Yet Live Aid gets called the worst reunion show.

Well done. Sakurai is the second best thing to Page, very nice of him to join you.

I've got some more Zep requests and I might squeeze this in.

Nitpicking Page 1988 Atlantic 40th Anniversary Another video nitpick. The three surviving members show up yet again for an attempt to revive Zep, this time with Jason Bonham on drums.. Let's see how it goes. First of all, the intro video must be watched if simply to work as an appetizer to the performance afterwards. Featuring none other than Phil Collins, once again, introducing the band. Cringe level here is pretty high. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=634ZymrJfZo The performance Kashmir- The song kicks off with almost no guitar in the mix, which slowly comes in later. 1:00, Page plays behind the beat just a bit. 2:06, Robert kicks his mic stand down. 3:15, Robert's mic cuts out. 3:24, he gives a quick smile as to acknowledge that his mic isn't working. 4:23, Robert dodges a beach ball. 4:31, vocal flub. 5:20, Robert pulls on his mic cable which seems to be hung up. Seconds later he pulls again which results in a feedback squeal. Heartbreaker- A solid start. Solo- Page rolls up his sleeve to get down to business. 10:49, incredibly sloppy phrase here as Page diverts and plays an arpeggiated riff instead. 11:13, bad articulation to end this solo before jumping into WLL. WLL- Page goes straight into the alt riff for the song. Solo- Page makes an effort to follow the original phrasing but struggles some. 15:04, Plant hits a good high note. Not bad apart from the solo. Misty Mountain Hop- 18:36, Page seemingly jumps back into the verse a bar early. Solo- A little rough around the edges, but not bad overall. 20:30, excellent drum fill. Stairway- 24:30, Plant sticks a rose in his pants. 27:12, nice drum sequence here. 27:43, flubbed chords. Solo- Page nails a series of mundane, but decently played phrases. He doesn't attempt to extend the solo in any way as he jumps into the finale. 30:40, Page's chording gets very sloppy. The echo effect on Page's guitar did him no favors here, but it was definitely a redemption from Live Aid. Final Assessment- Not quite as bad as I remember but still pretty bad in places. The major flaws are the technical issues during Kashmir, possibly the worst Heartbreaker solo ever, a sloppy WLL solo, and a poorly chorded Stairway. Jason definitely improves upon the bad image Collins and Thompson created at Live Aid. JPJ was mostly ignored, just like at Live Aid. Plant's voice was in fine form however and Page's guitar tone for the middle three numbers was massive. If you can ignore the inevitable bad luck of these guys it's a pretty decent performance from some dinosaurs.

"I can't give it all away". You just named two and they're only playing three.

It's almost like being at a live show can create the illusion of a great performance, whereas for the first time since 1969 fans also got to see them televised- which made the cold hard truth of a mediocre performance look like a train wreck. Truth is, it wasn't a train wreck. It just seemed like it when you're watching it on a screen at home where you can notice the details. This was simply an over exaggerated response from fans toward an a imperfect show. 8/11/79 is the real blunder. And then there's Nuremberg 1980...

Considering there's nothing new to promote by the band and nothing new to say that hasn't already been said, it's almost certainly just pandering to a collector fanbase who'll buy anything featuring their image.

Nitpicking Page Live Aid 1985 First time video nitpick. A legendarily bad performance, so let's see what really happens here. Featuring Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Paul Martinez (Bass), Tony Thompson (Drums), and Phil Collins (Drums). Intro- This video opens with Phil Collins introducing the band. The stage crew are hurriedly grabbing equipment and scurrying away. Rock And Roll- 1:27, Page checks his tuning and it's obvious he's using a thick chorus effect. 2:14, Page throws a jab at a mic stand. Plant's voice is rough for 1985, more like 1975. Solo- now whether or not the guitar is in tune is hard to judge considering the heavy chorus effect, but it does sound slightly flat. The solo however is played fairly adequately. The drumming is a little loose but considering there's two drummers it's not bad. 5:48, there's a man wearing shorts that no man should ever wear. WLL- 6:22, Page looking a little too relaxed. 7:31, a tech runs out and adjusts something behind Jimmy. 7:50, Collins is lost and just stops while Thompson puts down the proper drum fill. Solo- Page gets a fairly basic, but good set of phrases down. 8:08, some confusion on drums. 9:09, Plant gives a look as to wonder if he should go for the high note. That's not happening, but he does alright. 10:02, Page comes in with an outro solo, a little inarticulate but not terrible. Stairway To Heaven- 11:44, Page does a very strange gesture. 12:37, the look Plant gives Page shown above. Page is fairly consistent so far. 15:14, a drum count in can be heard although it's not time for them to come in. 16:13, Page discards his scarf but it ends up hanging around his guitar cable. 17:34, Collins again not really playing as he follows Tony's lead. 18:20, Page's guitar again sounding a little flat. Solo- decent phrasing off the bat, but he's playing very reserved. 18:35, a cymbal flies off Rob's tambourine. 19:07, the drumming starts getting very messy here. Page utilizes lots of powerful bends in place of articulate phrasing, but it's an effective solo overall. 19:35, Page starts the final four phrases of the solo but Plant jumps in after only two measures, ending the solo prematurely. 21:42, those shorts again. Final Assessment- “Jimmy says, ‘We need to rehearse.’ And I said,: ‘Can’t we just go on stage and have a play?’ -Phil Collins. Was Phil the center of this televised disaster? Probably not. It's obviously a culmination of Plant being hoarse, Page being out of it, and under-rehearsed guest musicians. But let's be honest here, I haven't nitpicked anything from this show that comes anywhere close to rivaling the worst of Zep from previous years. Compared to Plant's previous hoarseness (Sheffield 73), Page's previous sloppiness (Berlin 1980), or Bonham's worst performance (Nuremberg 1980 or San Diego 1977), it's just not that bad. In fact, it's an overall fairly solid show with some blemishes. Had this been with one drummer and no chorus effect on the guitar, I don't think anyone would've noticed anything too out of the ordinary. Collins- “Onstage I don’t take my eyes off Tony Thompson. I’m glued to him. I’m having to follow – he’s taking the heavy-handed lead and has opted to ignore all my advice. Putting myself in his shoes, he’s probably thinking, ‘This is the beginning of a new career. John Bonham isn’t around any more. They’re gonna want someone. This could be the start of a Led Zeppelin reunion. And I don’t need this English fuck in my way." No, Mr Collins, Tony played the song mostly the way it was supposed to be played. You were the one air drumming because you didn't know what to do. As far as Page blaming his guitar being out of tune, he knows how to tune a guitar and checked the tuning before launching Rock And Roll. No real excuses there. I still believe the chorus/flange effect is the main culprit here and most people are mistaking that effect as the "out of tune" sound.

Nitpicking Page 7/7/1980 Berlin (A Memory Frozen Forever- Godfather) Train Kept A Rollin- The usual raucous energy to get things started. Plant sounding decent. Solo- wild and loose, but good overall. Outro solo- Same. Not a bad start. "B+". NFBM- Solid, thunderous start. Harmonica- tremendous passion at first but it tapers down quickly. Solo- again with some loose playing, some parts sounding very forced and sticky. He survives without disaster though. Another fairly solid "B+". Black Dog- 0:18, Bonzo and Page out of sync just a little. 0:47, Bonham gets the beat reversed. 1:20, a very strange vocal echo. 2:32, Page getting sticky on these notes. Solo- some strained notes to start. 4:01-4:14, very sloppy followed by some strained bends. Ouch. "C+". (Robert states that "Page loves this town very much". Berlin was the heroin capital of the world back then.) In The Evening- Mesmerizing intro and solid verses. Solo- ear-piercing but seemingly good. Plant's passionate vocals are really standing out. Outro solo- Uh oh. Some major articulation issues off the bat but he smooths out a little. Plenty of energy but Jim brings it down a bit. "B". The Rain Song- 0:23, Page not quite hitting the chords fully. 2:12, can't seem to get his fingers on the strings. 3:32, still choking the chords. Rock section- guitar is barely present. Ending is decent but doesn't save this one. "C+". Hot Dog- Dedicated to Showco, although they might've been responsible for secretly recording all the 1975 soundboards. Page sticky on the intro. 1:39, Robert sings this part differently, apparently attempting to imitate classic country singers. Solo- Page misses his cue and gets a late start. 2:04-2:12, not good. Everyone was there except Pagey, who keeps it at a "B". All My Love- Another dragging tempo with Jones' synths sounding like the batteries are going dead. Page's guitar accompaniment sounds tired with minimum effort. Jones gets a perfect solo in. Guitar solo- not terrible, but straining some. Quite possibly the sleepiest version ever. "B". Trampled Underfoot- Finally back on track with some energy as Jones and Bonzo get a thumping rhythm going. Jones gets an excellent, funky routine in and the tempo increases slightly. Solo- long story short, 3:47-6:23 is the absolute most inarticulate playing I've ever heard by Page by far. This outweighs any turkey-gobbling issues I've heard before and the phrasing is also extremely forced. Bonzo does end the song with a killer drum fill. "C+" only considering the rhythm work. SIBLY- Very unique intro as Page plays some improv phrases before launching the song. He's really choking down on the pick and each phrase sounds overly gritty. 3:54. nice piano phrasing. Solo- comes in very unorthodox and his phrasing is choppy throughout, but yet very effective combined with the excellent rhythm being laid down. The latter half plays out in dramatic fashion with no real flaws. As offbeat as this version is it's also full of character and emotion, undeniably an entertaining performance. "B+". WS/BMS- Page starts the song and soon stops, stating that the "Backroom boys weren't ready for the alternate tuning". Jim starts over again but it's no better as he's missing some notes left and right and struggling with the chording. The uptempo section takes off and it's obvious Page just isn't there mentally. 7:42, Page seemingly gives up on the original phrasing and improvises some. He returns to the normal phrasing but his coordination just isn't there as he stumbles through different motifs of the song. Pointing out the individual flubbed notes would be pointless considering this entire thing is in shambles. Trainwreck defined. I'd pay good money to see the other member's reaction to this. Gotta slap the bottom of the barrel "C" on this. Kashmir- Plant is low in the mix. 2:01, some off notes by someone. Overall not bad. "B+". Stairway- 0:07, slightly off note. 2:30, Page and Plant are out of sync just a bit and Page is missing some notes. 3:24, excellent piano phrase. 5:50, Page chokes some chords. Solo- a very somber start. 6:23, Page jumps into this phrase earlier than usual and quickly gets lost. 7:10, oh boy. 7:57, Page has clearly overdosed on quaaludes. 8:50, even on the slow part Page struggles to find a path through this quagmire of a solo. 10:15, fingers stuck in strings. 10:59, Page actually feels brave enough to attempt the staccato chords. 12:12, Page almost gets a decent flow going through here. The final bars are played better than the entire solo, but that's saying nothing. Plant comes back in with some good aggression to bring this trainwreck to a halt. "C+". Rock And Roll- Page is choking the chords right off the bat. Solo- loose, but not that bad actually. 2:05, an excellent unique phrase. Not terrible, "B". (Plant- "We've had a great tour but we've just about toured out") WLL- Page opens with a dissonant chord before launching the main riff. 1:20, very loose riffing here. 1:41, Jimmy's backing vocals are very audible. Jones kicks off a superb (and long) funk section while Page throws in delay heavy screeches. 14:02, a really cool riff that could've easily been turned into a song. 14:56, Page struggles badly with the solo, completely missing the last phrase. Luckily there's no medley and they close the song adequately. "B" overall but that funk section is something else. Final Assessment- What can be said? This is easily one of Page's worst shows ever, arguably the worst. The only highlight is the WLL funk section where Bonzo and Jones are absolutely killing it.

San Diego 70 is a rough listen.

Really breathes some fresh air into the footage. That clip where the promoter mistakes Cole for Bonham always cracks me up.

I'd rather them show the Danish TV special honestly. Why promote the band in their elder stage? Show them when they were a force to be reckoned with, not as rocking grandpas.

My pleasure. Can't wait to finish Berlin and go back through some previous years. There are still lots of shows worthy of putting the microscope on!

That would be my guess. I don't have the old copy on hand or I would check. I don't think it's a soundboard though because the crowd noise comes back in at the end of the song.

Those Landover shows are a rough listen.

Nitpicking Page 7/5/1980 Munich (EVSD) Video footage- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiW4VnX_5k&feature=youtu.be A murky but very listenable audience recording filled in with a murkier audience recording. Featuring the last performance of Achilles Last Stand. Also a guest appearance by Simon Kirke of Bad Company. Train Kept A Rollin- The usual kickoff, Plant sounding decent. First solo- simple but effective. Outro solo- good phrasing, fluid playing. "A". NFBM- Speedy tempo, almost sounds as if it's running fast. Good start. Harmonica- a little slack as Robert runs outta steam toward the end. Solo- some very nimble fingers throughout along with flawless phrasing. Top notch. A surprisingly solid run through with an excellent solo. "A". Black Dog- Energetic and heavy throughout. Solo- 3:45, bad articulation. Not quite as nimble as the previous song as he gets stuck repeating the old familiar phrases. A fairly solid version. "B+". In The Evening- Good start but Plant seems to fumble/mumble the lyrics throughout. Solo- Page flies through the usually solid routine. The outro solo is decent and wah drenched. Plant seems to disappear toward the end. "B+". The Rain Song- Page gets a slightly uptempo flow going, almost rushing the chord changes. Plant sounds very hoarse on an otherwise excellent rock section. Page gets a little loose on the outro notes. "B". Hot Dog- Sounds like a switch to an inferior source now, which changes again later. Page nails the intro and we're off. Solo- Hard to make out, but sounds like Jimmy knocks down a solid set of country licks and pedal steel bends. Jones' piano bashing isn't quite as harsh either. Honestly an "A+" to my ears, but the recording isn't great. All My Love- A tempo that feels just right. Jones knocks down his solo. Guitar solo- Page finally gets a decent set of phrases in that don't sound like a trainwreck. Still not great though. The song winds down in good fashion and finishes a pretty solid version. I'd have to go "A+" for this track considering the solo is semi coherent. Trampled Underfoot- Speedy tempo. Jones' keys are buried in the recording but sound good. Solo- Page fools the audience by starting with some intriguing notes and then falling into articulation despair at 3:03. He gets back on track with some solid wah licks to finish, not bad. That unfortunate sloppy solo run keeps this at a "B+". SIBLY- Very unconfident start. 2:04, chord flub. The verses are almost too downtrodden for even this song. Solo- Page blasts off akin to the 77 versions. His playing is a little choppy but he's fairly articulate and keeps the phrasing on point. A strong solo overall. Bonham and Jones sound asleep on this one and Page doesn't exactly leave the earth. Despite a solid solo I still have to say "B". Achilles- Off to a good start. First solo- Excellent legato phrasing and articulation is good. 4:20-4:45 is phrasing supreme. 4:50, a missed note. Back to the inferior source for a couple minutes. Second solo- Standard phrases here. Third solo- Sounds good. 8:18, minor flub. A strong finish for an overall excellent version barring some minor flubs. I'll still go "A". WS/BMS- Page warms up and takes off in true 1970 fashion. Nothing bad to say about this WS as Page never once stutters or misses a note. BMS- Page even nails the usual hangup phrases. A++ Kashmir- 2:07, wonky synth note. Sounds strong throughout, however Page is extremely reserved on the outro soloing. Luckily Bonham kills it with some awesome fills (9:07). "B+". Stairway- The audience singing harmony sounds pretty surreal here. The guitar is very low in the mix but Jones' piano more than covers for it. Solo- phrasing Heaven as Jim keeps a steady flow of notes going. 7:20, some bad chording, nothing major. 8:43, some rough articulation but he moves on from it. The final four runs are played fairly well to bring in a powerful climax. Very good, "A+". Rock And Roll- Takes off at breakneck speed and Plant sounds strong. Solo- Page barely hangs on but does alright. "B+". WLL- Simon Kirke is welcomed to the stage and Page jokingly starts the Moby Dick riff. Plant's voice sounds as good here as anytime in 8 years. The trippy/funk section is intense but Page struggles a little with the solo. Boogie Chillen- Page and Plant play off each other well before launching into a very heavy rendition. Page doesn't go crazy on the solo but plays fairly well. 10:20, some stickiness. The return finishes out an overall solid version, though Kirke wasn't allowed to do much. "B+". Final Assessment- The highs by far outweigh the lows for this one. NFBM, All My Love, Hot Dog, Achilles, and Stairway are all some of the best of the year, but I think the single standout is WS/BMS as Page plays it near perfect in a year where it's often a disaster. It takes Plant longer than usual to get warmed up but he really comes alive toward the end.

Exactly what I thought. Looks like rehashing the "deadbeats who want everything for free preventing new releases" nonsense is now at an end.

It's the professionally recorded audio used for the film. Are you assuming the YouTube poster used a soundboard for the video?

Is it from the DVD?

Nitpicking Page 6/23/1980 Bremen (Live Omega-Winston) Somehow I skipped this one, so here we go. A slightly harsh soundboard made more listenable by Winston. Guitar and drums are up front, but the bass is low. Train Kept A Rollin- The usual thunder off the bat, Plant sounding good. First solo- excellent with Page nailing the ascending riff toward the end. Something happens at 3:25, Jonesy disappears and Bonzo hesitates for a bit, but then they're back on track. Outro solo- very aggressive playing from Page with good phrasing. One of the heaviest versions. The mishap keeps it at "B+". NFBM- Solid start. 1:40, these drum fills. Good lord. Harmonica- Pretty good. 2:29- Bonham keeps an unorthodox beat going here on the transition. 2:59, he does it again and almost confuses Page. Solo- Phrasing is there but Jim struggles a little with stickiness. Not too awful. 5:00, Bonzo finally stops for the final transition. The unusual drumming doesn't really hurt the performance, but I'll keep it at "B+". (Bonzo is feeling lively tonight as you can hear him joking in the background) Black Dog- Devastatingly heavy. Solo- the opening runs are alright but Page gets sticky in a few places. Phrasing is on point though he seems to hesitate between each phrase. Tons of energy. "A". In The Evening- 1:09, Page accidentally bumps a string as Plant sings the opening catchphrase, creating an eerie effect. Excellent energy. Solo- Page unleashes a smooth flurry of notes to begin. 4:16, does some amazing whammy bar dives. 4:24, toggle switch trickery. Throwing in the kitchen sink on this one. Unfortunately Jones gets a little lazy on his final synth part. Outro solo- aided by a screaming wah pedal Page leaves the planet, finally slowing to cruise space at 6:31. Wow. "A+". Page is doing great so far. Rain Song- Tempo feels a little rushed. Excellent throughout with no flaws I can hear. Rock section- played very well though Robert is sounding a little weaker. 5:37, Page throws some extra quotient in. He doesn't quite nail the outro but nothing too noticeable. "B+". Hot Dog- Intro is extremely sloppy and JPJ's piano work isn't much better. Tempo feels a little rushed but Plant goes through the verses quite proficiently. Solo- fairly sticky to start. Just like the Vienna 6/26 solo, Jones comes in sounding like he's playing with his knuckles for the last half and ruins any impact Page had. This version has energy but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends. "B". All My Love- 0:52- some off notes by Jones. Verses are good. Jones solo- perfect. Guitar solo- unprepared and lost as usual. Just sad. Page's leads on the last part sound awkward until they kick into the outro, which is short and sweet. Honestly a "C+". (6:00, Plant calls out Phil Carson in a threating manner). Trampled Underfoot- Strong out of the gate. Jones' exciting solo is almost thrown off by a restless Bonzo. Guitar solo- Page stomps the wah and goes into overdrive, leaving the planet at 3:22 for some well phrased licks. The outro is solid with Page knocking down some more wah phrases. "A". SIBLY- Intro is very simplistic, yet effective. 3:05-3:18, played very passionately by all members. Solo- first half is played quite well. 5:05 is fairly sloppy. 5:48, bad articulation. His heart is in it but his fingers aren't. 8:00, Plant has no business going that high in 1980. One of the stranger versions I've heard. Intriguing, but not great. "B". "Jimmy Page on guitar" for once sounds like he's placing blame. (At 9:39 either Page or Bonham says "It sounds terrible") Achilles- Intro is a little sluggish but they get going quite well. First solo- very loose, sloppy in places, but not terrible. Second solo- completely abandons any lead notes and only plays the transition chords. Third solo- just not a good flow of phrases. Plant and the others sounded good throughout, but Page was only in a "need to play" mindset. With that said, it's not a bad listen. "B". WS/BMS- Pagey gets a solid, rather impressive flow going for the first half. 3:02, a unique phrase. 5:30, more unique riffing. Very impressed with this WS, no dead spots. Page stumbles on the usual parts during BMS. 1:18-1:25, a nice sitar sounding series of riffs. Not bad overall, "B+". Very close to an "A". Kashmir- Wow, nothing to criticize here. A very solid version. "A+". Stairway- 0:32, a rare Jones flub. 2:13, an almost unnoticeable guitar flub. 2:36, once Jones switches to the piano it simply sounds fantastic. Solo- Not the most articulate but Page keeps a solid flow going throughout. 7:57, Bonzo matches Jimmy on the fast picked section. Page stiffens up some on the latter parts but his phrasing remains solid. 8:50, unique riff. 9:05, there's a source change here and it appears the two middle bars of the last measure are cut, but Page nails the last bit. Plant sings the climax with maximum emotional impact and the crowd joins in on the final verses. Despite a few missed notes and a slightly sticky solo, this is a very good listen with a lot of character. B+ performance wise, but if not for the flubs easily an A+. Rock And Roll- A false start by Bonham but they're soon off with good energy. Solo- just the right amount of grime and grit. Bonham gets very dramatic with the drum outro. "A". Communication Breakdown- A rollicking version full of aggression. Solo- Page goes maximum wah for some blazing runs. More punk than anything the Clash ever did. "A". Final Assessment- Not sure how I skipped this one but I'm glad someone pointed it out. Honestly one of the more overall solid shows of 1980 I've heard so far. Certainly has some low points but it's above average for the most part. Highlights are a very strong In The Evening and Trampled (both featuring blistering solos), a flawless Kashmir, and a tremendous one-two punch encore. I also have to point out one of the best Stairway solos I've heard for the year.

Finished my remaster of this show. Feel free to pm for a link.

It is a blessed day. 🙏

Still working on it, but thanks.