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Led Zeppelin - Ottawa April 14, 1970 (1970)

Track listing:
  1. Heartbreaker 7:18
  2. Bring It On Home 9:36
  3. White Summer 10:46
  4. Since I've Been Loving You 6:44
  5. Thank You 6:57
  6. Dazed and Confused 14:01
  7. Whole Lotta Love 5:09

Notes


Civic Centre

Audience Recording
Master


From Underground Uprising:

A disturbing recording, stunningly detailed. The first striking factor of this document is the proximity of the recorder to the instruments, the audience sounds very far away as in a soundboard tape, but this is not the case. The taper is probably behind the stage, seemingly walking about, carelessly handling the microphone, so there are constant changes in balance and unpleasant noises. The volume also fluctuates almost constantly and so does the brightness, perhaps a digital processing system was used to eliminate the hiss. There are cuts and edits beyond the bounds of comprehension: large portions of White Summer and Dazed are cut, on the latter track the bow episode goes in and out every few seconds (the taper chooses the quiet moments to discuss, probably the optimum location of the equipment, and even coughs), Whole Lotta Love is captured seconds before the theramin portion and cuts out. The other tracks are fairly complete, only they cut in and out,the taper could not wait for the final notes to be played before stopping the recorder.

On the positive side,the true value of this document is the details it offers and the excellence of the performance. Heartbreaker is furious, Jonesy's bass guitar chords are very clear and so are the echo and theremin effects; every drum head and cymbal can be heard during the Bring It On Home battle of Page and Bonzo; the fragments of White Summer are illuminating; the passionate delivery of Since I've Been Loving You is awesome, Dazed is frantic, it's a pity that the excellent bow solo is so shamelessly edited. (Rosina Diaz Scali Apr 99)