Day 102: 5/28/1972 Brussels, Belgium

5/28/1972 Brussels, Belgium  (?)

Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, That's the Way, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What is and What Should Never Be, Whole Lotta Love

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Immigrant Song. Black Dog is introduced as "le chien noir." Page and Bonzo play a Knees Up Mother Brown interlude that Plant jokes is "one off the sixth album" before Since I've Been Loving You. A very mellow rendition, the band plays with great restraint. Page is all over the place during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. Plant once again opts for the lower melody during the final section, careful not to push his voice too hard. He struggles to make the crowd calm down and cooperate before Going to California, even halting the song a few bars in to make one final attempt. There are some tape garble issues in the middle of the song. Before a beautiful That's the Way, Plant slowly tells the crowd "you really are an uncontrollable bunch," being sure to annunciate every syllable. 

Dazed and Confused is introduced as "one of the things that came out in the fourth night of studies" during a story about the making of the first album. The intro is extended by a few bars before Plant enters. The initial verses are slow and loose. There are some brief tape garble issues during the bow solo, which Page aborts early. Plant lets loose a few ear-splitting squeals at the beginning of the guitar solo/workout section. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love includes a bit of Rosco Gordon's Just a Little Bit from Plant. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is an explosion of raw power. The medley includes a riotous Boogie Chillen' with some excellent soloing from Page, Hello Mary Lou, Running Bear, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Heartbreak Hotel, Don't Be Cruel featuring a raucous guitar solo, and a fantastic Goin' Down Slow. The recording ends during the final drum roll.

The tape is distant, but clear with a fair amount of hiss.