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gibsonfan159

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  1. Nitpicking Page 5/31/1973 L.A. Forum (Source Mix) Bonzo's Birthday Party, a very listenable set of AUD sources. Rock And Roll- Robert sounding surprisingly strong for the opener but still squeaky in places. Solo- Jimmy plays with enthusiasm and nails down a solid one. Plant straining more on the returning verses. Good finish for a strong start. "A". Celebration Day- Plenty of energy. 1:31, minor guitar flub on the chorus transition. First solo- not bad. Outro- 2:52, Page's fingers get ahead of him a bit as his articulation gets messy. Not one of his better outro solos. "B+". Black Dog- Squeaky Plant on the verses but the attitude is there. 1:45, Plant pushes himself for an excellent air raid scream. Solo- 4:20, some choppy phrasing. Page not entirely loosened up yet but it's nothing too bad. "B+". OTHAFA- The intro sounding slightly out of tune, naturally. Verses are solid with a confident Plant. Solo- Jim's phrasing is smooth and focused. 3:19, nice fluid run. 4:09, very small flub. 4:23, struggling just a bit coming out of the solo. The outro again reveals a string just slightly out of tune. Overall still a decent version, "B+". (Plant acknowledges the out of tune guitar) MMH- Good start. 2:13, Plant pushing his vocals beyond their limits. Solo is played well and Bonham hammers out some good fills. Not bad but Plant struggles in several places. "B+". SIBLY- Jimmy's fingers are electric as he blazes through a beautiful intro. Plant strains some on his opening vocals, sounding tired in places. Solo- Page still firing on all cylinders with an elegant, perfectly phrased solo. Robert sings with emotion on the outro verses but is still pushing himself. "A-". No Quarter- Sounding heavy as ever on the intro. 2:27, Plant's vocal effect causes screeching feedback. 3:11, singing with passion. Jones- starts with somewhat aimless phrasing but Bonham adds some nice fills to push it along. Solo- nimble phrasing to start. Page noodles away flawlessly as Bonham boosts the energy level. 7:25, Bonzo getting impatient. The three instrumentalists find a mesmerizing groove and lay down a magical jam. 11:23, Bonham absolutely dominating with pure attitude. This easily stands with the best versions. "A+++". TSRTS- Tremendous energy. Robert is solid on the verses and Jimmy knocks the first solo out of the park, even with the breakneck tempo. Plant struggles on the next verses, straining slightly. Outro- starts excellent but Jimmy trips up at 4:33. Couldn't be easy to play this at this speed. Overall an amazing version minus some rough spots. "A-". Rain Song- Plant spills with emotion through the verses. The mellotron and guitar mesh well. Rock section- Plant giving his all as Bonham blasts away, very good. Beautiful outro. "A++". Dazed- As far as intros go this one leaves a powerful impression. Plant again pouring out lots of emotion through the verses. First workout- Page's fingers fly through time and space with blinding speed as the others try to keep up. Top tier opening for this version. Jimmy's transition into San Fran is a little off track as he struggles to play smoothly. By 7:22 it's sounding excellent. Second workout- 17:20, Jim setting the strings on fire. 18:10, perfect syncopation. Simply an amazing jam session from Jimmy. Mars- a dynamic rendition as Jimmy switches up some chords. The climax played perfectly with Bonham hammering down the triplets. Robert sounding very good on the final verses. Outro- 26:30-26:40, Page on another level. He doesn't noodle away endlessly on this one however and they soon wrap it up. (Someone near the taper mentions Page broke a string). San Fran rough spot aside this is a superb performance equal to any of the Euro versions. "A++". Stairway- 2:20, Jones ending this phrase oddly. 3:25, Plant delivers an amazing vocal and is followed by Page flubbing some chords. Plant's vocals are full of energy and character and Bonham is playing dynamically. Solo- solid noodling but it's almost overdone as he leaves no breathing room for the phrasing. Robert bravely pushes himself on the climax and luckily survives unscathed. "A-". Heartbreaker- Heavy, mid-paced intro and strong vocals from Rob through the verses with only a couple slight squeaks. Solo- smear runs have some rough articulation but otherwise Jimmy plays well. The beginning of the fast section has Bonzo doing some interesting stuff. 6:06, Bonham going wild with the drum fills. Not Page's smoothest playing as he hesitates in a few places toward the end. "B+". WLL- Strong start. A short but tight funk jam dissolves into an effective freak out. Solo- Jimmy strangely mistimes the two opening E notes but plays the rest fine. Boogie Chillen- (5:53, "I wish my mom and papa had been black"). 8:14, maybe not the smoothest Page through here but he hangs on alright. 10:12, Robert's final air raid falters in a few places before he reaches the top. The outro coda has a different feel to it as they wrap it up a little oddly. Nothing bad here, just a little disjointed. "B+". The Ocean- 0:44, the mystery lyric here appears to be "What the hell am I nervous for". 1:28, Jones plays out of key. The doo wop section get started well but sounds unconfident. 3:55, Jones still playing some off notes. The spirits are high on this version but the performance standards aren't. "B". CB- Inferior, murky source for this. Page and Bonham have a percussive battle before launching. Page's first solo is fairly lackluster and drowned by wah. He pushes for another round but the others have a difficult time following his lead and it becomes disjointed. They do finish up ok for this mediocre run through. "B". Final Assessment- It takes a few numbers to get warmed up but by the time SIBLY rolls around they're off to the races, Jimmy especially. The mid set peak dies back down however for the closers as they appear to lose focus. Don't let the B+ ratings on the first songs fool you, these are mostly hurt by the normal rough start from Plant, who's honestly not sounding too bad for the era. Highlights are a theatrical, ominous version of No Quarter, a passionate, charismatic rendition of the Rain Song, and a powerhouse performance by Page on Dazed as he threatens to leave the others in the dust. This is one that might shine more with a soundboard.
  2. Nitpicking Page 5/14/1973 New Orleans, LA (Winston Remaster) An superb audience recording filled in with soundboard. Rock And Roll- Plant sounding squeaky but decent for the opener. (1:58, Bonzo switches up the beat and throws Jim's timing off (I'm sure he was laughing his ass off for causing this). Solo- Sticky in places, not the smoothest from Jimmy. Bonham's finish is textbook drumming perfection. "B" overall but it's not a bad start. Celebration Day- Jimmy nails the intro and the verses sound full of energy. Page nails the first solo perfectly. Outro solo- excellent fluidity and phrasing with Jones going wild as well. Nice one, "A+". Black Dog- Speedy intro slows down a bit on the verses. Robert sounding dreadful now. He pushes through the verses and gets a decent air raid scream in to cue Jim. Solo- flows fairly well with some nimble playing. 4:48, runs out of steam a little toward the end though. Not terrible, "B+". OTHAFA- Page flubs the initial intro and starts over but we won't count that. Excellent start with solid verses and Robert holding on well. Solo- 3:20, Page goes into shred mode for some extremely fluid runs. Very good. Plant strains some on the last verses but pushes through well enough. Page's outro is exquisitely done. "A+". MMH- Plant scratchy on the first chorus. 1:03, He jumps in early for the second set of verses. Solo sounds good. One mishap but otherwise pretty solid. "B+". SIBLY- Intro played nicely as Jim exudes perfect emotion. 1:17, trips up just a little but jumps right into an impressive run. Plant's opening vocal is downright sad. Solo- Jimmy wastes no time with some face melting phrasing. 4:25, one of the longest fills I've heard from Bonzo. 4:37, bending behind the nut. Eargasm level solo. Plant's return is staggeringly painful as he pushes himself through the final verses. It doesn't kill the vibe but definitely keeps it from being top tier. "A-" because of nodule issues. No Quarter- 1:38, minor tape blip. This is one of only three early versions that feature Jimmy playing without using the wah pedal for the main riff. 2:28, Plant sings the same lyric twice. No experimentation from Jones as his acapella section is very straight forward. Solo- Jimmy finds a good groove and keeps the phrasing steady. Compared to later versions it's difficult to be impressed here, but it's a rock solid performance. "A-". TSRTS- Booming energy to get things started. First solo- Page sounding good. Plant's vocals actually sounding decent on the bridge verses. Outro- 4:45-5:10, Page is just unstoppable here. Not factoring in some scratchy vocals this is an "A++". The Rain Song- Excellent playing and Robert sounds good throughout the verses. The rock section has Plant's voice cracking in a few spots. Jim's outro is played perfectly. "A-". Dazed- Plant sounding more warmed up and powerful. First workout gets the energy pumped up as everyone falls into an amazing jam. 5:45, Jimmy dabbles with some "Crossroads" riffs. San Francisco is simply beautiful here and Jim transitions perfectly into the bow section, which lasts about six minutes. Second workout- blasting out of the gate with furious energy. Jimmy is in the zone, noodling away with ease and pushing the others. 18:58, a couple minor flubs, barely noticeable. 21:16, the band pushing themselves into a chaotic frenzy. 22:19, Jones throwing in some unique freeform jazz licks. Mars section- they nail the timing to get it started. 24:00, something happens here and Jimmy gets left behind for a measure. 24:18, more unusual notes from Jones. 24:35, Page and Bonham get out of sync for the climax, causing Bonham to switch up his playing. Nothing too off track however. Plant strains terribly on the "25". Jimmy's outro jam is just unreal. A powerful version with some noticeable flubs near the end. "A-" but a must listen. (Plant states they're nervous playing in their 'Hometown' .) Stairway- The mood gets set perfectly as Plant sits by the campfire tells the story of meaningless metaphors. 3:45, Jim plays this a little awkwardly, nothing major. 4:45, same phrase again sounding odd. Solo- 7:00, Jimmy gets off to an awkward start as he struggles to get the phrasing down smoothly. 8:05, sticky. The final phrases are played nicely. Some nice parts mixed with some stickiness. Climax- Plant cracks every time he attempts a higher range. He also sings noticeably off key on the outro. Far from the best version but it does have some magic to it. "B". Moby Dick- Page misses the intro as he's probably still plugging in his Les Paul. Also misses several notes thereafter. The drum solo itself is fairly straightforward. Heartbreaker- Bonham plays his acapella intro before the rest jump in. Plant still straining some but managing well enough. 2:23-2:28, Page's phrasing a little off track. 3:55, smear section is overly sloppy. Bouree sounding a hair out of tune. 6:20, sticky on the fast section but nothing too bad. 7:00, now it's sounding kinda bad. Just not a smooth Jimmy here as you can hear the frustration in his playing. "C+". WLL- Very nice start. Jimmy and Bonzo square off on a James Brown tribute. Robert let's out some blood curdling screams on the theremin section and Jimmy goes nuts with more funk riffing. Solo- perfect. Boogie Chillen- Plant sings the intro verses with passion and the band come in with swaggering attitude. Jimmy shreds through an amazing, top tier solo. 11:00, Plant throwing out everything he's got left. They more than make up for Heartbreaker with this awesome (though disappointingly short) performance. "A++". Communication Breakdown- Very cool intro with Jimmy and Bonzo finding a groove. Plant is suffering the consequences of that last number and sounds a bit scratchy. Solo- Jim dances up and down the fretboard with ease and gets a little experimental. The "It's Your Thing" jam is fantastic and they wrap it up with explosive energy. "A+". Final Assessment- This show was requested and it was a surprising listen with some hidden gems. A few bustles in the hedgerows as well. Jimmy is up and down, playing phenomenally in some areas and struggling in others. Plant is actually not terrible for the era but he's noticeably hoarse. The energy and attitude is great however and you can feel the vibes from the Nola crowd. The recording is remarkably clear (one of the better audience recordings). TSRTS is near perfection and the two closers are exceptionally done. Also a flawless OTHAFA solo here.
  3. Wow, quite the brain fart. 👍too late to edit however.
  4. *REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/26/1977 (Take The High Road- DADGAD/ source 2 intro for TSRTS). Some bootleg ears required. Murky sound with Bonham's snare sounding like a metronome playing on a smartphone. (Actually clears up quite a bit halfway through). TSRTS- Good start. First solo- 3:22, Page a little loose here. Plant straining badly on the Honolulu section. Outro- the main source kicks in here. Again Page sounds loose on the chord transitions but nothing serious. Not quite warmed up yet but not a bad version. "B+". Sick Again- 0:30, slight flub from Page as he misses a couple notes on the intro. Plant sounding much better now on the verses. First solo- Page has nimble fingers here and nails some good phrases. Outro solo- 5:06-5:15, a bit sloppy but the energy is good. 5:20, Page throws in some unique power chord riffs that don't quite fit. Plant uses the vocal harmonizer on the ending for some chipmunk effects. "A-". NFBM- Solid intro. Harmonica- decent but overly repetitive. Solo- solid noodling here. 5:20, aggressive lightning fast run. Sounds excellent, Page playing with fire. "A". OTHAFA- Decent, speedy intro. Plant hitting in the high range a little. Solo- 3:28-3:36, amazing phrasing as Jim makes his guitar scream. 4:24, articulation here is very suspect behind the murky tape. Nonetheless Page keeps a perfect flow going through this epic routine and there's nothing noticeably bad. 6:25, very slight flub. 6:35, slight vocal crack as Plant pushes himself for a big finish. I wouldn't call this a flawless version but it's a powerhouse of energy. "A-". SIBLY- Perfectly moody intro from Pagey. 1:18, Plant nailing the opening vocal. Solo- nimble fingers on the start. Jimmy stays between the lines and plays smoothly throughout. The ending phrase is a little awkward. 5:33, slight guitar flub. 7:26, some loose chording during these last verses. "A-" but the passion behind the music is good. No Quarter- The usually solid intro and verses. Nitpicking Jones- 4:07, slight tape cut. Jones takes his time with some menacing phrases on the start. 8:10, a beautiful, classic sounding set of melodic phrases. 9:48, another one here. Blues jam- comes in slowly with hesitant playing from Jimmy. When he does launch his solo it's feedback galore, but he puts down some solid blues playing. I'm assuming he was using some kind of treble booster just for this solo which was too hot for the amps. Page noodles away for over four minutes. Very good playing with Jones ending it nicely. Solo- Page comes in with a very dreamy sequence. Playing is average and a little erratic until 19:47, where he takes off on a very fluid run. 20:49, excellent series of aggressive pull-offs. 21:08, Jones plays some mysterious notes on piano (or windchime?) Jim is a little more nimble fingered on this tonight and keeps the phrasing tight. 23:07, badass riff that sounds like "Yallah" from Unledded. 24:30, cool riff. Excellent solo with great phrasing. 28:47, Jones' bass pedal seems to be absent for the outro. Jimmy gets wild on the wah section. Only complaint- Bonham wasn't active enough. "A". Ten Years Gone- Intro played wonderfully by Jim. First solo- 2:44, minor flub going into that opening phrase. 3:24, not perfect on this pull off section but he almost never is. Excellent phrasing. 4:50, strong vocal effort by Rob. Second solo- More lively and nicely done. Third solo- playing is a bit choppy but still sounds great. Fourth solo- Jimmy uses the delay effect effectively with solid riffing. Outro solo- Excellent string bending. A solid version and I believe a better source would really make it pop. "A". BOE- Instrumentally sound with good energy through the verses. Bonham's percussion crowds the recording but that's no major problem. 5:08, strong vocals. Very good, "A+". GTC- Everyone is in good spirits here and the mood is lively. "A". That's Alright- Robert starts and it takes a couple measures for everyone else to get on track. Once they do the rhythm falls into place nicely and Jimmy grabs his slide for an excellent solo to end. "B+". BCW- Tons of energy from Robert on this solid version. "A". BYAS- Page loosens up and gets experimental on the intro. 2:10, Page again playing in a unique rhythmic fashion on the first breakdown. Page's second breakdown features some exquisite flatpicking and is extended perfectly without getting boring. Plenty of energy throughout. "A+". WS/BMS- The intro/warm up is somewhat disjointed but nothing too unusual. the fast section takes off wonderfully with the drums rumbling like a stampede of buffalo. Page shows excellent dynamics, switching up the light and shade throughout. 6:06, not entirely smooth. 7:11, a small cut followed by some loose spanish style fingerings. Very good White Summer overall with some loose spots, "A-". BMS gets off to a familiar start with Page struggling on what I'm now gonna call the "BMS struggle riff". His abstract noodlings and harmonic journeys here are unique but nothing to jump for. "B". (This version repeats the last half for whatever reason and lasts 21 minutes, which isn't the actual length) Kashmir- 3:07, the mellotron can be heard coming in early, Jones maybe thinking this was the interlude. Jimmy's Arabic scales toward the end are played well. A solid version, however Bonham is keeping time and that's it. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Solid intro, good energy and a medium-fast tempo. Unfortunately the recording fluctuates but still has clarity. 2:47, slight guitar flub. First solo- Page playing fluidly with good phrasing. 4:20, sounding very nimble. 5:05, some strained notes on this section. Second solo- Sound quality is hard to judge, but sounds decent. Third solo- Page has some trouble getting the phrasing together smoothly. A slightly awkward ending from Page. "A-". Stairway To Heaven- Very solid first half, though Plant isn't too enthusiastic and everything feels rushed. Solo- Page comes out with energy. He's certainly playing with fluidity, but the phrasing is really straightforward with nothing that makes a big impression. 7:10, might be hearing wrong but sounds like Bonham gets off time. 7:27, Jimmy experimenting with some not so smooth riffing but making it work. 7:50, Bonham again loose with the beat. 8:28, unique guitar phrases. Page's lead runs get a bit repetitive before he switches to a strummed riff at 9:15. 9:33, this stop and go part is noticeably less dramatic this time, garnering less response from the crowd. 10:11, excellent bends. 10:27, this wind down sounds great. 10:53, Bonham again switching up the beat as he attempts to accent Page but misses the syncopation. The final phrases are nailed perfectly. Plant sings with passion and sounds strong for the climax section. The final verse is interrupted by fireworks. Some loose timing and bland soloing keep this at "A-". It'll Be Me - Plant pushes his vocals to the limit on the opening, almost cracking. Reminds me a little of the Eddie Cochran covers they used to do. 2:56, Bonham gets the beat mixed up and quickly corrects it. Solo- Good, raunchy solo by Page. "A". Final assessment- Obviously this is the most overall solid show so far in L.A., but there seems to be something missing to me. Maybe the murky sound quality is playing tricks on my ears but it's like there's a level of energy missing. Like they just showed up to get the job done instead of "wowing" the audience. Maybe it's a solid show because nobody took any chances to create something spectacular? Solid as it is it still has a few blemishes, as all Zep shows do.
  5. They educate the students on American algorithms.
  6. Gary Rossington was one of the top five most influential guitarists in my opinion but often gets looked over for the trendier English bluesmen. A Les Paul legend.
  7. Mind giving us a little more backstory? Did you know your grandfather well? What do you mean "looking for him"?
  8. I mean Whitney Houston changed that. After her version it became a "listen to me perform" routine.
  9. Singing was good but that out of tune guitar wasn't.
  10. *REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/25/1977 (Badgeholder's Annual Meeting/Mike The Mike- Winston Remaster) A day off to rest and back at it. Very good sound. TSRTS- 1:13-1:19, Page botching the chords here. 1:30, something sounds weird here, almost like he switched to a minor key. 2:14, loose chording. 2:28, flub. 2:41, a little sloppy. 2:57, Page struggling to hit the chords properly throughout the entire intro. First solo- Maybe he's got a string out of tune? Sounds extremely wonky. 3:33, loose. 3:44, not good. Plant sounds worse Honolulu section as well. 4:15, Jim still straining to play chords. Outro solo- Fingers barely hitting the strings. Aaand we're back to mid 1975 with Page chugging whiskey. Not a total disaster but very close. "C+". Sick Again- Perfect intro although Bonham doesn't really deliver with the fills per usual. Plant has warmed up some. 2:02, Page does some excellent bends here. First solo- Everything sounds fluid and smooth (compared to other solos here). Not bad at all and has a cool ending. 4:24, another good bend. Outro solo- Jimmy throws in every phrase he can think of in an erratic fit of guitar noodling, but he stays mostly on track. Overall a good version. Upgraded from "B+" to "A". NFBM- 0:34, Bonzo false start. 0:56, Page struggling again. Harmonica- Basic stuff. Solo- phrasing is on point but the articulation is a little rough. 5:35, playing the ending riff loosely. Very lackluster version, but no real flubs. "B+". IMTOD- Excellent sound on this, with Page's guitar tone sounding like a Lamborghini. Page's slide playing sounding good on the intro. First solo- solid playing but pretty straightforward. The energy level gets higher by now with Plant putting good emphasis on his vocal delivery. Second solo- A little more fire here as Bonham and Jones push Page along. Excellent slide phrasing. 8:04, Plant goes astray on some Little Richard and the band attempts to follow. 8:38, Jimmy missing Robert's cue. Page's rhythm work gets a bit looser toward the end but nothing too noticeable. 10:35, You Shook Me only a tease this time. The only thing this version is missing is more giant drum fills, which didn't really show up until the end. Maybe not as solid as some other versions but not bad at all. "A-". SIBLY- Very good intro with the old, slower tempo. 2:58, Page following Plant's vocals, which aren't quite as strong tonight. Solo- 4:07-4:30, Page takes off and leaves the earth. 4:28, impressive phrasing as Jim bends that note while trilling. 5:00, that ending note on that run is incredibly spooky. 5:02, those little "take off" staccato notes sound amazing. Phrasing masterpiece. 5:47, Page's power chords here sound heavy as hell. 6:51, loose with this chord. 7:38-7:44, also a bit loose. Beautiful ending. An incredible solo here but points have to be taken for a weaker Plant and an overall lack of "spirit" from the other members. "A-". No Quarter- Page's guitar sound is almost soundboard quality. 1:28, Page usually plays an alternate ascending phrase here but skips it tonight. Nitpicking Jones- 9:17, gets a bit meandering by this point. 9:43, almost nailing some samba phrases. A fairly entertaining piano routine, nothing special. Blues jam- Page comes in awkwardly, then takes off on some muscular runs. Nothing too impressive from Jim this time around and the overall jam is lackluster. Not having a proper bass sound really hurts this. 15:17. Page plays a really good arpeggio here right before going into the solo, shame he didn't keep it going longer. Solo- Starts off pretty standard. 15:53, getting a little too relaxed on the phrasing. 16:23 starts an excellent run. 16:47, getting into a better flow now. 17:20, choppy playing on these riffs. 17:57, Jones hammers the hell outta that piano note. 18:11, a repeated phrase that fits very well. 18:42, a little sloppy. 19:10, sloppy. 19:44-20:00, very nice extended run. 22:55, sticky. The solo gets more energetic the longer it goes, then winds down nicely. 23:40, very cool riff he's playing with. 26:49, wah licks aren't exactly the smoothest. No trainwrecks here but it's a sleepy performance with some sticky parts. "A" gets changed to "B+". Especially when compared to the dynamics of the first three nights. Ten Years Gone- Nice, delicate intro but maybe lacking some confidence. First solo- Phrasing isn't spot on but he's playing okay. Bonham appears to drag the tempo down some. 3:53, flub. 4:45, choppy transitions. 5:03, Bonham finally coming alive as if he knows they're dragging. 5:15, nice emotion from Robert. Second solo- Phrasing is noticeably off, not too bad. Third solo- 6:50-7:17, much better playing from Page as he kicks into a higher gear. Fourth solo- the guitar delay section sounds fantastic. Outro- also better here from Jimmy as he takes us out nicely. Overall sounds too relaxed and Jimmy struggles in a couple places. "B+". (10:24, Robert says "Got trouble with your nose John?" Possibly alluding to some powder sniffing) BOE- Sounding good to start. Jones and Plant play off each other well. A pretty straightforward version but missing a bit of magic. "A". GTC- 0:36, this lead in phrase from Jones isn't spot on but it works. Plant sounding good, teasing the California crowd. 1:53, Rob putting in good effort. 2:18, more energy from Percy. 2:43, slight vocal crack. 3:25, Robert breaks character and chuckles at something as the crowd cheers. A very light hearted version, not bad at all. "A-". BCW- Sounds good. "A". BYAS- Guitar is a bit muffled on the intro for which Page switches up the phrasing to some energetic chording. 1:38, more chording on the short breakdown. Verses sound good per the usual. The main guitar breakdown has some solid, intriguing phrasing by Jim and is played with enthusiasm. 5:35, some nifty finger picking. 6:13, going all out. This might be this best breakdown section I can recall. Overall not the most vibrant performance of the song, but Jimmy is magnificent. "A+". WS- 0:15, wrong note but he continues on like it was on purpose. 1:17, retuning. The intro/warm up is a little disjointed. The fast section gets going much better. 4:39, again doing this linear run, sounding almost like an Iron Maiden riff. 6:20, a little sticky on this transition. "A-". BMS- 0:27, loose. 0:41, playing some odd phrases. 1:06, struggling to stay on the path. "B" at best. Kashmir- The drums have a perfect "Levee" echo to them. Plant's vocals sound very thin in the recording and reduces the overall impact. 4:18, mellotron knocked out of tune. 5:25, can't tell if that's a drum fill or timing readjustment. 8:37, 9:24, 9:34, Bonham's fills on the outro are simply devastating. Monstrous version with the mellotron low in the mix and Bonham going nuts at the end. I think the sound of this recording being so different than the previous three nights gives it a shallower feel but it's almost as good, outside of the mellotron going awry. "A-". Trampled Underfoot- A slower tempo, more akin to the album version. Bonham doing very nice drum work, moving this along like a freight train. Solo- Page comes in with a wicked tone and phrase. 3:35, from here on he starts to get sloppy. Nothing trainwreck level but there's some major articulation issues. The overall energy and vibes for this are lacking also. I gave this a good amount of praise on the first nitpick but it's certainly not "A" tier. Changed to "B+". Achilles Last Stand- Good intro. 2:19, awesome little drum fill. 2:45, sticky. First solo- the phrasing is decent but Jim's playing sounds slightly off key and rough. 4:52 and 4:58, some hesitant drumbeats. 5:12, sticky. Second solo- not bad. Third solo- The delay effect doesn't come through well, but still good. Plant gets a cool vocal effect on the final outro note but Page's ending is a little more awkward. Just didn't gel as well as some other versions. "B+". Stairway To Heaven- 0:23, heart attack. Beautiful work by Jones on the intro. 1:18, interesting vocal phrase. 3:09, weird sounding vocal phrase. 5:04, cool drum fill. Verses are fairly good but not the smoothest I've heard. Solo- Excellent start. 6:42, struggling some on these repeated phrases. The soft section flows well as Bonzo plays impatiently. 8:43, that's a 1973 level run if I've ever heard one. 9:03, if that's Plant's tambourine then that's amazing. 9:06, Jones nails that piano line better than the last show. 9:36, Bonzo creates a unique rhythm here. 9:56, Bonham lagging a little as Jim nails the last phrases. Overall an good solo with a couple sticky parts. The climax is powerful and the outro sounds solid. I think I overshot this rating last time as well but it's good enough to stand at an "A". WLL- Jimmy dabbles with various riffs before pushing through this abbreviated version. "B+". Communication Breakdown- Good energy with Plant not sounding half bad, though he's got a heavy delay effect on his mic (and phase shifter later). Solo- Page leaves the earth. Couldn't be done any better for 1977. 1:55, we get some "It's Your Thing". Devastating and punk sounding, maybe the best post-72 version I've heard. "A+". Final Assessment- The opener is a travesty but then they level out fairly well. Page and Bonham are noticeably more relaxed than the previous nights, but still do some good stuff. Realistically the only standout is Communication Breakdown. This show obviously made a stronger impression on me during the first review (especially the last half) so this one has some better calibration. Not a bad performance overall however, just not up to snuff with those first three.
  11. Glad you're enjoying it. I think I had slept on this version a little originally and this revised listen opened my ears a bit. It's one of the more consistent versions from 77.
  12. I'd probably change that rating to an A+. I think Bonham's dynamics really made a strong impression and Jimmy was very solid throughout. Plant was just a little shaky in some places. Glad you're enjoying the nitpicks.
  13. *REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/23/1977 L.A. Forum, CA (For Badgeholders Only/Mike The Mike- Winston Remaster) Sources alternate but the majority is a crystal clear AUD recording by Millard. TSRTS- This one seems a little more relaxed, especially through the first verses. First solo- Not bad, articulation isn't the best, but still very adequate. Plant sounding strong on the outro vocals. Outro solo- Sounds a little sticky, especially around 6:25 and 6:38, but the murky sound hides a lot. "A-". (Page swaps out the EDS for the Les Paul before Sick Again due to strap issues). Sick Again- Absolutely perfect intro with some of the best drum fills I've heard for it. First solo- Nimble fingers at 2:40. Cool, weird phrase at 2:53. Nails the ending. One of the best I've heard. Verses sounding very solid. Outro solo- 5:15, maybe a flub but not sure. Very erratic phrasing, but it always is. 5:25, some sloppy articulation and the ending phrases are all over the place. A mostly flawless performance here if you just accept that all of the outro solos are a slop fest. This one stays in the "A" range. NFBM- Intro and verses played heavily with a perfect tempo. Harmonica- Pretty basic, not great. Solo- Page comes roaring in with excellent phrasing. Articulation isn't the smoothest but he stays between the lines. Very nice. 6:10, Jones drops out for a second and if he'd stayed out for those last two bars I think it would've sounded hella cool for an ending. No real flubs here, "A". OTHAFA- Intro played well. Verses start off sounding good. 1:48, a common chord flub for Page. Solo- Bonham amps it up and plays with dynamics. 2:56-3:04, plays some very mean sounding low notes. This builds nicely. 4:09, some bad articulation for this entire stretch. Great phrasing throughout however. 5:02, Jones flub (for shame, Jonesy). Outro is good. Another great solo and a fairly solid version. "A-" considering some minor issues. SIBLY- Nimble fingers and great phrasing on the intro. Plant hanging onto the opening note for eternity. Page's background phrasing through the verses is excellent, matching Plant's intensity. Another "Suck it". Solo- Page jumps back to 1971 with serious intensity. Well done. Outro is dramatic and permormed nicely. 8:02, Bonham goes all Moby Dick with the ending. Gotta be "A+". No Quarter- Bonzo enters with a powerful intro. Verses sound good per usual. Nitpicking Jones- Starts off with a menacing keyboard phrase, then off to the races with an exciting piano routine. 6:18, loosening up those fingers. The silent film section is intriguing but goes on a bit. 11:10, easing into the soul section and sounding great, 11:55, massive fills like this are why Bonzo is simply the best. Blues jam- The guitar tone is very shrill with tons of feedback and his phrasing isn't particularly the smoothest but he holds it down well enough. The feedback almost makes it sound like a backwards recording. Not bad. Jones brings it back around nicely with smooth piano work. Guitar solo- Finally back to a good tone and better phrasing. 19:06-19:16, damn fine phrasing with Bonzo matching it. Page's articulation is also surprisingly fluid for the speedy parts. 21:22, a little loose through here, but some good riffing. 22:30, Jimmy turning into a groove machine. 23:22, coming to a head like a tsunami crashing. 24:55, Jimmy Van Halen. Tremendous solo routine from from Jim, playing very coherently and being boosted by the insane rhythm section. Outro- Stunning wah soloing. 29:37, love when Plant does these banshee screams. Just a very solid version all around, "A+". Ten Years Gone- Solid beginning as Jim nails the intro. Plant very strong through the verses. First solo- 4.07, slight hang up here but pretty darn good overall. Second solo- good emphasis on those bends. Third solo, awesome double stop bends (pedal steel bends), very Keith Richards like solo. 7:50, some choppy transitions with the phrasing but he pushes through. Outro- heavy delay action as he rips on aggressively. 9:50, still going. Page's excellent, gritty lead work on this one makes me wanna give it an "A++". This blows the studio version away. TBOE- A very straight forward version. "A-" for lacking some enthusiasm compared to those previous two. GTC- 1:56, singing this line in a livelier manner. This performance has a unique quality to it. It's livid and bouncy, leaning more towards an Appalachian folk stomp instead of the reflective English ballad usually presented. "A+". BCW- Bonzo wastes no time pumping up the energy. Plant does his best Elvis at the end. "A+" for this short snippet. BYAS- Decent intro and a breakneck tempo. 2:18, Plant seemingly has a vocal harmonizer effect being used as I doubt that is Bonzo. Page's guitar breakdown is smoothly played, featuring some folky phrases similar to Poor Tom at 5:00. Good finish. "A". WS- Solid warm up section. Page's fingers are very nimble on the fast part, not sounding any different than a 1970 version. 4:58- 5:20, a unique series of ascending/descending notes as Jim stays in the zone. 6:43, just a bit choppy here but not enough to matter. "A++". BMS- 0:25, not the smoothest here but he stays on track. Not bad at all bit it's lacking some energy, "A-". Kashmir- Solid start. 2:14, Jones gets caught sleeping as he misses the transition, throwing Jimmy off as well. They get back on track after four measures. 7:20, the vibes get energetic toward the outro. Certainly not as atmospheric as the previous night but pretty good apart from the flub, but alas it's a big one and detracts heavily. "B". Trampled Underfoot- 0:55, Page gets abducted. 1:43, finally gets plugged back in. 2:50, 3:10, Bonham having fun switching up the beat. Solo- opens up with some blistering runs. 3:51, rough on the edges. 4:19, still sticky but the phrasing and energy is good. Not terrible. 6:02, good wah pedal runs as Bonzo pounds away. Another giant mishap in an otherwise good performance, but don't let that take away from the excitement of it. Page disappearing for almost a full minute keeps this at a "B". Over The Top- 1:33, enter Moon the Loon, announcing that Bonham is the best drummer "Living today". Achilles Last Stand- Beautiful intro without the harshness this time. Bonham is playing excellent on the verses with the usual high energy. First solo- Good fluidity to start. 3:55-4:00, loses the phrasing flow a little. Repetitive on the last bends but a good finish nonetheless. 5:01, some accidental notes being hit. 5:45, monstrous drum fills. Second solo- 6:23, playing gets loose but nothing major. 7:22, Page's rhythmic riffing here is spot on. Third solo- 7:40, the delay effect works against the guitar tone here and causes some feedback. 8:37, Bonzo ends this fill off beat but they still finish up nicely. Not a bad version at all but not quite on the level of the last two shows, and the flubs here are barely worth mentioning. A strong "B+". Stairway To Heaven- 1:24, the way Plant sings "Stairway" here is magnificent. 1:52, Plant sings "Thoughts are" awkwardly. Bonzo's drumming on the verses is as dynamic as you'll hear it. Solid intro and verses. 5:23, Plant is a little flat on this vocal. Solo- 6:02, Bonham switching up the beat several times. 6:34-6:43, stairway to phrasing heaven. 7:09, a bit sticky on these speedy runs. 7:19, Bonham's refrains here are too good, with Jones accenting perfectly. 7:57, unique sounding phrase. 8:47-9:04, you couldn't do that any better. 9:45, not exactly nailing this last phrase. Plant sings the climax well and the outro is good. Honestly, some of the articulation wasn't necessarily 73 level Page, but it doesn't matter- the groove and passion of the band (especially Bonham) make this an unbelievably good listen. The professional like recording also helps. "A++". WLL Partial)- Page noodles some before kicking off the main riff. Excellent groove and energy for what there is. "A+". Rock And Roll- Page's guitar is dangerously out of tune on the start. 1:20, killer drum fill. Solo- Bonham again throwing the beat all over the place. Jimmy is perfectly in tune here as he nails the phrases. Very energetic and downright raunchy with a good solo. 3:18, we can hear the kettle drum being played by who I assume is Keith Moon. 3:51, not sure what happens on this ending but someone is playing some wrong notes. "A-". Final assessment- This one falls right in line with the first two L.A. shows, with a strong Plant, coherent Jimmy, and lively Bonham. The overall energy level may be just a bit lower, but the performance is also more stable and less erratic in places. The main standouts are an incredible SIBLY, an epic No Quarter, one of the best Ten Years Gone performances, and an incredibly fluid White Summer from Jimmy as if he'd jumped in a time machine to 1970. Stairway is no slouch either being played spot on with tremendous energy from Bonzo.
  14. I also did a remaster of sources 1 and 4 used for this merge (Sick Again through Ten Years Gone) in which I attempted to fix the boomy recording and add clarity, which I think makes these particular tracks much easier to listen to. If anyone would like a link just DM me. Here's a comparison sample - https://mega.nz/file/mDoxAaKa#HO9CQwmM7HqQ-29h7yjciJqmsyjeETUclfrinW55MAM
  15. *REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/22/1977 Los Angeles, CA (LedZepFilm 4 source merge) Some bootleg ears required as the sources for this boot alternate. TSRTS- Frenzy of an intro. 2:47, drum fill slightly off time. First solo- Hard to make out articulation, but sounds ok. Plant strains a bit on the last verses. Outro solo- 5:37, something sounds strange as he starts playing this very differently. Some parts sound really off, like at 5:52-6:05. A decent start but that outro solo keeps this at a "B". Sick Again- Perfect intro. Plant sounds better here but still scratchy. Very energetic first verses. First solo- Some nice bends and fluidity, decent noodling from Jim. Outro solo- 5:03, some turkey gobbling. 5:25, I really like this riff he throws in. 5:47, straining a little. The outro is fairly par for Jim on this section. "A-". NFBM- Solid intro and verses. Harmonica- pretty straight forward. The source here is very murky and bass heavy. 4:05, vocal crack. Solo- really hard to make out, but sounds about average. There are some parts where articulation is suspect. Good outro. "A-". IMTOD- Good beginning with a medium paced, heavy tempo. First verses sound excellent and Bonham's energy is through the roof. 5:35, Page lagging behind a little. First solo- Jim doesn't go wild here but stays very on track. Second solo- again it's barely anything other than some basic slide routines. Not even really a solo. A good ending with Page and Plant playing off each other, doing some You Shook Me and "Squeeze my lemon" blues. Despite the lack of a confident sounding solo I'd go "A" just for how solid it all is. (13:00, "Mr. Page's trousers are falling down") SIBLY- Good, solid intro with Page sounding very nimble, and Plant hitting that opening note perfectly. Solo- We get another "Suck it". A good aggressive opening run into an elegant flow of blues phrases. Superb solo. Robert comes alive on the return singing passionately. Excellent ending accented by Bonham. 6:29, massive drum fill alert. A solid version, though I was yearning to hear that solo go another four bars. "A+". No Quarter- Nice heavy intro. Nitpicking Jones- 4:25, the initial mellotron phrasing sounds like a haunted castle soundtrack. Starts a unique little melody at 6:58, which transitions into the "Silent movie" phase. Personally I think 7:05-11:00 could be removed and nothing would be missed as it's extremely repetitive. Some audience members seem to get bored and strike up a convo. 11:20, finding his inner soul before launching the blues boogie. 13:00, Page comes in with some muted riffs, then launches into a good set of runs. 15:00, it's fun to hear Page do these Chuck Berry style riffs. 15:35, bends sound a little off and the others seem to take off and leave him. 16:22, good finish to that section. 18:30, Jim goes into a foray of improv riffing, most of it sounding good and some not fitting so well, 19:37-20:01, a nice series of legato sounding runs and phrasing. 21:30, Jimmy comes back from the dead with some raucous playing. 21:54, articulation a little sticky. Also at 22:13. 22:30, Jim finds a neat phrase to groove with. 23:10, getting extremely experimental here. 26:00, God only knows what he's actually playing here. 28:10, Yallah riff. 31:40, going insane with the wah. 32:30, Plant gets a good dogs scream in. This is the longest recorded version of the song, and possibly the most experimental on Jim's part. Is this peak Jimmy on a technical level? Certainly not. It's not the smoothest playing but he does hold it together reasonably well. Jones' uninspired piano routine leaves a lot to be desired. I'd give an "A++" for uniqueness but minus the extended jamming it's realistically an "A-" overall. Ten Years Gone- Intro sounding pretty decent. 0:47, minor flub. 1:55, vocals drop low in the mix. First solo- pretty solid phrasing. Flub at 3:11. Second solo- The phrasing is there but he struggles to play fluidly. Third solo- 6:28, hanging up a bit. 6:44, struggling to nail these bends. Fourth solo- much better here with the delay smoothing it out. Outro- not bad as Bonzo switches up the beat some. Not the best Jimmy here. "B". BOE- Plant has tons of energy wit his vocals throughout, belting away. Jones is even good. Very solid and lively version. "A++". GTC- 1:35, superb vocal. Plant again is very lively and sounds strong throughout. "A+", but it's almost too energetic for the song. BCW- Bonham's kick drum threatens to level the building. Short as always but good as is. "A+". BYAS- Keeping up the energy. Page's first guitar breakdown is smoothly played with fluid strumming. 3:14, Jimmy drops out, likely a broken string. The back up guitar is obviously a bit out of tune as he adjusts on the fly. Jimmy continues on with the second breakdown which doesn't have the flow it should have because of the circumstance. Good ending. "A-" even with the mishap. WS/BMS- The warm up section sounding normal. 2:08, just a little loose. The fast section gets going nicely with smooth playing. 3:45, for whatever reason Jim slows to a dead stop and loses his flow. 5:34, loose. The final few measures of WS are erratic and unconfident, leaving me to wonder what happened after a good start. BMS- maybe a little sluggish but honestly not bad. "B+" at best. Kashmir- Bonham's fills are massive through out the powerful verses. The first interlude is played solidly. The mellotron is coming through just enough to make this sound truly epic. Plant's yell at 4:09 almost sounds fake it's so good. The second interlude has Jimmy doing some decent Arabic improv. A very good version with no flaws. "A++". OTHAFA- 0:38, flubs the intro a bit. First verses sound good. 2:32, straining on this bend a little. Solo- 3:19-3:37, excellent playing. 3:53-4:07, articulation honestly sounds pretty rough although he's playing is inspired. 4:55, nailing those bends. 5:02, sounds like he does the pick tap thing he did in 73. 5:46, the best I've ever heard him come out of the solo, putting emphasis on the last note as to say "And that's how it's done." An absolute shame he flubbed the intro and the quality isn't better. Much like the No Quarter solo Jimmy plays with abundant enthusiasm but I wouldn't call it the most fluid and I think the murky recording hides a lot. Gonna go with an "A-" overall as it's not flawless and there's certainly some turkey gobbling (sloppy articulation) during the very dynamic solo. So close to perfection here though. Achilles- Intro is good and sets the frantic tempo, I don't know how these guys keep up with it. 3:13, Page swaps out guitars here and Jones awkwardly fills in the gap. Luckily they straighten out next measure and Page launches into an incredible first solo, played very well. Second solo- just a little loose but still quite good. 7:22, can't tell if that's Jim or Jonesy doing the frantic riffing. Third solo- solid playing with the delay effect. 8:33, wonderful yell by Plant. 8:54, Jesus, what an ending. The flub really doesn't hurt this incredible version, "A+++". Stairway To Heaven- Majestic intro with Jones setting the mood with the mellotron. Minor flub at 1:47. 2:09, Jones doesn't come out of this right. Bonzo picks up the tempo considerably upon entering. 4:34, "Bonnng". 5:04, some bad notes played by someone. 5:41, again and it appears to be Page's 12 string knocked out of tune as he chords strangely. Solo- Sounding good to start. Pretty straight forward up to the soft section, which is played elegantly. 8:30, nailing the tremolo strumming. 8:37, that piano key slide got me rigid. 9:02, choosing to go into a chording groove here. Final phrases are played well. Not a bad solo at all, HOWEVER, there's nothing really impressive about it. The structuring and melodic phrasing are about as basic as I've heard Jimmy play and it's boosted quite a bit by Jones and Bonham's passionate playing. Then again there's a lot to be said for Jim just staying on track for all of it. Staying with a "B+" considering a few mishaps and looseness. WLL- Back to a murkier source. Partial. Rock And Roll- Still lots of energy left. Solo- Sounds decent but is almost completely drowned out by the boomy bass/bass drum and delay effect. Bonzo finishes up like an elephant falling down some stairs. Jimmy could be suspect on the solo but the recording is what it is. I'll stay at "A". Final Assessment- An excellent balance here between solid performance, energy, and experimental playing. Although it's not a flawless show the highlights truly make up for everything else. SIBLY, OTHAFA solo, Kashmir, Achilles, and the excellent acoustic section are the standouts. No Quarter is about as unique as you're likely to hear it.
  16. Considering these L.A. shows were some of my earlier reviews (and less detailed) I thought I'd go back through them and add some info, and adjust the grades accordingly. Now that I've completed 1977 I have a much better calibration for the performances. I'll also change the time stamps to match the improved sources I use. *REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/21/1977 Los Angeles, CA (Listen To This Eddie-LedZepFilm Source Mix) Excellent audience recording by the legendary Mike Millard. TSRTS- Undoubtedly the best intro of this song that I know of. Up-tempo and Bonham destroying his kit on the first few measures. 1:50, this massive drum fill played loosely. Plant sounding excellent on the first verses. First solo- Good start. 2:53, Page maybe a bit loose here. Bonham matches Page's vigorous riffs. 3:05, Plant scratchy on the last verses. Second solo- Guitar is a little murky, but playing sounds good to me. 4:42-4:50, Jimmy a tad sticky through these phrases. This is "energy" defined musically. Not the most fluid Jimmy or the strongest Plant, but it's hard not to leave this as an "A+" just for the energy alone. Sick Again- Almost a mathematical fact that bad things always seem to happen when there's a chance at perfection for a song. 0:44, Page either breaks a string on the intro and swaps guitars or has a cable issue. Solo- Missed note at 2:40, almost unnoticeable. Jimmy struggles with fluidity but he manages alright. Bonham still keeping up the energy on the last verses. Outro solo- 5:00-5:12, good fluid run. 5:27-5:50, this last stretch of runs is on the sloppy side. Not a great flow, but good enough. "B+" still seems fair. NFBM- Pretty much flawless first half, though this is a song that's hard to screw up (*how little I knew at the time). 3:02, Bonham again providing over the top drumming to accent the harmonica section. Harmonica- I'm not the best judge of the instrument but sounds like Plant knows his stuff. Solo- Pretty solid, maybe could've used a little better phrasing. (*Actually very loose in places). "A-" for a sticky solo. OTHAFA- Minor flub at 0:18. Plant seems to have some of his high range back. Solo- 3:04-3:12, absolutely love these bends. Superb phrasing. Articulation is a little hard to make out, but sounds pretty good (*4:10 is a bit sticky). Top notch solo for 1977. Page slightly out of tune on the outro. 6:05, Page plays the out of tune string repetitively as to let his tech know. This is how this solo should've been played all through 75. "A-" considering a couple mishaps. SIBLY- 0:42, yes sir. Rob with a nice extended opening vocal. Page's noodling through the verses sounds good. 3:07, Page matching Robert's vocals here makes me realize how sound his mind was for this show. Plant isn't overly impressive on the verses but he's not bad. Solo- "Suck it". Awesome start. Hangs up a little at 4:20. Mostly fluid with good phrasing. 7:33, Robert pouring out his heart. A very solid "A" version. No Quarter- Bonham energetic on the super heavy intro. Nitpicking Jones- Very moody piano work that wanders on like the music to a silent film. Very good noodling from Jones that doesn't get boring. Gets his Ray Charles going at 9:28. Boogie section- Page comes in with some steady lead work and his tone is easy on the ears compared to other versions. 12:06, Jones playing lively. 12:15, some Johnny B Goode notes. 12:35, Bonham loses the beat for a second. Solo- 15:13, Page replays the intro phrase. 15:35, fluid run. 17:03, Jones dropping off the piano for a while. 19:15, Bonham and Page having fun. 19:46, absolute mayhem. 20:46, Jimmy launches an aggressive series of phrases. 22:50, dramatic finish with Jones doing the transition perfectly. Very dynamic, jazzy solo with Bonzo blasting away. 27:04, Plant gets in some final screams. Good outro. An extremely solid version for 1977 with a coherent Jimmy, incredible Bonzo, and inspired performance from Jones. "A++". Ten Years Gone- Good solid start. First solo- Articulate, fluid, perfect phrasing. A very minor flub at 3:11. Second solo- Pretty good with some nice country bends. 3:54, source switch. Third solo- a couple strained bends and Bonzo switching up the beat, not bad. Fourth solo- sounds good. Good playing on the outro with Jimmy and Bonzo in perfect sync. "A+". BOE- Fast tempo. 1:40, Page feeling the energy. Jones sounding good on backup. Strong finish. "A". GTC- Jones' mandolin sounding a bit twangy on the beginning. 2:07, Plant attempts an off sounding "Whoo". I don't think the energy works well on this song but it's a good performance. "A". BCW- Short and sweet. "A". BYAS- 0:40, Page hits some strange chords on the intro either by design or accident. 2:28, slight mix up on this transition. Breakdown- intricate and well phrased. Good finish. Lively performance, "A-" for a couple flubs. WS/BMS- Intro/warm up section isn't the smoothest from Jim but isn't bad. 2:32, hang up. 4:30, phrasing a little erratic but nothing off track. BMS- 7:01, just a tad loose. 7:16, flubs a bit. 7:44, Page takes a break from the main phrase to run through some ascending riffs. "B" overall. Kashmir- Medium tempo similar to the studio version. 0:57, Jones and Bonham flub simultaneously. 6:02, an excellent vocal that appears to be someone other than Plant unless my ears decieve me. 7:00, Page's lead noodling on the outro is lacking articulation. Bonham does some cool, unorthodox fills at the end. A mostly solid version with the mellotron virtually absent in the last 2/3rds. "A". (Stay tuned afterwards for some excellent Plantations) Heartbreaker- Thunderous intro. 0:55, sounds like Jones gets off track for a couple notes. Solo- Pacing himself nicely to start. 4:10, I know this is supposed to be somewhat intentionally sloppy, but this was almost a trainwreck. Rockabilly and Bouree sections sound good. 5:50-5:57, that's what I'm talking about. Good playing at the end of the solo with a nice extended jam. It's nice to hear this played with vigor again, unlike the 75 encores where it just sounds like they were legally obligated to play it. "B+" overall. Achilles Last Stand- Good intro and energy. 1:08, minor guitar flub. First solo- slightly sticky in places but mostly well played. 4:30, Robert slurring the lyrics. Bonham's drumming is explosive throughout. 4:41, minor chord flub. Second solo- Basically playing lead runs between the main riffs, very nice. Third solo- excellent. Not enough to overturn the "A" grade. (Robert alludes to the title being about his being in a wheelchair in 1975/76. Also mentions Phil Carson playing bass with them in Japan) Stairway To Heaven- Intro is played with some unorthodox nuances by Page. Solid first half. Solo- a little rough on the start but he soon gets going smoothly. Jones and Bonham are feeling very energetic. The quieter section has decent noodling from Page. 8:42-8:50, this improvised series of phrasing sounds a little off. Jimmy being low in the mix lessens the impact of the solo but it's still solid playing. Plant sounds very strong on the climax, which is played with passion. An "A-" at the least for some stickiness in the solo. Whole Lotta Love (Partial)- The Alembic bass just doesn't work with this, in my opinion. Good performance for what there is. Rock And Roll- Booming energy. There's a high pitched hum of feedback throughout. 0:46. Bonham fires the tommy gun. Solo- smooth phrasing from Jim. 2:10, flubbed chord. Slightly disjointed ending but they make it work. Jimmy is loose in areas but not bad at all, "A-". Final assessment- Bonham was feeling his oats (or coke) for most of this show. Page was quite impressive, playing with energy and a sound mind. Plant is above average for the year but not at his peak vocally. This one still holds up in my opinion as the must listen show of 1977.
  17. Nitpicking Page 9/14/1971 Berkeley, CA (Going To California- TMOQ) Rough start but clears up tremendously a few songs in. Immigrant Song- Jones jumping in just a little late on the intro. Plant's opening wails are in key but sound rather weak. 0:57, much worse here. 1:34, barely hanging on. Solo- Page builds up nicely before launching the aggressive licks, all played well. 3:17, Bonham with some unique fills. His phrasing toward the end gets more relaxed but it's a good finish. Robert certainly detracts from this one. "B". Heartbreaker- 0:23, short tape cut. Plant sings nervously on the verses and Bonham gets some awesome fills in. Solo- pulloff section sounding good. Rockabilly phrases are played well and not over done. Smear section isn't as aggressive as usual put played cleanly. 59th St and Bouree snippets are good. Fast section- very heavy start and Jim shreds on the opening lead notes. He keeps it steady and inspired up through to the Coda. Plant sounds a bit more confident on the last verses. Not the strongest vocals here but I'd still go "A+". SIBLY- Intro has a cut but Jimmy sounds fantastic per usual. Solid verses with plenty of emotion. Solo- Page isn't too smooth on the start but he gets on track for some decent, basic phrasing. Plant's nervous vocals may actually accent this song. Very solid version. "A". Black Dog- Good energy off the bat. 2:03, some different lyrics. Plant very vibrant through the verses. Solo- Excellent phrasing as Jim keeps a steady flow of runs going. Maybe not the most intense but very solid. "A". Dazed- Another short cut on the intro but the verses sound good. First workout has Robert pushing his vocals. Six minute bow section. Second workout- 12:43-12:55, rather unique phrasing. 13:13, a riff similar to Walter's Walk intro. 13:36-13:48, sticky. Page's playing is decent but not great. 15:00, Back In The USA. 16:20, Bonzo and Jones locking in as Jim takes a break. 19:15, Jimmy pushing the suspense to the heavens before knocking the climax down. Outro has a significant cut but what we have sounds good. "A+". Stairway- Intro and verses played flawlessly with the perfect amount of magical energy. Bonham playing fantastically on the middle verses. Solo- smooth start as Jim takes his time and phrases with perfect emotion. Last phrases are nailed to end a flawless solo. Plant is lacking the usual power on the climax but he does excellent with what he's got. Very nice, "A+++". That's The Way- Relaxed mood with a medium tempo. 4:44, Robert with lots of vocal emphasis. Solid version, Jones could've been a bit more involved. "A". GTC- 1:36, Plant announces he "Got here a little late" to California. Plant sings the verses in a somber fashion and the overall appeal is more downtrodden and moody. Good version but doesn't jump out. "A". WLL- The usual good start. The jam section is very short and uninspired. The freakout takes some time to get going as Jimmy is reserved on the theremin, electing instead to jump back into the jam section and playing "It's Your Thing". Solo- just a little loose here. Boogie Chillen- oozing with a greasy groove and Jim's raunchy rockabilly phrases, played very well. Hello Mary Lou- good start but Plant doesn't sound too lively. Jimmy nails an excellent solo. My Baby Left Me- good. Mess Of Blues- solid enough. Page doesn't exactly go crazy with the slide but it's all good technically. You Shook Me- slow and heavy. Page's slide induces some screeching feedback. Solo- a perfectly played set of gritty phrases appropriate for any strip club. Robert's lemon squeezing ends the medley on a peak note. His returning air raid however isn't a peak note. The outro sounds good for a strong finish. Everything here is solid as a rock but is missing some energy in places, but I won't take too much away because of that. A perfectly solid performance but not a lot that stands out. "A". Final Assessment- What we have here is one of the most solid performances on recording for 1971 (apart from Plant almost collapsing on the opener). It should be noted that although the overall performance is extremely solid there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from all four members. Nobody is exactly going out of their way for anything tonight. So if "vibes" are important to you then you might feel this show is lacking. While Plant does quite well it is clear he is tired and Page just plays the more basic phrases and doesn't get experimental. That works great for some songs but not others. Considering the sound quality and performance it is clear why this is one of the most famous bootlegs.
  18. Nitpicking Page 9/13/1971 Berkeley, CA (Master Cassette- Revision) Good, consistent audience recording, slightly murky in a few places. Immigrant Song- After a short introduction the band kick off in heavy fashion. Plant sounds rather strained on the opening wails and verses. Solo- nice opening pulloffs and speedy runs to start. 2:52, off track with the phrasing. 3:33, more aggressive toward the end. 3:50, finishing with an extended trill. Not bad but not the best from Jim. Overall "B+". Heartbreaker- Plant a little stronger now. Jim hits some massive bends for the lead in. The pulloff phrasing is done well and the rockabilly noodling is more subtle. Smear section is super aggressive. Bouree is good and followed by some dismal chording similar to his bow section lead in on later years of Dazed. Fast section- 5:28, straining some on these bends but he gets back on track for very nimble runs. 6:09, straining. 7:03, Plant squeak. Good energy but not the most solid. "B+". SIBLY- Page stalls a bit to check his tuning. Solid intro from Pagey and the verses are performed nicely with Plant in good form. Solo- Bonham accents Page's flawless phrasing. Maybe a little too straightforward but excellent nonetheless. Good performance overall, "A+". Black Dog- Plant's vocals are uninspired through the verses as he sings in a safe range. Instrumentally it flows well. Solo- 4:18, some unique playing. Page plays very aggressively and nails the phrasing. 5:14, a bit sloppy here before the finish. Overall not a very exciting version apart from the solo. "B+". Dazed- Intro and verses are devastatingly heavy with Plant sounding good. 4:05, some confusion as Page accidentally goes into another verses, but everyone follows through perfectly. The first workout is a bit of a letdown this time. Bow section just under six minutes. Second workout- Page seems to have some equipment trouble to start, playing some odd notes before taking off. 13:48-14:10, Jimmy struggling to get any fluid phrasing down and playing sticky. 14:40, sticky fingers. 15:13, something is definitely going on equipment wise as Page drops out and either retunes or swaps guitars. 17:00, now we're off to the races. The Mars section is decent and Jimmy builds up slowly to finish the jam. 20:45, where were these lightning fast trills during the workout? Jim shreds to the moon on the outro to at least finish strong. Too many mishaps on this one. "C+". Stairway- 0:37, minor flub as Jimmy accidentally starts to play the G chord as if he's playing the second measure. Plant is borderline whispering the vocals at first but comes more alive later on. 4:57, chord flub. Solo- decent start. Jimmy plays a steady flow of the usual phrases in good fashion. 7:45, the final phrase catches him just a little off guard. Plant sounding very strong on the climax, good ending. "B+". Celebration Day- Booming intro and verses. 1:09, vocal crack. 1:52, Robert's voice just barely hanging on. First solo sounds good. Outro- 3:02, Jim starts great but has a few phrasing hiccups in between. Not bad, the energy is there. "B+". TTW- Plant again not showing much emphasis on the verses, singing under his breath. Very solid version however all the way through. "A". GTC- Complete opposite from Robert here as he sings with compassion. Excellent. "A+". WIAWSNB- 0:18, hesitant with the lyrics. Verses sound good with plenty of attitude. Solo- Jim a little loose with the slide but he manages to stay mostly on track. 3:15, Jimmy's transition to the outro a bit loose. Energy is booming on the exit phrases. "B+". WLL- Another experimental intro jam to get it started. 2:44, Jimmy does some unique riffing to start the freakout section that sounds vaguely like St. Tristan's Sword. The theremin section is kept fairly short and Jimmy launches into some more riffing. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- 9:13-9:50, not the smoothest phrasing for this solo. Hello Mary Lou starts awkwardly and Page can't seem to get the rhythm timing down. Solo- first measure is great but he hangs up at 11:15. Mess Of Blues- decent verses. Jimmy again plays the solo with the slide, and does so quite well. You Shook Me- powerful verses as Jim backs up Plant with some serious blues/slide licks. He switches to his fingers for the solo which features some gritty playing. 21:58, Plant's air raid sounds rather painful. The coda finishes this one off on a strong note. The medleys here are honestly on the lower end of the performance spectrum. "B+" overall. Communication Breakdown- An aggressive intro jam gets us started. Plant isn't exactly impressive on the verses. Solo- Page ascends to wah heaven on the start, nailing the usual opening phrases. He wanders into some improvised riffing by 3:00. A good "It's Your Thing" jam turns into Plant singing Gallows Pole for a couple measures. Strong finish. "A". Final Assessment- This is another one of those where the band just doesn't get completely in control for whatever reason. Jimmy seems to struggle with phrasing and technical issues throughout. Plant has some good moments but is mostly subdued vocally and lacking energy in places. There are several instances between songs where Plant argues with the crowd, perhaps this was a distraction. There's an almost nervous vibe about the show that is backed up by too many small mistakes and mishaps, especially by Jimmy.
  19. 75, 73, and 71 are about 70% done. I'm not sure how far I'll go with 72 as I'm not a huge fan of that year. I would like to at least get 6/14, 6/15, 6/19, and some AUS shows in. Also Tuscon.
  20. Earlier years are definitely on the list but it may be a while. I'm aiming to finish up the current years before starting another. So I've got 75, 73, 72, and 71 to finish.
  21. Anyone have the Bob Gruen photo book? Opinions on it?
  22. Nitpicking Page 9/11/1971 Rochester, NY (Source Merge) A multi source mix that starts out very rough but clears up decently by the acoustic set. Immigrant Song- Recording is pretty muffled with Plant being the most audible. 0:45, Robert straining terribly to stay in key. Solo- 3:20, Page goes on a face melting sonic tirade, playing one of the more aggressive solos I've heard for this. Tough to judge with the quality but I'd put it in the "A-" range. Heartbreaker- Good verses have Plant still straining some. Solo- Page's lead in and rockabilly phrases are done well. The smear section is where he really comes alive, playing very aggressive and not missing a note. The fast section has Jimmy still in shred mode. The outro verses finish strong. A shame this recording isn't better but it sounds like a superb version. "A+". SIBLY- Jimmy's intro is very relaxed and doesn't make much of a first impression for the song. The verses sound extremely moody and downtrodden. Solo- hard to hear the details but Page appears to nail this one as far as phrasing and attitude. The atmosphere of the song was certainly captured here but it's a sleepy version. "B+". Black Dog- 2:00, someone ends on a bum note as Plant mumbles some strange lyrics. 2:30, a royal flub as they forget to play the turnaround riff here, leaving them to wait on someone to make a move. Page finally starts improvising on the chorus riff and then jumps to the solo to move it along. Solo- pretty solid playing considering the awkward situation they were just in. "C+". Stairway- Starts with the solo already in action, to which it sounds like Jimmy is doing very well on. Plant sounds strong on the climax and the outro is solid. No rating. Celebration Day- Page's intro played well to get the energy started. Very lively verses. First solo- good. Outro- Jimmy's fingers sound nimble as he plays a series of pulloffs. "A" but a better recording might boost that rating. TTW- Very slow tempo. Instrumentally good, but not very exciting. "A-". GTC- Tape is much clearer now. Intro and verses sound fantastic with Robert singing with enthusiasm. Very good. "A+". WIAWSNB- Excellent verses. Solo- just a tad loose but he holds on. Outro played well for a strong finish. "A-". WLL- A wild intro as Jimmy starts the riff at hyper speed and Bonham/Jones joining in. He slows back down to normal speed for the official start. Theremin freakout is intense. Solo- a unique bend at 6:00. Boogie Chillen- excellent phrasing from Jimmy. 9:17, some raunchy chording. Hello Mary Lou- may be a trick of the recording but this one doesn't seem to flow well with Jonesy trying to catch up and playing off beat. Tape cut goes to a different source and Mess Of Blues. Jimmy dons the slide for the solo, laying down some well played licks. You Shook Me- Jimmy rips through the usual fantastic blues phrases with ease. 20:05, unique phrasing. Plant's last verse lyrics are changed up. He gets a straining air raid in for the return. A good finish. This version overall is fairly average performance wise with a couple of unique parts. "A-". Thank You- Jones' organ intro is a bit mundane but the crowd claps in time. 1:00, Page plays loosely on the first verses (and his guitar sounds close to being out of tune). 1:40, Jimmy's phrasing is noticeably off. 1:45, Plant announces "Bullshit" for whatever reason. Solo- energy is great as Bonham blasts away behind Page's noodling. The solos for this song set a pretty high bar and although this one isn't bad, it doesn't quite reach the heights of others. 7:37, Page ends with some cool arpeggiated chords. The guitar and organ being out of key with each other make this a frustrating listen, but it's not terrible. It does lack some magic. "B+". Final Assessment- Definitely not the most solid of shows nor exciting, but with so much missing that's an unfair judgement. I don't know if there's any one standout but I'd probably go with the excellent Going To California. I'd really like to hear all of this Stairway and of course Dazed missing sells this recording short.
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