I was gonna skip 4/27 but I talked myself into doing it, especially considering I haven't listened to it in quite a while. I think I will definitely skip Landover. I plan to end with Houston and Ft. Worth.

Nitpicking Page 4/28/1977 Cleveland, Ohio (The Return Of Destroyer- Live Remains) Taking another step backwards on this tour to a show that is highly regarded as one of the best of 1977. A slightly murky audience recording, but sounds pretty decent overall. Definitely a step up from the distant Pontiac source. I'm using the widely available "Live Remains" release from the Longlive site. TSRTS- Plant sounds excellent. I sometimes forget what a contrast his 77 vocals are to 73 and 75. Good beginning. First solo- Struggles slightly on the takeoff. 4:13, a little sluggish, but not too bad. Second solo- Pretty standard. A solid "A" with good energy overall. Sick Again- Flawless intro. First solo- Nimble fingers and some excellent runs. Outro solo- Good flurry of notes at 5:28. Very good version. "A+". NFBM- Good intro. 0:12, the taper notices Plant's bulge. Harmonica solo- Excellent drum lead in. Pretty straightforward. Guitar solo- Beautiful takeoff and very good phrasing, sounding like 1973 a little. Bonzo's drumming was magnificent and Plant nails everything. A definitive version? "A+". IMTOD- Very nice improv riff at 1:13. Intro is "Alligators driving steamboats down the Mississippi" level swampiness. A slight mix up at 2:58. First solo- Page gets some good phrasing in with just the right amount of sloppiness. 6:17, good scream from Percy. Second solo- 6:37, monstrous drum fill. Slide playing is a little erratic, but not off the tracks. Excellent drumming on the post solo/bridge part. A cut near the end on the "You Shook Me" section. The murky sound hides the attitude the song is supposed to convey, but it's a very solid performance nonetheless. "A". SIBLY- The intro sounds more melancholy than usual. The pace is barely crawling as Bonham and Page sound like they're playing chicken to see who hits the next note first. Solo- Page doesn't do the giant blazing smear run he usually starts with, instead refrains a bit and adds some good emotion with shorter, speedy runs. 4:52, love that repeated vibrato. The ending phrase with Bonzo matching Page's intensity is one of the best I've heard. Very good solo. 7:24, Bonzo knocks the walls down. Perfect ending. I have a fantasy for the 77 version of this song where instead of singing those uninspired vocals, Plant duels with Page on harmonica in an instrumental version. "A". No Quaaludes- Good beginning. Nitpicking Jones- The piano section is chord heavy, but has a good, dramatic flow to it. 6:42, random kick and crash from Bonzo. The boogie section ends up being a nod to "The Nutcracker". 10:05, "Georgia On My Mind" as Page improvises a solo. This sounds way better than the usual boogie jam they attempt. 12:57, holy drum intro Batman! Solo- Page drops in in an unusual manner, skipping the trademark descending riff. He wanders kind of aimlessly as Jones and Bonham steal the show. 16:07, finally something that resembles the usual phrasing. Okay, there wasn't really a solo. The main motif comes back in and there's a tape cut. Even with the cut, Page could've made this a notable performance if he'd ripped a blazing solo. A solid "B+"- accounting for what there is. Ten Years Gone- There's some annoying static noise on the version I'm using that's not present on the "Presence" version. Solid intro. First solo- Good playing and phrasing, solid bends. Second solo- Good. Third solo- Murky, but sounded good. 6:14, Bonham has some fun and switches the beat. Fourth solo- Very good. Fifth/delay solo- Solid. Outro is good. Is it just me or was there an extra solo somewhere? "A", but there seemed to be some energy missing. Acoustic Section: BOE- Plant sings enthusiastically, showing a wide range of emotion and character throughout. Jones sings also. GTC- 1:47, yes sir. Beautiful work. BCW- Solid. BAS- Pretty straightforward with a good breakdown. WS/BMS- Quite an adventure and textbook perfect. Solid "A" set. Kashmir- Sound gets murkier. A good performance with Plant really coming alive toward the end. A soundboard would undoubtedly be much more impressive. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Absolutely thunderous sound and tempo. First solo (3:36)- Very nimble 73 level fingers on the first part. Very good. 5:25, excellent improv lead. Second solo (6:38)- The guitar tone here is unreal. Awesome phrasing. Third solo (8:08)- Perfection. Plant's echoing vocals at the end is just too good. I dare say this is my new favorite verion, if only the sound was a tad better. "A++". Stairway To Heaven- Tape cut on the intro. 0:58, taper realizes he forgot to push record on the intro. 1:35-1:48, Jones nails this magical sounding motif. I think Plant sings this with more invigoration in 77 than he did in 73 and 75. Solo- 5:33, Jones' bass pedal makes some weird after-tones so someone pulls the plug on it and the guitar drops low in the mix. Shame, because it sounds like Page leaves the earth. 6:46-7:12, some of the best lead guitar phrases I've ever heard. I know Bonzo came back in when he was supposed to, but can you imagine if he'd held off for another four measures and let Jimmy dig deeper? Bonzo is absolutely unreal on this. Final solo notes sound good as Plant comes back with an attitude. "A+" despite the technical issues. Rock And Roll- Good energy. Solo- Unorthodox intro which sounds quite awesome. Very unique. 3:06, someone must've hooked Bonzo up with the good stuff tonight. Maybe the most raucous version I've ever heard. 4:11, taper realizes his girlfriend left with another dude. "A+". Trampled Underfoot- Some people call this borderline Disco, but I call it early Dubstep. Jones doesn't really do much. Page taps the delay pedal on the solo and lets loose with some squawks that bounce around the stadium. I don't know how anyone slept that night after the show. "A". Final Assessment- This might be the most energetic Bonzo since Hamburg as he holds his enthusiasm throughout the entire show. The highlights are a badass Sick Again, a brutal Achilles, and a Stairway played so wonderfully that faulty equipment couldn't hurt it. The only real low was No Quarter, which had all the potential for something magnificent, but ended up being a missed opportunity on Page's part. The murky sound fluctuations make some songs seem less than they are, so that says a lot considering they're still top notch. Undoubtedly one for the soundboard wishlist. I was gonna do the previous night next, but I don't think it's worth the bother compared to this, especially being incomplete. If there's a multitrack of this, it could be mixed and released pretty much unedited and would be one of the best live albums ever.

Sarcasm.

And Chuck was only taking the boogie woogie piano phrase and applying it to guitar. Easily provable in court just by looking at sheet music.

Because a priest molesting a kid is a lot more believable.

I don't think being "influenced" by something is grounds for a lawsuit, is it? I may be wrong, but there's got to be clear evidence of an exact copy being reproduced for copyright cases. That's why the judges only looked at the sheet music. Although the descending melody is the same, it's just not the same chording overall. But this brings up an interesting question; If the Stairway riff is not considered a replica of Taurus, then what if someone played the Smoke On The Water riff, but added another descending melody on top of the riff, does that put it in the clear?

Both riffs have the exact same descending notes played with the exact same cadence, with a refrain in the same place at the end. However, Page added the ascending treble notes and the turnaround after the refrain. To me, this provides a significant enough change to avoid copyright. For a copyright lawsuit to hold ground, it can't just be similar, it has to be exact, which they are not. For some reason the "estate" felt cheated because the actual audio wasn't played. But if the sheet music doesn't match, then it's outside of a copyright issue anyway.

Can we talk about how ridiculous the Whole Lotta Love lawsuit was? I mean, those words existed way before. People borrow lyrics all the time. Should've been thrown out.

Guess again! Although I personally believe Page borrowed it from Spirit, I don't think there's any legal grounds for a lawsuit because he plays it differently.

I skimmed through the thread for this one but didn't see it. What is the exact date for this? Plant's shirt says 75, but Bonham and Page look like 73. I know it was at Rodney's English Disco and not the Rainbow Bar and Grill, which supposedly closed in 75. If this is pre 75, then is this the only photo of Plant in that blouse outside 1975?

Thanks. I suppose he switched clothes during Moby Dick.

So what was the date for this?

Killswitch Engage and Crowbar.

Ever. Jones was unreal.

Nitpicking Page 4/30/1977 Pontiac, MI (No Label source) A legendary show in which the band again broke an attendance record. Also notable for the giant video feed above the stage which has caused a bit of debate about whether or not recorded video exists. The best version I could find was the one available on the LongLive site. It's one of the few that both runs at proper speed and sounds decent. The recording is a bit distant and some bootleg ears are required, but if you imagine yourself in the upper deck of the stadium, it sounds just right. TSRTS- Firecrackers aplenty. And we're off. Excellent energy and timing on the intro. Jones' bass is cutting through the distant recording quite well. Plant sounds excellent. First solo- I'd have to say perfect in every way. The three instrumentalists are grooving spectacularly. Second solo- No notable flaws. What an opening. "A+". Sick Again- Perfect intro. Bonzo's snare echoing for miles. First solo- Page gets a steady flow of phrasing down and nails the ending with a nice, raunchy exit lick. Outro solo- Very hard to make out, but sounds like the usual run of improvised licks. However, he does seem to keep it short, which is good in my opinion as it often drags on aimlessly. I love how this show is going so far, fingers crossed. "A". NFBM- Almost sounds like they're playing the studio version through the monitors. Harmonica solo- Pretty standard. Guitar solo- Page gets some decent phrasing in with nice bends. 5:43, Plant is strong tonight. This was a solid, straightforward performance, but that's a lot better than some of them. "A". IMTOD- 0:20, very slight atonal note. Tempo seems upbeat for this. Solid first half. First solo- Not the most impressive slide routine, but a very solid solo nonetheless. Second solo- Again, some basic slide runs, but he stays on the tracks. The latter half is devastatingly heavy. Overall, I think it deserves an "A", though a soundboard might reveal the solos to be worse than I could make out here. SIBLY- False start. Page sounds very nimble on the intro, not rushing anything and playing with fluently with strong emotion. One of the better intros I've heard. And Plant enters perfectly with a sustained vocal. Solo- Page takes off. 4:53-5:02, some sloppiness. He ends with some good runs. The latter half features some good dramatization, though Page doesn't come through well. "B+". No Quarter- The recording comes through a little better now. Excellent mood on the first quarter. JPJ- Excellent finger work as he gets a dramatic, enchanting motif going. The segue into the boogie section flows perfectly. Page comes in with some screaming leads, but he's careful not to overdo it. 14:30-15:40, some of the best piano work I've heard from Jones, or anyone. 16:30, that drum intro. Guitar solo- The lack of any bass at the beginning makes for an airy feel. Page gets some excellent phrases going with nimble fingers. 18:24, they flub this a little, but it honestly doesn't detract from it. 19:29-19:58, what the creation of the universe must've sounded like. Jones returns to bring it back down, followed by a thunderous return to the main theme. 23:32, superb wah riffs. Top notch ending. Easily one of the best versions. "A++". Ten Years Gone- Good beginning. First solo- The phrasing gets a little loose near the end, but otherwise a good, lively solo with accurate bends. 5:58, Plant sounds unenthusiastic here, which is my fav part of the song. I guess he didn't start singing it aggressively until later. Second solo- Some nice pedal steel licks. Very good. Third solo- He's having fun with this one instead of trying to impress, but still sounds good. Fourth solo- Perfect balance with the delay effect but it ends a little abruptly. 9:45, nice outro leads. Some things could've been better, but I'd still go "A" on this. Acoustic set: BOE- Jones doesn't sound so hot on this one, other than that it's ok. GTC- "Someone told me, there's a girl out there, with love in her eyes, and firecrackers..in her hair" 2:02, can you imagine this happening at a concert today? Excellent mando work and a wonderful version, despite the bubble wrap poppers. BCW- The echoing drums make this sound remarkable. BAS- 0:41, Plant misses his cue here and the beat is off for a few bars, though a casual listener might not notice. The mid-song climax sounds excellent. The breakdown drags just a little. WS/BMS- Bit of a sloppy start, but once Bonham comes it takes off nicely. The transition into BMS is lackluster, as is the performance. Overall, a "B+" acoustic set. Kashmir- The acoustics suit this song well. Sounds like Bonzo is back in the stairwell at Headley Grange. 2:33, might be the highest I've heard Plant go since 71. Excellent throughout, but Plant's repetitive yelling at the end started to grate on my nerves a little. Still an "A". Over The Top- The first half is great, but I can't tolerate the last half on the 77 version. Achilles- The recording gets murkier (Always does for this song). Bonham's snare is dominating the mix. First solo- Sounds excellent with monstrous bends near the end. Second solo- Not bad. 7:10, not sure if a drum flub or intentional, but sounded weird. Third solo- Very nice. Perfect ending. I'd love to hear a soundboard of this to judge it more accurately. "B+". Stairway To Heaven- 1:47, wrong note by Jones. Decent first half. Solo- Very murky, but he seems to rip out a good beginning. Phrasing sounds a little spastic, but again it's hard to tell. The last four bars sound good, not a bad solo. The climax and ending both sound good. I'll put a safe "B+" on it until I hear a better source. Rock And Roll- Bonham starts with the Heartbreaker drum intro but changed his mind. Very fast tempo. Solo- Sounds like the textbook routine. "A". Trampled Underfoot- Massive, driving sound. Jones gets a good clavinet solo down. Guitar solo- Page comes in with the delay pedal engaged, playing very aggressively. Not very articulate, but he paints the picture he intended to. Excellent encore to end the show. "A". Final Assessment- Honestly, this might be the first boot I've listened to that made me feel grateful that someone snuck a shitty recorder into the show so I too could experience it 40 years later. It might also be the first that made me truly realize how grandiose a Zep show could be. I think the natural reverb in the Silverdome helped with that, giving a larger than life sound even on a distant, amateur recording. Page wasn't exactly on fire, but he very rarely goes off the rails.The only complaint I have is the extremely boxy snare drum that cuts through the mix. The standout performance was definitely No Quarter, but almost the entire show was very solid and top tier for 1977. Strangely, the acoustic set was the least impressive, where it's usually the most solid performance. A soundboard of this would be a Godsend, even if it is uber-twangy.

I can't unsee an Easter egg.

ooooh I need that giant wheel. It had better spin.

I think it's a typical 77 show. The band sounds good and plays good, but Jimmy is just a little subpar and makes a few mistakes. It sounded like JPJ got something good going on No Quarter, shame it was cut. I think Page's improvised solos are a double edged sword. When they work they sound great, but when they don't it can be cringe inducing.

Gibson- GHS Boomers 10-52 Tele- Ernie Ball extra light I'm starting to stray away from Ernie Ball though, I've noticed their strings start to corrode quicker than others.

I thought about it, but I don't think there's enough standouts to really make a definitive list. They're all pretty solid shows, but I don't think any performance tops the LA run.

Well, that explains the tempo. Thanks.

Nitpicking Page 5/18/1977 Birmingham, Al (Out Of The Way- The Diagrams of Led Zeppelin) I've had this show on my computer for a long time, but was always turned off by the distant audio source, There's actually quite a bit of clarity, it just has that "recorded from the rafters" sound. It has an excellent reputation so it's worth a nitpick. TSRTS- Page's 12 string meanderings on the intro make you wish he'd used it more frequently to write songs. Good start. First solo- Articulate first half. A little less on the latter half. 4:00, Plant strains slightly. Outro solo- Impossible to make out, but Jones and Bonham sound good. "B+". Sick Again- Massive swagger on the intro, reminiscent of 6/21 without the string break. Plant sounds decent. First solo- Good phrasing and fairly nimble fingers. 4:23, nice double bend lick here. Outro solo- Starts off with the usual spurts of noodling but by 5:27 he's just forcing it. Still a good "B+". NFBM- Good start. 2:05, Page jumps the gun a bit. Harmonica solo- Starts good but he seems to get lazy and hits a bum note at the end. Guitar solo- Not bad, some bends sound strained. Good energy, but performance wise- "B". IMTOD- Thunderous first half. First solo- Hard to make out, but the phrasing sounds a little lackluster. Not bad, but Jimmy fails to really take off. Second solo- Gets going a little better. Out of key at 6:30. Struggling near the end. 8:37, fantastic vocals. 8:50-8:55, Page goes off the road a bit. 9:18, a near flub but Page jumps in on time. A cut near the end. Just like the previous song, there's tremendous energy, but the solos could've been a lot better and there were several flubs. "B". SIBLY- Intro rolls in like fog, slow and moody. Excellent opening vocal. Solo- Page blasts off with aggressive phrasing. Not bad. Solid performance by all, but nothing too mind blowing. "A". No Quarter- Page is absent on the intro riff and doesn't arrive until 1:40. A unique version already. 2:54- Massive vocal sustain. Nitpicking Jones- Excellent audio quality btw. The transition from organ to piano is surreal. Damn, a cut. Not too big of a chunk though. Some decent piano noodling. Boogie section is pretty straightforward, though Page never really gets a good flow going until the end. Solo- A better flow here with some nice interplay with the other two. 15:40, nice tempo change by Bonzo. 18:29, Percy is feeling his oats tonight. As usual, Page plays a little smoother with the wah toward the end. 20:15, damn. Although a good performance in places, I've really gotta grade this on a steep curve. The lackluster boogie section brings it to a "B+", otherwise fairly solid. Ten Years Gone- False intro as JPJ apparently wasn't prepared. 3:30, Page's chorus effect comes through louder than usual. 4:27, slight flub. First solo- Rough start, but he straightens out. 5:52, wrong note. 6:03, flub. Straining near the end. Second solo- Much better, but some slight straining. Third solo- Some good bends to start. 9:15, yikes. 9:36, ouch. Fourth solo- The best of the bunch. 11:40, almost flubs the last notes. I hate to do it, but I gotta slap a "C+" on this one. (12:17, They went home with his car key?) Acoustic Section: Battle Of Evermore- 3:30, nice vocals. Fairly solid. GTC- Very good with excellent harmony at the end. BCW- Not bad, short. BAS- Uptempo, very energetic. A cut on the breakdown. WS/BMS, rough intro. Not phrased well and minor flubs throughout. "B+". Kashmir- Powerful with booming drums. No flaws I can hear on this inspired version. "A". Achilles Last Stand- Intro sounds very subdued, probably a volume control accidentally turned down. Excellent beginning. First solo- Starts off just a little shaky but he gets going okay. 4:34-4:44, some off-key notes. Second solo- Not bad. Third solo- The delay effect doesn't come through but it still sounds good. Too many flubbed solo notes make it a "B", though it's certainly a thunderous, energetic version. Stairway To Heaven- Beautiful, mesmerizing first half. Solo- Page releases a steady barrage of melodic runs with good phrasing. 8:26, out of key. The final four bars are great, except for some bad articulation on the last bit. The climax hits hard and blows the roof off. "B+" despite some off-key notes. Rock And Roll- Good energy for the encore. Solo- Page does some unusual bends to start it off, but ends with textbook perfection. "A". Final Assessment- This is one of those shows that had the potential to be a classic. The energy and attitude was there but lady luck wasn't with Page this night and almost every song went off in the ditch in one way or another. The other three performed exceptionally. Highlights are a moodier than usual SIBLY and a pretty much flawless Kashmir and Rock And Roll. Ten Years Gone is a travesty for Page, with even Plant losing some motivation. Achilles and Stairway were damn close to being amazing, but again Page struggled.

New Norm McDonald show on Netflix. I was expecting a trainwreck but he's actually a damn good interviewer. I like the loose, uncensored, unedited format of the show. There's just enough awkwardness to keep it fun and not too cringey.