Led Zeppelin – Denver 1970 (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ Vol. 045)

Denver 1970 (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ Vol. 045)

Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO – March 25th, 1970

Disc 1 (53:00):  We’re Gonna Groove, I Can’t Quit You Baby, Dazed And Confused, Heartbreaker, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Organ solo / Thank You

Disc 2 (51:25):  Moby Dick, How Many More Times, Whole Lotta Love

Led Zeppelin’s low key debut in the US was in Denver on the day after Christmas, 1968.  It was so low key that their first album wasn’t out yet and they were not even mentioned on the bill, supporting Spirit and Vanilla Fudge.  Although, they did receive a review in the press, praising their heaviness.  A year and a half later, after a hit single with “Whole Lotta Love” and with Led Zeppelin II hitting number one, Zeppelin returned to the Denver Coliseum as headliners on their biggest tour yet.

Denver occurs about a week into the tour and is a very good show, certainly a good prelude to their debut at the Los Angeles Forum in two days.  Unfortunately the sound quality of the tape hovers between poor and fair.  There is a cut at 5:54 in “Since I’ve Been Loving You” but otherwise has the complete show. 

It is listenable from the beginning though John Paul Jones’ organ solo.  At that point, the left channel has significant bleeding of the tape and there is a three second “prelude” of the music that’s to come.  It is extremely annoying and renders the show all but unlistenable from that point on.

The performance itself is outstanding, starting off with a very fast and energetic version of “We’re Gonna Groove.”  It’s followed by “I Can’t Quit You” which was the second number for almost every show since their beginning.  It’s played for the final time before being dropped and “Dazed And Confused” moving into the second slot. 

“I Can’t Quit You” would return at the end of the following year as part of the “Whole Lotta Love” medley.  During the show, Plant reflects on their return to Denver: “About eighteen months ago, we played our very first ever gig in the U.S. in this coliseum and so much has happened since then. We’d like to say that we’re pleased to be back.”  Denver is notable for containing a rare reference to “I Can’t Be Satisfied” in the “How Many More Times” medley.

TDOLZ package Denver 1970 in a single pocket cardboard sleeve with a 1971 tour picture on the front and a Royal Albert Hall photo on the back.  It is one of their early releases and more adventurous titles, issued when they were attempting to press every Zeppelin tape in existence.  Its poor sound quality limits it to serious collectors only.