Day 164: 7/9/1973 St. Paul, MN

7/9/1973 St. Paul, MN (master>dat>cdr - speed corrected)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

Plant's almost monotone delivery of Rock and Roll is a sign of things to come as his injured voice continues to cause him trouble. Page hints at the opening riff of Dancing Days as Over the Hills and Far Away comes to a close. Bonzo hammers at his drums with incredible intensity during Misty Mountain Hop. Plant has regained control of his voice by Since I've Been Loving You. A few loud firecracker blasts early in the song interrupt an otherwise excellent performance.

No Quarter is introduced as "another thing about the journey that lasts a lifetime." The instrumental section is transformed into an avant garde free-form improvisation. Page plays a bit of the Laurel and Hardy theme song as Plant announces "John Bonham comes to you by courtesy of the makers of Quaaludes" following The Rain Song. The band is absolutely on fire during an outstanding Dazed and Confused. A truly amazing performance from start to finish, one of the best in recent memory. There is a slight cut in the tape during the initial verses of Stairway to Heaven.

Before Moby Dick, Plant announces "yes ladies and gentlemen, tonight... for your entertainment... king of the Quaaludes, John Bonham!" As the song ends, a cut in the tape leaves us at the beginning of the second verse of Heartbreaker. Page shreds through the fast guitar solo as Bonzo and Jones lay down a frantic stop-start rhythm. The band closes the show with a high-energy Communication Breakdown.

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

Day 163: 7/7/1973 Chicago, IL

7/7/1973 Chicago, IL  In the Windy City II

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

Plant's voice is still a bit rough as Rock and Roll gets moving. The tape is cut during the third verse of Celebration Day due to the taper accidentally pushing the pause button on his recorder. Fortunately, he realizes his mistake fairly quickly and we return as Plant greets the crowd following the absent Black Dog. Plant asks if anyone was at last night's show, saying "it was a little bit too vicious, as Lou Reed would say." Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful, despite Plant's injured voice.

Following No Quarter, Plant announces "we'd like to make it familiar to the press, we read a review of last night's concert and after six years, they still think that John Bonham plays the organ." There are some distracting tape issues near the end of The Song Remains the Same. Page is on fire during the guitar solo/workout section in Dazed and Confused, his fingers flying across the fretboard as Bonzo and Jones explore a heavy groove. Bonzo explodes like a barrage of cannon fire during the crushing return to the main riff. Page solos wildly over Plant's chants of "take it easy" during the outro. There is a slight cut during the middle section of Stairway to Heaven. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "at this point, I'd like to give you a little round of applause."

As Plant repeatedly calls out Bonzo's name after Moby Dick, someone near the taper answers with shouts of "who?" and "once more" following each iteration. Page shreds through the fast guitar solo during Heartbreaker as Bonzo and Jones hold down a funky rhythm. Unfortunately, there are major tape issues during the initial verses of Whole Lotta Love. The riotous Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. The taper and his friends provide some amusing commentary before the band returns to the stage to close the show with a fantastic Communication Breakdown.

The tape is clear, but suffers from minor tape issues throughout.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 162: 7/6/1973 Chicago, IL

7/6/1973 Chicago, IL  Second City Showdown

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

The first show after a month long hiatus and the band starts off a bit rusty. Plant has lost his voice completely, squawking and squelching his way through Rock and Roll. The crowd is a bit rowdy tonight with fights breaking out in front of the stage, which Plant comments on following Over the Hills and Far Away. His injured voice lends a mournful tone to an elegantly restrained Since I've Been Loving You. A beautiful performance. A cut in the tape at the transition into The Rain Song leaves us at the beginning of the first verse.

Before Dazed and Confused, Plant tells the crowd "I never seen so many fights at one concert." There are a number of brief dropouts in the right channel during the lead-in to the bow solo. The guitar solo/workout section is a bit of a disjointed mess. Despite some good sticky-fingered soloing from Page, the band never really locks into one another. Page skips the Mars, the Bringer of War section, heading directly into the return to the main riff as Bonzo and Jones try to catch up. As the song ends, Plant once again expresses his frustration with the continuing outbreak of fights in the crowd. Page's guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven starts out promising, but loses momentum near the end.

Bonzo is introduced as "the pacifist of our outfit" before Moby Dick. There is a cut in the tape about ten minutes into the drum solo. Before Heartbreaker, Plant tells the crowd "I've never seen so much leeriness and violence, so cool it, cool it for goodness sake!" The haphazard interaction between Page, Jones, and Bonzo during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love gives the impression that they can neither see nor hear one another at all. Plant completely shreds what little is left of his voice during the final "love!" Against all logic, the band returns to the stage to close the show with Communication Breakdown. Surely a night to forget.

The tape is another excellent soundboard recording.

Day 161: 6/3/1973 Los Angeles, CA

6/3/1973 Los Angeles, CA Wipe With a Rolling Stone

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Communication Breakdown, Thank You

The last night of the first leg of the tour begins with the sound of rhythmic stomping, the crowd eagerly anticipating the start of the show. Following a brief soundcheck, the arena explodes with excitement as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. The walls quake under the power of Bonzo's bass drum as Page's guitar solo slashes and shreds through the cacophonous roar like a razor blade. The rhythm section is unstoppable during a brutal Celebration Day, hammering forward, full steam ahead as Plant's vocals echo out over the crowd.

A cut in the tape just after the third verse of Black Dog leaves us at the end of the guitar solo in Over the Hills and Far Away. Bonzo hammers wildly at his drums during Misty Mountain Hop. Despite a few tape disturbances early in the song, Since I've Been Loving You is amazingly powerful. One of the best performances in recent memory. Plant introduces No Quarter as "a track off the new album, which features the dynamite piano playing of John Paul Jones." Unfortunately, following a cut during the first verse, the tape is marred with constant speed fluctuations. The Song Remains the Same is dedicated to "the toilet paper that people buy in this part of the world called the Rolling Stone." Page absolutely shreds through the guitar solos. Fortunately, the speed fluctuations subside by the end of The Rain Song.

The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused is excellent. Unfortunately, the San Francisco interlude is cut short by a series of major tape disturbances which thankfully disappear a few minutes into the bow solo. The band is on fire during the absolutely amazing guitar solo/workout section. A phenomenal performance. As the song ends, Plant again makes mention of Page's sprained finger, telling the crowd that he's been soaking it in a bucket of cold water since the original date was cancelled a few days prior. Stairway to Heaven features a fantastic guitar solo from Page. The final verse is incredibly powerful.

Moby Dick is introduced as "a real high-energy trip." There is a cut in the tape about halfway through the epic drum solo. Plant dedicates Heartbreaker to Slade. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is transformed into a frantic stop-start battle between Page and the rest of the band. Plant's boogie rap gives way to an excellent rendition of Don Nix's Going Down, followed by I'm a Man and The Hunter. Page blazes through the guitar solo during the riotous Boogie Chillen' section. The Ocean is excellent. Page shreds through the guitar solo during a blistering Communication Breakdown. The band closes the show with a fantastic performance of Thank You, one of the best thus far. A fitting send-off to the first leg of the tour. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end. Unfortunately, the aforementioned tape issues, along with the frequent shifting from stereo to mono throughout the first part of the show detract from an otherwise amazing performance.

Day 160: 6/2/1973 San Francisco, CA

6/2/1973 San Francisco, CA  (master>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick*, Heartbreaker*, Whole Lotta Love*, Communication Breakdown*, The Ocean*

*- sbd: Vibes are Real

As the band takes the stage, Plant greets the crowd, saying "good afternoon... as we've been awake now a total of about two and a half hours, it doesn't really seem that we should be doin' what we're doin' right now... but I believe there's somethin' to do with lightness and darkness, so we'll try a bit of lightness." Following a pause to fix some equipment issues, Rock and Roll comes crashing through the gate. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive, hammering at his drums with incredible force. His thunderous bass drum echoes like cannon fire through the stadium. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. The laid-back intensity of Since I've Been Loving You is followed by an excellent No Quarter.

Following a brief rant about negative press, Plant dedicates The Song Remains the Same to "the musical papers who think we should remain a blues band." The end of The Rain Song is destroyed by a loud hum of feedback, which Plant apologizes for as the song ends, saying "it really blew it, it could have been a lot nicer without it." Page, Jones, and Bonzo are locked into each other during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant moans "I believe in the theory" during the haunting San Francisco interlude. Page shreds through the somewhat erratic guitar solo/workout section. Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant mentions Roy Harper, saying "to show our faith in him and his work that has influenced us... we offer this song." Page's fingers dance across the fretboard during the guitar solo.

Following an epic thirty-minute Moby Dick, Heartbreaker rumbles into motion with Bonzo's thunderous intro. Bonzo and Jones hold down a high-speed funky groove as Page performs his wizardry during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. Following a blistering Communication Breakdown, Plant tells the crowd "let me tell you, you been fantastic!" joking "next time we come, bring your friends." The band returns to the stage following a backstage water fight to close the show with an excellent The Ocean. As the band exits, Plant tells the crowd "I gotta tell you, this is the best vibes since the first time we played the Fillmore five years ago." A truly momentous occasion for all. Must hear.

The audience tape is very clear and well-balanced. The soundboard tape is fantastic.

About two minutes of color footage from the show is available on Hercules's Film Noir Vol. 1, as well as Celebration's Latter Visions. Unfortunately, the film only contains a thirty second fragment of Rock and Roll shot from the left side of the stage, showing only Page and Plant. The rest of the footage features various brief shots of the crowd.

Click here for a video sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 159: 5/31/1973 Los Angeles, CA

5/31/1973 Los Angeles, CA  Bonzo's Birthday Party

Rock and Roll^, Celebration Day*, Black Dog*, Over the Hills and Far Away*, Misty Mountain Hop*, Since I've Been Loving You*, No Quarter*, The Song Remains the Same*, The Rain Song*, Dazed and Confused*, Stairway to Heaven*, Moby Dick^, Heartbreaker^, Whole Lotta Love^, The Ocean^, Communication Breakdown^

*- soundboard: Bonzo's Birthday Party (Watch Tower)

^- audience: Bonzo's Birthday Party (EVSD)

The celebration of Bonzo's twenty-fifth birthday gets off to an explosive start as the high-energy rampage of Rock and Roll crashes into motion. The band is on fire during the brutal attack of Celebration Day. Following Over the Hills and Far Away, Plant announces "we'll call this gig Bonzo's Birthday Party." Since I've Been Loving You is highly dramatic and incredibly powerful. An excellent performance. The instrumental section during No Quarter is fantastic. As the song ends, Plant announces "John Paul Jones played the piano... and somebody else fucked up the monitors."

Page blazes through the guitar solos as Jones's fingers dance across the fretboard during The Song Remains the Same. The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful. Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "a far out heavy trip." Page shreds through the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. The San Francisco interlude is both eerily haunting and devastatingly heavy. The guitar solo/workout section is an epic journey, culminating in a explosive return to the main riff. Plant dedicates Stairway to Heaven to Bonzo before threatening someone off-mic, saying "get that fuckin' monitor down or I'll fuckin' come and kill ya." Page delivers an excellent guitar solo. The final verse sees Plant pushing his voice to the limit.

Plant introduces Moby Dick by saying "considerin' it's the gentleman's birthday, I think it's only fair that we should let him bang his balls out." There are a few cuts throughout the drum solo. As the song ends, the band plays Happy Birthday for Bonzo. Heartbreaker is excellent. The Boogie Chillen' section during Whole Lotta Love features a flawless guitar solo from Page. As the band returns to the stage, Plant tells the crowd "Jimmy sprained his finger two days ago... and he's been playing tonight and puttin' his hand in a bowl of cold water to keep the swelling down, so I think that's great" before introducing a high-energy The Ocean as "a thing about you." The show ends with a raucous Communication Breakdown. A fantastic performance. Must hear.

The soundboard tape is excellent, although not quite as clear as some of the other soundboard recordings from this tour. The audience tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end. 

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

About three and a half minutes of black and white footage from the show exists. The film, shot from very close to the stage, includes brief clips of Celebration Day, Over the Hills and Far Away, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, and Dazed and Confused. The picture is very high contrast, causing a loss of detail, but is still quite enjoyable.

Day 158: 5/28/1973 San Diego, CA

5/28/1973 San Diego, CA  Three Days Before

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Moby Dick, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean

Celebration Day is cut short when Page launches into the guitar solo before the band has a chance to play the second chorus. Plant asks the people in the front of the crowd to be cool before introducing Over the Hills and Far Away as "(a song) about every man and every woman" joking "and it's not called an orgy." Following a cut during the intro, the initial verses of No Quarter are missing from the tape. Bonzo and Jones provide an excellent jazzy foundation for Page's sticky-fingered guitar solo. Jones even throws in a few bars of Your Time is Gonna Come near the end. As the song ends, Plant announces "that was John Paul Jones playing weird piano." Unfortunately, all but the final fifty seconds of Dazed and Confused is missing from the tape. 

Plant tells the crowd that a piece of Page's guitar has gone missing, so the band skips Stairway to Heaven for the time being and resumes with Moby Dick after a cut in the tape. Page is absent from the mix for most of the intro. There are a few slight cuts during the effects-heavy tympani section of the drums solo. Page's guitar solo during Heartbreaker is a burst of sticky-fingered inspiration. Bonzo and Jones get into a bit of The Crunge at the end of the theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love. The excellent, high-energy Boogie Chillen' section is preceded by impromptu renditions of Muddy Waters's Honey Bee and Don Nix's Going Down. As the band returns to the stage, Plant tells the crowd "whoever threw that firecracker deserves to be jerked-off by an elephant." The show ends with a somewhat uneven The Ocean.

The tape is yet another excellent soundboard recording.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 157: 5/26/1973 Salt Lake City, UT

5/26/1973 Salt Lake City, UT  A Memento of Salt Lake City

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Georgia on My Mind, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

Someone near the taper excitedly shouts "all right, all right!" as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. The band is taking no prisoners as they race through a brutal Celebration Day. Page's guitar solo slashes and shreds through the frantic rhythm like a jagged razor blade. Plant tells the crowd "it's very nice to be back here, no messin' about" before introducing Over the Hills and Far Away. Jones leads Plant and Bonzo in a fantastic impromptu rendition of Georgia on My Mind while Page changes a broken string. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. The instrumental section during No Quarter features an excellent funky jam led by Page. 

Following The Rain Song, Plant announces "John Paul Jones was the Henry Mancini orchestra" adding "whatever happened to Henry Mancini?" He introduces Dazed and Confused by saying "during these five years, there's been all sorts of different colors, musically, that we've come across and put onto plastic... and this is one of the very first." Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the somewhat erratic guitar solo/workout section. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is preceded by a great jam on a heavy riff. The band drops the Boogie Chillen' section tonight, jumping directly into the coda as Plant repeatedly exclaims "ain't nothin' but a hound dog!" The band closes the show with a wildly cacophonous Communication Breakdown.

The tape is a matrix of an excellent soundboard recording and a distant, noisy audience recording. Unfortunately, varying tape speeds result in the two going slightly out of synch occasionally. The effect isn't very noticeable for the most part, sometimes even enhancing the listening experience by providing a sort of false echo that gives the soundboard recording more of a full, atmospheric quality. The effect is most noticeable during No Quarter and Stairway to Heaven, in which the separation becomes wide enough to make the tape a bit difficult to listen to.

Day 156: 5/25/1973 Denver, CO

5/25/1973 Denver, CO  Going Down

Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

The tape begins with Plant announcing "John Bonham, Moby Dick!" before Bonzo's intro march to Heartbreaker. Page shreds through the a cappella solo. Bonzo lays down a funky rhythm during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. The band returns to the stage to close the show with a quick and dirty Communication Breakdown. As the band exits, Plant tells the crowd "thank you very much, and without oxygen, we gotta go to bed, goodnight!"

The tape is another great soundboard recording. An excellent companion piece to the tape from Fort Worth six nights earlier.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 156: 5/19/1973 Fort Worth, TX

5/19/1973 Fort Worth, TX  (1st gen reel>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before the high-energy one-two punch of Rock and Roll and Celebration Day. Page blazes through an extended guitar solo during the latter. Plant scolds the crowd for not responding to his calls during Black Dog. Bonzo and Jones lay down a heavy groove as Page shreds through an erratically excellent guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. 

Plant sings "gimme some more monitors, if you will, yeah" during the initial verses of Since I've Been Loving You. He unleashes a spine-chilling squeal at the end of Page's uneven guitar solo. No Quarter is hauntingly epic. An excellent performance. Plant mentions "a funny feelin' in me pipe" while introducing The Song Remains the Same. Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during the guitar solos. The Rain Song is fantastic. Bonzo pounds on his drums with incredible intensity during the heavy section. Unfortunately, there is a slight cut in the tape near the end of the song.

Plant dedicates Dazed and Confused to "an old friend of mine... the butter queen!" Bonzo hammers wildly at his tympani during the intro. The frantic lead-in to the bow solo features one of the best renditions of San Francisco thus far. Hauntingly mournful one moment, devastatingly heavy the next. Page is absolutely on fire during the epic guitar solo/workout section. The return to the main riff is explosive. Page solos wildly over Bonzo and Jones's hypnotic, pulsating rhythm during the outro. A truly amazing performance, one of the best thus far. Unfortunately, the recording ends following a great Stairway to Heaven as Plant tells the crowd "I'm beginnin' to feel the presence of fourteen thousand people." An excellent performance. Must hear.

The tape is another wonderful soundboard recording. Very clear with a thunderous bottom end.

Day 155: 5/18/1973 Dallas, TX

5/18/1973 Dallas, TX  Bertha Remaster

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven

The show starts off a bit sluggish with a slow, plodding Rock and Roll. Plant calls out "gimme some monitors, Rusty" during the second verse of Celebration Day. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solo. Following Black Dog, Plant apologizes for the show's late start, explaining "John Paul Jones has got two fractured ribs and he's still managing to stand" adding "that's not really funny at all... we thought he got the clap." He tells the crowd "I can feel it gettin' better" after a mellow Since I've Been Loving You.

There is a slight cut in the tape during the final verse of The Rain Song. As the song ends, Plant announces "John Paul Jones played the orchestra" joking "that wasn't Woody Herman folks, it was John Paul Jones." Dazed and Confused is a somewhat lackluster affair. The song gets off to a lazy start during the initial verses. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solo/workout section, which comes off as a bit hurried and uninspired. The recording ends abruptly as Plant is talking to the crowd about "improvement" following Stairway to Heaven.

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording.

Day 154: 5/16/1973 Houston, TX

5/16/1973 Houston, TX  (master transfer)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven*, Moby Dick*, Heartbreaker*, Whole Lotta Love*, Communication Breakdown*

*- Going Down

The tape begins just as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Celebration Day is played at a frantic pace with Plant rushing to squeeze all the lyrics in. Page shreds through an angry guitar solo as Bonzo hammers at his drums with relentless intensity during Black Dog. Since I've Been Loving You is incredibly powerful and aggressive. Unfortunately, the tape is cut during Page's blistering guitar solo. No Quarter is introduced as a song "about man's passage through life... and the traumas." Jones's piano solo is punctuated by a barrage of thunderous cannon fire courtesy of Bonzo.

The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused is a cacophonous wall of sound with Page's frenzied soloing slicing through the dissonant roar like a razor blade. The taper's equipment is on the brink of being totally destroyed by the brutal sonic assault of the guitar solo/workout section. An utterly devastating performance. As Moby Dick ends, Plant introduces "Mick Hinton, the greatest road manager that ever hit the west." Page's fingers get a bit sticky during the solos in Heartbreaker. Whole Lotta Love features a rare rendition of Don Nix's Going Down prior to the Boogie Chillen' section. The band closes the show with a quick and dirty Communication Breakdown.

The audience tape is quite noisy and distorted. The soundboard tape is very clear, although Page is a bit buried in the mix at times.

Day 153: 5/14/1973 New Orleans, LA

5/14/1973 New Orleans, LA  The Witch Queen

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Communication Breakdown

The band is full of power and energy as Rock and Roll comes thundering out of the gate. As Black Dog ends, Plant announces "I tell you one thing, we gotta get these lights down... it's pretty pointless, us bringin' our own lights, if we got these things goin' on" adding "Mr. Cole, can you take your dress off and get these lights turned down please?" Someone near the taper shouts "turn off the fuckin' lights!" as Plant attempts to get the crowd to sit down following Over the Hills and Far Away. 

Plant starts the second verse of Misty Mountain Hop early before backtracking to catch up with the band. Page is absolutely on fire during a fantastic Since I've Been Loving You. Plant forgets a line during the first verse of No Quarter, mumbling along in an attempt to cover his mistake. The instrumental section is excellent, despite Page's fingers getting a bit sticky during the guitar solo. There is a slight cut in the tape near the end of The Rain Song. Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "an oldie, but goodie." The band plays a bit of Crossroads prior to another excellent San Francisco interlude during the lead-in to the bow solo. Page shreds through the guitar solo. The workout section is beyond description. A truly ming-blowing performance, one of the best thus far. 

Plant announces "I think Jimmy's just bought Bourbon Street" before Stairway to Heaven. Bonzo is introduced as "the drag queen of New Orleans" before Moby Dick. Page misses his cue and comes in a few bars late at the beginning of the song. His fingers get stuck in the strings a bit during the a cappella solo in Heartbreaker. The end of the guitar solo section merges seamlessly with the beginning of Whole Lotta Love. Page blazes through the guitar solo during the Boogie Chillen' section. Plant repeatedly shouts "ain't nothin' but a hound dog!" before unleashing a series of blood-curdling screams during the coda. The band closes the show with an excellent high-energy Communication Breakdown.

The tape is primarily an excellent, three-dimensional audience recording with a few small gaps filled with a rather dry soundboard recording. There is a bit of hiss during the quieter passages.

Day 152: 5/13/1973 Mobile, AL

5/13/1973 Mobile, AL  Bertha Remaster

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant greets the crowd with a mispronounced "alaikum salaam" before introducing Misty Mountain Hop. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "that was somethin' off the third album which we always will play as long as we're in existence." No Quarter is absolutely fantastic. Before The Song Remains the Same, Plant comments "it seems so early really to do a concert, y'know... we only got outta bed about two-thirty... I just finished me bacon and egg and here we are!" The Rain Song is beautiful.

The guitar solo/workout section during Dazed and Confused is flawlessly epic. Page solos wildly during the outro. An amazing performance.  Plant shouts the final verse of Stairway to Heaven. As the song ends, he announces "we've been together now over five years and we've come to America a total of ten times... and the English tax people are quite pleased about this, cause they're rippin' us off terrible... we decided to live somewhere between America and England... and it's pretty wet, but we're gonna have to do it." Before Moby Dick, Bonzo is introduced as "one of our favorite members of the group, a rather fat, chubby, happy fellow... full of shit and speed... I'm not talkin' about the drag queen from New Orleans, I'm talkin' about John Henry Bonham!" Unfortunately, the tape is cut just as the song ends, leaving us without the rest of this excellent performance. Must hear.

The tape is a stunning soundboard recording.

Day 151: 5/5/1973 Tampa, FL

5/5/1973 Tampa, FL Pigeon Blood

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Communication Breakdown

The first recording of the band's record-breaking 1973 North American tour begins with an announcer saying simply "ladies and gentlemen, what more can I say... Led Zeppelin." As the band performs a brief soundcheck, Plant announces "it seems between us we've done somethin' nobody's done before... and that's fantastic" referring to tonight's show breaking the attendance record previously held by The Beatles for their concert at Shea Stadium in 1965.

The show gets off to a bit of a sluggish start with Rock and Roll. Page's fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solo. The finale leads directly into the first appearance of Celebration Day since 6/9/1972. Page's guitar solo is underscored by some excellent funky fretwork from Jones. The familiar Out on the Tiles intro to Black Dog has been dropped in favor of the riff from Bring it on Home. Plant demands "louder!" during his call and response with the crowd. The non-stop pace doesn't let up as the finale immediately gives way to Page's intro to Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant's voice is quite rough, having lost the momentum gained a month earlier in Paris. Page gets ahead of the band at the end of the guitar solo, creating a funky new arrangement. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd "did anybody ever make the Orlando gig that we did last time?" adding "so we're in the same country, yeah?"

The crowd becomes restless during a laid-back Since I've Been Loving You, with a few people near the taper repeatedly shouting at those in front of them to sit down. Plant pleads with the crowd to ease up on the barriers before introducing the first appearance of No Quarter. One particularly agitated gentleman near the taper shouts quite angrily "sit your asses down goddammit!" during the first verse. As the song ends, Plant introduces "the mighty John Paul Jones on synthesized piano!"

Before Dazed and Confused, Plant warns "we want this to be a really joyous occasion, I gotta tell you this because three people have been taken to hospital and if you keep pushin' on that barrier, there's gonna be stacks and stacks of people goin'... so for goodness sake, we are animals, but we can move back a little bit." Page shreds through the first guitar solo. The workout section is a bit disjointed. The outro starts out promising with Page soloing wildly over Bonzo's syncopated rhythms, but everything falls apart when the band can't decide how to end the song. Plant tells the crowd "I've joined the Temperance Society where I no longer drink beer... I just drink lemons and honeys" before Stairway to Heaven.

Prior to the first appearance of Moby Dick since 10/9/1972, Plant announces "and now for something entirely different... for the tenth time in United States of America, ladies and gentlemen... for the tenth time in five years, we bring you our percussionist... John Henry Bonham, Moby Dick!" As the drum solo ends, the band skips the return of the main riff, jumping directly into Heartbreaker. Page blazes through the solos. The band skips the final verse, heading straight into Whole Lotta Love at the end of the guitar solo. The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section has been dropped entirely from the new stripped-down arrangement. Plant once again makes mention of the record-breaking crowd during his boogie rap, saying "fifty-seven thousand people is four thousand more than the people that were at The Beatles' Shea Stadium, gotta boogie!" The medley has been stripped of its classics, leaving only the Boogie Chillen' jam.

The Ocean is preceded by the first appearance of Bonzo's signature count-in. Plant sings the verses out of order, causing a bit of confused hesitation. The band returns to close the show with Communication Breakdown. As they exit the stage, Plant leaves the crowd with a simple "goodnight."

The tape is a combination of two sources, both very clear and well-balanced. The first source is a bit noisy in the high end at times.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Thirty-three seconds of color footage shot from very close to the stage by a local news team, including brief clips of Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, and Black Dog, can be seen here.

Day 150: 4/2/1973 Paris, France

4/2/1973 Paris, France  Vive Le Zeppelin

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 with Rock and Roll already in progress. Plant is in good form, belting out each line of Black Dog with power and bravado. This is the best he's sounded all year. Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as "a song about the English police and a bad case of hashish." Page is on fire during an incredibly powerful Since I've Been Loving You. As the song ends, Plant complains "I can't hear me'self, I don't know whether anybody else can."

The Song Remains the Same is utterly devastating, balanced perfectly by the delicate beauty of The Rain Song. Unfortunately, the latter is cut during the final verse. Page solos wildly during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. The instrumental machinery is unstoppable during the guitar solo/workout section. Bonzo and Jones are locked into each other as Page's fingers fly across the fretboard in a furious cascade of notes. Bonzo hammers at his drums with unbelievable intensity during the finale. Someone in the crowd can be heard mimicking Plant's Immigrant Song Valhalla cry before Stairway to Heaven. There are a few slight speed fluctuations during the initial verses.

Page hints at Knees Up Mother Brown before Whole Lotta Love, which is preceded by an erratic, angry intro. The theramin freakout is followed by a frenzied stop-start jam before the explosive Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section. Plant's boogie rap is interrupted by a blistering rendition of Don Nix's Going Down, its first appearance since 6/11/1972. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Boogie Chillen'. Unfortunately, the recording ends just as the band finishes an excellent rendition of Elvis Presley's (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care. An amazing finale to the phenomenal 1973 European tour. Must Hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit overloaded at times, with a great sense of atmosphere.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 149: 4/1/1973 Paris, France

4/1/1973 Paris, France (2nd gen)

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. There is a slight cut during Page's intro to Over the Hills and Far Away. The tape is cut between songs. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Black Dog. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd to stop throwing bottles. There is a brief dropout during the intro to Since I've Been Loving You. Plant's voice is surprisingly strong, having finally adjusted ti his new range. He unleashes a spine-chilling squeal near the end of the song. An incredibly powerful performance.

Plant introduces The Song Remains the Same as "a track from Houses of the Holy... of which one famous English journalist said we'd lost our way" adding "this is the way we lose our way." Page's fingers fly across the fretboard during the guitar solos. The lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused features a heavy start-stop battle prior to the San Francisco interlude. Page shreds through the guitar solo/workout section. The medley during Whole Lotta Love 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. There is a dropout just before the excellent blues improvisation. The recording ends with the song as the crowd goes wild.

The tape is noisy, hissy, and plagued by tape issues, but the strong performances shines through.

Day 148: 3/27/1973 Nancy, France

3/27/1973 Nancy, France Heavy Machinery

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

The tape begins during Page's guitar solo in Rock and Roll. Plant apologizes to the crowd for the show's late start before Black Dog, saying "it's not our fault... the promoter... un grand cochon." Someone near the taper mimics and sings along during a powerful Since I've Been Loving You. There is a brief cut in the tape just before the end of the song. Dancing Days and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp have been dropped from the setlist tonight. Plant flubs the lyrics a bit during the initial verses of The Song Remains the Same. Bonzo's stop-start rhythm gets a bit disjointed during the guitar solo. There are a few slight cuts near the end of The Rain Song.

Plant introduces Dazed and Confused as "a song that comes from a long time ago when Led Zeppelin was born." The end of Page's bow solo is interrupted by a loud squeal of feedback. There is a cut in the tape during the funky breakdown in the middle of the somewhat disjointed guitar solo/workout section. Page's intro to Stairway to Heaven is cut, leaving us at the beginning of the first verse. Another cut during the guitar solo leaves us at the very end of the song. Whole Lotta Love begins during the chorus prior to the theramin freakout. The raucous medley 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, which features another excellent blues improvisation, and The Lemon Song.

The tape is a bit distant and muffled, slowly deteriorating over time.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 148: 3/26/1973 Lyon, France

3/26/1973 Lyon, France  (unknown gen)

Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker

The tape begins as Plant is introducing Dazed and Confused. The song is cut during Page's bow solo. The taper can be heard announcing the name of the venue and date before we join the Whole Lotta Love medley, with I Can't Quit You Baby already in progress. Page is on fire during the blues improvisation. As the song ends, Plant announces "bon soir!" to which the crowd responds with roaring cheers. The recording ends with a blistering performance of Heartbreaker.

The tape is noisy, distorted, and hissy. For completists only.

Day 147: 3/24/1973 Offenburg, Germany

3/24/1973 Offenburg, Germany (2nd gen>dat>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, 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 just as Rock and Roll crashes into motion. There is a brief tape disturbance during Over the Hills and Far Away. Plant introduces Misty Mountain Hop as "a song about what happens when a policeman walks up to you and catches you with the wrong thing in your hand" adding "this is a felony." Page is on fire during an incredibly powerful Since I've Been Loving You.

The Song Remains the Same is excellent, Page's fingers fly across the fretboard at lightning speed. Plant's voice is strong during The Rain Song, the heavy section is fantastic. Page solos wildly during the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. The San Francisco interlude is eerily beautiful. Bonzo and Jones play a bit of Machine Gun as Page begins the bow solo. The unstoppable instrumental machinery is in full swing during the guitar solo/workout section. The band skips the Mars, the Bringer of War section, heading into the transition back to the main riff early.

Page delivers a flawless solo during Stairway to Heaven. Plant introduces Whole Lotta Love as "a song that, everywhere around the world, seems to inspire a bit of good times." The theramin freakout is preceded by a frantic funky interlude with Plant encouraging the crowd to "do the James Brown!" The Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section ends in a cacophonous explosion, much like it did in Essen two nights earlier. The riotous 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. The blues improvisation is once again nothing short of amazing. The band returns to the stage amidst chants of "one more time!" to close the show with Heartbreaker. Page shreds through the a cappella solo. As the band exits the stage, Plant leaves the crowd with a simple "thank you, goodnight." An outstanding finale to the absolutely mind-blowing string of German concerts. Must hear.

The tape is very clear and well-balanced with a few slight disturbances throughout.

Day 146: 3/22/1973 Essen, Germany

3/22/1973 Essen, Germany Gracias!

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

Following Over the Hills and Far Away, Plant announces "we must ask you to cool everything for about three minutes cause James's guitar is a bit fucked." He jokes with the crowd during the break, telling them "we're very happy to be back again... for one year, Zeppelin doesn't work too hard, but this year we work hard all the time... because we have no money." Since I've Been Loving You finds the band at its most efficient. Their playing is wonderfully restrained, yet intensely powerful. A fantastic performance. The Song Remains the Same is quite fragmentary. The Rain Song is beautiful. Bonzo is like an out of control locomotive during the frantic lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. The guitar solo/workout section begins with a barrage of machine gun snare blasts. Bonzo thrashes wildly at anything within reach during the funky breakdown prior to the call and response section. The Mars, the Bringer of War section features an devastatingly heavy stop-start rhythm. Yet another amazing performance.

The band plays a tongue-in-cheek Big Spender interlude prior to Whole Lotta Love. The theramin freakout is followed by a frantic rhumba. Plant gets ahead of the band during the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section, which includes a bit of Turn on Your Love Light before ending in a high-speed cacophonous explosion. The medley 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 The Lemon Song. Following a long pause, the band plays a bit of Move It before closing the show with Heartbreaker. As the band leaves the stage, Plant says "thank you very much Essen, you've been very nice... see you again, three years!"

The tape is a combination of two sources. The audience recording is fairly clear, if a bit muffled at times. The soundboard recording, which includes most of Dazed and Confused and Whole Lotta Love, is excellent.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 145: 3/21/1973 Hamburg, Germany

3/21/1973 Hamburg, Germany Legendary Night in Hamburg

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 Ocean

The tape begins just before Black Dog. Plant pauses during the call and response with the crowd when no one responds. A barrage of shouted requests for How Many More Times comes from the crowd as Plant attempts to introduce Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Page plays a bit of Layla before The Song Remains the Same. He's absolutely on fire during the guitar solos, playing with lightning-fast precision. There is a cut in the tape near the end of The Rain Song.

Page solos wildly as Bonzo thrashes angrily at anything within reach and Plant repeatedly shouts "got a cold sweat!" during the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. Plant unleashes a few Tarzan-like wails at the end of the bow solo. Page absolutely shreds through the first guitar solo. Bonzo is like an unstoppable blitzkrieg, hammering away with unbelievable force. The instrumental machinery is in full swing during the amazing workout section. Each line of the final verse is punctuated by a machine gun snare blast from Bonzo. The outro features an excellent stop-start rhythm as Page's fingers race up and down the fretboard. A devastatingly heavy performance. One of the best thus far.

Plant introduces Stairway to Heaven as "a beautiful song." Unfortunately, the tape is cut during Page's guitar solo. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is bookended by a frenzied funky jam, the latter part of which includes someone playing bongos or congas. The explosive Everybody Needs Somebody to Love section is preceded by an erratic drum solo interlude from Bonzo. Plant sings a brief reference to D'yer Mak'er during the breakdown. The riotous medley includes Boogie Chillen', Elvis Presley favorites (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care and Let's Have a Party, which again includes the final fanfare repeated ad nauseam before I Can't Quit You Baby, featuring yet another incredible blues improvisation, and The Lemon Song. The band closes the show with The Ocean.

The tape is a combination of two sources. The audience recording, which runs through the beginning of Dazed and Confused, is distant and a bit muffled. The soundboard recording is excellent, if a bit hissy during the quiet passages, and runs through the end of Whole Lotta Love when the audience recording returns for The Ocean. The soundboard tape alone is worth the price of admission.