1969-04-26 Winterland (No Label) Information
April 26, 1969....
The first time I heard this recording was in 1986, on a cassette purchased in New York's Greenwich Village. The cassette was labeled "Marquee, London 1968" and as I later found, was a copy of the bootleg LP, "1st Concert as the New Yardbirds." On the ride home, I played the tape in the car. The recording left much to be desired, but that meant nothing in the face of such an important discovery, because the performance was the most incredible display of raw power I had ever heard, before or since.

Later that year RSR/INTERNATIONAL issued the 2-LP set, "Winterland", and the true location was revealed, as was about an hour's worth of new material missing on my cassette. Unfortunately, this was my first experience with the pitch problems this recording suffers from (my cassette ran fast), and the slow speed hampered the power of the performance.

Not long after, I discovered the Led Zeppelin trading community, and this show has been at the forefront of my activity ever since. Though there were many recordings to pursue, I always made sure to pick this up from every collector I came in contact with to leave no stone unturned in my quest for the best-sounding version available. 17 years after my first listen on that old cassette, the search continues.

This MSTR>Cass 1G>VHS 2G>DAT>CDR>ANA Pitch Correction is the best one yet, despite the aquisition of many alleged "1st Gen's" and "Masters". It has a clear, natural sound to it with a relatively low amount of hiss considering the original source. It's even missing the cut usually heard in the last minutes of Dazed and Confused in other versions.

We are fortunate to have such a ferocious performance recorded (almost) in it's entirety. No Eddie, listen to THIS!

Enjoy!
Jonathan Hathaway

(ZeppelinArt note: Jonathan was the creator of the handrawn back art. He also provided yours truly with a copy of Winterland. It is everything he describes. For another sample of Jonathan's talent, see 03/15/69 "Gladaxe". The cartoon featuring Peter Grant and Satan is priceless! Thanks Jonathan!)