For G. Sparaco: How much do you know about “the Showco cache”??? What’s in it??

Overall, I think that EV should be applauded for releasing numerous soundboards which we would not otherwise have. It seems to be common knowledge that EV have paid considerable sums to acquire these and I have no problem with EV’s desire to make a profit from its investment. EV knows that other labels (principally Eelgrass) will copy its releases. Releasing beautifully produced, very limited (and therefore expensive) editions therefore constitutes a sensible marketing strategy, maximizing profit before other labels get their editions out. This caters to collectors, including myself, who want to acquire releases which (to quote the title of a David Bowie bootleg DVD) are “rare, precious and beautiful.”

I also have no problem with other labels copying EV and producing cheaper editions. This caters to the collectors unwilling or, more importantly, unable to afford the prices charged by premium labels such as EV and Tarantura. It is important to those collectors that labels such as Eelgrass provide cheaper editions that they can afford. It was therefore relevant to mention this in my review.

The problem arises, as gsparaco points out above, when not enough care is taken with the production of expensive, exclusive editions. One expects a premium product for a premium price, and, as many commentators have contended, we do not get this from EV on this occasion (although, to reiterate what I stated in my review, on other occasions we have).

Ultimately, my preference for the Godfather version has nothing to do with packaging or cost (although it is a nice bonus for the better version to also be cheaper) and everything to do with the fact that it sounds better. My review surely makes this clear.

The reason why EV is the first to release these soundboards is because they have the Showco contact who has the cache of tapes and are paying a handsome fee for them. These soundboards are the only thing keeping Empress Valley somewhat relevant these days.

The problem is not necessarily with the price. Most Zep collectors would be willing to part with $150 for an exclusive soundboard recording. The problem is the price coupled with the flimsy, unimaginative packaging and the poor remastering of the tapes. For example, the Long Beach soundboard on this release ran too fast on Empress Valley, which is an unbelieveable oversight by what is a Led Zeppelin dedicated label. EV seems to not really produce titles with the collector in mind anymore, but only to recoup their losses to their Showco contact.

This Godfather release puts in the effort that EV lacks: the tape sounds better and runs at the correct speed. This is the definitive version of the Long Beach soundboard, making the EV irrelevant.