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Your Led Zeppelin Time Machine (with a twist!)


ZepHead315

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Let's say you get a time machine and can go back and attend only one Led Zeppelin show. I know a scenario like this has been laid out before, so here's a couple of caveats to make things a bit more interesting:

1. You cannot attend a show from which a recording currently circulates.

2. You cannot go back to a show that you personally witnessed (if you were lucky! ;))

With these restrictions, what's the one Zeppelin show that you would go back to and why?

Ultimately, I would go with the 8/19/71 Vancouver show. Firstly, because it's from 1971, a year when the band could seemingly do no wrong and were firing on all cylinders constantly.

Secondly, I'd get to hear the songs from the fourth album debut in North America for the very first time. That means no loud applause during the intro to Stairway. None of the band going through the motions. I'd get to hear them when they were still fresh.

Thirdly, I'd get to hear Plant's voice in its prime. The general consensus is that he began to go downhill with the LA show two days later. Not to mention, his voice already sounds a bit hoarse at the start of that show. I'd love to be able to hear him back when his high pitched singing was still effortless, and also determine if he maybe pushed himself a bit too far at this show as well.

And finally, it's the first show of the tour! Who knows if the band were more determined than ever to kick ass, and thus tossed in a few extra goodies with their usual setlist? There's a user who posted in the timeline entry for this show who claims that they played Gallows Pole, an electric version of Tangerine, Friends, Bron Y Aur Stomp, left Moby Dick out of the setlist, and played Dazed AFTER the acoustic set. It sounds way too good to be true, but I'd love to know for sure! :lol:

The only issue I can foresee is that the crowd was reportedly VERY rowdy that night, but I'd be more than willing to sit way in the back to stay out of the melee. Anything just to experience them live.

I'm very interested to hear what your picks will be!

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LA Forum 3.6.73 - This is my favourite bootleg...everyone seemed to be in firespitting form! Just about every track is my favourite live version, and even though it is considered that Plant had stopped his high pitch phase by that time, he's on incredible form, so much better than the TSRTS versions and performance. If I had to pick my favourite live album of all time, it would be this one, so definitely the show I would have wanted to see.

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46 minutes ago, Victor said:

LA Forum 3.6.73 - This is my favourite bootleg...everyone seemed to be in firespitting form! Just about every track is my favourite live version, and even though it is considered that Plant had stopped his high pitch phase by that time, he's on incredible form, so much better than the TSRTS versions and performance. If I had to pick my favourite live album of all time, it would be this one, so definitely the show I would have wanted to see.

From a show that has no circulated source.

Anything that is not available from 1970-1972

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Definitely Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, 9th January 1970 (Unofficial Release) : Favorites from that show are the killer uptempo version of Communication Breakdown (which our band covers...I am still working on our website https://www.ledfoote.rocks , but I will upload it there at some point) and the intro riff to  How Many More Times followed by Robert saying..."Won't somebody PLEEEEEEEEASE listen to me"! That's GOLD for me as the vocalist!  Loved 1970 Robert! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqF3J8DpEb4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqjU5uc1TTA

https://www.discogs.com/Led-Zeppelin-Royal-Albert-Hall-1970/release/8666037 

rah1.jpg

rah2.jpg

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I should clarify that when I said "you cannot attend a show from which a recording currently circulates", I meant you can't attend a show that has a recording of any kind currently available in any way, whether it's official or unofficial, or whether it's a soundboard, multi-track, or audience tape. It has to be a show that no one (outside of those who were lucky enough to attend) has heard yet.

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What a great topic; I often have said if I had access to a time machine, the only thing I would do is attend a LED ZEPPELIN show! Since I was only 6 when they disbanded, I have to honestly say, any show (except maybe Tampa where they ended early due to weather and fan misbehavior) would work for me. Even Led Zeppelin at their worst is better than just about anything else. 

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