6/19/1972 Seattle, WA Dancing AgainImmigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, The Ocean, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, Black Country Woman, That's the Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What is and What Should Never Be, Dancing Days, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll, Louie Louie, Let's Dance, Thank You, Money, Over the Hills and Far Away, Dancing Days
The tape begins during the final verse of Immigrant Song. A thunderous Black Dog is followed by the first appearance of The Ocean. Bonzo pummels his drums during an urgent Since I've Been Loving You. Someone near the taper exclaims "oh wow, oh wow!" as the song ends. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven, repeating licks to mesmerizing effect. The very beginning of Going to California is cut. There is quite a bit of chatter going on around the taper, destroying the delicate atmosphere.
Following a cue from Plant, the rest of the band joins in for the first complete performance of Black Country Woman. Someone near the taper inquires about his tape recorder after That's the Way, taking time to say "hi" into the microphone. There is a cut near the beginning of Tangerine due to a tape flip. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp transforms the crowd into a foot-stomping hoedown. Plant comments on the previous night's show and the trouble in Vancouver before Dazed and Confused, the opening notes of which cause someone near the taper to yelp and howl with excitement. The lead-in to the bow solo features some excellent interplay between Page, Jones, and Bonzo. Page solos wildly during the outro, which Bonzo and Jones turn into a menacing imperial march. Unfortunately, the tape is cut during the frenzied race to the finish.
What is and What Should Never Be is followed by the first appearance of Dancing Days. Still unsure of the changes, the band gets a bit mixed up a few times. Plant mentions Bonzo's efforts to lose weight this tour, introducing him as "John Bonham, at the beginning of this tour, two hundred and ten pounds... right now he's at a hundred and seventy-five pounds!" before Moby Dick. During the drum solo, the taper says "I hate drum solos, I hate them... hate 'em a lot" directly into his microphone. There is a cut about fourteen minutes in. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is a cacophonous explosion. The medley begins with a new slow arrangement of Boogie Chillen' before the familiar fast riff kicks off a marathon of classics including Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Hello Mary Lou, an out of tune rendition of Only the Lonely, Heartbreak Hotel, and Goin' Down Slow, which is cut during the "please write mama..." verse, leaving us at the end of the finale.
Plant introduces Rock and Roll as "an old one." Jones's organ solo includes hints of Everyday People before the rest of the band joins in for an excellent rendition of Louie Louie followed by Let's Dance. Page tears through a great guitar solo during Thank You. The crowd goes absolutely wild as the band returns to the stage for a riotous rendition of Money, which is unfortunately cut after two and a half minutes. After the cut, we're left in the middle of the first appearance of Over the Hills and Far Away. If all of this wasn't enough to push the crowd over the edge, the recording ends with the second performance of Dancing Days of the night, with Plant joking "this is one that you might have heard about two hours ago." A marathon performance of epic proportions. Must hear.
The tape is fairly clear, if somewhat noisy and overloaded.
Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.
