Tuesday, May 27, 2008

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.

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