Led Zeppelin / Brussels 1978 Master Cassette / 2CD

Led Zeppelin / Brussels 1978 Master Cassette / 2CD /

Forest National, Brussels, Belgium 28th May 1972

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The warm-up gig that Led Zeppelin held in Europe before the start of their 1972 American tour was released as a compilation called “EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972” and sold out to great acclaim. However, after that, the release of “AMSTERDAM 1972 REEL ARCHIVES”, which was a shocking discovery, was realized and the supply of Amsterdam gigs became stable even today, but because of this, Brussels became isolated. . It has been well-received not only for its value as a warm-up, but also for its surprisingly clear and easy-to-listen sound quality, even though it is monaural, ever since its release, making its re-release all the more eagerly awaited.
However, unlike in Amsterdam, this one used a direct master sound source from the time of the release of “EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972”, and I felt that the sound quality was excellent. In that case, it would have been possible to re-release it as a two-disc set by extracting only the Brussels part from the previous release, but the sound quality is very easy to listen to. What’s more, at this timing, a version of the original master has appeared on the Internet, so instead of a simple reissue, it will be re-released with a new sound source and appeared on a limited press CD.
First of all, we thoroughly adjusted the unstable and low pitch that we could not attack in the previous release. Furthermore, noise is also thoroughly removed. Audience recordings that were already easy to listen to can now be enjoyed with peace of mind. I’ll go into more detail later, but the atmosphere and performances in Brussels are completely different from the actual American tour, and it’s really interesting, and it’s easy to listen to and can be enjoyed not only by enthusiasts who want to experience this unique period, but also by beginners. I think that’s a big attraction.

The audience recording that captured Brussels has a larger sound image (and an impression that is easier to hear), so the tone of Robert’s sharp voice at the opening is also vividly captured. You can see a glimpse of the 72-year-oldness in this area, but on the other hand, Jimmy is in great condition right after the start. He plays with such talkativeness that it’s interesting to listen to, and even in the face of America’s frenzy, it feels like he’s calm and concentrating on his performance. The best example of this is that after finishing the guitar solo of “Heartbreaker”, he appeared with enough time to play the Clapton phrase of “Steppin’ Out”.
In that respect, Robert takes full advantage of the warm-up and sings “Black Dog” with a lowered melody similar to the one from the following year. This is even more noticeable at the ending of “Stairway To Heaven,” and the result is a rare pattern in which her voice is youthful, but her singing style approaches that of the following year. To make matters worse, Jimmy, who was so excited during the first half of the live show, somehow stalled during the guitar solo. Even though these roughness can be seen here and there, the performance as a whole is full of ambition, which is an interesting feeling that can only be experienced at this time of year.
After this, in the acoustic corner, Robert became uncharacteristically irritated and repeatedly warned the audience members who wouldn’t sit down or stay quiet, and ended up having them redo “Going To California.” As far as listening to the sound source, it feels like the atmosphere is much calmer than in America, and perhaps it was the lack of clarity in his own voice that made it so. The most ironic thing is that Robert completely recovered in the acoustic corner, and it seemed to be in the first half of 1972 that he regained the sharpness of his voice like the previous year.

The development from the middle to the second half of the live performance is also really interesting. First of all, “Dazed And Confused” is a development that has a modest amount of bargaining between the members as later, but it already foresees a development typical of 1972. This is condensed into a performance of less than 20 minutes, and as a result, it can be said that it is very easy to listen to. Furthermore, “Moby Dick” is not played (bitter smile), which strengthens the impression that even though it is a warm-up stage that is different from the usual stage, it is easy to listen to even for beginners.
By this time, the audience had become quiet, and the band, including Robert, seemed to be enjoying the performance more and more. The result is clearly the endless oldies medley of “Whole Lotta Love.” Unfortunately, the recording ends when the medley ends this time as well, but this long and fun-looking medley is still really interesting.
After all, the scene where Robert sings “Running Bear”, also known as “Sad Indian” in Japanese, is a typical scene of the series of 72 warm-ups, and being able to enjoy this famous song in clear sound quality is a big attraction of Brussels. Like the Australian tour, the long-awaited re-release of the literally hidden masterpiece that reaffirms the “friendliness” of the first half of the 1972 tour before the US has been overhauled. A rare 1972 audience album that is easy to listen to even though it is a maniac gig!

レッド・ツェッペリンが1972年のアメリカツアー開始前にヨーロッパで行ったウォームアップ・ギグは『EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972』という集大成がリリースされて大好評の内にSold Out。しかしその後、アムステルダムのギグに関しては衝撃の発掘であった『AMSTERDAM 1972 REEL ARCHIVES』のリリースが実現して現在も安定供給されるようになりましたが、そのせいで孤立してしまったのがブリュッセル。ウォームアップの貴重さだけでなく、モノラルながら驚くほどクリアーで聞きやすい音質には先に挙げたリリース時から定評があり、なおさら再リリースが待ち望まれていました。
もっともアムステルダムと違いこちらは『EUROPEAN WARM UP SHOWS 1972』のリリース時からマスター直の音源が使用されており、音質的には極められた感がありました。そうなると既発からブリュッセルのパートだけを抜き出した二枚組としての再リリースも可能でしたが、何しろ非常に聞きやすい音質。おまけにこのタイミングで改めてマスター直のバージョンがネット上に現れてくれましたので、安直な再発ではなく、改めて音源を洗い直す形での再リリース＆限定プレスCDでの登場となります。
まず前回のリリースで攻め切れていなかった不安定かつ低かったピッチを徹底的にアジャスト。さらにはノイズもしっかり除去。ただでさえ聞きやすかったオーディエンス録音がいよいよ安心して楽しめるようになりました。この後に詳しく触れていきますが、ブリュッセルは本番アメリカツアーとはまるで違った雰囲気や演奏が本当に面白く、この特異な時期を味わってみたい…というマニアはもちろん、初心者でも十分に楽しんでもらえる聞きやすさが大きな魅力かと。

ブリュッセルを捉えたオーディエンス録音は音像も大きめ（なおさら聞きやすい印象）ですので、オープニングにおけるロバートのキレが悪い声の調子も生々しい程に捉えてしまっている。この辺りも72年らしさが垣間見られる訳ですが、一方でジミーは開始直後から絶好調。聞いていて面白いくらい饒舌に弾きまくっており、狂騒のアメリカを前にむしろ落ち着いて演奏に集中しているようにすら感じられる。その最たる例が「Heartbreaker」のギターソロを終えたところで「Steppin’ Out」のクラプトン・フレーズを弾くほどの余裕に現れたのではないでしょうか。
その点ロバートはウォームアップの利点を最大限に活かして「Black Dog」も翌年以降のようなメロディを下げた歌い方で逃げます。それが「Stairway To Heaven」のエンディングになるとさらに顕著で、結果として声が若々しいのに歌い方が翌年のモードに近づくというレアパターン。おまけにライブ前半であれほどノリノリだったジミーがギターソロで何故か失速。こうした粗が散見されるのに、それでも演奏全体は覇気があるというこの時期にしか味わえない面白さ。
この後のアコースティック・コーナーではロバートがいつになくイライラした調子で座らない、あるいは静かにできない観客に何度も注意を促し、挙句の果てには「Going To California」をやり直させる始末。音源を聞く限りではアメリカよりよっぽど落ち着いた雰囲気に感じられ、むしろ自身の声の煮え切らなさがそうさせたのかもしれません。もっとも皮肉なことにロバートはアコースティック・コーナーで完全に復調、前年のような声のキレが蘇るのが72年前半らしいところ。

ライブの中盤から後半の展開がまた実に面白い。まず「Dazed And Confused」は後のようなメンバー間の駆け引きが控えめな展開ながら、それでいて既に72年らしい展開を予見させるというもの。それが20分足らずの演奏に凝縮されており、結果として非常に聞きやすい内容だと言えるでしょう。さらに「Moby Dick」が演奏されず（苦笑）、これがまたウォームアップという通常とは違うステージながら初心者でも十分に聞きやすい印象を強めている。
この頃になると観客も静かになっており、それに気を良くしたロバート以下、バンドの演奏がどんどん楽しそうになってくるのです。その結果が「Whole Lotta Love」で延々と続くオールディーズ・メドレーにはっきりと。今回も残念ながらメドレーが終わったところで録音が終わってしまう状態は変わらないのですが、それでもこの長くて楽しそうなメドレーは本当に面白い。
何と言っても邦題「悲しきインディアン」こと「Running Bear」をロバートが歌い出す場面は一連の72ウォームアップを代表する場面であり、この名唄をクリアーな音質で楽しめるのもブリュッセルの大きな魅力。オーストラリアツアーと同様、アメリカ前の72年ツアー前半に「親しみやすさ」を再確認させてくれる文字通りの隠れた名音源が改めてオーバーホールを施した上で待望の再リリース。マニアックなギグなのにとっても聞きやすいという稀有な72年のオーディエンス・アルバム！

DISC:1 (62:48)
1. Intro
2. Immigrant Song
3. Heartbreaker
4. Black Dog
5. Since I’ve Been Loving You
6. Stairway To Heaven
7. Going To California
8. That’s The Way
9. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp

DISC:2 (54:29)
1. Dazed And Confused
2. What Is And What Should Never Be
3. Whole Lotta Love Medley