09/29/1971 Osaka - Stairway To Heaven - EVSD SBD Single

[Autumn Moon]

20 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

When you get it, would you mind uploading and giving me a free download link? Thanks bro.

Immediately, I promise. Good one, I like that.

19 hours ago, Xolo1974 said:

I think $150-$200 is a fair price....but I would have to know it was the complete show, and that more wouldn’t be trickled out. I think if they priced it at this level, they would have a LOT more customers. Me, for one.

I think it would be a more profitable venture for them if they priced in this way. Even if they paid $10,000 for the tape, they would only need to sell 50 to recoup their investment. Then it’s all profit. 

They could charge more for people that want fancy box sets. More profit.

Undoubtedly, torrenting will ultimately kill the release of bootlegs. But if you can’t pay what they are charging.....

i just think they need to meet the fans halfway with their pricing strategy. 

Yes, that would be a fair price. Actually, this is not just wishful thinking; about 6 weeks after the initial sale of Deus Ex Machina I purchased EVs jewel case version for $100. As I buy just 1-2 high-priced EV box sets p.a., this is no big issue for me. Usually, I am happy with Graf Zeppelin & Eat A Peach & successor, they are $55 - $75 per 3 CD set and have exceptional sound quality.

[gibsonfan159]

2 hours ago, blindwillie127 said:

SIBLY is simply stunning...

Thx for the link

I gotta say, it's really good. I wasn't taken much by Page's solo on Immigrant Song, but he kills it on SIBLY. Sounds very similar to the alternate mix version.

[Frawls]

Whether you’re a fan of the sound on this one will probably come down your preference for SBDs vs AUDs. For an almost 50 year old SBD, it’s hard to beat. Despite being in mono, the mix and clarity is quite good. On the other sources I’ve heard for this show, the vocals are buried, JPJ’s bass is too prominant and there is a fair amount of hiss and distortion. Most of these issues aren’t present on this release although there is still some overloading in certain parts (‘Friends’ is the most obvious example). There’s also a bit more detail in the high end and you’re able to hear Bonzo’s ride cymbal glisten a bit more. There’s no reverb and the audience can barely be heard but I’m more interested in the detail of the instruments and vocals than the atmosphere of the venue. Of course, that’s a deal breaker for a lot of folks but there shouldn’t be too many complaints about the music. Dry, but the mixed well and the ferocity of the performance shines through. It is cut up for sure with abrupt fades after most of the songs. Total running time is about 92 minutes. Would have loved to hear the other songs in this quality but what are you going to do? The absence of Robert’s banter and ½ of Moby Dick not a big deal for this fan.

 

Again, thanks to those who bought this and shared with the rest of us. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

[Autumn Moon]

Did anyone visit JP.com on the 29 Sept.?

In the diary section Jimmy looks back on 929 & the famous "Where is Bonzo?" episode and fails to remember it correctly.

What we know: As the band delivers the maybe greatest acoustic set ever, poor John Henry relieves himself in a bathroom nearby.

TTW, GTC followed by hilarious comments by the 3 members on stage, RP leads the audience to the first Bonham chant, on with Tangerine, second Bonham chant- and that is the point where Jimmy presents his alternative memory:

Next on the setlist is the electric WIAWSNB, because Bonzo is still missing, they decide to retune the acoustic guitar & play Friends for the first and only time. Bonham still absent, RP sings the first 3 lines of Smoke gets in your eyes AND THEN Bonham finally returns.

 In fact a swearing and moaning Bonzo returned after Tangerine and the second Bonham chant, joined his mates and played the congas on Friends. Only Bonzo accompanied Robert on Smoke, they stopped because JP & JPJ didn´t join.

Well, it is no crime to twist memory after 47 years. At least, he remembers that the concerts were recorded and that they did play exceptionally well.

[Tainted cheese]

7 hours ago, the-ocean87 said:

Here is the "full" version of the songs released to date, including Immigrant song and full Stairway to heaven. Unfortunately not downloadable  from YT 😕

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buxzdq5oqxI

Thanks! I was so damn excited to hear the news a little over a week ago of the release of this concert, only to learn a few hours later as I tried to order it, that it was only half the concert--Oh man that pissed me off . . . again, piece-mealing this out over the months and years! After having a quick listen by use of your link, it is a joy to hear Rock n'Roll so clear w/ Plant's voice up front, but especially Bonham's pistons firing like clockwork! I guess I'm going through the five stages of grief, but getting better, almost ready to move to "acceptance" after listening to that . . .

[JohnOsbourne]

On ‎9‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 5:11 PM, Autumn Moon said:

 

Ah, Jesus, how could I have been so blind! Thanks for enlightenment. I summarise: EV is a poorly managed business, they fail to negotiate a good price for the source tape, and of course their prices are ridiculous high, right?

Let me ask you two things: What price you would consider to be fair for a complete 929 3 CD set? Please don´t say $20-$30, Mr Gibsonfan 159. Think, the tape owner has to be paid, and he knows what special tape he offers- we are not speaking of an uneven 77 performance, taped with the micro in someones arse. 

And once again: What is if EV couldn´t afford to buy & release any new material due to low sales, their fault alone? Who would provide us with new material, do you care about this?

 

I'd do $25 + $4.99 S&H, so $29.99 total.

[JohnOsbourne]

I think a more interesting question is, if the complete soundboard fell in your lap, what would you offer it for?  I'd start at $10K.

[Bonzo_fan]

I would gladly drop up to $100 for silvers of the complete show in this case, even though that's probably more than I should spend on it as a 23-yr-old with more "responsible" things to do with my money.  I suspect that there are at least 100 of us on this forum alone who would pay that for the complete show, so there's their $10,000...

Also, with respect to cuts/songs left off of this (hopefully) initial release, the one that's been bothering me the most is the outro jam of Dazed being almost entirely missing.  The outro jam of Dazed, along with the transition from 1-piece to 2-piece to 3-piece in NQ in later years, is my favourite part of live Zeppelin!  Its omission from this release especially sucks because that part of the song is missing from the old good source (whatever the consensus is to call it) too, so we're stuck with the sub-par audience sources for it ☹️

[John M]

5 hours ago, Frawls said:

Whether you’re a fan of the sound on this one will probably come down your preference for SBDs vs AUDs. For an almost 50 year old SBD, it’s hard to beat. Despite being in mono, the mix and clarity is quite good. On the other sources I’ve heard for this show, the vocals are buried, JPJ’s bass is too prominant and there is a fair amount of hiss and distortion. Most of these issues aren’t present on this release although there is still some overloading in certain parts (‘Friends’ is the most obvious example). There’s also a bit more detail in the high end and you’re able to hear Bonzo’s ride cymbal glisten a bit more. There’s no reverb and the audience can barely be heard but I’m more interested in the detail of the instruments and vocals than the atmosphere of the venue. Of course, that’s a deal breaker for a lot of folks but there shouldn’t be too many complaints about the music. Dry, but the mixed well and the ferocity of the performance shines through. It is cut up for sure with abrupt fades after most of the songs. Total running time is about 92 minutes. Would have loved to hear the other songs in this quality but what are you going to do? The absence of Robert’s banter and ½ of Moby Dick not a big deal for this fan.

 

Again, thanks to those who bought this and shared with the rest of us. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

very well stated, and I agree.  I find this recording astonishing and a real treasure.  Sure I wish it was complete, but then again I wish that Orlando and Toronto 71 were complete as well.   Think about how special this tape is - often rumored and here it is all these years later.  Zeppelin at or near  their peak, the one time ever they played "Friends" and they play it so well, not like a one off lark.  And apparently they played it only because Bonham was sick.  What a coincidence that we have this excellent soundboard of THAT ONE show.  At first I thought how good can this be without WLL and Celebration Day?  Certainly I have heard great 1971 versions of everything else except Friends.  But then I listened to Heartbreaker and I was absolutely blown away all over again, and it just went on from there.  An incredible and precious document, something to savor and cherish. 

[Strider]

1 hour ago, JohnOsbourne said:

I think a more interesting question is, if the complete soundboard fell in your lap, what would you offer it for?  I'd start at $10K.

What would I do if a complete soundboard fell into my lap?

First, using my music industry contacts, I would take the tape to a studio and have it properly EQ'ed and polished. I would also make a few first-generation copies of the raw, non-EQ'd tape.

Keeping the EQ'd copy I would then give the original tape to Jimmy Page.

Then, I would send one copy each of the raw tape and the EQ'd tape to Nutrocker and Sue Dounim and ask them to seed as many trading trees as they wanted.

For those that wanted a physical copy, I would make 3 cd-sets of the complete show for $30-$50, depending on how fancy a package they wanted. I would also look into having vinyl records pressed from the tape for those that wanted vinyl.

[SteveZ98]

According to Collectors Music Review, Eelgrass is already out with their version. Wow, that was quick.

https://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/empress-valley-label/led-zeppelins-how-the-east-was-won-on-empress-valley-and-eelgrass/

 

[duckman]

2 hours ago, SteveZ98 said:

According to Collectors Music Review, Eelgrass is already out with their version. Wow, that was quick.

https://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/empress-valley-label/led-zeppelins-how-the-east-was-won-on-empress-valley-and-eelgrass/

 

...and they included not only Stairway and Friends, but added the 928 SB Black Dog as a bonus.

guess this one will sell like hot biscuits 

[gibsonfan159]

10 minutes ago, duckman said:

...and they included not only Stairway and Friends, but added the 928 SB Black Dog as a bonus.

guess this one will sell like hot biscuits 

For $40. I'm guessing the packaging won't be as fancy, but ask yourself this; If EVSD sold only the packaging for $300 (since you can dl the music for free anyway), would you pay that much for it? I mean, that's really all you're paying for anyway. A booklet with live photos printed on the covers that usually aren't even from the same show anyway. 

I just don't understand how an established company like EVSD could drop the ball so hard on something so desirable to a fanbase. I'm gonna buy the eelgrass version in spite of them. 

[Bozoso73]

A little off track but to the point about boots.  I just recieved "A Memory Frozen Forever" 7.7.1980 Godfather Records 2 disc tri fold out from a seller on ebay for $26.  Its an absolute beauty and was worth every penny.  Granted it was off ebay but all Im saying is if 9.29 SBD was in this kind of format and sold for this much or even a bit higher up to $40 they would sell out considering the legend of the show.  But given how expensive 3.21 was and this one following that path it just seems EV has taken a wrong turn somewhere.  It didnt need to be butchered with a song here or there singled out, half the show (unless thats all they had), and no Plantations (which to me is a huge part of the shows).  I have a lot of respect for EV and have a dozen EV silvers.  Over the years they werent trying to take our wallets (too much anyway) and they put out a decent product but sometime over the last few shows the whole business plan seemed to change trying to hit homeruns instead of singles.  

About the price they paid Im not privy but I just got done reading about Freezer and the debacle that insude that came about with his AUD tape and he was paid $2000. for the masters.  I know that 5.14.73 is not 9.29 but could EV paid anymore than $5000?  Anymore just seems like a huge gamble considering how 3.21 went and how pissed they were about that spreading the internet.  Just a thought. . 

[porgie66]

19 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

For $40. I'm guessing the packaging won't be as fancy, but ask yourself this; If EVSD sold only the packaging for $300 (since you can dl the music for free anyway), would you pay that much for it? I mean, that's really all you're paying for anyway. A booklet with live photos printed on the covers that usually aren't even from the same show anyway. 

I just don't understand how an established company like EVSD could drop the ball so hard on something so desirable to a fanbase. I'm gonna buy the eelgrass version in spite of them. 

As I said earlier , and others have noted...in this case it's not simply a show that EV downloaded for nothing, tweaked and pressed into discs. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong , but EV bought the source or a copy of it, which may have cost any number of thousands of dollars. So you are not only paying for packaging, you're paying for their initial costs and the work and materials involved in pressing the discs. That being said , it's still very lame that they aren't presenting the whole tape. I hope it backfires and they put out a complete product or even a merge , and charge accordingly. This release is a double edged sword ...it's magnificent and sucks all at once. 

[porgie66]

25 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

For $40. I'm guessing the packaging won't be as fancy, but ask yourself this; If EVSD sold only the packaging for $300 (since you can dl the music for free anyway), would you pay that much for it? I mean, that's really all you're paying for anyway. A booklet with live photos printed on the covers that usually aren't even from the same show anyway. 

I just don't understand how an established company like EVSD could drop the ball so hard on something so desirable to a fanbase. I'm gonna buy the eelgrass version in spite of them. 

Also, does anyone know if Eelgrass is an offshoot( budget line ) of Empress Valley? If not, then they're just opportunists who rip and burn EVs product. Empress Valley has the proprietary source, and that means they are entitled to make a profit so they can keep presenting new sources....but this release is fucking bullshit. It's their way of summarily chastising their customers. 

[gibsonfan159]

9 minutes ago, porgie66 said:

Also, does anyone know if Eelgrass is an offshoot( budget line ) of Empress Valley? If not, then they're just opportunists who rip and burn EVs product. Empress Valley has the proprietary source, and that means they are entitled to make a profit so they can keep presenting new sources....but this release is fucking bullshit. It's their way of summarily chastising their customers. 

I only saw "pressing cd" for the eelgrass edition, meaning it's ripped with photocopied artwork. It's basically something you can do at home.

I understand the bigger productions like EVSD are the ones to bite the bullet for obtaining the source, but this was handled very poorly on their part. If people aren't willing to drop $300 on their fancy packaging then I guess their packaging isn't worth $300. That's supply and demand basics. I guess any people still holding Zep soundboards hostage will just have to either take them to their grave or take lowball offers.

[jbrum77634]

3 hours ago, porgie66 said:

Also, does anyone know if Eelgrass is an offshoot( budget line ) of Empress Valley? If not, then they're just opportunists who rip and burn EVs product. Empress Valley has the proprietary source, and that means they are entitled to make a profit so they can keep presenting new sources....but this release is fucking bullshit. It's their way of summarily chastising their customers. 

Very much doubt Eelgrass are linked to EV, you can't buy Eelgrass products in Blind Faith and EV release their own budget jewel case releases.   More likely linked to a well known source for boots name-checked in EV's "fuck you" message the other day.

I might pick up the Eelgrass next month just for the sheer convenience of having all tracks in one set, I've done my bit to support EV as their version arrives to me sometime this morning having passed through customs and into the courier's delivery schedule.

[JTM]

7 hours ago, JohnOsbourne said:

I think a more interesting question is, if the complete soundboard fell in your lap, what would you offer it for?  I'd start at $10K.

£30 max.

[Strider]

Led Zeppelin Rarities Strikes Again! 

 

[blindwillie127]

On October 1, 2018 at 12:18 PM, the-ocean87 said:

Here is the "full" version of the songs released to date, including Immigrant song and full Stairway to heaven. Unfortunately not downloadable  from YT :/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buxzdq5oqxI

Im loving Bonham playing Honky Tonk Woman during D&C at 39:50. Those were good times filled with good music...god damn!

[LedElvis75]

1 hour ago, blindwillie127 said:

Im loving Bonham playing Honky Tonk Woman during D&C at 39:50. Those were good times filled with good music...god damn!

Speaking of Bonham... damn his drums sound nice on this.  Especially his snare.  Absolutely loving it.  Just wish we had Celebration Day, darn it.

[Bonzo_fan]

2 hours ago, blindwillie127 said:

Im loving Bonham playing Honky Tonk Woman during D&C at 39:50. Those were good times filled with good music...god damn!

39:50 is in the bow solo...

[porgie66]

7 minutes ago, Moby_Dick_Ale said:

The Eelgrass "How The East Was Won" version: from $ 48.-  just $ 39,- pre-order on https://www.discjapan.com

Empress Valley, if you're reading this... I would gladly pay$150 for the complete board tape, or as complete a version as possible then give$40 to eelgrass, and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other fans who would do the same. So wise up! Do it right, and price it affordably because if you bought the tape you deserve the dollars more than these other companies who simply copy what you've acquired and released. 

[Xolo1974]

1 hour ago, porgie66 said:

Empress Valley, if you're reading this... I would gladly pay$150 for the complete board tape, or as complete a version as possible then give$40 to eelgrass, and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other fans who would do the same. So wise up! Do it right, and price it affordably because if you bought the tape you deserve the dollars more than these other companies who simply copy what you've acquired and released. 

Great post George. Could not agree more