Led Zeppelin/WA, USA 1977 Upgrade

ZEP Seattle Kingdome in 1977 is famous for being the only professional shot video excavated during the American tour of the same year. However, it was not filmed with the premise of public release, but rather to be projected on the screen of Kingdome, which was a larger venue that could attract more people than Center Coliseum, which ZEP had previously used in Seattle. Therefore, the overall image quality was blurry, and between songs, scenes from a few minutes earlier were shown in slow motion, proving that the footage was intended for the venue screen. At the same time, the soundboard recording of the PA out becomes the audio of the video via the video feed, and this is also the only soundboard excavated in the latter half of the 1977 tour. The video is certainly very valuable in that it captures the visuals of ZEP in 1977 mode, but since it was shot for a screen, there are many angles that are not good. Because of this, many soundboard albums containing audio have been released. However, past items were somewhat lacking in quality, and some versions had poor sound quality due to problems with video generation. However, this time it is based on the best version of the video that is circulating among traders, and it is also based on the version remastered by enthusiasts. Since it is originally a sound board with a PA output, it has excellent characteristics as a sound source, and although past items have maintained a minimum level of audibility, this time we have achieved the highest level of clarity ever. . In the 1977 American tour, soundboard excavations were concentrated from late May to early June, but the great appeal is that it is as easy to listen to as it is comparable to those. Unlike those soundboards, some of the past items had a sloppy “video drop” quality, but this time the soundboard quality is finally stable. For its release, the audience recording was patched into the part just before the opening “The Song Remains The Same” started, but since it is the part before the performance starts, there is no sense of discomfort at all. Furthermore, the dilemma of this sound source was that the volume suddenly dropped when the song started, but that was also carefully adjusted. The big appeal of this game is that you can enjoy it from the beginning with a stable balance as if no such trouble had occurred. And although the 1977 Kingdome tends to be labeled as “lacking” due to the lackluster quality of the video, if you listen to it with just the audio, you will realize that the performance is surprisingly wonderful. After all, Bonzo has a sharpness reminiscent of the days of the LA performance in June, and the performance itself produced by ZEP clearly conveys a sense of speed that was not felt until the first half of June. The drumming of the opening song “The Song Remains The Same” is exactly reminiscent of that. What is also noteworthy is that the sound board is good because it clearly conveys the state of Jimmy and Jonesy who are catching Bonzo in the best condition. “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” can be called the best performance of the day. First of all, in the background when Jimmy starts playing a solo, Jonesy plays a very funky phrase to liven up the performance, and in the second half, the interaction between Bonzo and Jimmy is the most thrilling. After that, the performance team continued to perform very well, and Bonzo hustled even in “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” In the video, it was strange to see Jonesy getting up from the piano and stirring up the audience every time he played a phrase (lol). When you listen to “No Quarter” as a live album like this, the three-person interaction from around the 15th minute is amazing (21 minutes) Audience recording is patched extremely smoothly for cuts around the area). Here, too, you can thoroughly enjoy the wonderful development that inherited the days of LA. I can’t help but feel that the charm of this area is being overlooked. However, after this song, there was one member who suddenly became suspicious. That’s Robert Plant. Before the MC starts playing, her voice is distorted (even coughing), and even when she starts singing, her voice is distorted. Even so, in “No Quarter” I was able to deceive myself thanks to the long improvisational part mentioned earlier, but in the next “Ten Years Gone”, my voice became even weaker. As soon as you try to put effort into your voice, it seems like it’s back in 1975. However, it is a relief that the situation was not as dire as the first day in Europe and Chicago in 1973. Also, during the performance of the acoustic set “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp”, the strings of the acoustic guitar that Jimmy was playing broke, and Jonesy immediately played the upright bass to fill the gap, which is a famous incident. It becomes a jazzy development, and even after Jimmy returns, it is a masterpiece that it continues to be a jazzy improvisation. This kind of inspiration was not on the sound board around May. And on this day, there was an interesting scene in Bonzo’s “Over The Top”. Around the 11 minute mark, he hits a pattern reminiscent of “Bonzo’s Montreux.” Another interesting performance is “Achilles Last Stand.” It was as if each member of the band was playing as they pleased, with varying tones, and there were even scenes where Bonzo’s rhythm changed to a dossier style. Judging from the unstable performance not only by him but also by the other members, there may have been something wrong with the monitor, but judging from the shaky nature of Bonzo’s drumming, while waiting for Jimmy’s guitar solo. Maybe he drank too much. Even so, it was amazing that they managed to finish the performance without falling apart. After that, the three other than Plant were in great condition, and their sharpness and momentum were a bit different from the soundboard around May. In that respect, I think you can listen to the performance much better with a soundboard album like this than with a video. Moreover, the mastering by the maniac who worked on this version is wonderful, and it is nice to be able to enjoy it with a clean texture. It is still the upper version of the only soundboard that suddenly appeared at the end of the 1977 tour. It is a finish that can be confidently recommended to enthusiasts who have overlooked it based on the image from the video! Live at Kingdome, Seattle, WA, USA 17th July 1977 SBD(UPGRADE) Disc 1 (68:44) 1. Intro 2. The Song Remains The Same 3. Sick Again 4. Nobody’s Fault But Mine 5. Over The Hills And Far Away 6. Since I’ve Been Loving You 7. No Quarter Disc 2 (64:43) 1. MC 2. Ten Years Gone 3. The Battle Of Evermore 4. Going To California 5. Black Country Woman 6. Bron-Yr -Aur Stomp 7. White Summer 8. Black Mountain Side 9. Kashmir Disc 3 (76:54) 1. Over The Top 2. Guitar Solo 3. Achilles Last Stand 4. Stairway To Heaven 5. Whole Lotta Love 6. Rock And Roll SOUNDBOARD RECORDING