Led Zeppelin – Custard Pie (Cobla Standard Series 001)

Custard Pie (Cobla Standard Series 001)

Orthenauhalle, Offenburg, Germany – March 24th, 1973

Disc 1: Rock and Roll/Over The Hills And Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop/Since I’ve Been Loving You, Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same/The Rain Song, Dazed & Confused

Disc 2: Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love (Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Boogie Chillun’, You’re So Square, Let’s Have a Party, I Can’t Quit You, Lemon Song), Heartbreaker, Kashmir* (Earl’s Court, London – May 17th, 1975)

Cobla Standard were a specialty label originating in the far east in the mid nineties.  They followed the popularity of the miniature LP covers produced for the Led Zeppelin catalogue with the idea that unofficial releases can likewise benefit from the same kind of packaging for bootleg releases.  Their first production was a transfer Custard Pie (Rock Solid Records / International RSR 3224).  This contains the complete March 24th Offenbach show from an amazing stereo audience recording.  And just like the vinyl release, it has “Kashmir” from the first Earl’s Court concert in 1975.  The Offenberg tape has major channel problems during “Dazed & Confused” but is otherwise solid.  Later releases on this label used heavy handed mastering on the tapes, but Custard Pie isn’t too bad.  However there are better versions of this show in circulation.