Thursday, May 1, 2008

Day 122: 12/1/1972 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England

12/1/1972 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England  Last Tango in Newcastle
Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love

The tape begins with Rock and Roll already in progress. A powerful Since I've Been Loving You is followed by a loud and noisy Dancing Days. Despite the poor recording, the beauty of Page's playing during The Rain Song comes across wonderfully. The San Francisco interlude during Dazed and Confused continues to develop as Plant's ethereal moans cascade quietly in the background. The guitar solo/workout section is an epic journey. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section during Whole Lotta Love is a cacophonous explosion. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', a riotous rendition of Elvis Presley's I Need Your Love Tonight, the first appearance of For What it's Worth since 4/1/1971, and Heartbreak Hotel, omitting the usual blues improvisation. The recording ends with an enthusiastic "goodnight Newcastle!" from Plant.

The tape is muddy, distorted, and hissy, making for quite a difficult listening experience.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

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