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1977 North American Tour - 40th Anniversary


ZepHead315

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Just now, Sue Dounim said:

The cover says they're Winston Remasters but I can confirm directly from Winston himself that he never released anything of those shows so I have to wonder

I see. Hmmm...is Moonchild another Japanese company or from elsewhere?

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15 minutes ago, Strider said:

I see. Hmmm...is Moonchild another Japanese company or from elsewhere?

I'm fairly certain they're Japanese and they've almost exclusively been making money off of Winston's work.

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Back on topic, I gotta say I wish there was at least ONE above average recording from the earliest weeks of the April leg of the tour. Until Cleveland they all range from mediocre at best (Oklahoma, one of the sources for the third night in Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville) to god-awful (all the other Chicago tapes and Atlanta). It kinda makes those shows mysterious in a way because despite the obvious rust the band was shaking off, you wanna get a full grasp on what they were doing and none of the tapes in circulation offer that.

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7 hours ago, Sue Dounim said:

Back on topic, I gotta say I wish there was at least ONE above average recording from the earliest weeks of the April leg of the tour. Until Cleveland they all range from mediocre at best (Oklahoma, one of the sources for the third night in Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville) to god-awful (all the other Chicago tapes and Atlanta). It kinda makes those shows mysterious in a way because despite the obvious rust the band was shaking off, you wanna get a full grasp on what they were doing and none of the tapes in circulation offer that.

I am firmly convinced soundboards exist for all those early shows. Either they are still in Jimmy's possession or being hoarded...or maybe Jimmy lost them along the way...but those shows had to have been taped.

It was the start of a major tour. The band had been off and unable to rehearse for months following the delay of the tour. I find it inconceivable that Jimmy would not want those opening shows soundboarded so he could hear what bits were working and what weren't in the new setlist...the new arrangement of No Quarter, for instance. His guitar noise solo segment, the acoustic set, Ten Years Gone. As much control Jimmy exerted on the architecture of Led Zeppelin's sound, it just follows that Jimmy's natural curiosity and desire for Led Zeppelin to be shown in the best light would lead him to wanting to hear for himself how the band sounded in those early days of the tour.

Now, 40 years later it's anybody's guess where and what happened to those tapes. But it simply defies logic that the soundboard tape deck wasn't running at those shows in April 1977.

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37 minutes ago, Strider said:

I am firmly convinced soundboards exist for all those early shows. Either they are still in Jimmy's possession or being hoarded...or maybe Jimmy lost them along the way...but those shows had to have been taped.

It was the start of a major tour. The band had been off and unable to rehearse for months following the delay of the tour. I find it inconceivable that Jimmy would not want those opening shows soundboarded so he could hear what bits were working and what weren't in the new setlist...the new arrangement of No Quarter, for instance. His guitar noise solo segment, the acoustic set, Ten Years Gone. As much control Jimmy exerted on the architecture of Led Zeppelin's sound, it just follows that Jimmy's natural curiosity and desire for Led Zeppelin to be shown in the best light would lead him to wanting to hear for himself how the band sounded in those early days of the tour.

Now, 40 years later it's anybody's guess where and what happened to those tapes. But it simply defies logic that the soundboard tape deck wasn't running at those shows in April 1977.

What I wouldnt give for soundboards of Dallas, the last night in Chicago, any of the missing five, Atlanta, or Pontiac.

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I think I read somewhere on this site that Page showed up for the third leg looking completely out of it. He was in such bad shape that he had to be carried/helped along, and Peter Grant had to slap him awake for the gig. I may have the details wrong but I distinctly remember reading something to this effect (can't remember which thread I read it in). It would certainly explain a lot. If true, that might mean that Page was only dabbling in heroin for the first two legs. Sure once in a while he almost certainly OD'd or came close (4/9 comes to mind, as does a couple of the Landover gigs), but for the most part he may have kept it under (relative) control. But between the 2nd and 3rd leg, he overindulged and couldn't kick the habit, hence his at times abysmal playing.

With regard to Plant, I think he caught another cold. You can hear him coughing during the Seattle gig at various points. Shame the tour was tragically cut short. Wonder how much he would have recovered.

Combine both of those with some rustiness (which probably also explains the vast difference in performance between, say, LA 6/3/73 and Chicago 7/6/73) and...well...it ain't pretty!

14 hours ago, Sue Dounim said:

Back on topic, I gotta say I wish there was at least ONE above average recording from the earliest weeks of the April leg of the tour. Until Cleveland they all range from mediocre at best (Oklahoma, one of the sources for the third night in Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville) to god-awful (all the other Chicago tapes and Atlanta). It kinda makes those shows mysterious in a way because despite the obvious rust the band was shaking off, you wanna get a full grasp on what they were doing and none of the tapes in circulation offer that.

 

6 hours ago, Sue Dounim said:

What I wouldnt give for soundboards of Dallas, the last night in Chicago, any of the missing five, Atlanta, or Pontiac.

If I could get one soundboard from the first leg, it'd be St. Paul. Didn't Peter Grant claim that was the best gig of the tour? 

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On 7/21/2017 at 3:47 PM, ZepHead315 said:

I

 

If I could get one soundboard from the first leg, it'd be St. Paul. Didn't Peter Grant claim that was the best gig of the tour? 

Sorry to say this but in regard to the 77' tour, anything either Jimmy or Peter said has pretty much zero weight with me. Both Grant and Page were in the depths of addiction on that tour and I am really not sure which one of the two was the worst off but they were both lucky to make it out alive from that tour.

Grant thinking St. Paul is the best gig of 77' is like me saying I thought the first Hendrix gig in London was amazing. That is to say, neither one of us was present at either gig, me physically and Grant mentally.

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50 minutes ago, IpMan said:

Sorry to say this but in regard to the 77' tour, anything either Jimmy or Peter said has pretty much zero weight with me. Both Grant and Page were in the depths of addiction on that tour and I am really not sure which one of the two was the worst off but they were both lucky to make it out alive from that tour.

Grant thinking St. Paul is the best gig of 77' is like me saying I thought the first Hendrix gig in London was amazing. That is to say, neither one of us was present at either gig, me physically and Grant mentally.

Maybe you should reapply this logic to yourself; You weren't present backstage with Led Zeppelin at their 1977 St. Paul stop, or at any show ever. Therefore, your speculations about Peter Grant's presence of mind on any specific day are pointless.

What you can confirm, if you're paying attention, is that only one 1977 show was cancelled/aborted due to substance abuse. Otherwise, the band showed up for every date on the tour and for the most part performed 3 hour+ shows. Impressive considering Jimmy Page and Peter Grant apparently had no mental functionality.

Yes, heroin use within Led Zeppelin has been documented. Thank you for clarifying that. Again.

God forbid every thread in the forum doesn't devolve into a discussion about heroin use.

 

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On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 11:48 PM, Strider said:

But a major hallmark of the 1977 tour had been how strong Plant had been vocally...miles and miles above his vocals in 1973 and 1975. And in these opening shows of the third leg, for the first time Plant was below par. 

It's quite shocking to hear, especially coming after the triumphs of NY and LA.

I used to think this, until another Forum thread recently made me seek out Chicago 7/6/73...their first gig after you saw them 6/3/73. Boy, was Plant awful at this gig. In fact, I think he sounds better in the Seattle Kingdome show, versus this Chicago show.  

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On 7/21/2017 at 0:48 AM, Strider said:

And so we come to this...from the peak of the MSG and Forum runs of June 6-June 27, surely one of the finest stretches of concerts in the band's history, to the nadir of July 20, 1977.

While Seattle wasn't bad, it wasn't the Forum, either. That, coupled with the Tempe egg a few days later begs the question: What the hell happened during the layoff between Leg #2 and Leg #3?

Jimmy Page is somewhat accounted for...he was deeper in the grip of Lady H. But a major hallmark of the 1977 tour had been how strong Plant had been vocally...miles and miles above his vocals in 1973 and 1975. And in these opening shows of the third leg, for the first time Plant was below par. 

It's quite shocking to hear, especially coming after the triumphs of NY and LA.

On 7/21/2017 at 0:53 AM, Sue Dounim said:

I've asked this question several times over the past few years and I still have never gotten a straight answer

On 7/21/2017 at 4:47 PM, ZepHead315 said:

I think I read somewhere on this site that Page showed up for the third leg looking completely out of it. He was in such bad shape that he had to be carried/helped along, and Peter Grant had to slap him awake for the gig. I may have the details wrong but I distinctly remember reading something to this effect (can't remember which thread I read it in). It would certainly explain a lot. If true, that might mean that Page was only dabbling in heroin for the first two legs. Sure once in a while he almost certainly OD'd or came close (4/9 comes to mind, as does a couple of the Landover gigs), but for the most part he may have kept it under (relative) control. But between the 2nd and 3rd leg, he overindulged and couldn't kick the habit, hence his at times abysmal playing.

With regard to Plant, I think he caught another cold. You can hear him coughing during the Seattle gig at various points. Shame the tour was tragically cut short. Wonder how much he would have recovered.

 

If I had to guess -emphasis on "guess"- I'd say Page was possibly smack free and in withdrawal for those first third leg gigs. Either that or he copped some bad shit. But I lean toward the former. His playing is decidedly unfocused in Seattle and Tempe, so either he was suffering from not enough heroin or too much of a bad batch. As for Plant, clearly he had some sort of flu or cold or something- as pointed out, he coughs quite a bit in Seattle but his illness only got worse by the time they hit Tempe, he can't hit the high notes at all. IMO Plant's voice is the main reason why Tempe is such an off performance.

On 7/21/2017 at 0:56 AM, Sue Dounim said:

If Moonchild's releases of Copenhagen 1979 are what I think they are, you can.

Consider it a badge of honour to have your work bootlegged :lol: 

On 7/21/2017 at 1:52 AM, Sue Dounim said:

Back on topic, I gotta say I wish there was at least ONE above average recording from the earliest weeks of the April leg of the tour. Until Cleveland they all range from mediocre at best (Oklahoma, one of the sources for the third night in Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville) to god-awful (all the other Chicago tapes and Atlanta). It kinda makes those shows mysterious in a way because despite the obvious rust the band was shaking off, you wanna get a full grasp on what they were doing and none of the tapes in circulation offer that.

On 7/21/2017 at 9:31 AM, Strider said:

I am firmly convinced soundboards exist for all those early shows. Either they are still in Jimmy's possession or being hoarded...or maybe Jimmy lost them along the way...but those shows had to have been taped.

It was the start of a major tour. The band had been off and unable to rehearse for months following the delay of the tour. I find it inconceivable that Jimmy would not want those opening shows soundboarded so he could hear what bits were working and what weren't in the new setlist...the new arrangement of No Quarter, for instance. His guitar noise solo segment, the acoustic set, Ten Years Gone. As much control Jimmy exerted on the architecture of Led Zeppelin's sound, it just follows that Jimmy's natural curiosity and desire for Led Zeppelin to be shown in the best light would lead him to wanting to hear for himself how the band sounded in those early days of the tour.

Now, 40 years later it's anybody's guess where and what happened to those tapes. But it simply defies logic that the soundboard tape deck wasn't running at those shows in April 1977.

Agreed- soundboards from any of the early April shows would be most welcome. As Sue points out, the Cincinatti shows are the only decent audience recordings of the bunch...until we hit April 28th, of course.

 

 

 

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20 hours ago, Badgeholder Still said:

Maybe you should reapply this logic to yourself; You weren't present backstage with Led Zeppelin at their 1977 St. Paul stop, or at any show ever. Therefore, your speculations about Peter Grant's presence of mind on any specific day are pointless.

What you can confirm, if you're paying attention, is that only one 1977 show was cancelled/aborted due to substance abuse. Otherwise, the band showed up for every date on the tour and for the most part performed 3 hour+ shows. Impressive considering Jimmy Page and Peter Grant apparently had no mental functionality.

Yes, heroin use within Led Zeppelin has been documented. Thank you for clarifying that. Again.

God forbid every thread in the forum doesn't devolve into a discussion about heroin use.

 

I realize you are a bit dense but it is not a stretch to understand someone who is high most of the time is not going to have an accurate recollection of events. I never said either were unable to function, I said that due to their drug intake their memories are not exactly a reliable source.

 

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20 hours ago, And You Know How It Is? said:

I used to think this, until another Forum thread recently made me seek out Chicago 7/6/73...their first gig after you saw them 6/3/73. Boy, was Plant awful at this gig. In fact, I think he sounds better in the Seattle Kingdome show, versus this Chicago show.  

You "used to think this"...what exactly did you think?

I said in my post that Plant's vocals in 1977 had regained a power and strength they had not had since 1972. Vocally, the 1973 and 1975 tours were Plant's weakest.

When I said Plant was subpar in Seattle and Tempe, I was talking in relation to the rest of the 1977 tour...not 1973 or overall. Certainly not Chicago '73.

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32 minutes ago, Strider said:

You "used to think this"...what exactly did you think?

I said in my post that Plant's vocals in 1977 had regained a power and strength they had not had since 1972. Vocally, the 1973 and 1975 tours were Plant's weakest.

When I said Plant was subpar in Seattle and Tempe, I was talking in relation to the rest of the 1977 tour...not 1973 or overall. Certainly not Chicago '73.

Trying to figure that one out too. ?

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4 hours ago, Strider said:

You "used to think this"...what exactly did you think?

I said in my post that Plant's vocals in 1977 had regained a power and strength they had not had since 1972. Vocally, the 1973 and 1975 tours were Plant's weakest.

When I said Plant was subpar in Seattle and Tempe, I was talking in relation to the rest of the 1977 tour...not 1973 or overall. Certainly not Chicago '73.

I'm sorry Strider, I mis-read your original post. Thanks for clarifying. I was thinking that there wasn't another time that I could remember where Plant sounded so bad at a first gig or two, coming off of any mid tour break, except for Seattle, then Tempe 1977. But I had never heard the 7/6/73 Chicago show up until a couple of weeks ago, which is why I mistakenly posted.

So, outside of '73 and '77's third leg, I guess the only other mid tour break taken would be '75, where the band had only 11 days off, between the rescheduled St. Louis date and Houston, which we know that no recording exists at this point (and interesting from the timeline is the concert review in which the author has seen the band every tour since 1969, but doesn't mention Plants vocals at the Houston show). Given Plants struggles since Chicago, I wonder how much worse he would have sounded in Houston (even the next night in Baton Rouge), coming off the mid tour break?

Otherwise, pretty much before 1973, they did multiple short tours in any year, so analyzing Plants vocals would have to be at the first show of each tour. The only exception to that that I can think of is the UK 72-73 tour. I did read that Plant wasn't up to par on the first 1973 UK show in Sheffield, following the short break after the last Ally Pally show December 23, but that was from a cold he caught on the way to that gig.

So back to your original point, indeed a mystery why his strong vocals through the first two legs of the '77 tour ended when he got to Seattle, with no mention of him being sick between the last LA show and Seattle. 

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20170724_144020.thumb.jpg.baee4318ab142a55dc966df324e92336.jpg

20170724_144001.thumb.jpg.992c24d935398d37d4c6e71411a3cb6d.jpg

And here it ends...on the 44th concert of a 52-date tour. Well, maybe not technically the end. They would fly on to New Orleans before receiving the tragic news about Karac Plant that would bring the 1977 tour to a halt. But July 24, 1977 is the last performance on American soil by Led Zeppelin. They (and the audience) just didn't know it at the time.

And do you know what? It's a pretty good show to go out on. Led Zeppelin "cut the waffle", so-to-speak, with this show. "No Quarter" is changed to the 1975 format and length. The drum solo is jettisoned. Even "White Summer" and the guitar noise solo seem succinct.

Maybe it is the historical significance attached to this show, but I really enjoy listening to this Oakland gig. It moves and flows...the insertion of "Trampled Under Foot" after "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" juices up the energy after the acoustic set.

The playing and Plant's singing sounds much more on point and cohesive than Tempe and Seattle, if not quite the stratospheric heights of the second leg of the tour. I would have loved to have been there. Unfortunately, a road trip to Oakland was not feasible, financially or physically, at that time.

Wikipedia, and many other accounts on the internet and books, overplay the "1977 tour was a disaster" line. What is their evidence/reasoning for this? One show in Chicago cut short due to Jimmy being ill, one show in Tampa cut short because of hurricane-like weather and safety concerns, and the fracas backstage at Oakland.

That is only three incidents out of 44 dates played. Whatever the physical issues in San Diego and Tempe, the gigs were played and completed. Whatever your feelings about the incident at Oakland, that was a separate issue from the actual concert itself...which sounds pretty good to me.

Until tapes surface, the beginning of the tour will remain a mystery. But it sounds like the band found its footing by Chicago and they absolutely DESTROYED the Heartland of America that last week of April...marching from Atlanta to Louisville to Cincinnati to Cleveland to Detroit. From Birmingham to Baton Rouge to Texas to Maryland to New York to California, they decimated arenas and left crowds ravenous for more. Okay, maybe a hiccup or two (San Diego, Tempe) along the way.

But not enough to outweigh the great performances night in, night out, for the majority of the tour. So enough with the sturm und drang moaning about 1977 being a disaster. It wasn't...at least not the actual concerts. 

The 1977 tour was better and more far-reaching than 1975, in my opinion. Family tragedy cut it short prematurely, but we still have the evidence of the previous 44 gigs to remember it fondly.

 

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12 minutes ago, Strider said:

20170724_144020.thumb.jpg.baee4318ab142a55dc966df324e92336.jpg

20170724_144001.thumb.jpg.992c24d935398d37d4c6e71411a3cb6d.jpg

And here it ends...on the 44th concert of a 52-date tour. Well, maybe not technically the end. They would fly on to New Orleans before receiving the tragic news about Karac Plant that would bring the 1977 tour to a halt. But July 24, 1977 is the last performance on American soil by Led Zeppelin. They (and the audience) just didn't know it at the time.

And do you know what? It's a pretty good show to go out on. Led Zeppelin "cut the waffle", so-to-speak, with this show. "No Quarter" is changed to the 1975 format and length. The drum solo is jettisoned. Even "White Summer" and the guitar noise solo seem succinct.

Maybe it is the historical significance attached to this show, but I really enjoy listening to this Oakland gig. It moves and flows...the insertion of "Trampled Under Foot" after "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" juices up the energy after the acoustic set.

The playing and Plant's singing sounds much more on point and cohesive than Tempe and Seattle, if not quite the stratospheric heights of the second leg of the tour. I would have loved to have been there. Unfortunately, a road trip to Oakland was not feasible, financially or physically, at that time.

Wikipedia, and many other accounts on the internet and books, overplay the "1977 tour was a disaster" line. What is their evidence/reasoning for this? One show in Chicago cut short due to Jimmy being ill, one show in Tampa cut short because of hurricane-like weather and safety concerns, and the fracas backstage at Oakland.

That is only three incidents out of 44 dates played. Whatever the physical issues in San Diego and Tempe, the gigs were played and completed. Whatever your feelings about the incident at Oakland, that was a separate issue from the actual concert itself...which sounds pretty good to me.

Until tapes surface, the beginning of the tour will remain a mystery. But it sounds like the band found its footing by Chicago and they absolutely DESTROYED the Heartland of America that last week of April...marching from Atlanta to Louisville to Cincinnati to Cleveland to Detroit. From Birmingham to Baton Rouge to Texas to Maryland to New York to California, they decimated arenas and left crowds ravenous for more. Okay, maybe a hiccup or two (San Diego, Tempe) along the way.

But not enough to outweigh the great performances night in, night out, for the majority of the tour. So enough with the sturm und drang moaning about 1977 being a disaster. It wasn't...at least not the actual concerts. 

The 1977 tour was better and more far-reaching than 1975, in my opinion. Family tragedy cut it short prematurely, but we still have the evidence of the previous 44 gigs to remember it fondly.

 

Well said Strider as always! The 77 tour may not have been the band's most consistent tour ever, but it isn't the disaster that some make it out to be. The only truly awful performances I've heard from this tour are Tempe, San Diego (and even then it's only Bonzo that's the culprit), and a couple of the Landover gigs. And even those shows aren't all bad. Hell, I think Jimmy's Stairway solo at Tempe is actually fairly decent.

Besides, even if I could only attend one of these shows, I'd still happily do it. It's Zeppelin after all, and who knows? It probably sounded way better anyway due to the loud amplification as well as all the substances floating around.

I'm curious what you think would have happened had Karac not died. Of course, it's pure speculation, but I've always wondered how much/how quickly the band would have recovered. My guess is that by the end of the tour their performances would have become quite solid, if not at the spectacular highs of the LA and NY runs. And who knows what would have happened afterward? Were the band planning any other shows after the US tour? I've heard talk that there were rumblings about touring South America. That certainly would have been interesting!

On 7/23/2017 at 3:44 PM, IpMan said:

Sorry to say this but in regard to the 77' tour, anything either Jimmy or Peter said has pretty much zero weight with me. Both Grant and Page were in the depths of addiction on that tour and I am really not sure which one of the two was the worst off but they were both lucky to make it out alive from that tour.

Grant thinking St. Paul is the best gig of 77' is like me saying I thought the first Hendrix gig in London was amazing. That is to say, neither one of us was present at either gig, me physically and Grant mentally.

You're probably right, IpMan. That being said I'd still love to hear the show. If nothing else, no recording currently circulates, and it was their second consecutive show. One thing I've noticed is that Jimmy always seemed to play better if the band were playing consecutive shows, at least from 1975 onwards (ex. 3/21/75, 4/28/77, 6/22 and 6/23/77, 7/24/79). Grant could very well be wrong, but it'd still be an interesting show to hear regardless.

17 hours ago, Nutrocker said:

If I had to guess -emphasis on "guess"- I'd say Page was possibly smack free and in withdrawal for those first third leg gigs. Either that or he copped some bad shit. But I lean toward the former. His playing is decidedly unfocused in Seattle and Tempe, so either he was suffering from not enough heroin or too much of a bad batch. As for Plant, clearly he had some sort of flu or cold or something- as pointed out, he coughs quite a bit in Seattle but his illness only got worse by the time they hit Tempe, he can't hit the high notes at all. IMO Plant's voice is the main reason why Tempe is such an off performance.

That's an interesting theory about Page. I hadn't considered that, but it actually makes sense. By the way, I'm curious Nutrocker, what do you think happened with Page that made him so good for the Copenhagen 79 gigs? I know it's slightly off-topic, but I've always wondered what happened there given how the band was usually quite rusty after a long break. Did he perhaps go clean (temporarily) in order to prepare for Knebworth? Did he get some really good drugs? Is it just pure luck?

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28 minutes ago, ZepHead315 said:

 

You're probably right, IpMan. That being said I'd still love to hear the show. If nothing else, no recording currently circulates, and it was their second consecutive show. One thing I've noticed is that Jimmy always seemed to play better if the band were playing consecutive shows, at least from 1975 onwards (ex. 3/21/75, 4/28/77, 6/22 and 6/23/77, 7/24/79). Grant could very well be wrong, but it'd still be an interesting show to hear regardless.

 

BTW, just to clarify, I was not suggesting the St. Paul show sucked or was sub-par. As you pointed out there is no recording so how would I know. I was only commenting about Grant's recollections in general. I am sure they could have played a spectacular show but with someone high on dope most of the time, who knows what they could have remembered. 

This is why I like to read Strider's recollections and the recollections of others who attended these gigs. People such as Strider, who were very young at the time and thus likely were not high as a kite nor mad as a hatter on god knows what, will have more concrete memories to pull from. Also, many such people had concert diaries and would write down in detail their experiences from the shows they attended for posterity.

Then there is the fact that as a band employee (manager) he would likely have been busy with managerial duties as well and not just casually hanging about enjoying the show. Just watch TSRTS. Grant was busy hunting down pirate vendors while the boys were playing, not operating the sound boards.

Which brings me to my next question...was there one particular person who was responsible for the mix at the show? Was he a Showco employee or a direct employee of the band? Does anyone know who this sound engineer was? Talk about getting it straight from the horses mouth, if anyone would know which gigs were great it would be that guy. He would also likely know which gigs were taped, if the video feeds were recorded, etc.

I ask...who is this mystery man?

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^interesting. Yes, there would have probably been 2 or 3 key "in the know" people who could give incredible recounts about concerts. A few good tales, and some solid info about tapes etc.

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Strider - thanks for recommending this show.  I had never listened to it much.  Maybe the association was just too sad - last show ever in the US.  I found this version on YouTube.  I had not been aware how No Quarter was more of a 1975 type version.  Very interesting.  This version is much better than some tapes I sampled many years ago.

 

 

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^^^You're welcome. I hope more people get turned on to this show. It's better than its reputation.

3 hours ago, Xolo1974 said:

Not heard this gig Strider. Would you say that this is the definitive version?

The only other version of July 24 I have to compare it to is my Alpha & Omega vinyl set. In that light, it sounds pretty definitive and complete to me. The audience tape is average quality, so there is only so much you can do to improve the sound. The Oakland shows were outdoor stadium concerts held during the daytime, with all the flaws inherent in that type of environment. It's never going to sound as good as a Millard Forum tape.

Plus, the Magic Bus title is a lot cheaper than EVSD's version. Unless you can find it for free on a download site.

And another thing: WHERE IS THE JUDAS PRIEST FOOTAGE?!?

Bill Graham events have a reputation for being recorded...you can find shows from the Fillmore and Winterland days and tons of Day on the Green stuff EXCEPT for Judas Priest opening for Zeppelin at the 1977 Oakland shows.

This was Judas Priest's first American tour ferchrissakes! Somebody must have taped it?

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18 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

I'm curious what you think would have happened had Karac not died. Of course, it's pure speculation, but I've always wondered how much/how quickly the band would have recovered. My guess is that by the end of the tour their performances would have become quite solid, if not at the spectacular highs of the LA and NY runs. And who knows what would have happened afterward? Were the band planning any other shows after the US tour? I've heard talk that there were rumblings about touring South America. That certainly would have been interesting!

I think about two shows in particular, had the tour continued:

  1. Next scheduled show in New Orleans at the 80K sold out Superdome. Would have expected the Oakland resurgence to continue...New Orleans was a USA spiritual home for Zep as well. 
    1. Would Bonzo play Over the Top? Does In My Time Of Dying make it's return to the set list? Does Heartbreaker return, in for TU? Extra encore due to the size of the crowd (Black Dog/It'll Be Me)?
  2. Chicago make up shows from April 9 - can't remember if it was scheduled for August 2 or August 3. Jimmy tells Circus magazine on April 10 he suffered from food poisoning on April 9, and that Zep is not a rip off band, and they'll do an all request show to make up. Would Zep really do an all request show, given the set list consistency throughout the tour?

 

After the USA tour...?

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