Led Zeppelin – Earl’s Court Arena 2405 Evoluzione (Empress Valley EVSD-252~255)

Earl’s Court Arena 2405 Evoluzione (Empress Valley EVSD-252~255)

Earl’s Court, London, England – May 24th, 1975

Disc 1 (59:15): Rock And Roll / Sick Again / Over The Hills And Far Away / In My Time Of Dying / The Song Remains The Same / The Rain Song / Kashmir

Disc 2 (51:45):  No Quarter / Tangerine / Going To California / That’s The Way / Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp

Disc 3 (74:21):  Trampled Underfoot / Moby Dick / Dazed And Confused

Disc 4 (33:41):  Stairway To Heaven / Whole Lotta Love / Black Dog

Led Zeppelin’s May 24th, 1975 gig in Earl’s Court, the fourth of five shows in London that month, is one of the longest, tightest, and most dramatic concerts they performed in the latter days.  Despite Clinton Heylin’s criticism that it is dull and tedious and features a very stoned Robert Plant wittering on about friend and family who have fallen by the wayside, it remains one of the best recordings of the band at the very height of their popularity. 

Its popularity can be credited to its almost constant circulation since the night after the event.

A good quality audience tape was use for vinyl releases in the seventies, but a partial soundtrack to the video surfaced and was used for the compact disc releases.  An almost complete soundboard was used in the Empress Valley box set Demand Unprecedented In The History Of Rock Music.  They also released the show on its own, but soon after Watchtower issued a competing version of the show in improved sound quality.  

Earl’s Court Arena 2405 Evoluzione was Empress Valley’s copy of the Watchtower, their attempt to have the definitive version.  Since Watchtower have been inactive for the better part of a decade now, Empress Valley rules the roost for this show and own the best version available.  

In July 2012 Empress Valley reissued several titles including this one in very affordable jewel cases and half way decent artwork.  Thankfully they didn’t revisit their TMQ sleeve disaster of the past couple of years, but actually manufactured a title that is worth having.  And it has a mega-cool picture on the cover.  This is a good and affordable way to obtain the definitive version of this classic Led Zeppelin concert.