Led Zep - Celebration Day

CD sound is rubbish,Blue ray is slightly better.

BBC is showing an hour of it next Sat

I agree with Steve, CD awful but does improve in terms of the "performance" when given a realistic (concert level) volume if possible.

Not looking good for the vinyl.

The CD sound isn't great. The DVD/Blu-Ray sounds OK.

But the performance and the music is magnificent and the film is well-directed and edited.

For everyone refusing to buy it because of the sound quality, well more fool you. You're missing out. SQ is always of secondary importance to the quality of music and of performance. A great performance always makes a terrible recording worth sitting through.

But, imho, the CD is so gruesomely bad it does interfere with the performance in this case.  I've some bootlegs that, whilst technically inferior to this badly engineered cd, still convey the immediacy of the event better.  The overwhelming bass and reedy vocal rendering here by contrast disaggregate the music somehow.

Their is a great performance in there somewhere....Anyone heard the 24bit hi-res download yet....does it give cause for genuine celebration?  G

Hdtracks has a 24/48 version available, for those able to access their service.

quobuz saying not yet available to the UK....GRRR!

HDTracks saying not available to the UK......GRRRRRRRR!

Hi Graham

I agree that the CD is very shoddy. In various ways, the three different boots I have of this show are in many respects superior...

However, I feel there is a tendency sometimes on this forum to talk about SQ above everything else... what is the point in spending all this money on equipment if it means you never enjoy the music it was presumably bought for in the first place?

I listen to the "CD" CD on the little Sony microsystem in my study... it doesn't sound too bad (OK, in fact) on that

Another celebration day!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20576466

Perhaps the President has a thought about SQ?

The musical content of this album is so wonderful I can't believe anybody would consider not buying it because a few folk say its sound quality isn't the best. Gruesomely bad? Really? Get out much?

My advice is just to buy it and enjoy one of the best live Zep performances ever.

+1.

BBC2 tonight at 10:45 GMT has a 1 hour programme on the gig.

Richard.

We finally listened to some of it (from the cd) tonight at home.  I think it fair to say that my wife and I are huge Zeppelin fans, but not huge fans of their recorded live music.  But we're the same way with almost every band. 

We bounced around between various live versions of Misty Mountain Hop and always settled back on the version on IV.   We preferred the 'Bonzo's Birthday' version from the LA Forum in 1973 to the Celebration Day version.  Horses for courses, that's all.  Celebration Day IS well recorded; I have no issue with the sound at all.

Neighbours out at church so it's getting a sinfully loud blast this morning.....which helps.  Will definitely try the 24bit when I can get my hands on it.  G

Well what I saw on the BBC, or should I say heard, was interesting. The band looked good but the sound balance was poor. 

I know i just  heard it through a standard TV but the night before they showed AC-DC at The River Plate concert and the sound quality and balance was noticeably better! 

Richard

I caught a bit if the AC/DC concert too.  That audience certainly enjoyed the show!

I agree re the LZ, it's the sound balance that is all over the place....better on some tracks than others I'm now noticing though.  This should be fixable by a decent engineer I'd have thought.

Oh and TomK, I 'get out' plenty thanks. That's why, when I hear a duff mix, I know it for what it is.  G

Yeah, the AC/DC audience were really jumping.....all of them!

Incredible.

I only caught it after The Killing had finished; have to say I thought it was excellent. Jason Bonham was fantastic and filled the chair really well. Wish I'd been more successful in the great ticket lottery. At least Santa might bring me the CD/DVD.

Try Lindsey Buckingham at Bass Performance Hall to hear a really excellent live recording.  Surely Mr Ertegun and LZ deserved this level of attention.  G

From what I can remember of the night, Maze, sound on the first two numbers was a bit ropey, but improved immeasurably after that. At the 02 we were quite high up where the sound is a bit echoey and grotty anyway, but the band did a pretty good job filling the arena with sound. I think the problems with the CD (which sounds mushy and compressed) can probably be laid at the feet of the studio engineers and Mr Page.