Day 266: 1/12/1995 New York, NY

1/12/1995 New York, NY  (dadgad dvd)

Train Kept a Rollin'/For Your Love, Bring it on Home, Long Distance Call, Baby Please Don't Go, When the Levee Breaks

Nearly seven years after their well-received set at the Atlantic Records fortieth anniversary concert, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin have come together on the occasion of the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Following the awards presentation, the band, joined once again by Jason Bonham on drums, along with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, takes the stage for a loosely structured jam session. The set begins with Page tearing into the familiar opening chords of Train Kept a Rollin'. Plant and Tyler share vocal duties as the band haphazardly chugs along through the old favorite. Page and Perry trade licks during the guitar solo near the end of the song, which is followed by an abbreviated rendition of the Yardbirds classic For Your Love. 

As the song ends, Page launches directly into the rock section of Bring it on Home. He then gets the band into a laid-back blues improvisation featuring references to Muddy Waters favorite Long Distance Call, among others. Following an excellent guitar solo from Page, Plant leads the band into an impromptu rendition of Baby Please Don't Go, which includes hints of Boogie Chillen' before a blistering guitar solo from Perry. After an intermission, the band, now joined by Michael Lee on drums and Neil Young on second guitar, returns to the stage to end the night with an extended heavy jam based on When the Levee Breaks. Following the initial verses, Plant picks up Page's spare Les Paul as Young tears through an erratic guitar solo. Plant sings a verse of For What it's Worth toward the end of the song. The crowd full of music industry heavyweights erupts as the set comes to a close.

The tape is an excellent television broadcast with the exception of Train Kept a Rollin'/For You Love, which was recorded but not included in the final MTV presentation.

Day 3: 1/10/1969 San Francisco, CA

1/10/1969 San Francisco, CA  East/West

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

The crowd is really into it tonight, yelping and squealing along with Plant during I Can't Quit You Baby. Plant's vocal riffs are excellent. As Long as I Have You has a great wah-wah intro by Page. He also introduces a new haunting riff during the Fresh Garbage section. The bow solo in Dazed and Confused is met with cheers and applause. Plant's introduction of the band at the beginning of How Many More Times prompts a shout of "who are you?" from an audience member after Plant fails to introduce himself, instead simply saying "and I do the singing." Page's masterful fingerwork is on display during the solo, including a duel with Plant that pushes the singer into the highest reaches of his range just before a cut in the tape. The Hunter section includes lyrics to The Riddle Song, followed by an almost tribal-sounding chant during the "got you in the sights..." section. 

Page loses himself a couple times during White Summer/Black Mountain Side, playing a bit slower and more cautiously than usual as a result. Plant's improvisation in Killing Floor livens up what starts off as a somewhat subdued rendition, eventually adopting a delta blues drawl. The end of You Shook Me has Plant hitting notes only dogs can hear. Page starts the show in good form, losing steam in the second half of the set, but Plant steps up and becomes the star of the show.

The tape is a bit muffled with some hiss, but clear enough to be enjoyable. Page and Plant are up front with the drums less discernible than on previous recordings. The sound degrades during Pat's Delight, becoming more distorted and muffled with a lot of boomy low-end for the remainder of the show, clearing up a bit for For Your Love.

Day 2: 1/5/1969 Los Angeles, CA

1/5/1969 Los Angeles, CA  Live at Whisky A Go-Go!!!

As Long as I Have You, I Can't Quit You Baby, Train Kept a Rollin', Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Dazed and Confused, Killing Floor, For Your Love

Very heavy version of As Long as I Have You, thanks mostly to Bonzo's relentless assault on the drums. The arrangement is very loose tonight with Page trying out a lot of different riffs and rhythms. Page's fingers are a little sticky, but his guitar sounds like a razor blade. The intro to Train Kept a Rollin' is a cacophony of thunderous drums and lightning guitar. Plant's harmonica collides with Page's guitar during the short solo. 

Plant mentions the upcoming release of the first album before the first live recording of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, performed in a style similar to the early studio outtakes. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "a number we wrote." Jones bends the notes of the intro for a strange effect. Plant, Jones, and Bonzo improvise through the bow solo. The guitar solo is an explosion with Bonzo attacking his cymbals nonstop. The first live recording of Killing Floor is much shorter and played at a much quicker pace than the eventual version of The Lemon Song that would appear on Led Zeppelin II. Plant's mention of Keith Relf draws a lot of applause, causing him to shout "too much!" His intro of For Your Love also brings a mention of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. The Yardbirds classic is mostly a venue for an extended guitar solo/jam, which is unfortunately cut in the middle. Plant's goodnight brings shouts of "more!" from the crowd and another mention of the forthcoming first album.

The tape is very clear with Page and Bonzo in the front. Being an exceptional quality recording from such an early date (less than four months after their first live appearance) makes this a must hear.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.