Madison Square Garden
Soundboard
Original Silver CDs (G.R.327/328/329)
Review #1:
A great show! It may have been a blizzard outside but the Garden was rocking this night! "We came four blocks in the snow to get here ... you realise that? People were calling me on the telephone today and saying 'Is it gonna be on?' For a minute I was wondering about my anatomy, then I realised there was some discrepancy about the weather. Isn't it good though that it snows? Doesn't it change the vibe of the city? I think it's great!" The band is in excellent form and delivers a great show. Robert sounds good and strong, Jonesy and Bonzo are amazing as always, and Jimmy is incendiary tonight, especially at the end of Sick Again. He extends the solo in Over The Hills And Far Away to an incredible length and soars. No Quarter is dedicated to Jones that "...made Monthy Python's Flying Circus a flop in New York" tonight and his imppecably clean fingernails. Moby Dick is like a hurricane and Dazed And Confused just blows everybody out to the cosmic level! A bunch of heavy solid encores with an excellent Heartbreaker with some lyrics of Elvis Presley's That's Alright Mama thrown in closing this amazing eveing. This is definitely a triumph for the entire band and, not only a strong concert but also probably the best from the 1975 US Tour. "Ladies and gentlemen of New York ... you're too much ... and we ain't so bad ourselves!" and the show was over.
-Argenteum Astrum
Review #2:
When Empress Valley released the soundboard for this show it was a revelation of sorts. Not only was it previously uncirculated but it sounds as if it’s a professionaly mixed multi-track recording. The general consesus among collectors was that this recording was the best of the best and could not get any better. UNTIL NOW!!! Godfather has pulled off a miracle. This new release has taken what was already a three layer cake and added the richest icing possible. Godfather has improved the seemingly unimprovable. They did what was said couldn’t be done. They have taken the best sounding soundboard out there and turned it into the best sounding soundboard ever… Sure Flying Circus is great but this recording blows it away. Godfather used a professional recording studio to work their magic on this release. This release may definitely take the place of the official Live Led Zeppelin releases in my collection. This release has a beefier sound to it which overall makes this a slamming recording. There’s absolutely no hiss present and this is as clean as it gets. This release will help to set Godfather’s Legacy in stone.
One thing that has confused me over the years is that inside the first edition of Luis Rey’s “Led Zeppelin Live” book he lists both the audience and soundboard sources for this show. Mysteriously the next two editions of his book have only the audience source listed. Obviously Mr. Rey had access to the soundboard long before any of the rest of us did. We’re talking at least 10 years in between the first edition of his book and the release of Flying Circus. I don’t ever remember too much of a stink made over the listing of the Soundboard and no actual soundboard circulating. Someone in the know got to Mr. Rey and hushed him up. Conspiracy Theories at their finest. That right there proves to me that there’s still plenty of stuff circulating amonsgst the “Elite” collectors that the rest of us have no idea about.
This release is packaged in the typical Godfather Gatefold with numerous pictures of the band. Inside is another short summary by Mr. Paul De Luxe. He basically writes a short summary of the show. The soundboard source has been previously released as Flying Circus (Eelgrass & Empress Valley Supreme Disc) and Madison Square Graffiti (Red Devil). Audience source #1 has previously been released on LP as The Final Option (Rock Solid Records & The Swingin’ Pig Records), In Concert (Rock Solid Records), In Person (Rock Solid Records), Live At Madison Square Garden 1975 (no label issues & Zep Toepper), Live In Madison Square Garden Part 1&2 (Box Top Records), Madison Square Garden (The Swingin’ Pig Records) & Madison Square garden 1975 (The Swingin’ Pig Records) and on CD as The 10th US Tour (Whole Lotta Live), Can’t Take Your Evil Ways (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin), Can’t Take Your Evil Ways Un-Cut Version (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin), Four Blocks In The Snow (The Chronicles Of Led Zeppelin), Good To Be Back In New York City (Planet), Heartbreakers Back In Town Pts 1&2 (TNT Studios), The Jumpleg (Tarantura), Ladies And Gents (Tarantura2000), M.S.G. 1975 (Last Stand Disc, both issues), & Shakin’ All Over (Triangle Records). Audience Source #2 has previously been released on CD as Four Blocks In The Snow (The Chronicles Of Led Zeppelin) & That’s All Right NewYork (Electric Magic)”. The combined sources have been previously released as “Four Blocks In The Snow (Small Fish CD-R). DVD-A versions were released as Flying Circus (Empress Valley Supreme Disc) & Heartbreakers Back In Town (Genuine Masters).
I’ve always held Flying Circus in high regard due to the sound quality but this release has taken over the coveted spot of “Best Soundboard in Circulation!” Hands down it wins! Thanks must got to Godfather for taking something amazing and making it extraordinary. Eat Your Heart Out Empress Valley.
-Collectors Music Reviews