Led Zeppelin / Budokan 1972 1st Night / 4CD

Led Zeppelin / Budokan 1972 1st Night / 4CD / Non Label

Translated Text:
Live At Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 2nd October 1972

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In fact, Desoroi live sound source of ZEP each age, what mania around the world is not only recently that is was to be able to grasp the entire history of their live. Blueberry Hill, 929, and is natural the sound source is coming stand out in both the content and quality, such as Eddie. On the other hand, even while proud of the sound quality quality that stands out in the same way, what was not quite Japan tour of the second time ZEP that the content has not been evaluated live.
But these days ZEP live sound source was enough of them this tour has also adapted to receive a fair evaluation. By 1972 summer US tour is, when it’s ZEP early demise as a band live over most comprehensive ran around the young plant, the second time of the Japan tour was centered on the tactics of Paige of improvisation of Bonzo to is the starting point of vie groove ZEP serving as the medium-term.
It will include “major changes in the live configuration” or “decline of the plant began to progress” in there. Contrary to the rhythm-oriented play of ZEP went to evolve from here, the plant is not all the way out voice from “Rock And Roll” in the opening. These easy to understand change, yet it was Mise caught in the best sound quality in 1972 would be on Oct. 2 concert is the first day of Budokan. “DANCING DAYS”, “NO USE GRECO”, and “BUDOKAN Oct 2, 1972,” such as name board have continued to be issued, we familiar to the Japanese. Rashiku Japan tour, be another sound source is excavation of this day, this is the voice of the best is not still unwavering eventually. The split without appeared Ray test release since the beginning of the 2010s, it is surprising that so much of name recording has been overlooked. It also would appear that the second time of the Japan tour has not been duly evaluated.

After all the sound quality of this audience recording with a big surprise to us even in the modern 2016, for us to reproduce the pattern of the first day of Budokan. On balance of the sound image, even more, such as clearness alright, the second time a higher-level state is also compared to the sound source of Osaka two days worth forming a matchless people in Japan tour of does not have a so called only with great. Remarkable while stage of the Japan tour the first day, that there is no any cut that ranged in performance. Another sound source has been discovered up to now, for example, our shop is in such a recording that was included as a bonus CD-R of the next day of the Budokan performances “ROLE TO PLAY” mean that there is even recording leakage of the song, of the exceptional 1972 at that time not only a sound quality, only is also surprised by the stunning recording state.
And modern whole live history of ZEP has come to be grasped, legitimate evaluation has become so also given with respect to the performance of the day. Will able to understand you from the fact that has been described as “Robert’s voice is still high and great” in the example, “LED ZEPPELIN DATEBASE” site. Without fit my voice, his voice itself is’re keeping the youth that was in until the US tour in the summer. More of the things that had aggravated the cold is has become a mortal wound to his throat but rather but rather the following year the beginning of the UK tour at the start.
Its youthful voice really shines and became a live premiere “The Song Remains The Same”. In the same way as the high tone voice version that was heard in had been preceded published in the summer of the United States “Over The Hills And Far Away”, is very valuable is a point which has been unveiled at album-take as it is a singing voice and melody . Let’s will affirm this area is a big attraction of the ’72 tour to Japan, which has been overlooked until now.
On the other hand, play and sense of groove of Paige and Bonzo is also an atmosphere of until the summer of the United States, this also “Over The Hills ~” and the like heterogeneous lightness of legs and Vinesu to leap at the moment, which celebrated 1973 It is fresh. More than this song to become 73 after the year of the ZEP of improvisation of place “Dazed And Confused” as has been handed down between mania, funny Lodi and Paige has occurred in that you have confused the selection of the guitar intro ( had played in the Paul-less for the “Dancing Days”) it is interesting, but improvisation part of the Bonzo of the first half to be immediately deployed dimensional worlds the guitar has sprout very deployment 73 years.
In the medley of music selection for deployment in “Whole Lotta Love” in the live late ’73 deployment of up to Europe but has finished, still be far from listening to the point that keeping the traditional freedom at this point. But it appeared “Lemon Song” on the evidence, also, such as that that sings this song has become more difficult, I think we can guess that it is now responsible for the immobilization of the following year of the medley song selection.

Finally, in this release are realizing the CD of on you were asked to provide cassette deck was popular at that time, the recorded master using a Densuke again. Recording state because such as before, such as compensation using a different sound source only between songs, send-off from the fact that might cause in the unnatural listening comfort rather, and natural and Womi version was recorded this great record straight, a style that version of the coupling which has been subjected to re-master the latest technology has come up with novelty.
Because the original is the quality of the special, to be vacuum-packed the natural and the natural of cassette a limitation of the press CD is a matter of course. But technology from the time of the items that you equalize the sound source, which was released in the past received that it has dramatically improved, this time of the re-master did on the absolute condition that it does not feel the “unnatural”, “playing by equalizing the sense that accentuate the contour “further” reduce moderately the cassette recording of specific hiss “, mania was also finishing to convince the 2016 basis remastered. The best of the sound source to represent the second time of the concert in Japan as well as the state of the raw, please enjoy in the strongest coupling of waste without polished state!

 

実のところ、ZEP各年代のライブ音源が出揃い、世界中のマニアが彼らのライブの歴史全体を把握できるようになったのはつい最近の事ではないでしょうか。ブルーベリーヒル、929、そしてエディといった音源が内容と音質の両方で抜きん出来ているのは当たり前。一方で、同じように抜きん出た音質クオリティを誇りつつも、なかなかライブの内容が評価されていなかったのがZEP二度目の来日公演ではなかったでしょうか。
しかしZEPのライブ音源が出揃った昨今、このツアーも正当な評価を受けるようになってきました。1972年夏のアメリカ・ツアーまでが、若きプラントを中心として縦横無尽に駆け巡るバンド・ライブとしてのZEP初期の終焉だとすると、二度目の来日公演はボンゾのペイジのインプロヴィゼーションの駆け引きを中心としたへヴィ・グルーブZEPたる中期のスタート地点です。
そこには「ライブ構成の大きな変化」あるいは「進行し始めたプラントの衰え」が挙げられます。ここから進化していったZEPのリズム指向プレイとは反対に、プラントはオープニングの「Rock And Roll」からして声が出きっていないのです。こうした解りやすい変化を、しかも1972年当時に最高の音質で捉えてみせたのが初日である武道館の10月2日公演でしょう。「DANCING DAYS」、「NO USE GRECO」、そして「BUDOKAN Oct 2, 1972」といった名盤が出され続けてきた、我々日本人にはなじみ深いもの。日本公演らしく、この日の別音源が発掘されても、結局はこれがベストとの声は未だに揺るぎません。その割に2010年代に入ってからはレイテスト・リリースが登場せず、これほどの名録音が見過ごされていたのは意外です。それもまた、二度目の来日公演が正当に評価されていなかったことの表れでしょう。

何しろこのオーディエンス録音の音質は2016年の現代でも我々に大きな驚きを持って、武道館初日の模様を再現してくれます。音像のオンなバランス、さらにクリアネスなどは申し分なく、二度目の来日公演において双璧を成す大阪二日分の音源と比べてもさらにレベルの高い状態は素晴らしいとしか言いようがありません。極めつけは来日公演初日のステージながら、演奏に及んだカットが一切ないということ。現在までに発見されてきた別音源、例えば当店が翌日の武道館公演「ROLE TO PLAY」のボーナスCD-Rとして付属させた録音などには曲の収録漏れすらある訳で、72年当時に別格の音質というだけでなく、見事な収録状態にも驚かされるばかり。
そしてZEPのライブ史全体が把握されるようになった現代、この日の演奏に関しても正当な評価が与えられるようになってきました。例えば「LED ZEPPELIN DATEBASE」サイトにおいて「Robert’s voice is still high and great」と評されていることからもお解りいただけるでしょう。声が出きらなくとも、彼の声質自体は夏のアメリカ・ツアーまでにあった若さを保っているのです。むしろ翌年初めのイギリス・ツアー開始時に風邪をこじらせてしまったことの方がむしろ彼の喉に致命傷となってしまいました。
その若々しい声はライブ初演となった「The Song Remains The Same」で真価を発揮。夏のアメリカで先行公開されていた「Over The Hills And Far Away」で聴かせたハイトーン・ボイス・バージョンと同じように、アルバム・テイクそのままな歌声や旋律で披露されている点が非常に貴重です。この辺りが今まで見落とされていた72年来日公演の大きな魅力だと断言いたしましょう。
一方でペイジやボンゾのプレイやグルーブ感もまた夏のアメリカまでの雰囲気であり、これまた「Over The Hills~」などは1973年を迎えた瞬間に飛躍するへヴィネスとは異質な足腰の軽さが新鮮。この曲以上に73年以降のZEPのインプロヴィゼーションの場となる「Dazed And Confused」はマニアの間で語り継がれてきたように、ローディとペイジがギターの選択を混同したことで起きたおかしなイントロ(「Dancing Days」用レスポールで弾いてしまった)が面白いのですが、すぐにギターを持ち替えて展開される前半のボンゾとのインプロ・パートはまさしく73年の展開が芽生えています。
ライブ終盤における「Whole Lotta Love」で展開するメドレーの選曲においても、73年ヨーロッパまでの展開が出来上がっていますが、この時点ではそれでもなお従来の自由さを保っている点も聴きどころ。その証拠に「Lemon Song」が登場しますが、この曲を歌いこなすことが難しくなってきたことなども、翌年のメドレー選曲の固定化の原因となったことが推測できるのではないでしょうか。

最後に、今回のリリースにおいては当時ポピュラーだったカセット・デッキ、デンスケを用いて録音されたマスターを改めて提供してもらった上でのCD化を実現。先のような録音状態ゆえ、曲間だけ別音源を使った補填など、むしろ聴き心地を不自然にしてしまいかねないことから見送り、この偉大な録音をストレートに収録したナチュラルかつウォーミーなバージョンと、最新のテクノロジーでリマスターを施したバージョンのカップリングというスタイルで目新しさを打ち出しています。
元が別格のクオリティですので、カセット然としたナチュラルさを限定のプレスCDで真空パックすることは当然の事。しかし過去にリリースされたこの音源をイコライズしたアイテムの頃からテクノロジーが飛躍的に向上したことを受け、今回のリマスターは「不自然さ」を感じさせないことを絶対条件とした上で「演奏の輪郭を際立たせる」さらに「カセット録音特有のヒスを程よく抑える」というイコライズ・センスにより、マニアも納得の2016年的リマスターに仕上げました。二度目の来日公演を代表する最高の音源を生のままの状態だけでなく、無駄なく磨き上げられた状態という最強カップリングにてお楽しみください!

Original Master

Disc 1 (73:37)
1. Introduction 2. Rock And Roll 3. Over The Hills And Far Away 4. Black Dog
5. Misty Mountain Hop 6. Since I’ve Been Loving You 7. Dancing Days 8. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
9. The Song Remains The Same 10. The Rain Song 11. Dazed And Confused (incl. The Crunge)

Disc 2 (52:23)
1. Stairway To Heaven 2. Whole Lotta Love 3. Heartbreaker 4. Immigrant Song
5. Communication Breakdown

Remaster

Disc 3 (73:37)
1. Introduction 2. Rock And Roll 3. Over The Hills And Far Away 4. Black Dog
5. Misty Mountain Hop 6. Since I’ve Been Loving You 7. Dancing Days 8. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
9. The Song Remains The Same 10. The Rain Song 11. Dazed And Confused (incl. The Crunge)

Disc 4 (52:23)
1. Stairway To Heaven 2. Whole Lotta Love 3. Heartbreaker 4. Immigrant Song
5. Communication Breakdown

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