Robert Plant/RI,USA 07.25.1988

The 1988 tour, which followed the massive success of the now-nostalgic album “NOW AND ZEN,” has many audience recordings with excellent sound quality thanks to the advancements of the times. As a result, several releases have been made, but this time we’re focusing on the July performance at Providence. The sound quality is truly superb, with a clear, distinctly 1988 sound. As expected from the “NOW AND ZEN” tour, which is known for its high-quality recordings. The atmosphere at Providence is incredibly energetic, but the balance between that energy and the sound quality is exquisite, creating a rich, expansive soundscape that doesn’t get in the way of listening at all! It really makes you appreciate the sheer success of “NOW AND ZEN” once again. To give you an idea of ​​just how amazing the atmosphere was that day, the audience was in a frenzy from the opening song, “Helen of Troy.” In fact, the excitement continued at this pace throughout the entire performance. The audience was simply overjoyed. The “NOW AND ZEN” tour generated a lot of buzz because it featured a new band and a massive influx of Led Zeppelin classics for the first time. The audience was thrilled with the first Led Zeppelin song of the night, “In the Evening,” and the call-and-response with Plant was incredibly passionate. However, when the next song, “In the Mood,” began, the excitement was even more incredible. In other words, Plant’s solo songs were in no way overshadowed by the Led Zeppelin numbers. This was a scene that could only be seen at a Plant concert in 1988. Even without that, the previously released “NOW AND ZEN” tour recordings all vividly captured the enthusiasm of the time due to their excellent sound quality, but this Providence performance stands out even among them in terms of its exceptional level of excitement. The highlight was Plant’s performance of his signature song, “Trampled Underfoot.” He was undoubtedly pleased by the overwhelming excitement, and he shouted “Push! Push!” more than usual. From that point until the end of the show, he kept shouting “Push! Push!” almost annoyingly (lol), and it was hilarious to see him demanding it from the audience as well. He himself testified that he was happy to feel like he had returned to the forefront thanks to the massive success of “NOW AND ZEN,” and this superb audience recording is a wonderful document that seems to prove just that. And when they played the finale, “Tall Cool One,” after his proud introduction of the band members, the audience went wild just as Plant announced the song title. In the midst of the hugely successful “NOW AND ZEN” tour, I can confidently say that this is an outstanding audience recording that captures the enthusiasm of the time and Plant’s passionate performance in response to it to the fullest extent! Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI, USA 25th July 1988 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc:1 (44:56) 1. Intro 2. Helen of Troy 3. Other Arms 4. Billy’s Revenge 5. In the Evening 6. In the Mood 7. Black Country Woman Disc:2 (45:29) 1. Ship of Fools 2. Dimples (with Heartbreaker) 3. Trampled Underfoot 4. Heaven Knows 5. Misty Mountain Hop 6. Big Log 7. Band Introduction 8. Tall Cool One Robert Plant – vocals Doug Boyle – guitar Charlie Jones – bass guitar Phil Johnstone – keyboards Chris Blackwell – drums