Day 220: 4/23/1977 Atlanta, GA

4/23/1977 Atlanta, GA  (2nd gen)

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Black Country Woman, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Over the Top, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Trampled Underfoot

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before The Song Remains the Same explodes out of the gate. Bonzo is absolutely on fire, pummeling the crowd with his relentless sonic assault. Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo during Nobody's Fault But Mine. In My Time of Dying is cut just before the end of the song. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. Plant complains that it's raining on the stage before introducing No Quarter as featuring "the umbrella of John Paul Jones." The instrumental section is absolutely fantastic. Jones's piano solo is followed by an excellent boogie workout. Page delivers a phenomenal guitar solo. Unfortunately, there is a slight cut in the tape as the piece comes to a close. An outstanding performance.

Plant tells the crowd "it's best to always be in love with everybody, but this is about the first time you ever knew it would happen to you" before Ten Years Gone. Page fumbles through an out of tune guitar solo. The Battle of Evermore is introduced as "probably what happened about seven hundred years ago this evening on the Welsh borders." As Going to California comes to a close, someone can be heard asking the taper "hey man, you wanna get you a hit off of this, man?" to which he responds "oh, no thanks."

Plant introduces Bonzo as "one of the greatest drummers that England's ever has and ever will have" before Over the Top. Someone near the taper can be heard telling his inebriated friend that he'll regret it for the rest of his life if he doesn't stand up and watch the drum solo. Page again plays a bit of The Star-Spangled Banner à la Hendrix at Woodstock during the experimental guitar solo prior to Achilles Last Stand. Plant dedicates Stairway to Heaven to "warm atmospheres, which everybody needs." As the band returns to the stage to close the show with Trampled Underfoot, Plant announces "in two years of absence from concerts, you begin to forget what it's all about, but I think we remembered."

The tape is a bit muffled and overloaded.

Day 219: 4/20/1977 Cincinnati, OH

4/20/1977 Cincinnati, OH  (3rd gen)

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying, Since I've Been Loving You, The Battle of Evermore, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Over the Top, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Trampled Underfoot

Page's sticky fingers start to loosen up during the second guitar solo in Sick Again. Plant announces "well, tonight we, uh... well, never mind what we're gonna do, we're just gonna do it" before an excellent Nobody's Fault But Mine. As the song ends, he pleads with the rowdy crowd to stand still. There is a cut in the tape just before the guitar solo during In My Time of Dying. Page and Plant hint at You Shook Me near the end of the song. All but the first ten seconds of Since I've Been Loving You, along with No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, and the majority of the acoustic set are missing from the tape.

The crowd erupts as Kashmir kicks in. Plant hints at Candy Store Rock before introducing Bonzo as "probably the most resounding drummer rock and roll has ever known" prior to Over the Top. Unfortunately, a large chunk of the drum solo is missing from the tape. Page plays a bit of The Star-Spangled Banner at the beginning of his experimental guitar solo prior to Achilles Last Stand. Plant announces "this is in memory of all good times" before Stairway to Heaven. The guitar solo features a series of violent breaks, punctuated by Bonzo's machine gun snare blasts. Plant rushes the verses during a somewhat sloppy Trampled Underfoot.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and noisy in the high end.

Day 218: 4/19/1977 Cincinnati, OH

4/19/1977 Cincinnati, OH  Gatecrash Riot

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Black Country Woman, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir

The tape begins with a brief introduction by the tapers before the band takes the stage. Things get off to a shaky start with Page struggling to find his footing during the opening numbers. He completely destroys the first guitar solo in Sick Again. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd to "try and just keep it cool, stand still okay?" Page shreds wildly through the guitar solo in Nobody's Fault But Mine. His fingers get stuck in the strings throughout Since I've Been Loving You.

Someone near the taper can be heard commenting on the fog engulfing the stage as No Quarter begins. Jones's dramatic piano solo in introduced by a series of ghostly moans from the theramin over the thunderous rumbling of Bonzo's tympani. The upbeat interlude continues to expand, tonight featuring an outstanding hard rock workout. Page delivers an excellent guitar solo. The return to the main theme is met with a hail of firecracker blasts. A fantastic performance. There is a slight cut near the end of Ten Years Gone. 

The Battle of Evermore is introduced as "a story that reflects an evening about six or seven hundred years ago." Plant asks the crowd to "cool it with the firecrackers" before a beautiful Going to California. Page and Plant get into a bit of Johnny Burnette's Cincinnati Fireball before Black Country Woman. Unfortunately, the remainder of the tape is plagued by constant volume fluctuations. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during an excellent performance of White Summer/Black Mountain Side. The recording ends as Kashmir comes to a close.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and noisy in the high end. Unfortunately, the recording deteriorates as the show progresses.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 217: 4/10/1977 Chicago, IL

4/10/1977 Chicago, IL  Great Chicago Fire

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Black Country Woman, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Trampled Underfoot, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Over the Top, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll

The band's fourth and final night at Chicago Stadium begins with a brief soundcheck before The Song Remains the Same comes thundering out of the gate. Bonzo has become the band's main driving force, hammering at his drums with incredible intensity. Nobody's Fault But Mine is devastatingly heavy. Page shreds furiously through a blistering guitar solo. In My Time of Dying is a cacophonous sonic assault. There is a slight cut in the tape at the very end of the song. Since I've Been Loving You is dedicated to Willie Dixon "and his friends on the south side who write good music." Plant introduces Jones as "a man who once stayed at the Royal Orleans hotel" amidst shouts of "sit down!" before No Quarter. Following the upbeat honky tonk interlude, he switches back to the electric piano for the instrumental section. Page wanders aimlessly through an out of tune guitar solo. 

Plant tells the crowd "in England, it's very important to take the one you love to the back seat of the school bus and promise that forever and ever, you will be together... it never works that way, but you can try it in every town" before introducing Ten Years Gone as "a song about the first one." The first few bars of Going to California are missing from the tape. Plant sings a couple lines of Surrender as the band prepares for Black Country Woman. Page shreds wildly through the guitar solo during Trampled Underfoot. Plant delivers a powerful performance during a thunderous Kashmir. He introduces Bonzo as "the man I call my brother" before Over the Top. Unfortunately, only the Moby Dick outro survives on the tape. Page's fingers become entangled in the strings during the guitar solo in Achilles Last Stand. The crowd erupts as the show-closing Rock and Roll crashes into motion. An explosive finale to the band's troubled stay in Chicago.

The tape is distant and quite noisy.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Month Ten: October 2008

Here's the schedule for October for anyone following along. 56 and counting...
Let's rock.

Wednesday 10/1
1977.04.10 Chicago, Illinois

Thursday 10/2
1977.04.19 Cincinnati, Ohio

Friday 10/3
1977.04.20 Cincinnati, Ohio

Monday 10/6
1977.04.23 Atlanta, Georgia

Tuesday 10/7
1977.04.25 Louisville, Kentucky

Wednesday 10/8
1977.04.27 Cleveland, Ohio

Thursday 10/9
1977.04.28 Cleveland, Ohio

Friday 10/10
1977.04.30 Pontiac, Michigan

Monday 10/13
1977.05.18 Birmingham, Alabama
1977.05.19 Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Tuesday 10/14
1977.05.21 Houston, Texas

Wednesday 10/15
1977.05.22 Fort Worth, Texas

Thursday 10/16
1977.05.25 Landover, Maryland

Friday 10/17
1977.05.26 Landover, Maryland

Monday 10/20
1977.05.28 Landover, Maryland

Tuesday 10/21
1977.05.30 Landover, Maryland

Wednesday 10/22
1977.06.03 Tampa, Florida
1977.06.07 New York, New York

Thursday 10/23
1977.06.08 New York, New York

Friday 10/24
1977.06.10 New York, New York

Monday 10/27
1977.06.11 New York, New York

Tuesday 10/28
1977.06.13 New York, New York

Wednesday 10/29
1977.06.14 New York, New York

Thursday 10/30
1977.06.19 San Diego, California

Friday 10/31
1977.06.21 Inglewood California

Day 216: 4/9/1977 Chicago, IL

4/9/1977 Chicago, IL  Strange Tales From the Road (dadgad)

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone

The band's third night in Chicago starts off like any other night. Page's fingers are a bit sticky during The Song Remains the Same. Plant greets the crowd following Sick Again, saying "welcome to what we hope is gonna be a very good time." Page plays a large portion of the intro to Since I've Been Loving You a cappella before realizing he's jumped ahead of the setlist. He shreds erratically though the guitar solo in Nobody's Fault But Mine. The tape is cut between songs. Jones's ominous piano solo during No Quarter is met with a series of loud whistles from the crowd. A barrage of firecracker blasts signals the beginning of the instrumental section. Page solos wildly during the song's outro. 

After a long pause following a lackluster Ten Years Gone, Plant announces "whether you were aware of it or not, Jimmy has got a bout of gastroenteritis... so we're gonna take a necessary five minute break right now, so you must bear with us, cause Jimmy's very lucky to be even playin' tonight, okay?" After a cut in the tape, road manager Richard Cole announces "(Jimmy) has a bad attack of gastroenteritis, he does not want to do a half-assed show tonight... if you watch the press and the papers on monday and hang onto your ticket stubs, this show will be rescheduled and all your tickets will be re-honored!" adding "the band feel very bad about this, but please hang onto your tickets and they will all be rescheduled for the next performance, and they'll come back and replay this show again." Unfortunately, the makeup show would never take place.

The tape is distant and noisy.

Day 215: 4/7/1977 Chicago, IL

4/7/1977 Chicago, IL  Great Chicago Fire

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll

Bonzo thrashes wildly at anything within reach during a frantic The Song Remains the Same. Page's fingers become entangled in the strings during the first guitar solo in Sick Again. The tape is cut between songs. The beginning of Jones's piano solo during No Quarter is met with a loud cheer from the crowd. Page shreds erratically through a somewhat choppy guitar solo. Unfortunately, The song is cut during the final verse. We return during the first verse of Ten Years Gone. 

Before The Battle of Evermore, Plant tells the crowd "it wasn't quite as hard as this five hundred years ago, wandering around with acoustic instruments... cause the oak tree probably didn't hold more than about two people" during a long pause while the band retunes. Going to California is introduced as "a song that reeks of California." White Summer features an eerily beautiful passage just before the Black Mountain Side section begins. The crowd erupts as Kashmir kicks in. Only the final two minutes of Achilles Last Stand survive on the tape. Plant dedicates Stairway to Heaven to the crowds the band played to on the 1975 North American tour "and the good times all along the way." The show-closing Rock and Roll is a cacophonous explosion of energy.

The tape is muffled and noisy.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 214: 4/6/1977 Chicago, IL

4/6/1977 Chicago, IL  The Home of the Electric Blues

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Black Country Woman, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Over the Top, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Trampled Underfoot

The first show of the band's four night stand at Chicago Stadium begins with a series of loud firecracker blasts as the band takes the stage. Plant is quick to respond, saying "listen, before we start, can I ask you one thing?... can you stop throwin' those firecrackers, cause we wanna give you a lotta music and we're not gonna fight with firecrackers, okay?" The Song Remains the Same is a relentless sonic assault. Plant again asks the crowd to cool it following Sick Again. Page tears through a blistering guitar solo during Nobody's Fault But Mine. In My Time of Dying is plagued by tape issues. Since I've Been Loving You is an intense emotional journey. Page shreds wildly through the guitar solo, emphasizing each note as if it were his last. An outstanding performance. 

Jones is introduced as "the most debonaire member of the band" before No Quarter. He and Bonzo further develop the honky tonk interlude during the piano solo. Page delivers an excellent guitar solo. Unfortunately, a cut in the tape near the end leaves us at the return to the main theme. There is another cut during the final verse. Plant announces "at the front of the stage for the first time, John Bonham... looking very suave in a two-piece tuxedo" before The Battle of Evermore. Going to California is introduced as "a tribute to a lady who sings and drives a Mercedes and gets uptight." Unfortunately, the song is plagued by more tape issues. After singing a bit of Surrender as Page retunes before Black Country Woman, Plant jokingly refers to the Black Country as "the land where men are men and sheep are nervous," to which Page responds "better to live one day as a king than a thousand days as a peasant."

Page's guitar is painfully out of tune during White Summer/Black Mountain Side. He spends most of the song trying to compensate for the problem, but to no avail. Plant delivers a powerful performance during Kashmir. His banshee howls threaten to destroy the taper's equipment. Bonzo is introduced as "our diplomat for peace and good relations" before Over the Top. Unfortunately, the tape suffers from constant volume fluctuations throughout the drum solo. Page has trouble keeping up during Achilles Last Stand. The first few notes of Stairway to Heaven are met with a loud cheer from the crowd. Page's fingers become entangled in the strings during the guitar solo. The band closes the show with Trampled Underfoot, with Page shredding through an aggressive guitar solo.

The tape is distant and quite noisy with tape disturbances of varying severity throughout.

Day 213: 4/3/1977 Oklahoma City, OK

4/3/1977 Oklahoma City, OK  (master>cdr)

The Song Remains the Same, Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, The Battle of Evermore, Going to California, Black Country Woman, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Over the Top, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Trampled Underfoot

The first recording of the 1977 North American tour and the band's second proper show in nearly two years begins with a brief soundcheck before the first appearance of The Song Remains the Same as the opening number. Plant's entrance is met with a loud cheer from the crowd. The band plays a few bars of The Rover as an introduction to Sick Again. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solos. As the song ends, shouts of "sit down!" can be heard coming from the crowd, to which someone near the taper responds "hey, let's break out the pea shooter."

Plant greets the crowd, saying "I think we'll just keep playin'" before the first appearance of Nobody's Fault But Mine. In My Time of Dying is a bit disjointed at times. Jones is introduced as "the coy gentleman in the group" before No Quarter. Page and Bonzo join in for an upbeat vamp halfway through the piano solo. There is a slight cut in the tape just before the instrumental section begins. Jones delivers a final dramatic crescendo as the piece comes to a close. Plant announces "before we decided to come stick our necks on the line, we did a bit of rehearsin'... and we thought rather than keep everything totally electric, we'd sort of vary it a little bit" before introducing the first appearance of Ten Years Gone.

Bonzo joins the band at the front of the stage for the first appearance of The Battle of Evermore, which features Jones singing the Sandy Denny part. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is preceded by an abbreviated rendition of Black Country woman, making its first appearance since 6/19/1972. As the song ends, someone near the taper can be heard saying "I think it's time!... Dazed and Confused." Page's first recorded performance of White Summer/Black Mountainside since 4/28/1970 is linked nonstop with Kashmir in a dramatic reveal. Bonzo's drum solo has been renamed Over the Top and now features an instrumental Out on the Tiles introduction.

The first appearance of Achilles Last Stand is preceded by an experimental guitar solo, which replaces Dazed and Confused as the venue for Page's bow solo. The effect is so convincing that even Bonzo loses track and launches into the frantic rhythm of the former guitar solo/workout section before remembering what year it is. The band is obviously still getting a feel for the new song, frequently losing each other in the arrangement. However, the problems don't effect their enthusiasm as they hammer through at a frenzied pace. Page's fingers become entangled in the strings during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. The crowd erupts as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page shreds erratically through a choppy guitar solo during the show-closing Trampled Underfoot. A somewhat rusty welcome to 1977.

The tape is rather distant and muffled with a series of disturbing tape noises throughout.

Day 212: 5/25/1975 London, England

5/25/1975 London, England  When We Were Kings

Rock and Roll, Sick Again, Over the Hills and Far Away, In My Time of Dying, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Tangerine, Going to California, That's the Way, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Trampled Underfoot, Moby Dick, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, Heartbreaker, Communication Breakdown

The band's fifth and final night at Earls Court begins with Alan 'Fluff' Freeman announcing "we are here tonight because you and I have great taste" before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page blazes through the second guitar solo in Sick Again. As the song ends, Plant announces "good evening and welcome to the last concert in England for a considerable time." Page shreds frantically through an excellent guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. In My Time of Dying is introduced as "an old work chant." Page solos wildly as Bonzo and Jones pummel the crowd. An incredibly powerful performance, one of the best thus far. 

Bonzo is on fire during The Song Remains the Same, thrashing at his drums with wild abandon as Page's fingers race across the fretboard. The Rain Song is absolutely fantastic, one of the best in recent memory. Jones's somber piano solo during No Quarter features hints of Concierto de Aranjuez. The instrumental section is an epic journey. The band receives a thunderous ovation as the piece comes to a close. The climax is reached during the blistering outro. An outstanding performance. Page plays a bit of Tea For One as Plant introduces Tangerine. Going to California is delicately beautiful. Jones's mandolin work is fantastic. Plant makes a few references to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, asking the crowd "what is a shrubbery amongst friends?" before an excellent That's the Way. 

The band gets into a bit of Robert Johnson's If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Plant gives the crowd a brief history of Johnson's life before introducing Trampled Underfoot. Page shreds erratically through an aggressive guitar solo. Bonzo is introduced as "our blood brother" before a particularly thunderous Moby Dick. Plant says a few kind words about Peter Grant before introducing Dazed and Confused as "the essence of the early Zeppelin." The San Francisco interlude is hauntingly mournful. Plant's ghostly howls echo through the arena. Page's fingers are like razor blades as he slashes and shreds through the frantic guitar solo/workout section. Plant can be heard exclaiming "amen!" off-mic during the call and response section. Page solos wildly during the outro jam. A somewhat uneven final performance of the band's signature song.

Plant dedicates Stairway to Heaven to his daughter Carmen, saying "this is a song to a little girl who sits there, probably wondering what it's all about." Page delivers an excellent guitar solo despite breaking a string near the end. Plant sings the final line in complete silence. As the band returns to the stage, Plant says "is this our swan song, I wonder?" Page hints at Ozone Baby following an excellent funky jam during Whole Lotta Love. Plant unleashes a series of blood-curdling screeches during the violent theramin freakout. Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the extended guitar solo in Black Dog. As the song ends, Plant announces "good citizens of Great Britain, it's been five glorious days... thank you very much for bein' a great audience, and if you see Denis Healey, tell him we've gone." 

Plant exclaims "this is somethin' we never do!" as the band returns to the stage once again, joking "any requests?" Page blazes through the fast guitar solo during Heartbreaker. Plant pushes his voice to the limit during the final verse. The band closes the show with an explosive Communication Breakdown. Plant does his best Jamaican accent during a fantastic funky breakdown. As the band leaves the stage for the final time, he announces "thank you very much for showin' us that England is still alive and well." A fantastic finale to 1975. Must hear.

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording, augmented by a fairly clear audience source.

Day 212: 5/25/1975 London, England (part two)

Since Blogger has seen fit to impose a limit of twenty labels per post and Led Zeppelin saw fit to occasionally perform more than twenty songs in one evening, I've been forced to carry those extra songs over to this supplemental post. For the full review of this outstanding performance, please see 5/25/1975 London, England (part one).

Day 211: 5/24/1975 London, England

5/24/1975 London, England  To Be a Rock and Not to Roll

Rock and Roll, Sick Again, Over the Hills and Far Away, In My Time of Dying, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Tangerine, Going to California, That's the Way, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Trampled Underfoot, Moby Dick, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog

The tape begins with Nicky Horne announcing "for the next three hours, your mother wouldn't like it" as the band takes the stage. Things get off to a somewhat sluggish start, Bonzo sounds tired as he fumbles through the drum outburst at the end of Rock and Roll. Page's fingers get caught in the strings during the second guitar solo in Sick Again. As the song ends, Plant jokingly hints at Living Loving Maid during his usual "six and a half years" spiel. Page's fingers are like razor blades as he slashes and shreds through an erratic guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. 

In My Time of Dying is introduced as "a song that came from the deep south of America." The PA problems persist, causing Page's guitar to cut out briefly during the initial verses. Plant references Hey Joe, exclaiming "so I gave her the gun, and I shot her!" as Page launches into the first guitar solo. The band's timing gets a bit sloppy as the song progresses. Plant tells the crowd "it really is a treat to be playing in England again" before dedicating No Quarter to "anybody who's got any hope that everything can be okay in our wonderful country again." The instrumental section is transformed into a somewhat disjointed free-form improvisation featuring an excellent laid-back guitar solo from Page. Tangerine is introduced as "a song of love in its most innocent stages." That's the Way is beautiful. Page shreds wildly as Bonzo pummels the crowd during an erratic Trampled Underfoot. 

Plant sings a few lines of Rip it Up before announcing "tonight, there's a lad watching his dad who is a remarkable drummer... he's a better drummer than eighty percent of rock group drummers today and he's eight years old, so... Jason Bonham, this is your dad!" prior to Moby Dick. The penultimate performance of Dazed and Confused is introduced as "a song that came at the very beginning of our time." Page solos wildly through the lead-in to the bow solo. The mournful Woodstock interlude is fantastic. Page erupts in a furious cascade of notes during the guitar solo/workout section, his fingers tear across the fretboard at lightning speed. The outro jam is extended beyond all limits. Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "a song which typifies the mood of hope, which in our brighter moments surrounds us." Page delivers a truly amazing guitar solo, building tension with each note as the epic drama unfolds. An unbelievable performance, one of the best thus far.

As the band returns to the stage, Bonzo announces "I'd like to say at this point that I think football is a load of bollocks!" to which Plant responds "I'd like to say that soccer is a wonderful sport, the best sport," adding "and that's got nothin' to do with Bonzo's sentiments." Whole Lotta Love features an excellent theramin freakout, which includes bits of Sex Machine and Turn on Your Love Light. A strong finish to a rather uneven performance.

The tape is a fantastic soundboard recording, augmented by a very good audience recording.