Best Kashmir live version

[Zach_7]

Either 1977/06/25, 1977/06/11, or 1980/06/30. Honorable mention to 1975/03/21.

I'm with you on 1977/06/25...BONZO!!

[Zach_7]

TBH, as soon as I saw this thread's title, I knew it was going to be mostly the usual posts about how great the Knebworth and O2 versions are. Perhaps I stay on this forum a bit too much?

I was thinking the same thing

[MonkeyOnMyBack]

Sorry if I'm straying a little here, but I have to mention the Page/Plant No Quarter version of Kashmir. What an absolutely brilliant, magical performance!

This performance was all about unrealized potential. The arrangement and orchestra were phenomenal, but overall it underachieved greatly due to a weak vocal night for RP. He was WAY better on O2.

[thelema]

Seattle 21-03-1975 and LTTE.

The version from MSG 1975-02-12 (''That's Alright New York'' boot) has weak vocals but the sound is HUGE.

[henrybonzo]

unledded!

[Geezer]

O2? Not even top 20. My list:

1977-06-21

1977-06-25

1979-08-04

1979-08-11

Edited March 21, 2013 by Geezer

[Strider]

The O2 "Kashmir" had the benefit of being the best-recorded and filmed "Kashmir" ever, which gives it an advantage in audio quality over the bootlegs or even official multitracks such as Earl's Court '75 or Knebworth '79.

Now, if the 1977 tour had been recorded with the thoroughness that the 2007 O2 gig was, then there'd be no question that they would reign surpreme in people's minds. If you could hear the June 25 or June 21, 1977 "Kashmir" in O2-quality audio, your head would explode!

Not that there aren't great performances of "Kashmir" from 1975 or 1979-80; but there are certain things that rule out those years when considering the "BEST" live version of "Kashmir".

First rule I have: A "best Kashmir" has to have Bonzo and the mellotron. Either of those two things missing and it gets demoted. So, goodbye 1979-80 and O2.

Second rule: Robert Plant's vocals must be strong, and in particular, he must really nail that "Trying to find where I've beeeeeeeeeen" line, with the last word echoing hypnotically in the arena.

Third rule: The coda: Bonzo must be active on the fills and Robert Plant has to sing the "Oooh ooh yeah yeah...Let me take you there" refrain at the end. He does not do this in 1975, which leaves the endings on the 1975 "Kashmir"s sounding rather dull...they tend to just drag on.

Fourth rule: 'Remember the coda'...this was the note Jones wrote to himself to remember the ascending chord pattern in the coda. Even so, he would forget from time to time. So, any "Kashmir" that has a mix-up, whether it is slight or if it is epic(like the 6.7.77 MSG), doesn't get to be considered for the "Best" list. Which leaves off the June 23, 1977 Badgeholder version.

Fifth rule: A nice balance between guitar and mellotron, with not one dominating over the other, but a melding of instruments into a mesmerizing wall of sound. In my listenings, I have found the 1977 boots have this quality more than the 1975 ones.

So, with all that in consideration, and having gone through all the "Kashmir" performances I have, my pick for the best all-around performance of "Kashmir" goes to June 25, 1977 at the Forum of Inglewood.

[Sue Dounim]

The O2 "Kashmir" had the benefit of being the best-recorded and filmed "Kashmir" ever, which gives it an advantage in audio quality over the bootlegs or even official multitracks such as Earl's Court '75 or Knebworth '79.

Now, if the 1977 tour had been recorded with the thoroughness that the 2007 O2 gig was, then there'd be no question that they would reign surpreme in people's minds. If you could hear the June 25 or June 21, 1977 "Kashmir" in O2-quality audio, your head would explode!

Not that there aren't great performances of "Kashmir" from 1975 or 1979-80; but there are certain things that rule out those years when considering the "BEST" live version of "Kashmir".

First rule I have: A "best Kashmir" has to have Bonzo and the mellotron. Either of those two things missing and it gets demoted. So, goodbye 1979-80 and O2.

Second rule: Robert Plant's vocals must be strong, and in particular, he must really nail that "Trying to find where I've beeeeeeeeeen" line, with the last word echoing hypnotically in the arena.

Third rule: The coda: Bonzo must be active on the fills and Robert Plant has to sing the "Oooh ooh yeah yeah...Let me take you there" refrain at the end. He does not do this in 1975, which leaves the endings on the 1975 "Kashmir"s sounding rather dull...they tend to just drag on.

Fourth rule: 'Remember the coda'...this was the note Jones wrote to himself to remember the ascending chord pattern in the coda. Even so, he would forget from time to time. So, any "Kashmir" that has a mix-up, whether it is slight or if it is epic(like the 6.7.77 MSG), doesn't get to be considered for the "Best" list. Which leaves off the June 23, 1977 Badgeholder version.

Fifth rule: A nice balance between guitar and mellotron, with not one dominating over the other, but a melding of instruments into a mesmerizing wall of sound. In my listenings, I have found the 1977 boots have this quality more than the 1975 ones.

So, with all that in consideration, and having gone through all the "Kashmir" performances I have, my pick for the best all-around performance of "Kashmir" goes to June 25, 1977 at the Forum of Inglewood.

Sounds about right to me!

[Charles J. White]

The O2 for me, the John Paul Jones and his keyboards just drive the song along, and the entire band just didn't let it go - it was like watching a pro-skier ski a perfect run down a double black diamond

Edited March 22, 2013 by Charles J. White

[Great Sombreo]

agreed

for me the O2 performance has a power and sonic presence that eclipses both Knebworth shows

The O2 version of Kashmir is by far the most powerful live song EVER recorded. It's classic Zep raw power.

Jeff

[Sagittarius Rising]

^ Agree! The whole mix itself is what made it incredible. I believe this was truly the first time it became more than simply the sum of it's parts. The guitar tone was the best I ever heard for this song hands down, and the keys and bass pedals were mixed perfectly. Jason played it straight and relentless, Roberts vocals were his best since 77' if not better, he really pulled it out for this song. IMO this version is the perfect storm, everything works in synch, no one musician stands out, they become one homogenous force.

[graf75]

The 2-6-75 Montreal Kashmir has always been a pretty powerful one and is played often here!

[SuperDave]

My favorite may be the O2 version, but Bonzo is missing so I'll rule that one out.

My favorites being:

6/21/77

6/25/77

2/12/75

2/14/75

5/28/77

Don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

[Eternal Zeppelinite]

Hey everyone! First day here.

My favorite is 6-21-77. Probably the best ever. Consistent, strong, hypnotic, no errors. Love it. One of my all-time favorite songs too!

[Strider]

^^^

I suggest you listen to 6/25/77. It's even better than 6/21/77! Which means it's the best ever in Led Zeppelin 1968-1980 history.

My favorite may be the O2 version, but Bonzo is missing so I'll rule that one out.

My favorites being:

6/21/77

6/25/77

2/12/75

2/14/75

5/28/77

Don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

Ditto...great list there, SuperDave.

[Eternal Zeppelinite]

^^^ YouTube is my best friend where areas like this are concerned. You were right, Strider, 6/25/77 is excellent. Would you say that entire show is worth getting? I have three from the LA run already: 6/21, 23, and 26...is the show as a whole as solid as, say, the 23rd? I'd hate to download an entire show just grab one song I want. Any other killer versions at this show?

Edited October 13, 2013 by Eternal Zeppelinite

[Strider]

^^^ YouTube is my best friend where areas like this are concerned. You were right, Strider, 6/25/77 is excellent. Would you say that entire show is worth getting? I have three from the LA run already: 6/21, 23, and 26...is the show as a whole as solid as, say, the 23rd? I'd hate to download an entire show just grab one song I want. Any other killer versions at this show?

Not as incendiary as 6/21 or 6/23, but 6/25 is a good solid show, and it has the advantage over 6/22 and 6/26 in that it is another stellar Mike Millard recording, so the sound quality is top-notch all the way through.

You get one of the only two "In My Time of Dying" performed in LA (the other being 6/22), with a little improv of Little Richard's "Rip It Up" at the middle break after the slide solo (the concert was on a Saturday night). You get a "No Quarter" that while not great, is good and still thoroughly enjoyable, as all NQs were at the Forum. You get "Trampled Under Foot" in between "Kashmir" and the drum solo, which was always a nice addition to the set. You get the ONLY "Communication Breakdown" of 1977! Some may say that was a good thing, but it was nice to finally get something other than "WLL-Rock and Roll" as the encore. You get the shortest "White Summer" (always a good thing) of the LA run, which leads into...

...the longest and greatest "Kashmir" ever!

I call that a WIN!

NFBM from 6/25/77:

The only 1977 CB:

Edited October 14, 2013 by Strider

[Eternal Zeppelinite]

Not as incendiary as 6/21 or 6/23, but 6/25 is a good solid show, and it has the advantage over 6/22 and 6/26 in that it is another stellar Mike Millard recording, so the sound quality is top-notch all the way through.

You get one of the only two "In My Time of Dying" performed in LA (the other being 6/22), with a little improv of Little Richard's "Rip It Up" at the middle break after the slide solo (the concert was on a Saturday night). You get a "No Quarter" that while not great, is good and still thoroughly enjoyable, as all NQs were at the Forum. You get "Trampled Under Foot" in between "Kashmir" and the drum solo, which was always a nice addition to the set. You get the ONLY "Communication Breakdown" of 1977! Some may say that was a good thing, but it was nice to finally get something other than "WLL-Rock and Roll" as the encore. You get the shortest "White Summer" (always a good thing) of the LA run, which leads into...

...the longest and greatest "Kashmir" ever!

I call that a WIN!

NFBM from 6/25/77:

The only 1977 CB:

Will download right now. What is the best version of the show to get? Or is the Millard recording complete?

[Strider]

Will download right now. What is the best version of the show to get? Or is the Millard recording complete?

The Mike Millard recording is the only circulating source out there. The master and 1st generation copies are near complete at around 211-212 minutes...roughly 3 hours and 32 minutes. The only cuts in the tape seem to be in between the songs so no music is lost. Look for the Winston Remasters version of this show...that seems to be the general consensus of what the best quality is available of the Millard tapes.

[tom kid]

6/25/77 is one of my favourite shows. Always enjoy breaking it out and giving it a listen, just a solid show from start to finish.

[Charles J. White]

June 25 1977 is very impressive, but the O2 gig was perfection, the entire song took on a life of its on, it shows that Led Zeppelin had risen to the occasion once more. They were reaching for something in the distance at the 02 Kashmir performance

[Strider]

June 25 1977 is very impressive, but the O2 gig was perfection, the entire song took on a life of its on, it shows that Led Zeppelin had risen to the occasion once more. They were reaching for something in the distance at the 02 Kashmir performance

The O2 also had something like 99-track recording and the latest technological gear at its disposal. You're judging a professional 2007 recording against an amateur 1977 bootleg.

Look, the O2 "Kashmir" was epic, no doubt...but, in my admittedly weird opinion, it is missing a key ingredient to be called Zeppelin's finest: John Henry Bonham.

No Bonzo = No 'Led Zeppelin'.

There's also my other weird requirement for "Kashmir"...the mellotron must be present.

[Charles J. White]

The first time I watched the gig in the theater I found myself getting emotional about Kashmir. It was such a special performance that O2 gig, and like you, I have a lot of bands that I really like a lot, but that 02 Kashmir was very very powerful, it flowed like the undertow of a river. Jimmy's tone was perfect.

[Melcórë]

I feel like the 1977 renditions of "Kashmir" lost something -- I've always been much more appreciative of the 1975 versions. Any number of those would be my candidate for "best," with the O2 performance coming in second.

[Sue Dounim]

I appreciate 1980 Kashmir's alot more now than I used to, especially 1980/06/21.