Led Zeppelin/Ohio,USA 1977 First Reels

“This week we are releasing “DESTROYER””…If you say so, most enthusiasts will instantly understand what that means. This title is a very popular live recording among ZEP live sound sources, and the title alone makes you think of the content and era. It can be called a classic among classics of the typical soundboard sound source of the 1977 tour. In fact, even if you're not a ZEP fanatic, if you collect rare rock music, just by hearing the word "DESTROYER" you'll understand that it refers to ZEP. When it comes to ZEP's live sound source releases, there is a monumental work called Osaka 929. Therefore, “DESTROYER” is not the first ZEP live leaked sound board sound source release. This is especially true in Japan. However, this is the first soundboard sound source since the BBC and 929 in 1971, which had been popularized by radio sound sources even before that, and (unlike the 929) the soundboard recording was recorded from a mixing desk by ZEP for recording purposes. In terms of its appearance, this “DESTROYER” was a very groundbreaking release. Especially in the era of analog LPs, the impact of this sound source being released was huge. Even if it is not a complete recording, the sound board sound source that shows the whole picture of the 1977 tour will be released...ZEP mania all over the world was impressed, and it reigned as a classic in the blink of an eye. . It is well known among enthusiasts that a boxed item called "European Destroyer" first appeared, and after that many copies were produced from the United States. From the perspective of Japanese ZEP enthusiasts, rather than the original "European", they are more interested in copies of it, such as "SWEET JERRY ROLL" released later in the United States and a three-disc picture set with black and white photographs. This may sound familiar. Surprisingly, regarding the CD release of "DESTROYER", the fact that a definitive version did not appear for a long time now seems like a nostalgic memory. The Scorpio edition, which attracted a lot of attention when it was first released as being far superior to the sound quality of the LP era, had poor cuts between songs and did not include Bonzo's ``Over The Top'' drum solo. Some time later, items such as drum solos recorded from sound sources with inferior sound quality are also nostalgic, but in the end, the Cobra edition, which can be called the first definitive version of the "DESTROYER" CD, appeared at the end of the century. When I got close. Considering that it was such a standard sound source, it can be said that it was a surprising situation. In the 21st century, the full picture and identity of the sound source became clear, and the key points for releasing the next generation "DESTROYER" were focused on the naturalness of the sound quality and the low generation. As evidenced by the soundboard sound source from the mixing desk of ZEP Live, which was discovered by many performances by this time, this type of recording was not intended for release, but was recorded for records and staff mixing checks. This is because it was natural for the sound source or missing part to be somewhere. In other words, the missing parts of “The Song Remains The Same” and “Rock And Roll” in the “DESTROYER” sound source are not originally recorded. In that case, we have no choice but to switch our perspective to releases that are particular about the purity of the sound source. Under such circumstances, the black and white jacket "DESTROYER" that we released about ten years ago was based on a sound source that was in a natural state, with minimal cuts added during the distribution of the sound source, so it was popular among enthusiasts. It was a big topic among the people. However, as the first decade of the 21st century came to an end, a more natural and improved sound quality version called the ``1st generation'' appeared, and this is the source of this release. . It is worthy of being called the ultimate version of the sound board sound source of the 1977 tour, which ZEP enthusiasts would have heard more than once! As expected, there is something unique about the "1st generation", and the natural and warm taste of this version is truly wonderful. Nowadays, we are in a fortunate situation where many soundboard sound sources from the 1977 tour have been released, but compared to those, the balance of the instruments is closer to a natural state, and the texture is not overly smooth. However, it is a point that is currently being reevaluated. Due to the nature of recording, this type of sound board sound source basically tends to have a unique balance, but even so, the ease of listening to “DESTROYER” is still outstanding. This is even more noticeable in the low-gene state. That's what this release is all about. In the first place, why did “DESTROYER” become the earliest leaked sound board sound source in the history of ZEP live sound sources? In the LP era, it was thought that the sound source was miraculously leaked from the live sound source archive owned by ZEP. Having said that, it's not that easy for audio sources to be stolen. In fact, "DESTROYER" was presented as a document to the film crew when it was decided to record the video at the Kingdome in Seattle in July, which is now popular as a professional shot video of the 1977 tour. It was. Indeed, it is presumed that these sound sources were the best for getting to know the 1977 tour, which had a long staging period. In other words, it was the result of the sound source being handed over from the archive to an outsider and leaked out. The sound sources that spread in this way have produced countless items to this day, but in the early days of LPs and CDs in particular, decent items from the 1977 tour were limited, so although the sound was good, the performances were not lively. This created the image of a "DESTROYER" lacking in functionality. This was partly due to the fact that the only releases other than “DESTROYER” at that time were the LA performances on June 21st and 23rd. In other words, the two extreme situations are "DESTROYER" in the first half of the tour and (as a result) "Eddie" and "Badge Holder" from the LA performance in the second half of the tour. You could say it was a misunderstanding that arose from that. Fortunately, with the current excavation of a large amount of sound board sound sources, the image of "DESTROYER" and the standing position of the sound source are starting to be evaluated correctly. In other words, the June performance captured ZEP (especially Bonzo) high on cocaine, typical of LA's temptations, and shows what the 1977 tour was originally aiming for, or how the 1977 tour was operating normally. That it was "DESTROYER". The Landover and MSG soundboard sound sources that have since been discovered and are still available today had a ``reasonable full-throttle engine feeling.'' In the past, I used to be all about Eddie's sharp performance, but now I really enjoy listening to "DESTROYER," which has the calmness and natural excitement that is typical of the first half of the tour. . Among them, Bonzo on this day didn't have the "medicated smell" like in LA, and his drumming was so sharp that it felt good to listen to it, with a natural groove feeling. It's true that L.A.'s Bonzo, including Eddie, were powerful, but live shows where the drums were too prominent were never praised for the balance of the music. Rather, “DESTROYER” clearly conveys the solid groove feeling that the 1977 tour aimed for. On the other hand, from this tour, Page's roughness in his playing began to surface, but even so, the uneven phrases on this day's "Stairway To Heaven" and "Rock And Roll" were caused by troubles related to guitar connections. It is transmitted through the clearness unique to the sound board sound source that it is a happening rather than a mistake. To support this, his inspired and splendid play was heard in the last song “Trampled Underfoot”. And unlike the many soundboard sound sources that have been discovered in recent years, only those two songs have an unnatural balance, and overall they are in a very easy-to-listen condition. A big charm unique to soundboards. And, combined with this low generation condition, we have recorded in the best condition a famous sound source that can be listened to with peace of mind among the many live sound sources of the 1977 tour. It would be even better if they were able to properly adjust the pitch changes that were seen here and there at the end of the live performance. Oh yeah, it's a super standard sound source of ZEP live that you can understand just by saying "DESTROYER", so I forgot to mention the important thing. This live performance was recorded in Cleveland on April 27, 1977! Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 27th April 1977 Disc 1 (59:26) 1. The Song Remains The Same 2. Sick Again 3. Nobody's Fault But Mine 4. In My Time Of Dying 5. Since I've Been Loving You 6. No Quarter Disc 2 (44:36) 1. Ten Years Gone 2. The Battle Of Evermore 3. Going To California 4. Black Country Woman 5. Born-Y-Aur Stomp 6. White Summer 7. Black Mountain Side 8. Kashmir Disc 3 (61:30) 1. Over The Top 2. Guitar Solo 3. Achilles Last Stand 4. Stairway To Heaven 5. Rock And Roll 6. Trampled Underfoot