Can a mod or someone who is certain comment on this question? I thought these photos would be from July 7 not the 6th as I thought Bonzo was seen wearing the black shirt and black bandana on some pics from the 6th on the Zep timeline. Now however I see that there are a mix of the two different nights found on both dates in the timeline. Which is which? You can clearly see Chicago police officers in front of the stage the night Bonzo is wearing black and Jimmy has the white pants. Would that be the second night then since things were so violent the night before? Or would that be the first crazy night?

I disagree, I think the original soundtrack version from the 2LP is the best ever, especially Jimmy's solo. That is one of his all time greatest solos IMO. BTW: I really like your remasters and Four Blocks In The Snow.

Haha, same here! Agreed, a Christmas boogie tune in the middle of a dark piece about asking and giving no quarter? LOL. I guess it was comic relief. Plus, Page's solos are almost always meandering and sloppy in 77 versions. Cleveland and Badgeholders are good ones, but most are pretty bad IMO. I think the 73 tour solos are his best. Yeah, for the upcoming Knebworth shows they were trimming the fat and I think it was a good move after the excess of 77. Its amazing that Jimmy could play for 3 plus hours and wield that double neck around when he look malnourished and on smack. I think as the tours got bigger they lost touch because of the excesses of stardom and just overindulged too much, on and off stage so they tried to reign it in, at least on stage.

Anyone out there attend these shows? It would be very cool to hear some recollections of Zep at the Madhouse on Madison.

Badgeholders is a good one for 77... but it is my lonely opinion that the choice to go into a major tonality on the keyboard solo was not a good one. I way prefer when the song stays in minor mode. My two cents. Anyone out there agree??

Well said. The albums had so many layers of guitar overdubs and vocal harmonies, which couldn't be easily replicated live so I think he was helping to fill out the sound in concerts by being more aggressive and interactive.

I meant to say, unfortunately NOT as good as the others.

Alternate mixes? Meh. Mostly ok for one or two listens . Alternate takes and previously unreleased tracks? That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!! When The Levee Breaks, St Tristan's Sword. That's the shit!! Wish there was more like that...but what we got is what we get. I do love the alternate mix of In The Evening though, Jones bass is much more pronounced and you can really hear him playing his ass off. Lotta Duck Dunn and Jamerson in there!

Amen! So, its seems to me no one really gave you the answer to your original question. By now I'm sure you found what you were after. All performances from the 73 US tour have the dark, somber vibe in the opening of the solo . My favs are Seattle , Salt Lake City , Ft. Worth, LA Forum (Bonzo's Birthday) . By now I'm sure you've heard most of the 73 recordings, which are the best IMO...the most congruous to the original vibe of the song. Also, it's a keyboard solo, not organ. Specifically on a Fender Rhodes.

Two more from the Chicago Stadium, unfortunately as good as the others.

I can't stand when people say so and so is the best ever. No, Buddy is not best ever, no one is. Just like no one is the best actor ever, or chef, or scientist or painter. I disagree ...Bonham was fast. He had very quick hands, rudimentally, though not on Buddy's level. Very few do. Paice definitely . If you listen closely to Bonzo's solos you'll hear some serious speed, especially before 77.

John Paul Jones said , " Bonzo swung". Its not that he jazzed or swung it up, the inference is that he was influenced by great jazz drummers and employed their techniques. True, there isn't much real jazz sounding drumming in Zep's history ( LOL, why would there be??) except maybe the opening of How Many More Times. But, his phrasing has a lot of swing in it because he was influenced by great jazz drummers as well as the great R & B, Soul and Rock and Roll drummers. He clearly absorbed a lot from people like Joe Morello, Buddy, Elvin Jones (triplets) , May Roach ( he regularly began his solo after the melody of Moby Dick by quoting Max's solo The Drum Also Waltzes which someone smartly posted here), maybe even Philly Joe Jones ( he often played para-diddle-diddles all over the place , and Philly also played the legendary bass drum first note rest triplet figure which made Bonzo immediately stand out on Good Times Bad Times) . I'm getting geeky here I know, but I feel this is something I haven't often read about and as a jazz drummer who is also a huge Bonzo head , I hear these similarities. Bonzo's set up and tuning was basically big band ala Buddy Rich, Sonny Payne. He didn't tape up his heads or play concert toms like so many other rock drummers. He had a jazz drummers sound, just heavier because he used bigger drums. Under that bricklayer's touch he had a lot of sophistication and finesse. A lot of his fills and phrases are triplet based, as compared to many other rock drummers who have a more eighth note approach to fills. It gives his drumming that "swinging" feeling. Ironically, Ginger Baker who said " Bonham couldn't swing from a rope" couldn't swing and he fancied himself a jazz drummer which is very ironic and laughable. What an ass! Butch Miles, former drummer with the Count Basie band told me Bonzo came to hear the band in Montreux and after the concert he talked to him backstage. He said Bonzo was very gracious and said he always loved the Basie band and was thrilled to see them live. The Drum Also Waltzes...and so did Bonzo!

Too hard to choose just one! But '71 Japan would be brilliant. There are some wicked good spring 73 shows too, especially Hamburg, Vienna, Munich, Offenburg. Incredible playing, super loose improvising. I agree that 75 was pretty consistent but also monochromatic. I think Plants vocal tracks post 1972 are the real turd in the punchbowl. A lot of fixing/editing would have to be done for an acceptable release of most 73, 75 or 77 shows, not to mention Jimmy's sloppy playing on the 75 and 77 tours as well. I brought this up in another thread but here is a good place to ask. Are there even any real known multi-track tapes of any shows? I can't see Jimmy and Co working on soundboard feeds for a "bootleg series".

Lots I could say here but there was a posted version on YouTube which was sped up, this one is not. Hence the debate. While this is impressive its not super fast, its just the way he is phrasing and scrambling it up makes it sound really fast. This is a really ass kicking example of his unique phrasing. There are moments in Moby Dick where he is playing faster than this but speed isn't what makes him special IMO. Cool post, thanks.

Two little things...whenever he sings " push, push, push!" ...or "Oh My Jesus!!" One big thing...Plant's vocal abilities after summer 1972. Cracking notes left and right, vocal range pretty much gone by 73. There are so many cringe worthy moments that I often wish I could fade down his vocal track and just listen to the band.

This is a really interesting thread to read! I am surprised by many of the choices, all of which I never skip ( except the noise solo ). I'm a drummer so every version of Moby Dick is interesting to me, but I understand completely why non-drummers would hurry to cue forward on that track. But, IMTOD and Dazed? TSRTS.... SIBLY??!! Never. I almost always skip Babe I'm Gonna leave You, Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp , Hot Dog ( always) and occasionally skip White Summer/Black Mountainside (especially in 77). I also often pass on No Quarter bloated middle JPJ/JP solos from 77. I must say when Plant starts screeching "Oh My Jesus" live...I fast forward. I can't stand that ! Awful, always awful.

AMEN! Several of their titles are ruined by excessive noise reduction. Drag Queen of New Orleans could have been the best because the EQ was really good, but the NR ruined it for me. A very trusted source told me Eat A peach is the old Godfather. PS. The worst offender in the excessively EQ'd dept is Beelzebub. Atrocious remastering, except oddly for a couple titles (their title Absolute Hysteria - Boston 1970 is the best I've heard) . Their Vienna 73 is the worst I've heard. Most suck . It's very easy to waste a lot of money on bootlegs. That's why I stick to torrent sharing sites for live Zep and if its something that is really outstanding sonically and packaging -wise then I'll drop the coin.

Well said! OK so, first of all Buddy Rich was a dick , sometimes...so was Bonzo, that's been well documented. So were ( and continue to be) many great artists. Ginger Baker on the other hand can't hold a candle to Bonzo IMO. Bonzo easily outperformed him in sound, groove, feel and chops. He said Bonzo couldn't swing from a rope...neither could he!! He's not a jazz drummer, give me a break. Misanthropic crazy is right! That Beware Mr. Baker documentary was depressing, what an ass. Actually Bonzo could swing ! His phrasing has a lot of swing in it because he was influenced by great jazz drummers as well as the great R & B, Soul and Rock and Roll drummers. He clearly absorbed a lot from people like Elvin Jones (triplets) , May Roach ( he regularly began his solo after the melody of Moby Dick by quoting Max's solo The Drum Also Waltzes), maybe even Philly Joe Jones ( he often played para-diddle-diddles all over the place , and Philly also played the legendary bass drum first note rest triplet figure which made Bonzo immediately stand out on Good Times Bad Times) . I'm getting geeky here I know, but I feel this is something I haven't often read about and as a jazz drummer who is also a huge Bonzo head , I hear these similarities. His drums often sound to me like Sonny Payne's kit with Basie's band, especially the bass drum. Notice the set up is virtually the same too, (ala Buddy Rich) with the 5 piece , right down to the cymbals set flat . Bonzo's tuning was basically big band tuning , just heavier sounding because he used bigger drums. Under that bricklayer's touch he had a lot of sophistication and finesse. Buddy was untouchable, truly a natural and with phenomenal hands but go to YouTube and search Sonny Payne. A real bad ass chops-wise and a great showman, but first and foremost a great swinging drummer with a beautiful sound. Buddy couldn't swing like that, but he was a super bad MF !

That teaser of Black Dog sounds better than any other board tape from '71 to my ears. It tops Hampton, Toronto, Orlando - the instruments are better balanced and the drums are all clear, cymbals are bright, which isn't the case on the others. Wonderful! Hope more is released soon. The only annoying part is the excessive echo on Plants vocals. Great Pagey solo !

Thank you. I don't know why I said Detroit...I meant Milwaukee.

I always laugh when I hear someone yell " I like you!!" just before Plant introduces Dazed and Confused from Sep 23 1971 . LOL.

Upon closer inspection, I realize for the first time after all these years that the pics with Page in white pants and Bonzo with the red rhinestone shirt are not from Chicago. Other pics from Chicago show Bonzo wearing the black t-shirt and a bandana, not red. The pics with Jimmy in black match in terms of the clothes and the visible columns from the Chicago Stadium but I am sure based on other photos from July 10 73 in Detroit that the pics with Jimmy in white pants and Bonzo in the red t-shirt are from that show. Also there is a cinder block wall behind the stage in those pics which is not the Chicago Stadium. The person who took these obviously was at both Chicago and Milwaukee. The mods should place those pics with the July 10 73 Detroit show.

It is visible in The Song Remains The Same - you can see it spinning with colored lights up in the same location as these pics.

Really surprised to see a clear bass drum batter side head on the green sparkle kit! The mounted tom head looks clear too. I assumed he always had coated heads before he used the vistalites. Interesting...great shot!

These are pics that I hold the negatives for from the Chicago Stadium shows on July 6 and 7 1973. I don't remember the name of the guy that gave them to me but he handed me an envelope with the developed prints and negatives sometime around 1983. He knew I was a Zep nut and he said " you can have these". I don't think he actually took them because he would have been too young at the time of the concert , as he was about my age. Maybe an older family member or friend of his took them. Lost in the mists of time. These shows were notorious for being wild, especially July 6 ( rowdy ass crowd) and Plant's voice was shot, due to a cold, (sick again! ). But the band play great , especially on July 7 IMO. I'm not sure which photos are from July 6 or 7. I have several more but these are the best/clearest of the bunch. Hard to believe only 10 years had passed from the concert date to when I received them. It felt like so long ago because I longed to see Zep live and my first opportunity was the Stadium shows planned for Nov 1980. Nowadays, 7 or ten years feels like nothing, time sure flies as you get older! Anyway, hope you all enjoy seeing some previously unseen photos.