Led Zeppelin/CA,USA 1.10.1969

Led Zeppelin, formerly known as The Yardbirds, began touring in 1968 with Jimmy Page at the center, solidifying their form as a band. After a period when The Yardbirds were renamed The New Yardbirds, they called themselves Led Zeppelin as a completely new band. Their first US tour was from the end of 1968 to the beginning of 1969, along with the release of their debut album. The venues for this tour were originally reserved for the Jeff Beck Group, but due to various circumstances they were unable to perform, and Zeppelin, who were managed by the same company, quickly took over. Even though it was 1968, the first performance in Denver was on December 26th, just before the end of the year, so it must have been a hectic first US tour. However, Zeppelin had put all their energy into live performances throughout their career, and at this time they had performed 36 shows up until mid-February, meaning they were on stage almost without a break. Prior to the tour, Peter Grant distributed the unreleased debut album “LED ZEPPELIN” to each radio station (the album was released on January 17th during the tour) to mobilize the audience for this tour. This work is from this first American tour, and is an event appearance held at the Fillmore West, the mecca of rock, on January 10th, 1969, and records the second day of the stage of four consecutive performances at Fillmore West, famous for playing “For Your Love”. The stage starting with “The Train Kept A Rollin'” is a tremendous performance that is full of the charm of the youthful band, and it is a spectacular performance that blows everything away like a galloping Pegasus. It is a passionate performance that cannot be expressed in words. “As Long As I Have You” is also a wonderful perfection that will be passed down as an early masterpiece. Furthermore, the big songs “Dazed And Confused” and “How Many More Times” follow, but you never get bored and enter the world of the performance. This is the characteristic of early Zeppelin, who rushes ahead with momentum. It’s not about what’s good or what’s amazing, but everything is special and everything is overwhelming. And what characterizes this day is the last song, “For Your Love,” along with “The Train Kept A Rollin” and “White Summer,” which were in the Yardbirds’ repertoire. The blues arrangement is completely different from the original pop tune, and Robert’s moist and smudged vocals are intertwined in the background. Currently, there is no record of this song being played on the Zeppelin stage other than on this day, and of course there is only one take that can be heard here as a sound source. This performance, which dares to change the arrangement completely, is a valuable track that allows us to see the direction that early Zeppelin, who had not yet debuted at this point, was aiming for. In terms of content, since it was an opening performance, this seems to be almost a full stage, and you can hear them playing the limited repertoire before the release of their debut album with all their might. In terms of sound quality, it can only be said that it is a miracle that the 1969 audience recording has been preserved with such sound quality. I know I’m repeating myself, but it was a miracle that someone had recorded this much for this band, who hadn’t even debuted yet. As the title suggests, this is the miracle of Fillmore West. DISC ONE 01. The Train Kept A Rollin 02. I Can’t Quit You Baby 03. As Long As I Have You 04. Dazed And Confused 05. How Many More Times DISC TWO 01. White Summer 02. Killing Floor 03. You Shook Me 04. Pat’s Delight 05. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You 06. Communication Breakdown 07. For Your Love