GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Led Zeppelin / LA Forum 1977 2nd Night 4 Source Mix 2022 Remaster / 4CD / Non label
The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA 22nd June 1977
Play sample :
“Thanks to Bill B.’s source 4, the show is now musically complete”
The only performance in the 1977 ZEP Glory LA Forum series on June 22nd, which is often overlooked because Mike Millard did not record it. Nevertheless, there are four types of audience recordings, but all of them were of monaural and vintage quality, so I can’t deny the impression that it’s hard to beat. On the second day of the 1977 LA Forum, which is like an isolated island, a limited press CD based on the file that the enthusiast managed to put together in the best version by making full use of the existing sound source was released in 2017 “LA FORUM 1977 2ND” It was “NIGHT 4 SOURCE MIX”.
The file produced by a maniac called “Weedwacker”, which was the basis of this title, appeared in 2012. In other words, it was a translation that was made into a CD five years later, but now ten years have passed since its appearance. In the meantime, some sound sources have been excavated in the upper version, and now it is changing to a situation where a better sound quality version can be made. It’s only natural after ten years have passed.
Among them, “recorder 4” achieved the best upper. Originally, “recorder 4” was a sound source that was heavily used as a supplement for the early stage of the live on June 22, and was also used for “L.A. FORUM 1977 2ND NIGHT 4 SOURCE MIX” (hereinafter referred to as “already released board”). .. It was the familiar The Dogs of Doom who unearthed the new version. They just excavated it, and the difference in sound is clear when compared to the part of the same sound source used in the existing board. Roughness and hiss noise have been reduced to make it easier to hear.
Thanks to that, “Ten Years Gone” was adopted because “recorder 3” was adopted because it was excellent in sound quality on the existing board, but the sound quality has improved and the whistling sound that flies in the intro is not bothersome. The merit was evaluated, and this time it was recorded with “recorder 4”. “No Quarter” played before the song is the song that makes the most of the compensation of “recorder 4”, and was used to supplement Johnsy’s solo part. This is also considerably less rough than the already-released board, and it shows a difference that can be said to be optimal for listening comparison points with the already-released board.
What is more remarkable is that the condition of each sound source as a whole is clearly better than the “Weedwacker” version 10 years ago, which was the source of the already released version. It’s easy to understand this point if you compare it in the intro of “No Quarter”, or even when Robert shouts “Over The Top!” At the beginning of Bonzo’s drum solo, the distortion is reduced and it is refreshing. Do you know that it was recorded?
Also, unlike the “Weedwacker” version of the existing board, the handling of the first two sound sources is reversed, so the sound source that was called “recorder 1” is called “recorder 2” this time. Therefore, the sound source that recorded the opening “The Song Remains The Same” in a dumpling shape with a noisy sound of “keen” is now “recorder 2”, but even that jarring sound of “keen” I am surprised that it has decreased in this version. Just listening to the opening is definitely easier to hear than the existing version.
The upper feeling that makes me groan as the Dogs of Doom team is appearing in each sound source just by mentioning it so far, but they have re-examined the editing from the beginning. From the previous problem, the use of “recorder 2”, which has the worst sound quality of the four types, was kept to the minimum necessary from the previous opening to the latter half of “Sick Again”, and instead “recorder 1” was maximized in the first half of the live. By using it, it became easier to hear than the existing board.
And because it was the day after “Eddie”, the performance was hyper-tensioned. On the contrary, the day before, there was a feeling that it was a one-man stage of a sharp Bonzo, but on this day, the other members are also following him from the opening. In other words, it is said that each member has been promoted to a competitive performance. The day before, I felt that Bonzo was flying alone, but on this day, the high tension that the whole band was united shines.
Among them, it is a masterpiece that Jimmy has already crossed over with Bonzo in “The Song Remains The Same”. The high-tension performance that is different from the same song on the previous day, which became the legendary opening, is tremendous, and the momentum continues for a long time. As a result, Robert singing from the extension of “You Shook Me” ad lib in the ending of “In My Time of Dying”, or “Since I’ve Been Loving You” where Bonzo and Jimmy meet again, are outstanding performances.
Not only such a high-tension performance, but also the room that a long break of the rhythm section is included in the “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” of the acoustic corner (the editing that calms down in “recorder 3” is the same this time) is also wonderful. .. Therefore, even if “Over The Hills And Far Away”, which I thought I didn’t intend to do on this day, was additionally shown in the latter half of the live, there was still some spare capacity left. The day when all the members were in great shape … On the contrary, the second day of the 1977 LA Forum, which was a big performance comparable to “Eddie”.
It is a fact that the sound source is still for enthusiasts in total, but it is also a fact that each sound source has improved the sound quality not a little and it has become considerably easier to hear. If you have an existing board, you may be surprised that “that is easy to hear” or “you can hear it”.
1977年ZEP栄光のLAフォーラム連続公演の中において唯一、マイク・ミラードが録音してくれなかったおかげで見過ごされがちな6月22日公演。にもかかわらず四種類のオーディエンス録音が存在してるのですが、それらがすべてモノラルかつビンテージ感のあるクオリティであったこともあり、どうしてもとっつき辛い印象が否めない。まるで孤島のような存在の77年LAフォーラム二日目、その現存する音源を駆使し、マニアが何とかベストバージョンにまとめ上げたファイルを元にした限定プレスCDが2017年リリースの「L.A. FORUM 1977 2ND NIGHT 4 SOURCE MIX」でした。
本タイトルの元になった「Weedwacker」なるマニア製作のファイルが登場したのは2012年。つまり五年後のCD化と相成った訳ですが、それも今や登場から十年という歳月が経過してしまった。その間にいくつかの音源はアッパー版が発掘され、現在であればもっと音質の良いバージョンが作れてしまう状況へと変わっています。十年が過ぎれば当然のことかと。
そんな中でも一番のアッパーを遂げたのが「recorder 4」。元々「recorder 4」は6月22日ライブ序盤の補填要員として重用されてきた音源で「L.A. FORUM 1977 2ND NIGHT 4 SOURCE MIX」（以下“既発盤”と称します）にも活用されていた音源。その新たなバージョンを発掘してくれたのはおなじみThe Dogs of Doom。彼らが発掘してくれただけのことはあり、既発盤で用いられた同音源のパートと聞き比べるとその音の差は歴然。粗さやヒスノイズが随分と収まって聞きやすくなりました。
おかげで既発盤では音質面で秀でていたことから「recorder 3」が採用されていた「Ten Years Gone」ですが、音質が向上した上にイントロでピーピー飛び交う口笛の音が煩わしくない…といったメリットが評価され、今回は「recorder 4」での収録となっています。同曲の前に演奏された「No Quarter」は「recorder 4」の補填がもっとも活かされる曲であり、ジョンジーの独演パートなどの補填に用いられていたもの。これがまた既発盤と比べて粗さが相当に払拭されており、既発盤との聞き比べポイントにも最適と言えるほどの違いをみせています。
さらに特筆すべきは既発盤の元になった十年前の「Weedwacker」バージョンと比べ、各音源全体の状態がはっきり良くなっている事でしょう。この点に関しても「No Quarter」のイントロで聞き比べてもらえると分かりやすいですし、あるいはロバートがボンゾのドラム・ソロ開始時に「Over The Top!」と叫ぶ場面でも歪みが減ってスッキリとした状態で収録されたことが解るかと。
また既発盤の「Weedwacker」バージョンと違って最初の二つの音源の扱いが逆になっており、そこで「recorder 1」とされていた音源が今回は「recorder 2」と称されています。よってオープニング「The Song Remains The Same」を団子状かつ「キーン」というノイズの入る音で収録していた音源が今回は「recorder 2」となる訳ですが、あの「キーン」という耳障りな音までも今回のバージョンでは減少しているから驚き。オープニングを聞いてみただけでも確実に既発盤より聞きやすくなっているのです。
ここまで挙げただけでもさすがはThe Dogs of Doomチームだ…と唸らせてくれるアッパー感が各音源に現れている訳ですが、彼らは編集に関しても一から洗い直し。先の問題から四種類の中でもっとも音質が劣る「recorder 2」の使用を先のオープニングから「Sick Again」の後半までという必要最小限にとどめ、代わりに「recorder 1」をライブ前半で最大限使用することでこれまた既発盤よりも聞きやすなりました。
そして「エディ」の翌日ということもあり演奏の方はハイパーなテンションが持続。それどころか前日はキレッキレなボンゾの一人舞台といった感があったのに対し、この日は他のメンバーもオープニングから彼についてきている点が大きい。つまり各メンバーの拮抗した演奏に昇格しているという。前日はボンゾが一人で飛ばしている感がありましたが、この日はバンド全体が一丸となったハイテンションさが輝きを放っている。
中でもジミーが「The Song Remains The Same」で早くもボンゾとがっぷり四つに渡り合っている様が圧巻。伝説のオープニングとなった前日の同曲とはまた違ったハイテンションな演奏が凄まじく、しかも勢いがずっと持続します。その結果として「In My Time of Dying」のエンディングにおける「You Shook Me」アドリブの引き伸ばしからのロバート熱唱、あるいは再びボンゾとジミーが相まみえる「Since I’ve Been Loving You」といったずば抜けた演奏が続出。
そうしたテンション高めな演奏だけでなく、アコースティック・コーナー（以降「recorder 3」で落ち着く編集は今回も同様）の「Bron-Y-Aur Stomp」でもリズム隊の長いブレイクが盛り込まれるといった余裕もまたお見事。それ故この日はやらないつもりであったと思しき「Over The Hills And Far Away」をライブ後半で追加披露してもなお余力が残されていたのでしょう。それほどメンバー全員が絶好調だった日…それどころか「エディ」と比べてもまったく引けを取らない大熱演となった77年LAフォーラム二日目。
トータルではまだマニア向けな音源であるのも事実ですが、各音源が少なからず音質の向上を遂げたことでかなり聞きやすくなってくれたのもまた事実。もし既発盤をお持ちの方なら「あれ、聞きやすい」あるいは「聞けちゃう」と驚かれるのではないでしょうか。
Disc 1 (44:32)
1. Intro
2. The Song Remains The Same **
3. Sick Again ** + *
4. Nobody’s Fault But Mine *
5. In My Time Of Dying *
6. Since I’ve Been Loving You * + ****
Disc 2 (46:18)
1. MC
2. No Quarter * + ****
3. Ten Years Gone **** + ***
Disc 3 (44:12)
1. MC
2. The Battle Of Evermore ***
3. Going To California ***
4. Black Country Woman ***
5. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp ***
6. White Summer / Black Mountain Side ***
7. Kashmir ***
Disc 4 (72:32)
1. MC
2. Over The Top ***
3. Over The Hills And Far Away (fades out after) ***
4. Noise Solo (fades in before) ***
5. Achilles Last Stand ***
6. Stairway To Heaven ***
7. Whole Lotta Love ***
8. Rock And Roll ***
* – source 1 (Barry G.) – Cass(unknown)
** – source 2 (Carl G.) – Cass(1)
*** – source 3 (Ed F.) – Cass(1)
**** – source 4 – Cass(unknown) (Bill B.)
Non label
