43 years ago, Led Zeppelin played in Japan Immigrant Song Heartbreaker Feelin Groovy Bourrée in E minor Since Ive Been Loving You Out On The Tiles Black Dog Dazed And Confused Hendrix Jam Pennies From Heaven Mars: The Bringer Of War Stairway To Heaven Celebration Day Thats The Way Going To California Tangerine Friends Smoke Gets In Your Eyes What Is And What Should Never Be Moby Dick Whole Lotta Love Boogie Chillen I Gotta Know Twist And Shout Fortune Teller Good Times Bad Times You Shook Me Communication Breakdown Just A Little Bit Organ Solo Thank You Rock And Roll Reviews Nine Two Nine (TDOLZ Vol. 82) Disc 1: Introduction, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since Ive Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed & Confused (Pennies From Heaven). Disc 2: Stairway to Heaven, Celebration Day, Thats The Way, Going To California, Tangerine, Friends, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, What Is And What Should Never Be, Moby Dick. Disc 3: Whole Lotta Love (Boogie Chillun, Tossin & Turnin, Twist and Shout, Fortune Teller, Good Times Bad Times, You Shook Me), Communication Breakdown, Organ solo/Thank You, Rock n Roll Disc 4: Introduction, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since Ive Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed & Confused (fragment). Disc 5: Thats The Way, Going to California, Tangerine, Friends, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, What Is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick (fragment). This new release by TDOLZ is a limited edition (300) box set of the classic September 29th, 1971 show in Osaka, Japan. TDOLZ have also released a standard three disc set of the entire show. This release uses a new, incomplete source of the show. On the first three discs they edit it with the tape source that was released as 929 on H-Bomb, since that is the source which is closest sonically. The final two discs of the set present the new incomplete master tape. The new tape source is a bit distant but very clear with a fantastic atmosphere. The audience in Osaka, unlike the crowds in Tokyo, were very quite and respectful. Plant even complains about their quietness. This source is recommened over the popular soundboard release, which has lots of annoying cuts. All of the greatness of this show is here. The incredible version of Dazed, Friends, and nobody has mentioned the nine-minute Going to California. This release is highly recommended. (Gerard Sparaco Nov 99) Nine Two Nine (TDOLZ). Five-CD box set that includes two audience recordings from the amazing show in Osaka on September 29 1971.One of these recordings is allegedly new while the other one is the 929 tape, released and reissued previously by H-Bomb. The five-CD format includes the whole of the performance culled from both tapes on discs I, II and III, while the new recording is found whole separately on discs IV and V.The new recording includes: CD IV:(46:20) Audience anticipation/Brief Sound check (some four minutes)-Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed and Confused (twelve-plus minutes worth of this piece). CD V:(46:23): Thats The Way (cuts in at the very beginning)/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick (thirteen-plus minutes worth of this piece). The sound quality of this tape varies from very good plus to near excellent, the label claims to have used masters, which is probably true because the sharpness and brightness are remarkable. The show was taped very close to the stage, this unfortunately causes bottom-end distortion throughout the recording, the end of Thats The Way is wrecked because of this, perhaps the monitors were humming with feedback. The top end is very high too. The audience is quiet but present, particularly during the acoustic set. The taper makes noises like unwrapping something at the beginning of Thats The Way, and perhaps taps on the recorder or the microphone. This noise could also be the result of an equipment malfunction producing a bumping sound. This occurs during the gentle acoustic set. CD I: (64:18)(Same as CD IV up to the spoken introduction to Dazed, only the 929 source is used for a complete Dazed and Confused(includes Pennies From Heaven). CD II:(69:52)Stairway/Celebration Day (both from 929) Acoustic set and What Is from thenewsource/Moby Dick (complete from the 929 tape.) CDIII:(57:48)Whole Lotta Love (Boogie-Tossin and turnin-Twist and Shout-Fortune Teller-Good Times-You Shook Me)/ Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo-Thank You/Rock n Roll (all from the 929 source). The 929 tape is sharp and bright, from a low generation source too or from the master tape as the label claims. This recordings sound quality is rather variable, it ranges from good to near excellent. In Dazed the beginning sounds very good, the quality improves a little and then significantly from very good plus to near excellent in a great jam that leads to a magnificent melody which I assume is Pennies From Heaven, in between theres tape garble, then the quality returns to very good. Stairway is more stable in the very good region, the awesome Celebration is in very good plus/near excellent quality. Whole Lotta Love is also variable with audience noise, the boogie section is good, the jam prior to and You Shook Me are near excellent. The encores are in the very good/very good plus region. It seems that the microphone was blocked and occasionally cleared, hence the quality variations. The moments of near excellent quality in Dazed, Celebration and Whole Lotta Love can rival even the so-called soundboard tape, unfortunately they only last a few seconds. The top end is distorted and harsh sounding and some portions of Stairway, Dazed and Whole Lotta Love are worn out. The great revelation is to hear complete jams that are not present in the sounboard tape. This performace is awesome and deserves any attempt at being presented in a complete form, albeit in variable sound quality. The only gap on this release is between the end of Celebration and Thats The Way. CDs I to III are presented in a cardboard fold-out sleeve entitled 929 with great pictures. Discs IV and V are presented in a single cardboard jacket entitled Nine Two Nine. Both sleeves are enclosed in a brown cardboard box with silver lettering reproducing a section of the original ticket. The ticket was reproduced in a large format and folded to fit inside the box. (Rosina Diaz Scali Nov 99) Live In Japan (Cobla) Per ****1/2 SQ ***1/2 Appeal G It was only a matter of time before the Cobla label brought out their version of this classic show from the Festival Hall, Osaka on September 29, 1971. Difficult to tell which, of at least, three available audience sources was used in this 3 CD set - the sound is generally clear and upfront, starting off with a few crackles and there are cuts/drop-outs in Black Dog, Dazed, What Is And What Should Never Be, Whole Lotta Love and Thank You. Its maybe unfair to pick out tasty morsels in such a feast - but check out the guitar work in Since Ive Been Loving You, Celebration Day, Communication Breakdown and the acoustic playing in Thats The Way and Going To California. Well worth getting.(Tony Gassett Nov 99) Live In Japan 1971 (Last Stand 13CD box set). Discs 11-13 : Osaka 29/9/71. This concert was only very recently released by Last Stand, and is the so called soundboard tape, 175 mins. long, in extremely good stereo sound. (Jules McTrainspotter Mar 99) 71-72 Box Set: Identical to their Live In Japan 3CD set. IMHO, LSDs release is the best version of the so called board tape from a TAPE source and is probably as good as it will get unless the masters are actually discovered (dont hold your breath though). (Lord Byron Nov 99) A Cellarful Of Noise (Noise Generator) 3CD 9/29/71 Sound Quality 8-9 (out of ten - discarding clicks/pops); Appeal 3 (out of 5) Sourced from various boot LPs utilizing the excellent audience recording, this piece is still far from perfect or complete. In terms of sound quality, this is quite excellent and much better than any of the tape sources currently in circulation however the presence of vinyl clicks/pops (at times quite severe) does diminish its appeal. In addition, there has only been a modest attempt to make this piece as complete as possible a tape source is used sparingly to fill in the vinyl gaps (mostly during Whole Lotta Love), even though all the famous cuts are still present and there is some between song patter missing. Packaging is a rather cheap affair. The cds are housed in a (rather plain) paper sleeve with a sheet depicting the old vinyl artwork glued on the front. If you have one of the recent releases of this show (eg. Cobla or LSD Live In Japan), youll probably be happy with what youve got. If youve never heard the difference in sound quality between the old LPs and the tapes, and have the bucks to shell out you might consider picking this up. (Lord Byron Mar 99) A Cellarful Of Noise (Noise Generator). 3 CDs, OSAKA 29 September 1971 Not another version of the so called soundboard recording from Osaka 1971 I hear you say. However this is an excellent version, and the sound quality is about 9 out of 10. If you do not have this on CD it is well worth getting. The packaging is very nice too, the CDs are in a card sleeve, which reproduces the original vinyl cover of the same name on the front. (Jules McTrainspotter Jan 99) Live In Japan (Cobla 3CDR) Performance: 7-8 SQ: 6-8 The famous Soundboard tape from the last 71 Japanese show. I will never quite understand the praise offered this recording. It is FAR too overloaded by the drums (except during the acoustic set) and lacks any atmosphere. The cuts are almost unbearable, and there are speed problems throughout. The sound is stereo, but the vocals are almost completely inaudible (again, except for the acoustic set) for most of the show. Its a good show, but certainly not exceptional. Good solo in stairway and a great going to california. Essential? Not really, but its a good show to have. (Anton Chittaee Apr 99) You Were There in Spirits (Empress Valley EVSD 270-272) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Track list: Disc 1 (67.57): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.25): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (60.37): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll This classic concert, the last of Led Zeppelins ground breaking first Japan Tour in September 1971, has always been regarded in the highest esteem by fans. This is not surprising as it is a superb concert, and has been recorded very well from several different sources. There have been numerous previous releases of this show, by every label in the book. Empress Valley have now put this concert out with the most complete version that can be made, with a total running time of almost 200 minutes. Unfortunately they have adopted a fans compilation that he made some years ago, Christened Common Complaint In Osaka - Rice In Hair! by the Underground Uprising Webmaster. The main source for this concert is the so called soundboard recording, which is around 174 minutes long. It has numerous cuts and gaps. In addition there is a pretty good sounding and near complete audience recording, and also an incomplete third audience recording. Empress Valley have simply used this compilation made a few years ago using all available sources, the foundation for which was the vinyl release. This compilation was made on a DAT recorder, prior to the smooth edits and ability to blend sources together using computer software. Empress Valley have simply largely copied this release and smoothed out the edits. The soundboard recording was the basis for this release, and all the cuts and gaps have been filled with the two audience recordings. We get a complete Pennies From Heaven during Dazed And Confused. The great attraction of the soundboard recording is that it captures remarks from the band members throughout the concert. These have been well documented before, but it is always nice to have John Bonhams view of the state of play. Whilst his playing was superb, he was suffering from stomach problems, no doubt having difficulty adapting to a Japanese culinary diet. The packaging is in a digipack, which mirrors the official How The West Was Won release, and comes with an obi. Empress Valley blow hot and cold with their releases, and they rarely release anything of major importance and hardly ever now source new recordings or new concerts to the Collectors Market. All their releases in the last few months have been for shows already saturated by previous labels. Far better to get the original by way of a trade for minimal cost. (Jules McTrainspotter May 04) You Were There in Spirits (Empress Valley EVSD 270-272) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, September 29, 1971 Track list: Disc 1 (67.57): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.25): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (60.37): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll My second favorite Zeppelin show of all time, I just had a listen to this release. Surprise, surprise: the soundboard portion of this show, which makes up the majority, is sourced from VINYL. Sure, theres been some great vinyl releases of this source, but theres incredible tape sources as well. The tape sources sound better, with more bottom end giving a fuller feel to the sound. On that alone, I give EV two thumbs down. Just when EV is on top of their game, they biff a release - it seems to happen over and over to them. Of all complete compilations I have heard over the years, I still side with Susumi Omis as the best effort yet. (Jason Peterson, May 2004) You Were There in Spirits (Empress Valley EVSD 270-272) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, September 29, 1971 I recently purchased an original copy of Empress Valleys new version of the famous 29 September 1971 show (my all-time favorite) and I have to comment on the reviews on your site that have been posted regarding this title. I must take the above reviewer to task for slagging this release by simply stating that the stereo soundboard portion, which comprises 90% of the music on this title, is sourced from vinyl. I strongly believe that this statement is incorrect. I have had in my collection several versions of this show and material extracted from LP sources is easily detectable. I can not state for a fact that NONE of the segments that EV used to stitch together this release are from vinyl, but as a whole, the the SB portion is not. If one listens to the quiet opening passages to STH, as an example, you do not hear any crackles or pops, tell tale signs of a vinyl source. Im not an audiophile, and while there is some noise in the recording, I can pretty confidently state that it did not originate from an LP. If the above reviewer has access to tape sources that are so superior to this vinyl-sourced CD set from EV, then Id love to hear them. I acquired from a known trader last November a CDR set sourced from an alleged 2nd gen tape source of the SB recording. This new EV release sounds EXACTLY like this 2nd gen version, including the reversal of the left and right channels, compared to other CD versions of the SB source. The only differences are the alternate sources stitched in to fill the gaps and the fact that EV amplified the source. The striking similarity between the EV version and the 2nd gen version also makes me question the statement that EV simply copied a fans own compilation set and smoothed out the edits. I have a copy of one such compilation put together by a respected collector a few years ago and it is definitely different. Also, keep in mind, when listing the disc times in a review and stating that the release is 200 minutes in length, that EV cheats and ends discs 1 and 2 by repeating material at the beginning of the subsequent discs 2 and 3, a deceptive and annoying habit EV has been guilty of for some time. While I appreciate EVs effort to present to the fans the most complete version of this famous show, I still am largely disappointed in this release. From Empress Valley, I was expecting something more - maybe a substantial upgrade in sound quality on par with the fragmented material on the original Live in Japan LPs. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I am also deeply disappointed in EVs lackluster packaging and artwork attempt. This show deserves better - something on par with Flying Circus or Chasing The Dragon. (gusto929 May 04) You Were There in Spirits (Empress Valley EVSD 270-272) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, September 29, 1971 Another new release from Empress Valley of this legendary show from the Japan Tour in the year 1971. The so often called Soundboard tape sounds very good, the missing sections are carefully filled with an excellent audience tape. Empress Valley used again their EQ to push the sound in the best regions. This release is good, really very good but I dont have any other releases for a comparison. However, when you dont own a release from this classic Led Zep show, get this thing. Its awesome. (MollDrummer June 04) Fatally Wanderer 929 (Wendy Records WECD - 30/31/32) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, September 29, 1971 Disc 1 (65.24): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.25): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Disc 3 (57.06): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll For years Ive listened with amazement to this unique and incredible grand finale to Zeps conquest of Japan in late September, 1971. My first version was LSDs Live in Japan 1971 from their great big box set. I remember being so immediately pumped by hearing Bonzos pounding on the toms while shouting Led Zeppelin, LOUDER! before counting into a storming Immigrant Song. The performance of this song, this night, was Zeps greatest ever rendition of this great show opener. Pageys use of distortion and wah-wah in the solo wasnt present like this (to my knowledge) in any other performance they did of this song. A killer way to start the show, and LSDs release presented it nicely, but I was never quite satisfied. I always thought there had to be a nicer version of this recording. Then I picked-up Nighthawks release and was appalled at the rice crispy snap-crackle-pop sounds that werent filtered from the obvious recording they made from vinyl. Ive never listened to that one since buying it. Empress Valley came out not long ago with You Were There In Spirits, which was the first time I heard the whole show, with gaps filled by a better than mediocre audience recording (which I wouldnt mind hearing in its entirety, instead as a gap filler). But EVs release botched-up the transitions between audience and the quasi-soundboard recording comprising this show, so I was again left a bit longing for just that right release of this show. Well, for me, Wendy have finally gotten it right. The transitions between sources are smooth and seamless, significantly distinguishing it from Empress Valley. But the mastering of the soundboard recording is the real gem here as theres an expansion to the sound that doesnt exist on any of the other releases Ive heard of this show. Not even close. Bonzos snare is sharp and cymbals not overloading everyone else. Roberts voice also seems to be less suppressed than on prior releases Ive heard. And the performance, which is legend, has already been fully endorsed in the other excellent reviews posted about this show. Like most groundbreaking Zep shows, this one is now available on many different labels. Ive got quite a few of them now, and rank Wendys as my favorite. From what Ive seen, too, the price is relatively reasonable. (Symmetry101 Oct 04) Fatally Wanderer 929 (Wendy Records WECD - 30/31/32) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, September 29, 1971 Disc 1 (65.24): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.25): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Disc 3 (57.06): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll Yet another release of this classic concert was met with some cynical doubts. However as soon as the so called soundboard part of the recording starts my ears pricked up and I was very impressed. The sound obtained by Wendy from this recording is most impressive. In fact it may possibly be this tape that is illustrated on the inside cover atwork of the gatefold card package this release comes in. The edits are smoother and much better blended together on this release than they are on the Empress Valley title You Were There In Spirits. As to the performance, little needs or can be said to what has often been said many times before, this was a stunning and brilliant performance by every member of the band (Bonhams digestive system notwithstanding). What distinguishes the main source for this concert is that you can clearly hear messrs Plant, Page and Bonham talking to each other off mike, with often hilarious results. Bonzo was a bit under the weather and did not want to play Moby Dick, but he eventually does. The concert ends with a rousing Rock And Roll, made even more special with Bonhams call to his friend in the rhythm section of you ready Jonesy? as he launches into the songs distinctive opening drum beat. What a superb concert those lucky fans in Okaka were treated to so many years ago. The packaging is very nice, a glossy card gatefold, similar to three of the other four titles from Wendy Records covering the enitre Japan 1971 Tour. Rather than rip off the entry on this concert from Underground Uprising (in turn based on comments on the Bootledz website), Wendy should have given us more details of the precise tape sources they used on this release. Old habits die hard and no doubt Wendy have not got the gumption to come up with an original write-up (which Empress Valley at least do). This release is now the definitive version of this tremendous concert. (Jules McTrainspotter Nov 04) Fatally Wanderer - definitive version (Wendy Records WECD - 71/72/73) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Disc 1 (67.01): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.23): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (59.35): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll Wendy re-issued a remastered definitive version of what probably still stands as THE best-ever title released by the label about two years ago. The label boasts that the remastered audio is a substantial upgrade over that of the original release, being more natural sound, and that the tape speed has been corrected throughout the show as perfectly as possible in consultation with an expert having the absolute pitch. As I checked the title, however, whether the audio of the remastered version really is an upgrade over the original release is very questionable. It actually is cleaner with less hiss noises. The bottom ends may also be fatter, and the tape speed may be more consistent, than the original release. But the sound of the remastered version is less bright, less edgy and somewhat muffled, especially in its higher ends, as compared to that of the original release. It now sounds as if it had been originally recorded using the Dolby noise reduction system. Accordingly, I dont think this is THE definitive version of the show and personally rather prefer the original release. On a separate note, on the back cover of the remastered title, Wendy blatantly copied our webmasters review as posted in UU of their original release of Fatally Wanderer 929, in a form slightly edited at its end. In response to his demand for more details of the precious tape sources in his review, they added a note saying No! Its a secret ... by Wendy. I am sure that our webmaster is not happy about their taking the liberty of reproducing his review with such a unkind response! This time, the title comes in a fatboy jewel case with artworks not particularly attractive. In sum, I think we can skip this title. (Takemi Hiramatsu Oct 06) NB From UU Webmaster: A hearty hear hear to Hiramatsu sans comments, fully endorsed by me. Wendy are taking the piss, and Underground Uprising is not amused and is not very happy at their blatant plagiarism. Methinks THE CURSE OF UNDERGROUND UPRISING is heading their way. You have been warned! Japan Wonderful Place XXXV Anniversary Edition (Beelzebub Records BSD 95/96/97) 3 CDR Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Disc 1 (65.23): Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (71.59): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (57.09): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll This release from Beelzebub is a remastering of Wendys Fatally Wanderer - Definitive [sic] Edition. Wendy are well known for setting their EQ knob to 11, when about 8 would suffice. This means that the excellent parts of the sources used for the release sound very powerful and punchy (albeit a little overloaded), the poorer sections of lower audio quality jar on the ears somewhat. However, as every release of this show has always used, the main source, the superb stereo soundboard (which is just over 170 minutes but has numerous cuts), sounds very good here, and the comments from other band members is loud and clear. It is of course superfluous to discuss the incredible brilliance of the combined playing by the group at this concert, it quite rightly is on every fans Top Ten. So if you do not have a very good version of this concert then this release is worthy of consideration. (Jamie Boswell Nov 03) Japan Wonderful Place 35th Anniversary Edition Beezlebub Records (BSD 95,96,97) Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan, Sep. 29, 1971 Disc 1: Introduction (4:08), Immigrant Song (4:39), Heartbreaker (9:17), Since Ive Been Loving You (8:29), Black Dog (7:27), Dazed And Confused (31:18) Disc 2: Stairway To Heaven (10:39), Celebration Day (6:07), Thats The Way (7:43), Going To California (10:35), Tangerine (5:16), Friends (4:27), Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (0:28), What Is And What Should Never Be (5:19), Moby Dick (21:17) Disc 3: Whole Lotta Love (32:56), Communication Breakdown (7:53), Organ Solo/Thanks You (12:24), Rock And Roll (3:52) After reading the various reviews for Wendys release of Fatally Wanderer - definitive version I decided it would be a great time to break out this version of the show. Beezlebub Records has gone and remastered Fatally Wanderer and indeed theyve done a good job (albeit too hot at times). Theyve improved on many of the things that Wendy Records fell short on but Wendys version wasnt the best to work with. This release has definitely been given the Beezlebub magic touch with everything sounding punchier, up front and more in your face. This show has got to be one of Jimmy Pages best ever performances. Just listen to the workout he gives his Wah pedal during the solo in Immigrant Song. It turns out to be one of the more unique solos he ever plays in that song. Another plus of this recording is the fact that you can hear John Bonhams comments during the entire show. Im a believer that the main source used for this release is the Soundboard recording. Just listen to the snare drum strands rattle during Robert Plants vocal breakdowns in the verses of Black Dog. The packaging of this release is cool and looks great. Beezlebub has designed a professional looking cover without going overboard. Whoever designed the artwork for this release definitely follows the Less is More train of thought. Overall, I give this release a thumbs up and I cant wait to hear what the future has in store for us from Beezlebub Records. Im sure well all be pleasantly surprised. Dont pass this one by and seek it out before its completely gone. (Harleydog Nov. 06) Japan Wonderful Place Anniversary Edition Beezlebub Records (BSD 95-96-97) Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan September 29, 1971 Disc 95: Introduction (4:08), Immigrant Song (4:39), Heartbreaker (9:17), Since Ive Been Loving You (8:29), Black Dog (7:27), Dazed And Confused (31:18) Disc 96: Stairway To Heaven (10:39), Celebration Day (6:07), Thats The Way (7:43), Going To California (10:35), Tangerine (5:16), Friends (4:27), Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (0:28), What Is And What Should Never Be (5:19), Moby Dick (21:17) Disc 97: Whole Lotta Love (32:56), Communication Breakdown (7:53), Organ Solo/Thanks You (12:24), Rock And Roll (3:52) Welcome to the last night of Led Zeppelins 1971 Tour of Japan. You can hear the anticipation in the crowd as they clap and stomp their feet in unison waiting for the mighty Zeppelin to hit the stage. At 2:42 into the 1st track (Introduction) you can hear the crowd go crazy as the band is finally taking the stage. Right around the 4:04 mark you can hear what seems to be a source change from an audience source to the rumored to be soundboard source. The story that floats around is that the soundboard source is from two microphones on or around the drumkit.Louder....Two, Three, Four Ba-Boom!!!!! The drums come in and are right in your face. This recording is definitely a soundboard recording as far as the drums and guitar are concerned. Robert is barely in the mix but all of the other instruments are there. Jimmys guitar solo in Immigrant Song has to go down as one of his all time best and his use of the Wah pedal is out of this world. Next up is Heartbreaker and again we get more musical gymnastics from Jimmy. This is Jimmy Page at his best. Raw and On Fire!!!! Next up is Since Ive Been Loving You. At the 5:00 mark you can hear what seems to be a buzz from the strands on the bottom of Bonzos snare drum. This leads me to believe that the so-called soundboard mics are definitely close to the drum kit. Black Dog gets quite a work out tonight as the band really tears it up. Jimmy falls a bit behind around the 0:48 mark but soon catches up with everyone else. At 1:22 theres a brief source change during Roberts vocal line. This only lasts for 2 seconds. Another source change occurs at 1:43. At 5:49 thru 5:52 there seems to be a drop of level in one channel but nothing too major. Theres a spot of digi-noise at 6:30. Dazed And Confused is up next in 0:56 into it theres a spot of digi-noise. Another pop at 1:35 into the track. These could very possibly be stage noise of some sort. At 3:33 there seems to be another pop. The band are really starting to cook at this point in the song and the pop isnt too distracting. Another cool thing about the overall mix of this recording is that you can hear Bonzo keep time with his hi-hat cymbals even when hes playing the ride cymbal. Jimmy and John Paul start into a cool ascending riff but end it right when the entire band breaks down for Jimmys Bow Solo. Too bad this riff only lasts for a few bars as it could have been a great place to start some cool improvisational jamming. Jimmy’s Bow Solo on this recording is definitely one of the more dark and mysterious sounding solo’s he ever performed. If you want to get the full effects of it then I suggest you listen to it at about 10:30 PM while driving down a deserted road. At 22:23 there’s a source change from the Soundboard to the Audience source. It switches back to the Soundboard recording at 22:59. At 27:23 there’s a source change. The Audience source comes back into play at the 29.30 and it’s used until 30:03 to fill the gap in the Soundboard source. Stairway To Heaven is up next and honestly it’s not the most exciting version of the song. The 4th album hasn’t been released yet and the Japanese audience sit patiently throughout the entire song. During the guitar solo you can definitely hear that a bit too much EQ and gain has been added to this recording resulting in the infamous high-end metallic sound. Since this recording seems to be a Soundboard source centered around the drum kit then the high-end of the Ride cymbal really brings out the high-end metallic sound. Could there be that much blame laid on any Boot Release of this show for that sound? The recording isn’t that great no matter how you slice it and if this is the soundboard source that was recorded for the band to eventually release then I can definitely see why they never released it. Celebration Day is played with enthusiasm and Bonzo plays some very cool drum patters around 3:22. The band almost get into it a bit too much and almost find themselves lost with no way to end the song. Finally Jimmy rears the rest of the band in the song comes to a powerful end. It suffers from that high-end metallic sound during the parts of the song where Bonzo is crashing on his Ride cymbal. It is after this song that Bonzo disappears. That’s The Way takes us into the acoustic set. This brings the band (minus Bonham) to the front of the stage and the overall mood of the show becomes relaxed and personal. Due to John Bonham’s absence Robert Plant is forced to become the time keeper in the band and he does a good job with his tambourine. Going to California gets treated to a longer arrangement. After the song is finished Robert goes on a hunt for Bonzo. He has the crowd chant for Bonzo all the wihile covering for Bonzo’s absence with tales of Bonham having a bath with a Geisha. Finally everyone gives up on having John Bonham join them and they go right into Tangerine. Mr. Bonham finally decides to rejoin his bandmates and they launch into a one time performance of Friends. Too bad they never played it again is they really do the song justice live. A Playful feeling is in the air as Robert and Bonzo launch into Smoke Gets In Your Eyes right before the entire band Joins them for What Is And What Should Never Be. At 3:38 there’s a source change from the soundboard to the audience source. This lasts until 4:04 and the soundboard source fades back in. Next Up is Bonzo’s showcase “Moby Dick”. This recording brings the drums right into your living room. My suggestion is that you play this version as loud as you can stand it. John Bonham is pulling all the stops tonight with one of his most imaginative solos ever. At 5:49 the source changes to the Audience recording. This source is used up until 11:43 and then it switches back to the soundboard source. It seems that Bonzo is in the marching mood tonight as a lot of his solo patterns are based on marching band rhythms. Whole Lotta Love begins with a cool groove and a bit of soloing from Jimmy before the main riff of the song. This version of Whole Lotta Love is guaranteed to get your foot tapping and if you happen to be listening to this in your car make sure to glance at your speedometer occasionally or next thing you know you’ll be doing double the speed limit. 6:22 into the song the audience is used to fill in one of the cuts the soundboard source is riddled with. This lasts until 6:56 when the soundboard source fades back in. This happens again from 13:26 through 13:35. Typically Whole Lotta Love contained a medley of 50’s and 60’s song and tonight is no different. Led Zeppelin guide the audience through Boogie Woogie, Twist And Shout and quite a few others. Good Times Bad Times is yet another rarity pulled out by the band tonight. Too bad the soundboard source for this song is cut from 19:21 through 21:57 but the audience source was used to fill in the gap. After a funky section of the medley the band go into You Shook Me. At 28:29 the Audience source is again used to fill a gap in the Soundboard source. Around the 30:38 mark there is a weird washy high end frequency happening which is a little rough on the ears, especially if you’re listening to this recording at a loud volume. It could very possibly force any pets to leave the room. Communication Breakdown is up next and it also suffers from the crispy high-end frequency mentioned earlier. My belief is that this is only apparent during the times the audience source is used. This song is sourced entirely from the Audience source. John Paul Jones treats the Japanese audience to an organ solo leading into Thank You. Although not an inspired version of song it’s still really nice to hear it played live. There’s a source change at 9:17 into the song. “Are You Ready Jonesy” screams Bonham as he launches into a great version of Rock And Roll. 1:45 into the song there’s a source change from the soundboard to the audience source. This source change lasts until 2:13. This show definitely ends on a high note as the band charges their way through Rock And Roll and so ends their first Japanese tour. This release is definitely worth it if you’re into having every release but I must warn you that it is a bit over EQ’d at times. (Estimated Prophet Dec 06) Japan Wonderful Place XXXV Anniversary Edition (Beelzebub Records BSD 95/96/97) 3 CDR Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Disc 1: Intro/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2: Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3: Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll The legendary final show in Osaka is released by Beelzebub. Wendy released the definitive version of this show bringing together all of the different sources in great sound quality. Beelzebub basically took this release and increased the volume so high that it sounds horrible. This is present on ALL of Beelzebubs releases but is so high on this one that it is completely unlistenable. This is a complete waste of time and I would recommend the Wendy release over this. (Belzlegion Dec 06) Geisha 9291971 (Tarantura TCD-71-1~3, RSR-209 A & B) 5CD Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Disc 1 (78.39): Opening/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused/Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day Disc 2 (59.24): Interval/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/ Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (59.30): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll Disc 4 (43.02): Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Tangerine Disc 5 (41.37): Moby Dick/Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You As soon as I previewed the artwork for the title, I thought that I should immediately get it. Actually, the first edition of the title, limited to 100 copies, became sold out almost instantly and its second edition also became sold out immediately after Tarantura started taking orders for it. The artwork for the titles is basically a parody of Japanese paintings depicted in the 19th Century, based on the concept that Jimmy Page as the leader of the band was Matthew Calbraith Perry who, with his black ships called “kurofune” in Japanese, came to Japan to first demand that it open the country. The artwork created based on such an amusing concept and with a nice touch is one of the most beautiful ones that Tarantura has ever produced and makes the title well worth having solely on account of its beauty. The title consists of the two components: the 3CD set and the 2CD set. Each of the two components comes in separate paper sleeves, on which Tarantura reprinted (mostly rare) photos of the band members on and off stage on their first Japanese tour. The 2CD set is a remastered version of the excellent old vinyl release entitled “Live In Japan”. Although it is incomplete as the vinyl release was, it has excellent sounds. The 3CD set represents Tarantura’s attempt to present the show in a form as complete as possible using the so-called “soundboard” tape with audience fillers, like what Wendy did in its title “Fatally Wanderer 929”. The 3CDs are picture discs showing Perry’s portrait among other things. Unlike Wendy, Tarantura elected not to fill in the introduction (before Bonzo started shouting) with an audience tape. On the other hand, “Whole Lotta Love” medley is a bit longer in the title than in the Wendy’s version, which is more important to me. While the Wendy version is very “bottom heavy”, often resulting in distorted sounds, Tarantura tried to reduce the level of bottom ends in its efforts to avoid such distortion. It succeeded in providing solid bottom ends without the sounds being distorted, making our listening experiences easier, especially for had-rocking’ tunes. However, for more mellow tunes such as “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Stairway To Heaven” and “Tangerine”, such efforts at the same time made the sounds of the guitar so thinner that the versions in the 3CD set ended up sounding inferior to those included in the 2CD set. I also note that “Rock And Roll” as presented in the title sounds very muffled and frustrating. All in all, however, the title is, mainly due to its beautiful artwork, destined to be a legendary one and is certainly a gem for many collectors like us. (TH May 08) Live in Japan 1971 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc, EVSD-547/548/549) 3 CD Festival Hall, Osaka, 29 September 1971 Disc 1 (67:41): Introduction/Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker/Since Ive Been Loving You/Black Dog/Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (72.24): Stairway To Heaven/Celebration Day/Thats The Way/Going To California/Tangerine/Friends/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/What Is And What Should Never Be/Moby Dick Disc 3 (59:13): Whole Lotta Love/Communication Breakdown/Organ Solo/Thank You/Rock And Roll When it was announced that this new EV release would be a “huge upgrade” over past titles as produced “from the previously unreleased lowest generation source ever discovered,” many collectors could not help but have great expectations for it, since the 929 Osaka show remains one of the all-time great concerts that the band had ever performed throughout its live history. Unfortunately, however, the new title has turned out to be a disappointment. It actually sounds somewhat different from past titles such as Wendy’s “Fatally Wonderer 929” or Tarantura’s “9291971.” However, it is quite doubtful that the difference resulted because EV used any lower generation tape that it claims to have found. The main source EV uses is the same old soundboard source with some audience recordings spliced in, just like other labels did in those past titles. It is highly likely that the new EV title is just another differently EQd version of a mix comprised mainly of the so-called SBD source filled with some audience recordings. Moreover, the new title is not at all a “huge upgrade” over those past titles. Rather, it sounds worse than them due to heavy equalizations. Especially, since EV boosted the top and bottom ends too much, it sounds booming and muffled in its bottom ends, while only Bonzo’s hi-hats are conspicuous in its top ends, making Jimmy‘s guitar sound lacking its edge and almost buried in the background. Even Bonzo’s snare drums do not sound properly tight in this title. Another thing which makes EV more guilty is its note printed on the inner side of the slip case as reproduced from Dave Lewis’ and Simon Pallett’s “The Concert File,” misleading readers to think that the title features the original of the SBD tape which Jimmy Page rediscovered in the tape archive in 1997 but was eventually not considered good enough for official releases in 2003. Apparently, that is not the case. Prudent collectors should stay away from this expensive but almost valueless release. (TH Dec. 2010)
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:15:07 +0000
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