I take it you're judging his vocals by his range? Yes, Plant had a completely different range after 72. But in 73 and 75 he struggled not only with range, but with constant throat problems which caused him to sound hoarse for the first three numbers. In 77 he was at least able to gain control back and sing with confidence. As for Page, he never truly hit 73 level, but there are a few moments in 77 where he played very close on a technical level. "Even the best nights had Jimmy in sloppy mode". I gotta strongly disagree with that and I'm super critical of Page. Maybe 75, but he regained some control of his syncopation in 77 and had better phrasing. 75 Page is an articulation disaster.

It sounds awesome on soundboard, especially the lirio remaster. A truly underrated version with Page almost flawless.

I completely agree on an "experience" standpoint, but when dissecting someone's technical ability it's better to have a dry, unmasked source. Page really was sloppy on Ft. Worth even compared to other dry soundboards.

Don't get me wrong, he knocks down some impressive runs, but waay too much repetition. The first eight measures are repeated phrases. Whereas in 77 he'd at least improvise some good noodling throughout. 8:36 and on he gets a little sticky. Those staccato chords are played poorly. Also take into account that mix sounds much better. Although the technical ability between 75 and 77 is close, I think in 77 he did get his phrasing ability out of the ditch.

Both sound equally dreadful to me. But here's what's funny; I checked my nitpick of ft worth and gave it rave reviews. But..I used the liriodendron remaster which sounds so phenomenal that it masks a lot of the bad articulation. Even the dry EV version I have sounds better than the link you shared. Kinda makes you wonder if those audience sources like 4/28 or 6/21 are really that good. Also makes me wanna redo the nitpick with a more realistic source as I was obviously deceived.

Any other photos of this session? Is this the only cliche "running through a field" shot there is of the group?

Which one?

A thread for all the spare bedrooms dedicated to Zep. Mine is coming along nicely, still a few things I need to even the walls out.

The NY shows are some of the best of 77, they just get skipped because of the sound quality. The 8th requires serious bootleg ears. Robert's voice sounds very strong on most nights and there's good energy, but Page is hit and miss (as usual). I'd personally rate the shows from best to worst as; 1. 6/10 2. 6/13 3. 6/14 4. 6/8 (I've only skimmed through this one, but it doesn't sound too bad) 5. 6/11 (Jimmy is struggling, but the others are good) 6. 6/7 (Robert sounds amazing, but there's some nerves showing on the first half)

Yeah, I'm gonna have to have this. How much does it go for?

Well, Walmart is pushing those 1977 tour tees like it's nobody's business. I used to like them until everyone was wearing them.

It's in the top five for Jimmy Page performances for 77. He was doing some impressive stuff that night.

On the subject of marketing, Zep's team are one of the worst I've seen, and I'm not just playing Negative Nancy here. When it comes to merchandise (shirts, posters, etc) Led Zeppelin has some of the most limited and least appealing ever. And this is an extremely marketable group who still has high demand from fans. Why is no one going after this money? I've been browsing posters for weeks to go in my Zep cave and can't find anything beyond the same 7 or 8 posters that pop up everywhere. Believe it or not, the best designed posters I've seen are from the 70s and early 80s. Most of the interesting merchandise today is made by third parties. What's wrong with this picture? Is there licensing issues? Is Percy refusing to cooperate on posters as well?

1969- 4/26 San Fran. A matching soundboard for the following night would be an excellent package for 1969. 1970- 9/19 NY. Legendary show. 1971- 5/3 Copenhagen. Four Sticks and Gallows Pole. Plant's voice is lethal here. 1972- 6/19 Seattle. A sister version of HTWWW, with Louie Louie. 1973- 7/21 Providence, RI. Page on another level. Plant doesn't sound half bad for 73. 1975- 5/18 Earls Court. The best Page out of the set. 1977- 4/28 Cleveland. A top 3 1977 show, with a very coherent Page.

I honestly always thought the issue was just between two egomaniacs having a slap-fight until I saw the pictures of the inside of the house. I think Page's reluctance to allow people inside the house worked against him, as the outside just looks like a dull pile of bricks. It truly is a work of art on the inside. If it's illegal to vandalize a painting in a museum then it should be illegal to potentially damage such an incredible home.

I think that's the shape of a 7 with an underline. Mistaken for a "Z".

Why does Page even have to get involved in this? Does the U.K. not have a historical registry on the house? If so, then why does Page have to fight the governments battle? Then again, if Page has to pay for the legal battle then maybe it'll force him to open the vault on some live releases to protect his precious house.

Nitpicking Page 5/30/1977 Landover (Liriodendron Remaster) The final night in Maryland. I'm using the Liriodendron remaster who, apart from Winston, does the best job at getting superb sound from lifeless audio. One thing that sets this soundboard apart is the slight presence of crowd noise. This gives it a more appealing "live" aspect. Probably my last musical dissection from 1977 unless someone requests another one. TSRTS- Solid start. Plant sounds a little better than on 5/28, but he's still not tops for 1977. First solo- Nimble fingers take off and Page nails this one down , throwing in some nice pull-offs at the end. 3:42, this stretched out motif sounds perfectly surreal. Second solo- Good start, but 4:59 has him straining just a bit- barely even noticeable. Good energy and performance all around, top tier "A". The Rover (Intro)- Jesus, those drum fills. 0:21, minor guitar choke. Page is just a tad sticky here. 0:45, this missed chord will always be the identifier for this bootleg for me. Sick Again- Solid start though Plant still sounds a little hoarse. First solo- Nimble fingers and excellent phrasing, one of the best I've heard. Outro solo- 4:31, it's rare to hear Page play a speedy run like this with such articulation. He pulls the erratic bits together for a well phrased solo. A good stomping tempo and a solid performance. The sticky Rover intro keeps this at an "A", though the solos make me wanna go higher. NFBM- Solid first half. Harmonica- Not bad, but he drops out at the end. 3:38, Plant forgets the lyrics. 4:12, sings the wrong line here. Guitar solo- Some speedy runs with good articulation, though a couple bends sound strained. Very good solo. 5:32, a rare Jones flub confuses the band a bit (He did the same thing on 5/28 but it was less noticeable). Overall, barely a "B" considering the mishaps. IMTOD- Seriously mean guitar tone and plenty of attitude. First solo- He kicks it off in an unorthodox fashion. Though his playing is solid, the phrasing gets a little repetitive. Not bad. Second solo- He loosens up some this time and is accented nicely by Bonham at 6:19. 7:35, another rare Jones flub as he starts to play the wrong line. 9:41, cool guitar work. This could've done with some more monster drum fills, but it's quite impressive just as it is. A strong "B+". (11:30, why does Plant have an American accent here?) SIBLY- 0:32, Bonham doing some weird stuff. Very good intro by Page. Very slow tempo, moving along like cold molasses. Solo- Page rips a good series of runs off the bat. 5:18, a tad sloppy but not much. 5:43-5:49, what an ending. Well phrased solo played with true passion. Good finale with Bonham flexing at the end. Plant's passion for the vocals is usually lacking in 77, but he did alright here. The unorthodox intro is strange, but still an "A". No Quarter- 2:58, "It's just a dream, people". Excellent start. Nitpicking Jones- The piano introduction is played exquisitely, with steady paced phrasing that never gets dull. The jam section comes in slowly and Page's boosted guitar signal is kept at a reasonable level as he plays some straight forward licks, carefully restraining himself. Jones brings it back around with nimble fingers and Jimmy accents nicely at 11:18. Solo- Fairly flawless lead playing, keeping a steady flow of notes going without any real flubs while playing nicely off the other two. Not exactly next level, but still a truly exceptional solo from Pagey for 77. If only the reverb came through on the soundboard. 17:35-18:23, fantastic. Outro is solid with some blistering wah licks and screaming doom dogs, subsequently shot down by Bonzo's Tommy gun snare. Definitely a version I've slept on. "A++". (23:33, some excellent Plantations with Robert calling Jones an "Old wanker" for drinking wine behind the amplifiers). Ten Years Gone- Solid intro. First solo (2:31)- Page plays a little loose, though 3:01 is a nice trill lick and the bends are good throughout. 4:35, I believe this is the first time on the tour Plant sings this line with a shout. Second solo (4:38)- Some excellent licks for the most part but he hangs up a little at the end. Third solo (6:13)- Very nice bends and phrasing, with only a minor flub at 6:33. Fourth solo (7:05)- A little forced, but a superb ending phrase. The outro solo is stiff, but hits hard. Page wasn't perfect on this version but still manages to keep it between the ditches. Plant sings with amazing enthusiasm and Bonham does some exciting fills. "B+". Acoustic Section; BOE- Exciting and mandolin heavy. Plant and Jones play nicely off each other. GTC- Definitely some reverb coming through on this one. Amazing audio and stunning mando work. 1:43, plane takes off. I think Plant overdoes it a bit, but still a beautiful version. BCW- An average run-through. BYAS- Decent intro. 1:10, tape gap? Breakdown flows nicely (except 4:18 when Bonham jumps the cue). Plant sounds great, but this one seems to be missing something. WS/BMS- Page teases with a slow intro, then takes off like a 1970 version of himself. Very good performance. Overall, a "B+" set. Kashmir- 2:11, some mellotron issues. 6:01, I love these Bruce Lee vocal accents Plant does. Page gets some decent Arabic shredding down at the end. A heavy, tromping, atmospheric performance. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Solid takeoff. First solo- Some nice fluidity and flawless phrasing. One of the better solos I've heard. Second solo- 6:33, sounds like Page and Jones get their strings crossed. Excellent playing by Jimmy. Third solo- Delay doesn't come through at all, but this may be a good thing. Very nice. Bonham absolutely going nuts at the end. Apart from a few almost unnoticeable off notes, this is damn near perfection. "A+". Stairway To Heaven- Flawless first half from what I can tell with a driving tempo and good enthusiasm from Plant. Solo- Solid off the bat. 6:55-7:13, time machine back to MSG 1973. 7:43, unique phrase. 8:00, these guys are so in sync mentally its ridiculous. 8:05, slightly sticky. 8:50, we're approaching perfection. I'm saying to myself "Can he nail the final pull-offs to achieve absolute perfection on this solo and lay down maybe the best version ever?" 9:02, nope lol. No he can't, because that's the law of Pagey. Never achieve perfection and always leave your audience yearning for it. But, it wasn't too bad and the climax hits hard. The wind-down sounds good and I'm still slapping an "A+" on this. Had he nailed the end of the solo, I would've thrown a one time "A+++" on this baby. After listening to this boot dozens of times, I somehow missed this gem. Maybe because I usually skip it. WLL (Partial)- Thunderous energy and attitude. Rock And Roll- Sounding solid. Solo- 3:10, some strained notes but he quickly gets back on track. The ending has the band almost launching into a new, improvised track. "B+". Robert just can't get the "Maryland" pronunciation down. Final Assessment- Apart from NFBM, this entire show is very solid and features a surprisingly coherent and fluid Page. The sole highlight for me is No Quarter, which is solid from start to finish, featuring above par performances from all four members. There is a certain amount of energy missing on the acoustic set, but that might be resolved on the audience version. I may just be riding a high from this show (and its superb sound), but I'm gonna say it anyway- this may be the best Page overall in 1977, including L.A. Definitely the most unparalleled performance overall on soundboard. On to the four 1979 shows. For these 1977 reviews, I'd like to thank user ZepHead315 for providing me with links, sources, and insight.

I'm still holding out until the end of January. Then I'll lose all hope.

Jokes aside, go back and listen to IMTOD from this show. It's a very high energy version with a coherent Page. Too bad the entire show isn't on this level. But yeah, on the whole I wouldn't rate 5/28 very high.

Oh, C'mon, I don't believe that. I'd easily put it up against 3/21/75. 😁

Most of my compliments on this show were based around Page nailing down some solid leads. For once, he doesn't sound like a handicapped monkey on No Quarter, but like you said, the other two are just along for the ride. I thought IMTOD had some good energy. This board indeed sounds terrible and I imagine the audience version leaves a better impression. But even with a lack of energy, there were some good performances. The acoustic section was definitely dragging in my opinion after the first track. 1979 up next, after 5/30.

Nitpicking Page 5/28/1977 Landover (Powhatan Confederacy- EVSD) Using the the EVSD soundboard for this one. It's muffled one minute and harsh the next, so I suggest using an equalizer to balance the sound to your own liking. TSRTS- A good start and Plant sounds alright. First solo- A little loose, but not bad. Outro solo- Again some stickiness, but he holds it together. A very solid "B+". Sick Again- 0:22, hang up. 0:46, slight flub. Very sluggish intro. First solo- Page's fingers loosen up and he gets some very nimble runs in for an excellent solo. Outro solo- A decent series of short, speedy licks. Not bad. The sloppy intro hurts this a lot, but everything is solid. "B+". NFBM- Good beginning. Harmonica- Plant gets some decent phrases down. Oh Jimmy- Some bad articulation at 5:12, but otherwise a well played, passionate solo. Plant's vocal delivery was good and the rhythm section was tight. I'd call this a lower tier "A". IMTOD- Played a litter faster than normal (assuming this boot runs correctly) and a very heavy guitar tone. First solo- Energetic and phrased fairly well. Second solo- Also energetic, played fairly well, and accented nicely by Bonham's explosiveness in the background. This thing really starts to groove toward the end. A very solid version. "A+". SIBLY- A good intro with one sloppy bit at 1:18. The guitar is cutting through on the mix now. Solo- Played loosely but passionately with no real flubs. 6:40-6:42, Jones and Jimmy get some notes crossed and make carnival music. A solid ending. "B+". No Quarter- Solid intro. Nitpicking Jones- He gets some solid piano noodling down, but the whole thing honestly sounds like a warm-up routine. The boogie jam comes in and for once Page gets on board with some solid phrases that actually match the rhythm. Well done, though it ends a bit awkwardly. Jones hops into a short but well played soul motif before launching the solo. Solo- 12:59, where'd that come from? A nice 73-ish run. The rest is a little loose, but phrased well and played with vigor. 17:15-17:29 is an excellent stretch. Definitely a better Page here than most other versions. Jones brings it back around nicely and the last quarter is solid. This one seems to lack some energy, but I imagine the audience source sounds much livelier. I usually criticize Page mercilessly on this song in 77, but I was pleasantly surprised here. A solid version with no real flubs, though Jones could've done more. I'd love to hear Jones' playing from 5/26 spliced into this version. "A". (At 24:16 Jones makes a quip, but I can't make out what he says. Anyone know?) Ten Years Gone- 0:31, slight flub. First solo (2:48)- Perfection! Second solo (4:54)- Another one played flawlessly. 6:01, Page ends on the wrong note, but it matches Plant and almost sounds intentional. Third solo (6:23)- Phrasing was off a little, but not bad at all. Fourth solo (7:15)- Delay effect sounds perfect as Page plays another flawless four bars. The outro solo is good with excellent accents by Bonzo. Despite a couple flubbed notes, Page was solid as a rock on this. Plant sounded a little subdued on the first half but not bad overall. I'm calling this an "A" even with the small errors. Acoustic Set: BOE- Superb sound with all instruments and vocals coming through nicely. Very energetic version. GTC- 0:48, Plant comes in early. Played a little too loosely and Plant sounds unsure of himself. BCW- Short and sweet. BYAS- Intro is a little sloppy. A switch to an audience source halfway through. The breakdown sounds decent, but it's heavy on the staccato strumming. WS/BMS- Fairly solid, loose in places and lacking some energy. "B" acoustic set, though Evermore was quite nice. Kashmir- Another solid performance of this track. The later half comes alive and is much more energetic with Plant belting out some nice lines. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Solid beginning. First solo (3:35)- A little off track at 3:43. 3:55, nice run. Some slight straining and looseness, but not bad. 5:20, Page a little sloppy on this part. Second solo (6:42)- Passionate and played fairly well. Third solo (8:10)- Played well. Sounds harsh on the soundboard, but probably great on an audience version. Page's phaser comes in heavy on the outro. The energy was there for this one, but Page wasn't as solid as usual. Hope he didn't indulge during the break. "B+". Stairway To Heaven- Page is hitting some slight accidental notes on the intro and at 0:44 he gets crossed up a bit. The pace is very relaxed but not lazy. The first half is solid and Jones plays some excellent phrases on the Rhodes. Solo- 6:10-7:33 is nothing short of stunning, with Page playing a steady flow of articulate notes with exceptional phrasing for 77. Unfortunately, it goes downhill. 7:52 starts a superb legato style phrase, but he fudges the tail end badly. 8:17 is a blazing run. 8:41, bad chording, but he gets it the next time around. The final four are played decently with Page playing the last one on a lower octave (broken string?). The climax hits pretty hard and the song winds down nicely. I really despise these "too good to be true" versions where there is ample potential for something monumental but a few silly flubs put a brown stain on it. The rhythm was excellent, Plant was good, and Page nailed 95% of it. But there's that damned 5% where he tripped up. "B+". WLL- 0:11, Page and Jones get out of sync. Rock And Roll- Jones' bass is twanging like a 12 ft rubber band. Why not bring out the Fender Jazz at least for this one? Solo- Some unorthodox licks and fairly good solo. An adequate encore. "B+". Final Assessment- I'll admit I was rather surprised by this one, which makes me glad I've taken the time to do these reviews. Even though I may piss a few readers off with my over analyzing, at least I'm finding some hidden gems for myself that I've overlooked. I'd always gone with the 5/30 show for Maryland and never gave this one a chance, but it isn't half bad once Page gets warmed up. And it looks like Page broke out the black dragon suit for this one. Highlights are IMTOD, No Quarter, Ten Years Gone, and The Battle Of Evermore. And these highlights are some of the best I've heard from 1977. Stairway is a heart breaker though, with a failed attempt at perfection.

So what the hell happened to that Bath 1970 footage? Last I heard it was gonna be cleaned up digitally and maybe released.

Still haven't opened mine lol. My copy is a misprint, with upside down print on the spine and a RAP logo stamped on the front. It's a shame they weren't limited edition or it might've been worth something. I may buy a used copy for a coffee table book.