Day 30: 10/12/1969 London, England

10/12/1969 London, England  (master>cassette>dat>cdr)

Good Times Bad Times/Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Heartbreaker, You Shook Me, What is and What Should Never Be, Dazed and Confused, How Many More Times

Plant is in good form, belting some particularly high wails during Good Times Bad Times/Communication Breakdown. He stutters and moans the lyrics during I Can't Quit You Baby, performing some impressive vocal acrobatics. The tape is cut between songs, but Plant's dialogue with the crowd seems to be intact. Page's fingers are a bit sticky during the solos in Heartbreaker.

Bonzo goes wild during You Shook Me, unfortunately the tape is cut from the second verse to the finale. What is and What Should Never Be is excellent, the perfect balance of calm and storm. Plant screeches and squeals the second verse of Dazed and Confused. Bonzo attacks his drums full force during the guitar solo. The opening verses of How Many More Times are over the top, the whole band pushing it to the limit. There is a very eerie jam before the Bolero section, which features some Over Under Sideways Down licks. The medley includes a disjointed Boogie Chillen, unfortunately the rest of the song is chopped to bits, leaving us with an abrupt end to a great show.

The tape is fairly clear with Bonzo and Jones a bit muddy and in the back.

Day 29: 10/10/1969 Paris, France

10/10/1969 Paris, France L'Olympia

Good Times Bad Times/Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Heartbreaker, Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, How Many More Times

The newly-surfaced french radio show, rebroadcast last month for the first time since its November 1969 premiere, begins with a brief stage announcement before Bonzo counts off to the first appearance of the Good Times Bad Times/Communication Breakdown opener. Plant is in exceptional voice, faithfully recreating every high note. He shakes the mic violently during the intro to I Can't Quit You Baby. The modern french radio announcer makes his first intrusive appearance during Page's excellent solo.

Bonzo comments "they don't even know what it is!" as Plant introduces the first appearance of Heartbreaker to the crowd. The performance is very similar to the version on Led Zeppelin II. There is a strange echo effect added to Page's a cappella guitar solo. Whether this effect was added live by the sound engineer or later by the radio station is unclear. The same echo effect is used sporadically throughout Dazed and Confused, leaving us with an army of Bonzos. The DJ returns at the beginning of an especially eerie bow solo. Page is introduced as "The Wanking Dog" by Bonzo and Plant before White Summer/Black Mountain Side. The DJ once again intrudes during a quiet passage. Plant adlibs new lyrics during You Shook Me. Jones and Bonzo are like a well-oiled machine.

The recording ends with an excellent How Many More Times. Page solos wildly during an extended Bolero section, including some Over Under Sideways Down licks. Plant tells someone in the crowd to shut up during the "got you in the sights..." section, just before another interruption by the DJ. Plant makes mention of a girl who's been with Aynsley Dunbar during his intro to the medley, drawing laughter from the crowd. The medley includes John Lee Hooker's Boogie Chillen, now with lyrics from Plant. The atmosphere on stage is very playful as Plant reaches the final "gun!" The finale is devastatingly heavy with Plant grunting seductively as the band explodes around him.

The tape is an excellent brand-new radio broadcast. Definitely a must hear.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 28: 8/31/1969 Dallas, TX

8/31/1969 Dallas, TX The Only Way to Fly

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

I Can't Quit You Baby is elegantly heavy, Page plays with incredible finesse. Bonzo's fills sound like a machine gun, his right foot is especially quick. Page's equipment picks up a walkie-talkie frequency during the bow solo in Dazed and Confused, making for a strange break in atmosphere. The guitar solo is flawless and inspired. Bonzo plays a funky rhythm including a cowbell in the middle of the extended solo. The return to the main descending riff is devastating.

Bonzo goes wild throughout You Shook Me. Page has some equipment problems at the beginning of How Many More Times. Bonzo wails on the cowbell during Plant's band introductions. Plant makes references to Suzie Q while Page hints at Train Kept a Rollin' during an extended jam before the Bolero section. Page and Jones play the Whole Lotta Love riff during the "Rosie" section. The medley features a great Eyesight to the Blind boogie. Bonzo plays a wild mini solo during the epic finale. The set ends with an energetic Communication Breakdown. An excellent performance.

The tape is an excellent atmospheric soundboard recording. A must hear.

The video, available on Celebration's Early Visions, includes bits of Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, and How Many More Times. The film is dark and a bit blurry, but is nonetheless an interesting early visual document of the band in a true live setting.

Click here for audio samples and a video sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 27: 8/18/1969 (evening) Toronto, Ontario

8/18/1969 (evening) Toronto, Ontario (master>dat)

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

Page and Plant go wild during an excellent I Can't Quit You Baby. Plant mentions the band getting hassled in San Antonio, Texas. Whistles from the crowd echo Page's string slaps during an epic bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Bonzo is an explosion during the guitar solo. An awe-inspiring 11-minute White Summer/Black Mountain Side is followed by a very heavy You Shook Me. Bonzo mounts an all-out assault, his drums sound like cannon fire. Plant exclaims "oh fuck!" after failing to hit a high note during the extended outro, full of adlibs and soloing.

Plant loses himself in laughter during the band introductions at the beginning of How Many More Times. He introduces Page on "as many chicks as he can find." Bonzo grabs the mic to introduce Plant as "straight from the labour club." Page throws some Over Under Sideways Down licks into the guitar solo. The medley includes bits of Salty Dog and Walter Davis's I Think You Need a Shot during an excellent boogie. Plant relays a strange comedic story about being tied up and grifted during the "got you in the sights..." section. Bonzo delivers a short drum solo during the finale. Several shouted requests are granted with a riotous Communication Breakdown, which features a brief rendition of Lee Dorsey's Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On) following Jones's bass solo. An excellent performance, must hear.

The tape is clear and enjoyable with some distortion from Jones's bass.

Day 26: 8/18/1969 (afternoon) Toronto, Ontario

8/18/1969 (afternoon) Toronto, Ontario  Absolutely Gems

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, How Many More Times

There are some tape disturbances at the beginning of Train Kept a Rollin', as well as some volume fluctuations during I Can't Quit You Baby. The taper seems to be having a lot of trouble with their equipment. Page's soloing in I Can't Quit You Baby is bluesy and soulful. Plant tells the crowd Bonzo "has to make all the noise, all the time, every time."

An excellent Dazed and Confused is unfortunately marred with tape noise after the bow solo. The sound improves somewhat during Plant's extended harmonica solo in an excellent You Shook Me. He teases the crowd with his moans during the outro. How Many More Times begins with some very playful band introductions from Plant. He instructs the crowd to clap "a little bit louder for Jimi Hendrix" before the first verse. Page shreds his way through the solo after a wild slide intro.

The tape is hissy and distorted with a lot of tape disturbances and volume fluctuations throughout. A great performance, unfortunately hindered by bad sound quality.

Day 25: 8/8/1969 San Bernardino, CA

8/8/1969 San Bernardino, CA  Summer of '69 (?)

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, I Gotta Move, Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, How Many More Times

The tape starts with a quick stage announcement before the band jumps into Train Kept a Rollin'. It is immediately apparent that this tape is all Page. It sounds like it was recorded from inside his amplifier. If it weren't for the occasional pauses in his playing, I'd wonder if the rest of the band had even shown up. 

Page's ferocious soloing during I Can't Quit You Baby is accentuated by the nasty tone of the recording. We finally get to hear Plant, Jones, and Bonzo as they play an uptempo boogie version of I Gotta Move while Page changes a broken string. Dazed and Confused cuts in during the first verse. The majority of White Summer/Black Mountain Side is missing, the tape is cut just as Page finally gets his guitar in tune. There is a cut during the guitar solo in You Shook Me, coming back for the finale. Page single-handedly invents the concept of shredding during How Many More Times. The medley is growing, tonight featuring The Lemon Song and Chuck Berry's School Days.

As mentioned, the tape is 95% Page. Loud and distorted with a strange crackling interference during How Many More Times. An interesting listening experience indeed.

Day 23: 7/21/1969 New York, NY

7/21/1969 New York, NY  Twist

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

The tape starts just as Train Kept a Rollin' is beginning. Page and Plant are both on fire during I Can't Quit You Baby. Plant's introduction of Dazed and Confused gets a big cheer from the crowd. Page now plays his bow solo unaccompanied, save for the moaned echoes from Plant. Bonzo plays congas during the outro. Plant mentions a delay of Led Zeppelin II's release before You Shook Me. He plays an excellent harmonica solo, but Page's soloing is the real standout. Bonzo turns the song into a thunderous march at the beginning of the last verse. Plant pushes his voice to its limit during the outro.

Plant struggles to be heard over the noise of the crowd while introducing White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which shows off Page's masterful fingerwork. Plant introduces Page "on five gallon hat" at the beginning of How Many More Times. They play a bit of The Woody Woodpecker Song during the first verse. Page's frenzied solo is followed by a call and response version of For What it's Worth with Plant. The "squeeze my lemon..." section prompts squeals of ecstasy from the crowd. Plant's teasing is raunchier and more seductive than ever, culminating in a tongue-in-cheek reference to You Make Me Feel So Young. Bonzo attacks his drums during the finale. The set ends with a ferocious Communication Breakdown, including the ever-present reference to Rosco Gordon's Just a Little Bit during the breakdown. An excellent performance, full of energy.

The tape is a bit noisy, but clear with Page and Plant in front.

Day 22: 7/20/1969 Cleveland, OH

7/20/1969 Cleveland, OH  The Destroyer 1969

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, How Many More Times

Plant's intro to I Can't Quit You Baby is met with a loud cheer from the crowd. Page is in good form during Dazed and Confused. The audio gets quiet and shifts primarily to the left channel in the middle of White Summer/Black Mountain Side, but is back to normal by the time the song fades out. Page's playing is inspired during You Shook Me. How Many More Times features references to The Lemon Song and You Make Me Feel So Young during the "got you in the sights..." section. Plant gets the crowd to echo his moans before belting the final "gun!" Overall, a standard performance for this tour.

The tape is a bit noisy with Plant in the back, again sounding like he's singing through a transistor radio.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 21: 7/6/1969 Newport, RI

7/6/1969 Newport, RI  Zeppelin Digital Vol. 5

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown, Long Tall Sally

Our introduction to the summer festival circuit begins with members of the audience telling others to sit down. Plant's long, wailing intro to I Can't Quit You Baby causes someone in the crowd to remark "he's good." Page plays a bit of Joe Cocker's With a Little Help From My Friends during the last verse. 

Bonzo is going wild during the guitar solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant fights with the volume of his mic throughout You Shook Me. Plant's introduction of Page at the beginning of How Many More Times is met with a big cheer from the crowd. Plant is almost completely absent from Communication Breakdown. The set ends with a nasty Long Tall Sally played at breakneck speed.

A mix of two sources. The first has Page in front and is quite bright. Plant sounds like he's singing through a transistor radio and is less audible as time goes by. This source is used until the end of Communication Breakdown. The second source which finishes the show is more muffled, but Plant is loud and clear.

Day 20: 6/27/1969 London, England

6/27/1969 London, England  The Complete BBC Radio Sessions

Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, How Many More Times

The tape begins with a quick intro by Alan Black. A wonderfully flawless version of Communication Breakdown, including It's Your Thing, is followed by an equally fantastic I Can't Quit You Baby. Page's sticky fingers tear the notes out of the strings. There is a brief interview with Page and Plant before Dazed and Confused.

There is a bizarre post-apocalyptic comedy sketch interlude before a dynamic White Summer/Black Mountain Side. You Shook Me features Jones on organ. Bonzo's drums sound like a pounding heartbeat. Plant's extended harmonica solo has the whole band in top form. How Many More Times features a mellow jazzy groove during the guitar solo and the "squeeze my lemon..." interlude during the "got you in the sights..." section. A flawless radio performance by Led Zeppelin, definitely a must hear.

The tape is an excellent broadcast master.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 19: 6/20/1969 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England

6/20/1969 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England (master>cassette>cassette)

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, White Sumer/Black Mountain Side, You Shook Me, Pat's Delight, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

The tape begins with Plant encouraging the crowd to "let it all out, enjoy yourselves." He let's out an extra long wail during the intro to I Can't Quit You Baby. After Dazed and Confused, Plant introduces someone on stage "all the way from New Zealand", but it's difficult to make it out. Plant asks the crowd for a harmonica following White Summer/Black Mountain Side, explaining that the temperature has caused his to go out of tune. 

Jones, Plant, and Bonzo play a strange little tongue-in-cheek instrumental interlude before You Shook Me. The end of You Shook Me includes Plant's "squeeze my lemon..." lyrics. The bow solo in How Many More Times is mostly a string slapping jam, which leads into an extended funky improvisation. Plant hints at the medleys to come in the "got you in the sights..." section, his voice breaking in the final "gun!" Plant tells the crowd it's the best night they've had in England before a crushing version of Communication Breakdown, which includes It's Your Thing during the breakdown.

A muffled, overloaded, rather hissy tape of an enjoyable performance.

Day 18: 5/30/1969 New York, NY

5/30/1969 New York, NY  Early Days/Latter Days

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

Plant's long wails during the intro to I Can't Quit You Baby make the crowd go wild. Page's ferocious soloing is too much for the taper's equipment to handle. Plant's introduction of Dazed and Confused draws another roar of excitement from the crowd. Page's bow solo begins with the string slapping workout that will become familiar in the years to come. Plant misses one of his echo cues from Page, causing the crowd to laugh and applaud. Bonzo is attacking his drums during the extended guitar solo. A ferocious rendition, and the crowd goes wild.

A heavy, plodding version of You Shook Me follows. Page's fingers dance across the fretboard during White Summer/Black Mountain Side. How Many More Times is played at breakneck speed. Bonzo's drums sound like cannons, relentlessly assaulting the crowd during the Bolero section. Page's frenzied guitar licks once again become too much for the taper's equipment. Plant's squeals reach higher and higher as Page starts the bow solo, which is more a frenzied full band improvisation than a traditional bow solo. The tape ends with a fast, raucous version of Communication Breakdown. And excellent intense performance by the band, the crowd is left begging for more.

The tape is overloaded and distorted at times, but the great performance makes it highly enjoyable. It seems to run a bit slow during Train Kept a Rollin', but improves soon after.

Day 17: 5/28/1969 Boston, MA

5/28/1969 Boston, MA Masters of Excess

As Long as I Have You, I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, Pat's Delight, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

As Long as I Have You starts with a wah-wah heavy intro. I Can't Quit You Baby is followed by Dazed and Confused. Jones bends the notes of the intro for a jazzy effect. Plant sings a bit of Move on Down the Line during the bow solo. The tape is cut between songs, presumably losing some of Plant's banter with the audience.

The tone of Page's slide intro to You Shook Me is a bit peculiar, but he quickly regains it's familiar grittiness. The audience talks through most of Pat's Delight, occasionally offering whistles and polite applause. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is haunting and powerful, with Plant giving his all. How Many More Times is a bit sloppy and disjointed. A very loose For Your Love shows up during the first guitar solo. Page experiments with a variety of sounds during an unusual bow solo. Communication Breakdown starts with a bluesy improvisation by Plant, Jones, and Bonzo while Page changes a broken string.

The tape is muddy with very distracting stereo panning/tape warble during As Long as I Have You.

Day 16: 4/27/1969 San Francisco, CA

4/27/1969 San Francisco, CA Collage

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, As Long as I Have You, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown, Killing Floor, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Sitting and Thinking, Pat's Delight, Dazed and Confused

The tape starts with Plant mentioning that this is the band's last night in San Francisco. The beginning of Train Kept a Rollin' is met with shouts of "yeah! yeah!" from one excited audience member. Plant adlibs new lyrics about San Francisco during I Can't Quit You Baby. As the song ends, there is a pause while Bonzo repairs his snare drum, during which someone in the crowd requests You Shook Me. What follows is an As Long as I Have You of epic proportions. The first version of this song I ever heard and still my personal favourite, it has definitely developed into a major centerpiece of the live show. A perfect venue to showcase the improvisational abilities of each member of the band. Plant's voice is a bit rough around the edges during You Shook Me, but his harmonica solo is bluesy and dynamic.

How Many More Times is one of my personal favourite performances. The atmosphere is loose and lends itself to some excellent and very interesting improvisation. There is an amazing funky groove immediately following the bow solo. The "got you in the sights..." section includes an excellent heavy jam, complete with some strange lyrics from Plant (apparently trying to get around singing the final "gun!"). The first set ends with a mid-show encore of Communication Breakdown as requested by someone in the crowd.

The second set starts with a loose and funky Killing Floor, including new lyrics from Plant, whose voice seems to get rougher as time goes by. A somewhat subdued Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is followed by White Summer/Black Mountain Side. Sitting and Thinking is played as a loose blues improvisation. Someone in the crowd shouts for Pat's Delight before Plant introduces Bonzo. The drum solo itself is rather dull. The show ends with a somewhat sluggish Dazed and Confused. Despite the subdued second set, this is definitely a must hear. No collection is complete without this show.

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording with a slightly muffled audience recording filling the gaps.

Day 15: 4/26/1969 San Francisco, CA

4/26/1969 San Francisco, CA  (1st gen>vhs>dat>cdr>remaster)

Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Killing Floor, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Pat's Delight, As Long as I Have You, Whole Lotta Love

A quick and nasty Communication Breakdown starts the show. The band is full of energy. Plant's screams are unwieldy during I Can't Quit You Baby. Dazed and Confused is a sonic attack and features the first appearance of Page's theramin. Plant's squeals are echoed by the audience during the outro of You Shook Me. The first set ends with an epic How Many More Times, which includes a funky Roll Over Beethoven during the bow solo. An excellent performance of White Summer/Black Mountain Side starts off the second set. Plant includes a quick reference to That's All Right during Killing Floor. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is followed by a thunderous Pat's Delight, which is unfortunately cut in the middle. As Long as I Have You is a wild cacophony, one of the best ever. The tape ends with the first appearance of Whole Lotta Love, although there are no lyrics during the chorus yet. The middle section includes a guitar workout rather than the familiar theramin freakout. Definitely a must hear.

The tape is very clear, if a bit distorted at times.

Day 14: 4/25/1969 San Francisco, CA

4/25/1969 San Francisco, CA  (2nd gen>dat>cdr)

Train Kept a Rollin', You Shook Me, Communication Breakdown, As Long as I Have You

A high-energy set from the second night in San Francisco. Plant skips the final chorus of Train Kept a Rollin', opting for another half-verse. The echo on Page's guitar is very prominent during an extended You Shook Me. Plant is in good voice, shouting wildly over Page's bluesy licks. Communication Breakdown has a frenzied intro. Plant experiments with new vocal inflections during As Long as I Have You. Unfortunately, the tape ends during the guitar solo.

The tape is a bit hissy and distant, but fairly clear and enjoyable nonetheless.

Day 13: 3/19/1969 London, England

3/19/1969 London, England The Complete BBC Radio Sessions

I Can't Quit You Baby, You Shook Me, Sunshine Woman

The band's second BBC appearance starts with an introduction by Alexis Korner. Plant's low voice develops into a growl during I Can't Quit You Baby. The songs are separated by more talk from Korner. You Shook Me is followed by the oddity Sunshine Woman, featuring Jones on piano.

The tape is a noisy, slightly muffled recording of a radio broadcast.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

*- the version of What is and What Should Never Be commonly included with this tape is actually from the band's third BBC appearance on 6/16/1969.

Day 11: 3/15/1969 (evening) Brodby, Denmark

3/15/1969 (evening) Brondby, Denmark  Led Zeppelin is a Gas

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me

Plant thanks the audience for their patience before Train Kept a Rollin'. Page's guitar licks sound like razor blades in I Can't Quit You Baby. Dazed and Confused is dedicated to "the young ladies working the strobes." Page slaps the strings aggressively during the bow solo. His guitar tone is dirty and gritty in You Shook Me.

The tape is hissy and a bit muddy with Page overpowering the rest of the band.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 11: 3/15/1969 (afternoon) Gladsaxe, Denmark

3/15/1969 (afternoon) Gladsaxe, Denmark  Led Zeppelin is a Gas

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, As Long as I Have You, You Shook Me, Communication Breakdown

The tape starts with Plant mentioning a forty-five minute delay. His voice breaks a couple times in Train Kept a Rollin', but it doesn't slow him down. He's warmed up by I Can't Quit You Baby, which draws shouts from the crowd. Page's fingers get a bit sticky in the last solo.

As Long as I Have You has a frantic intro. Bonzo is attacking his drums nonstop. Page's playing is aggressive in the solo. Plant is going wild, telling the audience to "sock it to me." An excellent version of I Just Want to Make Love to You is included before the last verse. There's a tongue in cheek intermission jam before Plant introduces You Shook Me, "despite Che Guevara." Page's guitar tone is very loud and abrasive. The short show ends with Communication Breakdown, which has a Hendrix-inspired intro.

The tape is noisy, but clear with Page and Plant again up front and Bonzo and Jones buried somewhere in the back.

Day 11: 3/3/1969 London, England

3/3/1969 London, England  The Complete BBC Radio Sessions

You Shook Me, Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused

The first of the BBC sessions. You Shook Me (featuring Jones on organ) sounds somewhat sluggish, magnified by Plant's voice being lower than usual. Communication Breakdown is similar to the version on the first album, with double-tracked vocals by Plant and a short funky breakdown. I Can't Quit You Baby includes alternate lyrics as well as a bit of Nineteen Years Old. The session ends with a short rendition of Dazed and Confused. 

The tape is an excellent broadcast master.