Led Zeppelin/MI,USA 1977

“ZEP’s 1977 US tour was forced to end due to the misfortune that occurred at the plant, but the tour itself was very well received, and tickets for ZEP’s first visit to the US since 1975 were sold out one after another, proving that their popularity in the country had reached its peak. In addition, the tour schedule was long, starting in April and going around the US until August, and yet there were several off days in between, making it a tour full of the dignity of a king. Among them, the first leg of the tour in April was like a break-in for the stage after a long time, and at this point it followed the ZEP pattern of going around the traditional arenas since 1973. However, a concert using a huge venue that seemed to prove the popularity that had reached its peak will be held as the conclusion of the first leg. That is the Pontiac Silverdome on April 30th. The indoor stadium, which was able to attract a special crowd at the time, opened in the latter half of 1975 when ZEP was on hiatus, and was used as a rock concert venue for big artists and groups, starting with The Who, who is familiar from the pro-shot footage at that time. The Who recorded an audience of 75,962 people, but ZEP recorded an incredible audience of 76,229 people, surpassing that, and recording the largest attendance at a rock concert at that time. ZEP, who had set the record by attracting 56,000 people in Atlanta during their 1973 tour, broke the record on this day with an audience that slightly exceeded that number. Even when listening to this day with an audience recording that captured the historic night, the sense of realism of the spectacular audience is clearly conveyed. Originally, there are many recordings of ZEP after 1975 where the sound image is far away due to the disadvantage that large venue live performances have become the norm, but if you record a live performance at a large venue where 76,229 spectators flocked in from the audience seats, the sound image will inevitably be far away. Perhaps because of this, the only item that has recorded this historic large venue concert to date is “HOT RODS IN PONTIAC” released by the nostalgic TDOLZ label. It is surprising that a particularly important day in the early stages of the 1977 tour has not been reissued for twenty years. Also, “HOT RODS~” is a sad thing about CD items in the 90s, and not only was the sound quality muddy due to recording from a cassette that fell out of the generation, but it was also made into a CD with the problem of low pitch throughout. This meant that the 1977 Pontiac was almost branded as a “music source limited to enthusiasts”, but in recent years, copies with the notation “2 gen” have appeared on the Internet. Although this version is not a huge leap, the sound quality is certainly better than “HOT RODS~”. And above all, the pitch is normal. It was much easier to hear compared to the old paper jacket CD “HOT RODS”. The appearance of this version was the trigger for this release. What is overwhelming about this sound source is the tremendous stereo realism of the large crowd packed into the Silver Dome, as mentioned earlier. Just listening to the sound, you can clearly feel the atmosphere of 76,229 people rushing in. This feels completely different from the audience recordings on other days. It is a miracle that there were no people making noise around, even though it was an audience recording carried out with that many people in attendance. In fact, it is said that the venue and security were wary of the confusion that would occur due to the large number of people gathered, but the recording also proves that the show was actually proceeding surprisingly smoothly. It is true that the sound image is quite far away, but it is surprising that the details of the performance are still captured surprisingly well. Compared to “HOT RODS IN PONTIAC”, the generation is lower and the pitch is more accurate, making it much easier to hear the performance. What comes through from there is how ZEP was in top form that day. In the first place, the two days before Pontiac were held in Cleveland. Yes, it was the “DESTROYER” and “DESTROYER II” shows. Both were the days when our shop released the best version, but if you listen to them back to back, you can see that ZEP got into shape on the first day in Cleveland, the engine was at full throttle on the second day, and the band exploded in Pontiac. This day was also the last day of the first leg, and it was also a mammoth concert that realized the largest mobilization ever. There is no way that their morale will not rise. Among them, Robert Plant stands out. There is a two-week off waiting after this day, so you can hear powerful singing without holding back everywhere. The first masterpiece is “In My Time Of Dying”. Here, the tension is higher than usual from the beginning of the song, and on the contrary, it is in top form throughout the song. Rather, starting with this song, Plant’s intense and powerful singing is so clear in most songs. Even in “Kashmir”, he shouts so strongly that it seems to be in the top three of the 1977 tour. He seems like a completely different person from the Seattle in July, famous for the pro shot footage. In fact, it is rumored that there is a pro shot footage for the venue screen projection for this Silver Dome, but it has not yet been excavated. Furthermore, the band is in top form, and the long “No Quarter” is a wonderful development that does not tire you. The version of “DESTROYER II” on the 28th, where “The Nutcracker Suite” popped out, was also a great performance, but this day was not defeated. The wild development centered on Bonzo from the middle is wonderful, but at around 20 minutes, there is a thrilling scene where Page sets up a counterattack and Bonzo fights back. It is no exaggeration to say that this development became the anchor stone of a great performance like the LA Forum on July 23, which will be released at the same time. And the rough and powerful performance of Bonzo, including “Achilles Last Stand”, is also powerful enough. However, firecrackers are set off in the first half of “Stairway To Heaven”, but the members continue to play unfazed by it. Conversely, this was the only incident at the mammoth concert. It is true that the recording state with a distant sound image is a sound source for enthusiasts. However, it is also true that this version is clearly easier to hear, and you may be pleasantly surprised at how easily you can hear it. And above all, ZEP’s performance is in top form. Wasn’t this concert in front of a large crowd at Pontiac the culmination of the sound they were aiming for at the beginning of their 1977 US tour? This rare sound source from the first leg of the 1977 US tour has been released for the first time in a long time as an upper version, and its hot performance will make enthusiasts roar! ”Live At Pontiac Silverdome,Pontiac,MI,USA　30th April 1977 Disc 1 1. Intro 2. The Song Remains The Same 3. The Rover Intro / Sick Again 4. Nobody’s Fault But Mine 5. In My Time Of Dying 6. Since I’ve Been Loving You 7. No Quarter TOTAL TIME (66:15) Disc 2 1. MC 2. Ten Years Gone 3. The Battle Of Evermore 4. Going To California 5. Black Country Woman 6. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 7. White Summer 8. Black Mountain Side 9. Kashmir TOTAL TIME (46:28) Disc 3 1. Over The Top 2. Guitar Solo 3. Achilles Last Stand 4. Stairway To Heaven 5. Rock And Roll 6. Trampled Underfoot TOTAL TIME (59:51)