Snowpocalypse is a bit of a let down, though we've got a foot and it's still pouring.

For some reason I always picture 73 Plant as relaxed, grinning and high as a kite- full hippie mode. Maybe it was the turquoise blouse.

I've been sleeping on this band. Strong Americana roots with excellent musicianship and a tinge of classic rock.

Plant went through various stage personas throughout the years. Between 69 and 72 he's very vocal towards the crowds and often accosts them for either being too rowdy or too quiet. In 73 it's like he was just stoned for the entire year and doesn't give a shit. In 75 and 77 he goes into story teller mode and gives some insightful narratives, often poking fun at the other members.

He should've been standing on a full scale Viking ship. While holding a flaming sword. With lasers shooting out his eyes. With naked chicks. I find it hilarious that after thirty years, Zep fans still don't get Plant's distancing himself from the rock star image. He's not like the 60 yr old rockers still throwing up devil horns and singing about dragons. His musical "schtick" has been political and social critique mixed with love songs for twenty years. I'm surprised he even took another photo with the book.

Nitpicking Page 5/26/1977 Landover (Bringing Down The House- Eelgrass/EVSD) Part two in Landover. I'm using the rather dry soundboard available on the LongLive site, though I highly recommend acquiring Sue Dounim's excellent remaster. The guitar is slightly muffled, but the other three sound good. TSRTS- Apart from a minor flub on the opening notes, the intro is very good. Plant sounding alright on the verses. First solo- Inspired, but lacking some fluidity. 5:12-5:14, someone hits some off key notes. Outro solo- He hits the notes, but they sound very forced. Good energy and not a bad version overall, but sits at a "B". Sick Again- Decent intro, though Page is clearly still a little sluggish. First solo- Jimmy wakes up and lays down some good phrases. Outro solo- More erratic and sloppy than usual, akin to some bad 75 versions. Another "B", due only to Page's looseness. NFBM- The guitar effect is cranked a little high on the intro. 0:53, Page ad libs a nice riff. Harmonica- very solid solo. Guitar solo- Excellent bends and phrasing off the bat. 5:25, sounds like he starts the ending phrase early or late, but it works out alright. A loosely played version, but overall fairly good. "B+". IMTOD- 1:01, a single off note at the end of a massive drum fill. First solo- 4:36, either a slight tape cut or Page and Bonzo lose each other for just a second. Apart from that, a well played solo. Second solo- Sounds excellent, though it's almost overshadowed by Bonham. 9:27-9:32, awesomeness. A raucous, lively version with above par solos. A couple small flubs keep this at a "B+", but certainly one of my new favorites. SIBLY- Intro opens nicely but Page gets off track a little and plays too loose. Plant comes in with gusto, sounding better than any 73 or 75 show. Solo- Very sloppy take off. The slow part is decent, but then it's back to the frustrated sounding run. 7:49-8:06, some excellent vocal conviction from Plant. Too bad Page couldn't match him. A loose Page keeps this at a "B", though Plant does a fantastic job. No Quarter- Good beginning. Nitpicking Jones- 5:20-6:26, some of the most stunning phrases I've heard by Jones. Simply beautiful. However, it does not transition well into the boogie jam as Bonzo interrupts the mood. Page's guitar is boosted to ear split levels, naturally. The jam overall isn't bad, but Page gets left behind at 8:32 as Jones and Bonham seem to be more in sync with each other. Solo- Page gets some steady phrasing going. 13:39 is different and quite nice. Page followed the lead of the rhythm more instead of shooting for the moon, and it pays off as the solo section flows quite well. Then 16:22 rolls around and it's a little messy. 17:22, Jones brings it all back down with more amazing key work. Some decent wah work from Page near the end and Plant screams passionately about the dogs of doom. 1977 seems to follow a repetitive sequence for this song; Jones usually gets an average to amazing routine in, the boogie jam (and Nutrocker) is usually awkward and out of character with screeching guitar, Page's solo ranges from tiring to just average, then the return is played excellently with Page nailing the wah riffs. Somehow Page went from dominating this track in 73 to barely hanging on in 75 and 77. Jones' musical maturity shines on this performance as he ascended above the normal rock band status quo and touched something higher than the other three could reach. Unfortunately, the other three brought it back down to rock band level. Overall, a "B+". Ten Years Gone- Good beginning. First solo (3:46)- Though the beginning and end are very sticky, 4:05-4:24 is very good. Second solo (5:53)- Pretty solid. Third solo (7:32)- Some nice picking. Fourth solo (8:22)- The delay sounds harsh on the boot, but the playing is decent. The outro is played passionately and is without doubt one of the best ever, with a very unique riff at 9:33. This isn't a perfect performance, but it's up there as far as character goes. "B+". (Some cool rockabilly/bluegrass riffs by Page and Jones near the end). Acoustic Set: BOE- The vocals (and their cheesy effects) overwhelm the recording and kill the atmosphere of the song, though it's played well. GTC- 1:34, excellent vocals. Despite the instruments being subdued, this is a great performance with Plant in high spirits. Dancing Days- An impromptu jam that should've gone longer. BCW- Again, Plant is lively and the soundboard does this little justice. BYAS- The source switches to a distant audience recording until the breakdown. Lively and well performed with a good solo section from Page. WS/BMS- A decent performance played a little loosely. Overall, a "B+" acoustic set. Kashmir- Dry as hell and mellotron heavy. Sounds solid though. "A". Achilles Last Stand- A royal flub on the intro as Bonzo comes in early. Luckily they stay on track. 1:16, everyone just stops for a sec. First solo- Good start. 4:20, some repetitiveness. Not bad. Second solo (6:49)- Loose, but not bad. Third solo- The delay doesn't come through but it sounds well phrased. I don't know what to think of this version. It's highly erratic, messy, but energetic and intriguing. The soundboard does no favors, but I'd honestly call it a "B". Stairway To Heaven- Plant sounds drained and the tempo moves uncharacteristically on the intro. However, the second phase of the song makes use of the tempo and sounds desperate and exciting, almost like a new arrangement for it. 4:43, nice little riff by Jones. Solo- Page gets loose off the bat, doing some unusual phrases. The slower part has some good rhythm by Jones. 8:07, a little sticky. The final measures are good and the climax achieves maximum epicness. Definitely a Jeckyll and Hyde performance, both intriguing and sloppy. I'll go "B+", though the first half just might outshine the second on this one. WLL (Partial)- A hint at Communication Breakdown and a short WLL. Rock And Roll- Sloppy. Solo- Rough start, but he pulls down a decent, raunchy solo. Bonham gets some killer snare rolls in on the ending. (The end of the audience source has the audience booing something and the Eagles' "Victim Of Love" playing). "B". Final Assessment- A perfect example of loosely played but highly entertaining. Page managed to tread a fine line between great and trainwreck, staying fairly solid through most of the songs. Going To California is the true standout and it's a shame the instrument levels are so low as this is a great performance with Robert really shining. This show had a unique, unorthodox feel about it. Almost like the four members decided to shine in their own way.

There's no question that Jimmy Page had more "sloppy" moments than his musical peers. That's been covered a thousand times, but it's justifiable; On one hand Page had to be sloppy to accommodate his style of songwriting- tight but loose. He was trying to incorporate multiple genres into every set list and improvising extended solos and breakdowns on every other song. That's very hard to do while also trying to maintain a high energy performance by dancing around like a madman. It should also be noted that he did all this very well with very little sloppiness for 6 years straight. It wasn't until the booze worked it's way into the live performance that he started to actually play poorly. Even then he still managed to play most of the rhythm parts fine, only getting sloppy on the improvised leads. I think when you look at the amount of weight he had on his shoulders leading the biggest rock act in the world, a little sloppiness can be excused.

I'll try to work that one in. I'm a big fan of that show, but that's gotta be the worst Black Dog ever. Shame, because the first half is great.

Thanks, will do. Glad others enjoy it.

Nitpicking Page 5/25/1977 Landover (Double Shot- EVSD) I was originally going to end 1977 with 5/30, arguably the best Landover show, but I decided to give them all a proper listen considering I've neglected to do so before. I'm using the soundboard that's available on the "LongLive" site for this one, which I believe is an EVSD version. TSRTS- Good energy and high spirits on the intro. Percy sounds ok on the verses. First solo- Good until 3:31, where he loses the flow a bit. 4:32, some off-notes. Outro solo- Pretty bad. Soundboard exposure aside, his articulation is a mess here as his brain outruns his fingers. "B". Sick Again- Intro is very sticky. 0:53, minor flub. Plant singing with good attitude on the verses. First solo- Not bad at all, with a nice expressive ending. Outro solo- 5:35, sloppy. 5:49, just can't get these runs down and he almost fudges the ending. Everything in the middle was good, but still a "B". NFBM- Opening notes are off a bit and Plant comes in early. Harmonica solo- 2:53, "OW!" One of the better solos from Plant. Oh Jimmy- A little sticky but very expressive. The energy level was good here although it's masked by the murky audio. "B+". A better solo from Page would've put this higher. IMTOD- Good raunchy tone on the soundboard. Solid beginning. First solo- Good start, but the repetition at 4:39 hurts it some. Second solo- Despite some sloppy phrasing, this one has some attitude. A good ending and decent performance overall puts this in the "B+" range. SIBLY- Exceptional intro with excellent phrasing, only the final series of runs are a little sticky. 3:15, awesome response from Jimmy. Solo- Page blasts off with aggresive, slightly inarticulate phrasing. Very good solo on par with the LA versions. A dramatic, well played ending keeps this at an "A". (The audience version naturally has a much stronger impact). No Quarter- 1:05, Page flubs the opening notes. 4:10, sounds like a change in audio source. Jones- A very entertaining piano routine with lots of different phrases. 6:40-6:57, some exceptional phrases here. 8:29, the boogie section comes in with Page's overdrive boosted to ear-damage level. Luckily it dies out quickly and Jones introduces the solo section wonderfully. Solo- Amateur hour, One of the greatest rock rhythm sections in the world laying down a beat for your solo and this is your answer. I know that's harsh, but it's pretty ridiculous for a band of this caliber. Plant sounds excellent on the return and Page gets some decent wah licks in. One of the better Jones solos, but this performance is severely marred by Page. "B". Ten Years Gone- (1:12, "We dedicate this to John Bindon, who's got the biggest plonker in the world"). Good intro. First solo- A tad rough, but fairly solid. Second solo- This one has more bite and sounds excellent. Third solo- Page comes alive again for some exceptional leads. Fourth solo- Borders on erratic, but the delay creates a nice effect. 9:21-9:39, either Page chords this wrong or an uncontrolled effect kicks in and alters the tuning. Jones tunes his three-necked turkey after the song ends. Despite excellent solos this still sits at a "B+". Acoustic Set: BOE- A solid version. Jones sang well, though Plant seemed to have too much fun with the vocal effects. Page's guitar is absent. GTC- The guitar finally comes up in the mix. Robert sounds slightly bored, though the other two sound fantastic. Whoever accompanies him at the end sounds phenomenal (Jones?). BCW- Short and sweet. BYAS- Good beginning. 2:14, a source switch. WS- Rough on the edges, but one of the more entertaining versions I've heard. BMS- He seems to give up on this after he struggles with the chording. Overall, a "B+". Kashmir- A muffled soundboard does this little justice. Even so, this version sounds as epic as ever. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Excellent start. First solo (3:38)- Not the most technical, but Page gets some very solid phrases in. Second solo (6:44)- Decent, not great. Third solo (8:12)- Average. Certainly an adventurous, energetic version, but something seemed to be missing. "B+" at best. Stairway To Heaven- 1:03, out of tune mellotron. There's a certain energy missing on the verses. Solo- Page comes out sticky, but phrasing well. 7:00, this part always brings out some nice runs from Page. The final measures are played well and lead to a nice climax. This falls between the not bad/not great territory. "Barely a "B+". WLL (Partial) Rock And Roll- Some energy left still. Solo- Page attacks the strings very aggressively, almost frustratingly so. Pretty good "B+". Final Assessment- Another show where Page was either/or. The highlights are the three blues experimentations- NFBM, IMTOD, and SIBLY. All done with vigor. Also a nice White Summer and Kashmir. Not a bad show by any means, though Page certainly hit some low points.

One thing I've always envied about the UK is their cozy, welcoming pubs. We don't have cozy pubs in the U.S., just loud sports bars with people yelling and waitresses trying to con you for tip money. There's no relaxation, it's just drink and get out.

Absolutely. Let me clarify here as my wording was poor; I certainly didn't mean they didn't accept them well, as single coils are very popular through fuzz boxes. I mean they have a sound that is very thick and lacking clarity compared to a humbucker that cleans up the signal and adds crunch over fuzz. I know I shouldn't blame the Tele solely as the Tonebender was mainly to blame. But even with the TB, I preferred the Les Paul tone he had later. I'll let the examples below do the talking. You can clearly hear more muddy/overly fuzzy tone with the Tele compared to the crunchier performances with the LP. Then fast forward to 71-73 and the fuzz is completely gone (along with the Tonebender I think). But to sum up my point/opinion, I really did not care for that flat, muffled, tone of the earlier performances, which was enhanced by the Tele.

I appreciate your rebuttal but that makes no sense. Fender pickups are single coil and they don't "accept" overdrive well, which in turn causes them too sound fuzzier than the humbuckers used in Gibsons. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as lots of people like yourself prefer that 60s fuzz tone. The only problem is that you have to roll the top end off to keep the highs from splitting your ears, which dampens the tone. Just listen to the solo on Communication Breakdown. No top on it at all and it sounds slightly muffled. I will agree that Dazed sounded good with the Tele tone. But I think tracks like You Shook Me and HMMT would've benefited more from the cleaner, more menacing crunch of a humbucker. My biased opinion of course.

This whole discussion is based on guesses until further proof presents itself, which was what Badgeholder stated and what I agreed with. Thus, puts it to rest. The most sensible deduction, even if an assumption, would be Mike referencing a friend named Ed who accompanied him during concerts. Anything beyond that might certainly be possible, but definitely more unlikely. But who knows, maybe Eddie was a voice in Mike's head being fed to him by aliens.

I think this puts the whole thing to rest. Good post. On a side note, the structure of "Eruption" is obviously a direct take on the Heartbreaker solo, especially the live versions. I personally think he was making a statement musically to show how much more proficient he was compared to the old dinosaur rockers. EVH is just insecure enough to do something like this, so I think it ties into his criticizing Page.

I posted a quote from EVH above. Edit: The quote says he picked up the tapping inspiration in 71, not when he criticized Page's playing. I'd like to see that article myself.

That sounds like the most likely scenario to me. However, if they saw that show on the 24th I could certainly understand if Eddie criticized him lol.

In the late 1970s, Eddie Van Halen popularized the two-handed tapping technique. Van Halen claims that his own inspiration came from Jimmy Page: "I think I got the idea of tapping watching (Page) do his "Heartbreaker" solo back in 1971… He was doing a pull-off to an open string and I thought… I can do that, but what if I use my finger as the nut and move it around?"

There's an interview where he says he and Alex went to the Forum to see Zep and that's where he saw Jimmy do the tapping technique during Heartbreaker. That would more than likely be either 71 or 72.

I've been through Rainbow's studio albums, but I'll def check out the live stuff.

Excellent musicianship, but my brain will never accept an organ as a rock instrument. It's one of the reasons I get so turned off by the band and I'm so glad Jones used it sparingly.

I know that guitar played a huge role in the development of the band, but I was never a big fan of the tone. Fender pickups always get too fuzzy through heavy overdrive and that sound was way too limited to the psychedelic 60s. Maybe that's why he switched over.

Typical rock stars, showing off their prize bulls.

I've shamefully slept on Deep Purple and really need to go through their entire catalog. Blackmore was a near flawless technician who introduced some of the first elements of shredding. I think if Zep gets credit for the foundation of hard rock, then Purple should get credit for power metal. Purple standing with Zep in raw, live power? Heh. Maybe mid/late 70s, but 69-73 is no contest in my opinion.

Looks like a gig at a brewery.