6/14/1972 Uniondale, NY (2nd gen>dat>cdr)Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I've Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, That's the Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll, Communication Breakdown, Weekend, Bring it on Home
The tape begins with Plant telling the crowd "it's nice to be back again." Immigrant Song is a sonic assault. Page blazes through the inspired solos during Heartbreaker. During a long pause after Black Dog, Plant explains that Jones's keyboard is the cause of the delay, adding "it's a nightly problem, it's cool." Plant is in good form during Since I've Been Loving You, his interplay with Page building tension until the climactic release of the guitar solo. High drama at its finest.
Stairway to Heaven includes the first appearance of Plant's famous "do you remember laughter?" ad lib. That's the Way is beautiful. Plant speaks to the crowd about King Arthur and chivalry before Tangerine. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is dedicated to Dion and the Belmonts after Plant sings a couple lines from Runaround Sue. Page is absolutely on fire during the guitar solo/workout section in Dazed and Confused. He plays Walter's Walk at lightning speed, causing the rest of the band to race just to keep up. A frantic rendition of The Crunge is followed by another blistering guitar solo. The band is in an intense race to the finish, creating a vast sonic wall until everything peaks at the explosive return to the main riff. A truly amazing performance.
Moby Dick is cut after seventeen minutes. The medley during Whole Lotta Love features Boogie Chillen', John Lee Hooker's Bottle Up and Go, Hello Mary Lou, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, and Goin' Down Slow. The long string of encores begins with the riotous one-two punch of Rock and Roll and Communication Breakdown. The band returns to the stage for another great rendition of Eddie Cochran's Weekend followed by Bring it on Home, which is cut just before the instrumental battle section, ending the recording. An epic performance.
The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and hissy.
Dazed and Confused is a real stand out from this overall fantastic show.
ReplyDeleteI read this review from the official site a while back and really enjoyed it:
OK, it was a long time ago, there's not a lot I remember, but some things do still remain vivid.... June 14, 1972, a day that LITERALLY changed my life. I cant imagine how things might be different for me today, had I not gone to that show. It was my first ever concert, I was fourteen and very naive. I had never seen or smelled pot, never seen or heard a show like this, and the fact is I didnt know anything about Led Zeppelin. No clue who the band members were. The only song I had ever heard was the Immigrant Song. I was very green... After seeing that show, I was so stunned, so blown away, that I immersed myself in all things Led Zeppelin. By the following year, I had every album, magazine and available bootleg I could fine. I started to learn how to play electric guitar which became a big and very important part of my life. Next week I am leaving for England to see the reunion show at the O2.... Had I not gone to that June 14th concert, my life could have been very different (maybe I would of worshipped Jethro Tull instead and ended up playing the freaking flute!).... So, here are my recollections..... My buddy and I got tickets for the Nassau Coliseum at the mall, $4.50 behind the stage. They actually were not behind the stage at all, they were in the 300s on the side, directly perpendicular to the stage on Jimmy's side. The night of the show we get dropped off by our parents (kinda surprises me now when I think about it that they let two 14 year olds go alone). We walk into a sea of older people all wearing jeans and flannel. We take our seats and I see some guys walking around on the stage during set-up wearing Led Zeppelin shirts. I ask my buddy if they were in the band (of course they werent) and he doesnt know anyway. The next thing that happens is the part I will never forget. Understand I knew NOTHING about rock shows. I had only recently started listening to FM (WPLJ), as opposed to AM radio. I assumed the lights in the arena would stay on and some guys would walk on and play. But the place goes black and a minute later explodes with The Immigrant Song. I see all of this colored light and the singer is looking down toward the floor with his long hair hanging down. The music is loud and ripping and suddenly he throws his head and hair back and lets out the opening scream. Im thinking, my God what the hell is this!?..... Also realise that you can listen to a million bootlegs, but the volume and echo and live ambience in the arena itself can never be duplicated. It sounded downright scary to me.... I was really taken back by the LOOK of the band on stage, what they were wearing, how they moved, the colored lights, the volume and the ridiculously high voice of the singer which I found mesmerizing. I remember telling kids on the bus that he had long white hair and he had a white shirt. I dont why I thought his hair was white, I guess the bright lights bouncing off them made me think so. I remember Jimmy wearing red. Years later a single photo has surfaced from this show. It shows Page wearing the red striped Zoso sweater, a true rarity for 1972! By the way, Im pretty convinced that the photo was taken during the opening Immigrant Song. Firstoff it was taken by a pro photographer from the photo pit, usually they were only there for two or three songs. And secondly, the position of Page and Jones hands on the necks as well as the body language of the band all point to that thundering riff!.... At this point I wish I could tell you about each song, but I cant, because it was so damn long ago, plus I didnt know any of their other songs! But I do have some other images ingrained in my mind. I remember them sitting down for the acoustic set and Plant introducing Going to California. I remember him introducing Stairway to Heaven and being shocked that someone had invented a guitar with two necks. I remember a big black balloon floating around over the crowd on the floor that said 'Good Evening' on it in white letters. And I remember a big black dude dancing with a small blonde white chick in the aisle at the end of the show during one of the encores. Many of these memories were first time things for me, the smell of pot, the incredibly up vibe of the crowd, all things that I will never forget. And finally I do remember the concert being four hours with four encores. I recall telling people the next day that the show started at 8:15 and was over by 12:15. Maybe in reality it was a bit shy of four hours, but it was a LONG show. I remember after the first encore moving down from our seats to the aisle between the 300s and 200s. It was loud as hell on the side of the stage there and the P.A. was hanging right in front of us! I also remember after the third encore (which of course years later I found out to be Weekend), that the house lights went up. Half of the arena had emptied including my buddy and me. We were out in the concourse area by the concessions and heading for the door, when we heard people screaming inside. We ran back in to find the lights out again and watched them do a fourth encore.... Even though I had no idea at the time, apparently this show and the following night were some of the best shows they had ever done and some of the most enjoyable for the band. And it was during those couple days I believe that they recorded some cuts for Houses of the Holy at Electric Ladyland in New York..... When I met Robert Plant on the set of MTV in 1982, he claimed he clearly remembered my gig and said it was a good one!.... Next when I have a chance I will give my recollections of July 29, 1973.....
ofpaystI too was there and yes I remember the show having 4 hours and 4 encores!
ReplyDeleteMuch to my delight and envy of my high school students, this was also my first concert. :) Don't think I was as green as you however. After all, I was 16. ;) You described walking into the venue, beautifully. I was similarly in awe.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I cannot remember was whether I attended the 14th (W) or the 15th (R). I tried to get a sense from your post, but could not. It sounds identical to my experience; balloon et all.
But then I remember something that happened. We were seated on the floor. During one of the many encores, someone threw something that amounted to an m-80 from the balcony. (I am thinking it couldn't have been an M-80. Must have been a fire cracker, but then again who knows!) It blew up behind us. As I looked behind me, I saw mostly empty chairs. Most people assumed as you did and were gone so I don't think anyone was hurt. I suppose we stayed as long as we did because we were in shock; not by the explosion, but by the whole freak'n night. Thanks for bringing me back. :)
Just trying to narrow down the night. Ring any bells?