbeat performance all-round, Dazed has good Page/Plant interaction, Thank You is very dramatic featuring an intense guitar solo and Robert Plant really goes for the high notes. Worth putting up with average sound quality for the musical delights!
27-Mar-70 L.A.
LA Jive & Rambling Mind (Holy Grail)
Per **** SQ *** Appeal G
Upgraded version from the original Mud Dogs release D'Ya Feel Alright?, this is the audience source from The Forum, Inglewood show on March 27, 1970. The sound starts off muffled and a little distant, the drums overpowering the guitar. A few numbers in, it's gets clearer but more hissy. There are cuts in Dazed and the beginning of Moby Dick. Also there are occasional dropouts and the odd bit of tape wobble. This is a great gig; How Many More Times is epic, good guitar work in Heartbreaker, White Summer, Since I've Been Loving You and an impressive Jones' Organ intro to Thank You. Plants vocals are convincing throughout. Included as a bonus at the end of the second CD is Communication Breakdown from the Boston Gardens show on September 9, 1970. The performance overcomes the occasional sonic deficiency, giving this release general appeal.
28-Mar-70 Texas
Texas, Two Steps (TDOLZ 359701/359702 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas, March 28, 1970
CD 1: (64:23) We're Gonna Groove, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker, Bring It On Home, White Summer/ Black Mountain Side (contains a small cut near the end and the last minute is cut), Since I've Been Loving You, organ solo/ Thank You (contains some tape distortion in one spot)
CD 2: (58:27) What Is & What Should Never Be, Moby Dick (ending cut),
Hofheinz Pavilion, University of Houston, Houston, Texas March 29, 1970
White Summer/ Black Mountain Side, For What It's Worth intro./ How Many More Times (includes Down by the River, Ravel's Bolero, The Hunter (small cut prior to), Needle Blues (contains a cut, then garbled, then another cut after), For What It's Worth, Tobacco Road (beginning only)) (tape garbled in beginning)
The recording from the 28th is from a good to very good, clear, slightly distant audience tape. The sound is slightly flat and tape hiss is very noticeable. Equalizing the tape hiss out only dulls the sound more. The balance shifts to one channel for a few seconds during Heartbreaker's guitar solo which contains only Bouree. Heartbreaker goes directly into Bring It On Home. The audience does get a little talkative during White Summer. It's minor, but annoying. The cut at the end of White Summer occurs after Page finishes his soloing. Dead silence follows the cut with audience clapping fading in. Even though its ending is cut, Moby Dick is still 19 minutes long!
29-Mar-70 Texas
Texas, Two Steps (TDOLZ 359701/359702 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
(see March 28th for track listing)
The recording from the 29th is very good, clear and significantly brighter than the recording from the 28th (probably a result of being closer to the stage). It also has less tape hiss. There is some initial distortion during White Summer when the drums enter. Page has an obsession with playing For What It's Worth during How Many More Times. Not only does he use it as an introduction, but reintroduces it after the first verse and includes it during the medley. Curiously, Plant doesn't sing any of its lyrics. The tape ends as they are getting into Tobacco Road.
07-Apr-70 Raleigh
American Accents (Baby Face) Per ****1/2 SQ **** Appeal General
This 2 CD set is no longer than previous versions of this audience source from the Dorten Auditorium, Raleigh, North Carolina on April 7, 1970. All instruments are clear, with a slight bias to the bass frequencies and a bit of hiss audible in the quieter moments. The taper missed the very start of We're Gonna Groove and as Moby Dick starts to fade towards the end, the track is cut. Virtually every track is excellent, always lively and technically proficient. Page is fast and fluent on Dazed and Confused, inspired on White Summer. Jones gives a good intro. to Thank You on the organ and check out Plant's harmonica work on Bring It On Home. Although not the complete gig, this set is worth seeking out.
09-Apr-70 Tampa
Makundju (Cobla) Per ***1/2 SQ *** Appeal G
Well represented on disc before this 2 CD set is from the Curtis Hickson Hall, Tampa on April 1970. The audience recording starts with the end section only of Bring It On Home and misses the first part of What Is And What Should Never Be. Generally good quality listening with the instruments being clear and in reasonable balance. There is some slight hiss with occasional channel level changes and mike handling noise. How Many More Times has 1 cut, and tape disturbances in two places as does Whole Lotta Love. White Summer is well paced and inventive. Jones plays a good intro for Thank You and Page lets rip with a burning solo. How Many More Times features excellent Plant vocals with the audience pushing the band along in the medley. Worth adding to any collection of the fifth American tour.
14-Apr-70 Ottawa
Ottawa Sunshine (House of Elrond) 1 CD,74 minutes approximately.
This CD also includes some of the "lost" March 19 1969, BBC session.
Ottawa, Canada April 14 1970. Sixty minutes approximately.
Track Listing: Heartbreaker/Bring It On Home/White Summer/Since I've Been Loving You/Organ Solo-Thank You/ Dazed Confused/Whole Lotta Love.
A disturbing recording, stunningly detailed. The first striking factor of this document is the proximity of the recorder to the instruments, the audience sounds very far away as in a soundboard tape, but this is not the case. The taper is probably behind the stage, seemingly walking about, carelessly handling the microphone, so there are constant changes in balance and unpleasant noises. The volume also fluctuates almost constantly and so does the brightness, perhaps a digital processing system was used to eliminate the hiss. There are cuts and edits beyond the bounds of comprehension: large portions of White Summer and Dazed are cut, on the latter track the bow episode goes in and out every few seconds (the taper chooses the quiet moments to discuss, probably the optimum location of the equipment, and even coughs), Whole Lotta Love is captured seconds before the remaining portion and cuts out. The other tracks are fairly complete, only they cut in and out, the taper could not wait for the final notes to be played before stopping the recorder. On the positive side, the true value of this document is the details it offers and the excellence of the performance. Hearbreaker is furious, Jonesy's bass guitar chords are very clear and so are the echo and theremin effects; every drum head and cymbal can be heard during the Bring It On Home battle of Page and Bonzo; the fragments of White Summer are illuminating; the passionate delivery of Since I've Been Loving You is awesome, Dazed is frantic, it's a pity that the excellent bow solo is so shamelessly edited. Intriguingly, the CD bears the title "The Zippers", is that a nickname for Zeppelin?; it is really convenient to have this two recordings in a single package and at an average price form a label that probably clones the rare and expensive.
28-Jun-70 Bath
Missing Links (TDOLZ Vol. 81) Stockholm 1969 / June 28, 1970 Bath
Festival/Clearwell Castle 1978
CD: (51:08) I Can't Quit You, I Gotta Move, Dazed And Confused, How Many More Times (beginning only), Heartbreaker, That's The Way, Fire, Carouselambra, Carouselambra, Carouselambra
An interesting compilation of material presented in amazing quality from TDOLZ - the best available versions thus far.
Two tracks from the groundbreaking show at the Bath Festival on June 28, 1970 are presented in what TDOLZ says is "Taken From The Legendary Analogue LP On KRISHNA Label". This entire show is available on many different titles, but the sound quality has always been regarded as very poor to fair, at best. These two tracks do provide a significantly cleaner but still slightly distorted sound from the SAME source tape used, for example, on the 2CD title "Bath 1970" from Le-Mon Recordings. Some claim this is recorded off the soundboard.
"Missing Links" on TDOLZ is presented in very nice packaging - typical of TDOLZ. The unique cover has also been seen as the Turkish LP cover for Led Zeppelin II. Definitely a very good release by any standard, and highly recommended to the collector who already has almost everything
15-Aug-70 New Haven
Rare Short Party Image Quality Label Yale Bowl: New Haven, Connecticut 2CD SQ: 6.5-7
Set List: Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Dazed & Confused, Bring It On Home, Since I've Been Loving You (cut), What Is & What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, WLL Medley (incomplete) ~ Boogie Woogie, Bottle Up and Go, Truckin' Little Mama, Move On Down the Line, I'm Movin' On, Honey Bee, Lemon Song, Needle Blues, WLL coda, Communication Breakdown~ Good Times, Bad Times.
I recollect wondering aloud a few months back why, despite the fragmentary nature of this source, there had not been a CD release of this show. Well, here it is. As the first show of the 6th U.S. Tour, this is very much a transitional show. Outside of the legendary Bath show and a handful of July shows in Germany, the band is coming off its longest layoff without touring since its inception. None of the enthusiasm has been lost in the intermission: no rust here! Elements of earlier tours as well as the new direction Zep was taking are evident in this show. 50 days after Bath and 20 days before Blueberry Hill, this is Zep at their best. The opener "Immigrant Song" is distorted and drifts in and out as the tapers discuss where to position their equipment. By Page's solo they have decided, and the recording improves accordingly. Although the band has settled on the traditional arrangement of "Immigrant Song" this track still has an *experimental* feel to it, reminiscent of the Bath festival (in fact the whole show has a great outdoor atmosphere feel to it). "Heartbreaker", the already familiar set standard, receives a warm reception from the crowd. The whole band, led by Page, is particularly frantic after the quiet section. The first few seconds of "Dazed" is cut, a recurring phenomenon of this well-known source is the edits between tracks. The bow solo transcends description (one of the tapers compares it to being in the "twilight zone"). Great interplay between Page and Bonham during the fast solo section (some low end rumble distorts this portion of the tape, but after this section the recording quickly recovers). Some fun call and response between Page and Plant here (above and beyond the usual). "Bring It On Home", worth the price of admission alone, has Plant doing some great harmonica work in the intro and in an extended improv section working the crowd into a frenzy (one of the best "BIOH" in its short set life). Page rains cascades of fast-paced notes down on the audience, even snatches of "Poor Tom" can be heard in this section. "Since I've Been Loving You" has come a long way from early '70 versions, and its evolution into a much more dramatic piece is apparent here. Slow and drawn out is the method (the antithesis of the '73 versions). Plant's vocal range is dynamic: his "Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" at the start of the second verse send chills down the spine. Some new lyrics for the last verse as well, include: "You're the worst woman that I ever saw, I don't want to boogie with you no more!" Unfortunately, what was shaping up as a great finale is cut short. "WIAWSNB" is marred by cuts. The centrepiece of the concert is one of the best ever WLL medleys (despite the fact that the recording does not pick it up until near the start of the boogie section). After the Bath Festival, "How Many More Times" had been dropped, and now "Whole Lotta Love" contains the medley. Played with guts and unparalleled enthusiasm, this medley features some great rarities. Plant works the audience into a frenzy until all of the tension is released by the explicit lyrics of the "Lemon Song" and "Needle Blues", voraciously received by the crowd. The hysteric chants of "more!" are answered by a "Communication Breakdown" encore. Summary: A great and historic performance. The recording is good, but certainly not exceptional. Some distortion and hiss are evident throughout, as well as occasional low end rumble. The IQ 2CD release is roughly the equivalent of the tape I have of this show. As this is only an 85 minute tape, it is rather paltry for a 2 CD set. The edits detract from the show as well. Nonetheless, I still recommend it.
Rare Short Party (Image Quality) Per **** SQ **1/2 Appeal G
First appearance for this show from Yale Bowl, New Haven on August 15 1970. This 2 CD set is a fragmentary audience source, being a bit distorted, distant, lacking in top end and hissy when the volume level drops. The first section of Whole Lotta Love is missing and there are much smaller cuts to the beginning and end of Since I've Been Loving You, and in What Is And What Should Never be. There are also occasional dropouts in a few numbers. Page plays a nice aggressive solo in Heartbreaker, Plant is impressive on Since I've Been, Bonzo in Moby Dick and finally Jones serves up a good bass solo in Communication Breakdown. Bring it On Back Home features good interplay between guitar, bass and drums. The quality of the performance rather than the sound just about swings this one in favour of the general collector.
17-Aug-70 Hampton
Live In Hampton 1970 (Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin)
Per *** SQ **1/2 Appeal HC
Debut on a 2 CD set for the complete audience source from the Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton show on August 17, 1970. It's uncut, but not a particularly good recording. It starts out distant, overloaded with only the voice clear in the general mush. The instruments do clear on occasions but there are some dropouts, volume/channel changes and recorder handling noise in various places. Tape disturbance affects Dazed And Confused and Thank You. Not a outstanding show by any means, the best spots are the Heartbreaker guitar solo, and the epic organ intro to Thank You.
21-Aug-70 Tulsa
The Lights Go Down (TDOLZ 869901/869902 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 21, 1970
CD 1: (66:01) introduction (muffled in the beginning, recorder's microphone rustled throughout), Immigrant Song (tape speed up near beginning, recorder's microphone rustled for 6 seconds near beginning, nearby audience chatter for last 50 seconds, minor tape bump near end), Heartbreaker (nearby audience chatter for first 10 seconds, muffled for 30 seconds before guitar solo, recorder bumped a few times during guitar solo), Dazed & Confused (includes White Summer) (minor dropout near beginning), Bring It On Home, That's the Way (slightly muffled as vocals start, recorder's microphone rustled for a couple of seconds and for 15 seconds in two separate sections near beginning), Bron-Yr-Aur, Since Ive Been Loving You (nearby audience chatter for 9 seconds near beginning, small cut in middle, a couple of seconds of feedback in middle)
CD 2: (60:26) organ solo, Thank You, What Is & What Should Never Be, Moby Dick (strange buzzing sound for a couple of seconds in two separate sections near the middle of solo, 1:45 cut during hands only portion, strange buzzing sound for a couple of seconds near end of solo and after return of instrumentation), Whole Lotta Love (includes Boogie Woogie (feedback before its start, muffled for couple of seconds in middle), Truckin' Little Mama, Matchbox, Let me Be Your Little Dog Til' Your Big Dog Comes, That's Alright, Heartbeat, Lemon Song, My Baby Left Me, That's Alright) (strange buzzing sound for a couple of seconds during opening vocals), Communication Breakdown
The quality of this audience recording starts off somewhere between good and very good. The main drawback is the balance of the instrumentation. The vocals and guitar come through very clear. But the rhythm section is at the bottom of the mix, giving it a slightly distant sound. This is due to a recorder, and audience, still looking for their seats. The sound becomes brighter and louder after the recorder gets better positioned a minute into Immigrant Song. But the rhythm section is still at the bottom of the mix. The muffled sound during Heartbreaker "phases" the guitar sound and drops the sound quality down to good. Page and Plant's protests about the lights being turned on during Heartbreaker results in the audience settling down around the recorder. This in turn helps with the clarity of the recording and the rhythm section comes through better (the snare drum is distinguishable). The vocals and guitar are still at the top of the mix. But the recording from this point on is close to very good. There is barely any noticeable tape hiss on this release. Most likely due to the use of a very low generation tape. The inclusion of White Summer at the ending section of Dazed & Confused is unexpected, but very welcomed and fits surprisingly well. If only Plant had not vocalized over it, maybe Page would have extended further. Luis Rey asserts Tulsa Hillbilly was played before That's the Way. But this is not true. Page does play a couple bars of something while he tunes up for Born-Yr-Aur. He and Plant also play a couple bars of something before Since I've Been Loving You. I'm not sure which is Tulsa Hillbilly. Plant makes an attempt at Whole Lotta Love's finale after Lemon Song. But changes his mind when feedback interrupts him.
Plant, "woman". Audience, "woman"
Plant, "PA. Everybody say PA". Audience, "PA".
Plant, "is crap". Audience, "is crap".
Page's guitar is absent for 10 seconds at the beginning of Communication Breakdown. The volume of the guitar is also significantly lower during Communication Breakdown, especially during the solo. But Page makes up for it by reintroducing the theremin during the bass solo and at the end of the song. There have been three previous releases of this show from the same tape source: Tulsa Hillbilly (Tarantura), You Gotta Be Cool (Whole Lotta Live) and Bottle Up and Go (Scorpio). You Gotta Be Cool is a clone of Tulsa Hillbilly. Tulsa Hillbilly and Bottle Up and Go have the same tape defects as The Lights Go Down plus the following. Bottle Up and Go edited out the introduction. The minor tape bump near the end of Immigrant Song on The Lights Go Down is a dropout on the other releases. But there is a slight echo around the tape bump on The Lights Go Down which sounds like a tape splice. There are two separate spots of digital distortion on Bottle Up and Go at the beginning of Heartbreaker. The last 24 seconds of Bring It On Home (final vocal section) on Tulsa Hillbilly is extremely muffled. For some strange reason Tarantura has the organ solo and the first minute of Thank You at the end of disc one. Then repeats them in their entirety on disc two. Bottle Up and Go and Tulsa Hillbilly do not have the cut in the middle of Moby Dick (the recorder's microphone is rustled around in 3 separate sections during this missing 1:45). But Bottle Up and Go does have a dropout near the middle of the drum solo. Tulsa Hillbilly has a cut a couple minutes into the drum solo where it switches to a better and brighter tape. But its balance is off for a second in 5 separate sections during the drum solo and once near the beginning of Whole Lotta Love. Plus its tape drags for a second near the end of the drum solo. In terms of overall sound quality, The Lights Go Down is the best. The Lights Go Down and Bottle Up and Go run at the same speed. Tulsa Hillbilly runs slightly slower, but by only a percent. Tarantura used a whole lotta noise reduction on Tulsa Hillbilly. This may have eliminated tape hiss, but it dulled the sound significantly. Bottle Up and Go has minor distortion to it throughout which makes it sound "dirty". Neither Tulsa Hillbilly and Bottle Up and Go match the upgraded sound quality of The Lights Go Down.
31-Aug-70 Milwaukee
Scat (TDOLZ 569701 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 31, 1970
CD: (55:47) Immigrant Song (opening notes cut, tape disturbance near beginning), Heartbreaker, Dazed & Confused, Bring It On Home, That's the Way, Bron-Yr-Aur (small cut near beginning), Since I've Been Loving You
This release uses a newly discovered audience tape. It is a near excellent source; clear and up close with very little audience disturbance or tape hiss. All the instruments are well balanced. As would be expected for an early date, the band is in top form. The good natured audience allows both Page and Plant to be more adventurous with their performances. After Page plays a quick ditty prior to Since I've Been Loving You, Plant tells the audience maybe they could get on that "Saturday morning children's television". Plant freely changes the lyrics to Dazed & Confused. During the tune up for Bron-Yr-Aur, Plant asks the audience if they remembered the festival (July 25, 1969). Judging by the response, they do. During Bron-Yr-Aur, prior to the cut, the recording picks up a "heartbeat" sound. This was probably produced by the tape reaching its end. It goes away after the cut. Unfortunately this appears to be all that is available from this show.
Scat (Diagrams of Led Zeppelin) Per ****1/2 SQ ***1/2 Appeal General
One of a handful of recent finds, this single disc is an audience recording from the Milwaukee Arena on August 31, 1970. Starting off a bit distorted and mushy the sound soon becomes clearer allowing more detail to be heard. The beginning of Immigrant Song and Bron-yr-Aur are both cut, That's The Way has a small cut and there is a little tape disturbance before the Immigrant Song solo. Yet another aggressive 1970 US show, the Heartbreaker solo guitar section is superb, the violin bow part of Dazed outstanding and the harmonica/guitar exchanges at the end of Bring It On Home a revelation. Plant's vocals are top notch ad well featured in this recording. The whole band give a passionate reading of Since I've Been Loving You. A welcome addition to any collection - but where's the rest of the show?
02-Sep-70 Oakland
Live on Blueberry Hill II (2CD, OAK-1/2), Oakland, 2/9/70
Two versions of source tapes are surfaced from this show. One is once used on "Get Loose" (2CD), and the other is used on "Two Days Before". The latter is better in sound quality. This newly released boot from Tarantura uses the latter. Sound quality is almost the same as "Two Days Before", but hiss noise is reduced a bit. Still contains some cuts, but maybe more complete than "Two Days Before".
04-Sep-70 L.A.
Live On Blueberry Hill (Sanctuary) Per **** SQ ****1/2 Appeal G
Another re-issue of the famous show from The Forum, Inglewood, California on September 4, 1970? But possibly the best version yet! A competent assembly of the best of the various audience sources results in a bright, very clean 2 disc set - lacking in bottom end on occasions and with a slight drop out in the right channel during Dazed. Page's guitar is always prominent in the mix. The playing is of a high standard throughout, check out the guitar/harmonica duet in Bring It On Home. The surprises come at the end of the show, the extended Communication Breakdown medley containing Good Times, Bad Times and a rare version of Out On The Tiles, followed by Blueberry Hill itself. The Japanese label is another of the expensive post-Tarantura efforts which means excellent packaging and more quotes from Luis Rey and Dave Lewis/Simon Pallett's Zeppelin reference books.
Live On Blueberry Hill (Sanctuary) 2CD 9/4/70 Limited edition and numbered
Sound Quality 7-9/10; Appeal 4.5/5
Well, what can you say? This label appears to have set itself a goal to make their releases as complete as possible irrespective on the number of source tapes required to achieve this. This is all great news for the collector! Again, this release utilizes the original mono TMQ tape (or Blimp if you prefer) as much as possible with help from the alternate mono source used recently by Tarantura and what sounds like at least two stereo sources. This means that we get the complete band intro courtesy of the alt. mono tape and where possible in between song patter filled out with one of the two stereo tapes or the alt. mono tape. Pure trainspotting stuff! As with Bonzos-73, the splicing is quite good without a compromise in sound quality. Packaging is in the same format as for Bonzos, again using appropriate pics from the era and commentary from Rey and Lewis/Pallet. Ditto the concluding comments for Bonzos above. This as complete as you are ever likely to hear this show and this release probably deserves definitive status.
Live On Blueberry Hill (Sanctuary)
2 CDs, The Forum, Inglewood, 4 September 1970. Total time 133 mins. Collectors may be forgiven for thinking that there is no need for yet another release of this classic title, however they are wrong. Whoever compiled the master for this release went to a great deal of care, trouble and hard work. Using both the mono sources, and the stereo source, a definitive version of the concert has been put together, ensuring that every available minute of the concert is present. Full marks to Sanctuary for this valiant effort. It is however most unfortunate that on the covers they have again ripped off the entry in Lewis & Pallett's CONCERT FILE, and also Luis Rey's CONCERT TAPES, word for uncredited word. This has been released as an expensive limited and individually numbered edition, with the classic TMOQ cover (in full colour) on the card slipcase (Jules McTrainSpotter Mar 69)
Live on Blueberry Hill (2CD, EVCD666/664) from Tarantura.
For them, this is the second release of the famous LA Forum show in 1970, but it's not a reissue of their previous release, i.e. "Live on Blueberry Hill" (2CD, T2CD-4). This new release uses the new source, entirely. Three source tapes were used for the previous release. One was used on "Live on Blueberry Hill"(2LP, EV-666/664) from TMQ, "Live at the Los Angeles Forum" (2LP, Rubber Dubber), "Live on Blueberry Hill Part 1 & 2"(2CD, NZCD-89019/20) from Neutral Zone, and their numberless reissues. The second source was used on "3 Days After" (2LP), "Live on Blueberry Hill" (2CD, Mud Dogs-004/5), "Live on Blueberry Hill" (2CD, T2CD-4) from Tarantura, "The Final Statement" (8CD) from Antrabata, "Live on Blueberry Hill" (2CD, Cobra Standard Series-005). The third source was used partially on Cobra. But Strictly speaking, It's not that simple. More than 2 sources were mixed on Tarantura and Antrabata as well.
The following table indicates the comparison of the above mentioned boots CDs. Caps (A, B, C, D) indicate the version of the source tape, while the following number indicates the number of the cut/dropout. (e.g. 'B2' means that source tape B is used and the song contains 2 cuts/dropouts). Asterisked (*) dropouts are so slight that most people would not mind at all. ++++ means most excellent in sound quality, while + means worst among these.
=====================================================================
N.Zone M.Dogs Tara Antra Cobra Tara(new)
=====================================================================
S.Q. ++++ ++ +++ ++++ ++++ +
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Band Intro --- B B D B D
IS A1 B0 B0 B0 B0 D1
HB A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D1
DaC A1 B1 B1 B1 C+B1* D0
BioH A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D0
TtW A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D0
BYAur A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D0
SIBLY A0 B1 B1 B1 B+C1* D0
TY A1* B1* A1* B1* B1* D0
WIAWSNB A0 B1 B1 B1 C0 D0
Mdick A1 B1 A1 A1 C0 D1
WLL A0 B1 B2 B2 B1* D2*
CB A0 B0 B0 B0 C0 D0
OotT A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D0
Bhill A0 B0 B0 B0 B0 D0
====================================================================
1. Source D, 4th source, which is used on new Tarantura, is a bit distant recording, and not so vivid, when compared with other sources. So I rated '+', but still good, just my humble opinion, though.
2. Strictly speaking, as you could see on the table, band introduction of the source D had already been used on Antrabata.
3. Sometimes, recording level is not so stable on source D, especially on WIAWSNB and CB.
4. Regarding the sound quality, I have to admit that it's very difficult to rate it, especially when I have to rate the sound quality of plural versions of source tapes. My preference is, without doubt, source A, since Jimmy's guitar is so clear and vivid. But many people says source B and C, stereo sources, on Cobra is better. It's the matter of one's taste.
5. I'm afraid I could not check vinyl's from TMQ or Rubber Dubber.
So, new Tarantura is not so good when compared with Cobra in terms of both sound quality and completeness. (Dropouts in DaC and TY on Cobra may be disadvantage, but these dropouts are very slight.) But as the result of using only one source, there are no edit. between the songs. So regarding MCs, new Tarantura wins.
Return to Blueberry Hill (2CD, no numbers on discs nor cover), LA, 9.4.70
This one is not identical to the previously released one from Immigrant. This newly released 2CD from Scorpio seems to be a straight knock off of disc 1 and 2 of "Final Statement" (ARM040970). Timing program is the same. Sound quality is also almost the same. IMHO, Scorpio should have knock-off Cobla version of "Live on Blueberry Hill", since cobla is most complete and best in sound quality. (Cobla is the only boot which contains complete Moby Dick. approx. 5 min longer than others). Regarding the sound quality, I like monaural but vivid version from NZCD, either. Again it's the matter of one's taste.
06-Sep-70 Honolulu
Holiday in Waikiki (CD, The Gold Standard), 9/6/70 Honolulu
The source tape is identical to "The Box of Tricks". But IMHO, the sound quality of this one is more excellent than that of TBoT. On TBoT, sound is somewhat distorted. On the contrary, it's is very clear on this newly released CD, though some people may prefer distorted sound for its very aggressive atmosphere.
The Box of Tricks (RH-023 Red Hot)
International Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii, September 6, 1970
CD (74:52) introduction/ Immigrant Song, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker, Since I've Been Loving You, What Is & What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love (includes Boogie Woogie, I'm Movin' On, Some Other Guy), Communication Breakdown
A very good audience recording of a newly "discovered" show. The vocals are very up front in this recording while the drums are pushed to the rear. Distortion is also present throughout the recording (I don't think the recorder was ready for the volume of this performance) but it does lessen significantly after Heartbreaker. There is a cut between Heartbreaker and Since I've Been Loving You. Possibly more exists of this show between those two numbers.
09-Sep-70 Boston
Come Back to Boston (CD, Holy, SH 001-A), 9/9/70 Boston
Two source tapes are surfaced from this show. One is used for "207.19" (2LP). The other is the one used for "No Licence, No Festival" (2CD) and "214/207.19" (4CD). Among these stuff, "No Licence, No Festival" is most complete and (maybe) contains all songs which was performed on that day. But strictly speaking, WLL on NLNF and "214/207.19" (4CD) contains as many as 6 drop out's, while this song is complete and uncut on "207.19" (2LP). In terms of sound quality, IMHO, both "No Licence, No Festival" (2CD) and "214/207.19" are almost the same and better than "207.19" (2LP).Obviously the bootlegger who released this one had researched into these previously released stuff. This newly released stuff uses both 2 source tapes!! The complete version which was used for NLNF and "214/207.19" (4CD) is mainly used, but the alternate version is used for WLL and CB. So needless to say, this one contains all songs and WLL is uncut. Sound quality is almost the same as NLNF. Strictly speaking, treble range is enhanced on "Come Back to Boston", while bass range enhanced on NLNF. It's the matter of ones preference.
19-Sep-70 New York
American Woman Live at Madison Square Garden 1970 (TDOLZ 0018/19 The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, September 19, 1970
CD 1: (69:44) Immigrant Song (last minute only), Heartbreaker (cut before guitar solo), Dazed & Confused (first 20 seconds cut), Bring It On Home (small dropout in the beginning) (2 cuts near the end), That's the Way (contains a few bumps to the recorder at the beginning and middle), Bron-Yr-Aur (first few notes cut, contains a bump to the recorder in the middle), Since I've Been Loving You (contains a small dropout in the beginning), Organ solo/ Thank You (20 seconds cut near the end), What Is & What Should Never Be
CD 2: (39:26) Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love (includes Boogie Woogie, Truckin' Little Mama, For What It's Worth, Honey Bee, Lemon Song), Communication Breakdown
This release uses a good, clear, slightly distant audience recording. Because of the distance, the rhythm section's sound does get lost in places. Something happens before Heartbreaker's guitar solo that forces the relocation of the recorder. Fortunately the new location improves the sound to very good. The sound does drop to fair after the first cut near the end of Bring It On Home but returns to very good before That's the Way. The source tape used for this release is the same as the one previously used on Maui Wowie (Missing Link). However, this new release does have a few advantages over Maui Wowie. It doesn't have the speed up during Immigrant Song. The small dropout during Since I've Been Loving You is more pronounced on Maui Wowie with a second of non-concert chatter over it. Both have songs cut in the same spots, but the songs on American Woman are a few seconds longer with more between song chatter. American Woman includes Whole Lotta Love and Communication Breakdown. Unfortunately their sound drops to good with more noticeable tape hiss. In terms of overall sound, Maui Wowie runs a tad faster and its high ends were brought up along with a fair amount of tape hiss.
End.
