Robert Plant Moody Guy Moments (Tokyo, February 1984)

From collectorsmusicreviews.com

Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo, Japan – February 26th, 1984

Disc 1 (63:22): In The Mood, Pledge Pin, Messin’ With The Mekon, Moonlight In Samosa, Thru’ With The Two Step, Burning Down One Side, Wreckless Love, Worse Than Detroit

Disc 2 (72:41): Like I’ve Never Been Gone, Big Log, The Young Ones, Change Your Story. London rehearsals: jam #1, jam #2, Thru’ With The Two Step #1, Thru’ With The Two Step #2, Messin’ With The Mekon, Rockin’ At Midnight / Young Boy Blues #1#2

Robert Plant ended his first solo tour of Japan in 1984, and his first visit to Japan in twelve years, with two shows at the Sun Plaza in Tokyo on February 25th and February 26th. Moody Guy Moments on Image Qualit contains a very good audience recording of the final night of the tour. There are several cuts between songs that eliminate some of the Plantations and the tape cuts out in the end while he’s introducing the final encore of the night “Honey Hush.”

The cuts could have been handled better by the label, but they pass by quickly and the music is unaffected by any disturbance. This is a overall a very good Robert Plant release and the only one of this particular show.

The title comes from the overall mood of Robert Plant’s first foray into solo composition. Both Pictures At Eleven in 1982 and Principle Of Moments the following year were adventurous explorations of various moods, most of the melancholy.

The show starts off with very long versions of “In The Mood,” “Pledge Pin” and ”Messin’ With The Mekon.” These elongated versions are a perfect statement of the musical prowess of this outfit and before “Moonlight In Samosa” Plant says: “This is the last Japan show. No more playing in Tokyo…but it’s been very very remarkable and very nice and the people I’ve met here have been warm and remarkable Japanese people. Thank you for your hospitality and your kindness and at the pleasure you give us…good night.”

The performances are startling throughout, especially “Wreckless Love” and “Worse Than Detroit,” which is expanded with quotes from “Can’t Be Satisfied.” After this number Plant says: “okay we’ll be back next time…Mr. Udo is in the dressing room right now … talking about the next Japanese tour. Let’s hope he’s got the speaker on and can hear us while we talk. We’d love to come back Mr. Udo. Next time it will cost you” Plant jokes. “Of course we’ll come back. It’s been very nice coming here. Goodnight, goodbye, this is the last number” before the set closer “Like I’ve never Been Gone.”

“Big Log” is the first encore and afterwards Plant gushes about Cliff Richards, who is an “evergreen” star. Plant is interrupted in the middle when someone hands him a note. Plant reads the note: “Dear Robbie, the babys’ doing fine.”

At the very end of the tape Plant is saying: “Now that was rock and roll. That was part of the start and so was Cliff Richard. And in Chicago Leonard Chess had formed the Chess label and in New York Ahmet Ertegun was driving around and in the trunk of his car he had records by Big Joe Turner…” The tape cuts off there unfortunately, but given the introduction it’s apparent he was introducing “Honey Hush,” a hit for Turner in 1953 and a cover tune Plant performed several times.

Image Quality include a half hour long rehearsal tape. It doesn’t give much information except they occurin London. Given the presence of the horn section and that half of the tape is occupied with “Rockin’ At Midnight” and “Young Man Blues,” two songs normally played during the Honeydrippers set on the Shaken N Stirred tour in 1985, means this rehearsal dates from the spring of that year. Plant speaks about his stance on the stage during the set and the band jam a bit. It’s an interesting little tape to have and works well as a bonus.