Day 173: 7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD

7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Jack

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

Plant is in top form as Rock and Roll gets underway, reaching notes that would have been unthinkable two weeks earlier. Page pauses briefly during the intro to Over the Hills and Far Away to tune his guitar. Since I've Been Loving You is dramatic and powerful. The instrumental section during No Quarter is an epic journey. Plant sings "please sit down" during the first verse of The Rain Song. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape soon after which leaves us near the beginning of the heavy section. As the song ends, Plant tells the rowdy crowd "really, I think you gotta be a little bit quieter, because there are a few people who are tryin' to listen to the subtle musical changes."

Page is out of control during Dazed and Confused, soloing wildly and freely changing the song's structure on the fly. The frantic lead-in to the bow solo is immediately followed by the call and response with Plant, integrated with more furious soloing before finally coming back around to the haunting San Francisco interlude. The pace doesn't let up following the bow solo as Page shreds uncontrollably through the guitar solo/workout section, creating a completely new arrangement as he goes. An incredible, highly improvisational performance. Before Stairway to Heaven, Plant tells the crowd "this a song we've played to a lot of audiences... sorta sit down and you can feel throughout the building an amazing feeling which out forefathers a long, long, long time ago knew very well." Page blazes through the guitar solo. Plant pushes his voice to the limit, belting out the final verse in its original melody.

Someone near the taper can be heard shouting "go Jimmy!" as Page begins the fantastic a cappella solo during Heartbreaker. His fingers race across the fretboard in a furious cascade of notes during the explosive guitar solo section. Plant makes a brief reference to Gallows Pole in his boogie rap during Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. The band plays a tongue-in-cheek I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside interlude before closing the show with The Ocean. As the band leaves the stage, Plant tells the crowd "we must love you and leave you, goodnight!"

The tape is distant, hissy, and quite noisy.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 172: 7/21/1973 Providence, RI

7/21/1973 Providence, RI LZ Rhoder

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

The tape begins with a brief soundcheck before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. Page and Jones lose track of each other during the guitar solo. Plant is in good voice, belting out each line of Black Dog with power and bravado. As the song ends, he greets the crowd, saying "I was gonna say it's nice to be back, but I don't think we've been here before... I could be wrong." Page blazes through the the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. He cuts the final verse short, leaving Plant to moan "oh, you really oughta know" during the outro. As the song ends, Plant goes on a long tirade insisting that the crowd be cool and move back or the show cannot continue.

Since I've Been Loving You is incredibly powerful. Page's fingers race across the fretboard in a furious barrage of notes during the intro. The band plays as one entity, rising and falling in unison with every ebb and flow. A fantastic performance, one of the best in recent memory. Before No Quarter, Plant tells the crowd he didn't want to offend anyone with his earlier rant, saying "just to prove it, here's something that we really like to play and we're gonna play really fantastically." The instrumental section is simply outstanding, Jones's haunting melodies slowly build tension until Page's wildly passionate guitar solo explodes across the soundscape. The song has quickly become a major highlight of the show.

Plant finds something on the stage while introducing The Song Remains the Same, joking "I think I'll have to give this to one of the security men." A cut in the tape leaves us near the end of the song. There is another brief cut during the second verse of The Rain Song. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "something that's as old as the hills." The frenzied lead-in to the bow solo gives way to an elegantly heavy San Francisco interlude. Page is absolutely on fire during the guitar solo/workout section, racing frantically through a violent cascade of notes as Bonzo and Jones follow close behind. Unfortunately, the tape is cut just before the call and response with Plant, leaving us at the explosive return to the main riff. Page solos wildly over Bonzo's syncopated heartbeat rhythm during the outro. Another devastating performance.

Stairway to Heaven features an excellent, dynamic guitar solo from Page. Plant belts out the final verse with incredible intensity. Moby Dick is introduced as "somethin' to get off on." The pattern of excellence continues with a blistering Heartbreaker. Page, Jones, and Bonzo get into a high-speed funky jam following the initial verses of Whole Lotta Love. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape during the theramin freakout which leaves us near the end of the Boogie Chillen' section. The band closes the show with a terrific The Ocean, one of the best thus far. A truly incredible performance. Must hear.

The tape is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy on the high end.

Day 171: 7/20/1973 Boston, MA

7/20/1973 Boston, MA  (master>cdr)

Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love

Plant struggles with his voice during Rock and Roll, barely able to manage anything beyond a fragile monotone. The crowd is rowdy tonight, causing quite a commotion during the intro to Over the Hills and Far Away. As the song ends, Plant pleads with the crowd to be cool, warning "if you don't stop pushin' forward, we're gonna have to stop until everybody can move happily." The band skips Misty Mountain Hop and Since I've Been Loving You, heading directly into No Quarter in hopes of calming the atmosphere. The instrumental section is devastatingly heavy, Bonzo's entrance is explosive. Page delivers a powerful guitar solo. Another outstanding performance.

An increasingly frustrated Plant again tells the crowd to cool it before The Song Remains the Same. There is a brief cut during the second verse of The Rain Song. Page shreds through the lightning-fast lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused. The excellent San Francisco interlude is preceded by a mournful chorus of "take it easy" from Plant. Page is absolutely on fire during the guitar solo/workout section. His fingers race across the fretboard as Bonzo and Jones hold down a frantic rhythm. The Mars, the Bringer of War section triggers a frenzied ascent that climaxes in the devastating return to the main riff. The outro is a blistering race to the finish. A truly amazing performance.

Page blazes through a high-speed guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven. Moby Dick is dropped from the setlist. Plant's voice has fully recovered by Whole Lotta Love. The Boogie Chillen' section features an excellent guitar solo from Page. A firecracker explodes during the thunderous finale. Plant says "thank you Boston, and goodnight!" as the band exits, leaving the uncooperative crowd without an encore. A barrage of firecracker blasts echo through the arena until someone onstage announces "thank you and goodnight, Led Zeppelin are gone."

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

Day 170: 7/18/1973 Vancouver, British Columbia

7/18/1973 Vancouver, British Columbia  No Firecrackers

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

Plant's voice starts out a bit rough, taking a few songs to really warm up. Jones's fingers fly across the fretboard during a frantic Celebration Day. As the song ends, the tape fades to a cut just as the Bring it on Home intro to Black Dog begins. We return during Plant's call and response with the crowd. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Over the Hills and Far Away. Before Misty Mountain Hop, Plant tells the crowd "we really must try and maintain some seriousness about this, although we always try and give out a vibe where everybody's smilin'... we should play our balls off if you promise no firecrackers." Since I've Been Loving You is absolutely fantastic. One of the best performances in recent memory.

The band is on fire during another outstanding No Quarter. The Song Remains the Same and The Rain Song are missing from the tape. Page solos wildly through the lead-in to the bow solo during Dazed and Confused. There is a cut in the tape during the call and response with Bonzo and Jones, which leaves us at the beginning of the bow solo. The frenzied guitar solo/workout section is interrupted by a commotion in the crowd, prompting Plant to repeatedly call out "take it easy!" The outro is a wild race to the finish. An excellent performance. As the song ends, one of the tapers can be heard commenting on Page's performance in particular, saying "he's really playing quite well this evening."

Stairway to Heaven is introduced as "somethin' a little easier, cooler." There is a slight cut during the initial verses. Page delivers another excellent guitar solo. As the song ends, Plant says "thank you and goodnight" as the band unexpectedly leaves the stage. Soon after, someone onstage announces "ladies and gentlemen, Led Zeppelin has left the building... we're trying to get Robert Plant to a hospital, will you please very orderly try and cool it with the traffic while we're trying to get the limos through the traffic, we have to get Robert to a hospital in the next few minutes" adding "thank you very much, they said to thank you, you've been an unbelievable audience." Someone near the taper can be heard shouting "what's this bullshit?!" just before the recording ends.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit hissy.

Day 169: 7/17/1973 Seattle, WA

7/17/1973 Seattle, WA  Seattle Matrix

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

The tape begins with a stage announcement asking the crowd to stop setting off fireworks and promising a three hour show if everyone stays cool, which receives a thunderous cheer. Page shreds wildly through the guitar solo at the end of Celebration Day. Following Black Dog, Plant greets the crowd, saying "it's more than a pleasure to be back again, really." Misty Mountain Hop is dedicated to "the guys who drove the buses" full of fans from Vancouver to the first show in Seattle the year before. Since I've Been Loving You is highly dramatic and powerful.

The instrumental section during No Quarter is an epic journey. A truly amazing performance, one of the best thus far. The Rain Song is absolutely fantastic. Bonzo hammers wildly at his drums during the initial verses of Dazed and Confused. Page shreds through the frantic lead-in to the bow solo. The San Francisco interlude is devastatingly heavy. Bonzo and Jones are locked into each other as Page's sticky fingers fly across the fretboard during the erratic guitar solo/workout section. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd "that was somethin' that contains so many different constructions and time signatures and things, every night it gets really far out, I wish I could sit and listen to it like you folks" before introducing Stairway to Heaven as "something entirely different." Page delivers an excellent, dynamic guitar solo.

Moby Dick is introduced as "something with equally as much energy and power... and vibration." Page, Jones, and Bonzo are on fire during the frenzied fast guitar solo section in Heartbreaker. The theramin freakout during Whole Lotta Love is followed by an excellent funky jam. The Boogie Chillen' section features a blistering guitar solo from Page. The band returns to the stage to close the show with an explosive The Ocean. An outstanding performance. Must hear.

The tape is a combination of three sources. The soundboard/audience matrix, used through Stairway to Heaven, is very clear and well-balanced, if a bit hissy during the quieter moments. The second audience tape, used for the remainder of the show, is a bit distant.

Day 168: 7/15/1973 Buffalo, NY

7/15/1973 Buffalo, NY  Slowing Down in Buffalo

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

The relentless touring schedule continues to take its toll on Plant's fragile voice. He struggles to maintain control as Rock and Roll gets underway. As Black Dog ends, Plant apologizes to the crowd for the delay, explaining that Page's guitar "has had a bit of an accident, but we got it fixed now." Over the Hills and Far Away is introduced as "a song about the journey that we're all on." The intro is interrupted by a loud firecracker blast, prompting Plant to respond "that's one guy who's not on the same journey." Page blazes through an excellent guitar solo.

No Quarter is fantastic, despite Page's occasionally sticky fingers. The Rain Song is absolutely beautiful. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "one of the old ones." Page hints at The Rover during a frantic call and response with Bonzo and Jones prior to the haunting San Francisco interlude. The transition to the bow solo is highly dramatic. A loud firecracker blast interrupts the eery soundscape. Page is on fire during the guitar solo/workout section. As the song ends, Bonzo can be heard shouting "well done Jim!" before Plant announces "I dunno who the sadist was who lit off the bomb, but he really is a jerk-off." 

Bonzo is introduced as "the all-time percussionist of rock and roll" before Moby Dick. Page shreds wildly through the solos during Heartbreaker. Bonzo and Jones explore an infectious funky groove during the theramin freakout in Whole Lotta Love. Page joins in for a frantic race to the finish. Plant makes a brief reference to Gallows Pole during his boogie rap. Before the show-closing The Ocean, Plant announces "this requires the vocal talents of John Bonham."

The tape is a combination of two sources. The soundboard tape, used through Stairway to Heaven, is clear and well-balanced, if a bit noisy at times. The audience tape is distant and muffled with mild tape disturbances throughout.

Click here for audio samples courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 167: 7/13/1973 Detroit, MI

7/13/1973 Detroit, MI  The Song of Detroit

Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, Dancing Days

The tape begins with Plant introducing Bonzo as "the only white whale in show business!" prior to Moby Dick. The a cappella solo during Heartbreaker is followed by an impromptu blues shuffle. Page blazes through a sticky-fingered guitar solo during the Boogie Chillen' section in Whole Lotta Love. Plant hints at his Immigrant Song Valhalla cry during the coda. As the band returns to the stage, Plant introduces the first appearance of Dancing Days since 4/2/1973 as "a track about a fetish for fifteen/sixteen year old chicks who seem to wait at bus stops after they come outta high school." Unfortunately, the recording ends just over a minute into the song.

The tape is an excellent soundboard recording.

Click here for an audio sample courtesy of Black Beauty.

Day 166: 7/12/1973 Detroit, MI

7/12/1973 Detroit, MI  (master>vhs>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

The tape begins during the final minute of Rock and Roll. Plant's voice starts out a bit rough, taking a few songs to warm up. Following a request that the crowd stop throwing firecrackers, Plant dedicates Misty Mountain Hop to "the loss of brain cells."  Since I've Been Loving You is elegantly restrained. The instrumental section during No Quarter is fantastic. Unfortunately, there are a few brief dropouts near the end of Page's guitar solo. The taper can be heard fiddling with his equipment during the first verse of The Rain Song. 

Page solos wildly during the lead-in to the bow solo in Dazed and Confused. The band is on fire during the frantic guitar solo/workout section. There is a cut in the tape during Page's call and response with Plant. Page's fingers dance across the fretboard during the guitar solo in Stairway to Heaven. Plant introduces Moby Dick as "a number that receives great popularity and ovations almost everywhere cause it's sheer... intense... beauty." Unfortunately, the majority of the drum solo is missing from the tape, leaving us with only the intro/outro and a few fragments in between. As Bonzo is taking his final solo break at the end of the song, the taper can be heard saying "this is boring" before commenting to one of his friends "look, the guitarist and bass player look bored to death." 

Plant can be heard whistling along as Page hints at The 59th Street Bridge Song at the end of the a cappella solo during Heartbreaker. Page absolutely shreds through the fast guitar solo. Bonzo and Jones hold down a frantic stop-start rhythm as Page's theramin squeals in ecstasy during Whole Lotta Love. Plant's boogie rap gives way to another excellent rendition of Don Nix's Going Down. Bonzo thrashes wildly at his drums as Page blazes through the guitar solo during the Boogie Chillen' section. As the band returns to the stage, Bonzo announces "as you know, I've never sung a note... but on this track, I'm allowed to shout!" before counting in to the show-closing The Ocean. The obnoxious taper can be heard providing off-key backing vocals throughout the song.

The tape is fairly clear, if a bit muffled and noisy in the high end, with Page slightly buried in the mix at times.

Day 165: 7/10/1973 Milwaukee, WI

7/10/1973 Milwaukee, WI (master cassette>dat4>cdr4)

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 band is taking no prisoners as they tear through the furious one-two punch of Rock and Roll and Celebration Day. Plant is in good form, belting out each line with incredible power and intensity. Page blazes through the guitar solo during Black Dog. As the song ends, Plant asks the crowd "when did we come here last, 1969 was it? (it was actually 8/31/1970)... remember that festival where it rained all day?" Misty Mountain Hop is introduced as "a song that doesn't involve firecrackers... except for those that you put into cigarette papers."

John Paul Jones is introduced as "the magician of the keyboards" prior to No Quarter. His Mellotron is slightly out of tune during The Rain Song. There is a brief cut in the tape before the first verse. Dazed and Confused is introduced as "one that was written probably before some of you kids started school." Page solos wildly as Bonzo and Jones hold down a funky rhythm prior to a mournful San Francisco interlude. Unfortunately, the recording ends about ten minutes into Moby Dick.

The tape is distant, hissy, noisy, and increasingly muffled following the aforementioned cut during The Rain Song.

Month Seven: July 2008

After a much needed vacation, I'm back with just over a hundred shows left. Here's the schedule for the last two weeks of July for anyone following along.

Let's rock.

Monday 7/21
1973.07.10 Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Tuesday 7/22
1973.07.12 Detroit, Michigan

Wednesday 7/23
1973.07.13 Detroit, Michigan

Thursday 7/24
1973.07.15 Buffalo, New York

Friday 7/25
1973.07.17 Seattle, Washington

Monday 7/28
1973.07.18 Vancouver, British Columbia

Tuesday 7/29
1973.07.20 Boston, Massachusetts

Wednesday 7/30
1973.07.21 Providence, Rhode Island

Thursday 7/31
1973.07.23 Baltimore, Maryland