Led Zeppelin 7-20-1973 – Boston
Boston Cream Pie Empress Valley
Check the "visual bootlegs" page here Check also the entire bootlegs collection here
Disc One:
1) Rock And Roll ( Fades In) 2) Celebration Day 3) Black Dog 4) Over The Hills And Far Away 5) No Quarter 6) The Song Remains The Same 7) The Rain Song 8) Dazed And Confused ( Includes: " San Francisco")
Disc Two:
1) Stairway To Heaven 2) Heartbreaker 3) Whole Lotta Love (Medley, Fades Out) Includes: Boogie Chillen
This is another infamous show from the 73 tour, this was the bands first show after Robert collapsed in Vancouver, and it was cut short due to a very unruly crowd. It's also their last performance in Boston, they tried to play the Garden in 75, but the crowd destroyed the venue. Apparently they were scheduled to play the Garden during the winter, it was a really bitter winter that year, and the promoter decided to let people camp inside the Garden to purchase tickets iinstea of waiting outside. Apparently they took advantage of the situation and destroyed the inside of the Garden and stole merchandise from the concession stands in the venue, and all of those incidents caused the promoters to cancel the concert. It's really a shame that a few people ruined this show for everyone, this was a pretty decent performance and recording. Original notes from seeder
When it was announced that a new audience source for this concert had surfaced it was inevitable that all the current labels would rush to release a boot. Empress Valley being one of the heavyweight labels for Zep titles. I had available the Beelzebub release prior to receipt of the Empress Valley title. Beelzebub had impressed with the quality of their recent releases. I expected the Beelzebub title to sound better than the Empress Valley. There is not a lot in it but I do think that the Empress Valley sounds just a bit better. I have been disappointed with certain of Empress Valley's recent releases, my main criticism being that they tinker too much with the sound source. The result is that their releases, on occasion, can sound flat. Not so here. The sound quality, at the outset, is not great. It is a bit like a wall of noise. However as the concert progresses the sound quality improves. Plant's voice comes more to the fore. There is more separation of the instruments. A few songs into the concert the band are really strong. This release by Empress Valley, in my opinion, captures this essence of the band a bit better than the Beelzebub release. I must stress that there is not a lot in it. It is mentioned in a review on another site that the Badgeholders release, Wild And Relatively Mellow, sounds better than this release by Empress Valley. I suppose as I'm an individual beyond help I am now going to have to track down that title. The packaging is nothing spectacular, slimline jewel case. Picture of the band and a concert ticket on the front. Track listing on the rear. I acquired Empress Valley's 4CD version. The 2 remaining discs incorporate the earlier available inferior sound source. I am not terribly sure why Empress Valley bothered. It is not as though these 2 discs are ever going to be played. Having said that the packaging for the 2 discs is pretty good. Single cardboard sleeve with William Stout artwork. (John Morrison Aug 05) From: http://uuweb.led-zeppelin.us/1973.html#newboston
Two things plague the show: Robert's very weak voice and the out of control crowd. The band drops Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, and Moby Dick in efforts to calm the crowd. The band itself is playing really well, and Dazed And Confused is a great version. However, the crowd is out of control and the band punishes them with no encores, ending the show at slightly less than two hours. The crowd can't believe it, but that's what they get for not heeding the pleas of Robert when people are getting crushed in front. Robert even sings "Take it easy" in the middle of Dazed but to no avail. The show is played really well though. From: http://www.ledzeppelin.com/node/714/1042#comment-1042
I was 18...stood in line at Sears, Natick Mall for two hours to get tickets ($6.50 ea.)...I've seen hundreds of concerts, all the greats, this was THE greatest...despite it being about 150 degrees inside the old Garden...Page was (is) the greatest guitarist ever. From: http://www.ledzeppelin.com/node/714/2623#comment-2623
Flac:
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8487
mp3: