[The O2 In Retrospect...]

On 10/4/2018 at 9:05 AM, jsj said:

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

This is not just your opinion. It is fact. Jimmy in 1998 is in no way even comparable to Jimmy at the o2. 

The o2 was very much calculated and planned. His soloing was just good enough to get by (well, for the most part). 

1998 Jimmy was getting back to what he was all about in Zeppelin - those bursts of supreme virtuoso greatness, spontaneously mixed in while he completely holds down the fort. Totally loose and focused. 

The o2 was Jimmy doing what needed to be done to get the point across. But technically on more solo breaks than not, he simply wasn't hitting on what he was trying to do when he wasn't playing it safe. 

And here alone lies the reason I cringe when people today say "they should have one more go at it" or a one-off reunion performance "for the 50th." The o2 was 11 years ago and Page just barely got by. How do you think it would go today?? We would likely be displeased. 

[Rod Stewart on Jimmy Page]

Like whatever Rod had to say in 1978 has any validity...guy had so much

coke up his schnozz back then.

Basically, though, SteveAJones and gollum6668 refute Rod's accusations

very well.

"You Shook Me" was a song that just about EVERY blues-rock band in England

played back in the 60's...it was part of the standard rep, along with "Killing Floor".

Lastly, I believe Led Zeppelin had recorded their first album by October 1968,

which is BEFORE Jimmy would have seen the Jeff Beck Group's Miami gig in November

of that year.

Frankly, whenever I read quotes from Pete Townsend, Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, et al

trying to diss Zep, alot of it comes across as sour grapes and jealousy...that Zeppelin

became SO HUGE...and did it WITHOUT the help of the rock critics and media of the

time. Unlike the Stones and Who who were always sucked up to by the media, esp.

Rolling Stone magazine, which was Jann Wenner's way of hoping to get to sleep with

Mick Jagger.

I dont know if I could have summed up my thoughts better. One of the best posts I've seen on this board. It says it all.