When Country Joe McDonald sang, "Whoopee! We’re all gonna die!" on the night of January 11, 1969, it wasn’t the Vietnam War that inspired his absurd fatalism - it was the sound of the band he had the misfortune of following.
America knew next to nothing about the wild pack of rock ‘n' roll Vikings that it had unwittingly allowed within its borders, though their arrival tolled the death knell for Peace and Love and introduced the nation’s kids to the only thing that was left - musical, chemical, and sexual excesses the likes of which no one had ever conceived. Whether or not the…entire summary
John Bonham - drums
John Paul Jones - bass
Jimmy Page - guitar
Robert Plant - vocals
When Country Joe McDonald sang, "Whoopee! We’re all gonna die!" on the night of January 11, 1969, it wasn’t the Vietnam War that inspired his absurd fatalism - it was the sound of the band he had the misfortune of following.
America knew next to nothing about the wild pack of rock ‘n' roll Vikings that it had unwittingly allowed within its borders, though their arrival tolled the death knell for Peace and Love and introduced the nation’s kids to the only thing that was left - musical, chemical, and sexual excesses the likes of which no one had ever conceived. Whether or not the stories are true, the unrivaled mythology this band conjured set a brutal precedent for generations of their successors. Fans showed up by the VW wagon-load with a fearful, fervent adoration generally reserved only for dictators of small countries to pay homage to the fathers of this new breed of rock 'n' roll - heavy metal.
This, however, is part of where it all began - four songs taken from their first Bay Area appearances during their first U.S. tour. And a charming bunch of lads they were! Robert Plant engages the crowd in polite conversation while Jimmy Page, all gangly limbs and choir-boy face, clumsily changes a string. Then - they’re off. And there it is…that Sound! Much has been made of Page’s studio black magic over the years, but credit must be given to the group as a whole. Apart from myriad improvisations, they sound just like they do on the records - huge, warm, enveloping bass; wailing, atavistic vocals bordering on obscenity for their sheer ecstasy; drums that sound like a gorilla wrestling a robot in an airplane hangar; and, yes, guitar tone that’ll keep Gibson and Marshall in business as long as they’re willing to make Les Pauls and huge amplifiers.
Widely bootlegged, this performance is presented here directly from the soundboard tapes and in excellent quality. The call and response at the end of "You Shook Me" is unintentionally hilarious and, followed by Plant’s band roll call at the beginning of "How Many More Times," perhaps the last time such an introduction was necessary since, following this tour, everybody knew who they were - Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones...Led Zeppelin!
collapse