Led Zeppelin/WA,USA 1968

There are many live recordings of Zeppelin, but this is the oldest and only recording of the 1968 concert at Gonzaga University that has been confirmed to remain. Zeppelin was originally formed by the Yardbirds, of which Page was a member. Page, who had gained experience as a studio musician from a fairly early age, was planning to form a new band by gathering professionals in each part. Page took the lead and spent much of 1968 looking for members. He had already performed with John Paul Jones in early 1968, and knew his abilities as a bassist and keyboardist, so he joined the band. Plant was introduced to him by Terry Reid, and Bonzo was introduced to him by Plant. The four of them met for the first time and already felt the seeds of success at their first session. Bonzo had a particularly strong impact on Page, and Page, who had been undecided about whether to go for a hard rock or folk rock route, decided to go for a hard route through the sessions. The last performance by the old members as The Yardbirds was in July 1968, but since they were still under contract, Zeppelin toured Scandinavia under the name NEW YARDBIRDS. It is noteworthy that they were already playing songs from their first album at this point. Also, at their UK performance in November 1968, they performed under the name NEW YARDBIRDS featuring LED ZEPPELIN. The year 1968 was a transitional period in which Page took the lead in gathering new members from The Yardbirds, and the band changed its name to Led Zeppelin. Zeppelin’s first album was recorded in October 1968. It was a highly polished debut album that reproduced the heat of the stage in a live performance in the studio. This first album was released on January 12, 1969, and it is said that 50,000 copies were pre-ordered all over the United States before the release. This fact further promoted Zeppelin’s name overnight. There is no doubt that the tour at the end of the previous year was the reason behind this flood of reservations. Although it was an opening tour with Vanilla Fudge, the stage where all the members gave their all was well-received, which led to overwhelming reservations for the album. This work records the performance at Gonzaga University on December 30th from the December 1968 tour that caused a flood of reservations. This Gonzaga University live recording is known as the oldest recording of Zeppelin, but the sound quality is so good that it’s hard to believe it was made in 1968, and it’s so high quality that you’d be grateful that they preserved it. Even if you ignore the sentimentality of it being the only remaining recording from 1968, this wonderful performance and sound quality are a shining value that should be added to your collection as a valuable recording from the early days of Zeppelin. 【THE TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN’】 This is the original song of “Lemon Tea” by the Yardbirds, “Boogie Woogie Train Night Service”. It was chosen as the opening number for the 1980 tour because it meant returning to the basics, and this recording is exactly the era of “bass”. The bass roars along with the drums that sound like slamming plywood, and the hard guitars are intertwined, creating a fast-paced development that is overwhelming. Moreover, the wild screams of the young Plant are the strongest combination unique to this era. 【I CAN’T QUIT YOU】 This is “I Can’t Quit You” performed as a medley without any pause. It is a song that cools down from the fast-paced performance of the previous song, and is a homage to the blues rock that is the important backbone of the band. This song is the song where Plant’s vocals as the fourth instrument flourish the most, and he plays an important role here as well. The recording was made near the PA, and the guitar and other instruments are the main focus of the recording. Plant’s screaming style influenced his successors, and even in the screaming, he has a natural vibrato like Katsumi Kahashi, which is truly wonderful. He uses a low voice at times, with a strong and weak tone, and expresses the profound world of the song beautifully. It can be said that Plant’s vocals at this time are truly dramatic. [As Long As I Have You] Although it was not officially recorded, it was a highlight of the stage in the early days, and later developed into a long song. Unlike the famous 1969 Fillmore, the arrangement unique to 1968 is a highlight. The difference can be seen immediately just by listening to the intro. At the beginning, an intro like a fight between guitar and drums is added, and guitar phrases that disappeared the following year are scattered throughout. [Dazed Znd Confused] This is “Dazed and Confused,” which was not only included on the first album, but also played an important role in Zeppelin’s stage throughout all eras. This is probably the song that has been played for the longest period of time among Zeppelin’s many songs. In addition to Bonzo’s drumming, which is more involved than in their later performances, this is a wonderful performance filled with tension from the intro to the ending, without any moment of relaxation. It’s a shame that you can’t see it on video, but you can hear the sound of a violin bow being used in the interlude. Unlike a violin, the strings are arranged flat on the guitar, so there is little point in using a violin bow, but Page was probably looking for a visual effect and an improvisational sound that couldn’t be produced with a pick. [WHITE SUMMER] Unfortunately, this song starts with a cut-in, and the opening part is not included in the original recording. This is an instrumental number where you can enjoy Page’s smooth fingering. Page must have been particularly fond of this song, as it was performed on stage for a long time and later played the role of a long intro to heavy songs such as “KASHIMIR”. It is said that the selection of the members of Zeppelin was based on the fact that they were specialists in each instrument, and that the stage was one that emphasized improvisation, but the spotlight as a guitarist was on Page in this song “WHITE SUMMER”. [HOW MANY MORE TIMES] “HOW MANY MORE TIMES” is a long song that lasts about 15 minutes. Plant introduces the members along with the creeping intro. As if to prove that the band was still unknown, the introduction of the members is modest, and the fact that it only gets a little louder when Page, who was relatively well-known, is also a sign of the times. The song structure is slightly different from the 1969 version, with Plant’s solo parts inserted with the instruments suppressed. This is probably a consideration to give Plant a place to shine as each member has a solo moment. In later years, the guitar performances inserted in “DAZED AND CONFUSED” and the medley inserted in “WHOLE LOTTA LOVE” are all condensed into this song at this time. [PAT’S DELIGHT] Bonzo’s drum solo is his sole focus. Until it was replaced by “MOBY DICK” in later years, it was Bonzo’s showpiece. However, since there was no vocal to begin with, the only difference from “MOBY DICK” is the guitar phrase in the intro, and the basic form is the same drum solo as “MOBY DICK”. Unfortunately, this song ends with a fade-out. [LIVE AT GONZAGA UNIVERSITY] This work is a high-quality recording of the stage at Gonzaga University on December 30, 1968, the oldest sound source from the only Zeppelin that has been confirmed to exist. In the previously released version, the recording level rises and falls originating from the original sound source can be seen everywhere, and in particular, many titles such as “AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU” are recorded in a shaky state. This work has been finely and flatly adjusted throughout to sound like it was the original sound on the day, so it can be listened to naturally without any discomfort. The name of the band is written as “Len Zefflin” on the jacket, but this is not a typo, but a reference to the fact that the band was so unknown that it was misspelled this way on concert announcements. The back of the jacket features four rare color photos from the day. In them, Jimmy can be seen jumping around the stage in his old-fashioned psychedelic pink pants. This recording of Gonzaga University is both a historically important concert and a first-class record. Gonzaga University, Kennedy Pavilion Spokane, Washington U.S.A.December 30, 1968 01. Train Kept a Rollin 02. I Can’t Quit You 03. As Long As I Have You 04. Dazed and Confused 05. White Summer 06. How Many More Times 07. Pat’s Delight