Led Zeppelin/Germany 03.12.1970 Upgrade

The stunning reissue of “LIFE,” a mega-rare LP from Zep’s 1970 European tour featuring stunningly high-quality audience recordings, has just been realized. This inevitably necessitates a renewal of the March 12th Düsseldorf performance itself, which served as the basis for the LP. For many years, the only recording available from Düsseldorf was “LIFE,” with only one other track, “How Many More Time,” essentially a “rec 2” recording. Entering the 21st century, the historic discoveries that completely changed this situation were REEL MASTERS’ “DUSSELDORF 1970” and WARDOUR’s “DUSSELDORF 1970 RAW MASTER.” These discoveries also brought with them the bonus of releasing previously secret recordings as “LORELEY.” While the previous release proved that “LIFE” excelled in terms of sound quality, “DUSSELDORF 1970” remains undeniably the longest recording, offering a close second and a highly accessible sound source. The 2018 “DUSSELDORF 1970” was based on the longest version created by overseas enthusiasts using “DUSSELDORF 1970 RAW MASTER” as a base. The 2018 “DUSSELDORF 1970” sold out long ago, and GRAF ZEPPELIN stepped in at this juncture, guaranteeing a new full-length version. This alone guarantees that the 2018 version will surpass it. In fact, GRAF ZEPPELIN completely reworked the REEL MASTERS-owned “rec 4” source, resulting in an upgrade that easily surpasses the 2018 version. The difference is striking, literally shedding a layer of freshness, and the hissing noise present on the 2018 release is completely absent. Overseas enthusiasts, disliking the gap in the recording volume that occurred at the beginning of “Moby Dick,” had been copying and pasting other parts of the recording, but this created a significant sense of incongruity, added noise, and ultimately resulted in a performance that was different from Bonzo’s actual playing. Therefore, this release deliberately leaves the actual performance untouched, allowing you to hear it as it was. And for “GRAF ZEPPELIN,” leveraging the release of “DUSSELDORF 1970 RECORDER 3,” the best version of the “LORELEY” source (also known as “rec 3”), previously overlooked sections like the opening of the live performance and the gap between “Thank You” are filled in. Above all, the filling in using each sound source is so vivid and natural that it surpasses the 2018 release. The nearly three-minute cut in “How Many More Times” was once again filled in using “rec 2,” resulting in a much more natural sound than the 2018 release. Furthermore, “GRAF ZEPPELIN” was remastered from the version originally included as a bonus on “COMPLETE DANCING DAYS,” the best of “rec 2.” This ensures a truly exceptional finish, far superior to the edits made by overseas enthusiasts. The audience was so quiet on this day that even Plant was concerned, further contributing to the ease of listening. The remastering of “GRAF ZEPPELIN” has made it even easier to listen to. Of course, the previously mentioned “LIFE” recordings have been filled in throughout, but these are meticulously crafted and completely seamless. The new Düsseldorf tour, with its exceptionally easy-listening sound, is notable for its quirky and unconventional arrangement in the middle of “Whole Lotta Love.” Not only was Jonesy playing the organ, as he did at Montreux, but what sounded like a steel drum, separate from Bonzo’s, could also be heard. While I’m not certain, it’s possible that Plant was also playing. Source organization (order based on overseas releases): Rec 1: Source known as “LIFE” (LP). White Summer (LP) (MARC) is a poorly-made copy of “LIFE.” Used as supplementary material. Rec 2: Source known as “Dancing Days” (2CD) (Aphrodite). The current best release is “Complete Dancing Days” (2CD) (T-1/2), which was also used as supplementary material for “How Many.” Rec 3: Source that appeared on “LORELEY” (2CD) (Moonraker). Taken from “DUSSELDORF 1970 RECORDER 3” (CD) (GRAF ZEPPELIN), currently the best release. This is the main recording from “DUSSELDORF 1970” (2CD) (Wardour). This release features a remaster from the label’s own raw master. Based on the best Rec4 available, the missing parts have been filled in where possible, making this the definitive Düsseldorf release! The main Rec4 is a proprietary recording from Wardour, meaning that all releases outside of its affiliated labels are copies. While this Rec4 is currently circulating among online traders under the label’s “Reel Master” label name, it’s actually a copy of the Wardour release “DUSSELDORF 1970 RAW MASTER” (2CD). While the missing parts have been filled in based on the Rec4 raw master, unfortunately, the non-Rec4 tracks are not fully filled in due to their shorter duration. However, the filled-in parts are smoother and more seamless than the previous release. The opening moments (including Plant’s “good evening!”) and the gaps after “Thank You” have been filled in for the first time, making them the longest ever. Another significant advantage is the use of Rec1, which has clearer sound than the previous two tracks. The opening portion of “How Many” is supplemented by a remaster of the previously released “Complete Dancing Days” (2CD) (T-1/2), which boasts the best sound quality. While the Rec2 recording circulating among traders is characterized by a harsh digital noise, the recording on this disc is the best available. While the missing portion of the opening “Moby Dick” was filled in with fake audio on the previous release, this recording emphasizes authenticity and remains as is. Instead, the actual performance, which was lost on the previous release due to the fake audio processing, is included on this release (see the tracklist below for details on other supplementary material). Other cuts between tracks have been kept to a minimum to avoid unnecessary audio loss. The sound quality is muffled, yet still retains a vivid quality. For the first time, phase correction and low-frequency noise removal have been implemented to the extent possible, resulting in a slightly cleaner sound than previous releases! The previous release also suffers from some noise caused by volume adjustments, but this is no longer an issue! The definitive DUSSELDORF 1970 album is here! Live at Rheinhalle, Dusseldorf, Germany 12th March 1970 PERFECT SOUND (from Original Masters) UPGRADE!!! Disc 1 (63:37) 1. Intro. ★0:00-0:07 Filled in with Rec3 2. Communication Breakdown 3. I Can’t Quit You Baby 4. Dazed And Confused ★16:03-16:07 Filled in with Rec1 5. Heartbreaker ★2:55 cut 6. White Summer incl. Black Mountain Side ★6:57-7:06 Filled in with Rec1 7. Since I’ve Been Loving You Disc 2 (61:12) 1. Organ Solo ★0:10 cut *All previous releases also had cuts (originally cut after the organ was faintly audible) 2. Thank You ★7:12-7:21 (between songs after the performance) Filled in with Rec3 *First time added this time 3. Moby Dick ★0:10 Cut *The previous version had fake processing around it. This time there is no fake. 4. How Many More Times ★3:20-8:13 Filled in with Rec2 5. Whole Lotta Love