Day 177: 7/29/1973 New York, NY

7/29/1973 New York, NY  The Garden Tapes Vol. 3

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Thank You

The third and final night at Madison Square Garden used to create the 1976 concert film The Song Remains the Same and the live album of the same name. The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll explodes out of the gate. Plant's voice starts off a bit rough, taking a few songs to warm up. Following Black Dog, he tells the crowd "this year in America, we decided to work extra hard, so we did two tours... and this is the last night of the last tour" adding "tonight we're gonna do our very best." 

Page shreds through an excellent guitar solo as Jones explores a funky groove during Over the Hills and Far Away. As the song ends, Plant jokes "really, you could call this gig a fitness test... just to see if we can really still do it." Bonzo hammers at his drums with incredible intensity during Misty Mountain Hop. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. Page blazes through the guitar solos during The Song Remains the Same. Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "one of the songs from Zeppelin's embryo." The San Francisco interlude is fantastic. The guitar solo/workout section is somewhat erratic. Page solos wildly during the outro. 

Stairway to Heaven features an excellent guitar solo from Page. The end of the song is met with a tidal wave of deafening cheers from the crowd. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during the a cappella solo in Heartbreaker. Bonzo and Jones lock into a high-speed funky rhythm as Page works his theramin wizardry during Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features a fantastic guitar solo from Page. Bonzo plays a thunderous four-minute mini drum solo during the finale. Before The Ocean, Plant tells the crowd "tomorrow night I'll be lyin' on the grass in the middle of nowhere." Following an upbeat organ solo from Jones, the band closes the show with an outstanding performance of Thank You. A fitting finale to the 1973 North American tour.

The tape is a combination of two sources. The soundboard tape is excellent. The audience tape is distant and cacophonous.

For a fascinating breakdown and analysis of how The Song Remains the Same was created, visit Eddie Edwards's The Garden Tapes.

Day 176: 7/28/1973 New York, NY

7/28/1973 New York, NY The Garden Tapes Vol. 2

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

The second of three nights at Madison Square Garden used to create the 1976 concert film The Song Remains the Same and the live album of the same name. The show gets off to a somewhat sluggish start. Plant's voice is tired and weak, cracking and breaking frequently. Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the guitar solo in Black Dog. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "we had a really good one last night... what we intend to do is try and get it better every night." The instrumental section during No Quarter is a haunting death march, featuring an excellent guitar solo from Page. The Rain Song is beautiful.

Before Dazed and Confused, Plant tells the crowd "amongst the mêlée in 1968, we managed to meet in a tiny room, not half the size of this stage, and we all looked each other in the face and we all reckoned we'd got something to do that we hadn't quite done properly before." Page's fingers get stuck in the strings constantly as he solos wildly through the erratic guitar solo/workout section. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is preceded by a fantastic funky jam. Page blazes through the guitar solo during the Boogie Chillen' section. Before the band closes the show with The Ocean, Bonzo counts in "hoochie coo, one, two, three, four, hoochie coo!"

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording augmented by a distant, noisy audience recording.

For a fascinating breakdown and analysis of how The Song Remains the Same was created, visit Eddie Edwards's The Garden Tapes.

Day 175: 7/27/1973 New York, NY

7/27/1973 New York, NY The Garden Tapes Vol. 1

The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

The first of three nights at Madison Square Garden used to create the 1976 concert film The Song Remains the Same and the live album of the same name. The tape begins just after the first verse of an excellent The Rain Song. The heavy section is incredibly powerful. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "that was a sort of a love song" before introducing Dazed and Confused as "a very old one." Several shouts of "sit down!" can be heard coming from the crowd during the intro. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. The San Francisco interlude is both hauntingly beautiful and devastatingly heavy. The band is absolutely on fire during the outstanding guitar solo/workout section. Page shreds wildly during the outro. An incredibly powerful performance.

Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant tells the rowdy crowd "I think this is a song of hope... and it is a very quiet song, so shut up." Page's fingers get a bit sticky during an otherwise fantastic guitar solo, one of the best thus far. Someone in the crowd can be heard repeatedly shouting "The Ocean!" prior to Moby Dick, which Plant introduces by saying "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Elvis Presley has now left the building." Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solo in Heartbreaker. He blazes through the Boogie Chillen' section during Whole Lotta Love. As the song ends, Plant calls out "New York, goodnight." Strings of firecrackers crackle in the distance as the band returns to the stage to close the show with The Ocean.

The tape is a combination of two sources. The audience tape is fairly clear, if a bit overloaded and noisy. The soundboard tape is excellent.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

For a fascinating breakdown and analysis of how The Song Remains the Same was created, visit Eddie Edwards's The Garden Tapes.

Day 174: 7/24/1973 Pittsburgh, PA

7/24/1973 Pittsburgh, PA  (3rd gen)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick*, Heartbreaker*, Whole Lotta Love*, The Ocean*

*- Pittsburgh Steelers

The tape begins with a series of stage announcements asking the crowd to be cool and sit down. Plant's voice starts off a bit rough, taking a few songs to warm up. Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the guitar solo in Black Dog. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd "do you remember the last time we came here?... it was obviously in the days when women wore brassieres, because we scored a few." Page hints as the opening of Midnight Rambler before Misty Mountain Hop. Plant moans "don't send me to Heartbreak Hotel" near the end of Since I've Been Loving You.

There is a brief cut in the tape at the beginning of Jones's piano solo during No Quarter. A series of firecracker blasts interrupt the beginning of The Rain Song. As the song ends, Plant announces "John Paul Jones was responsible for the orchestra... and Mellotron was responsible for the fact that it didn't sound so good." Before Dazed and Confused, he tells the crowd "last time we did this next song in Pittsburgh, I remember I scored about five pairs of ladies underwear... fortunately now they've worn out, so I gotta get some new ones." Following an excellent San Francisco interlude, there is a brief cut at the beginning of the bow solo. Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant tells the crowd "sometimes this next piece invokes a sort of a mass feeling that is really, it's better than the best woman in the world... and sometimes there's too many firecrackers." Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo.

Before introducing Moby Dick, Plant makes an announcement asking an audience member named Tammy Davis to meet her boyfriend at the side of the stage. There is a significant decline in sound quality before the tape cuts off about ten minutes into the drum solo. Plant tells the crowd "once again I must apologize for the fact that there's no video screens, but somebody's head will roll... I promise" before introducing Heartbreaker as "the final blast-off." The band is absolutely on fire during the fast guitar solo section. The raucous Boogie Chillen' section during Whole Lotta Love features an excellent guitar solo from Page. Plant trades lyrics with the crowd during the "way down inside..." section. The band closes the show with an explosive The Ocean. Plant sings "Carmen's only four years old" during the first verse.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and hissy.

Day 173: 7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD

7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Jack

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

Plant is in top form as Rock and Roll gets underway, reaching notes that would have been unthinkable two weeks earlier. Page pauses briefly during the intro to Over the Hills and Far Away to tune his guitar. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. The instrumental section during No Quarter is an epic journey. Plant sings "please sit down" during the first verse of The Rain Song. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape soon after which leaves us near the beginning of the heavy section. As the song ends, Plant tells the rowdy crowd "really, I think you gotta be a little bit quieter, because there are a few people who are tryin' to listen to the subtle musical changes."

Page is out of control during Dazed and Confused, soloing wildly and freely changing the song's structure on the fly. The frantic lead-in to the bow solo is immediately followed by the call and response with Plant, integrated with more furious soloing before finally coming back around to the haunting San Francisco interlude. The pace doesn't let up following the bow solo as Page shreds uncontrollably through the guitar solo/workout section, creating a completely new arrangement as he goes. An incredible, highly improvisational performance. Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant tells the crowd "this a song we've played to a lot of audiences... sorta sit down and you can feel throughout the building an amazing feeling which out forefathers a long, long, long time ago knew very well." Page blazes through the guitar solo. Plant pushes his voice to the limit, belting out the final verse in its original melody.

Someone near the taper can be heard shouting "go Jimmy!" as Page begins the fantastic a cappella solo during Heartbreaker. His fingers race across the fretboard in a furious cascade of notes during the explosive guitar solo section. Plant makes a brief reference to Gallows Pole in his boogie rap during Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. The band plays a tongue-in-cheek I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside interlude before closing the show with The Ocean. As the band leaves the stage, Plant tells the crowd "we must love you and leave you, goodnight!"

The tape is distant, hissy, and quite noisy.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 172: 7/21/1973 Providence, RI

7/21/1973 Providence, RI LZ Rhoder

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page and Jones lose track of each other during the guitar solo. Plant is in good voice, belting out each line of Black Dog with power and bravado. As the song ends, he greets the crowd, saying "I was gonna say it's nice to be back, but I don't think we've been here before... I could be wrong." Page blazes through the the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. He cuts the final verse short, leaving Plant to moan "oh, you really oughta know" during the outro. As the song ends, Plant goes on a long tirade insisting that the crowd be cool and move back or the show cannot continue.

Since I've Been Loving You is incredibly powerful. Page's fingers race across the fretboard in a furious barrage of notes during the intro. The band plays as one entity, rising and falling in unison with every ebb and flow. A fantastic performance, one of the best in recent memory. Before No Quarter, Plant tells the crowd he didn't want to offend anyone with his earlier rant, saying "just to prove it, here's something that we really like to play and we're gonna play really fantastically." The instrumental section is simply outstanding, Jones's haunting melodies slowly build tension until Page's wildly passionate guitar solo explodes across the soundscape. The song has quickly become a major highlight of the show.

Plant finds something on the stage while introducing The Song Remains the Same, joking "I think I'll have to give this to one of the security men." A cut in the tape leaves us near the end of the song. There is another brief cut during the second verse of The Rain Song. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "something that's as old as the hills." The frenzied lead-in to the bow solo gives way to an elegantly heavy San Francisco interlude. Page is absolutely on fire during the guitar solo/workout section, racing frantically through a violent cascade of notes as Bonzo and Jones follow close behind. Unfortunately, the tape is cut just before the call and response with Plant, leaving us at the explosive return to the main riff. Page solos wildly over Bonzo's syncopated heartbeat rhythm during the outro. Another devastating performance.

Stairway to Heaven features an excellent, dynamic guitar solo from Page. Plant belts out the final verse with incredible intensity. Moby Dick is introduced as "somethin' to get off on." The pattern of excellence continues with a blistering Heartbreaker. Page, Jones, and Bonzo get into a high-speed funky jam following the initial verses of Whole Lotta Love. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape during the theramin freakout which leaves us near the end of the Boogie Chillen' section. The band closes the show with a terrific The Ocean, one of the best thus far. A truly incredible performance. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end.

Day 169: 7/17/1973 Seattle, WA

7/17/1973 Seattle, WA  Seattle Matrix

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

The tape begins with a stage announcement asking the crowd to stop setting off fireworks and promising a three hour show if everyone stays cool, which receives a thunderous cheer. Page shreds wildly through the guitar solo at the end of Celebration Day. Following Black Dog, Plant greets the crowd, saying "it's more than a pleasure to be back again, really." Misty Mountain Hop is dedicated to "the guys who drove the buses" full of fans from Vancouver to the first show in Seattle the year before. Since I've Been Loving You is highly dramatic and powerful.

The instrumental section during No Quarter is an epic journey. A truly amazing performance, one of the best thus far. The Rain Song is absolutely fantastic. Bonzo hammers wildly at his drums during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. Page shreds through the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. The San Francisco interlude is devastatingly heavy. Bonzo and Jones are locked into each other as Page's sticky fingers fly across the fretboard during the erratic guitar solo/workout section. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "that was somethin' that contains so many different constructions and time signatures and things, every night it gets really far out, I wish I could sit and listen to it like you folks" before introducing Stairway to Heaven as "something entirely different." Page delivers an excellent, dynamic guitar solo.

Moby Dick is introduced as "something with equally as much energy and power... and vibration." Page, Jones, and Bonzo are on fire during the frenzied fast guitar solo section in Heartbreaker. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is followed by an excellent funky jam. The Boogie Chillen' section features a blistering guitar solo from Page. The band returns to the stage to close the show with an explosive The Ocean. An outstanding performance. Must hear.

The tape is a combination of three sources. The soundboard/audience matrix, used through Stairway to Heaven, is very clear and well-balanced, if a bit hissy during the quieter moments. The second audience tape, used for the remainder of the show, is a bit distant.

Day 168: 7/15/1973 Buffalo, NY

7/15/1973 Buffalo, NY  Slowing Down in Buffalo

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

The relentless touring schedule continues to take its toll on Plant's fragile voice. He struggles to maintain control as Rock and Roll gets underway. As Black Dog ends, Plant apologizes to the crowd for the delay, explaining that Page's guitar "has had a bit of an accident, but we got it fixed now." Over the Hills and Far Away is introduced as "a song about the journey that we're all on." The intro is interrupted by a loud firecracker blast, prompting Plant to respond "that's one guy who's not on the same journey." Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo.

No Quarter is fantastic, despite Page's occasionally sticky fingers. The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "one of the old ones." Page hints at The Rover during a frantic call and response with Bonzo and Jones prior to the haunting San Francisco interlude. The transition to the bow solo is highly dramatic. A loud firecracker blast interrupts the eery soundscape. Page is on fire during the guitar solo/workout section. As the song ends, Bonzo can be heard shouting "well done Jim!" before Plant announces "I dunno who the sadist was who lit off the bomb, but he really is a jerk-off." 

Bonzo is introduced as "the all-time percussionist of rock and roll" before Moby Dick. Page shreds wildly through the solos during Heartbreaker. Bonzo and Jones explore an infectious funky groove during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. Page joins in for a frantic race to the finish. Plant makes a brief reference to Gallows Pole during his boogie rap. Before the show-closing The Ocean, Plant announces "this requires the vocal talents of John Bonham."

The tape is a combination of two sources. The soundboard tape, used through Stairway to Heaven, is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy at times. The audience tape is distant and muffled with mild tape disturbances throughout.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 166: 7/12/1973 Detroit, MI

7/12/1973 Detroit, MI  (master>vhs>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown, The Ocean

The tape begins during the final minute of Rock and Roll. Plant's voice starts out a bit rough, taking a few songs to warm up. Following a request that the crowd stop throwing firecrackers, Plant dedicates Misty Mountain Hop to "the loss of brain cells."  Since I've Been Loving You is elegantly restrained. The instrumental section during No Quarter is fantastic. Unfortunately, there are a few brief dropouts near the end of Page's guitar solo. The taper can be heard fiddling with his equipment during the first verse of The Rain Song. 

Page solos wildly during the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. The band is on fire during the frantic guitar solo/workout section. There is a cut in the tape during Page's call and response with Plant. Page's fingers dance across the fretboard during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. Plant introduces Moby Dick as "a number that receives great popularity and ovations almost everywhere cause it's sheer... intense... beauty." Unfortunately, the majority of the drum solo is missing from the tape, leaving us with only the intro/outro and a few fragments in between. As Bonzo is taking his final solo break at the end of the song, the taper can be heard saying "this is boring" before commenting to one of his friends "look, the guitarist and bass player look bored to death." 

Plant can be heard whistling along as Page hints at The 59th Street Bridge Song at the end of the a cappella solo during Heartbreaker. Page absolutely shreds through the fast guitar solo. Bonzo and Jones hold down a frantic stop-start rhythm as Page's theramin squeals in ecstasy during Whole Lotta Love. Plant's boogie rap gives way to another excellent rendition of Don Nix's Going Down. Bonzo thrashes wildly at his drums as Page blazes through the guitar solo during the Boogie Chillen' section. As the band returns to the stage, Bonzo announces "as you know, I've never sung a note... but on this track, I'm allowed to shout!" before counting in to the show-closing The Ocean. The obnoxious taper can be heard providing off-key backing vocals throughout the song.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit muffled and noisy in the high end, with Page slightly buried in the mix at times.

Day 161: 6/3/1973 Los Angeles, CA

6/3/1973 Los Angeles, CA Wipe With a Rolling Stone

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Communication Breakdown, Thank You

The last night of the first leg of the tour begins with the sound of rhythmic stomping, the crowd eagerly anticipating the start of the show. Following a brief soundcheck, the arena explodes with excitement as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. The walls quake under the power of Bonzo's bass drum as Page's guitar solo slashes and shreds through the cacophonous roar like a razor blade. The rhythm section is unstoppable during a brutal Celebration Day, hammering forward, full steam ahead as Plant's vocals echo out over the crowd.

A cut in the tape just after the third verse of Black Dog leaves us at the end of the guitar solo in Over the Hills and Far Away. Bonzo hammers wildly at his drums during Misty Mountain Hop. Despite a few tape disturbances early in the song, Since I've Been Loving You is amazingly powerful. One of the best performances in recent memory. Plant introduces No Quarter as "a track off the new album, which features the dynamite piano playing of John Paul Jones." Unfortunately, following a cut during the first verse, the tape is marred with constant speed fluctuations. The Song Remains the Same is dedicated to "the toilet paper that people buy in this part of the world called the Rolling Stone." Page absolutely shreds through the guitar solos. Fortunately, the speed fluctuations subside by the end of The Rain Song.

The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused is excellent. Unfortunately, the San Francisco interlude is cut short by a series of major tape disturbances which thankfully disappear a few minutes into the bow solo. The band is on fire during the absolutely amazing guitar solo/workout section. A phenomenal performance. As the song ends, Plant again makes mention of Page's sprained finger, telling the crowd that he's been soaking it in a bucket of cold water since the original date was cancelled a few days prior. Stairway to Heaven features a fantastic guitar solo from Page. The final verse is incredibly powerful.

Moby Dick is introduced as "a real high-energy trip." There is a cut in the tape about halfway through the epic drum solo. Plant dedicates Heartbreaker to Slade. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is transformed into a frantic stop-start battle between Page and the rest of the band. Plant's boogie rap gives way to an excellent rendition of Don Nix's Going Down, followed by I'm a Man and The Hunter. Page blazes through the guitar solo during the riotous Boogie Chillen' section. The Ocean is excellent. Page shreds through the guitar solo during a blistering Communication Breakdown. The band closes the show with a fantastic performance of Thank You, one of the best thus far. A fitting send-off to the first leg of the tour. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end. Unfortunately, the aforementioned tape issues, along with the frequent shifting from stereo to mono throughout the first part of the show detract from an otherwise amazing performance.

Day 160: 6/2/1973 San Francisco, CA

6/2/1973 San Francisco, CA  (master>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick*, Heartbreaker*, Whole Lotta Love*, Communication Breakdown*, The Ocean*

*- sbd: Vibes are Real

As the band takes the stage, Plant greets the crowd, saying "good afternoon... as we've been awake now a total of about two and a half hours, it doesn't really seem that we should be doin' what we're doin' right now... but I believe there's somethin' to do with lightness and darkness, so we'll try a bit of lightness." Following a pause to fix some equipment issues, Rock and Roll comes crashing through the gate. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive, hammering at his drums with incredible force. His thunderous bass drum echoes like cannon fire through the stadium. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. The laid-back intensity of Since I've Been Loving You is followed by an excellent No Quarter.

Following a brief rant about negative press, Plant dedicates The Song Remains the Same to "the musical papers who think we should remain a blues band." The end of The Rain Song is destroyed by a loud hum of feedback, which Plant apologizes for as the song ends, saying "it really blew it, it could have been a lot nicer without it." Page, Jones, and Bonzo are locked into each other during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant moans "I believe in the theory" during the haunting San Francisco interlude. Page shreds through the somewhat erratic guitar solo/workout section. Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant mentions Roy Harper, saying "to show our faith in him and his work that has influenced us... we offer this song." Page's fingers dance across the fretboard during the guitar solo.

Following an epic thirty-minute Moby Dick, Heartbreaker rumbles into motion with Bonzo's thunderous intro. Bonzo and Jones hold down a high-speed funky groove as Page performs his wizardry during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. Following a blistering Communication Breakdown, Plant tells the crowd "let me tell you, you been fantastic!" joking "next time we come, bring your friends." The band returns to the stage following a backstage water fight to close the show with an excellent The Ocean. As the band exits, Plant tells the crowd "I gotta tell you, this is the best vibes since the first time we played the Fillmore five years ago." A truly momentous occasion for all. Must hear.

The audience tape is very clear and well-balanced. The soundboard tape is fantastic.

About two minutes of color footage from the show is available on Hercules's Film Noir Vol. 1, as well as Celebration's Latter Visions. Unfortunately, the film only contains a thirty second fragment of Rock and Roll shot from the left side of the stage, showing only Page and Plant. The rest of the footage features various brief shots of the crowd.

Click here for a video sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 159: 5/31/1973 Los Angeles, CA

5/31/1973 Los Angeles, CA  Bonzo's Birthday Party

Rock and Roll^, Celebration Day*, Black Dog*, Over the Hills and Far Away*, Misty Mountain Hop*, Since I've Been Loving You*, No Quarter*, The Song Remains the Same*, The Rain Song*, Dazed and Confused*, Stairway to Heaven*, Moby Dick^, Heartbreaker^, Whole Lotta Love^, The Ocean^, Communication Breakdown^

*- soundboard: Bonzo's Birthday Party (Watch Tower)

^- audience: Bonzo's Birthday Party (EVSD)

The celebration of Bonzo's twenty-fifth birthday gets off to an explosive start as the high-energy rampage of Rock and Roll crashes into motion. The band is on fire during the brutal attack of Celebration Day. Following Over the Hills and Far Away, Plant announces "we'll call this gig Bonzo's Birthday Party." Since I've Been Loving You is highly dramatic and incredibly powerful. An excellent performance. The instrumental section during No Quarter is fantastic. As the song ends, Plant announces "John Paul Jones played the piano... and somebody else fucked up the monitors."

Page blazes through the guitar solos as Jones's fingers dance across the fretboard during The Song Remains the Same. The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful. Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "a far out heavy trip." Page shreds through the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. The San Francisco interlude is both eerily haunting and devastatingly heavy. The guitar solo/workout section is an epic journey, culminating in a explosive return to the main riff. Plant dedicates Stairway to Heaven to Bonzo before threatening someone off-mic, saying "get that fuckin' monitor down or I'll fuckin' come and kill ya." Page delivers an excellent guitar solo. The final verse sees Plant pushing his voice to the limit.

Plant introduces Moby Dick by saying "considerin' it's the gentleman's birthday, I think it's only fair that we should let him bang his balls out." There are a few cuts throughout the drum solo. As the song ends, the band plays Happy Birthday for Bonzo. Heartbreaker is excellent. The Boogie Chillen' section during Whole Lotta Love features a flawless guitar solo from Page. As the band returns to the stage, Plant tells the crowd "Jimmy sprained his finger two days ago... and he's been playing tonight and puttin' his hand in a bowl of cold water to keep the swelling down, so I think that's great" before introducing a high-energy The Ocean as "a thing about you." The show ends with a raucous Communication Breakdown. A fantastic performance. Must hear.

The soundboard tape is excellent, although not quite as clear as some of the other soundboard recordings from this tour. The audience tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end. 

Click here and here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

About three and a half minutes of black and white footage from the show exists. The film, shot from very close to the stage, includes brief clips of Celebration Day, Over the Hills and Far Away, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, and Dazed and Confused. The picture is very high contrast, causing a loss of detail, but is still quite enjoyable.

Day 158: 5/28/1973 San Diego, CA

5/28/1973 San Diego, CA  Three Days Before

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Moby Dick, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

Celebration Day is cut short when Page launches into the guitar solo before the band has a chance to play the second chorus. Plant asks the people in the front of the crowd to be cool before introducing Over the Hills and Far Away as "(a song) about every man and every woman" joking "and it's not called an orgy." Following a cut during the intro, the initial verses of No Quarter are missing from the tape. Bonzo and Jones provide an excellent jazzy foundation for Page's sticky-fingered guitar solo. Jones even throws in a few bars of Your Time is Gonna Come near the end. As the song ends, Plant announces "that was John Paul Jones playing weird piano." Unfortunately, all but the final fifty seconds of Dazed and Confused is missing from the tape. 

Plant tells the crowd that a piece of Page's guitar has gone missing, so the band skips Stairway to Heaven for the time being and resumes with Moby Dick after a cut in the tape. Page is absent from the mix for most of the intro. There are a few slight cuts during the effects-heavy tympani section of the drums solo. Page's guitar solo during Heartbreaker is a burst of sticky-fingered inspiration. Bonzo and Jones get into a bit of The Crunge at the end of the theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love. The excellent, high-energy Boogie Chillen' section is preceded by impromptu renditions of Muddy Waters's Honey Bee and Don Nix's Going Down. As the band returns to the stage, Plant tells the crowd "whoever threw that firecracker deserves to be jerked-off by an elephant." The show ends with a somewhat uneven The Ocean.

The tape is yet another excellent soundboard recording.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 151: 5/5/1973 Tampa, FL

5/5/1973 Tampa, FL Pigeon Blood

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Communication Breakdown

The first recording of the band's record-breaking 1973 North American tour begins with an announcer saying simply "ladies and gentlemen, what more can I say... Led Zeppelin." As the band performs a brief soundcheck, Plant announces "it seems between us we've done somethin' nobody's done before... and that's fantastic" referring to tonight's show breaking the attendance record previously held by The Beatles for their concert at Shea Stadium in 1965.

The show gets off to a bit of a sluggish start with Rock and Roll. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solo. The finale leads directly into the first appearance of Celebration Day since 6/9/1972. Page's guitar solo is underscored by some excellent funky fretwork from Jones. The familiar Out on the Tiles intro to Black Dog has been dropped in favor of the riff from Bring it on Home. Plant demands "louder!" during his call and response with the crowd. The non-stop pace doesn't let up as the finale immediately gives way to Page's intro to Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant's voice is quite rough, having lost the momentum gained a month earlier in Paris. Page gets ahead of the band at the end of the guitar solo, creating a funky new arrangement. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd "did anybody ever make the Orlando gig that we did last time?" adding "so we're in the same country, yeah?"

The crowd becomes restless during a laid-back Since I've Been Loving You, with a few people near the taper repeatedly shouting at those in front of them to sit down. Plant pleads with the crowd to ease up on the barriers before introducing the first appearance of No Quarter. One particularly agitated gentleman near the taper shouts quite angrily "sit your asses down goddammit!" during the first verse. As the song ends, Plant introduces "the mighty John Paul Jones on synthesized piano!"

Before Dazed and Confused, Plant warns "we want this to be a really joyous occasion, I gotta tell you this because three people have been taken to hospital and if you keep pushin' on that barrier, there's gonna be stacks and stacks of people goin'... so for goodness sake, we are animals, but we can move back a little bit." Page shreds through the first guitar solo. The workout section is a bit disjointed. The outro starts out promising with Page soloing wildly over Bonzo's syncopated rhythms, but everything falls apart when the band can't decide how to end the song. Plant tells the crowd "I've joined the Temperance Society where I no longer drink beer... I just drink lemons and honeys" before Stairway to Heaven.

Prior to the first appearance of Moby Dick since 10/9/1972, Plant announces "and now for something entirely different... for the tenth time in United States of America, ladies and gentlemen... for the tenth time in five years, we bring you our percussionist... John Henry Bonham, Moby Dick!" As the drum solo ends, the band skips the return of the main riff, jumping directly into Heartbreaker. Page blazes through the solos. The band skips the final verse, heading straight into Whole Lotta Love at the end of the guitar solo. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section has been dropped entirely from the new stripped-down arrangement. Plant once again makes mention of the record-breaking crowd during his boogie rap, saying "fifty-seven thousand people is four thousand more than the people that were at The Beatles' Shea Stadium, gotta boogie!" The medley has been stripped of its classics, leaving only the Boogie Chillen' jam.

The Ocean is preceded by the first appearance of Bonzo's signature count-in. Plant sings the verses out of order, causing a bit of confused hesitation. The band returns to close the show with Communication Breakdown. As they exit the stage, Plant leaves the crowd with a simple "goodnight."

The tape is a combination of two sources, both very clear and well-balanced. The first source is a bit noisy in the high end at times.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Thirty-three seconds of color footage shot from very close to the stage by a local news team, including brief clips of Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, and Black Dog, can be seen here.

Day 145: 3/21/1973 Hamburg, Germany

3/21/1973 Hamburg, Germany Legendary Night in Hamburg

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 Ocean

The tape begins just before Black Dog. Plant pauses during the call and response with the crowd when no one responds. A barrage of shouted requests for How Many More Times comes from the crowd as Plant attempts to introduce Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Page plays a bit of Layla before The Song Remains the Same. He's absolutely on fire during the guitar solos, playing with lightning-fast precision. There is a cut in the tape near the end of The Rain Song.

Page solos wildly as Bonzo thrashes angrily at anything within reach and Plant repeatedly shouts "got a cold sweat!" during the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant unleashes a few Tarzan-like wails at the end of the bow solo. Page absolutely shreds through the first guitar solo. Bonzo is like an unstoppable blitzkrieg, hammering away with unbelievable force. The instrumental machinery is in full swing during the amazing workout section. Each line of the final verse is punctuated by a machine gun snare blast from Bonzo. The outro features an excellent stop-start rhythm as Page's fingers race up and down the fretboard. A devastatingly heavy performance. One of the best thus far.

Plant introduces Stairway to Heaven as "a beautiful song." Unfortunately, the tape is cut during Page's guitar solo. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is bookended by a frenzied funky jam, the latter part of which includes someone playing bongos or congas. The explosive Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is preceded by an erratic drum solo interlude from Bonzo. Plant sings a brief reference to D'yer Mak'er during the breakdown. The riotous medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley favorites (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, which again includes the final fanfare repeated ad nauseam before I Can't Quit You Baby, featuring yet another incredible blues improvisation, and The Lemon Song. The band closes the show with The Ocean.

The tape is a combination of two sources. The audience recording, which runs through the beginning of Dazed and Confused, is distant and a bit muffled. The soundboard recording is excellent, if a bit hissy during the quiet passages, and runs through the end of Whole Lotta Love when the audience recording returns for The Ocean. The soundboard tape alone is worth the price of admission.

Day 140: 3/6/1973 Stockholm, Sweden

3/6/1973 Stockholm, Sweden (master>dat>cdr)

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, Heartbreaker, The Ocean

Page's intro to Over the Hills and Far Away is interrupted by a loud hum of feedback. Since I've Been Loving You is incredibly powerful. Page's dramatic tension is underscored by Bonzo's thunderous pounding. Plant unleashes a frightening primal scream during the climax. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "I've been asked to tell you to quit smokin', otherwise the big man with the hat will make the show stop." He announces for the first time that the title of the new album is Houses of the Holy while introducing Dancing Days. Someone in the crowd can be heard repeatedly shouting "Heartbreaker!" before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Page plays a bit of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction before The Song Remains the Same. There is a brief volume fluctuation during the first verse. Page blazes through the guitar solo.

Dazed and Confused is introduced as "a song that needs no introduction in any language." The frantic lead-in to the bow solo features a hauntingly beautiful San Francisco interlude. The bow solo is interrupted by the rhythmic stomping of the crowd. The guitar solo/workout section is a cacophonous explosion of echo. There is a cut in the tape during the initial verses of Stairway to Heaven. Page begins the guitar solo early during Whole Lotta Love, but quickly rights himself to join the band for the raucous Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. Plant's boogie rap incites a bluesy jam before the medley proper, which includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley staples (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow, which includes lyrics from The Lemon Song. The extended blues improvisation continues to be a major highlight of the performance. Heartbreaker is preceded by a heavy jam. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Bonzo plays a funky new rhythm during the final verse. The band closes the show with The Ocean, which Plant introduces as "a song off the new LP... it's about you."

The tape is distant, a bit noisy, and lacking in bottom end.

Day 132: 1/14/1973 Liverpool, England

1/14/1973 Liverpool, England Days of Heaven

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, Heartbreaker, The Ocean

The tape begins during Page's intro of Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant is still having trouble with his voice, unable to reach the higher notes. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Bonzo's bass drum is like a cannon during Black Dog. Since I've Been Loving You is wild and loose. Plant tells the crowd "we used to do about half an hour of acoustic stuff" before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

Plant comments "we were really a blues group when we started, man" before introducing The Song Remains the Same as "a real blues song." There is a cut in the tape prior to the final verse of The Rain Song. A second cut shortly thereafter leaves us at the beginning of the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant exclaims "do the James Brown!" during a funky jam prior to the San Francisco interlude. Page experiments with a number of new riffs and themes during the guitar solo/workout section, with Bonzo and Jones following close behind. Plant unleashes some blood-curdling screeches following his call and response with Page. Bonzo plays the explosive rhythm of Immigrant Song during the Mars, the Bringer of War section. As the song ends, Plant introduces "Jimmy Page!... Johnny Bonham!... John Paul Jones!"

Before Whole Lotta Love, Plant announces "and in the Liverpool evening air, screams of agony could be heard... three thousand people, all pointin' in one direction, screamin' and shoutin' and makin' funny noises." It sounds like someone is playing bongos or congas during the theramin freakout. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive during the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section, his relentless pounding creating a cacophonous explosion during the finale. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', which features a great new stop-start intro, Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, which is unfortunately cut after only one verse, Let's Have a Party, an excellent I Can't Quit You Baby, and an amazingly heavy Goin' Down Slow. Bonzo is nothing short of inspired during the extended blues improvisation. His performance is definitely a major highlight of the show.

Plant introduces Heartbreaker as "one for the M6." Page's excellent a cappella solo is followed by an earth-shaking guitar solo section. Bonzo hammers away with incredible force during the final verse. The band closes the show with a raucous rendition of The Ocean. Plant tells the crowd "it's been a very nice sunday night... see you again someday" as the band leaves the stage.

The tape is another great soundboard recording. There is a bit of hiss during the quieter moments and some distortion in the bass frequencies at times due to Jones's malfunctioning equipment. Overall, a highly enjoyable recording. It is also another excellent recording for Bonzo lovers, his powerful performance is front and center.

Day 116: 10/3/1972 Tokyo, Japan

10/3/1972 Tokyo, Japan (master>dat)

Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, 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, Immigrant Song, The Ocean

The tape begins with a simple "good evening" from Plant before the thunderous crack of Bonzo's intro to Rock and Roll echoes through the hall. Plant is still having trouble with his voice. He gets into a call and response with the crowd before the guitar solo during Black Dog. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. Before Misty Mountain Hop, Plant announces "it is very good to be back in Tokyo," adding "when group come to Tokyo, group have much fun."

Plant rushes the first verse of Since I've Been Loving You, causing the rest of the band to speed up the changes to catch up. Dancing Days is introduced as "a song about summertime and all the good things that happen." Plant introduces The Song Remains the Same as "The Overture" tonight. The Rain Song is fantastic. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape near the end of the song. Someone in the crowd shouts "John Paul Jones!" before Dazed and Confused, drawing a big cheer from the audience. There is an ear-piercing squeal of feedback during a quiet passage in the bow solo. Page leads the band in a great jam just before the call and response with Plant during the guitar solo/workout section. Bonzo explodes like a violent earthquake during the Mars, the Bringer of War section.

Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "a song about time... and some of the factors that go with our passage through it," adding jokingly "heavy trip, man." Plant sings a few lines of Blue Suede Shoes a cappella before Whole Lotta Love. The explosive Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section includes vocals from Plant for the first time. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, and You Shook Me. There is a slight cut during the finale. The show ends with the Japanese premiere of The Ocean.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and echoey.

Day 112: 6/25/1972 Los Angeles, CA

6/25/1972 Los Angeles, CA Burn Like a Candle

Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, 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, The Ocean, Louie Louie, Thank You, Communication Breakdown, Bring it on Home

The first of two shows used to create 2003's How the West Was Won, the tape begins with the familiar droning intro before Immigrant Song comes crashing through the gate like a thunderous stampede. Page shreds through the frenzied guitar solo during Heartbreaker. Plant tells the crowd "we'd like to try a number out off the new album," but warns "we haven't really decided what we're gonna do at the end of it yet, so you'll have to bear with us" before the first complete recording of Over the Hills and Far Away. The choruses find Plant in all his high-pitched glory.

Before Black Dog, Plant assures the crowd that the song is about "a poor dog" and has "nothing to do with a chick in Detroit." Since I've Been Loving You is a bit subdued despite some inspired soloing from Page. Plant's introduction of Stairway to Heaven draws a loud cheer from the crowd. Page blazes through the guitar solo. Plant's voice gets a bit rough during the final rock section. Before the acoustic set, Plant criticizes the security staff for "cartin' people out with little flash cameras," calling them "the gestapo." Going to California is absolutely beautiful. Following an excellent That's the Way, Plant tells the crowd "we got a long, long time to go... we've been known to play for twelve and a half hours." He calls for a spotlight on Bonzo before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

Bonzo attacks his drums with incredible ferocity during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused, his snare cracks like gunfire during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. Page's fingers get a bit sticky as he solos wildly during the guitar solo/workout section. The extended outro is fantastic, Page's soloing is particularly inspired. Plant jokes that the next album will be called "Burn That Candle" before Dancing Days. Bonzo mounts a full-on sonic assault during Moby Dick, his thunderous pounding is like a violent earthquake. Whole Lotta Love is dedicated to LA. The excellent medley includes Boogie Chillen', an excellent rendition of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, a fantastic Hello Mary Lou, Heartbreak Hotel, a riotous Slow Down with a frenzied guitar solo from Page, and an exceptional Goin' Down Slow.

Page shreds through the guitar solo during Rock and Roll. Someone near the taper can be heard shouting "When the Levee Breaks!" as Plant introduces Jones before another raucous rendition of Louie Louie. Jones plays a bit of Everyday People during the organ solo before Thank You. The show closes with a laid-back Bring it on Home. Another epic marathon at the LA Forum. Must hear.

The tape is excellent, very clear and well-balanced.

For a fascinating breakdown and analysis of how How the West Was Won was created, visit Eddie Edwards's The Garden Tapes.