Day 123: 12/4/1972 Glasgow, Scotland

12/4/1972 Glasgow, Scotland (unknown gen)

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

There is a slight cut during the first verse of Rock and Roll. Over the Hills and Far Away is excellent, particularly Page's guitar solo. Plant dedicates Misty Mountain Hop "to The Central Hotel," which draws a big cheer from the crowd. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during a powerful, dramatic Since I've Been Loving You. Plant introduces The Song Remains the Same as "a song that really encompasses everywhere that we've ever been." Page absolutely shreds through the guitar solos. There is a slight cut in the tape during the transition to The Rain Song.

The San Francisco interlude during Dazed and Confused continues to get closer to it's final form with Plant experimenting with lyrics as Page, Jones, and Bonzo work to perfect the arrangement. The excellent guitar solo/workout section continues to grow in complexity. Page solos wildly during the ever-expanding outro. Plant jokingly asks the crowd "remember forests?" during Stairway to Heaven. As Whole Lotta Love begins, Plant tells the crowd "we want you to boogie a little bit, boogie!" There is a slight cut before the band gets into a heavy jam which leads into the theramin freakout. The riotous medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Stuck on You after a cut in the tape, and a fantastic I Can't Quit You Baby featuring an amazing guitar solo from Page. The recording ends with a high-energy Heartbreaker. An excellent performance from start to finish.

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

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.

Month Five: May 2008

May is here and it brings along some changes to The Year of Led Zeppelin. First, as you may have noticed, some of the posts now feature links to audio samples courtesy of the fantastic Black Beauty Bootleg Database. Many thanks must go to StarShip for his hard work and generosity in providing such an amazing resource for fans of live Led Zeppelin recordings. I've only linked to audio samples on the posts where the version I reviewed is the same as the version represented on Black Beauty, but I encourage everyone to browse the rest of the site. You'll find an amazing collection of audio samples (and even some video samples) of every show. A truly invaluable resource.

Second, starting this month I'll be cutting back the frequency of posts from seven days a week down to five. As the tours progress and the shows get longer, a bit of a break becomes necessary to maintain my sanity, if nothing else.

That said, here's the schedule for May for anyone following along.

Let's rock.

Thursday 5/1
1972.12.01 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, U.K.

Friday 5/2
1972.12.04 Glasgow, Scotland

Monday 5/5
1972.12.08 Manchester, U.K.

Tuesday 5/6
1972.12.12 Cardiff, Wales

Wednesday 5/7
1972.12.16 Birmingham, U.K.

Thursday 5/8
1972.12.20 Brighton, U.K.

Friday 5/9
1972.12.22 London, U.K.

Monday 5/12
1972.12.23 London, U.K.

Tuesday 5/13
1973.01.02 Sheffield, U.K.

Wednesday 5/14
1973.01.07 Oxford, U.K.

Thursday 5/15
1973.01.14 Liverpool, U.K.

Friday 5/16
1973.01.15 Stoke, U.K.

Monday 5/19
1973.01.18 Bradford, U.K.

Tuesday 5/20
1973.01.22 Southampton, U.K.

Wednesday 5/21
1973.01.25 Aberdeen, Scotland

Thursday 5/22
1973.01.27 Dundee, Scotland

Friday 5/23
1973.01.28 Edinburgh, Scotland

Monday 5/26
1973.01.30 Preston, U.K.

Tuesday 5/27
1973.03.06 Stockholm, Sweden

Wednesday 5/28
1973.03.14 Nuremberg, Germany

Thursday 5/29
1973.03.16 Vienna, Austria

Friday 5/30
1973.03.17 Munich, Germany

Day 121: 11/30/1972 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England

11/30/1972 Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England (unknown gen)

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, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Thank You

The tape begins during Bonzo's intro to Rock And Roll. There is a slight cut during the first chorus of Over the Hills and Far Away. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Plant introduces Black Dog as "My Brain Hurts." The Song Remains the Same has finally been given a proper title. The tape is cut at the end of The Rain Song, leading directly to the intro of Dazed and Confused. The lead-in to the bow solo includes a brief instrumental version of what will become the San Francisco interlude.

Page's intro to Stairway to Heaven receives a big cheer from the crowd. Bonzo's snare is like a machine gun during the excellent guitar solo. Pant dedicates Whole Lotta Love to Roy Harper. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, and Goin' Down Slow. After a cut in the tape, Immigrant Song begins with a strange, out of tune intro. Page blazes through the solos during Heartbreaker. The show ends with a lackluster Thank You.

The tape is quite muffled and hissy.

Day 120: 10/10/1972 Kyoto, Japan

10/10/1972 Kyoto, Japan  The Old Capital

Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Over the Hills and Far Away, Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song

The final show of Led Zeppelin's final tour of Japan begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page's fingers get a bit stuck in the strings during the guitar solo in Black Dog. A high-speed Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as "one about Japanese grass." Page is on fire during an excellent Since I've Been Loving You, played at a hurried pace. A lightning-fast The Song Remains the Same is again introduced as "The Campaign." The Rain Song is beautiful.

Plant asks "what's the time?" adding "we got an hour..." off-mic before the shortest Dazed and Confused since 3/5/1971. Page blazes through the bare-bones guitar solo/workout section. As the song ends, Plant says "to the man who's sleeping in the front row, will you please stand up!" In an unusual setlist change, Over the Hills and Far Away is played after Stairway to Heaven. Whole Lotta Love includes a frantic new intro. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is an explosion of raw energy. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', That's All Right, a frenzied rendition of Brenda Lee's Let's Jump the Broomstick, and Goin' Down Slow, which includes a wild blues improvisation. The show ends with a quick Immigrant Song. An excellent compact finale to a rather lackluster tour.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit noisy.

Day 119: 10/9/1972 Osaka, Japan

10/9/1972 Osaka, Japan  (1st gen cassette>video hifi)

Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, Stand By Me, Immigrant Song

In the four days since the show in Nagoya, Plant has had time to rest his injured voice, and it shows. He's not quite back to his former glory, but there has definitely been an improvement. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. Before Misty Mountain Hop, Plant tells the crowd "this is a track... all about getting busted... but we wouldn't say that if we were in England or America, would we?" Since I've Been Loving You is drunk and bluesy. The Song Remains the Same is introduced as "The Campaign" tonight. Plant's voice finally allows him to do the song some justice. The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused features a hauntingly heavy rendition of Down By the River. Page is on fire during the guitar solo/workout section. He solos wildly during the outro. 

Plant is in a good mood, joking with the crowd before Stairway to Heaven, which includes a great guitar solo from Page. Before the only appearance of Moby Dick this tour, Plant announces "ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have an added pleasure... John 'Samurai' Bonham!" The drum solo features extensive use of Bonzo's recently acquired tympani. Page plays a great new riff during the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section in Whole Lotta Love. Plant skips the usual boogie tonight and dives straight into a riotous medley of classics including Something's Got a Hold On Me, Milk Cow Blues, Ray Charles's Leave My Woman Alone, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Heartbreak Hotel, a fantastic Wear My Ring Around Your Neck, and an excellent Goin' Down Slow. The tape is cut right at the end of the finale. After asking the crowd "you want John Bonham to sing, yes?," Plant leads the band in an amazing rendition of Stand By Me, with Bonzo providing sporadic backing vocals. The show ends with a powerful Immigrant Song. By far the biggest triumph of the band's final visit to Japan. Must Hear.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit hissy, with Bonzo slightly buried under the rest of the band.

Day 118: 10/5/1972 Nagoya, Japan

10/5/1972 Nagoya, Japan D.R.A.G.O.N.

Rock and Roll, 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, Thank You

The crowd is eerily quiet during Black Dog save for a few whistlers, giving the impression that the band is alone in the room. Plant announces "it is very nice for English boys to be in Nagoya" before Misty Mountain Hop. Since I've Been Loving You is a bit of a disjointed mess. Plant's introduction of Bonzo draws a big cheer from the crowd before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The Song Remains the Same is once again introduced as "The Overture." Plant's voice is at its weakest, seemingly unable to sustain any note. The Rain Song is beautiful.

The intro of Dazed and Confused is drenched in wah-wah. The lead-in to the bow solo includes a great funky jam. Page throws some As Long as I Have You licks into his call and response with Plant during the excellent guitar solo/workout section. He solos frantically during the outro. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section during Whole Lotta Love is a riotous explosion. Plant has finally warmed up and it shows in his enthusiastic performance during the medley. A frenzied Boogie Chillen', which features some great new lyrics from Plant, is followed by Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party and You Shook Me, which includes another fantastic blues improvisation. Thank You is preceded by a highly dramatic organ suite from Jones, which includes a rendition of Sakura. Page delivers an epic guitar solo. The recording ends with a simple "goodnight Nagoya" from Plant.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and hissy. Thank You is from an inferior source with a very tinny sound.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 117: 10/4/1972 Osaka, Japan

10/4/1972 Osaka, Japan (?)

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, Heartbreaker, Immigrant Song

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Plant is getting better at controlling his voice, but it's still far from perfect. He's all over the place during Over the Hills and Far Away, trying and failing to find a melody to accommodate his weakened voice. Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as a song "about the problems that come across just a simple walk in the park on a saturday afternoon. The Song Remains the Same fades in during the intro directly after the end of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Plant's out-of-tune vocals put a damper on The Rain Song. As the song ends, he announces "John Paul Jones on the mysterious Mellotron."

The intro of Dazed and Confused is punctuated by a violent, screeching outburst of wah-wah from Page. The lead-in to the bow solo features the first appearance of a mellow instrumental that will develop into the San Francisco interlude on the next tour. Page is in his own world during the guitar solo/workout section, soloing wildly in all directions as the rest of the band tries to follow along and anticipate his next move. Whole Lotta Love is introduced as "an old song that we think might go a long way... might take us a long way." The medley includes a riotous Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's I Got a Lot O' Living to Do and Let's Have a Party, and You Shook Me, which features an excellent extended blues improvisation. Bonzo is out of control during the finale, firing off machine gun-like snare bursts at every turn. Page is on fire during the solos in Heartbreaker. Bonzo's snare explodes like cannon fire during the fast guitar solo section. The show ends with Immigrant Song, which Bonzo turns into an imperial death march during the guitar solo.

The tape is excellent, perfectly clear and balanced.

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 115: 10/2/1972 Tokyo, Japan

10/2/1972 Tokyo, Japan  Led Zeppelin is My Brother

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, Immigrant Song, Communication Breakdown

The first show of Led Zeppelin's second and final tour of Japan begins with a brief introduction by Goro Itoi. The premiere of the newly revamped setlist kicks off with the first appearance of Rock and Roll as the opening number. Plant is almost nonexistent during the initial verses, his voice breaking with every note he tries to hit. Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the guitar solo. During the intro of Over the Hills and Far Away, Page hits a bum note, throwing himself off a bit. Plant is having a lot of trouble with his voice, unable to hit the high notes like he used to.

Black Dog is followed by the first appearance of Misty Mountain Hop since 5/3/1971. Bonzo is in top form, throwing in inventive fills at every turn. The new arrangement of Since I've Been Loving You is highly dramatic. Page's soloing is flawless. Plant introduces Bron-Y-Aur Stomp by imitating a dog for the non-english-speaking crowd, saying "this song about a *woof woof*." He tells the crowd "Jimmy Page no use Greco, Jimmy Page use Gibson" as Page tunes his acoustic guitar. Before the first appearance of The Song Remains the Same, Plant explains "at the moment, we ain't got no title for it... we'll just call it Zep." An excellent performance with Bonzo wailing on his new tympani. The premiere of The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful and features Jones's newly-acquired Mellotron. 

Page retunes his guitar during the intro of Dazed and Confused. Bonzo is out of control, thrashing at anything within reach as Page solos wildly during the guitar solo/workout section. Plant's introduction of Stairway to Heaven draws a loud cheer from the crowd. The guitar solo is drenched in echo. Whole Lotta Love is introduced as "one that really got us here... hope it'll get us back." The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is a cacophonous explosion. The medley begins with a mellow call and response between Plant and the crowd before Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's My Baby Left Me, the first appearance of Killing Floor since 9/6/1971, as well as an excellent new arrangement of I Can't Quit You Baby in it's first appearance since 12/2/1971. Page blazes through his solos during Heartbreaker. Plant's voice returns at full force during Immigrant Song, his Valhalla cries echoing through the hall. The show ends with a lightning-fast Communication Breakdown.

The tape is excellent, very clear and atmospheric. It gives the feeling of being in the crowd.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 114: 6/28/1972 Tucson, AZ

6/28/1972 Tucson, AZ Arizona's Smiling

Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What is and What Should Never Be, Dancing Days, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll

Immigrant Song is a devastating sonic assault. Bonzo is like a one man blitzkrieg as Page shreds through the guitar solo. The thunderous attack doesn't let up during Heartbreaker. Page's excellent a cappella solo is topped only by the frenzied explosion of the fast guitar solo section. Plant announces "today is the fifteenth birthday of Terry Hansen, so this is a song for Terry Hansen" before a brutally heavy Black Dog. He tells the crowd "this is the last gig of this tour, so we intend to have a really good time" before an excellent Over the Hills and Far Away, which is introduced as "a special treat." Page tears through the guitar solo as Bonzo and Jones hold down an urgently funky rhythm.

Since I've Been Loving You is painful and aggressively beautiful. An amazing performance. Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "a little song that came one night... when all was lost." Page plays an epic guitar solo. Plant tells the crowd "tonight's the last night, so we're gonna get so silly... sometime in the next twenty-four hours" before introducing the only acoustic song of the night, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Bonzo's relentless pounding is like cannon fire during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. Page is on fire during the frantic guitar solo/workout section. The four of them are locked into each other, playing as one well-oiled machine during the epic improvisation. A truly mind-blowing performance, one of the best thus far.

Moby Dick is outstanding. There are some disturbing speed fluctuations during Whole Lotta Love, which add an interesting new dimension to Page's theramin trickery. The riotous medley includes Boogie Chillen', featuring an excellent guitar solo from Page, a fantastic rendition of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, a raucous Stuck on You, Hello Mary Lou, and an incredible Goin' Down Slow, which includes a great keyboard solo from Jones. Plant announces "Arizona's smiling!" and jokingly sings a bit of When You're Smiling before the band closes the show with a high-energy Rock and Roll. Page starts the guitar solo late, causing a bit of confusion until he catches up with himself. As the band leaves the stage, Plant says "thank you very much... next year." A phenomenal end to the legendary 1972 American tour. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit overloaded and lacking in bottom end.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

About three minutes of silent color footage is available on Hercules's Film Noir Vol. 1. Unfortunately, the footage, consisting of various short fragments from the show, is distant, blurry, and quite washed-out.

Click here for a video sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 113: 6/27/1972 Long Beach, CA

6/27/1972 Long Beach, CA (see below)

Immigrant Song^, Heartbreaker^, Black Dog+, Over the Hills and Far Away+, 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#

^- source 1: (unknown gen)

#- source 2: (reel master>vhs>dat>cdr)

+- source 3: How the West Was, Too!

*- soundboard: (master quads>dat)

The second of two shows used to create 2003's How the West Was Won, the tape begins with Immigrant Song already in progress. Black Dog is introduced as "a story about a dog who liked to boogie." Plant comments on the show at The Forum two nights earlier, telling the crowd "that was too much, it was really great" before Over the Hills and Far Away, which is dedicated to "the freak" throwing firecrackers. Page's frantic soloing lends a sense of urgency to the mournful tone of Since I've Been Loving You. A highly dramatic rendition.

Stairway to Heaven features another dramatic guitar solo from Page. Plant tells the crowd "all parents can join in the choruses" at the beginning of That's the Way. A mournful Tangerine is introduced as "a nice little song that people usually chatter in." Plant jokes that Bonzo's rendition of It's Only Make Believe was meant to be on the last album, "but he paid us enough money to keep it off" before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused features a great driving rhythm before everything slows down to a cool, jazzy tempo to accompany Page's ethereal wanderings. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive during the guitar solo/workout section, with Page racing to keep up. The Mars, the Bringer of War section is extremely heavy. Page solos wildly as Plant's echoed chants soar over the crowd during the outro, causing someone near the taper to comment "look at Page... incredible!"

Plant comments on Americans' tendency to dismiss new songs that they don't know before Dancing Days, adding "this is one of those." Bonzo is introduced as "percussionist, second vocalist, fighter, drinker, lover of the world... in fact, general odd job man... and king of the coffee shop" before Moby Dick. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love breakdown during Whole Lotta Love is explosive. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', another great rendition of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, a raucous Hello Mary Lou, the first appearance of Blueberry Hill since 9/19/1970, and Goin' Down Slow, which includes a dynamic blues improvisation. The show ends with a quick and dirty Rock and Roll, the crowd is left begging for more.

The audience tapes are clear and well-balanced, save for source 2, which is a bit distant and noisy. The soundboard tape is superb.

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

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.