Led Zeppelin – Rock Saint Louie Roll! (Godfather Records GR592/593/594)

Rock Saint Louie Roll! (Godfather Records GR 592/593/594)

Missouri Arena, St Louis, MO – February 16th, 1975

Disc 1 (54:44): 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 (52:19):  No Quarter, Trampled Under Foot, Moby Dick

Disc 3 (66:53):  Dazed And Confused, Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, Heartbreaker (inc. Shame, Shame, Shame)

The trials of Zeppelin’s tenth tour of the US are well known.  Their first live shows in eighteen months, they chose to begin touring in support of Physical Graffiti in the middle of January in the Midwest amidst snowstorms and Jimmy Page’s damaged finger.  Beginning in Minneapolis, Robert Plant contracted a serious flu which put a strain on his voice and the band delivered lackluster concerts.  

They were originally scheduled to play in St. Louis on January 26th, but they had to cancel the show to give Plant some time to recuperate.  And, as the well-known story goes, the singer stayed in freezing Chicago while the rest of the band and crew flew the Starship to sunny Los Angeles for a short vacation.  They later reconvened in Greensboro on the 29th to play one of their all time worst concerts.  The canceled concert was made up on February 16th, right after the amazing New York shows.

A poor quality incomplete audience tape was released in 1999 on Oh Dear, I’ve Known Him Since He Was A Child (Led Note LCD 1502) and about five years later the complete soundboard surfaced on St. Louis Blues (Empress Valley EVSD – 316/317/318), St. Louis Blues (Eelgrass EGL 20120/21/22) and an edited version on Hats Of To St. Louis (no label).

Godfather is another release of the complete soundboard recording.  It has a bit more liveliness to it, but is quite similar to the other versions of the tape. 

The band reached a highpoint in the tour playing New York just before this show and we’d hope that enthusiasm would be maintained.  Stephen Davis in LZ -’75, who thought the Valentines Day show in New York was boring praises St. Louis as one of the high points of the tour. 

Zeppelin sound very tired at the very beginning of the concert.  “Rock & Roll” sounds sluggish and “Sick Again” is awful with Page especially hitting some bum notes, but the show improves quickly after that.   

“First thing I must say is, better late then never” Plant explains.  “I was on me back in Chicago… It was pleasant nevertheless” right before his usual talk about the cross section of music they will play.  Things begin to improve with “Over The Hills” and by “In My Time of Dying” they really hit their stride.  “Oh My Jesus.  It’s a Sunday, Oh my Jesus!”

Plant sings in the song and states, “I think after that one we should say Amen” at the song’s conclusion.  There is some guitar trouble before “The Song Remains The Same” with Plant chatting with the audience until stating that the double neck is ready, and this part of the show is also very good with a very moving version of “The Rain Song.” 

After this we can begin to hear the show in its true glory at which the audience recording only hinted.  The middle third of the show is very powerful.  “No Quarter” is very good being the final electric piano only version until the 1979 shows.  The second leg of the tour will see John Paul Jones expanding the piece with the grand piano.

“Does anybody remember 1968?  Those of you without brain damage can.  This is from the first ten minutes from … our rather immaculate conception” is Plant’s intro to “Dazed & Confused” and the concluding third of the show.  The piece sounds similar to the New York performances.  The encores reveal a surprise that was unfortunately cut in the audience recording:  Zeppelin’s only cover of “Shame, Shame, Shame”, the 1963 Jimmy Reed tune, in the “Heartbreaker” solo.

Godfather utilize a tri-fold cardboard gatefold sleeve with tour shots and liner notes by Paul DeLuxe.  The title is a bit clunky, but is a very good and affordable way to obtain this essential concert from Zeppelin’s tenth tour of North America.