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Nitpicking Page 1973


gibsonfan159

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Nitpicking Page 3/16/1973 Vienna, Austria (Danke! Vienna- Winston Remaster)

Page's reputation for this show is legendary, but let's see how he holds up to a nitpick. A boomy audience recording spliced with a soundboard. Sound quality varies. Excellent guitar tone btw, one of the crunchiest I've heard him use.

Rock And Roll- A murky sound, but the guitar is cutting through good. Solo- He plays this very loosely, really stressing the bends and leaving gaps. Not bad but sounds unstructured. Excellent finish by Bonham for a solid version. "B+".

OTHAFA- Good intro with a crunchy guitar tone. Plant sounds rough going into the chorus. Solo- Page shifts his phrasing up nicely, bouncing from speedy runs to perfectly played pedal steel bends without straining or overdoing anything. 3:24 is the type of short, speedy run that was easily played by Page at anytime pre-75. 3:43, Page struggles with these chords a little. 4:32, scratchy Plant. Good ending for a decent version. "B+".

Black Dog- Page plays the main riff with supreme attitude and swagger. 1:48, double bass by Bonham makes this border on the "Death and Roll" genre. Solo- 4:01-4:12, good phrasing. A little inarticulate at 4:13. 4:37, menacing low note bends. This solo makes me wanna stop listening and jam some myself. "A".

Misty Mountain Hop- Plant dedicates this to "Big Brother". The feedback on the intro sounds awesome. Not much to point out on this song, except how the palm mutes make it sound extremely heavy. Plant is a litlle scratchy throughout and the solo is solid. "A".

SIBLY- Blazing intro. 1:04, nice SRV style bend. 1:10-1:16, lightning runs of the like that were never heard again after 73. 3:13, them trills. 3:20-3:28, the man's on fire. Solo- 3:54, one of the meanest sounding riffs ever by Page. Excellent solo, seemingly too short. 6:36, good scream from Plant. A huge problem with the 1973 SIBLY's- Plant is almost irrelevant. He was the showcase up to 72 and after 73 Page had to dial it back a bit which let Plant have equal ground, but in late 72 and 73 Plant might as well have went for a walk while Page schooled the world on badass blues riffs. "A".

Dancing Days- 0:16, squeaking days are here again. 2:32, Page improvs a riff that is seemingly out of key. 3:15, now it may have been intended, but this series of runs sound off. The song ends abruptly. "B" for some bad structuring and looseness, though this is the first nitpick for this track.

Bronyaur Stomp- Page's guitar comes in very thin with some feedback. Bonham's bass drum comes in like thunder. Breakdown- 3:00, guitar fades in and out abruptly. If the taper did this he should be slaughtered. Good atmosphere despite the recording flaws. "A".

TSRTS- 1:09, something sounds off with these riffs. 1:50, Page is a little late on the beat. First solo- Page obviously doesn't have the live solo downpact yet. It's very erratic and poorly phrased. Plant's vocals fade on the returning verses. 3:33, very nice. Page had some trouble doing this beyond 73. Outro solo- Not only better, but honestly amazing. The bit at 4:24 is astounding and should have been a staple for this part. A few flubs keep it at a "B+".

The Rain Song- 1:59, flub. The mellotron sounds like a movie playing in the background. 4:08, the vocals come in very distorted. Rock section- Nice guitar work from Page, the rest is hard to make out but sounds pretty good. It may be a bad recording, but I'd honestly take any 75 version over this one. "B+".

Dazed And Confused- Can anyone make out what the guy said at 0:18? 2:53, knocked on my backside. 3:53-4:02, that's one large set of triplets. 4:25, Page turns down his volume knob for this noodling. First workout- 5:10, this is honestly pretty sloppy. 6:09-6:27, the kind of extended, fluid run that was rare after 73. San Francisco- Sounding good, and don't let Bonham's intricate drumwork go unnoticed. Bow section- Very dynamic with good interplay with Plant. Second workout- 14:46-15:05, another reminder of that level of awesomeness Page was able to tap into in 73. 17:21-17:28, excellent pull off run. 20:06, Page showing off a little. The Mars section is very loose, but comes out alright. 23:16, one of the most energetic climax sections I've heard. Good noodling on the finale with Bonzo destroying his kit. "A+".

Stairway To Heaven- 3:19, good playing on the Rhodes by Jones. 4:12, an echo of laughter. Solo- A relaxed start. 7:11, those lightning fingers. 7:36, a wrong note. Good final runs. Plant sounds rough coming back in. A fairly solid version though the solo was almost too laid back. "B+".

WLL- The title track is solid with some decent improv riffs. Boogie Chillun- Good except for wrong notes at 7:58. Baby I Don't Care- Not bad, maybe a little unstructured. Let's Have A Party- Much better. I Can't Quit You- A slightly subdued, straight blues sounding performance, but Page still puts down some impressive runs. The solo features a fantastic array of blistering blues licks, way too many for me to time stamp. A good medley but it lacks the atmosphere of the earlier ones. 22:25, Page flubs that phrase.  "B+".

Heartbreaker- Awesome intro jam and that guitar tone sounds killer. Some of Bonham's fills sound surprisingly too loose, almost flub level. Solo- Pretty standard with nothing really noteworthy. The "Bouree" part is played nicely. "A".

Final assessment-  Page plays very loose, almost careless at times, which shows his confidence and mastery over the fretboard during this era. He could go in any direction and still sound in control, though he certainly wasn't flawless. Plant is semi-scratchy most of the show, but the rest of the band make up for that, with Bonzo also matching the intensity of Page. The highlights- A menacing Black Dog, intense SIBLY, and devastating Dazed. Also a unique TSRTS. It almost seems like a necessary balance of the universe for Plant's vocals to have diminished by this era, because a 1970 sounding Plant in 73 would've simply been too much to handle.

For those who say Page played on par with 73 in later years; Page did play some songs on the same technical level. He did do some runs that were reminiscent of earlier shows. He did do things after 73 that were beyond anything he had done before. He did match, and in a lot of cases outdo, the energy level of a lot of shows. But there's a certain element of Page's mentality that ceased to exist after the 1973 tour. He was able to access a level of ingenuity and power over the fretboard that let him play with full confidence, where even his mistakes seemed like a racecar driver almost losing it on a tight turn. He was able to play with a flow that was awe-inspiring for listeners and musicians alike. He was able to convey an attitude into the strings that almost seemed like he had to hold back to keep it from outshining the other members or committing overkill. At any time he chose he could let his fingers fly on a lightning fast, articulate run, whereas later on this sort of thing only happened on his better nights. Maybe he just switched drugs, who knows. But the totality that was the 1973 Jimmy Page was never seen or heard again, at least as far as I've heard. He tapped into something that year, like a kung-fu master who could toy with his opponents and still defeat them without really trying. Next up- 7/6 Chicago, the worst of 73.

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So I'm assuming for this year you're going to be grading on a steeper curve given the level of Page's playing? So for example this OTHAFA is a B+ by 73 standards, yet would be an A or A+ by 75 or 77 standards, is that correct? I'm really looking forward to your breakdowns from this year and I'm particularly curious what you think of Chicago. Is it bad by 73 standards, or is it bad in general (if you take Plant's voice out of the equation cause let's be honest, he sounds like shit at that show)? Regardless, there's a ton of gems from throughout this year. The last year where the band (minus Plant) was firing on all cylinders at a consistent rate.

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27 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 3/16/1973 Vienna, Austria (Danke! Vienna- Winston Remaster)

Page's reputation for this show is legendary, but let's see how he holds up to a nitpick. A boomy audience recording spliced with a soundboard. Sound quality varies. Excellent guitar tone btw, one of the crunchiest I've heard him use.

Rock And Roll- A murky sound, but the guitar is cutting through good. Solo- He plays this very loosely, really stressing the bends and leaving gaps. Not bad but sounds unstructured. Excellent finish by Bonham for a solid version. "B+".

OTHAFA- Good intro with a crunchy guitar tone. Plant sounds rough going into the chorus. Solo- Page shifts his phrasing up nicely, bouncing from speedy runs to perfectly played pedal steel bends without straining or overdoing anything. 3:24 is the type of short, speedy run that was easily played by Page at anytime pre-75. 3:43, Page struggles with these chords a little. 4:32, scratchy Plant. Good ending for a decent version. "B+".

Black Dog- Page plays the main riff with supreme attitude and swagger. 1:48, double bass by Bonham makes this border on the "Death and Roll" genre. Solo- 4:01-4:12, good phrasing. A little inarticulate at 4:13. 4:37, menacing low note bends. This solo makes me wanna stop listening and jam some myself. "A".

Misty Mountain Hop- Plant dedicates this to "Big Brother". The feedback on the intro sounds awesome. Not much to point out on this song, except how the palm mutes make it sound extremely heavy. Plant is a litlle scratchy throughout and the solo is solid. "A".

SIBLY- Blazing intro. 1:04, nice SRV style bend. 1:10-1:16, lightning runs of the like that were never heard again after 73. 3:13, them trills. 3:20-3:28, the man's on fire. Solo- 3:54, one of the meanest sounding riffs ever by Page. Excellent solo, seemingly too short. 6:36, good scream from Plant. A huge problem with the 1973 SIBLY's- Plant is almost irrelevant. He was the showcase up to 72 and after 73 Page had to dial it back a bit which let Plant have equal ground, but in late 72 and 73 Plant might as well have went for a walk while Page schooled the world on badass blues riffs. "A".

Dancing Days- 0:16, squeaking days are here again. 2:32, Page improvs a riff that is seemingly out of key. 3:15, now it may have been intended, but this series of runs sound off. The song ends abruptly. "B" for some bad structuring and looseness, though this is the first nitpick for this track.

Bronyaur Stomp- Page's guitar comes in very thin with some feedback. Bonham's bass drum comes in like thunder. Breakdown- 3:00, guitar fades in and out abruptly. If the taper did this he should be slaughtered. Good atmosphere despite the recording flaws. "A".

TSRTS- 1:09, something sounds off with these riffs. 1:50, Page is a little late on the beat. First solo- Page obviously doesn't have the live solo downpact yet. It's very erratic and poorly phrased. Plant's vocals fade on the returning verses. 3:33, very nice. Page had some trouble doing this beyond 73. Outro solo- Not only better, but honestly amazing. The bit at 4:24 is astounding and should have been a staple for this part. A few flubs keep it at a "B+".

The Rain Song- 1:59, flub. The mellotron sounds like a movie playing in the background. 4:08, the vocals come in very distorted. Rock section- Nice guitar work from Page, the rest is hard to make out but sounds pretty good. It may be a bad recording, but I'd honestly take any 75 version over this one. "B+".

Dazed And Confused- Can anyone make out what the guy said at 0:18? 2:53, knocked on my backside. 3:53-4:02, that's one large set of triplets. 4:25, Page turns down his volume knob for this noodling. First workout- 5:10, this is honestly pretty sloppy. 6:09-6:27, the kind of extended, fluid run that was rare after 73. San Francisco- Sounding good, and don't let Bonham's intricate drumwork go unnoticed. Bow section- Very dynamic with good interplay with Plant. Second workout- 14:46-15:05, another reminder of that level of awesomeness Page was able to tap into in 73. 17:21-17:28, excellent pull off run. 20:06, Page showing off a little. The Mars section is very loose, but comes out alright. 23:16, one of the most energetic climax sections I've heard. Good noodling on the finale with Bonzo destroying his kit. "A+".

Stairway To Heaven- 3:19, good playing on the Rhodes by Jones. 4:12, an echo of laughter. Solo- A relaxed start. 7:11, those lightning fingers. 7:36, a wrong note. Good final runs. Plant sounds rough coming back in. A fairly solid version though the solo was almost too laid back. "B+".

WLL- The title track is solid with some decent improv riffs. Boogie Chillun- Good except for wrong notes at 7:58. Baby I Don't Care- Not bad, maybe a little unstructured. Let's Have A Party- Much better. I Can't Quit You- A slightly subdued, straight blues sounding performance, but Page still puts down some impressive runs. The solo features a fantastic array of blistering blues licks, way too many for me to time stamp. A good medley but it lacks the atmosphere of the earlier ones. 22:25, Page flubs that phrase.  "B+".

Heartbreaker- Awesome intro jam and that guitar tone sounds killer. Some of Bonham's fills sound surprisingly too loose, almost flub level. Solo- Pretty standard with nothing really noteworthy. The "Bouree" part is played nicely. "A".

Final assessment-  Page plays very loose, almost careless at times, which shows his confidence and mastery over the fretboard during this era. He could go in any direction and still sound in control, though he certainly wasn't flawless. Plant is semi-scratchy most of the show, but the rest of the band make up for that, with Bonzo also matching the intensity of Page. The highlights- A menacing Black Dog, intense SIBLY, and devastating Dazed. Also a unique TSRTS. It almost seems like a necessary balance of the universe for Plant's vocals to have diminished by this era, because a 1970 sounding Plant in 73 would've simply been too much to handle.

For those who say Page played on par with 73 in later years; Page did play some songs on the same technical level. He did do some runs that were reminiscent of earlier shows. He did do things after 73 that were beyond anything he had done before. He did match, and in a lot of cases outdo, the energy level of a lot of shows. But there's a certain element of Page's mentality that ceased to exist after the 1973 tour. He was able to access a level of ingenuity and power over the fretboard that let him play with full confidence, where even his mistakes seemed like a racecar driver almost losing it on a tight turn. He was able to play with a flow that was awe-inspiring for listeners and musicians alike. He was able to convey an attitude into the strings that almost seemed like he had to hold back to keep it from outshining the other members or committing overkill. At any time he chose he could let his fingers fly on a lightning fast, articulate run, whereas later on this sort of thing only happened on his better nights. Maybe he just switched drugs, who knows. But the totality that was the 1973 Jimmy Page was never seen or heard again, at least as far as I've heard. He tapped into something that year, like a kung-fu master who could toy with his opponents and still defeat them without really trying. Next up- 7/6 Chicago, the worst of 73.

Drugs, plain and simple. Opiods in general cause a serious lack of focus especially regarding structure and improv. Take into account Page was adding jazz and experimental structures to his solos which, if sober, would have been an amazing journey. However, juiced on heroin and your focus is shot, this also explains his repletion of a phrase or run while trying to work out a passage until he just gives up. He simply cannot focus. This is bad enough but adding alcohol to that mix then causes the sticky fingers as well. As Strider pointed out in another post, his good nights 77' and after were the result of better smack and not mixing with booze. 75' issues are a combo of his broken finger and Jack Daniels as pointed out that he would really hit a wall after Moby Dick once the Jack started kicking in. However some shows in 75' he just dove right into the Jack whereas others, the ones where he obviously was not drinking as much, he easily surpassed anything he did before.

Just say no kiddies

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4 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

SIBLY- Blazing intro. 1:04, nice SRV style bend. 1:10-1:16, lightning runs of the like that were never heard again after 73. 3:13, them trills. 3:20-3:28, the man's on fire. Solo- 3:54, one of the meanest sounding riffs ever by Page. Excellent solo, seemingly too short. 6:36, good scream from Plant. A huge problem with the 1973 SIBLY's- Plant is almost irrelevant. He was the showcase up to 72 and after 73 Page had to dial it back a bit which let Plant have equal ground, but in late 72 and 73 Plant might as well have went for a walk while Page schooled the world on badass blues riffs. "A".

Its top 3 if not the No.1 SIBLY. The intro is from another world. I can't think of another song from anyone ever that has more pure emotion so strongly and clearly articulated. Intricate, complex, beautiful, complete.

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4 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

So I'm assuming for this year you're going to be grading on a steeper curve given the level of Page's playing? So for example this OTHAFA is a B+ by 73 standards, yet would be an A or A+ by 75 or 77 standards, is that correct? 

Only regarding Page's playing. But a flub is still a flub, even if he does do some wild runs. If a 75 version is played more solidly than a 73 version by the band overall, I'd still rate the 75 version higher. For example, the Mobile solo is excellent, but I'd probably rate the entire performance a B or B+ at most.

Edit: But let's be honest- as far as noting time stamps for any impressive run or excellent phrasing, I definitely have to pick them on a steeper curve. Otherwise I'd be time stamping almost everything he does compared to post 73 shows. That's kinda why I avoided the 73 tour, it's not gonna be as fun to nitpick regarding the higher level of playing. 

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That Heartbreaker intro is something special, one of the great live moments of the band.  I don't know if they had it worked out before or it was completely spontaneous.  Either way, most bands would kill to have one riff that good in their career.  For Page and Bonham is was a one time intro.  It could have been worked up into a great track.

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26 minutes ago, blooze said:

I mean if you're in the mood haha.  You don't have to do a huge write up just because I mentioned a show.

No, that's actually one I'm very interested in doing. And with the sound quality it should be an easy assessment.

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On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 9:16 PM, blooze said:

Maybe I'm wrong but isnt Chicago's reputation due more to Plant than Page? I remember thinking he played nicely then. From what I've heard, Jimmy's worst 73 show is Southampton.

I certainly believe so.  Page, Bonham and Jones are pretty solid.  This is probably the most painful listen, as far as Robert's voice goes.  Just brutal. Really makes you wonder why they performed CB as an encore!

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3 hours ago, LedElvis75 said:

I certainly believe so.  Page, Bonham and Jones are pretty solid.  This is probably the most painful listen, as far as Robert's voice goes.  Just brutal. Really makes you wonder why they performed CB as an encore!

Isnt that another show where the crowd was a PIA too?

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On 6/18/2018 at 12:46 AM, bluecongo said:

I disagree with premise of this thread.  Other years I understand but.......

It should be titled “Appreciating Page 1973

 

 

 

^1+++, the thread "in search of the best 73 concerts" is another thing.

2 hours ago, chef free said:

These shows (Europe '73) always make me think that Page and Bonham are playing at another level to cover for Plant...

Agreed, the four of them must have been in a state of shock from January onwards. Without any doubt a hard time til Plant`s voice finally stabilized (to some degree) on the 9th US tour.

On 6/17/2018 at 6:10 AM, ZepHead315 said:

So I'm assuming for this year you're going to be grading on a steeper curve given the level of Page's playing? So for example this OTHAFA is a B+ by 73 standards, yet would be an A or A+ by 75 or 77 standards, is that correct? I'm really looking forward to your breakdowns from this year and I'm particularly curious what you think of Chicago. Is it bad by 73 standards, or is it bad in general (if you take Plant's voice out of the equation cause let's be honest, he sounds like shit at that show)? Regardless, there's a ton of gems from throughout this year. The last year where the band (minus Plant) was firing on all cylinders at a consistent rate. 

And this is exactly the point where things get a little complicated. "Taking Plant`s voice out of the equation" & "band firing on all cylinders (minus Plant)" will not necessarily lead to satisfying outcome. IMO one has to clearly distinguish:

1.) Page`s playing in 73, truly outstanding, his peak for many fans.

2.) The 1973 concerts, judged by THEIR actual performance. Whenever in poor shape,  you can`t count Plant out, it was a four piece band and he was an equal integral part.

For example their gig in Vienna, March 16th: I was born in Vienna November 1971, never got the chance to see them live myself. But I have known 3 lads (16, 17 and 20 years old in 1973) who attended this very concert. Of course, I drove them crazy with questions about their concert experience. To cut a long story short, some impressions they reported in conformity:

Dazed & Confused was the absolute highlight of the show.

Page & Bonham were equally praised, all three of them said, that they never have seen a better live performance by any guitarist or drummer, before and after.

Plant`s damaged voice was evident, right from the start. One even said, that Plant sounded boozy.

For some songs Plant used way too much reverb/delay effects to cover his weak voice, which wasn`t suitable with the acoustics of the huge Wiener Stadthalle.

They all complained about lack of older songs & too much then unfamiliar HOTH songs.

It was fucking loud, they had ringing ears for days, especially the youngest, who was seated tenth row, a little right of center.***

 

 

 

 

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Nitpicking Page 7/6/1973 Chicago (Sweet Dreams)

After analyzing one of the better shows of the year it's only fair to balance it out with one of the supposedly worst ones to get a good calibration for 73. The band had a month off prior to this show, let's see how their chops held up. A good sounding soundboard that's a little unbalanced on some tracks.

Rock And Roll- Plant sounds rough for the opener, naturally. Good foot-stomping flow on the first half. Solo- Starts good but chokes at 2:44. 2:50, he screws up the phrasing and the articulation is lackluster. Not too bad, but Page is clearly lacking the confidence he should have in 73. "B".

Celebration Day- Intro sounds sloppy and lethargic. Plant still scratchy. First solo- Played flawlessly though it's fairly simple anyway. 2:29, that bass run. Second solo- Page let's his fingers fly a little on some good lead phrasing. Despite the intro and Rob's vocals, a good version with excellent bass from Jones. "B+".

Black Dog- Intro is a little sloppy. I already miss that Vienna guitar tone. 2:59, I've never heard Jones run up the scale like this before, unless I missed it on other versions. Solo- 4:04-4:16, now there's the 73 Jimmy. 4:28, straining some. Fairly solid version with a solid solo, but Plant really has to hold back. "B+" given the circumstances.

OTHAFA- Beautiful intro, especially the Sus4 he does on the D chord at 0:35. Solid verses. Solo- Phrasing is dreadful off the bat. 3:20, excellent bends that lead into some lightning runs. 4:45, almost unnoticeable chord flub. Good outro and ending. Pretty good though the solo was 50/50. "B+".

MMH- 0:44-0:55, Jimmy does some nice intricate phrasing here. Keyboards jump way up in the mix. Solo- Good. Bonham gets some nifty fills in on the outro. "A" despite the unbalanced mix.

SIBLY- Superb intro. 1:02, these bends do something to me. Pointing out all the excellent runs by Page would be unnecessary, just listen. Solo- 4:30-4:44, phrasing supreme. 5:09, the refrain here is perfection. Excellent emotion on the ending. "A+".

No Quarter- Solid first quarter. Second quarter- Wow, what a stark contrast to Jones' section after doing so many 75/77 shows. Basically just him setting the mood for Page's solo. Third quarter/Solo- 6:44-6:53, nice speedy run. The taper off ending gets a little boring as Page doesn't really put down anything noteworthy. Fourth quarter- 10:03, they "choose" what, Rob? Didn't catch that. 11:19, Jones gets a wrong note in there somewhere. "B" at best.

TSRTS- Good intro. 0:47, Jones sounding adventurous. Verses are alright. First solo- A little rough on the start. Very sloppy finish. Outro solo- Much better apart from 5:03. Poor Plant on this outro. "B".

The Rain Song- Tape cut on the intro. Warm, relaxed sound. Mellotron is right on the edge of being overwhelming. Rock section- Would be excellent, but the mellotron officially ruins it. It's like a mosquito buzzing around your ear. 7:14, careful Page. Plant holds it together quite well for this, but still only a "B".

Dazed And Confused- Intro creeps in like a thick fog. First workout- 5:43-6:02, nice extended run. San Francisco- Page jumps into the wah part a little early which takes away from the vocals, but still sounds pretty good. Textbook bow section. Second workout- Articulation is rough, but he gets some decent phrasing in. Jones' bass is cutting through nicely. 17:19-17:55, one of the better jams here I've ever heard with Page phrasing on another level. 21:09, Plant finally opens up the pipes. Mars- Bonham doesn't quite get the drum part right and it goes off track a little. 23:57, near disaster as Page, Jones, and Bonzo all go in different directions. I think Jones went back into the Mars section and Bonzo almost followed suit. Good outro. 28:41, Plant says "That sucks". I didn't know the term existed then. Despite the near trainwrecks at the end, it's an entertaining performance with Page getting some good runs in. "B".

Stairway To Heaven- Beautiful mix on this. Good enthusiasm from Plant. Solo- Comes through very dry, but Page gets an excellent flow going right from the start. 7:43-7:52, yes sir. Plant a little rough on the return, but he manages. Not bad at all. "B+".

Moby Dick- A dynamic version but requires some patience.

Heartbreaker- Decent first half. Solo- 3:34, Page takes off on a speedy set of runs but quickly loses it at 3:40. 4:44, Page just can't get his fingers loosened up. 5:09, finally gets some good, speedy runs going. Not terrible, but certainly subpar. "B".

Whole Lotta Love- Plant really hurts the vibe of the first part. The funk section starts nice but tapers down to lackluster. Boogie Chillen- Page gets an excellent flow going for this and his fingers finally sound loose. The return has Plant being forced to scream against his will. A good finale. "A+" Boogie Chillen, but a "B" for the entire thing.

Communication Breakdown- Why? Were they trying to kill poor Robert onstage? He holds it together surprisingly well. Solo- Absolute overkill on the wah pedal. 2:25, he almost launches into Train Kept A Rollin. 3:35, very good jam starting here with Page getting some very heavy riffs in. Not bad at all despite the vocal struggles. "B+".


Final assessment- True, this isn't a good performance for 73. Page just isn't there mentally for a lot of this one. He gets some excellent runs in when he wants to, but often refuses to and just sounds unenergetic. A superb SIBLY, an entertaining Dazed, and a pretty solid Stairway. Plant is struggling badly but manages to keep composure throughout by reserving himself. It's still a very listenable show even with Plant sounding rough and not near as bad as I had previously thought. Next- Southampton.

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I'm not sure the first Chicago show is the best one to "nitpick".  They doubtless needed a bit of a warm-up after the break from the first leg, and the audience was clearly a distraction (that's what Plant was referring to after DC, also was surprised people said something "sucks" back then).  And ultimately of all the night's problems, Plant is by far the biggest one.  The next night would have been better to nitpick, it's an excellent, overlooked show.  

 Ironically both this show and the previously reviewed Vienna show highlight how important the interplay between Page and Bonham was to the band.  And I have to say I'm puzzled how these shows and the '75 ones that have been reviewed get lower grades than the LA '77 shows.  I'm not a musician, but it just seems clear to my ears that Page's fluidity and (more important) spontaneity were always better even in sub-par 73/75 shows than even the best of '77.

 

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2 hours ago, JohnOsbourne said:

I'm not sure the first Chicago show is the best one to "nitpick".  They doubtless needed a bit of a warm-up after the break from the first leg, and the audience was clearly a distraction (that's what Plant was referring to after DC, also was surprised people said something "sucks" back then).  And ultimately of all the night's problems, Plant is by far the biggest one.  

 

I believe gibsonfan159 makes it clear in the first post that he wanted to nitpick an off night from '73 for contrast. Or at least that's how I understood it. I'm not sure if there's a better example of a subpar show from this year.

 

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3 hours ago, Daeron said:

I believe gibsonfan159 makes it clear in the first post that he wanted to nitpick an off night from '73 for contrast. Or at least that's how I understood it. I'm not sure if there's a better example of a subpar show from this year.

 

Fair enough, I just think the 7-6-73 show had a number of extenuating circumstances that make its choice problematic for that exercise.  I would say the New Orleans show or Kezar better fits the bill (both definitely overrated by '73 standards).

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On 6/17/2018 at 10:16 PM, blooze said:

Maybe I'm wrong but isnt Chicago's reputation due more to Plant than Page? I remember thinking he played nicely then. From what I've heard, Jimmy's worst 73 show is Southampton.

It baffles me why so many people cite Southampton as  their favorite 1973 show or as one of the best 1973 shows.  Page is sticky and sloppy . Plants voice is a mess  and the band sound tired  and uninspired.   Shows like  stoke  and Oxford are  killer . Even though the sound quality is bad  I think Dundee and Aberdeen slay  Southampton performance wise.. the band are on fire in Scotland and both page and plant are on much better form than Southampton.

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8 hours ago, Adam Ryan watson said:

It baffles me why so many people cite Southampton as  their favorite 1973 show or as one of the best 1973 shows.  Page is sticky and sloppy . Plants voice is a mess  and the band sound tired  and uninspired.   Shows like  stoke  and Oxford are  killer . Even though the sound quality is bad  I think Dundee and Aberdeen slay  Southampton performance wise.. the band are on fire in Scotland and both page and plant are on much better form than Southampton.

Agreed, the sloppiness that would creep in on some American shows like New Orleans or Dallas is nothing compared to Southampton.  Still, killer sound, and it's still '73, so some tolerance is called for.  Overall I find the first leg of that British tour (in Dec72) to be unfairly overlooked, Manchester and Glasgow are two of my favorite shows.  (From the second leg, Bradford also cooks.)

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Nitpicking Page 1/22/1973 Southampton (Winston Remaster)

The lost live album. Lost because Page refused to release it. But as we know, Page has trouble holding on to his intellectual property. Superior professional soundboard mix with a few cuts and instrument issues. The Winston version sounds best in my opinion.

Rock And Roll- Plant scratchy as usual for 73. Good energetic first half. Solo- 2:15, doesn't get that ascending lick down proper. 2:30, just a tad sticky. He sounds nervous. Not too bad. "B+".

OTHAFA- 0:08, minor flub. Plant really has to hold back on the chorus. Solo- Excellent phrasing from the get go. 3:06, nice run. 3:52, unique finger picked riff. Good outro with Plant getting in some good vocal melodies. "B+".

Black Dog- Plant sounding better now, but he's lacking enthusiasm. Solo- Good fluid runs and nice phrasing. 4:30, hang up. 4:54, a little sticky. Still very good. This version is very flat and boringly straightforward. Page plays the main riffs so tight that there's just no character, and I don't think the unprocessed sound helps. Still a "B+" version.

MMH- Pretty solid, though Plant can't really let loose. "B+".

SIBLY- Intro is pretty rock solid. Plant sounds good as long as he doesn't get too brave. Solo- Love those opening low notes. 3:52, accidental note. 4:24, not perfect but an awesome, fluid "73" run. This solo is good, but lacks some emotion. This version ends like it never really got going in the first place, though it's certainly very adequate. "B" for 73.

Dancing Days- Comes busting in quite well with the bass thumping, but Plant is singing like he doesn't wanna be here. Minor flub at 3:09, but this short solo sounds quite good. "B+".

TSRTS- Something sounds weird.. It's so relaxed it almost sounds like a different band. Not bad, just unusual. First solo- gets some fiery riffs in at the start and plays a unique phrase at 2:43. 3:00-3:07, not great. 3:40, sounding good through here, but again with that super relaxed sound. Outro solo- Page's phrasing for this track is still in it's infancy, which makes for some unique solos. He's a little sloppy here though. Somehow this version is more laid back than the Rain Song. "B+".

The Rain Song- Quite a beautiful soundscape, I'd say better than the TSRTS version. Mellotron sounds wonderful. Rock section- Excellent except for Plant basically leaving the room. "A".

Dazed And Confused- Pretty good beginning, but lacking the usual muscle. First workout- Page gets an excellent flow going. San Francisco- Doesn't quite flow into this as well. Sounds rather anemic. 7:24 does sound good though. Bow section- Starts off very unique with Page making some cool sounds, but loses impact toward the end. Second workout- 15:38-16:22, fantastic. Good phrasing throughout.17:43, a little inarticulate. 18:34, some unique riffing here. 20:51-21:32, amazing series of fluid runs and perfect phrasing. Even that textbook fallback riff at the end sounded good. Mars- No drum lead in this time, which takes away from the impact. Excellent climax. 25:26, letting the fingers fly. Good noodling on the finale. Not bad at all. "B+".

Stairway To Heaven- Familiar sounding mellotron intro. Plant sounds really good here. 6:23, wonderful arppegios. And what an entrance with Page wasting no time letting his fingers roll. 7:05, textbook 73 fluidity. 7:48, chokes on that riff a little but gets back on track. 7:52, awesome riff on the lower notes. The final four bars almost sound too hyperactive with the staccato picking. It took a while but Plant finally got warmed up, very nice version. "A".

WLL- 1:13, excellent scream from Plant. Theremin doesn't come through on the mix, and I can't say that irks me in the least. "Everybody Needs Somebody" sounds excellent. Perfect solo on the return. Medley: 6:44, someone teach me to play like this. 9:31, and like this. "Baby I Don't Care" almost has a Ramones feel. "Let's Have A Party" is a little too slow, but still rocks. "I Can't Quit You" features some wicked lead blues playing, some of Page's best in my opinion. 18:36-19:20, Clapton and Beck who? Slight tape cut at 19:46. Plant's scream on the return is pity inducing, but the band is in a spectacular groove. Gotta give this an "A+" despite Plant's struggles.

Heartbreaker- The bass drops out periodically and we get a Page/Bonzo jam. Solo- Page gets some aggressive runs in while Jones switches cables. Bonzo joins in for "Bouree". Some good improv on the latter half of the solo. A good finish. "B+" even with equipment issues.

Mellotron Solo- I did not like it. This sounds dated even for 1973.

Thank You- Page sounds great on the intro. Very minor flub at 1:03. Solo- The mellotron sounds out of tune in the background. What can I say about this solo? I'd have to time stamp the whole thing. It's some of Page's best playing and really shows how great he was in his prime. Jones is doing a steady job with his four limbs and Plant puts a good amount of emotion into it. There's no official ending, but it tapers down nicely to a finish. "A+".

How Many More Times-  1:04, Plant squeak. Good start. 4:05, had to listen to Plant through here multiple times while giggling. "The Hunter" sections are decent. Certainly not a RAH version. "B".

Communication Breakdown- The band comes in strong but Rob is barely hanging on. A standard wah-soaked run on the solo. 2:28, minor flub. "B".


Final assessment- Disregarding Plant's voice (which isn't near as bad as Chicago), there is a general lack of energy and enthusiasm which may be heavily influenced by the very cold recording and an unresponsive audience. Page also has his overdrive dialed back a bit, so there's not as much character in his playing. The band finally comes alive and starts gelling halfway through the set and Page takes off with some nimble fingerwork. Highlights are a solid OTHAFA, a very intricate Rain Song, an atmospheric Stairway, an excellent Whole Lotta Love with Page really flexing, and a beautiful Thank You. I have to admit, the first couple of times I listened to this I was really taken by the clear, intimate sound and overlooked the flaws. I still consider it a must listen show simply because it's so honest. This is a realistic, run-of-the-mill type of show that most professional bands usually have. And they're still better here than a lot of bands are at their best. Definitely a rainy day listen. 

If Page releases an official version of this for the anniversary I'll start nitpicking Jethro Tull.

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8 hours ago, Daeron said:

I don't know why but that mellotron solo reminded me of the Beatles. Any idea why Jones starting playing mellotron solos instead of organ solos? 

Well, he hardly ever soloed with the mellotron--aren't this, 6/3/73 LA & 7/29/73 NY the only times "Thank You" was played after his switch to the mellotron from the Hammond, thus the only times he had a mellotron solo?

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