5/27/1972 Amsterdam, Holland (master>cassette>cassette)Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I've Been Loving You, Celebration Day, Stairway to Heaven, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp*, Dazed and Confused, What is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll, Communication Breakdown
*- (master>dat>cdr)
Plant tells the crowd "it's very nice to be back" before Immigrant Song. Page drops out briefly during the initial verses. Plant pushes his voice to its breaking point during Heartbreaker. Page's solos are particularly inspired. Plant's introduction of Black Dog is met with a loud cheer from the crowd. An excellent dynamic Since I've Been Loving You is introduced as "a song of love." The band gets a bit confused trying to enter the first chorus of a frantic Celebration Day. Plant mistakenly begins the third verse as Page jumps into the first guitar solo.
The guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven is a dramatic interplay between Page's guitar and Jones's piano. Unfortunately, a cut in the tape brings the moment to a premature end. The very beginning of a raucous Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is missing from the tape. Plant improvises new lyrics during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. Page solos wildly during an excellent, high-energy jam prior to the bow solo. He's on fire during a dynamic guitar solo/workout section, even including a bit of I Wish You Would. Plant exclaims "hallelujah, glory hallelujah!" just before the guitar solo during What is and What Should Never Be. There are a few brief tape disturbances near the end of the song. There is a cut in the middle of Moby Dick.
The medley during Whole Lotta Love includes Boogie Chillen', Hello Mary Lou, an excellent rendition of Running Bear, That's All Right, Hoochie Coochie Man, and Goin' Down Slow, which takes a minute to get underway due to the enthusiastic crowd's incessant rhythmic clapping. The end of a riotous Rock and Roll is met with loud chants of "we want more!" from the crowd. Their wishes are granted as the band returns to the stage to close the show with a high-energy Communication Breakdown. An excellent performance, must hear.
The tape is fairly clear, if a bit overloaded, with Page and Plant overshadowing Bonzo and Jones.
Black and white film featuring a short fragment of Immigrant Song is available on Hercules's Film Noir Vol. 1 as well as Celebration's Early Visions. The footage is bright and clear, shot from directly in front of the stage. It's unfortunate there isn't more.
Click here for a video sample courtesy of Black Beauty.
I think that Plant had a second vocal "event" this night (the first being the infamous 8/21/71 show in LA). He sounds very strong and hits many high notes all night. The next night in Brussels he sounds much different, with many slips and "squeaks." He sounds injured for much of the N American tour and only gets close to this level again at the LA show (6/25/72)
ReplyDeleteAnd even at the LA show he still has a thinner tone and doesn't go for the really high notes in SIBLY like he does here. This show and the Australia tour are really the last gasps of Robert's original voice with the really high notes and the rasp that made his voice unlike no other. Like I said after this show he's a lot thinner and has little to no rasp such as songs like Whole Lotta Love which were unique due to his husky raspy vocals.
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