LED ZEPPELIN - JULY 20TH FROM OHIO TO ARIZONA VIA MAYHEM IN BOSTON!

JULY 20TH 1969

MUSICARNIVAL, WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, 
CLEVELAND, OHIO

 After 2 SRO nights in Chicago, Led Zeppelin moved 350 miles west to Warrensville Heights, a small community 18 or so miles from Cleveland, a scene of many later Zeppelin triumphs. At this point in time the US is fumbling its' way through a turbulent time, the unease with authority and racial segregation compounded by Vietnam has almost inadvertently given restless youth reason to find any outlet for their pent up emotions. Striding across America, Led Zeppelin fit the bill perfectly.

Tonight's set, although incomplete, runs as follows -

Train Kept A-Rollin'/I Can't Quit You, Baby

Dazed And Confused

White Summer/Black Mountain Side

You Shook Me

How Many More Times

Short, sharp shock. We have an hour or so, in listenable if not hi-fidelity quality. It's a great performance, intense yet relaxed. Robert is growing into his role more and more each day, and his confidence is growing. Around him, the band are playing with a devastating power, night after night, show after show. The jam and medley at the climax of this show is the highlight, Robert dipping into a snatch of You Make Me Feel So Young as the audience crumbles unreservedly.

A recent - that's the last 20 years bootleg fans! - discovery, it's widely circulated by a number of labels at a variety of prices. The Diagrams label does a good job, as does Tarantura, but even though the equate it with the 77 shows and call it Destroyer, they charge you the earth then squash the sound with ott noise reduction (a regular problem for me with some of these labels). despite all that a great show and in whatever version you find it, well worth a listen.

JULY 20TH 1973

BOSTON GARDEN, BOSTON, MA

Back to the city of one of their greatest triumphs and legends, this turns out to be the last time Led Zeppelin would play in Boston, their 13th gig there. The 9th US Tour is building up to a frenzy, the 3 Madison Square Garden shows looming in the distance. After the back on track genius of Seattle and Vancouver, hopes were high. Sadly, festival seating and a more rowdy than usual crowd spoilt the atmosphere and performance.

After the opening salvo, Robert tries to calm the masses but to no avail. Misty Mountain Hop and Since I've Been Loving You are dropped as they head into No Quarter in a vain attempt to calm things. Sadly it doesn't really work, the intensity is still there as the band produce a stunning version tonight. 

Dazed And Confused is a highlight again (could it be anything else in 1973?) and from then on they head for home, Stairway To Heaven briefly placating the baying hordes so to speak.

By the end of a truncated set - there's no Moby Dick on the tapes - the band (and probably local authorities and police) have had enough and they depart without encores. This is all captured on the bootleg tape, with a final 'Led Zeppelin are gone' announcement over the PA.

Sadly the 1975 show was cancelled long before it was due to take place and there was no place in 1977 for Boston. One of their original strongholds fell by the wayside within 4 years. 

Again, there is one audience recording of this show that has been upgraded over the years as we've gotten closer to the original source recording, but no (as yet) soundboard. 

A good,if distorted and disturbing at times recording, there's enough quality in there to highlight the good bits and make it a very enjoyable listen.

JULY 20TH 1977

ACTIVITY CENTRE, A.S.U., TEMPE, ARIZONA

As Led Zeppelin kicked it to the 3rd leg of their biggest, but ultimately final, US Tour, Tempe saw the most erratic of the 44 performed performances. Seattle may have been uninspiring, but this was much more fragmented, disturbing even. 

The part recording we have is only a C90 worth - probably the second one the taper used - from The Battle Of Evermore until the set finale of Stairway To Heaven. It's one of those opaque, distant and unsatisfactory bootlegs, but everything's discernible. 

Trampled Underfoot is ragged and reliant on the (as per usual) sterling rhythm section, and instead of settling down to White Summer, Jimmy charges straight into Kashmir, the band scurrying to catch up over the opening round of the opening riff. 

There's no solo from Bonzo, and Jimmy's solo is a mixture of inspiration and desperation. By the end they seem relieved it's over,  and there are no encores on the tape.

Disappointing and fragmented, it is interesting and part of the puzzle of the 1977 jaunt. for completists and the curious methinks, but light years away from Destroyer and Listen To This, Eddie!