except that in the days of tdolz there were many many better tapes to choose from, not yet pressed to silver disc. the label that comes to mind most resembling tcolz (imo) is image quality.

i’m not sure about the remastering/equalizing issue as iq might have played with the tapes, but the real juxtaposition or perhaps parallel between tcolz and iq (and earlier tdolz) is that many fewer tapes are now available for silver debut. …that… in addition to the the budget nature of the tcolz/iq labels. leading me to believe that iq was an underappreciated and therefore underrated label at the time and even today.

tcolz serves a purpose for the collector, but not really one for me. i just don’t really care about the bottom of the barrel SQ tapes. oh well.

but what an attempt to either fill an available niche or make a bit of cash off the hardcore collector. there’s something in common with evolution or the free market in here somewhere…

It is weird how everything associated with Led Zeppelin tapes has to be an elaborate cloak and dagger mystery. There is currently a big conspiracy theory floating around about Freezer sharing the tape with a select few and how one of the “insiders” leaked the tape to the label. If this were true, I say God bless the “betrayer” for liberating the tape from the few and offering it to everyone.

This story seems to circulate with every big Led Zeppelin tape. What tells me it is false is the themes it shares with all the other stories and all are grounded in primordial archetypal mythology. Most creation myths tell the story about how god created the world and pronounced it “good.” But some force sneaks into the creator’s good creation to corrupt it. There is normally some sort of combat in which the creator god subdues the adversary and righteousness is following the law prodcribed in creation. Hints of this can be found in the book of Genesis but is very obvious when considering the mythology of Greece (Saturn, Ouranos), Sumer (Marduk and Tiamat), and ancient Egypt.

How it started is anyone’s guess. These are only tapes people, and who cares what comes out and what doesn’t. Sure Baton Rouge 1977 would be nice to hear, but honestly it will not be any different than the thousands of other tapes from Zep’s eleventh tour and will be nothing special.

The only point of TCOLZ, as far as I understand, is to offer low generation tapes without the horrendous mastering violence inflicted on the tapes like what is done by Empress Valley and Tarantura. Simple as that.

I heard (possibly just a rumour) that TCOLZ has also gotten their hands on the previously uncirculated May 19 1977 Baton Rouge show as well…wonder how they pulled that off, especially since the taper of the show has apparently gone on record a few times saying that recording would NEVER see the public light of day…