Thanks for that Info and link! I think my friend mentioned a break between BMS and CB so maybe he had the stereo ATCO version. I take it the mono test pressing did not have the gap? I must have missed the samples and discussion on the Hoffman board. Maybe I'll come across needledrops of these someday.

I took the redone version by Winston (a very nice job by him) and added in the missing bits, songs and Plant patter from the 6-25 audience recording that was distributed on the old FBO list. A very good aud tape if not Millard quality. It worked well to make a "complete show". Yes, 'How the West was Re-redone'.

You're welcome and yeah, me neither. Still using my technics from about 1981 with an 8 year old cart. Somehow it still gets the job done. I thought it would have been cool for Ludwig to have a pass at mastering the recent vinyl version of II from the actual tape that he used back in the day. Oh well...

Funny, I just came across this day old article. A short piece on the RL II and Whole Lotta Love good for a listen on youtube. http://www.analogplanet.com/content/start-new-year-rl-version-whole-lotta-love#oDKq78mfmw1yVRKv.97

^Hard to say about your copy. Not sure, but I think the returns in the early release days had more to do with the LP skipping than distortion. A friend had this issue in 1969 and returned the Lp 2-3 times. You should try cleaning the album to see if it helps. It could be groove damage from a worn stylus in which case you may be out of luck. There is some (tape saturation) distortion on the master tape. It's part of the way the album was recorded and mixed That will never change, short of a remix, and even then I'm not sure how clean things could sound. I love the sound of the RL pressings but none of mine are perfect, that's for sure (one does skip and one has a bad warp). Also, I'm not bothered by the tape distortion as it's just part of the sound of this album, but I can see where some could be put off by it.

A question about the US test pressing LP for the first LZ album. A friend asserts he had one in 1969 and it had slightly different mixes on it. He let a label rep borrow it but of course, never saw it again. Has there ever been confirmation of this pressing with different mixes. (organ mixed up on Communication Breakdown being the main example)?

Here's a link to an extended version of Fire I put together with audacity. I included a short spacey manipulated middle section and then back to the song. I tried to finish it for the boys.

Here is the Paul Rodgers Radioactive quote from the Tolinski "Light and Shade" interview book. (page 237) Tolinski-- You play a lot of guitar on the album Rodgers-- "Not a lot of people know this, but I actually played the solo on "Radioactive". It was a finger exercise that British blues pioneer Alexis Korner taught me years and years earlier, and it was so robotic and weird that I wanted it to be part of the song. When I think back it was actually kind of ballsy of me to say to Jimmy Page, "I'll be doing the solo on this one, Jim". But he was fine with it, and he contributed some great chords."

I was pretty surprised too, when I found out. Right now, I can't remember exactly where I read that Paul played it but I'm pretty sure it was in the Brad Tolinski book on Page called "Light and Shade". There is a section in the book where Tolinski talks to Rodgers about the Firm. I don't own the book but I'm going to try to get it from the library again to confirm.

Little known fact-- Paul Rogers plays the weird lead guitar part on Radioactive. Rogers is also the sole writer. I think connecting these 2 songs is a stretch.

A correction- Elvis played Alexandria, LA March 30, 1977 not Alexandria, VA on May 30, 1977. Elvis was in the region while Zep was there in May '77. He played in Baltimore on May 29, an off day for Zep. I wonder if they considered going to see him. He also played the Capitol Centre May 22, three days before Zep started their run there.

41 years gone. June 3, 1973

Dazed and Confused from Salt Lake City 5-26-1973. (Georgia on my Mind version) Amazing version with some really spacey Plant vocals. Fantastic SB mix too.

Dazed... St Paul, MN 1973. So aggressive. Bonzo is all over the place-love it..

Great one. I'm going to blast this one since Jimmy will be there today.