http://www.wonderingsound.com/review/burnin-john-lee-hooker/

From 1967/68 - with 'Gingerman' Rod Piazza singing & playing the Harp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Piazza

Well, only one Zep album (Led Zep I) left, so many here would call my record collection highly incomplete....

Back in 1966 where it all began.... Edit: Just found out that there is already an older and more comprehensive Zappa-Thread

You are right. So let's dream on, without squabbling over voices, and hopefully the last time offtopic now....

What is your definition of "vocal capability" ? The ability to sing higher or deeper than others ? Then my vote goes to Johnny Cash & Lee Marvin. Apart from that, I still think that Jim Morrison & Chris Farlowe had more fitting Rock & Blues voices than Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury. And Don Glen Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart plus Roger Chapman (listen to the first two Family albums from 1968/69) were in their heydays simply in a complete different vocal league - with an energy, intensity, originality and individuality Mr. Plant could only dream of.... So far with the off-topic. Back now to the Who....

Classic Louisiana Swamp Blues from the 50s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXvrnIjph9g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ6UfaYppyU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNRjwRaYtoA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktX-ansa-Hg

I also think that The Who in their heydays had more energy and live power than any other British Band from past & present. (In America on stage possibly Blue Cheer in their peakform in 1968 came close). I'm especially a fan of the earlier Who in their pre-Tommy days. My favorite Studio album of them has always been: 'The Who Sell Out' http://psychedelicsight.com/who-sell-out-review/ I recommend the original UK Mono Mix on Track records, released in December 1967:

Alright. Back to 1965....

The Doors have always been one of my Top 5-Rockbands. Together with Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band, and The Rolling Stones. Below an old US Mono pressing of their debut, the so called first 'Monarch' Mono pressing from January 1967, named after the Monarch pressing plant on the Westcoast (identificable by the Matrix number and symbols in the dead wax).

The above mentioned Jim Morrison and Chris Farlowe had no 'quality voices' ? And what about Bob Seger or Peter Wolf in their heydays? I like Nina Simone. Amongst my favorite female vocalists are Sandy Denny, Maddy Prior, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Jacqui McShee, Rosetta Tharpe, Signe Toly Anderson, Cass Elliott, Shirley Collins, Aretha Franklin, Big Mama Thornton....

Well, vocally, I rank Charley Patton, Don Van Vliet, Howlin' Wolf, Chris Farlowe, Roger Chapman, Paul Rodgers, Jim Morrison plus 35 others higher.... By the way, and honestly: isn't /wasn't Barry Melton a better guitar player than Jimmy Page....?

Talking about great live shows in the early seventies, I give Deep Purple the edge over Led Zep. Judging by their studio album output alone, I rank Led Zep slightly higher And what about Led Zep versus Mountain ? I say 'Climbing' & 'Nantucket Sleighride' are on the same level as the best studio work of Led Zep. But I think that West, Pappalardi, Laing & Knight in their heydays were more compelling on stage

In 1969/70 The Who were still in great form. But talking about nearly unmatched energy and sheer live power, I think they reached their peak about two years earlier, in their pre-Tommy days. Their performance at the Monterey Festival 1967 was more ferocious than in Woodstock 1969. However, judging by live shows & recordings available on LP & CD from both Bands, I still think that in the past five decades some other groups released better live albums than 'Live at Leeds' and 'How The West Was Won'. Below just four examples of - in my eyes - better musicians, superior improvisation skills and greater creativity on stage....

Well, My Dad & my Uncle have seen both Bands several times in the late 60s and early 70s on stage. Both claim that the Who as a live act were more intense, energetic and compelling than Led Zep. Lep Zep had good individual musicians but often failed to play as a creative and dynamic unit which the Who were in their heydays. (The same goes for the Rolling Stones - another superior live act in their prime over 45 years ago.). They have also seen The Allman Brothers Band with Duane in 1970 – much much better on stage than Led Zep, they say. The Allman Brothers really jammed creatively in a way Led Zep was never able to , not even at their absolute peak. After listening to 'The Allman Brothers At The Fillmore East', ‘Colosseum Live’ (‘Rope Ladder to the Moon' & 'Lost Angeles'!) plus ‘Live Dead’ (1969) from Gratefuld Dead, I got the impression that Led Zep with 'How The West Was Won' etc. were really limited in their improvisation skills by comparison I still have the 1st Led Zep album from early 1969, all other albums of the Band I have sold long ago. As a collector of classic Blues from the 30s, 40s and 50s I have heard many great voices on the turntable - against them Robert Plant’s voice often sounded stilted and never reached the authenticity and credibility of his black paragons. Not to forget that the lyrics of many Who songs were socio-critical ('Won't get fooled again'), ironical ('Substitute') or sardonic ('My Generation') - while most of the lines Mr. Page & Mr. Plant wrote during their lifetime were rather simple and one-dimensional.... PS: I don't agree with every opinion & poll of the writers & readers from the Rolling Stone Magazine. Though placing The Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead on top of their list of the best Jam Bands is reasonable in my eyes - since on a good day both were miles more creative and imaginative on the stage than Led Zep or The Who.... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-jam-bands-20150325/phish-20150325

I hope that some critical and not very flattering views about that matter are not offending any rules of this forum.... https://unpopulartruths.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/the-who-are-on-a-completely-different-plane-than-led-zeppelin/