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Stairway Solo, shortest ever ?


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Loved the show, but I was dissipointed with the gutiar solo in Stairway To Heaven. it was very brief and to my ears the shortest live one I have heard, maybe Page did not feel comfortable enough to extend it, any thoughts ?
P.S. Kind of supriesed this has not came up yet as a topic of conversation.
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Random thoughts:

( a ) They were trying to get as many songs in as possible, rather than do the long improvs like in the past,

( b ) They were playing to an audience of whom many would only be familiar with the studio versions (or TSRTS),

( c ) Maybe he just didn't like playing it tuned down a tone, & kept it brief for that reason.

Or...

( d ) Maybe Jimmy was just so thankful that Robert had actually agreed to do the song again that he kept it short for Robert's sake...

Take your pick :)

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Random thoughts:

( a ) They were trying to get as many songs in as possible, rather than do the long improvs like in the past,

( b ) They were playing to an audience of whom many would only be familiar with the studio versions (or TSRTS),

( c ) Maybe he just didn't like playing it tuned down a tone, & kept it brief for that reason.

Or...

( d ) Maybe Jimmy was just so thankful that Robert had actually agreed to do the song again that he kept it short for Robert's sake...

Take your pick :)

It would not be option B as the stairway solo on TSRTS was a bit extended
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Personally, I LOVED the solo at the O2 and preferred it to the past extened solos. I always thought the studio version was much more powerful than the extended versions they did live. Most of the songs they did at the O2 were arranged to more closely match the studio versions...I believe this was done in the interest of time management. Also, it was my understanding that there was actually a noise curfew at the O2, and that exceeding that time (2330 hours) meant a hefty fine. The boys appeared to cut out the long improvs to be able to increase the song list! In my opinion, they did it to accomodate the wishes of the fans.....

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I think Jimmy's pinky may have factored in the solo being so short. But I have no proof and haven't had a feeling. Just more of a gut feeling. Plus Robert has said how he hates long solos because he has nothing to do.

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I think Jimmy's pinky may have factored in the solo being so short. But I have no proof and haven't had a feeling. Just more of a gut feeling. Plus Robert has said how he hates long solos because he has nothing to do.

Yeah, god knows giving brilliant musicians room to play is such a chore... :mellow:

But, I digress...

All of the above seems like a good combination of explanations. Keeping it short and sweet for Robert's sake, so that in fact the lyrics and vocals were center stage; the pinky thing; and the choice to play as much as possible, as well as not break the noise curfew.

What an awful thing, a noise curfew on Led Zeppelin. What is the world coming to?

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Personally, I LOVED the solo at the O2 and preferred it to the past extened solos. I always thought the studio version was much more powerful than the extended versions they did live. Most of the songs they did at the O2 were arranged to more closely match the studio versions...I believe this was done in the interest of time management. Also, it was my understanding that there was actually a noise curfew at the O2, and that exceeding that time (2330 hours) meant a hefty fine. The boys appeared to cut out the long improvs to be able to increase the song list! In my opinion, they did it to accomodate the wishes of the fans.....

The studio version was just plain magical to say the least. I loved many of the live versions, dont get me wrong, but the studio version is what it is. I play the guitar myself. I remember one guitar player thirty yrs ago or so saying, it was so great he wonders if Jimmy Page could ever play it again like that. To me its the greatest solo of all time. Then Id say dazed and confused. Outside of Led Zepp Id say some of the best were Hotel California, Freebird, Dreams Ill Never See, Sympathy for the Devil (Get yer ya yas out), Aqualung and many more.

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He already said his goal for the solo was to play it as close to the record as possible because he's gotten too much heat over doing it differently, people have even questioned whether he really could play it like he did on the record.

Personally I never really liked the way they used to slow the tempo down for the extended solo section of Stairway in the latter years. It kind of destroys the buildup and then it has to build back up again.

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Personally I never really liked the way they used to slow the tempo down for the extended solo section of Stairway in the latter years. It kind of destroys the buildup and then it has to build back up again.

What versions did they slow it down for? :huh: I have bootlegs from every year except '79 and '80 and I've never heard this.

P.S. Even though I don't OWN bootlegs from '79 and '80, I have heard at least 1 version from each year of their career, including these 2.

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I believe another factor may have been the status of the song for the band. Possibly as a result of Robert's feelings about Stairway, it was given a less prominent position in the set and obviously not given the full works. I actually think it benefited from this - I loved the O2 version. Most people, I guess, would have expected this to be the last number of the main set (indeed, I noticed a few people leave once it had finished! :blink: ) but everything lead up to Kashmir instead.

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Random thoughts:

( a ) They were trying to get as many songs in as possible, rather than do the long improvs like in the past,

( d ) Maybe Jimmy was just so thankful that Robert had actually agreed to do the song again that he kept it short for Robert's sake...

I definitely think (a). Makes sense since 'No Quarter' was shortened considerably also. But I like (d) too. Wouldn't surprise me. :)

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Random thoughts:

( a ) They were trying to get as many songs in as possible, rather than do the long improvs like in the past,

( b ) They were playing to an audience of whom many would only be familiar with the studio versions (or TSRTS),

( c ) Maybe he just didn't like playing it tuned down a tone, & kept it brief for that reason.

Or...

( d ) Maybe Jimmy was just so thankful that Robert had actually agreed to do the song again that he kept it short for Robert's sake...

Take your pick :)

I pick option (d) :D along with NickZepp's suggestion of a tender pinky factoring in.

.....

What an awful thing, a noise curfew on Led Zeppelin. What is the world coming to?

Eh? What'd you say? I can't hear you...lost my hearing from these dadburned young whippersnappers playing their music too durn loud.

:P

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Short but sweet.

As I stood at the 02 and watched it I was very disappointed in the solo. I was hoping for the solos of solos as it's been so long...but it didn't happen.

I think it's more of a timing matter than the finger. They wanted to fit in as many songs as possible.

personally I would rather them have skip a song or two and did the solos, but they can't please everybody...and the show was beyond any other...of course.

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I pick option (d) :D along with NickZepp's suggestion of a tender pinky factoring in.

Eh? What'd you say? I can't hear you...lost my hearing from these dadburned young whippersnappers playing their music too durn loud.

:P

:D

Yeah, but what a great way to go deaf...

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It sounds like -plant wants to sing the song this time, where in 85/88, not really. The -page solo never gets a chance to get into any rhythm, or path as it usually does..., cause its cut so short, but its good and interesting to hear.

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