LED ZEPPELIN “Los Angeles Forum 23 june 1977 – Tribute Series Mike The Mike” (bootleg – Winston remaster 2014) – TTTTT

(English version below)

Quante versioni bootleg di questo concerto esistono? Decine? Centinaia? D’altra parte quando si mescolano i tre ingredienti essenziali, vale da dire LED ZEPPELIN, MIKE MILLARD e LA FORUM, il risultato è inevitabilmente qualcosa  di succulento, malgrado i LZ modello latter days non fossero certo impeccabili. Eppure in quelle sei date losangeline del giugno del 1977 il dirigibile tornò a volare alto, il California sunlight, la vibrazione della città, l’atmosfera del Forum sortirono un effetto magico sul gruppo e sul mood in generale tanto che i LZ suonarono come il demonio comanda. Mike Millard registrò 4 di quelle serate col suo equipaggiamento di ottimo livello (per gli anni settanta) e la conseguenza fu che in particolare le serate del 21 e del 23 vennero catturate su nastro in maniera perfetta (ricordo che stiamo parlando di registrazioni audience), diventando la fonte originaria di due bootleg leggendari LISTEN TO THIS EDDIE (21/6/77) e FOR BADGE HOLDERS ONLY (23/06/1977). Avendo già la versione di EDDIE EDWARDS (THREE HOURS OF LUNACY) mi sentivo al sicuro ma poi quasi per incanto si è rifatto vivo il leggendario WINSTON, uno che con i suoi remasters ha fatto un gran bene al mondo LZ, con una nuova produzione in questo inizio di 2014.

TITLE: Led Zeppelin LA Forum  6-23-1977 – Tribute series Mike The Mike

LABEL: no label (Winston Remaster 2014)

TYPE: audience (Mike Millard magnificent recording)

SOUND QUALITY: TTTTT-

PERFORMANCE: TTTTT

ARTWORK: TTT

BAND MOOD: TTTTT

COLLECTION: TTTTT

Winston continua dunque la sua TRIBUTE SERIES MIKE THE MIKE, rimasterizzando questo concerto utilizzando le migliori fonti disponibili (per i primi pezzi ha usato il vinyl transfer fatto qualche anno fa da EDDIE EDWARDS). Io, sempre sensibile agli upgrade, non ho esitato a scaricare anche questa versione. Il concerto lo conosco piuttosto bene, quindi mi sono soffermato sui brani che preferisco ascoltare. In primis, SINCE I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU. Che colpo che ricevo ogni volta che sento questa versione, che BONHAM supersonico che c’era nel tour del 1977 e a Los Angeles in particolare. Pesante, greve eppur così dinamico…negli ultimi secondi suona una delle sue figure di batterie che mi fanno impazzire, sentire queste sue cose ritmiche mi da sempre un gran godimento, come scopare BEBE BUELL …

Bebe Buell

Bebe Buell & Jimmy Page

NO QUARTER nel 1977 durava 30 minuti, duranti i quali la musica creava suggestioni spaventose, passaggi a nord ovest nelle anime degli spettatori, proiezioni cosmiche in versione musicale delle paure ataviche dell’essere umano. Sì, lo so, sono un fan dei LZ in senso strettissimo, mi lascio trasportare, ma sfido qualunque amante della musica rock a mettersi in cuffia ad ascoltare a buon volume questa versione e a non provare brividi…

Nel 1977 il pezzo conteneva, oltre che alla solita improvvisazione al piano di Jones, anche uno stralunato e bizzarro rock and roll/boogie. In questa serata questo divertissement ha un andamento piuttosto bluesy ed è portato avanti con professionalità accettabile, cambi d’accordo assennati, stacchi rispettati, chiusura dignitosa (non si può dire lo stesso di parecchie altre date del tour del 1977). Pur rimanendo un episodio discutibile all’interno di un brano pieno di oscurità, l’incedere bluesy del 23/6 sostenuto con l’anima un po’ scordata, s’intona tutto sommato piacevolmente col mood di NO QUARTER…

TEN YEARS GONE per il Page del 1977 non era un pezzo semplice da suonare, riassumere le sei chitarre della registrazione da studio con una Telecaster con lo stringbender era un compito troppo arduo per un chitarrista non più in controllo del proprio strumento, tuttavia questa è una delle migliori esibizioni di questa canzone che tanto, tanto, tanto amo…

Mai sentita una STAIRWAY TO HEVEN così violenta e piena di furore. Mi riferisco alla seconda parte, quella dell’assolo di chitarra e della parte finale. BONHAM è in gran vena: improvvisa, non sta fermo un momento, butta la mano, rischia, e in buona sostanza spinge il gruppo verso l’estasi interpretativa. Ho i brividi quando ascolto JOHN HENRY BONHAM in questo mood particolare… 

Tutto il concerto in ogni caso è di ottimo livello, Page perde la concentrazione solo nel finale (ROCK AND ROLL). A mio parere questa nuova edizione WINSTON REMASTERS è una delle due da avere.

WINSTON NOTES:

Led Zeppelin
The Forum, Inglewood, California
June 23rd, 1977
Audience

Taper Mike Millard

Main – Lineage: Master>HiFi VHS>Remaster
First 4 Songs and Patching – EE Vinyl Transfer
Trampled Underfoot – 1st Gen Cassette>Flac>Remaster

Consent was given for all sources used – Thanks to those Guys !!

Title: Mike the Mike

Winstons Disclaimer: Remastering is just a Hobby.. take it and enjoy or just pass on it.
The choice is yours. This version is never meant to be definitive.

Sources Digitally Enhanced with Various Audio Programs.

Please Note: Major unfixable Millard Marking on Trampled Underfoot HiFi-VHS source 4 min channel drop
That is why Trampled Underfoot is from a different transfer

CD 1
01. The Song Remains the Same
02. Sick Again
03. Nobodys Fault But Mine
04. Over the Hills and Far Away
05. Since Ive Been Loving You
06. No Quarter

CD 2
01. Ten Years Gone
02. Battle of Evermore
03. Going to California
04. Black Country Woman
05. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
06. White Summer
07. Black Mountainside
08. Kashmir
09. Trampled Underfoot

CD 3
01. Over the Top
02. Guitar Solo
03. Achilles Last Stand
04. Stairway to Heaven
05. Whole Lotta Love
06. Rock and Roll

Please Bootleggers DO NOT SELL IN ANY FORMAT – Keep it Free 
Please DO NOT mp3
Please DO ENJOY!!

*Artwork is Included

Winston Remasters

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Bootleg Review: For Badgeholders Only, Los Angeles, June 23, 1977 – Winston Remaster

I know what you’re thinking. “How many bootleg versions of this show exist? Tens? Hundreds?” It’s a legitimate question, but when you mix the three essential ingredients, LED ZEPPELI, MIKE MILLARD and THE LA FORUM, the result is inevitably something succulent, even if Latter Days live Led Zeppelin was far from flawless. Yet in those six LA dates in June of 1977 the blimp returned to fly high, the California sunlight , the vibration of the city, and the of the Forum had a magical effect on the group and on the mood in general. LZ sounded like they were following the devil’s command. Infamous show taper Mike “The Mike” Millard recorded 4 of those evenings with his excellent level of equipment (for the 70s ), and the results, in particular, the evenings of June 21 and 23, were captured on tape in a perfect way (remember that we are talking about audience recordings ) and became the primary source of two legendary bootlegs LISTEN TO THIS EDDIE ( 21/06/77 ) and FOR BADGE HOLDERS ONLY ( 23/06/1977 ). Having already reviewed the version engineered by the genius EDDIE EDWARDS (THREE HOURS OF LUNACY ) and considering it the definitive version, I didn’t think a better recording could be had, but then as if by magic the legendary WINSTON shared a new production at the beginning of 2014.

With this release, Winston Remasters continues its TRIBUTE SERIES MIKE THE MIKE by remastering this show using the best available sources (for the first few songs, he used the vinyl transfer done some years ago by EDDIE EDWARDS ). I am always on the lookout for upgrades, so I did not hesitate to download this version. I know the concert well , so I focused on songs that I prefer to hear again and again. First I listened to SINCE I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU. What a shock that I get every time I hear this version, which features the supersonic BONHAM who was in great form during the tour in 1977 and Los Angeles in particular. Heavy and yet so dynamic … in the last seconds of the song the playing of one of his rhythmic figures make me crazy. Hearing these things always gives me a great pleasure, like a fuck with BEBE BUELL.

NO QUARTER 1977 lasted 30 minutes, during which the music created scary suggestions, northwest passages in the souls of the spectators, cosmic musical projections of the atavistic fears of the human beings. Yes, I know, I’m a fan of LZ in the narrow sense, and I get carried away , but I defy any lover of rock music to put on headphones and listen at good volume and not have chills. …

In 1977, the piece contained, in addition to the usual piano improvisation, also one dazed and bizarre rock and roll / boogie section. During this show, that section developed into something quite bluesy and is carried out deftly with wise chord changes, pauses respected, dignified closure (you can not say the same for several other tour dates of 1977). While remaining a controversial episode within a track full of darkness, the june 23’ rendition with a bluesy pace was supported with the soul a bit out of tune, but overall blends in nicely with the mood of NO QUARTER …

TEN YEARS GONE was not an easy piece to play for the 1977 PAGE. He had to summarize the six guitars of the studio recording with a Telecaster with the stringbender, which was a task too difficult for a guitarist no longer in full control of his instrument. Having said that, this is one of the best live performances of a song I love so much.

I’ve also never heard a STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN so violent and full of rage. I refer to the second part, the guitar solo and the final part. When BONHAM ‘s musical vein was at the top. He improvises, never stands still for a moment, “throw” his hands, takes risks, and basically pushes the group to an ecstasy interpretation. I shudder when I hear JOHN HENRY BONHAM in this particular mood. From a performance perspective, the concert is excellent in every way, and Page only lost his concentration in the final piece (ROCK AND ROLL). As far as the sound quality, in my opinionthis new edition by WINSTON Remasters is one of the two to be had.

Tim Tirelli  2014

(English medication: Billy McCue)