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CD 1 - Audience 7.4 / CD 2 - Soundboard 9.5 / CD 3 - Soundboard 9.2 -
Audience 8.3 - Good and clear. -
Audience 7.8 - Bonham is the star of this show, he sounds great. The recording, while not offering too much in the way of dynamics, does present enough separation of instruments to appreciate the performance. -
Soundboard 9.6 - A legendary, and I mean indispensable recording of the mighty Zep in their prime. This particular version of this well-traveled show is actually a matrix of the newly surfaced soundboard and the excellent audience tape. How sweet it is! (Second night 9-29-71) -
Audience 7.5 - Sounds like this was remastered because there’s a lot more music now to sink your teeth into. Is it great? No, it’s average with a welcomed lean towards upper mid-range allowing for guitars to be prominent and even bass is heard, as if it was a second guitar almost. A good one for 1977 tour completists because quite frankly the band is really playing well here. -
Audience 8.8 - What is a rating anyway? When it comes to a gig like this, it’s almost irrelevant. Look, just get this and you will know what I mean. Even the band would probably direct you to grab this one. -
Audience 7.5 - This tape is not nearly as bad as what it used to sound like before we had high end re-mastering tools. So, it’s got some noise issues that kind of keep it from really opening up but the amazing thing now is you really can hear the whole band, and Jimmy is just on fire. Collectors really praise the band performance from this show, and it is obviously much improved now, so yeah, I recommend it. (3-27-70) -
Audience 8.3 - A good and clear tape for the time period. Might be struggling to get the separation of instruments during really intense moments but you can really get into this one for sure. -
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! -
Audience 8.1 - A very decent and clear recording from maybe midway back of the hall. Show is fantastic, and the recording sufficiently documents this event. -
Audience 8.2 - This is a good recording, clear and pretty strong when the levels are right, but there’s the rub. The sound levels occasionally drop a notch lower throughout the course of the set, ultimately they do settle into a predictable place which is fine, think of it like listening along when suddenly they hit the overdrive pedal. When that happens, it gets VERY good for a while. Well worth having this despite that. -
Stockholm 1968 - Audience 8.7 / London 1968 - Audience 8.2 Both fantastic considering the time period, and the significance cannot be understated. That being said, the London material suffers from some artifacts present either in the master or in the transfer to digital. My guess is that it probably originated from an acetate or from an AM Radio Broadcast taped onto a cheap cassette deck but it is still decent enough to get into. -
Soundboard 9.3 - I love this lively mix, sure it’s a close mic’d slightly compressed board but it’s very kinetic (a lot of that is probably the band). Oh, the band…yeah, they are on fire! Get this. -
Audience 7.2 - Yes a little rough here, but this is so historically important as it represents some of the earliest thundering by the fledgling Led Zeppelin live in the United States. The tape seems to improve in spots, and the re-mastering on it has really helped immensely. * Bonus DVD-A is a real plus, and those with higher end systems will be able to take advantage of the higher resolution audio. -
Audience 9.0 - This is a brilliant live document, captured during Zep’s “Back To The Clubs” Tour of 1971. A sort of intimate atmosphere and a very jovial and chatty Robert Plant. The band sounds loose and genuinely having a great time. -
Audience 7.5 - Kind of middle of the road as far as dynamics in the recording, but the big plus is that every instrument is heard, with nothing rising above or falling underneath the mid-range ceiling. Pushing volume up really high will bring some of the inherent sonic limitation into the picture, which is lurking about but not intruding until you push it. What you can really get into here is the absolutely packed set list, and a more extended Good Times Bad Times than was typical at the time. Really, this is something even the average Zep fan might find interesting. -
Soundboard 8.8 - Deep and rich lows, and nicely detailed highs are the hallmarks of what I consider to be one of the better 1980 shows the band performed. -
Audience 8.7 - Pretty crisp and clear especially Page, who shines in this performance. -
Audience 7.0–7.4 - Muddled, distant and lacking in separation of instruments, this is for completists only. To be fair, the mud does clear somewhat and some remastering has allowed us to hear reasonably clear lead guitar and higher frequencies that are not residing down where the tape distortion is, so for instance songs like Stairway To Heaven are like sun rays peaking through, so I gave this a spread rating which is more realistic. -
Soundboard 9.0 - Crunchy and clear, with super duper guitar tone right up in your face. Spectacular but sometimes so much power all occupying the middle frequency makes you want more low end, so add it with Equalizer and you are good to go mate. -
Audience 7.3 - Starting off rough, this EXPLOSIVE concert gets clearer until it is mildly satisfactory but that isn’t the real story here – the band is only on their 2nd show of the new year and they are roaring like hungry lions. Earthshaking intensity, which the poor taper struggles to capture properly. Should be in your collection for posterity. Remastered and upgraded! -
Audience 9.2 - This one deserves a high rating for not only having great sound quality (with some minor taper adjustment in the beginning) but also because, quite simply, this gig is off the charts cool. Plant makes reference to "the vibes" during the show and it's just obvious that the crowd knows they are witnessing something magic, and the best part is - so does the band. When they realize they are all four "in the zone", the show takes off to levels unprecedented heretofore. A stellar No Quarter and perhaps the best Dazed and Confused of the whole tour...you get that and more. One tiny blemish, during the end of The Rain Song, an equipment malfunction destroys what would have been the penultimate version, and Plant himself recognized the disaster. To me, it's not a deal breaker at all, it lasts a couple seconds, but I understand Plant's frustration completely. Get this now! -
Audience 8.6 - A fantastic early recording of the band during their summer rock festival circuit tour. These are some of their most fiery performances, playing in front of huge festival crowds where there is palpable kinetic energy, and this show really delivers! At times, taper seems to move to different spots and so the sound occasionally fades but then comes back strong again. -
Audience 8.6 - With the exception of a little bit of mid range distortion (probably due to taper being right in front of the PA on Jimmy’s side of the stage), this recording can best be summed up as “explosive” - this is an over the top electric and completely wild unhinged show by a lean and hungry band. Essential! -
Audience 7.7 - This show does not overwhelm the listener in any dynamic range but what it does is capture in relatively good quality all the way through with no surprises. It’s very good, but does not call to your attention that much. Still if you are collecting them all, this one will be a great addition! -
Audience 7.4 - A little cluttered in the middle, volume pushed to max – but not that bad and quite historical given the fact it’s the first show in Osaka which was a legendary stand of concerts back in ’71. (first night 9-28-71) -
Both Shows: Early Show - Audience 7.2 - The lesser of the two shows, but the performance is strong, you’ll know they mean business after the first 30 seconds of Immigrant Song! Late Show - Audience 7.7 - Several notches cleaner and stronger than the early show, but both are worth your time. -
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 - 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! -
Both Nights Vastly improved because you now get as complete a show as possible with the two source merge using the audience and the soundboard sources. The second show is pretty decent audience, around 7.8 really but it’s very interesting to get the back to back performances to hear the differences. -
Soundboard 9.5 - Magnifique! Love the cool panning during Dazed. -
Audience 7.6 - Listenable, and a pretty good jamming show! -
Soundboard 9.8 (2-12-75) -
Soundboard 8.9 -
Audience 7.4 - Partial show -
Soundboard 9.2 -
Audience 7.3 - A newer tape source here, still average but features much better definition so there’s much to be gained by upgrading. Page seems to tune up frequently so I wonder if there were temperature problems or other? Interesting beginning to Heartbreaker here, never heard that intro before. -
Soundboard 9.3 -
Audience 8.1 -
Audience 6.9 - This tape is not a lost cause, although it is subdued and a touch muddy, you get enough in this to still appreciate the bands fury at this time in their career. -
Audience 7.3 -
Audience 7.5 - A SUPREMELY upgraded source from the one we have had to suffer through for years. This being one of Zep’s most historic concerts too! A MUST HAVE! -
Audience 8.8 - A great tape! Very clear and well balanced sound. Very enjoyable! -
Audience 7.9 - A very bright, brassy tape. Kind of really captures the “realness” of the live PA sound at the gig. Very much one of those recordings that puts you at the show. -
Audience 7.1 - A tad clearer than the night before, a great show here too. Worth listening to! -
Audience 6.9 - Not the best in dynamics and collectors regret that because it’s such a good show. But that being said, it is also not the absolute worst tape either. (8-21-71) -
Audience 7.1–7.5 - A tape that changes slightly in certain spots getting a little better than before. Plant sounds great, Jimmy is taking the solos to new improvised territory during this time. Listen to the bit before the solo break in Heartbreaker. Short, but very different than the familiar little runs he usually did. -
Audience 7.1 - Not a super clear tape, a little noise, a little distant, but all that said the guitar and Plant are front of the house to your ears. This is not that bad, but it is a concert hall reverb type experience to some degree.