The Balloon Boy’s Rock Carnival In Tokyo (EVSD-513/514/515) is the dumb name for Empress Valley’s latest Led Zeppelin release. This covers the September 24th, 1971 Budokan show utilizing the old TDOLZ Light And Shade audience recording.
Also released on EV today is The Lost Sessions Vol. 12: All Roads Lead To Headley Grange Vol. 3 (EVSD-511). This is another regurgitation of common material with “Kashmir,” “Trampled Underfoot,” “Swan Song” and “Custard Pie.”
Hopefully Empress Valley are preparing the March 21st, 1975 Seattle soundboard they have for release soon to give us something to talk about.
9 Comments
Unless, and until, EVSD issues a worthwhile new title, I’m of the mind that the label is desperate and intent on fleecing innocent collectors. Rumors notwithstanding, which always litter this hobby, EVSD’s put out a string of inferior titles that do not even remotely suggest that they have a “vault” of anything that’s unreleased. They only offer more evidence that they’ll take collectors’ money, and will misrepresent their titles for that purpose.
And, the claim that Balloon Boys’ is from a “Previously Unreleased New Source! Complete for the First Time!!” is utter nonsense. The Bachelor Boys First Stand in Osaka with the September 28th, 1971 Osaka show is also claimed to be an “Unreleased New Source,” which should also be suspect. All this begs the question, is Empress Valley getting desperate?
Thanks LedMan – that’s some money saved. As for the other comment on the recent Badgeholders release I have to own up to having a copy and now I’ve the replacement disc. I’m going to go out on a limb here (well, I would say this wouldn’t I) and say it’s not as bad a release as some reviewers would have you believe. It’s not the best, but it’s OK now which is a small improvement.
Needless to say, LedMan’s comment above about Balloon Boy’s will be the extent of our coverage of this bomb.
Great information – many thanks for keeping this site respectable and important.
I just finished listening to “The Balloon Boy’s Rock Carnival In Tokyo” and have to say this was a very tough title to listen to. There’s way too much bottom end distortion for anyone to really enjoy this release and it’s my opinion that this is for the hardcore collectors that have to own everything.
If one thinks Empress Valley is busy rehashing the rehashed rehash, one need look no further than the Rolling Stones “specialty” label Dog N’ Cat for a real rehasher of the rehashed rehash reheated…
Does anyone have any early reports on this set being any better then past versions?
I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment of this notice of new release. While I don’t know what type of return EVSD gets from churning out material most collectors have in multiple versions, particularly of marginal quality recordings, I do find it peculiar that they do not cater to the collectors that keep them in business (used loosely). Given their last Badgeholders’ flop, I’d expect a more solid follow-up release. Then again, after their “MSG Working Tapes” fraud, they failed then to follow-up with something worthwhile. Maybe it’s because they no longer have recordings of value to serious collectors, despite the rumors. That’s certainly supported by their ongoing string of subpar releases. This “Balloon Boy” title looks to continue this unacceptable string.