Communication Breakdown

KB HallenCopenhagen,Denmark
June.3,1971

What a document! One of the rarest tapes ever to surface and one of the most unusual concerts from the band. A nervous night with a sometimes troublesome audience (after the initial tidal wave of pieces,Plant is shouting,"STOP! STOP! Whoa! Tell him...if there's any trouble,we go off! Right,we go!"


By the time they play a very light version of "Since I've Been Loving You",the group has settled down and Plant does a beautiful vocal workout on "Dazed & Confused". The main instrumental of the piece is very similar to the BBC Broadcast and a unique,whispered howl is the first refrain of the returning vocal theme (superb).


Page finishes the piece in an "Oriental" mood.Every remote attempt at rhythm,as in some interwork between Page's violin bow and Plant's murmuring,is followed by the now legendary Danish clapping.Plant keeps repeating "Good evening!" to try and warm things up a bit."Black Dog" is rather freely changed in the lyrics.


Plant manages miraculously to control the audience at the beginning of "Stairway To Heaven" and offers a beautiful and intimate version with superb,high-pitched soul flourishes. The end of the song has him hitting high notes just as in the album version,although not as clean.But the big surprises start as Plant announces that,"We'll try something we've never done before...there's every chance that we will fall apart. If we do,we'll start again,okay?" (Yes,spontaneity was not dead in 1971!).With an unusual introduction,they start the still-untitled "Four Sticks",played for the FIRST TIME EVER in public,and the ONLY live recording to date! Page produces a special "Waltz" intro and the chaotic drum pattern faithfully reproduces the effect on the fourth album!


This surprise is followed by yet another one!"Gallows Pole" is played live for the first time also and is the ONLY complete live version known to date! The twelve-string electric guitar intro makes it sound different,and Bonham molds a variant,heavily underlining the first verses of "Keep me from the Gallows Pole!" He follows with a slow cadenza until everything evolves into complete chaos and Page is lost at the end in a disjointed guitar solo (not very effective,but great fun).


The group then embarks on a typical classic version of the "Whole Lotta Love Medley",similar again to the BBC Broadcast and including a very long instrumental intro to "Mess O' Blues". The "Honey Bee" guitar solo is a strange mixture of "Dazed & Confused" and "Since I've Been Loving You". At the end of the song,Plant demonstrates that he has no limits as the final "LOOOVVEEEE!!" breaks all barriers.
"Communication Breakdown" includes a booming bass solo and an almost funky arrangement of "Celebration Day" (first time,too).But the previews and novelties are not over. "Misty Mountain Hop" includes beautiful keyboard playing in harmony with really daring guitar patterns,and "Rock & Roll" (called "It's Been A Long Time" in the concert) finally has the privilaged,but sometimes difficult Danish audience out of it's head!


CD #1
1-Immigrant Song.2-Heartbreaker.3-Since I've Been Loving You.4-Dazed & Confused.5-Black Dog.6-Stairway To Heaven.

CD #2
1-Going To California.2-That's The Way.3-What Is And What Should Never Be.4-Four Sticks.5-Gallows Pole.6-Whole Lotta Love (Includes "Boogie Woogie","Trucking Little Mama","MessO' Blues","Honey Bee" & "The Lemon Song).7-Communication Breakdown (includes "Celebration Day").8-Misty Mountain Hop.9-Rock & Roll (called "It's Been A Long Time").

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• conneyfogle

[ebutuoy0814]

Conney, answer me one question, if you wil. What do you think Luis Rey would think if he read your description box for this clip?

[Conneyfogle]

@ebutuoy0814 the comments are not from me, can't remember where I got them from, probably came with the recording, so I can't comment really, I rarely read the comments

CF

[MarinStoikov]

at what time is Celebration Day?

[francescaemc2]

Che bella questa canzone: dolce e simpatica.

Fabulous and great questi nobs. Bravi.

[jonathanr1295lz]

Phenomonal I wish i was there... where did u buy this at?