22 replies to this topic

[paul carruthers]

I don't know if this has been brought up before, but I was just wondering has there ever been a reason given for why JPJ used a tripleneck guitar for the live performance of Ten Years Gone? Was it a specific sound he was trying to get that couldn't be replicated on stage if he just played a regular bass or what?

[hecube]

I think the song obviously needed some harmonic filling in some places and a keyboard texture might not have been appropriate.

[joey1985]

The triple neck allowed him to switch between 6 and twelve string

[Pb!]

The triple neck allowed him to switch between 6 and twelve string

and Mandolin. FTFY

[tmtomh]

The studio version has something like 11 different guitar tracks. Not all of them are different instruments playing at once - but it would be very difficult to do the song without at least four different guitar sounds available. So Page played his electric, and Jones did all the acoustic parts using - as others have mentioned - the combo of 6-string, 12-string, and mandolin.

It's amazing they were able to do it live at all, let alone as great as they did it. Check out the 06-21-77 version - probably the best live version ever (though I know some folks claim the 08-04-79 version in the Knebworth section of the official DVD is the best).

It never ceases to impress me how steadfast they were about just keeping it to the four of them (aside from a special guest here or there on an individual song). Virtually every other band of their generation that performs these days uses extra musicians on stage - but even at the O2 in '07 it was still just the four of 'em.

Edited by tmtomh, 19 March 2012 - 12:43 AM.

[Mattmc1973]

I've always thought Jonesy's acoustic didn't add much to the live version, it's too thin sounding. His normal bass work would have filled out the sound much better, imo. If Jimmy can handle all of Achilles Last Stand's guitar parts on one guitar, he would've been fine on Ten Years Gone.

[ally]

I've always thought Jonesy's acoustic didn't add much to the live version, it's too thin sounding. His normal bass work would have filled out the sound much better, imo. If Jimmy can handle all of Achilles Last Stand's guitar parts on one guitar, he would've been fine on Ten Years Gone.

Couldn't agree more !

[mrmike9]

Here's the Houston '77 version: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=t4onDI7IFV0

[Melcórë]

It's amazing they were able to do it live at all, let alone as great as they did it. Check out the 06-21-77 version - probably the best live version ever (though I know some folks claim the 08-04-79 version in the Knebworth section of the official DVD is the best).

Hmm?

[publicenemy3]

I'm sorry, but that version from Houston is atrocious. Knebworth is better, you can better hear JPJ and what the triple neck adds.

Personally, I feel this song should not have been preformed live. Jimmy's intro notes are bent awkwardly and just don't sound good, the god awful effects on Plant's vocals, I just don't like it. The second solo on the other hand, does sound good, as does the chorus/bridge. But the note bending ruins the song, IMO.

[bamf4k]

IMHO, the best live TYG I've ever heard is 6/25/77

[Nutrocker]

I've always thought Jonesy's acoustic didn't add much to the live version, it's too thin sounding. His normal bass work would have filled out the sound much better, imo. If Jimmy can handle all of Achilles Last Stand's guitar parts on one guitar, he would've been fine on Ten Years Gone.

I agree. And JPJ only started using the Andy Manson custom tripleneck starting with the second leg of the'77 tour in Birmingham...for the first leg he used an Ovation 12 string. He should have just played bass as on the studio version. And further IMO Page should have left the B-Bender Telecaster at home- some nights he could pull it off, some nights he definitely could not.

I'd be brazen to say that the performance of "Ten Years Gone" is a good indicator of the quality of a given 1977 show. Generally speaking if they could pull off a convincing version of TYG on the night they were pretty much on the ball the whole gig.

[Major Major]

I'd be brazen to say that the performance of "Ten Years Gone" is a good indicator of the quality of a given 1977 show. Generally speaking if they could pull off a convincing version of TYG on the night they were pretty much on the ball the whole gig.

I'd agree with that, although it wasn't always the case. The 1st MSG show was pretty solid, but they still managed to fuck up Kashmir big time, apparently due to Bonzo's over-drumming.

[Nutrocker]

I'd agree with that, although it wasn't always the case. The 1st MSG show was pretty solid, but they still managed to fuck up Kashmir big time, apparently due to Bonzo's over-drumming.

Sure, but "Kashmir" was apparently an easy song for them to fuck up LOL (see also 23-6-77 in L.A. or 29-6-80 in Zurich as two prime examples of kick ass shows with botched performances of "Kashmir"). I think "Kashmir" was an easy song for them to get 'lost' in, due to it's, well, repititiveness. TYG, on the other hand, was a much more intricate and dynamic song to perform- Page in particular couldn't really afford to be sloppy on that one. How he freezes (misses his cue?) to start the solo at the first Oakland gig causing a major trainwreck in the song is an extreme example. But, having said that, off the top of my head, I can think of two decidedly iffy '77 shows -the first night in Cleveland and Seattle- where "Ten Years Gone" is one of the highlights (the only think really marring the Seattle version is Plant's squeaky voice IMO). I think it's to their credit in '77 that they busted out "Ten Years Gone", which as we all agree was a bitch to pull off live, instead of choosing a less challenging song in it's place.

[JimmyPageZoSo56]

I'd agree with that, although it wasn't always the case. The 1st MSG show was pretty solid, but they still managed to fuck up Kashmir big time, apparently due to Bonzo's over-drumming.

That is one of the most powerful versions of Kashmir I've heard. I don't know how they fucked it up a lot in '77. They never fucked it up in '75.

Sorry, off topic. As I said in the 1977 thread (I think) I've never been a huge fan of Ten Years Gone since Page's solos are often sloppy. The rest of the song is good for the most part but parts of the solos just make me cringe.

[Wolfman]

.

Personally, I feel this song should not have been preformed live. Jimmy's intro notes are bent awkwardly and just don't sound good, the god awful effects on Plant's vocals, I just don't like it. The second solo on the other hand, does sound good, as does the chorus/bridge. But the note bending ruins the song, IMO.

So disagree with you on this. I love the live version of this song. Always one of my faves on boots. That said, the Houston version isn't very good.

Edited by Wolfman, 01 May 2012 - 03:46 PM.

[bamf4k]

What's the general consensus on the version from 6/10/77? I like this show alot, in fact it's my favorite from the six night run in NYC, but I havent heard this version in a while.

[TashaZoso16]

6 string, 12 string, and mandolin...

[Daeron]

If Jmmy didn't use the B-Bender, and Jonesy had just played bass; what other guitar should have been used on this song? Just the Les Paul? I think that would have made the song sound heavier (and possibly better haha).

[Walter]

Which guitar(s) did Jimmy use on the studio version. Obviously they were overlaid, but was the B-Bender used?