As I continue to revisit the 1980 tour I also keep going back to Coda to think about what other songs they could have played. In addition to Wearing and Tearing, Bonzo's Montreux would have been cool. And I have always loved Ozone Baby. When it came out on Coda I was blown away. I loved the description in one review that said something about "Jones' dribble and shoot bass line". Yeah, the lyrics are weak and silly but the track is killer through and through. Upbeat and fun, lively and energetic. Now what about Darlene? I think it could have been a hit, given the times. Hot Dog was a hit. Darlene is a real corker as they say. Sure they lyrics are trite but they fit the nostalgia of the time. The second half of the track swings like mad (the DRUMS!!) and Page rips it up. Not sure he could have done that in 1980 though. And, since it needs piano, it would be another track where Jones would be limited to bass pedals and not the bass guitar, which does impose some limitations - though he was amazing on bass pedals. One more thing - Plant's voice is so strong on Darlene and Wearing and Tearing. Even parts of Ozone Baby. Then the grand daddy of them all "You Say You're Gonna Leave Me " or whatever it was called. If they had finished that it would have been monumental, perfect for the times. I know this is all speculation, but when people say Zeppelin was washed up, I keep thinking about how good ITTOD was and how innovative it was, but also all the strong material that never made it to the album.

I find it interesting that they used D'yer Ma'ker and Living Loving Maid in the ad. Neither one was ever played live of course, but both were big on the radio in their time. The live Dazed at the end sounds like a bit of TSRTS but that was not released for 18 months after this ad. Was this part of the ad or something put on at the end to go with the footage in later years? On another tangent, does anyone remember the drag racing ads in the early 70s that opened with "Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!"? They were on AM radio all summer back then. I clearly recall the Heartbreaker riff in the intro to many of those ads for drag strips in NJ, maybe even Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ, just recently closed by the way due to real estate development/restrictions. Anyway, I know I heard the Heartbreaker intro in those ads, but I can't find it on YouTube even though there are many of the 60s and 70s old drag racing ads on YouTube. What I cannot recall clearly enough is if the audio was really Heartbreaker or some studio band playing it. This was AM radio so the sound was not great, and this was almost 50 years ago. Did anyone else ever hear those ads?

This thread has gotten me to go back to revisit the tour. Had forgotten how good a show the kick off gig was.

Are you serious here? What about the middle section of Fool in the Rain? Carouselambra? In the Evening? South Bound Saurez? All pure Bonham. Even Hot Dog.

Look at the date this was done on BBC radio. Sept 16, 1968. I didn't know this was also a single B side in late 68. I knew the album version from 1970. This is crazy, go Dave Edmunds.

Dave Edmunds who would later sign with Swan Song.

While listening to Coda the other day it struck me that Wearing and Tearing would have made a fine addition to the 1980 set list. It is raw, energetic and would have been straightforward to reproduce live. Nothing too fancy for Jimmy to play, just straight ahead aggression and power. I think it would have fit very well with the times and with Jimmy's playing that year (and a good fit with Plan'ts voice that year). Even though it is grungy and rough around the edges, it is catchy in its own unique way. And it has the stop time around the vocals reminiscent of Black Dog. I think if they had put out a single for the tour this could have been really popular. Back then Fool in the Rain was a big radio hit but I don't think they could have pulled that off live in 1980.

I had forgotten how great this version of Hot Dog is. Jimmy is killing it on all levels, rhythm playing, country backup riffing, and the guitar break is madness, especially the last part.

I have often wondered how they would have been received in the US 1980 tour. Clearly the US audience was starved for Zeppelin and fully engaged and ready to go with the huge success of In Through the Out Door. There would have been alot of casual fans, even brand new fans, at the 1980 shows. I was a senior in college and it would have been only my second Zeppelin show. First off, the new look fit right in with the times perfectly. No one would have batted an eyelash. Next, alot of the fans would have thought it strange that they opened with "that Aerosmith song". Back then alot of people did not pay close attention and probably still thought that Train Kept a Rollin was written by Aerosmith, and had never even heard of the Yardbirds. What about the rest of the set list (assuming no changes from the Over Europe tour)? Certainly the inclusion of the three Out Door tracks would have been big (it is easy today to forget how very popular that album was in 1979-80), and the stripped down approach fit right in with the times. If they played reasonably well and the sound was huge most every flaw we hear today would have not been noticed by fans. Of course the "hipster" critics would have slagged everything but the typical concert goer would not have cared. Nobody's Fault - a huge favorite on the 77 tour - would have killed. Black Dog - nostalgia with an old radio hit always goes over especially with an audience starved for Zeppelin In the Evening - hugely popular from the new album Rain Song - hugely popular from the movie that was at that time still a "thing" Hot Dog - fun, peppy, and had really caught on via the radio. Would have gone over very, very big in the US at that time. Remember - this was when country first became "cool" with things like John Travolta in Urban Cowboy, released June 1980. Oh yeah, and the biggest thing on TV was "Dallas". I was just listening to the Hot Dog from June 24, 1980 (Winston remaster) and they are all killing it, especially Jimmy. The guitar sounds amazing. US crowds would have been delirious. I had forgotten how great this version is. If Jimmy or Robert wore a cowboy hat during this the US crowds would have lost it. All My Love - hugely popular with all including new and casual fans Trampled Underfoot - funky, tight, would have pumped up the crowd Since I've Been Loving You - tired, worn out and may have been a downer Achilles - would have killed like it did in 1977 White Summer/Black Mountainside - tired and worn out, played so badly that even American audiences would have grown bored and restless. This track was the worst travesty of the tour. Kashmir - audiences would have gone bonkers for this as they did in 77 Stairway - see Kashmir above. Would have blown the roof off the arena. Rock and Roll - nostalgia magic and no one would have noticed the flaws because it follows Stairway Whole Lotta Love - depends on what version they played. Short and sweet - a fitting end to the show. Berlin version - many casual fans would have grown restless. Knebworth version - I can't really say but plenty of people would have enjoyed it if played well.

He went with me in 1977. He was more of a casual fan, whereas I was really into Zep. He loved the 75 show but really did not make any comparison to the 77 show. He was just blown away by the sheer power and spectacle of 77 like everyone else was. To us, it was Zeppelin. The sound was so overwhelming we weren't really thinking about how well Jimmy played. It was all so much to take in - the lights, the laser beams, the overwhelming sound, the DRUMS, the dragon suit, Plant going over the top, the crowd losing its mind and going bonkers. All we could think after that show was: that was the greatest thing we ever saw. There were no comparisons made to 1975. And back in 1977, 1975 seemed like ages ago. We were young and two years was a long time.

That Heartbreaker intro still kills me every time even though I have heard it so many times. Plant says "That's not good!" referring to who knows what, then Page launches into that riffing and Bonham tries to work with him and keep up. Clearly made up on the spot and it could have been worked up into a proper track. That is Zeppelin right there. A one time riff that is better than most riffs that other bands ever came up with. Tight but Loose Dancing on the Precipice

I was just listening to this again and I was reminded that this is one of my favorite versions ever of What Is and What Should Never Be. The FM broadcast of this show is also noteworthy because not only is Plant at his peak of power and range, but he is very much up in the mix. If anyone ever wants to hear Plant at his best, play them this. Also of note in this show- how great the organ sounds in SIBLY.

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After all these years and hours and hours of listening it still amazes me that they played Kashmir and No Quarter (and a 1975 NQ to boot!) back to back. What an incredible experience that must have been - and then followed that up with Trampled Underfoot. Just incredible. Still can't believe I was this close to seeing them at MSG that year then my parents brought the hammer down and decided I was too young at 15 to go to "The City" with my older brother and his friends for a rock concert. So I had to two more years to see them. I wonder what my impressions of 1977 would have been if I had seen them in 1975.

No Quarter is a real gem on this one.