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Led Zeppelin's Best Year


pinky

best live year  

148 members have voted

  1. 1. years live

    • 1969
      11
    • 1970
      21
    • 1971
      20
    • 1972
      19
    • 1973
      39
    • 1975
      20
    • 1977
      13
    • 1979
      2
    • 1980
      0
    • 1985
      0
    • 1988
      0
    • 2007
      3


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  • 5 months later...

I voted 1975. They were at the top then, from what I have seen from mainly SRTS and the last two Earl's Court shows. Though in '73 they were getting close. I would say a tie between both of those. It very hard to pick.

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I voted 71. Everything was working as it should and the band had a funky edge about them that seemed to slowly disappear as time went on. As I said on a previous thread, I wouldn't argue with 72 either. I also preferred the set lists from those two tours as opposed to 73 and beyond.

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I voted 71. Everything was working as it should and the band had a funky edge about them that seemed to slowly disappear as time went on. As I said on a previous thread, I wouldn't argue with 72 either. I also preferred the set lists from those two tours as opposed to 73 and beyond.

'71 had the best set lists, the only thing that made we want to vote '73 was the versions of houses of the holy songs in '73, all were really great

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73'

Madison Square Garden was one of the greatest events ever to have happened. The Ocean live was one of the best, I love how Page slides the whole neck for the dramatic tension. HTWWW's 1972 version had Bonham doing different drumming, but both were great performances.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I'm surprised so many people chose 1973. I know it's an iconic period and all, but they were totally needing a vacation by 1973. The setlist had become too stale by then, and no acoustic midsection. They needed an infusion of more material, which they got in 1975. Really the Earl's Court shows are the best balance of best setlist and performance.

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77 is awfully underrated .. the dvd i own and other performances have blown me away in a good way of course they outdo the grateful dead with the jamming sessions its phenomenal.. btw them and the dead were always the best bands to just good ole jam together

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  • 3 weeks later...
77 is awfully underrated .. the dvd i own and other performances have blown me away in a good way of course they outdo the grateful dead with the jamming sessions its phenomenal.. btw them and the dead were always the best bands to just good ole jam together

Awfully underrated? What does that mean - that it's a better year playing-wise than the others?! Even if you like the new songs that were included on the setlist then, the performances are just abysmal by comparison with the early years. That's easy enough to hear.

As for the jamming, some of the songs would get longer and longer as the years passed - but better? Did the songs retain a sense of purpose and unity, as real statements? Surely, after all, and however much you evaluate improvisation, in the end it's about songs? For example, and speaking for myself here, I think the shorter, early versions of Dazed were a lot better than the 1973-1975 versions; played slightly faster, they have an eerie, psychedelic atmosphere that I feel is just important to the song. And for pretty similar reasons, I think No Quarter was generally better in 1973 than in 1975.

But 1977! :slapface: The playing simply isn't good when you consider the real calibre of the band.

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Their performance and repertoire was pretty outstanding in the year of 1973, but I still think they played better together as a live band in 1969. I went for '69 simply 'cause I consider it the year of the most impressingly performed Zep-gigs.

It is indeed attractive with an expanded repertoire, but still, they rocked the friggin show during '69.

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I think it's funny people reference only the official stuff...

For example, 80% of the posts are as follows:

'70 because of RAH

'71 because of BBC Sessions

'72 because of HTWWW

'73 because of TSRTS

'75 because of Earl's Court

'79 because of Knebworth

It's as if people rate Zeppelin's best year based on the sound quality/specifics of their favorite official recording rather than more important aspects like the performance as a whole on the year. IMO, people need to experience the group through multiple bootlegs if they haven't done so already. You get a much more real picture of the group on the whole.

And don't forget, they also made studio albums that no one seems to be taking into account...

I still stick w/ 1969.

2 studio albums, absolutely groundbreaking performances in Boston, San Francisco, BBC, etc. The group was still raw and unkempt, somewhat unsure yet working hard and pushing the envelope on all fronts, and no prior success to fall back on... you could tell they really loved every minute of it and never once sounded tired. I would venture to say this was their most ambitious year, and great in terms of the quality/quantity of material produced. Might not have been as substantial as some of their later works, but you can't deny the classics, and to produce so much in so little time just boggles my mind.

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  • 3 years later...

I voted for 1970, but I think that I actually prefer the period between the second half of 1969 and the rest of 1970, when the essence you could smell in the beginning was becoming strong, incredible and powerful; when there was a great push towards the unknown, and when the freedom of musical expression and improvisation were actually taking off. Using a familiar expression, when magic filled the air...

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  • 2 weeks later...

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