Due to the complexity of this recording, more detailed notes can be reviewed below. As far as a number rating I can honestly give this a 9.0/9.4 due to the fact it is indeed a welcome upgrade to a great show that we can finally put away the countless other versions of!
LED ZEPPELIN - 1973-03-16 - Vienna - NEW 4 SOURCE MATRIX
Disc 1
01. Introduction [0:57]
02. Rock and Roll (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) [3:48]
03. Over the Hills and Far Away (Page, Plant) [6:41]
04. Black Dog (Jones, Page, Plant) [6:18]
05. Misty Mountain Hop (Jones, Page, Plant) [4:27]
06. Since I've Been Loving You (Jones, Page, Plant) [9:09]
07. Dancing Days (Page, Plant) [5:53]
08. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Jones, Page, Plant) [6:26]
09. The Song Remains the Same (Page, Plant) [5:20]
10. The Rain Song (Page, Plant) [9:19]
--- [* = board tape available / optional disc division @ 58:19]
Disc 2
11. Dazed and Confused (Page, Holmes) * [28:30] contains:
San Fransisco (Phillips)
Mars, the Bringer of War (Holst)
12. Stairway to Heaven (Page, Plant) * [10:59]
13. Whole Lotta Love (Bonham, Dixon, Jones, Page, Plant) [25:36] contains:
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Wexler, Berns, Burke)
Boogie Chillun' (Besman, Hooker) *
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (Leiber, Stoller) *
Let's Have a Party (Robinson) *
I Can't Quit You Baby (Dixon) *
14. Heartbreaker (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) * [8:01]
Jimmy Page - guitars
John Paul Jones - bass, organ
John Bonham - drums
Robert Plant - vocals
MATRIX NOTES:
The general aim was to provide the whole concert in as consistent and upgraded a listening experience as could be stitched together from the various recordings which are all incomplete. While there are always some downsides to matrixing analog recordings that have been manually synchronized, it is hoped that the benefits, such as the improved stereo dimension, of the results outweigh those deficiencies. Further lesser quality audience sources than those described below also exist but were not used.
AUD source #1: The master was reportedly a TDK SA 90 cassette, which matches the 45 + 45 minutes which are extant and captured tracks 2-8 & 12 and parts of 1, 9, 11, 13. Winston Remaster used for the first part (which is unmatrixed on that version). Best of the audience recordings overall, recorded close to the stage towards one side. The guitar is somewhat buried here.
AUD source #2: A lower/medium quality cassette recording at a greater distance to the stage, used only to patch missing AUD sections of tracks 1 & 9-11 (and the encore break before 14).
AUD source #3: Captured most of the concert except for the introduction and notably two gaps in DAC. The master reported to have been recorded with Sony mics to Uher Report reel-to-reel. Close to the quality of AUD.1 but with a different sound balance (guitar is prominent, vocals somewhat buried) and recorded towards the other side of the stage. Matrixing with AUD.1 thus allows reproducing the occasional stereo panning effects of the house mix (which are not present on the SBD): guitar break in Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, bow solo in DAC, Theremin in WLL.
SBD source: Apparently a 60 minute cassette which contains most of tracks 11-14. However, several minutes of 11/DAC & 13/WLL are missing, as the tape was not flipped immediately when the side or reel A ran out. There was probably another cassette on which the first hour of the concert was recorded (or copied), including the beginning of DAC, with the engineer likely missing some two minutes of the song between the cassettes, after the first one stopped and until recording resumed on a fresh tape. The reason why only the second cassette is available (for this and also certain other dates) is perhaps that someone in or with the band wanted a listening copy of just the songs with improvisation. The mix that was recorded is not exactly the same as what was played over the PA, as some of the delay/reverb effects (particularly on the vocals), as well as the panning, heard on the audience recordings are not present.
Track by track breakdown:
tr.01: AUD.2+1. AUD.2 contains half a minute more of the pre-show compared to AUD.1, none of which is on AUD.3.
02-08: AUD.1+3. SBD not available for the first part of the show but AUD.1 & 3 run practically without breaks until the end of BYAS.
09: AUD.1/2+3. AUD.1 has breaks during the intro and its side A completely cuts out @ 1:30 into TSRTS; the taper evidently did not flip the tape and resume recording until well into DAC which gap has here been patched with AUD.2.
10: AUD.2+3. AUD.1 thus does not exist for The Rain Song; the lower quality tape of AUD.2 used to substitute.
11: AUD.2/1+3. AUD.1 continues recording @ 5:00 while AUD.3 cuts out around 6:45 for one minute. Both gaps in DAC have been patched by matrixing with AUD.2, except for the section between roughly 2:50 and 4:00 where that tape itself has a discontinuity.
11: SBD & AUD.1+3. SBD cuts in about 15 seconds after AUD.1, i.e., around 5:15 into DAC from which point on it is the main source for the matrix but augmented with AUD.1 & 3 - and some patching from AUD.2 - as far as they are available.
12: SBD & AUD.1+3. AUD.3 has short cuts in the introduction; SBD cuts out after STH ends as the tape side ran out.
13: AUD.1+3 / SBD & AUD.1+3. Side B of the AUD.1 cassette runs out around 10:15 into WLL but SBD continued recording 4 minutes before that.
13-14: SBD & AUD.3. The segment containing the last 13 minutes of WLL and nearly all of Heartbreaker is therefore a matrix of SBD and AUD.3 since AUD.1 was no longer recording. The encore break is largely cut on both sources between the songs: AUD.3 misses about 2:20 of atmosphere while SBD loses only 1:30 and has the first notes of Heartbreaker intact. For the sake of completeness the missing part has again been patched from AUD.2 although the change in sound is noticeable.
Pro Studio 9.2-9.8
Pro Studio 9.2-9.8
Audience 8.3 - Just a hint of distortion in the tape but that is a minor quibble because this is a fantastic document. A very powerful sound, an earthshaking depth due to a rich and full bottom end and a crisp attack on the guitars. Plant sounds great, his voice rising above all others, wow what a tape!
Audience 8.4 - This is a special recording, mainly because it reveals another element to the live experience – a really rocking band with a rocking bassist. What do I mean? Well, you actually hear John Paul Jones CLEARLY defined notes, and I don’t mean it is a bass heavy recording. It’s actually more mid range, but man, what a revelation to actually hear every note from the bass and very raunchy, dirty guitar tone from Jimmy Page. A clear and strong, but a little crispy in the upper mid to high frequencies, recording. Still, everyone should really get this one. Total electric excitement!
Disc 1 Aud 7.0 low levels and kind of muddy, Robert is up front in the mix. Disc 2 Aud 7.4 much clearly mainly because it’s acoustic, the electric part is slightly less clear but not horrible.
Both shows are really good, around 8.5 with the second version coming in a touch higher to me. Some annoying clapping along at times but that is the Japanese audience for ya. Most of the time they are VERY well behaved.
Audience 8.8 - Outstanding in most of the ways you need it to be. Captures incredible manic energy in a very respectable way, so is it perfect? Nope. Does it matter? Not for this gig it doesn’t. This is a must have!
Audience/Soundboard 8.5-9.0 - This tape only really presents the picture well during songs like Dazed and Confused, Since I’ve Been Loving You, and the acoustic tunes (I am referring only to the non-board songs) so, most of the show is very listenable and FIERY with Page just having himself a great show. It’s an old tape recently resurrected with some work done on it but I think it can be re-mastered again because the music is there – it’s actually pretty good (the other songs not mentioned just suffer a little from the massive volume crowding the audio spectrum and the tape machine struggling to capture it…but even those numbers are listenable. For me, the Dazed and Confused here is well worth the price of admission – just AMAZING! Led Zeppelin Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Ontario September, 4th, 1971 Audience + Soundboard Recordings Disc One 1) Immigrant Song * (Cuts In Slightly) 2) Heartbreaker * (Cuts Out) 3) Since I've Been Loving You * (Cuts In Slightly, Cuts Out) 4) Black Dog * (Cuts In, Cuts Out) 5) Dazed And Confused * (Cuts In, Cuts Out) 6) Stairway To Heaven + (Cuts In Slightly) 7) Celebration Day + 8) That's The Way + 9) Going To California + Disc Two 1) What Is And What Should Never Be + 2) Moby Dick + 3) Whole Lotta Love * (Medley) (Cuts In, Cuts Out) Includes: - Boogie Chillen - My Baby Left Me - Mess O'The Blues - You Shook Me 4) Communication Breakdown * ( Cuts In, Cuts Out) 5) Organ Solo * (Cuts In) 6) Thank You * *: Audience Recording +: Soundboard Recording
Audience 7.0–7.3 - Starts a bit rough, kinda thin and distant but as the show goes on the tape gets better sounding.
Audience 7.4 - Legendary show.
Audience 9.0 - So you have to deal with the annoyance of the beginnings of almost all of the songs missing as, I assume, taper was trying to preserve tape. I think it’s a reasonable trade off to have this quality recording over the old source which was borderline unlistenable…but complete. I’d rather have this! This is well worth hearing. Led Zeppelin Pacific Coliseum Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada August 19th, 1971 Disc 1 01 Since I've Been Loving You 02 Black Dog 03 Dazed and Confused 04 Stairway to Heaven 05 Going To California 06 That's The Way Disc 2 01 What Is And What Should Never Be 02 Celebration Day 03 Gallows Pole 04 Whole Lotta Love 05 Weekend 06 Rock and Roll 07 Communication Breakdown
Soundboard 9.6 (March 19th) - This is, of course, a must have. In my opinion, John Paul Jones emerges as the star of the show. Robert’s voice takes a little bit before it smooths out, he was having some problems around this time. Overall, this is as enjoyable as it gets.
Audience 7.6 - I am glad I familiarized myself with this tape again. Robert is the star of this tape, so you do not get a super clear audio although it is still worthwhile in many regards. Robert is riding these guys to fame and fortune. One thing you will notice is that the band seems to be comfortable and perfectly tight but loose!
Audience 8.8 - A great tape! Very clear and well balanced sound. Very enjoyable!
Due to the complexity of this recording, more detailed notes can be reviewed below. As far as a number rating I can honestly give this a 9.0/9.4 due to the fact it is indeed a welcome upgrade to a great show that we can finally put away the countless other versions of! LED ZEPPELIN - 1973-03-16 - Vienna - NEW 4 SOURCE MATRIX Disc 1 01. Introduction [0:57] 02. Rock and Roll (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) [3:48] 03. Over the Hills and Far Away (Page, Plant) [6:41] 04. Black Dog (Jones, Page, Plant) [6:18] 05. Misty Mountain Hop (Jones, Page, Plant) [4:27] 06. Since I've Been Loving You (Jones, Page, Plant) [9:09] 07. Dancing Days (Page, Plant) [5:53] 08. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Jones, Page, Plant) [6:26] 09. The Song Remains the Same (Page, Plant) [5:20] 10. The Rain Song (Page, Plant) [9:19] --- [* = board tape available / optional disc division @ 58:19] Disc 2 11. Dazed and Confused (Page, Holmes) * [28:30] contains: San Fransisco (Phillips) Mars, the Bringer of War (Holst) 12. Stairway to Heaven (Page, Plant) * [10:59] 13. Whole Lotta Love (Bonham, Dixon, Jones, Page, Plant) [25:36] contains: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Wexler, Berns, Burke) Boogie Chillun' (Besman, Hooker) * (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (Leiber, Stoller) * Let's Have a Party (Robinson) * I Can't Quit You Baby (Dixon) * 14. Heartbreaker (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) * [8:01] Jimmy Page - guitars John Paul Jones - bass, organ John Bonham - drums Robert Plant - vocals MATRIX NOTES: The general aim was to provide the whole concert in as consistent and upgraded a listening experience as could be stitched together from the various recordings which are all incomplete. While there are always some downsides to matrixing analog recordings that have been manually synchronized, it is hoped that the benefits, such as the improved stereo dimension, of the results outweigh those deficiencies. Further lesser quality audience sources than those described below also exist but were not used. AUD source #1: The master was reportedly a TDK SA 90 cassette, which matches the 45 + 45 minutes which are extant and captured tracks 2-8 & 12 and parts of 1, 9, 11, 13. Winston Remaster used for the first part (which is unmatrixed on that version). Best of the audience recordings overall, recorded close to the stage towards one side. The guitar is somewhat buried here. AUD source #2: A lower/medium quality cassette recording at a greater distance to the stage, used only to patch missing AUD sections of tracks 1 & 9-11 (and the encore break before 14). AUD source #3: Captured most of the concert except for the introduction and notably two gaps in DAC. The master reported to have been recorded with Sony mics to Uher Report reel-to-reel. Close to the quality of AUD.1 but with a different sound balance (guitar is prominent, vocals somewhat buried) and recorded towards the other side of the stage. Matrixing with AUD.1 thus allows reproducing the occasional stereo panning effects of the house mix (which are not present on the SBD): guitar break in Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, bow solo in DAC, Theremin in WLL. SBD source: Apparently a 60 minute cassette which contains most of tracks 11-14. However, several minutes of 11/DAC & 13/WLL are missing, as the tape was not flipped immediately when the side or reel A ran out. There was probably another cassette on which the first hour of the concert was recorded (or copied), including the beginning of DAC, with the engineer likely missing some two minutes of the song between the cassettes, after the first one stopped and until recording resumed on a fresh tape. The reason why only the second cassette is available (for this and also certain other dates) is perhaps that someone in or with the band wanted a listening copy of just the songs with improvisation. The mix that was recorded is not exactly the same as what was played over the PA, as some of the delay/reverb effects (particularly on the vocals), as well as the panning, heard on the audience recordings are not present. Track by track breakdown: tr.01: AUD.2+1. AUD.2 contains half a minute more of the pre-show compared to AUD.1, none of which is on AUD.3. 02-08: AUD.1+3. SBD not available for the first part of the show but AUD.1 & 3 run practically without breaks until the end of BYAS. 09: AUD.1/2+3. AUD.1 has breaks during the intro and its side A completely cuts out @ 1:30 into TSRTS; the taper evidently did not flip the tape and resume recording until well into DAC which gap has here been patched with AUD.2. 10: AUD.2+3. AUD.1 thus does not exist for The Rain Song; the lower quality tape of AUD.2 used to substitute. 11: AUD.2/1+3. AUD.1 continues recording @ 5:00 while AUD.3 cuts out around 6:45 for one minute. Both gaps in DAC have been patched by matrixing with AUD.2, except for the section between roughly 2:50 and 4:00 where that tape itself has a discontinuity. 11: SBD & AUD.1+3. SBD cuts in about 15 seconds after AUD.1, i.e., around 5:15 into DAC from which point on it is the main source for the matrix but augmented with AUD.1 & 3 - and some patching from AUD.2 - as far as they are available. 12: SBD & AUD.1+3. AUD.3 has short cuts in the introduction; SBD cuts out after STH ends as the tape side ran out. 13: AUD.1+3 / SBD & AUD.1+3. Side B of the AUD.1 cassette runs out around 10:15 into WLL but SBD continued recording 4 minutes before that. 13-14: SBD & AUD.3. The segment containing the last 13 minutes of WLL and nearly all of Heartbreaker is therefore a matrix of SBD and AUD.3 since AUD.1 was no longer recording. The encore break is largely cut on both sources between the songs: AUD.3 misses about 2:20 of atmosphere while SBD loses only 1:30 and has the first notes of Heartbreaker intact. For the sake of completeness the missing part has again been patched from AUD.2 although the change in sound is noticeable.
Audience 8.5 - A recording that leans towards brassy but presents the concert in a way that you get a pretty clear representation of the evening, in a slightly better than average way. The band, at times, seems to be feeling the songs out rather than be fully committed to them but that gives the show an edginess that some might find more interesting. For instance, Stairway to Heaven, the band must have played this a thousand times yet here Jimmy can’t figure out the solo!