Led Zeppelin/Netherlands 1972 Upgrade

Speaking of ZEP’s warm-up gig in Amsterdam in 1972 before the start of their US tour, the masterpiece “EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972”, released the next day in Brussels, was sold out, and enthusiasts were hoping for a re-release. It was about time to seriously consider re-releasing it. However, since the original audience was such a vintage audience, it was re-released as it was… to put it bluntly, it was impossible to do anything about it. However, at this timing, an unexpected ambush appeared. A reel tape from Amsterdam in 1972 was offered! Speaking of live recordings of ZEP in 1972 and reels, it is a core ZEP collector in Japan who provided the shocking releases “CHARLOTTE 1972 REEL ARCHIVES” and “TUCSON 1972 REEL ARCHIVES”, which are now on sale. It makes sense that he covered even the warm-up before the tour started. Thanks to him providing us with his treasured reel, Amsterdam 1972 was released not as a reissue of the previously released version, but as an upper version. However, this reel is the same as the cuts seen in the previously released releases, and in particular, the obvious tape change in which “Stairway To Heaven” was cut in the middle of the guitar solo and the beginning of the next “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp” was not recorded remains the same. There is nothing we can do about this. However, this time too, the clear upper feeling is conveyed because the distortion seen in the previously released version has been clearly reduced and it has become much easier to listen to. The same phenomenon was seen in “TUCSON 1972 REEL ARCHIVES”, but when “EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972” was released, which means that the reel condition was superior to the version spread on the Internet, both were in a recording state with a strong vintage feeling, but among them, Amsterdam was the one that was “listenable” quality. With this reel version, it has finally evolved to a level that is “easy to listen to.” Currently, a version that seems to be the latest transfer has appeared on YouTube, but it is even easier to listen to than that. Furthermore, the sound quality itself feels fresher than the previous version, and this is the power of reels. And as mentioned at the time of the release of “EUROPEAN WARM ~”, the opening “Immigrant Song” captures Robert’s tone as if he had just woken up, but this is the gig before the start of the last tour in America, where his scream voice was clear. In that case, his voice is sharper than the main tour, and his youth is still a thing. Thanks to this, the situation in which that sharp screaming quickly regained its form is even more clearly conveyed by this upper version. In that respect, it can be said that this day literally played the role of warming up, and Robert sang with ease from then on. After all, it’s like a new state compared to the previous version, so it’s even easier to understand how the engine is running. Also, looking at the photos from that day, Robert and Jimmy both went on stage without shaving, so it could be said that it was a “warm-up” in terms of looks. However, not only Robert but also Jimmy were in full throttle in no time. On the contrary, his playing was so clear that it was hard to believe that he was just warming up, and his light footwork around here is also typical of the first half of 1972. Among them, “Dazed And Confused” is interesting. The famous “The Crunge” pattern that became a specialty of the tour after this had not yet been established, and at this point Bonzo was still only hitting the rhythm and connecting the spots. He had already tried this pattern from the UK tour the previous year, but Jimmy had not yet created a riff that would serve as a bridge to “The Crunge”. The “Walter’s Walk” pattern, which is a regular feature of the US tour, did not appear. Instead, Jimmy played a lot throughout the day, as if he was searching for ideas that would lead to the future. The charm of this day is that even though there is no fixed pattern, the performance is very tense. This aspect was not felt by non-enthusiasts in the already released version, and this upper version will surely make you realize again that “Were they already playing so hot?” (The voices calling for an encore after the end of “Rock and Roll” are also amazing!). Following Charlotte and Tucson in 1972, which shocked enthusiasts all over the world, this time the warm-up Amsterdam has been reborn! Oude Rai, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 27th May 1972 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND*Upgrade Disc 1 (68:30) 1. Intro 2. Immigrant Song 3. Heartbreaker 4. Black Dog 5. Since I’ve Been Loving You 6. Celebration Day 7. Stairway To Heaven 8. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 9. Dazed And Confused Disc 2 (50:49) 1. What Is And What Should Never Be 2. Moby Dick 3. Whole Lotta Love 4. Rock And Roll 5. Communication Breakdown