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Nitpicking Page (The quest for the best performance of 1975)


gibsonfan159

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I've been enjoying these, though at first I didn't I must admit.

I'd love to see you do the two winter tours of the UK at the end of 71 and 72. 

 

EDIT: Don't touch '73! :) Don't poke holes in the year of ultimate magick...

Edited by paplbojo
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2 hours ago, paplbojo said:

 

EDIT: Don't touch '73! :) Don't poke holes in the year of ultimate magick...

I'd really dread doing most 73 shows because at least with the 75 shows, I can find a good array of both good and bad. With 73, I'd just be boring people to death jerking off over Page. 

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I too enjoy reading the opinions of shows from other fans. None of us are ever going to agree about anything except that Led Zeppelin freakin' rocked !!  How hard they rocked at a show cannot be determined by Page's flubs or his awesomeness alone of course because other things we cannot measure went into the entirety of the show as both an audio and visual experience. Seattle 03-21-75 is a prime example - how many fans went home that night complaining about Led Zeppelin's performance ? I'm guessing that occasionally some of JP's flubbs could be traced back to showmanship, doing something for the visual aspect of the show, he was quite the showman as well as guitar player and he obviously took that part to heart wearing elaborate stage costumes and using his well known book of Rock and Roll guitar player moves.

03-03-75 Fort Worth is one of my very favorite 1975 shows even though Jimmy and Robert are not in top form, Bonham and Jones really step it up and the overall energy the band brought as a whole unit that night is top tier. At least to my ears, Jimmy was really trying and had the energy and will to play hard that night, but his finger was holding him back.

Edited by mknopfler
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10 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Alright, you folks have to let me know. Are enough people enjoying me doing these and see them as relevant, or am I ruining people's enjoyment of the shows by over-analyzing? If so I'll stop. I know I've certainly found things that I'd missed before and learned to appreciate other things by looking more closely, but I'll keep the nitpicks to myself if they're annoying too many people.

It's not like much else is going on around here... a lot of people are clearly getting enjoyment out of it. 

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On 4/23/2018 at 12:03 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Or make you realize that a track is actually better than it seems on the surface. Breaking down the individual elements of a performance can expose (at least to me) certain things I would've been quick to dismiss had I not listened more closely. For example; I'd completely dismissed the 3/25 show before without ever realizing  how awesome that Stairway was. There are No Quarters where Page is crap, but Jones and Bonham more than make up for it. Or Rain Songs that seem mediocre but have an incredible climax section. So I suppose I do this less to find "the best version" and more to find the little hidden gems that lie within a live performance. Again, I'm not nitpicking to only expose flaws. I'm looking for random good bits as well. 

But I see what you're saying on the other hand. If you enjoy a show, you enjoy it. Don't let some flubs get in the way of an enjoyable performance.

So, did you skip Feb 10th because someone said Jimmy was wasted?    

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2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Only because there seemed to be no interest in it. I'm sure I could find something interesting on it.

Forget what I said I'm not trying to frost anyone's cookies.

P.s. I am intimately familiar with No Quarter from this tour. While there may be some that are more interesting than others where Jimmy is concerned there are no versions where Page is just crap. 
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11 minutes ago, hummingbird69 said:

Forget what I said I'm not trying to frost anyone's cookies.

P.s. I am intimately familiar with No Quarter from this tour. While there may be some that are more interesting than others where Jimmy is concerned there are no versions where Page is just crap. 

I only used that as an example, but 3/24 is debatable considering he was out of tune for the entire show. But like I said, we can all say the versions with missed notes and sticky fingers are our favorites. Technicalities can't change opinions.

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3 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I only used that as an example, but 3/24 is debatable considering he was out of tune for the entire show. But like I said, we can all say the versions with missed notes and sticky fingers are our favorites. Technicalities can't change opinions.

What is one person's out of tune is another's avant garde statement :hysterical:

Funny thing is, the few times the whole band completely botched a song are some of my favorite moments. Case in point, Tempe 77' ALS. The wheels fly off the bus early after Jimmy is almost blown up and instead of stopping, taking a break and starting again they just let that old bus careen into a china shop and break every dish until it all comes to a screeching halt. It is goddamned hilarious...Spinal Tap x10. 

Now if I was at that Tempe show I probably would have had a much different, and more pissed off opinion at the time (WTF are they DOING???), but in retrospect. Priceless.

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6 minutes ago, IpMan said:

Jimmy is almost blown up

Spit on my laptop.

I think people think I'm trying to dictate what's good and bad and override their opinion with technicality. Like you said, I enjoy the Tempe show. I sure as hell wouldn't wanna nitpick it though.

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4 hours ago, jpenzabene said:

Any Live versions of In The Light out there or did they never perform it ??

Man I would love to hear some of that if they did !

Or Down by the Seaside as well ????

PEACE
LOVE
LED ZEPPELIN

I like to imagine if Bonham never died they would have eventually figured out how to play In The Light live, and we would have gotten Kashmir --> In The Light --> Carouselambra.

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Ok here it is. Some I intentionally left blank, because after so much listening I couldn't come to an answer. For Dazed I'd say 3/21, and splice in the beginning of Dazed from 3/19 or 3/20 (since the sound quality and levels are the same) when Pagey's (slightly) out of tune. The Rain Song? Your guess... I'd listen more for the mellotron being in tune, but I didn't hear a bad one. They had that song pretty solid. Seems like 3/19 and 2/28 were good. Moby Dick, I can't tell, lets let a drummer decide on that one.

Rock and Roll - 3/21

Sick Again - 3/21

Over the Hills and Far Away - 3/19 (or 3/20, 2/13 is good, not the best sound quality)

In My Time of Dying - 3/21 (or 3/20, or 2/28, latter is HOT but feels rushed)

Since I’ve Been Loving You - 2/14 (IMO, think this spot works better than after NQ, slows things down)

The Song Remains the Same 3/3

The Rain Song -

Kashmir - 3/21 (2/14 honorable mention and all instruments are evenly balanced, 2/28 runner up)

No Quarter - 2/28 (use a latter ’75 NQ w/ faster solo for a bonus track)

Trampled Under Foot - 2/12 (or 2/14. I found 3/5 to be a pretty cool, but sloppy, version FWIW.)

Moby Dick - 

Dazed and Confused - 

Stairway to Heaven - 3/21

Whole Lotta Love - 3/21

Black Dog - 3/21

Communication Breakdown - 3/21

Heartbreaker - 3/21

*No Quarter (later ’75 version) - (bonus track) ?

My list before 3/21's soundboard came out was good too, don't get me wrong. Hope I still have it.

Hope you like!

 

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34 minutes ago, Dirty Work said:

Ok here it is. Some I intentionally left blank, because after so much listening I couldn't come to an answer. For Dazed I'd say 3/21, and splice in the beginning of Dazed from 3/19 or 3/20 (since the sound quality and levels are the same) when Pagey's (slightly) out of tune. The Rain Song? Your guess... I'd listen more for the mellotron being in tune, but I didn't hear a bad one. They had that song pretty solid. Seems like 3/19 and 2/28 were good. Moby Dick, I can't tell, lets let a drummer decide on that one.

Rock and Roll - 3/21

Sick Again - 3/21

Over the Hills and Far Away - 3/19 (or 3/20, 2/13 is good, not the best sound quality)

In My Time of Dying - 3/21 (or 3/20, or 2/28, latter is HOT but feels rushed)

Since I’ve Been Loving You - 2/14 (IMO, think this spot works better than after NQ, slows things down)

The Song Remains the Same 3/3

The Rain Song -

Kashmir - 3/21 (2/14 honorable mention and all instruments are evenly balanced, 2/28 runner up)

No Quarter - 2/28 (use a latter ’75 NQ w/ faster solo for a bonus track)

Trampled Under Foot - 2/12 (or 2/14. I found 3/5 to be a pretty cool, but sloppy, version FWIW.)

Moby Dick - 

Dazed and Confused - 

Stairway to Heaven - 3/21

Whole Lotta Love - 3/21

Black Dog - 3/21

Communication Breakdown - 3/21

Heartbreaker - 3/21

*No Quarter (later ’75 version) - (bonus track) ?

My list before 3/21's soundboard came out was good too, don't get me wrong. Hope I still have it.

Hope you like!

 

I mostly agree.  Changes I'd make/blanks I'd fill in:

Over The Hills And Far Away - so many good choices...I'll say it's between 2/12, 3/3, 3/5 & 3/20 for me

Since I've Been Loving You - 3/21

The Rain Song - 3/19

No Quarter - 3/21 (could go with 3/20 as well; 3/14 would be a fun bonus track NQ)

Moby Dick - could go to either 3/3, 3/5 or 3/21; 3/3 is a bit shorter than the other two, but all three are energetic, focused and powerful

Dazed And Confused - 3/21 (the culmination of the song's evolution IMO)

Communication Breakdown - 2/13 (edges 3/21 because of Ron Wood's guest appearance and having the full song--on 3/21, Jimmy jumps into Heartbreaker before the coda)

Heartbreaker - 2/12 (Bonham's thunderous fills in this version automatically make it my #1)

Edited by Bonzo_fan
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1 hour ago, Bonzo_fan said:

I mostly agree.  Changes I'd make/blanks I'd fill in:

Over The Hills And Far Away - so many good choices...I'll say it's between 2/12, 3/3, 3/5 & 3/20 for me

Since I've Been Loving You - 3/21

The Rain Song - 3/19

No Quarter - 3/21 (could go with 3/20 as well; 3/14 would be a fun bonus track NQ)

Moby Dick - could go to either 3/3, 3/5 or 3/21; 3/3 is a bit shorter than the other two, but all three are energetic, focused and powerful

Dazed And Confused - 3/21 (the culmination of the song's evolution IMO)

Communication Breakdown - 2/13 (edges 3/21 because of Ron Wood's guest appearance and having the full song--on 3/21, Jimmy jumps into Heartbreaker before the coda)

Heartbreaker - 2/12 (Bonham's thunderous fills in this version automatically make it my #1)

 

Rain Song 3/19, agree, added to my list. Great balance of the instruments, and even thought many Rain Songs are good, Plant really goes above and beyond.

3/21 SIBLY, respectfully disagree, but I base this on the guitar solos only.

Moby Dick, good call.

Communication Breakdown, everyone says 2/13, but its not a best of Zeppelin 1975 anymore! Gimme Zeppelin! Is a must have, but not for a perfect '75 Zeppelin IMO. BUT... you're right about the full song, so... ok.

Glad we share the same Over the Hills favorites. As we've done our listening, we know 3/5 is pretty damn cool an unique. 3/20 is also on my list, and it almost made my number one choice. Theres a part where Jonesy does a funky heavy metal groove and the rest play along. Love him on bass.

 

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20 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I only used that as an example, but 3/24 is debatable considering he was out of tune for the entire show. But like I said, we can all say the versions with missed notes and sticky fingers are our favorites. Technicalities can't change opinions.

  I've been listening to that show for 30 years and I have never heard anyone suggest that Jimmy was out of tune for the entire show. Are you suggesting that all of Jimmy's guitars are out of tune for the entire show? Is the stuff that came out on DVD out of tune?  I don't have perfect pitch but I'm pretty close. I highly doubt that Jimmy would be out of tune for the whole show with no one noticing or doing anything to change it but hey what do I know.

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10 hours ago, Bonzo_fan said:

I mostly agree.  Changes I'd make/blanks I'd fill in:

Over The Hills And Far Away - so many good choices...I'll say it's between 2/12, 3/3, 3/5 & 3/20 for me

Since I've Been Loving You - 3/21

The Rain Song - 3/19

No Quarter - 3/21 (could go with 3/20 as well; 3/14 would be a fun bonus track NQ)

Moby Dick - could go to either 3/3, 3/5 or 3/21; 3/3 is a bit shorter than the other two, but all three are energetic, focused and powerful

Dazed And Confused - 3/21 (the culmination of the song's evolution IMO)

Communication Breakdown - 2/13 (edges 3/21 because of Ron Wood's guest appearance and having the full song--on 3/21, Jimmy jumps into Heartbreaker before the coda)

Heartbreaker - 2/12 (Bonham's thunderous fills in this version automatically make it my #1)

checkout MD from February.  7th 8th and 10th are really good especially the 8th. His solos were really energetic during that month.

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33 minutes ago, hummingbird69 said:

  I've been listening to that show for 30 years and I have never heard anyone suggest that Jimmy was out of tune for the entire show. Are you suggesting that all of Jimmy's guitars are out of tune for the entire show? Is the stuff that came out on DVD out of tune?  I don't have perfect pitch but I'm pretty close. I highly doubt that Jimmy would be out of tune for the whole show with no one noticing or doing anything to change it but hey what do I know.

You can literally hear him tuning the guitar twice during Dazed. I time stamped it if you wanna see for yourself, but I'm sure you'll just say he was experimenting with alternate tunings while in the middle of a song or something similar.

I only mentioned the songs played with a Les Paul to be out of tune- for the entire show. You're either daft or you didn't read my post on the show.

And there are songs from this show on DVD? Where?

Edit: Granted, I'm also baffled that he would use the same Les Paul with tuning problems when he had back ups. I'm just calling it like I hear it.

Edited by gibsonfan159
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1 hour ago, hummingbird69 said:

  I've been listening to that show for 30 years and I have never heard anyone suggest that Jimmy was out of tune for the entire show. Are you suggesting that all of Jimmy's guitars are out of tune for the entire show? Is the stuff that came out on DVD out of tune?  I don't have perfect pitch but I'm pretty close. I highly doubt that Jimmy would be out of tune for the whole show with no one noticing or doing anything to change it but hey what do I know.

Maybe you are mistaking 3/24 with 5/24?

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3 hours ago, hummingbird69 said:

checkout MD from February.  7th 8th and 10th are really good especially the 8th. His solos were really energetic during that month.

The 10th is the only one of those three that's a soundboard, which was the point of Dirty Work's list.  It's also the only one of those that was in Maryland lol.  I like 2/10 for Bonham's performance, but I probably wouldn't pick any songs from it for a Best of '75 Soundboards compilation.  I do LOVE Bonham's fills in the last verse of "Heartbreaker" from that show though...

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