Led Zeppelin
Tempe, AZ
July 20, 1977
Low Gen Remaster (from "Master>Cassette (2)>DAT")
AUD sq 7
Battle Of Evermore
Going To California
Black Country Woman
Bron Y Aur Stomp
Trampled Under Foot
Black Mountain Side
Kashmir (cuts out at end)
Guitar Noise Solo (missing beginning)
Achilles Last Stand
Stairway To Heaven
I recieved this show -infamously known as Zeppelin's worst; pointedly never appearing on a silver CD bootleg- in a CDR trade a few years back. I was told it was a 2nd Gen copy. The raw recording had a few issues: up to "Achilles" it played slow (to my musician's ears at least a full step down in pitch from normal) and "Achilles" and "Stairway" played a bit fast (half a step up, give or take.) Using my trusty Sony Sound Forge, I corrected the speed so that there was continuity throughout the recording. It also sounded a bit muddy. So I boosted the highs, lowered the lows and added a touch of mids for good measure. This re-EQing also gave the thing a much needed boost in volume as well. Again, this is not meant to be a definitive version, but it works for me, and hopefully you as well. Sound quality wise, I'll be generous and give it a 7 out of 10.
Of course, as the saying goes, you can't polish a turd...though it must be said I do believe this show gets a worse rap than it actually deserves. Overall, I don't think Tempe is that much worse of a performance than the previous gig in Seattle. Or a number of the Europe 1980 gigs, for that matter (Hannover immediately springs to mind.) IMO Robert Plant comes off sounding a lot worse than Jimmy Page; whatever illness that plagued Plant in Seattle was much worse three days later. He doesn't bother trying for any of the high notes at all; the few attempts he does make makes him sound not unlike the "Sqeaky Voiced Teenager" on "The Simpsons". Page does sound out of it, but apparently the band went on stage about an hour and half late, necessitating a few cuts to the setlist (no drum solo; only a snippet of "Black Mountain Side"- omitting "White Summer"; no encores); the crowd sounds a bit rowdy, which was probably a distraction to the group, and of course the explosive effects at the beginning of "Achilles" knocked Jimmy on his ass, understandably throwing him off for the duration of the tune and turning it into a trainwreck that must be heard to be believed. So given the circumstances a mediocre performance on the night could probably have been expected. I think Robert Plant himself summed it up best with his parting words to the Arizona State University audience: "Thank you...you've been too kind...really."
Remaster lineage:
CDRs received in trade>EAC>FLAC>Trader's Little Helper>WAV>Sony Sound Forge 8 (speed correction and re-equalization to raw WAV files)>Trader's Little Helper>FLAC
Low Gen Remaster (from "Master>Cassette (2)>DAT")
Audience
7 out of 10.
Remaster lineage:
CDRs>EAC>FLAC>Trader's Little Helper>WAV>Sony Sound Forge 8 (speed correction and re-equalization to raw WAV files)