Day 143: 3/17/1973 Munich, Germany

3/17/1973 Munich, Germany Zeppelin Digital Vol. 4

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

The tape begins with a stage announcement in german about upcoming shows at the venue. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. The band is extremely tight and powerful tonight. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "we're gonna endeavor to have a good time here" adding "last time I saw this place, there was a lady from Russia doin' some very good things." Page is on fire during an incredibly powerful Since I've Been Loving You. Before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Plant tells the crowd "this song was written in a state of alcoholic meditation on the mountainsides of Wales." Pages fingers fly across the fretboard with lightning-fast precision during The Song Remains the Same. The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful, despite Plant's weak voice. Bonzo hammers at his drums with amazing intensity during the heavy section.

The initial verses of Dazed and Confused are accented by Bonzo's inspired improvisation. Page solos wildly as Plant's ethereal moans cascade over the crowd during the lead-in to the bow solo. Page's frenzied guitar solo builds in intensity, culminating in an explosive stop-start battle with Bonzo. The call and response section is preceded by a jazzy interlude. Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven. Before Whole Lotta Love, Plant mocks the crowd's shouted requests for the song. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is a cacophonous explosion of energy with Bonzo thrashing wildly at anything within reach. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, which Plant starts early, causing a bit of confused hesitation, Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, The Lemon Song, and Goin' Down Slow. The band closes the show with an excellent Heartbreaker. The guitar solo is preceded by a fantastic funky dialogue between Page and Bonzo.

The tape is very clear and well-balanced.

Day 142: 3/16/1973 Vienna, Austria

3/16/1973 Vienna, Austria Danke! Vienna

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

As the tape begins, a firecracker explodes in the crowd, to which Plant responds by booing. After Over the Hills and Far Away, he announces "tonight we must be very careful not to do too many things because Mr. Jones has... colic... so all your spiritual feelings must go straight to Mr. Jones's stomach." Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as "a song that in England is understandable because wherever you go to enjoy yourself, Big Brother is not very far behind." The initial verses of Since I've Been Loving You are beautifully restrained. Page's delicate passages build tension as Bonzo's thunderous pounding slowly grows in intensity. Plant introduces Dancing Days as "a song about little school girls... not too little, mind you... and my love for 'em" adding "but remembering what happened to Jerry Lee Lewis, I think I'll take it easy." Bonzo belches loudly into the microphone as Plant is introducing Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The volume fluctuates wildly during the instrumental breakdown.

Before The Song Remains the Same, Plant announces "this song is for a club called the Moulin Rouge... and Mr. Bonham's delight at the Moulin Rouge tonight." Jones's Mellotron is missing during the first verse of The Rain Song. Plant's vocals are drowned in echo during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. Page solos wildly during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. An impromptu a cappella solo, punctuated by a thundering cascade of drums from Bonzo, introduces the frenzied rampage of the guitar solo/workout section. Page's wild improvisation is underscored by Bonzo's earth-shaking rhythms. The Mars, the Bringer of War section is a brutal assault. As the song ends, Plant sings a bit of Happiness is a Warm Gun.

Stairway to Heaven is dedicated to Daliah Lavi, with Plant adding "this song is for you Daliah, wherever you are." The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is absent from Whole Lotta Love for the first time since it's introduction on 4/9/1970. The raucous medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley favorites (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and The Lemon Song. Bonzo hammers at his drums with incredible intensity during the finale. Heartbreaker is preceded by an excellent jam on a heavy riff. Page shreds through the solos. As the band leaves the stage, Plant tells the crowd "thank you very much, it's been a very nice night."

The tape is a combination of two sources. The first is a very clear audience recording that gets slightly noisy and muffled over time. The second is an excellent soundboard recording.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 141: 3/14/1973 Nuremburg, Germany

3/14/1973 Nuremburg, Germany (2nd gen>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

Plant's voice starts off a bit rough, taking a few songs to warm up. Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as "a song about what happens if you walk in the park and the wrong people come past at the wrong time" and again dedicated to "the police in Manchester, England." Page is on fire during Since I've Been Loving You. Before Dancing Days, Plant tells the crowd "for those people who can understand any amount of english, this is about... our desire... or feelings towards little school girls... and dirty overcoats." Page plays a quick reference to Layla before The Song Remains the Same. There is a slight cut during the guitar solo. Another cut near the end of the song leaves us at the beginning of The Rain Song. Jones's Mellotron seems to be going out of tune as the song progresses.

The intro of Dazed and Confused is punctuated by a series of machine gun snare cracks from Bonzo. He thrashes wildly at anything within reach during a break in the initial verses. Page blazes through the guitar solo, although he gets a bit disjointed at times during the workout section. Bonzo plays a new stop-start rhythm at the beginning of the Mars, the Bringer of War section, building tension with his thunderous pounding. Plant joins Page for a bit of the first verse of Ramble On before Stairway to Heaven. A large chunk of the song is missing from the second verse to the middle of the guitar solo. Page plays a bit of Tarantella Napoletana before Whole Lotta Love. The theramin freakout features an extended guitar solo from Page as Bonzo and Jones hold down a laid-back rhythm. The band seems a bit tired as they begin the medley, which includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow with lyrics from The Lemon Song. The band closes the show with Heartbreaker.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant.

Day 140: 3/6/1973 Stockholm, Sweden

3/6/1973 Stockholm, Sweden (master>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, The Ocean

Page's intro to Over the Hills and Far Away is interrupted by a loud hum of feedback. Since I've Been Loving You is incredibly powerful. Page's dramatic tension is underscored by Bonzo's thunderous pounding. Plant unleashes a frightening primal scream during the climax. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "I've been asked to tell you to quit smokin', otherwise the big man with the hat will make the show stop." He announces for the first time that the title of the new album is Houses of the Holy while introducing Dancing Days. Someone in the crowd can be heard repeatedly shouting "Heartbreaker!" before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Page plays a bit of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction before The Song Remains the Same. There is a brief volume fluctuation during the first verse. Page blazes through the guitar solo.

Dazed and Confused is introduced as "a song that needs no introduction in any language." The frantic lead-in to the bow solo features a hauntingly beautiful San Francisco interlude. The bow solo is interrupted by the rhythmic stomping of the crowd. The guitar solo/workout section is a cacophonous explosion of echo. There is a cut in the tape during the initial verses of Stairway to Heaven. Page begins the guitar solo early during Whole Lotta Love, but quickly rights himself to join the band for the raucous Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. Plant's boogie rap incites a bluesy jam before the medley proper, which includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley staples (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow, which includes lyrics from The Lemon Song. The extended blues improvisation continues to be a major highlight of the performance. Heartbreaker is preceded by a heavy jam. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Bonzo plays a funky new rhythm during the final verse. The band closes the show with The Ocean, which Plant introduces as "a song off the new LP... it's about you."

The tape is distant, a bit noisy, and lacking in bottom end.

Day 139: 1/30/1973 Preston, England

1/30/1973 Preston, England Plant's Influenza

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love

Plant's voice is a bit dodgy as the show begins. He adopts an almost raspy tone during Over the Hills and Far Way. As the song ends, someone near the taper shouts "nice one Jimmy!" Following Black Dog, Plant tells the crowd "we're just gettin' over Scotland... I think it was much better than California last time." Page is on fire during an incredibly powerful Since I've Been Loving You, one of the best in recent memory. Plant introduces Dancing Days as "a very spirited little song with references to school days and gym slips." The Song Remains the Same is dedicated to "whistling John Bonham." The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful.

Someone near the taper can be heard saying "Stairway to Heaven" under his breath before Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "a police message." Bonzo pummels his drums with incredible force during the initial verses. Page solos wildly during the lead-in to the bow solo as Bonzo and Jones hold down a funky rhythm. Plant's lyrics during the San Francisco interlude are punctuated by a cascading avalanche of drums from Bonzo. As Page begins the bow solo, someone in the crowd can be heard shouting "boring!" Page blazes through the guitar solo/workout section as Bonzo thrashes wildly at anything within reach. A cut in the tape loses the transition back to the main riff, leaving us at the beginning of the final verse. The outro is a frantic race to the finish lead by Page's frenzied, wah-wah drenched soloing.

The band plays a bit of The Hunter prior to the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. Plant begins his boogie rap with a few lines from Freddie King's You've Got to Lover Her with a Feeling. The raucous medley includes devastatingly heavy renditions of Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley favorites (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow. The recording ends just before the final note of the finale.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy at times.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 138: 1/28/1973 Edinburgh, Scotland

1/28/1973 Edinburgh, Scotland  Edinburgh 1973

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused

The tape begins with Rock and Roll already in progress. Plant's voice is strong during The Song Remains the Same. Page shreds through the guitar solo. There are some distracting tape disturbances early in The Rain Song. There is a cut in the tape during the San Francisco interlude in Dazed and Confused. The instrumental machinery is in full swing during the guitar solo/workout section. Page solos wildly during the outro. The recording ends with Plant introducing the band as the crowd goes mad.

The tape is muffled and quite hissy.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 137: 1/27/1973 Dundee, Scotland

1/27/1973 Dundee, Scotland Dundee-ism

Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love*, Heartbreaker*, Communication Breakdown*

*- From Boleskine to the Alamo

The tape begins during the chorus prior to the guitar solo in Over the Hills and Far Away. The tape is cut between songs. Bonzo thrashes wildly at anything within reach during Since I've Been Loving You. Page's That's the Way reference has become a regular feature of the instrumental breakdown during Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, much to the crowd's delight. A large chunk of The Song Remains the Same is cut prior to the first verse. The audience recording ends at the beginning of the lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused.

The soundboard tape begins in the middle of the theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love. The explosive Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section includes an excellent funky breakdown. Bonzo is out of control during the riotous medley, which includes Boogie Chillen', a raucous rendition of Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, which features an amazing blues improvisation, and Goin' Down Slow. Plant sings a line from Ramble On during the coda. Page blazes through the solos during Heartbreaker. As the band leaves the stage following Communication Breakdown, Plant tells the crowd "it's been a pleasure and you've been very nice too, so take care."

The audience tape is quite muffled and hissy. The soundboard tape is excellent.

Click here and here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 136: 1/25/1973 Aberdeen, Scotland

1/25/1973 Aberdeen, Scotland A15

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, What is and What Should Never Be

Plant skips a line during the final verse of Rock and Roll and ends up ahead of the band for a few bars before getting himself back on track. Page shreds through the guitar solo during Black Dog. Since I've Been Loving You features an aggressive guitar solo from Page. The Song Remains the Same is played at a frenzied pace. Bonzo attacks his drums with incredible force during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. The lead-in to the bow solo features an excellent call and response between Plant and the rest of the band, followed by one of the best renditions of San Francisco thus far. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard at lightning speed during the amazing guitar solo/workout section. A truly epic performance.

Plant's voice is incredibly powerful during Stairway to Heaven. Whole Lotta Love is preceded by a fantastic intro reminiscent of The Who. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section begins with a cacophonous explosion. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley favorites (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow. Unfortunately, the tape suffers from major disturbances for the remainder of the show beginning during the blues improvisation. Page blazes through the solos during Heartbreaker. Bonzo pummels his drums during the final verse. The band closes the show with what will prove to be the final recorded performance of What is and What Should Never Be. Plant ends the night in good form, regaining some of his former glory. He leaves the crowd with a simple "thank you very much... see ya."

The tape is a bit hissy, distant, and lacking bottom end. Unfortunately, the quality deteriorates drastically toward the end of the show.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 135: 1/22/1973 Southampton, England

1/22/1973 Southampton, England (multitrack recording)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, Thank You, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Plant bids the crowd "good evening" after Over the Hills and Far Away, adding "we're gonna have a good one tonight." Black Dog is utterly devastating. Page blazes through the guitar solo. Since I've Been Loving You is a bit shaky at times, but Page still manages to pull off some beautiful, bluesy passages. Plant introduces Dancing Days as "a song about school days and little boys who never grow up." As the song ends, someone in the crowd shouts "Whole Lotta Love!" to which Plant immediately responds "wrong!"

The Song Remains the Same is somewhat sloppy, Page's fingers get stuck in the strings quite a bit. The Rain Song is beautiful. Page plays a bit of Tarantella Napoletana as Plant jokes with the crowd before dedicating Dazed and Confused to the manager of the Gaumont Theatre, the venue at which the band had played the night before. The lead-in to the bow solo features an excellent frantic jam with Page soloing wildly as Bonzo and Jones hold down the funky rhythm. The band continues to experiment with the structure of the San Francisco interlude. Page shreds through the first guitar solo. His call and response with Plant is preceded by a great mellow, ethereal interlude. The Mars, the Bringer of War section is devastatingly heavy.

Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. As the song ends, Bonzo can be heard shouting "wunderbar!" As shouted requests pour in from the crowd, Plant introduces Whole Lotta Love as "something that might entice the nine-tenths male audience in this hall tonight to get up and be very groovy" before dedicating the song to Alan Whitehead, a gentleman whose name was found to be scrawled on the walls of the hall's bathroom. Bonzo thrashes wildly at anything within reach during a frenzied Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. The riotous medley includes Boogie Chillen', an excellent rendition of Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, an amazingly heavy rendition of Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, which features a fantastic blues improvisation, and Goin' Down Slow after a cut in the tape. Definitely a major highlight of the show.

Amidst a flurry of requests from the crowd (someone can be heard shouting for Beck's Bolero), Plant dedicates Heartbreaker to the band's publicist BP Fallon. Jones's bass cuts out within the first few bars, returning after the first verse, only to drop off once again soon after. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the a cappella solo. Bonzo provides a quaint bit of rhythmic accompaniment during The 59th Street Bridge Song interlude. Jones returns with a vengeance during the guitar solo section. Thank You is preceded by a sweeping orchestral Mellotron solo from Jones. Page's guitar solo is somewhat subdued, but Bonzo and Jones more than make up for it with their accompaniment.

The biggest surprise of the night is the first full performance of How Many More Times since 9/19/1970, which Plant introduces as "one of our early tunes... god knows if we can remember it." The band is a bit rusty after not playing the song in over two years, but they make up for a lack of precision with power and enthusiasm. Plant sings the entire "when I was a young man, I couldn't resist..." interlude for the first time since 1/12/1969 as Page leads the band in an excellent stop-start jam on a heavy riff. The band skips the "Rosie" section, instead going directly into The Hunter. However, Plant urges Page to backtrack during the "got you in the sights..." section, resulting in some confusion and a repeat of The Hunter. After Plant fails to hit the final "gun!", Page jumps directly into Communication Breakdown. He absolutely shreds through the guitar solo. Plant exclaims "I wonder what James Brown said!" as the band gets into a brief funky breakdown. An explosive conclusion to a somewhat uneven performance. As the band leaves the stage, Plant says "and it's a thoroughly knackered goodnight."

The tape is an absolutely amazing mixdown of the multitrack masters. Simply outstanding.

Day 134: 1/18/1973 Bradford, England

1/18/1973 Bradford, England Bradford UK 1973

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused*, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love*, Heartbreaker, Immigrant Song*

*- soundboard (1st gen)

Plant's voice is still a bit rough, but he doesn't let it effect his enthusiasm during Rock and Roll. There is a cut in the tape during the guitar solo in Over the Hills and Far Away. The first few bars of Dancing Days are cut as well. Page once again plays a bit of That's the Way during the instrumental breakdown in Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. There are some slight speed fluctuations during The Song Remains the Same. The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused features an excellent funky jam before a frantic San Francisco interlude. Page is on fire during the epic guitar solo/workout section, experimenting wildly with new riffs and themes as Bonzo provides running rhythmic commentary. Plant unleashes a barrage of spine-chilling screams during his call and response with Page.

The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section during Whole Lotta Love is a riotous explosion. Plant includes some terribly provocative lyrics from Let it Bleed during a great funky breakdown prior to the guitar solo. Page leads the band in an excellent bluesy jam during Plant's boogie rap. The medley proper includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, a single verse of Blue Suede Shoes, Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow. The band closes the show with what will prove to be the final recorded performance of Immigrant Song, an odd choice considering Plant's recent vocal troubles. As the band leaves the stage, Plant announces "thank you very much... Elvis Presley has now left the building."

The audience tape is muffled, noisy, and distant. The soundboard tape is excellent.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 133: 1/15/1973 Stoke, England

1/15/1973 Stoke, England Dedicated to Rizzlers

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love

Plant continues to grow more comfortable with his new vocal dynamics with every show. He introduces Misty Mountain Hop as "a song about what happens if you walk through the park and there's a load of hairies sittin' in a circle" before adding "dedicated to rizzlers." The band is extremely tight and professional tonight. Bonzo continues to assert himself as an outstanding performer. Since I've Been Loving You starts out beautifully calm and restrained, slowly building toward the powerful climax. An excellent performance.

Page plays a bit of That's the Way during the instrumental breakdown in Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Bonzo is absolutely on fire during The Song Remains the Same. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape just before the transition to The Rain Song. Bonzo transforms the lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused into a frantic shuffle. The San Francisco interlude is like a thunderous earthquake. Page shreds through the guitar solos with amazing precision. As the song ends, Plant comments "well that wasn't a bad twenty minutes, was it?"

Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "something that came in a moment of clear white light." There is a cut in the tape during the final line. Page plays a bit of Voodoo Child (Slight Return) during a funky jam prior to the theramin freakout. There are some tape disturbances during the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', an excellent rendition of Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, and Let's Have a Party, omitting the usual blues numbers.

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording with some hiss during the quieter moments.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 132: 1/14/1973 Liverpool, England

1/14/1973 Liverpool, England Days of Heaven

Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, The Ocean

The tape begins during Page's intro of Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant is still having trouble with his voice, unable to reach the higher notes. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Bonzo's bass drum is like a cannon during Black Dog. Since I've Been Loving You is wild and loose. Plant tells the crowd "we used to do about half an hour of acoustic stuff" before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

Plant comments "we were really a blues group when we started, man" before introducing The Song Remains the Same as "a real blues song." There is a cut in the tape prior to the final verse of The Rain Song. A second cut shortly thereafter leaves us at the beginning of the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant exclaims "do the James Brown!" during a funky jam prior to the San Francisco interlude. Page experiments with a number of new riffs and themes during the guitar solo/workout section, with Bonzo and Jones following close behind. Plant unleashes some blood-curdling screeches following his call and response with Page. Bonzo plays the explosive rhythm of Immigrant Song during the Mars, the Bringer of War section. As the song ends, Plant introduces "Jimmy Page!... Johnny Bonham!... John Paul Jones!"

Before Whole Lotta Love, Plant announces "and in the Liverpool evening air, screams of agony could be heard... three thousand people, all pointin' in one direction, screamin' and shoutin' and makin' funny noises." It sounds like someone is playing bongos or congas during the theramin freakout. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive during the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section, his relentless pounding creating a cacophonous explosion during the finale. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', which features a great new stop-start intro, Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, which is unfortunately cut after only one verse, Let's Have a Party, an excellent I Can't Quit You Baby, and an amazingly heavy Goin' Down Slow. Bonzo is nothing short of inspired during the extended blues improvisation. His performance is definitely a major highlight of the show.

Plant introduces Heartbreaker as "one for the M6." Page's excellent a cappella solo is followed by an earth-shaking guitar solo section. Bonzo hammers away with incredible force during the final verse. The band closes the show with a raucous rendition of The Ocean. Plant tells the crowd "it's been a very nice sunday night... see you again someday" as the band leaves the stage.

The tape is another great soundboard recording. There is a bit of hiss during the quieter moments and some distortion in the bass frequencies at times due to Jones's malfunctioning equipment. Overall, a highly enjoyable recording. It is also another excellent recording for Bonzo lovers, his powerful performance is front and center.

Day 131: 1/7/1973 Oxford, England

1/7/1973 Oxford, England Oxford 1973

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love

The tape begins just as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Plant's had a few days to rest and his voice has improved, but it's still fragile. The band ends Over the Hills and Far Away a bit early as Plant struggles to squeeze in the final verse. He apologizes for the delay caused by an iron bar being thrown onto the electric railway lines, halting train service. Black Dog is dedicated to "the guy who did that." Misty Mountain Hop is no longer dedicated to the Manchester CID "for obvious reasons" as Plant puts it. Instead, he dedicates the song to "everybody who ever got waylaid when they were going somewhere." The instrumental machinery is firing on all cylinders during Since I've Been Loving You. Page, Jones, and Bonzo are tighter than ever before.

Before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Plant tells the crowd that Bonzo will no longer be providing backing vocals on the song, explaining "I'm afraid the sweet wine has got the best of his voice." Bonzo is absolutely on fire during The Song Remains the Same, unleashing a thunderous stampede of drums. There is a brief cut in the middle of The Rain Song. Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "one from a long time back, when we were all twenty in the press handouts." The lead-in to the bow solo features a hauntingly heavy San Francisco interlude. The frenzied guitar solo/workout section includes the return of the Walter's Walk theme. Page conjures up a vast array of new riffs and licks as Bonzo and Jones hold down the urgent rhythm. Bonzo's relentless pounding is like a barrage of canon fire during the Mars, the Bringer of War section. An amazing performance.

Plant introduces Stairway to Heaven as "a song that was conceived about two hours after we finished Black Dog." Whole Lotta Love is dedicated to "any of our road managers who didn't get arrested in Sheffield." Plant's microphone cuts out during the first chorus, returning with a loud screech of feedback in time for the second verse. Unfortunately, the recording ends just as Everybody Needs Somebody to Love crashes into motion.

The tape is a great soundboard recording with Plant and Bonzo out front. Unfortunately, Page gets a bit buried in the mix at times. Overall, an excellent recording for Bonzo lovers, his performance is definitely the highlight of the show.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 130: 1/2/1973 Sheffield, England

1/2/1973 Sheffield, England (unknown gen)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love

Plant has lost his voice. He sounds like a dying animal during Rock and Roll, his voice squelching and squealing completely out of his control. Over the Hills and Far Away is sung in an injured monotone. The tape is cut near the end of The Rain Song, returning in time for Plant's introduction of Dazed and Confused. A brief portion of the lead-in to the bow solo is repeated after a fadeout in the tape. Plant's injured voice lends a mournful tone to his ethereal wails during the San Francisco interlude, which is cut slightly just before the bow solo. The guitar solo/workout section includes a brief reference to The Hunter before a heavy start-stop interlude. Page blazes through the frenzied guitar solo. He gets the band into an excellent jam on a wah-wah heavy riff during the outro.

There is a slight cut during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. Another cut comes during a frenzied jam prior to the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section features an extended guitar solo break. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Heartbreak Hotel, and I Can't Quit You Baby, a large chunk of which is repeated in the same was that the earlier portion of Dazed and Confused was. The recording ends during the extended blues improvisation.

The tape is muffled and hissy with a distinct high-pitch whine throughout. The sound becomes murkier as the show progresses, giving a feeling similar to that of being underwater.

Day 129: 12/23/1972 London, England

12/23/1972 London, England (master>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

Plant's voice starts out a bit rough, causing him to alter the melody during the choruses of Over the Hills and Far Away. Bonzo is introduced as "Tin Pan Alley's answer to Father Christmas" before Black Dog. Plant tells the crowd that the band hopes to achieve the same vibes they used to get in the small local clubs before Misty Mountain Hop. Jones jumps from electric piano to organ and back during a somewhat low-key Since I've Been Loving You. After expressing hopes that the show will be even better than the previous night's, Plant introduces Dancing Days as "a song about summertime and good things... and christmas cheer."

Before Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Plant comments that he's "never seen so many drunk people in one town." Bonzo thrashes wildly at his drums during The Song Remains the Same, pounding out the urgent rhythm with great intensity. The beginning of The Rain Song is beautiful, but the tempo becomes a bit rushed during the heavy section. The San Francisco interlude during Dazed and Confused continues to develop prior to the bow solo. A somewhat lackluster Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "a song that came in a bright moment... I hope we have a few more bright moments like this." Plant stops Page during the intro to ask the rowdy crowd to settle down.

Before Whole Lotta Love, Plant explains that Bonzo "doesn't do Moby Dick anymore... he's writin' a new one, it's called Titanic." Page , Jones, and Bonzo get into a bit of The Crunge prior to the theramin freakout. The transition to the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is a cacophonous explosion. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Heartbreak Hotel, a disjointedly frantic I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow, with Bonzo pounding out a thunderous rhythm. The band returns to the stage to close the show with Heartbreaker, which is dedicated to Roy Harper. Bonzo lays down a martial rhythm under Page's a cappella solo. The guitar solo section is a wild race to the finish, culminating in the earth-shaking finale. Plant wishes the crowd a merry christmas as the band makes their final exit of 1972.

The tape is fairly clear with a decent amount of hiss.

Day 128: 12/22/1972 London, England

12/22/1972 London, England Riot House

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Thank You

The tape begins with an announcer asking the crowd to sit down before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Plant comments on how cold it is in the room before introducing Black Dog as "a song about a black labrador." He dedicates Misty Mountain Hop "to the Manchester CID... and may they have a very merry christmas." Page is on fire during an excellent Since I've Been Loving You. A highly dramatic performance. Plant introduces Dancing Days as "a song about summer and inebriation and good times," adding "this is one for everybody who might still be in high school." The Rain Song is fantastic.

Introducing Dazed and Confused, Plant tells the crowd "it's getting very close to christmas and if we were all as straight as we used to be, we should be at the office party now," adding "this is something that takes us nearly as far back as that." A frenzied jam is followed by the first appearance of the San Francisco interlude with lyrics, including early hints of Achilles Last Stand, prior to the bow solo. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard at lightning speed during the guitar solo/workout section. Plant's voice is strong during Stairway to Heaven, which is introduced as "one that hit us quite unexpectedly one night."

Plant comments on the number of requests coming from the crowd before Whole Lotta Love. The riotous Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section continues to expand in an explosion of energy. Plant gives his all during the boogie rap. The raucous medley includes Boogie Chillen', a heavy rendition of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Heartbreak Hotel, a fantastic I Can't Quit You Baby, featuring an amazing blues improvisation, and Goin' Down Slow. The intense sonic attack of Immigrant Song and Heartbreaker is followed by an epic, show-closing Thank You. An excellent performance. Must hear.

The first source is fairly clear, but somewhat noisy and hissy. The second source is clear and well-balanced, if a bit bass-heavy at times.

Day 127: 12/20/1972 Brighton, England

12/20/1972 Brighton, England Sweet Brummy Roll

Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

The tape begins with Plant apologizing to the crowd for the delay before introducing Black Dog. Misty Mountain Hop is dedicated to "the Melody Maker and also the Manchester CID." Unfortunately, the tape is cut three minutes into a promising Since I've Been Loving You. We return as Plant is introducing Whole Lotta Love as "something to grind by." The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, Mystery Train, Heartbreak Hotel, I Can't Quit You Baby, which features an excellent extended guitar solo from Page, and Goin' Down Slow. The show ends with a simple "that's it, farewell" from Plant following a somewhat disjointed Heartbreaker.

The tape is clear and well-balanced.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 126: 12/16/1972 Birmingham, England

12/16/1972 Birmingham, England Masters & Colonials

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

There is a slight dropout at the beginning of Rock and Roll as the taper quickly adjusts his levels in response to the suddenly overwhelming wall of sound. Page shreds through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. His playing is restrained during a very loose Since I've Been Loving You. Plant introduces a rather sloppy Dancing Days as a song "about a summer day when everything's nice and warm... and you haven't got the problems like Misty Mountain Hop." The band's playing seems drunk during The Song Remains the Same and The Rain Song. There is some tape garble during the final verse of the latter.

Dazed and Confused is introduced as "one from when we were young men." Page leads the band in a heavy jam before a brief cut and some tape issues interrupt the San Francisco interlude. Page, Jones, and Bonzo get a bit disjointed at times during the guitar solo/workout section. There are a few speed fluctuations throughout Stairway to Heaven, which features an excellent guitar solo from Page. Whole Lotta Love is dedicated to the band's publicist BP Fallon. Plant gets into his best Solomon Burke impression during a riotous Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. The medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, a fantastic Heartbreak Hotel, an excellent I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow. An inspired performance, the highlight of the show. Page blazes through the solos during Heartbreaker, which closes the show.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit distant and hissy.

Day 125: 12/12/1972 Cardiff, Wales

12/12/1972 Cardiff, Wales (3rd gen>cdr)

Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Thank You

The tape begins at the end of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party during the Whole Lotta Love medley. A slow and bluesy Heartbreak Hotel is followed by I Can't Quit You Baby, which features a great guitar solo from Page, and Goin' Down Slow. As they return to the stage amidst chants of "we want more!" from the crowd, the band plays a tongue-in-cheek Old McDonald Had a Farm interlude. The thunderous attack of Immigrant Song is followed by an excellent Heartbreaker, with Page blazing through the solos. The band closes the show with an incredibly heavy Thank You. Bonzo's relentless pounding creates an earthquake of drums around Page's guitar solo. An excellent performance. It's a shame this is all that we have of what was probably an amazing show.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit muffled, with Jones's bass overshadowing the rest of the band at times.

Day 124: 12/8/1972 Manchester, England

12/8/1972 Manchester, England The Rovers Return

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, Immigrant Song, Communication Breakdown

Plant is regaining control of his voice, belting out the verses with power and bravado during Rock and Roll. Black Dog is brutally heavy. Page shreds through the guitar solo. Plant forgets some lyrics during the first verse of Misty Mountain Hop. Page is on fire during an epic Since I've Been Loving You. A truly powerful performance, one of the best in recent memory. Before Dancing Days, Plant comments on the English music press's fondness for the song. After a long pause, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp begins with a loud hum of feedback from Jones's bass.

Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during an excellent The Song Remains the Same. The Rain Song is fantastic, the perfect balance of delicate beauty and thunderous attack. As shouted requests continue to pour in from the crowd, Plant jokes "it really doesn't matter, we're gonna carry on with Bill Fury numbers all night" before Dazed and Confused. The lead-in to the bow solo features a great heavy jam with Bonzo thrashing violently at anything within reach before a particularly heavy iteration of the San Francisco interlude. The guitar solo/workout section is an explosion of raw energy lead by Page's lightning-fast soloing. The outro is drenched in wah-wah as Plant's screeches and howls echo out over the crowd. An amazing performance.

Stairway to Heaven is plagued by feedback during the verse before Bonzo enters. Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo as Bonzo holds down a martial rhythm. Plant introduces Whole Lotta Love as "a song that really typifies everything that we do during our hobby time." Page leads the band in a jam on a funky riff before the theramin freakout. With a machine gun snare burst, Bonzo triggers the thunderous explosion of the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. The band gets into a funky It's Your Thing breakdown before the guitar solo break. Plant skips the usual boogie rap, heading straight into a riotous rendition of John Lee Hooker's Bottle Up and Go. Page, Jones, and Bonzo jam on a bluesy rhythm as Plant struggles to get the boogie back on track. The medley proper includes Boogie Chillen', a raucous rendition of Gene Vincent's Say Mama, Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, and Goin' Down Slow after a cut in the tape. As the band leaves the stage, Plant tells the crowd "thank you very much, we've had a very silly time."

Page gets Jones and Bonzo into a high-speed jam in the middle of the a cappella solo during Heartbreaker. He blazes through a lightning-fast guitar solo. The final verse is utterly explosive. Plant introduces Immigrant Song as "a song that's taken all over the world, even Bangcock." The band closes the show with a quick and dirty Communication Breakdown. A devastatingly heavy performance. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy in the higher frequencies.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.