LED ZEPPELIN – GOING TO CALIFORNIA (4 CD)

Description

Live at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California, USA 13th & 14th September 1971
PERFECT/TRULY PERFECT SOUND
Disc 3-4 Taken from the vintage LP “GOING TO CALIFORNIA”(TMQ-72004 / LZ 1-4)

Discs 3 and 4 feature the classic “Going to California” performance (September 14, 1971) recorded from a vintage LP (not available online). Discs 1 and 2 feature the opening night of the Berkeley performance on the 13th, the day before the classic performance, making the 1971 Berkeley performance a 4-CD affair.

★UPGRADE!!!

　This is a high-quality audience recording from Berkeley in 1971, capturing the stage of ZEP over two days, two weeks before their first performance in Japan. Although the sources of the sound sources are different, currently, packages coupling two days are mainstream. This time, the two days will naturally be released as a coupling, but each will be released in the best possible condition.

　First of all, on the first day in Berkeley, it was a nostalgic sound source that became known to enthusiasts through items such as Mad Dogs and old Tara. However, such items from the 90s each had problems with pitch and gene, and it was undeniable that they did not quite penetrate the enthusiasts’ hearts.

　More than 10 years later, the R&B version remastered by dadgad has spread like wildfire. At first listen, it’s much easier to listen to than the 90s items mentioned above, and it actually gave rise to the best-selling album “BERKLEY FIRST NIGHT,” which I now look back on fondly.

　That said, 2010 was the time when dadgad was at their most dazzling with their sound creation, and the finish was far from natural, with echoes added to create an overdone feel. It’s ironic that the dadgad version, which seemed cool in 2010, and was saturated with excessive equalization even back then, has become the mainstream of releases in recent years.

　However, this time, not only was it possible to record from the master, but it was also possible to make a CD based on a version that is not available online. As expected, the naturalness is on a different level from the dadgad version, and when you listen to “BERKLEY FIRST NIGHT” again, you are reminded of the extremely dazzling finish. Since the sound source was reviewed 15 years later, the result is even more pleasant to listen to. Of course, the pitch is accurate.

　Although the sound image on this day was a bit dango-like, it was not as good as the day after the stereo recording, but it was a monaural audience recording that was easy to listen to. In addition, this is a recording of the entire live performance, and it is valuable that it even captures Bill Graham’s band introduction announcement at the opening.

　On the second day, we saw the long-loved TMOQ LP “GOING TO CALIFORNIA,” but the original recording was never discovered. This is because the original LP was not released on the TMOQ label, but by another company (possibly made in the UK). The original didn’t have the TMOQ stamped cover, but a colorful gatefold jacket.

　The company that made this didn’t continue releasing it, and instead transferred the stamper, which led to the release by TMOQ. In fact, the TMOQ book “A PIG’S TALE” clearly states that it was “not a TMOQ production.” While the original recordings of TMOQ-produced Blueberry Hill and Bontan were available, this was the reason why the original recordings were not. With so much time having passed, it’s unlikely that the original master will ever be unearthed.

　So to this day, CD items recorded from TMOQ LPs have continued to be released, but it’s a nostalgic story that the first CD to be released was not a TMOQ, but a contraband LP that had been downgraded from a copy to mono.

　This time, we have achieved a thoroughly clean transfer from the original TMOQ vinyl. At the time, TMOQ LPs were subject to variations in pressing, making noiseless playback itself difficult. As a result, many CDs were released in a somewhat unsatisfactory state, with noise or silent sections cut out. However, this time, we have achieved a thoroughly clean recording from a literally mint-condition LP, with no tinkering required.

　This recording is also stereo, and from the beginning of “Immigrant Song” to just after the start of “Heartbreaker”, the microphone connection was faulty and the recording became mono, but the incident of switching to extremely clear stereo from there was also recorded as it was on the record. There is a blank space as if the microphone was reconnected at the scene where it changes from mono to stereo, but this was also recorded without cutting. This is because you can listen to it without getting bored.

　Such recording troubles continued on “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love” with the left channel momentarily going off, but by converting this to mono this time, it became much easier to hear. In past items, these momentary offs were often ignored. Even so, the sound cutoff on “Dazed And Confused” was thoroughly addressed by waveform adjustment rather than mono conversion. This allows you to enjoy the crystal-clear stereo sound quality easily and with minimal stress.

　The greatest appeal of this recording is the way Zep is consistently focused on their performance during the two days in Berkeley. The ’71 tour, which began at the LA Forum and continued on to MSG and Boston, was amidst the chaos of America, and threatened to interrupt the shows. It’s nice to see them playing in front of the well-mannered Berkeley audience.

　Plant’s voice sounds a bit tired early on in the second day, but he quickly recovers. Thanks to the crystal-clear stereo sound quality, the acoustic sections are truly captivating to listen to. That’s why a faithful CD release of the TMOQ master recordings was a necessity. Enjoy the best of both of these fascinating days at Berkeley!

Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California, USA 13th September 1971
Disc 1(65:37)
1. Introduction★The beginning is intentionally not faded.
2. Immigrant Song★On the online dadgad version, there is a tape splice cut just before the performance.
3. Heartbreaker
4. Since I’ve Been Loving You
5. Black Dog
6. Dazed And Confused
★There are cuts between songs. The recording before and after the cuts is slightly longer than on the online version.
7. Stairway To Heaven
8. Celebration Day
★The disc change section is intentionally overlapped for a longer period with Disc 2.
(Because there are no cuts between songs in the original sound source)
If you want to hurry, please change to Disc 2 immediately after the celebrity performance ends.

Disc 2(71:35)
1. MC
2. That’s The Way
3. Going To California
4. What Is And What Should Never Be
5. Moby Dick
★There are cuts between songs.
There is no fading before and after the cut, and it is recorded slightly longer than the online version.
(Note: The online version of the 2nd Gen version is missing a significant portion of this section.)
6. Whole Lotta Love
★There are cuts between songs.
There is no fading before and after the cut, and it is recorded slightly longer than the online version.
7. Communication Breakdown
★No fade at the end. Slightly longer than the online version.

Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California, USA 14th September 1971
Disc 3 (48:25)
1. Immigrant Song★Includes the entire tracing section (from this song to the beginning of Heart, it was originally mono).
Unlike the previous release and the online version, the sound is calm with almost no crunchy distortion on the left and right channels.
2. Heartbreaker★There is a cut at around 0:24 where the tape changes from mono to stereo.
I left about 0.3 seconds of silence (to avoid messing up the rhythm)
★You can hear the difference in the sound processing from the previous version in the guitar solo (the online version is quite crunchy)
★5:29-42 The left channel sound is off, so this section has been converted to mono to avoid any discomfort.
3. Since I’ve Been Loving You
4. Black Dog ★ 0:04-5 Left channel sound is off, so it’s converted to mono to avoid any sense of incongruity
5. Dazed And Confused ★ The end of the record is also included (about 2 seconds longer than the online version)

Disc 4 (48:08)
1. Stairway To Heaven ★ Recorded without omission from the tracing section (about 0.7 seconds longer than the online sound source)
2. That’s The Way
3. Going To California ★ Recorded without omission from the cheers after the performance (about 0.9 seconds longer than the online sound source)
4. Whole Lotta Love ★ Around 19:03-05, the left channel sound is off, so it has been converted to mono to avoid any discomfort.
★The end of the record is also included.