The O2 In Retrospect...

[LurksReturnington]

I think Jason wins Trampled Underfoot.

[Stryder1978]

55 minutes ago, hummingbird69 said:

I have been listening to Led Zeppelin for 45 years and I have 35 years listening to all the live stuff I could get my hands on. So, whether you like my opinion or not it is at the very least informed.   I will take Zeppelin from any year or a Page and Plant show before I go to the 02 for listening pleasure.  

Your loss!

[nirvana]

Everyone has their opinion and commentary on the O2 show, even after nearly 11 years. Obviously that being the last time Zeppelin 

will be together on that scale means something to each of us, even if those feelings are mixed.

My point being at the start was, that looking back, what would Robert have lost to put aside a month or two to do shows where they

would mean the most to their fans. That could have been anywhere. He had proven himself as a solo artist. At the time Alison Krauss

told him to continue with the Zeppelin shows; so she didn't care about the Raising Sand Tour as much as Robert did. She knew it was

more important to give back to more than the 19,000 fans at the O2. But instead, Robert used her and that project as another reason

why he needed to move on. Really? Alison must have been shaking her head and saying WTF Robert - don't put me in this discussion!!

She knew Robert was being the fox and grapes guy....

[blindwillie127]

37 minutes ago, nirvana said:

Everyone has their opinion and commentary on the O2 show, even after nearly 11 years. Obviously that being the last time Zeppelin will be together on that scale means something to each of us, even if those feelings are mixed. My point being at the start was, that looking back, what would Robert have lost to put aside a month or two to do shows where they would mean the most to their fans.

Robert Plant is not only against LZ getting getting back together, he's also against, and looks down upon other bands that do and has had the nerve to call them out on it...repeatedly. Remember when he commented on the Eagles getting back together? Plant: "the only reason they're  getting back together is because they must be bored...'Im not bored'." That really pissed off Don Henley and he responded accordingly. 

Robert Plant is Jimmy Page's Frankenstein...

[hummingbird69]

2 hours ago, Stryder1978 said:

Your loss!

trust me, I am not losing anything but if you want to listen to washed out zep tunes then be my guest.

[Stryder1978]

22 minutes ago, hummingbird69 said:

trust me, I am not losing anything but if you want to listen to washed out zep tunes then be my guest.

A "Kashmir" that rivals any version they did live through 1980, a COMPLETE version of "Good Times Bad Times" and a never before played "For Your Life" that is absolutely brilliant?  I will GLADLY take that gift LED ZEPPELIN gave us, thank you!

[SteveAJones]

2 hours ago, nirvana said:

At the time Alison Krauss told him to continue with the Zeppelin shows; so she didn't care about the Raising Sand Tour as much as Robert did. She knew it was more important to give back to more than the 19,000 fans at the O2. 

What? I don't recall her ever saying such a thing. Their new album was released in October 2007, and their tour dates were already confirmed BEFORE the Led Zeppelin 02 Arena show. Additionally, this had nothing to do with "giving back", it was their tribute to the late Ahmet Ertegun.

[nirvana]

1 hour ago, SteveAJones said:

What? I don't recall her ever saying such a thing. Their new album was released in October 2007, and their tour dates were already confirmed BEFORE the Led Zeppelin 02 Arena show. Additionally, this had nothing to do with "giving back", it was their tribute to the late Ahmet Ertegun.

You missed her interview then.

And I realize the "initial" intention was for Ahmet obviously, but once the 3J's realized how great it was they wanted to Tour as a Zeppelin stand alone as well

as recognize Ahmet's accomplishments and his friendship. The "giving back aspect" would have be a natural outcome.

[bluecongo]

Zeps music doesn’t work unless you give it total commitment.  It ain’t easy, takes a lot to perform their music.

as dissapointed as I was personally, if what we would’ve seen is half ass Robert looking distracted on stage, well we’re probably better off 

 

 

[Stryder1978]

36 minutes ago, bluecongo said:

Zeps music doesn’t work unless you give it total commitment.  It ain’t easy, takes a lot to perform their music.

as dissapointed as I was personally, if what we would’ve seen is half ass Robert looking distracted on stage, well we’re probably better off 

 

 

Well said!  I would not have wanted their final legacy to be "going through the motions" on stage whether it was to please the fans or for their pocketbooks.  Enough great bands have tarnished their reputation doing this!

[Walter]

49 minutes ago, bluecongo said:

Zeps music doesn’t work unless you give it total commitment.  It ain’t easy, takes a lot to perform their music.

as dissapointed as I was personally, if what we would’ve seen is half ass Robert looking distracted on stage, well we’re probably better off 

 

 

Agree with everything you said right there.

[SteveAJones]

55 minutes ago, nirvana said:

I realize the "initial" intention was for Ahmet obviously, but once the 3J's realized how great it was they wanted to Tour as a Zeppelin stand alone as well as recognize Ahmet's accomplishments and his friendship. The "giving back aspect" would have be a natural outcome.

Well, if the 3 J's had put shit in one hand and want in the other it wouldn't have taken nearly a year to realize they would not be doing a tour.

I really don't get all this "give back" bullshit I've been hearing for more than 10 years now. If someone never got to see Led Zeppelin, tough shit. I never got to sleep with 1930s film starlet Thelma Todd. It's not her fault she died young, and it's not my fault she missed out on the greatest two minutes she would have ever experienced.

[Stryder1978]

2 minutes ago, SteveAJones said:

Well, if the 3 J's had put shit in one hand and want in the other it wouldn't have taken nearly a year to realize they would not be doing a tour.

I really don't get all this "give back" bullshit I've been hearing for more than 10 years now. If someone never got to see Led Zeppelin, tough shit. I never got to sleep with 1930s film starlet Thelma Todd. It's not her fault she died young, and it's not my fault she missed out on the greatest two minutes she would have ever experienced.

I'm assuming that includes foreplay and clean-up.

[mysticman560]

13 hours ago, The Rover said:

The O2 was very much a Led Zeppelin Reunion. Robert sang the Led Zeppelin songs in the vocal style that he sung them when Led Zeppelin was touring and recording from 1968-1980. Which was a break from every other tour that Robert Plant has been a part of post 1980.

And that includes the Page & Plant Tours... those were very much *not* Led Zeppelin tours. Robert was singing the Led Zeppelin songs with a different vocal style, as he does today... many different vocal styles that Robert uses today, but one he *does not*, and that's the 1968-1980 style, and he does that very intentionally.

In terms of Plant's vocal used for the 2007 reunion, a number of songs were performed in a lower key because of Plant's diminished vocal range. To say that Plant sang the songs performed that night in the vocal style he had when Zeppelin was touring / recording in the late '60s and 1970s isn't accurate. In my opinion, although the 3 original members were on stage that night in 2007, the show had a different vibe / feel to it, and all though it was great to see the first full performance of the band (minus John Bonham) in 27 years, the show was oddly unsatisfying and something definitely was missing from it. Nevertheless, I think it was a good show overall.

[nirvana]

1 hour ago, Stryder1978 said:

I'm assuming that includes foreplay and clean-up.

And dinner with cocktails...

[SteveAJones]

2 hours ago, Stryder1978 said:

I'm assuming that includes foreplay and clean-up.

"Hey Ahmet, we did it!"

[Blaize86]

Hated the whole production. No backstage footage. No audience footage even though it was filled w rock stars. 

Most of all I hated Bonhams snare sound. Sounded more like Alex Van Halen. 

SRTS I thought was real good but didn't get much fanfare on this site. 

Page came out of gate in great shape but I personally think he tires fast. His finger work on the guitar was sloppy at times towards TUF and especially STH. How the guy who wrote the damn solo cannot play the damn solo is beyond me. 

Plant was fantastic. Jones wonderful. Jason stellar all the way through. Jimmy killer tone , pacing and overall played very well. 

Camera work a bit dodgy and scattered but overall ok. 

 

[IpMan]

Jesus Christ, what a bunch of cackling little bitches. Give it a rest, Robert nor anyone else owes you a damn thing. We are all lucky as hell we even got the O2. Shit, I still cannot believe Page & Plant did two tours in the 90's, that alone was a biblical level miracle if there ever was one yet some "people" are still not satisfied.

FFS, I guess there is a certain type of person who could get with the partner of their dreams, have the most perfect chemistry and the most mind blowing sex ever and when their mate tells them how lucky they are, all they can say is, "Meh, it's ok but she does not tickle my balls enough nor does she cook me Boeuf Bourguignon afterward...SAD."

[apantherfrommd]

3 hours ago, IpMan said:

Jesus Christ, what a bunch of cackling little bitches. Give it a rest, Robert nor anyone else owes you a damn thing. We are all lucky as hell we even got the O2. Shit, I still cannot believe Page & Plant did two tours in the 90's, that alone was a biblical level miracle if there ever was one yet some "people" are still not satisfied.

FFS, I guess there is a certain type of person who could get with the partner of their dreams, have the most perfect chemistry and the most mind blowing sex ever and when their mate tells them how lucky they are, all they can say is, "Meh, it's ok but she does not tickle my balls enough nor does she cook me Boeuf Bourguignon afterward...SAD."

Awesome post, IpMan. I'm curious. In form, were Page and Plant better in the 90's or during the 02 show?

Kashmir was perfect during the 02 show, but the composition was different. So it's not fair or possible to compare, but I'm just wondering. To be honest, the 02 Kashmir was the best and closest to studio as I've ever heard live.

Edited October 4, 2018 by apantherfrommd

[The Rover]

8 hours ago, mysticman560 said:

In terms of Plant's vocal used for the 2007 reunion, a number of songs were performed in a lower key because of Plant's diminished vocal range. To say that Plant sang the songs performed that night in the vocal style he had when Zeppelin was touring / recording in the late '60s and 1970s isn't accurate. In my opinion, although the 3 original members were on stage that night in 2007, the show had a different vibe / feel to it, and all though it was great to see the first full performance of the band (minus John Bonham) in 27 years, the show was oddly unsatisfying and something definitely was missing from it. Nevertheless, I think it was a good show overall.

I disagree. Singing in a different range, but remaining true to the vocal phrasing, is perfectly acceptable to me.

Really, there are those that wrote off the band as soon as Robert could note hit the high notes and screams of LZ I before 1973.

When Robert is singing LZ with all his heart and soul, as a member of Led Zeppelin... he can't be touched.

He did that in 2007 for the 02 show.

 

[SteveAJones]

10 hours ago, Blaize86 said:

Hated the whole production. No backstage footage. No audience footage even though it was filled w rock stars. 

Camera work a bit dodgy and scattered but overall ok. 

I fail to see where backstage footage or "check me out, I'm a rock star" audience footage would have made the production more compelling. No, this was strictly about Led freaking Zeppelin back on stage together again and the magic they would weave in those two hours. You really want to cut away at any point from that to show Kate Moss taking a selfie?

Camera work I felt was fine, but I dislike a lot of the editing. I have always found the cut aways to the "bootleg footage" to be distracting if not jarring, and how they could edit out Robert tossing the mic away at the end is beyond me. THAT was the ultimate mic drop in rock history. 

7 hours ago, apantherfrommd said:

I'm curious. In form, were Page and Plant better in the 90's or during the 02 show?

In form, for Page & Plant, the 02 Arena show is superior to many but not all of their '90s era shows.

For Jimmy, he wasn't quite firing on all cylinders until Summer '95, which arguably makes the 02 Arena show superior to the first leg of the

1995-96 World Tour.

For Robert, I think one could argue the 02 Arena show was superior to most if not all of his performances on the 1998 World Tour.

In both instances, we're probably splitting hairs either way. After all, for the 02 Arena show we know Jimmy was favoring his injured finger and Robert's range wasn't what it is in the '90s. 

[Stryder1978]

12 hours ago, Blaize86 said:

Hated the whole production. No backstage footage. No audience footage even though it was filled w rock stars. 

Most of all I hated Bonhams snare sound. Sounded more like Alex Van Halen. 

SRTS I thought was real good but didn't get much fanfare on this site. 

Page came out of gate in great shape but I personally think he tires fast. His finger work on the guitar was sloppy at times towards TUF and especially STH. How the guy who wrote the damn solo cannot play the damn solo is beyond me. 

Plant was fantastic. Jones wonderful. Jason stellar all the way through. Jimmy killer tone , pacing and overall played very well. 

Camera work a bit dodgy and scattered but overall ok. 

 

You cannot be serious!  If they would have put in MORE audience footage (there was plenty in the actual film), you would have been crying that they weren't showing the band playing on stage.  I didn't go there to see Brian May, David Gilmour and Jeff Beck in the stands.

And the band CHOSE to perform most of the songs as close to the studio versions as they could - partially for the time constraints put on them from the O2 noise curfew.  I for one was glad to hear the "Stairway" solo mimic the studio version for once - I know I am in the minority on these pages for that, but I liked it.

 

And like Steve said, I'm not a fan of the "bootleg" 8mm footage technique and also not happy to see so many "Plantations" cut, but the film overall, like the performance, was excellent and a fitting "swan song" for their career!   

  

[jsj]

9 hours ago, apantherfrommd said:

Awesome post, IpMan. I'm curious. In form, were Page and Plant better in the 90's or during the 02 show?

Page was at his most consistent high quality playing on the 98 tour than any tour since 75. he was good at the O2, certainly good enough to make up for the mishaps of live aid and Atlantic shows, but he was nowhere near as on form as he was in 98

just my opinion obviously

[mrlowry]

Led Zeppelin, and it's members have given us all some truly awe inspiring music.  In addition to their music they helped re-introduce many of us Americans to our own much neglected American Blues past.  Because of them I am aware of and enjoy the music of Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Buddy Guy, etc. etc.  They inspired a dorky white kid from a small town to dig deep into the blues of the past.  Music which most likely wouldn't have been on my radar if it wasn't for them exposing me to it.  In an all too brief 12 year history (10 years if we are only talking about studio recordings) they left a legacy that will endure for eternity.  The only other band that has that kind of major impact that continues to this day in the same or shorter recording career is The Beatles.

They owe us absolutely nothing at this point.  Anything that we receive from them is a gift even if we have to pay money for it.  If anything we owe them our continued respect and support for any artistic choices that they make.  It's their choice if they want to record music that is Zeppelin-like, completely unrelated to Led Zeppelin, or nothing at all.  They don't work for us.  These guys are all in their 70's and have earned the right to enjoy the rest of their lives as they see fit without worrying about our expectation or desires.

Edited October 4, 2018 by mrlowry
grammer correction

[strombringer101]

When I think about how Zeppelin could've toured after the 02 concert, and how upset I was with Plant not wanting to continue. Then it dawned on me. Why does Robert have to meet those expectations when he and the boys already were on top of it. There was no need to continue because there was nothing left to prove. The Music and what official  videos we have is probably going to be it. I am fine with it now, because when you look at it, its also 30= years of the Bonham family having to remember the days their father, husband, brother was still around. Led Zeppelin lives within the heart of the fans now. I would be happy with one kick ass Best of Led Zeppelin Live with best recording possible. Peace.