9/3/1971 New York, NY (? gen, source 2)Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since I've Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Celebration Day, That's the Way, Going to California, What is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick
The tape begins with an introduction of "Led Zeppelin, most popular!" Plant repeatedly asks the crowd "how've you been?" before Immigrant Song. Page is in good form during Heartbreaker. Plant warns the crowd not to make a racket while the band is playing before a powerful Since I've Been Loving You. Page shreds through the guitar solo/workout in Dazed and Confused, even playing some country-inspired licks between solos. There is a cut in the tape near the end of the song.
As Page begins Stairway to Heaven, shouts of "shut up!" can be heard coming from multiple places in the crowd. A frantic Celebration Day is dedicated to New York. Plant asks the crowd what they've been doing for the past twelve months before That's the Way, which includes a new intro from Page and some beautiful mandolin from Jones. Plant sings "and yesterday, I saw you standing by the Hudson" at the beginning of the second verse. Plant jokes that the next album will be called "Led Zeppelin are alive and well in Scottsborough, Nebraska (?)" before Going to California. The recording ends about seven minutes into Moby Dick.*
The tape is noisy and distant. The highs are a bit hard on the ears at times.
*- a more complete alternate source exists, but is not currently in our collection.
I highly suggest you get the complete source. Aside from the noisy tapers, I find it to be a pretty clear listen. The end of the show is the best part too (starting with WLL).
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on it. Didn't realize until yesterday that I didn't have the most complete source. I'll update the post with a review of the other source when I get a hold of it, but it probably won't be until next year. There's too much to listen to already to start trying to cram in multiple sources. I try to use the best, most complete source for every show (sometimes making my own frankenstein version from multiple sources, ie 1/9/1970), but this one slipped past me.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is another fantastic show from 1971, similar to the Orlando show a few days previous. Stairway is great as is Celebration day, but really, the whole show is excellent. The source isn't the best recording, but it is clear and, for the most part, very enjoyable
ReplyDeleteNew mixes are out that block most of the tapers’ chatter. And yes, this full set is one of the best shows of 1971.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, a furious performance throughout. Certainly one of the TOP 3 US 1971 shows.
ReplyDelete