Listen to This, Eddie

Last updated

Listen To This, Eddie
Listen To This Eddie.jpg
Live album by
Led Zeppelin
RecordedJune 21, 1977
Venue Los Angeles Forum, Inglewood, California
Label Rock Solid Records

Listen To This, Eddie is a bootleg recording of a rock concert by English band Led Zeppelin, performed on June 21, 1977, at the Los Angeles Forum in Los Angeles, California. [1] The first concert of a six-night stint. It is often noted as one of the band's most noteworthy performances. It is also distinguished by its clear sound. [2] [3]

Contents

Overview

The concert was recorded by a member of the audience, Mike Millard, and was later released illegally on vinyl without the permission of the band or the taper. The original vinyl issue of the show was released on Rock Solid Records, and featured the first 60 minutes of the concert, from "The Song Remains the Same" through to "Ten Years Gone".

The cover art for the album featured the same group image of the band member's faces from the back cover of Led Zeppelin III , along with the mysterious obelisk from the cover of Presence . The first pressing for the album was on colored (red) vinyl, numbered 1 of 500. In the 1990s the complete recording of the show became available on CD through various releases, with most of them using the same "Eddie" title. Millard's recording remains one of the best-known Led Zeppelin bootlegs.

Listen To This, Eddie is highly regarded amongst collectors not only because of the highly energetic performance by the band but also because it was captured in exceptionally good audio quality. [4] This can largely be attributed to the dedication and experience of Millard, who by 1977 had already made several bootleg recordings of other concerts performed at the Los Angeles Forum. It is believed that he recorded this particular show from row six.

The complete Millard recording lasts 190 minutes and includes the entire concert (including encores). It was the first of six shows at the Los Angeles Forum by Led Zeppelin, which came towards the end of its 1977 North American concert tour. Millard's recording of the opening number from this concert, "The Song Remains the Same", was included in the promos menu of the Led Zeppelin DVD .

The performance itself is regarded by some critics as being one of the best concerts of the 1977 tour, [4] with Jimmy Page performing lengthy solos and John Bonham playing drums heavily, yet with precision. Robert Plant is very talkative and despite the damage done to his voice and range from constant touring he sounds quite good for this point in the band's history. The band is also open for lengthy improvisations, as evidenced on "No Quarter", on which John Paul Jones guides the band to multiple instrumental jams.

Album title

There are two unconfirmed theories about the meaning of the title "Listen To This, Eddie". Neither theory has firm evidence to back it up.

The first theory is that it is a reference to Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen, who in interviews has criticised the playing ability of Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page. [5] In particular, in an interview that Van Halen had given in January 1981 to Guitar World magazine, he was quoted as saying "Jimmy Page is an excellent producer. Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II are classics. As a player, he's very good in the studio. I never saw him play well live. He's very sloppy. He plays like he's got a broken hand and he's two years old. But if you put out a good album and play like a two-year-old live. What's the purpose?" [6] Following this line of thinking, the title is a call to “Eddie" to listen to the recording of this brilliant performance and think again.

The second theory comes from a Shockwaves Magazine article by Pat O'Connor entitled "The Ten Greatest Bootlegs",. [7] According to O'Connor, the "Eddie" in the title is audio engineer Eddie Kramer, and not Eddie Van Halen, implying that even Kramer would be impressed by such an outstanding bootleg recording.

Set list

Neil Young recording

Listen to This, Eddie is also the title of a bootleg recording of a June 24, 1995 performance by Neil Young in San Francisco at the Polo Field. The "Eddie" in this case refers to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, who asked Young to take over the concert for him when he became too ill to sing. Many audience members expressed disappointment and impatience with the older musician, but most heard out his lengthy set, which included pieces from the Mirror Ball album Young had recorded with Pearl Jam. It is considered by collectors to be one of the highlight performances of Young's decades-long career. [8] Coincidentally, just before the acoustic set of Led Zeppelin's Listen to This, Eddie, Robert Plant refers to John Bonham as "the cowgirl in the sand", prompting an audience member to yell "Bring out Neil Young!".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frogs (band)</span> American rock band

The Frogs were an American rock music band founded in 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion. The brothers mainly wrote and performed short, catchy pop songs, but they are also known for their improvised home recordings which are delivered in a comedic style, and often include controversial issues such as race, religion, and sexuality. A history of strife has hindered the band, although a devoted fan base that includes many well-known musicians has supported the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)</span> 1972 single by Led Zeppelin

"Rock and Roll" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was first released as the second track from the band's fourth album in 1971. The song includes a guest appearance by the Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart. In 1972 Robert Christgau called it "simply the most dynamic hard-rock song in the music."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moby Dick (instrumental)</span> 1969 instrumental by Led Zeppelin

"Moby Dick" is an instrumental drum solo by English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured on the band's 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. Named after the 1851 novel of the same name by Herman Melville, it was also known by the alternative titles "Pat's Delight" and "Over the Top" during various points of the band's career. The track is often regarded as one of the greatest drum solos of all time.

<i>Love Gun</i> 1977 studio album by Kiss

Love Gun is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on June 30, 1977. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date. It was certified platinum and became the band's first top 5 album on the Billboard 200. The album was remastered in 1997 and again in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love, Reign o'er Me</span> Song by The Who

"Love, Reign o'er Me", subtitled "Pete's Theme", is a song by English rock band The Who. Written and composed by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was released on 27 October 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It is the final song on the album, and has been a concert staple for years. The song peaked at number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 54 on Cash Box.

"Yellow Ledbetter" is a song by the American band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, "Yellow Ledbetter" was an outtake from the band's debut album, Ten (1991). "Yellow Ledbetter" was selected by the band to be on the B-side of the 1992 single "Jeremy", where it was first released. The song eventually found its way onto radio, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was also included on Pearl Jam's 2003 B-sides and rarities album Lost Dogs, and on their 2004 greatest hits album Rearviewmirror .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl Jam</span> American rock band

Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, as well as Matt Cameron (drums), who joined in 1998. Keyboardist Boom Gaspar has also been a touring/session member with the band since 2002. Drummers Jack Irons, Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, and Dave Abbruzzese are former members of the band. Pearl Jam outsold many of their contemporaries from the early 1990s, and are considered one of the most influential bands of the decade, being dubbed as "the most popular American rock and roll band of the '90s".

Mike Millard, nicknamed "Mike The Mic" was an avid concert taper circa 1973 to 1994, recording over 300 concerts, including Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones concerts in California. He taped virtually every show at the Forum from 1974 to 1980. Many of his recordings found their way into the hands of bootleggers who sold Millard's work to fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Given to Fly</span> 1997 single by Pearl Jam

"Given to Fly" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Mike McCready, "Given to Fly" was released to radio on December 22, 1997, as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, Yield (1998).

The Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings are a collection of audio and video recordings of musical performances by the English rock band Led Zeppelin which were never officially released by the band, or under other legal authority. The recordings consist of both live concert performances and outtakes from studio sessions conducted by the band. Many hundreds of Led Zeppelin bootlegs exist, and are widely collected by fans.

<i>Live on Blueberry Hill</i> Live album by Led Zeppelin

Live on Blueberry Hill is a bootleg recording of English rock group Led Zeppelin's performance at the Los Angeles Forum on September 4, 1970, which took place during their summer 1970 North American Tour.

The Pearl Jam 2005 North American/Latin American Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam.

<i>For Badgeholders Only</i> Live album by Led Zeppelin

For Badgeholders Only is a bootleg recording of a rock concert by English band Led Zeppelin, performed on June 23, 1977 at the Los Angeles Forum in Los Angeles, California, a show which came towards the end of the band's 1977 North American concert tour.

<i>Burn Like a Candle</i> Live album by Led Zeppelin

Burn Like a Candle is a bootleg recording of the English rock group Led Zeppelin's performance at the Los Angeles Forum on June 25, 1972. It was originally released on CD format in the 1990s by the Smoking Pig label.

The 5150 Tour was a concert tour by American hard rock band Van Halen in support of their seventh studio album, 5150.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977</span> 1977 concert tour by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's 1977 North American Tour was the eleventh and final concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into three legs, with performances commencing on 1 April and concluding on 24 July 1977. The tour was originally intended to finish on 13 August, but was cut short following the death of Robert Plant's son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1975</span> 1975 concert tour of North America by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's 1975 North American Tour was the tenth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on 18 January and concluding on 27 March 1975. It was preceded with two European warm-up shows, performed at Rotterdam and Brussels respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972</span> 1972 concert tour by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's 1972 North American Tour was the eighth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on 27 May and concluding on 28 June 1972. It included two warm-up shows in Europe.

The World Vacation Tour was the second concert tour by American hard rock band Van Halen in support of their second studio album Van Halen II.

References

  1. ↑ "Led Zeppelin | Official Website The Forum - June 21, 1977". Ledzeppelin.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Top 10 Led Zeppelin Live Bootlegs". Ultimate Classic Rock. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Dave, Lewis (2010). Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight But Loose' Files. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-220-9.
  4. 1 2 Rey, Luis (1997) Led Zeppelin Live: An Illustrated Exploration of Underground Tapes, Ontario: The Hot Wacks Press. ISBN   0-9698080-7-0, p. 394.
  5. ↑ Dave Lewis and Simon Pallett (1997) Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN   0-7119-5307-4, p. 111.
  6. ↑ "Eddie Van Halen Bio". Classicvanhalen.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  7. ↑ O'Connor,Pat, The Ten Greatest Bootlegs , Shockwaves Magazine.
  8. ↑ "Pearl Jam & Neil Young Concert Review - 1995". Thrasherswheat.org. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.