ITALIAN/ENGLISH

Led Zeppelin – 1972.12.08 – Hard Rock, Manchester, U.K. “One Step Up From Belle Vue” (EE remaster)

LABEL: no label

TYPE: audience

SOUND QUALITY: TTTT-

PERFORMANCE: TTTTT

ARTWORK: no artwork

PACKAGING: no packaging

BAND MOOD: TTTTT

COLLECTION ZEP FAN: TTTTT

COLLECTION CASUAL FAN: TTT

Capita a volte di riscoprire concerti dei Led Zeppelin (e relative registrazioni live) che avevi dimenticato o forse sottovalutato. E’ il caso di questo bel “bootleg” audience attinente al concerto che tennero i LZ a Manchester l’8/12/1972. Il tour del Regno Unito dell’inverno 1972-1973 arrivò dopo le date di ottobre spese tra Giappone e Svizzera (i due concerti di Montreux) e si protrasse dal 30 novembre 1972 al 30 gennaio 1973.

A Manchester fecero due concerti, il 7 e l’8 dicembre. Non si sa tanto dell’Hard Rock Concert Theatre, se non che fu aperto nel settembre del 1972 (serata d’apertura con David Bowie) e che restò in funzione tre anni durante i quali vide passare tra gli altri Free, Wings, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath e Deep Purple. Delle due date dei LZ solo la testimonianza audio della seconda è arrivata sino a noi; la versione di cui parliamo è quella rimasterizzata a suo tempo da Eddie Edwards, noto fan inglese molto abile nel ripulire vecchie registrazioni live. Il titolo che diede Edwards al suo lavoro è One Step Up From Belle Vue riferendosi ad una plantation della serata, ma la stessa versione fu ristampata anche dalla etichetta specializzata in bootleg Sanctuary col titolo di Hard Rock!. Tale registrazione è facilmente reperibile tramite download gratuito nei soliti siti dove i fan si scambiano questo tipo di articoli.

Rock And Roll apre il concerto con la solita meravigliosa irruenza. Stiamo parlando degli anni migliori dei Led Zeppelin, dunque la performance di tutto il concerto è, come spesso accadde, superba. Durante il giro strumentale prima dell’assolo Jones tarda a passare dal LA al RE, ma si riprende subito. La chiusura di Bonham è rresistibile. Page parte quindi con l’introduzione di Over The Hills And Far Away (brano allora ancora inedito). Una volta entrata la band non si può non si notare l’attacco furibondo che Bonham mette in mostra nel suo drumming. Plant è un po’ misurato, tende a controllare la voce visto che nelle settimane e mesi precedenti ebbe le prime avvisaglie dei problemi di voce di cui soffrirà negli anni successivi. La sezione dedicata all’assolo è sublime: Bonham e Jones ben presenti con il loro magnifico groove hard rock funk e Page libero di esprimersi alla sua porca maniera.

RP: Thank you. Good evening. Uh, this is one that tells us, uh, this is one they call one step up from Belle Belle Vue. Which I think they might be right about. This is, uh, a song off the last album. That’s, uh, yeah, that’ll do.”

Ascoltare Black Dog in cuffia ti dà l’esatta (o quasi) percezione di cosa doveva essere vedere un concerto dei Led Zeppelin in quegli anni: potenza pura trattata con sopraffina eleganza e con una musicalità probabilmente senza pari in campo Rock. Il gruppo è sciolto, suona molto bene, è coeso, pieno di testosterone musicale e sospinto dalla energia cosmica, particolarità che mancarono – dal vivo –  dal 1975 in poi. Sarà che le orecchie si abituano in fretta alla qualità non certo perfetta dei bootleg di questo tipo, ma l’audio sembra davvero migliorare con Black Dog. Bonham è ancora una furia. Nessuno in campo Rock suonava come lui e come questo gruppo in quegli anni. Una meraviglia.

Il pubblico risponde alla grandissima. Il calore e l’affetto per quei quattro musicisti era davvero grande.

RP: “Thank you. Now what was that called? Huh. Now then. So this is a song without, hang on. Every time we come to Manchester, there’s a lot of people shouting out. But it’s not wise. Here’s, uh, here’s one about what happens on a sunny afternoon when you go for a walk in the park and sit, sit with the wrong people. It’s called ‘Misty Mountain Hop.'”

Jones si siede al piano e alla pedaliera basso per Misty Mountain Hop. Non mi piace ripetermi ma non posso fare altrimenti e sottolineare una volta di più il lavoro di John Bonham. Incredibile. Senti un concerto come questo e tutti gli altri batteristi rock ti sembrano lontani anni luce da lui. Cosa cavolo abbiamo perso quel 25 settembre 1980!

Segue Since I’ve Been Loving You che arriva dalla precedente grazie alla leggendaria scarica elettrica di Page. Il pubblico applaude sulle prime misure di questo fantasmagorico blues in minore, non può fare altrimenti incantato come’è da quella meravigliosa musicalità. Il cantato di Robert è pieno di passione, i suoi I’ve been the b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-best of fools sono da brividi. Per il ritornello Jones passa dal piano all’organo. Il suono della chitarra di Page non è troppo distorto così tutto il calore dell’accoppiata Gibson Les Paul/Marshall risalta ottimamente.

RP: “This is, uh, we’d better call in a … completely musical part …. You’ll notice that, uh, a few, uh, of the heirarchy of the musical press managed to get to Newcastle last week. It’s the first English gig they’ve been to for about thiry-five years. And you should see how they’ve changed, man. Anyway, they, uh, they won’t tell us how much they like this. And we don’t know what to do about it. We want to drop it from the program. … come out in the summer, as you probably read. It could have been just right. But, we still. ‘Dancing Days.'”

Page abbassa il MI cantino a RE e il gruppo si lancia in Dancing Days (brano allora ancora inedito). Brano obliquo ma sempre interessante da sentire in versione live. Impressionante cogliere per l’ennesima volte come la sezione ritmica riempia bene lo spazio mentre Page suona le tante variazioni sulla chitarra.

RP: ” Sorry, we … happens. …. How many are there? Well thank you very much. …. I’ve heard managers are so tough but, uh. … the lights on? I remember, …. Tell me, now. In the meantime I’ll tell you about. You’re takin’ it a lot more seriously and I’m too silly. Here’s, uh, there’s a sign standing outside. Alright, steady. Steady. Steady. I suppose I could hold it. Huh, I was gonna tell you that, uh, I wish I could, man, I wish I could but, but that one was, you know you’ve got two, well one of mine dropped. I didn’t lick it. It became impossible to do things right now. Right, we’ll have to do without it. ….This is a song about a dog.”

Page imbraccia la chitarra acustica, parte col fingerpicking, il pubblico si lancia in un deciso battimani,  inizia così lo stomp di Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp.

RP: “It’s off, uh, the fourth album that’s coming out soon. And it’s called, uh. No, no, no, it wasn’t the fourth. And this is called ‘The Song Remains the Same.'” 

Il concerto prosegue con The Song Remains The Same e The Rain Song (brani allora ancora inediti), dove la qualità audio della registrazione sembra sfumare un poco. Verso la fine di Rain Song, Page sembra “girarsi” e non essere in piena sintonia col groove del gruppo.

RP: “John Paul Jones, mellotron. Thank you very much for that … in the quiet bit … And it really doesn’t matter. We’re gonna carry on with Billy … numbers all night. That would happen to be good. Actually, he’s writing an album with Eric Clapton …. Billy …. Here’s one that reminds me of Billy … ‘cuz it features John Paul Jones. John Paul Jones!”

Dazed and Confused dura più di 28 minuti e contiene accenni a There Was A Time di James Brown, Cowgirl In The Sand di Neil Young e a Walter’s Walk e The Crunge (quest’ultime allora entrambe inedite naturalmente). Di nuovo una grande prova di John Bonham, ma non è che il resto del gruppo sia da meno. E’ stupefacente sentirli improvvisare stacchi e variazioni ritmiche (dal minuto 5:50 in poi). Nella sezione strumentale dopo l’intermezzo dedicato all’archetto di violino, Page è così veloce e fluido che spaventa (è qui che inserisce il riff di Walter’s Walk; poco dopo Bonham parte col tempo di The Crunge). Nel finale ancora un Page velocissimo. Mamma mia! Subito dopo la chiusura il pubblico esplode.

RP: “Alright, if we can, uh, just stop them people chattering in the quiet bit. You were chattering somewhere in towards the sign of …. We’d like to do something that we’re, uh, like we do every night. I mean it. …, this is called ‘Stairway to Heaven.'”

L’introduzione di Stairway To Heaven appare un pelo insicura, sia da parte di Page che di Jones. Robert la canta con passione e con voce proprio bella. Belli i giochi di grancassa di Bonham intono al minuto 5:20.

RP: “Thank you, …. Hail stones and fucking ….This is, uh, this is something that, uh, when we’re not on stage we like to, to … around and play guitar, go to clubs and get very silly and, uh, this is a song that really typifies everything that we do during that hobby time.”

Whole Lotta Love si spinge oltre i 26 minuti e contiene tante citazioni.

Momenti più o meno completi per Sing A Simple Song (Sly & The Family Stone), Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Solomon Burke), It’s Your Thing (The Isley Brothers … di solito veniva inserita in Communication Breakdown) e  Bottle It Up And Go (Tommy McClennan).

Solo oscuri accenni a Cumberland Gap (Lonnie Donegan), Ther’re Red Hot (Robert Johnson), Truckin’ Little Mama (Blind Boy Fuller).

Altri momenti più o meno completi per Boogie Chillum (John Lee Hooker), Boogie Mama, Say Mama (Gene Vincent), Let’s Have a Party (Elvis Presley), I Can’t Quit You Baby (Otish Rush), The Shape I’m In.

In Bottle It Up And Go (minuto 8:00) Page è ancora super veloce. Che meraviglia sentirlo suonare così. Questo è il Page dell’immaginario collettivo. Jimmy è scatenato anche in Boogie Mama. La qualità audio decade ulteriormente in I Can’t Quit You Baby, ma torna di buon livello per The Shape I’m In.

RP: “Thank you very much. We’ve had a very silly time. Goodnight”

Heartbreaker avanza con la consueta decisione. Nell’assolo Page ripete una frase che diventa un riff fino a che Bonham e Jones non saltano su per un breve impetuoso intermezzo strumentale suonato insieme.

RP: “Thank you very much, Manchester! And farewell. A goodnight”

RP: “Good evening! It’s pretty cold up here. Here’s a song that’s, uh, played with all over the world, even to Bangkok. That’s it.”

Immigrant Song e Communication Breakdown chiudono la scaletta con lo smodato hard rock di cui il gruppo è capace. Il pubblico se ne va felice e tramortito.

Gran concerto dunque e malgrado la qualità audio non sia proprio eccezionale questa è un bootleg da avere se ci si dichiara fan in senso stretto dei LZ. Che band, ragazzi, che band!

Avvertenze: da ascoltare in cuffia.

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Led Zeppelin – 1972.12.08 – Hard Rock, Manchester, U.K.

Disc 1

01 Rock and Roll
02 Over the Hills and Far Away
03 Out on the Tiles / Black Dog
04 Misty Mountain Hop
05 Since I’ve Been Loving You
06 Dancing Days
07 Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp

Disc 2

01 The Song Remains the Same
02 The Rain Song
03 Dazed and Confused

Disc 3
01 Stairway to Heaven
02 Whole Lotta Love
03 Heartbreaker
04 Immigrant Song
05 Communication Breakdown

Lineage: CDRs > EAC (secure mode, offset corrected, test & copy) > WAV > FLACFrontend (tested & verified) > FLAC level 6

Mastered from 1st Gen + other sources, most complete version © Eddie Edwards

◊ ◊ ◊

(broken)ENGLISH

Led Zeppelin – 1972.12.08 – Hard Rock, Manchester, U.K. “One Step Up From Belle Vue” (EE remaster)

LABEL: no label

TYPE: audience

SOUND QUALITY: TTTT-

PERFORMANCE: TTTTT

ARTWORK: no artwork

PACKAGING: no packaging

BAND MOOD: TTTTT

COLLECTION ZEP FAN: TTTTT

COLLECTION CASUAL FAN: TTT

It sometimes happens to rediscover Led Zeppelin concerts (and related live recordings) that you had forgotten or perhaps underestimated. It’s the case of this beautiful “bootleg” audience of the concert that LZ held in Manchester on 8/12/1972. The UK tour of the winter of 1972-1973 arrived after the October dates spent between Japan and Switzerland (the two concerts of Montreux) and lasted from November 30, 1972 to January 30, 1973.

In Manchester they played two concerts: December 7th and 8th. Not much is known about the Hard Rock Concert Theater, except that it was opened in September 1972 (opening night with David Bowie) and that it remained in operation for three years during which it saw passing among others Free, Wings, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Of the two LZ dates only the audio evidence of the second has reached us; the version we are talking about is the one remastered years ago by Eddie Edwards, a well-known English fan who is very skilled at cleaning up old live recordings. The title that Edwards gave to his work is One Step Up From Belle Vue referring to a “plantation” of the evening,  the same version however was also released by Sanctuary, a label specialized in bootleg, with the title of Hard Rock !. This recording is easily available via free download on the regular sites where fans exchange this type of articles.

Rock And Roll opens the concert with the usual wonderful vehemence. We are talking about the best years of Led Zeppelin, so the performance of the whole concert is, as often happened, superb. During the instrumental bars before the solo, Jones is late going from A to D, but he immediately resumes. The ending of Bonham is irresistible. Page then starts the introduction of Over The Hills And Far Away (a song that back then was still unreleased). Once the band entered, one can not but notice the furious attack that Bonham shows off in his drumming. Plant is a bit ‘measured, he tends to control the voice as in the previous weeks and months he had the first signs of the voice problems that conditioned his vocals permormances in the following years. The section dedicated to the solo is sublime: Bonham and Jones are very present with their magnificent hard rock funk groove while Page is free to express himself in his fucking great way.

RP: Thank you. Good evening. Uh, this is one that tells us, uh, this is one they call one step up from Belle Belle Vue. Which I think they might be right about. This is, uh, a song off the last album. That’s, uh, yeah, that’ll do.”

Listening to Black Dog with the headphones gives you the (almost) exact perception of what was supposed to be at a Led Zeppelin concert in those years: pure power treated with superfine elegance and with a musicality probably unparalleled in Rock music. The group is loose, the playing is very good, it is cohesive, full of musical testosterone and driven by the cosmic energy, peculiarities that were missing – live – from 1975 onwards. The ears quickly get used to the audience type recording so the audio really seems to improve with Black Dog. Bonham is still a fury. Nobody in Rock music sounded like him and like this group in those years. Wonderful.

The public responds … the warmth and affection for those four musicians were really great.

RP: “Thank you. Now what was that called? Huh. Now then. So this is a song without, hang on. Every time we come to Manchester, there’s a lot of people shouting out. But it’s not wise. Here’s, uh, here’s one about what happens on a sunny afternoon when you go for a walk in the park and sit, sit with the wrong people. It’s called ‘Misty Mountain Hop.'”

Jones sits on the piano and on pedal bass for Misty Mountain Hop. I do not like repeating myself but I can not do otherwise and emphasize once more the work of John Bonham. Unbelievable. Listen to a concert like this and all the other rock drummers seem light years away from him. What a loss on that September 25, 1980!

Since I’ve Been Loving You follows. It arrives from the previous number thanks to the legendary salvo by Page. The audience applauds on the first measures of this phantasmagorical blues in C minor, it can not do otherwise enchanted as it is from that marvelous musicality. Robert’s singing is full of passion, his I’ve been the b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-best-of-fools are super. For the refrain Jones passes from the piano to the organ. Page’s guitar sound is not too distorted so all the warmth of the Gibson Les Paul / Marshall pair stands out very well.

RP: “This is, uh, we’d better call in a … completely musical part …. You’ll notice that, uh, a few, uh, of the heirarchy of the musical press managed to get to Newcastle last week. It’s the first English gig they’ve been to for about thiry-five years. And you should see how they’ve changed, man. Anyway, they, uh, they won’t tell us how much they like this. And we don’t know what to do about it. We want to drop it from the program. … come out in the summer, as you probably read. It could have been just right. But, we still. ‘Dancing Days.'”

Page lowers the high E to D and the group launches itself into Dancing Days (a song that back then was still unreleased) an “oblique” song but always interesting to hear in a live context. It’s impressive to grasp for the umpteenth times how the rhythm section fills the spaces well while Page plays the many variations on the guitar

RP: ” Sorry, we … happens. …. How many are there? Well thank you very much. …. I’ve heard managers are so tough but, uh. … the lights on? I remember, …. Tell me, now. In the meantime I’ll tell you about. You’re takin’ it a lot more seriously and I’m too silly. Here’s, uh, there’s a sign standing outside. Alright, steady. Steady. Steady. I suppose I could hold it. Huh, I was gonna tell you that, uh, I wish I could, man, I wish I could but, but that one was, you know you’ve got two, well one of mine dropped. I didn’t lick it. It became impossible to do things right now. Right, we’ll have to do without it. ….This is a song about a dog.”

Page picks up the acoustic guitar, he starts the fingerpicking, the audience goes clapping, thus begins the stomp of Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp.

RP: “It’s off, uh, the fourth album that’s coming out soon. And it’s called, uh. No, no, no, it wasn’t the fourth. And this is called ‘The Song Remains the Same.'” 

The concert continues with The Song Remains The Same and The Rain Song (songs that back then were still unreleased)), where the sound quality of the recording seems to fade a bit. Towards the end of Rain Song, Page seems to be not in full harmony with the groove of the group.

RP: “John Paul Jones, mellotron. Thank you very much for that … in the quiet bit … And it really doesn’t matter. We’re gonna carry on with Billy … numbers all night. That would happen to be good. Actually, he’s writing an album with Eric Clapton …. Billy …. Here’s one that reminds me of Billy … ‘cuz it features John Paul Jones. John Paul Jones!”

Dazed and Confused lasts more than 28 minutes and contains references to James Brown‘s There Was A Time, Neil Young‘s Cowgirl In The Sand, and Walter’s Walk and The Crunge (the latter two then still unreleased of course). Again a great demonstration of John Bonham’s skills and attack, but in the end the whole group excels. It is amazing to hear them improvise breaks and rhythmic variations (from 5:50 onwards). In the instrumental section after the intermezzo dedicated to the violin bow, Page is so fast and fluid that he scares (it is here that he inserts the riff of Walter’s Walk, shortly after Bonham starts with the tempo of The Crunge). In the final section Page is stil super fast. Mamma Mia! Immediately after the end, the public explodes.

RP: “Alright, if we can, uh, just stop them people chattering in the quiet bit. You were chattering somewhere in towards the sign of …. We’d like to do something that we’re, uh, like we do every night. I mean it. …, this is called ‘Stairway to Heaven.'”

The introduction of Stairway To Heaven appears a a bit insecure. Robert sings the song with passion and with a beautiful voice. So good to listen to Bonham bass drum trick at 5:20.

RP: “Thank you, …. Hail stones and fucking ….This is, uh, this is something that, uh, when we’re not on stage we like to, to … around and play guitar, go to clubs and get very silly and, uh, this is a song that really typifies everything that we do during that hobby time.”

Whole Lotta Love goes over 26 minutes and contains many quotes.

More or less complete moments for Sing A Simple Song (Sly & The Family Stone), Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Solomon Burke), It’s Your Thing (The Isley Brothers, this one  was usually inserted in Communication Breakdown) and Bottle It Up And Go (Tommy McClennan).

Only obscure references to Cumberland Gap (Lonnie Donegan), Ther’re Red Hot (Robert Johnson), Truckin ‘Little Mama (Blind Boy Fuller).

Other more or less complete moments for Boogie Chillum (John Lee Hooker), Boogie Mama, Say Mama (Gene Vincent), Let’s Have a Party (Elvis Presley), I Can not Quit You Baby (Otish Rush), The Shape I’m In.

In Bottle It Up and Go (8:00 minute) Page is still very fast. How wonderful is to hear him play like this. This is the Page of the collective imagination. Jimmy is also unleashed in Boogie Mama. The audio quality decays further in I Can not Quit You Baby, but returns to a good level for The Shape I’m In.

RP: “Thank you very much. We’ve had a very silly time. Goodnight”

Heartbreaker advances with the usual decision. In the guitar solo Page repeats a plick some many times until it becomes a riff andBonham and Jones jump up for a brief impetuous instrumental interlude played together.

RP: “Thank you very much, Manchester! And farewell. A goodnight”

RP: “Good evening! It’s pretty cold up here. Here’s a song that’s, uh, played with all over the world, even to Bangkok. That’s it.”

Immigrant Song and Communication Breakdown close the concert with the immoderate hard rock that the group is capable of. The public is happy and stunned.

Great concert then and even if the audio quality is not exceptional, this is a bootleg to have if you are a LZ fan in the tight sense. What a band, guys, what a band!

Warning: to be listened to with headphones.

◊ ◊ ◊

◊ ◊ ◊

Led Zeppelin – 1972.12.08 – Hard Rock, Manchester, U.K.

Disc 1

01 Rock and Roll
02 Over the Hills and Far Away
03 Out on the Tiles / Black Dog
04 Misty Mountain Hop
05 Since I’ve Been Loving You
06 Dancing Days
07 Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp

Disc 2

01 The Song Remains the Same
02 The Rain Song
03 Dazed and Confused

Disc 3
01 Stairway to Heaven
02 Whole Lotta Love
03 Heartbreaker
04 Immigrant Song
05 Communication Breakdown

Lineage: CDRs > EAC (secure mode, offset corrected, test & copy) > WAV > FLACFrontend (tested & verified) > FLAC level 6

Mastered from 1st Gen + other sources, most complete version © Eddie Edwards