Press Reviews: When Led Zeppelin landed in Zurich...
ZURICH. — They had come from Italy, France, and all corners of Switzerland to witness the arrival of the giant Zeppelin in Zurich. The large crowd at the entrance already foreshadowed the excitement that would erupt near the stage when Page's band set foot on Swiss soil. Indeed, arriving a few minutes late, the airship's passengers were greeted with loud screams of hysteria. Outwardly, the four haven't changed much: Plant still imposing and athletic, and beside him a somewhat frail-looking Page, covered in sweat from head to toe after only five minutes of the concert. Along with the two idols were John Bonham, a little on the portly side, and the handsome John Paul Jones. The musical ensemble itself remains perfectly cohesive. Bonham, of course, plays patterns that are nevertheless too repetitive; Jones remains quite discreet on bass, but he excels on keyboards, through which he often provides a breath of fresh air to the unleashed madness of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant, although a little disappointing (his voice is fading with the years), remains that strong personality who grabs his audience by the throat with

Black Dog or softens them with Rain Song. I don't need to introduce Jimmy Page: he is undoubtedly the greatest guitarist in his category (yes, yes, sorry Messrs. Clapton and other Blackmores...). Sunday evening in Zurich he was brilliant from A to Z. Whether sitting on a chair, alone in the middle of the stage in an improvisation, or in full swing on Heartbreaker, Jimmy takes the breath away from even the most resistant. He weaves his solos at a hundred miles an hour, taking care to cut you to the core and make you dance until exhaustion. That's Jimmy for you: he loves the cold sweats of his audience! The lighting is quite sophisticated; The "kids" (the band members) made use of luminous wheels, white curtains, smoke machines, and fire jets: all with great skill. But nothing is perfect: with Led Zeppelin, it's the sound system that's a bit neglected. The drums are in control: the bass drum hits practically burst your eardrums, and at the same time, they drown out Plant's vocals. No, Led Zeppelin plays far too loud (we weren't at a Ted Nugent concert!), and as a result, the sound is saturated by the rhythm section. The end of the concert was sublime: a "Stairway to Heaven" played with remarkable finesse and brilliance, and as an encore, the famous "Rock and Roll": that's all it took to unleash a hurricane of hysteria in the immense Zurich velodrome... As for you, if you see the Zeppelin passing in the sky, don't miss it: it's one of the best ways to get to seventh heaven: have a good trip! -Paul Magro/Nouvelliste. (translation courtesy: Mike Tremaglio)

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Press Review: The "Old" Led Zeppelin in Zurich

Zurich - The Hallenstadion was almost full for Led Zeppelin's return to Zurich. They hadn't been back to Switzerland for nearly ten years (the last time was during the pop concerts at the old Montreux Casino). Numerous French-speaking Swiss and French fans crowded into the stadium, while those from Ticino and Italy made up a good third of the audience!

The crowd was clearly over twenty years old, proudly sporting outfits that were thought to have disappeared. While The Who had recently disappointed, the four members of "Led Zep" showed that they still had a reason to be on stage. They displayed the same kind of charm as an old Rolls-Royce... Comfortable, opulent, old-fashioned; and with infinite attention to detail! But the respect due to their age prohibits surprises and unexpected detours. However, with age, they have improved. Their rock is much smoother than in their early days, their sound is fuller, and they have that slight swing of people for whom rhythm is no longer an effort, but an automatic reflex. It must be acknowledged that their drummer greatly assists them by pounding away relentlessly with remarkable consistency. There were some interesting lighting effects; however, apparently, the sound check was done during the first two songs, which were perfectly inaudible. Jimmy Page showed that he remains an excellent guitarist, but it was in a blues number that he was most at ease. At their age, it's impossible to channel one's energy as impeccably as they do, and still have so much raw energy left to give... They are perhaps a little too polished; taking a few risks would elevate their show from a one-way demonstration to a real communication. As it is, one gets the impression of being at an American-style music hall show: impeccable and rather expressionless. Their apparent desire to swing now (whether out of genuine taste or because it's fashionable, let's not judge their intentions) sometimes suffers as a result, since even Page prefers to accompany the drummer rather than stand alone at the front of the stage... Thus, their version of "Hot Dog" leaves a country rather than a rockabilly aftertaste. The difference simply lies in the ability to be flexible and fluid, or not! -Philippe SOUAILLE/Tribune.  (translation courtesy: Mike Tremaglio)