Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions (UPDATE - Remastered & Expanded CD & Vinyl Releases 16th September 2016)

So we keep both BBC releases, or dump the old one, so to speak? The collector in me won't let the old one go no matter the answer, BTW.

 

Awesome! It's a smokin set, I'm super impressed.

 

Whoa! LP2 side 2, now that's where it's at! Sounds great, the band is just cookin during You Shook Me.

 

We're on to '71 now!

 

I can't think of one thing that's better on the old release

 

An interesting observation: the vinyl sounds nice and open on my rig at home...but...when I play Amazon autorip mp3's in my car the vocals sound great and there's good low-end but the mid-range sounds kind of congested/muddy. Ok yeah it's my car and it's mp3's...I get it. But, here's the thing...the Back To Black Rainbow reissue LP's sound great at home and mp3's sound great in my car. It's a winner across the board. So...did the digital BBC get a slightly different, maybe less than flattering treatment than the vinyl version? So far I haven't heard a single complaint about the vinyl sound. Has anyone with a deluxe compared them side by side? Based on memory, I would probably prefer the 1997 in the car.

 

I'm actually waiting to hear how a comparison between the vinyl and new CDs sound. Has anyone done this yet?

 

CD or Vinyl?

 

Nice album cover rack. Link?

 

I've got one just like it. It's for displaying collectible plates, available cheap at any hobby/craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

 

Well I finally got my hands on this last night. I had to wait at the Fed Ex shipping center around an hour for the driver to return as it could not be delivered in the daytime. I have given all of the discs a spot check and listened to a few sides entirely. My initial thoughts are that this is an incredible set, very nice sound which easily beats the 1997 CD's. I noticed a bit of surface noise here and there but overall not much. All five records showed no signs of warps and seem to be nicely centered. Lastly, the live concert material on record 4 is incredible! Really a treat for me to have this on vinyl! Got it from Zoverstocks (U.K.) for around $72 after using around $12 off in Amazon points, not bad.

 

You guys commenting on the vinyl especially totally swayed me - I had been planning to just pick up the cd set but based on the raves about the LPs I went for the Super Deluxe - should be arriving today - can't wait. Will post impressions after listening.

 

Sweet! Looking forward to your thoughts. I'm spinning LP 3 now and I'm in Zeppelin heaven

 

I saw the concert yesterday...oops...I mean...I played the LP3 and 4 yesterday...

 

Good advice. Who wouldn't want complete & unedited sessions in excellent quality.

 

True - the complete, unedited performances in the sound quality of the new reissue would be ideal!

I've made homemade merges, adding the 10 seconds of "It's Your Thing" back into the new official 1969 Playhouse Theatre performance of "Communication Breakdown," and adding the three cut medley bits back into the 1971 performance of "Whole Lotta Love." Blending the '69 bootleg source into the new reissue was pretty easy because the sound quality is fairly close; but blending the 1971 sources was really tough because the new official release is a major sonic upgrade from any bootleg source (even compared with the vaunted Japan FM/pre-FM bootleg source).

IMHO the other cuts are inconsequential - Plant's band intros at the beginning of How Many More Times; a false start to one version of What Is and What Should Never Be; and some random in-between song crowd noise and banter from Plant. I even patched the band intros into How Many More Times, but in the end I kept the regular official version without them in my rotation, because the intros add nothing to the track for me.

And while I like having the complete Communication Breakdown and WLL in my computer-based playlist of this collection - which I've reordered to the true chronological session order, honestly I enjoy popping in the CDs, with their different running order and the cuts, just as much. Don't want to dismiss the importance of the cuts, but IMHO those who dismiss this release because of cuts in two of the 33 tracks are barking up the wrong tree.

 

Since I still don't have this new set (I have it bundled in a big order with among other things the new Stones box which doesn't release until next week), my Zep bootleg collection currently has three BBC cuts: It's Your Thing (in a 17 second edit), For What It's Worth/Honey Bee, and what I think is the best BBC take of What Is And What Should Never Be. Obviously, the last one will soon be replaced with the official release. For What It's Worth and Honey Bee virtually work as separate tracks, since the medley often left spaces in between songs anyway

 

Great point - the WLL medley bits mostly feature cold (or nearly cold) starts and stops. Honey Bee is basically a self-contained song because it runs just over 4 minutes - and honestly the seque from it back into the end of the larger WLL performance is a bit abrupt and kind of weak. The other two (For What It's Worth, and the other one whose title I can't recall ATM) are about 1:28 each so don't stand alone quite as well - but the band's seque into For What It's Worth also is a bit awkward and nothing to write home about, even though their performance of the song itself is very cool.

 

Yes, that's it. I use a business card holder from Office Depot to display my CDs.

 

Now spinning the 5th and last LP in the set, and I'm floored. What Is And What Should Never Be on side one is an absolute gem. Great version. I'm thankful for a flawless set as I've had a string of bad luck with warped vinyl.

This companion LP is smokin so far.

 

Jesus, the bass lines in Dazed and Confused on the companion LP are flawless! This may be my favourite live version. The sound so far on side 1 is great.

 

also these surely come from digital files so am I correct to assume that the vinyl can offer no real improvement over the cds as far as mastering and any preference comes down to your own personal system and or preference for media choices?

 

Yeah, I agree - I have the bootleg of "Burn Like a Candle" and it's pretty good. I heard that he was not permitted to bugger the BBC Sessions material; something to do with the BBC itself and the fact that much of their material is considered archival. Might be "bs" but then again...

 

Not on mine - did you clean it?

 

Not really, and this is my opinion only. If the source material is significantly high resolution and the mastering chain done properly, digitally sourced material sounds great on vinyl. Of course, I think that analogue chain of production is better, even starting with a super high resolution digital source file (like some of the recent Pink Floyld remasters of DSOTM and WYWH). For me vinyl has a warmer and nicer sound - but, I do not have a really high end CD player.