Much appreciated. I think a live performance can be like an impressionist painting; If you stand back you see an amazing picture, but you get in close and you can see all the little details and smudges that create it. Zep were far too interesting a band to just take their music at face value. The details are just as great (to me) as the whole picture.

Nitpicking Page 3/21/1975 Seattle (Deus Ex Machina/Matrix) A redo of this review was in order since I mainly only pointed out the negatives originally. Jumping between the matrix and Deus Ex Machina because the EVSD soundboard is dry as hell and the matrix has the guitar low. Rock And Roll (Matrix)- Page's extra light strings are noticeable again, especially on that D5 chord. Solo- Not the smoothest he's played it, but still really good. Flub at 3:08. The energy and no squeaks from Plant make it an "A". Sick Again (Matrix)- Bonham is a wild man on this, throwing fills in almost every bar. First solo- Excellent start, good fluidity. Small hang up at 1:55. 3:50, Plant yodels. Outro solo- 4:02, bad notes. 4:26, slight straining. 4:48, slight hang up. Not too bad, "B+". "A+" for Bonzo. OTHAFA (Matrix)- Intro flub at 0:16. 1:17, slight flub. Plant's voice sounding very smooth. Solo- Pretty good noodling on the lower octave. 4:14-4:22, good speedy run. A very solid solo without the turkey gobbling it usually has. 5:56, a flubbed chord which sounded surprisingly good. "B+" because of the intro flub. IMTOD (Deus)- A rare chord flub at 3:30. First solo- Not bad, some sloppy phrasing. 5:40-5:44, Page isn't playing as precise with the slide on this one as he usually does. Second solo- Repetitve in spots, not a great flow. 9:10, nice little riff. Some lackluster slide work holds this to a "B". TSRTS (Deus)- Smooth opening. Small flub at 1:31. First solo- Pretty solid. Second solo- Not as precise, but still good. "A". The Rain Song (Deus)- Plant sounds great. The mellotron, although in tune, is so choppy it almost sounds like a tape being played backwards. Rock section- Page chokes the chords a little which takes away from the impact. An adequate version that almost seems too relaxed, "B+". Kashmir (Deus)- 3:21, someone misses a chord. 3:47, the guitar and mellotron really aren't gelling through here. There's some harmonic dissonance between them. 7:32, Page flub. Not bad, but enough flubs to make it a "B". No Quarter (Matrix)- 1:31, Jones flub. 2:36, flubbed notes? Something sounds weird anyway. 6:05-6:37, Ladies and Gentlemen, JPJ. 7:29, got me shouting "Halleluja praise the lawd" over here. Again at 8:38. Bonham comes in for a spectacular jam. Enter Page- 13:33, good run. 15:30, decent run. 15:48, good aggressive run. I think Page feels pressure to match what Jones did. 22:49, some fine guitar work with an excellent outro. A top tier version, "A+". SIBLY (Deus)- 3:14, Maybe he meant to, but Jones hits a major chord instead of a minor which sounds interesting. Solo- Pretty solid. "A". Trampled Underfoot (Deus)- 0:27, what are those lyrics, Plant? 0:54, wrong bass pedal note. Jones seems lazy on the solo. Page- 4:07, turkey gobbling supreme. Page slows down and focuses on the phrasing, which isn't great. 6:04, fooling around. Right hand comes alive at the end. Outro is just ok. Nothing exciting here, "B". Moby Dick (Deus)- A good version with lots of change ups. Dazed And Confused (Deus, sounding less dry now)- Plant is cracking a little and Page has a string sounding flat. 3:49, Page stops for a second to tune up maybe. First workout- Good jamming by Page. 6:24, articulation is a little rough, but his phrasing is on point. Woodstock- 8:17, guitar is still outta tune. 9:08, how is Jones making that bass note sustain so well? 9:24, very cool riff and jam. 10:51, Plant crack. 11:12, good riff. 12:00, Plant does some good stuff through here. Bow section- good amount of creepiness without dragging on too much. Second workout- 22:35, Page comes alive with a good aggressive run. 23:15, sticky fingers. 23:25-23:41, nice series of runs. 24:40, I don't think he played that right, but it still sounded ok. 25:26-25:50, excellent phrasing and good fluid runs. 27:02, Bonham can be heard saying "Do it again!" to Page. 29:43, Bonham gets impatient. 30:05, a little sloppy. Mars- pretty solid. 32:50, I love this little riff. 33:38, the climax gets miffed a little bit. Finale- 38:35, Plant lands his spacecraft. 39:53, I love how Jones matches Bonzo's kick here. Page's playing was surprisingly better than I realized for this and unlike a lot of versions, there were no boring parts and very little bedroom jamming. Although this is a very entertaining version for 75, I don't think it was explosive enough to stand out in any real way. It's a very solid "A" performance. Stairway To Heaven (Deus)- 2:18, Jones ends on the wrong note. Solo- Very average until 8:08, when Page starts a nice intricate flow. 9:18, a good series of descending runs. 10:41, a little sloppy sounding. A good climax to end the song. Edit the solo from Montreal into this and it would have been superior. "A". Whole Lotta Love (Deus)- Good aggressive start. Funk section- The Crunge is held together quite nicely. 3:20, Page gets off track a little but jumps right back on with some good riffing. Plant tries Licking Stick, but Page moves on. Theremin- Goes on way too long, although Bonham and Jones are tearing it up. 9:00, Page finally jumps back in with some more funk riffs. Excellent finish leading into Black Dog. "A". Black Dog (Deus)- Page's guitar has some good grit and is less twangy than other 75 versions. Solo- 3:59, sticky fingers. 4:20, he catches those tough bends nicely. Not a lot of fluidity on the solo, but fairly good phrasing. "B+". Communication Breakdown (Deus)- 1:20, guitar and vocal in perfect unison. Solo- I don't like this with the chorus effect he's using, but he's playing like a madman, very good flow and articulation. Why didn't he play the Black Dog solo like this? "A". Heartbreaker (Deus)- 0:26, caught a Jones flub. It's like spotting an animal thought to be extinct. Solo- Good phrasing and playing throughout with lots of energy. Final assessment- The initial nitpick because I got tired of people saying "Page was on fire" when I knew, from a technical standpoint, he really wasn't. He was just "ok" for the most part. He played like he should have as a pro musician, nothing really exceptional. Although Page wasn't as on as some other shows, this is still maybe the most solid show overall, with the rest of the band sounding very good with Plant not cracking much at all. "No Quarter" and "Dazed" are certainly standouts as some of the best of the tour. Plus surprisingly good versions of "SIBLY" and "Communication Breakdown". Another strange performance where Page seems to improve as the show went on.

I love Walsh, but I've never been so disappointed then when I actually listened to some of his entire albums. The stuff you hear on the radio is not what you get on the rest of the record.

Right on. I rarely listen to anything post 1980 unless they can accurately nail the old traditional sound. My main problem with the modern stuff is the lack of character from the vocalists. All the male singers just sound like some random guy, no character or distinction to their voice at all. A lot of modern groups also go about it like they're playing classical music and have to make it sound overly complicated.

Stanley Brothers? Bill? Who's your favorite? Anyone grow up in a bluegrass area?

Boy does this look like a big lop of shit.

Nitpicking Page 3/20/75 Vancouver (Canadian Crush) The follow up to the excellent show from the previous night. Great sounding, balanced soundboard (with Jones again up front a little and excellent clarity on the drums). Rock And Roll- Tape cut jumps straight to the verses leading into the solo. Plant doesn't sound as warmed up tonight. Solo- Adequate, but a little sticky. 1:20, Plant yodel. Side note- 1:21, the guitar sound makes me think Page is using extra light strings because it sounds like it's tuned a little high, but what's happening is he's pushing down hard on the D5 chord here and the light string guage (being more flexible) is ringing out higher. I suspect the light strings accomadate his injured finger, though they also sound more thin and twangy. Sick Again- Plant has smoothed out some. First solo- Very solid, with just a slight absence of fluidity. Outro solo- Some slop at 4:16. 4:27-4:33, sticky fingers. Plant mentions the "Pugnant" smells coming from the audience, I think he meant "Pungent". Overall a fairly solid version. "B+". OTHAFA- Good intro. I really wish Page could have opened this live with an acoustic, maybe mounted to a stand of some sort so he could keep his electric on for the main riff. Minor chord flub at 1:17. 2:08, Plant wasn't ready. Solo- Weird note at 2:47. Some good fluidity at 3:00. 3:40-3:50, good noodling. 3:54, missed note. 4:12, listen to Jones! 5:17, Page improvs some staccato style chords that sound pretty good. 6:38, careful Robert. Good version with a fairly solid solo. "B+". IMTOD- The guitar drops a little in the mix. First solo- Good flow, with Bonham and Jones really accenting it. Page doesn't go wild, but he puts down some solid phrasing. Second solo- Page gets more creative and does some unique stuff, excellent. "A". TSRTS- Page cranks up his electric banjo, sounding especially twangy here. First solo, 2:53, a little sticky. Outro solo- Nimble fingers return. Good energy for a solid "B+". The Rain Song- Excellent sound. Mellotron- 1:54, weird notes. The sound quality actually makes the fake symphony sound a little cheesy and over-bearing. Rock section- Hits pretty hard with Plant belting out some good throaty vocals. "A", despite the not-so-mellow-tron (heh). Kashmir- Warning: Over-bearing mellotron. But fortunately the bass pedal is subdued. 3:16, a rare Jones flub. 4:17, Plant goes for the heavens. 4:49, Plant squeak. 7:38, there's that confounded bass pedal. Page sounding good on the outro. 8:22, that awesome drum fill again. I have to say, I personally enjoy the versions where Jones is non existent on this. Still a solid version, "A". No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones- 7:39-8:00, wonderful little melody. Very un-Zep like. This section plays out more like a film soundtrack. Page comes in elegantly. 12:44-13:00, nice series of runs and riffs. Page is in the zone here, playing with good fluidity and phrasing. 15:18, wah pedal kicks in and makes the guitar very toneless and shrill. 18:00, Page never seems to have much to offer on this wind down part and is stepping on a good jam between Jones and Bonham. He's be better suited hanging out until the main riff comes in again, but that's my opinion. Outro- a solid finish. "A". Trampled Underfoot- Energetic with Plant sounding good. Jones is doing some neat stuff on his solo. Page- Maybe not shredding, but playing in a way that really accents the music and falls in line with the groove. 5:52, takes Jones and Bonham a couple seconds to get back on the main riff. Strong version, "A". Moby Dick- A dynamic performance with enough change ups to keep it interesting, combined with superior sound quality. Dazed And Confused- 2:21, Plant yodel. First workout- 5:09, awesome run. Page has a good flow going. The dry guitar tone doesn't sound great though. Woodstock- A flamenco style lead in to a stunning version, with Plant sounding like his older self. One of the best I've heard. Bow section is a little subdued except for when the drums enter, which sounds great. Second workout- 27:20-27:37, Page and Jones have a duel. Articulation is a little rough, but his phrasing is excellent through here. 29:00-29:20, Page is tearing it up. 29:40, some turkey sounds but still a nice run, aggressive run. Mars- Guitar is out of tune (I actually noticed it after the bow section, but he managed to avoid playing that string somehow til now). The climax hits hard though the guitar tone becomes very twangy, not Pagey's fault though. Finale- 36:35, Page is somehow doing dive-bombs on a Les Paul. The finale drags on a little. An excellent performance with Plant sounding enthusiastic and Bonham adding lots of nice little accents to Jimmy's playing. 39:37, a fan mentions the "Jack Daniels pic, which Plant acknowledges. Gotta be "A+" for 75, especially considering the Woodstock section. Stairway To Heaven- Good tempo, but the mellotron is just slightly flat, almost unnoticable. 3:28, some flubbed chords on this ascending riff. Solo- 7:02-720, very sloppy. He gets back on track shortly after with some good phrasing and knocks the final four runs out of the park. I've gotta rate this track more critically than others and the flubs keep it at a "B". Whole Lotta Love- 0:49, I love the way Page bends the chord here. Funk sections- Plant with the nimble toungue on "Licking Stick". Ozone Baby riffs galore. Theremin- Everything from a broken Atari to whale's screwing, with Jones putting down some RHCP bass lines. I can't imagine anyone on acid for this would've walked away sane. A cool version, but no "Crunge". "A". Heartbreaker- Page's fingers aren't quite hitting the strings on the intro for some reason. 1:56, he puts down some very good fluid leads here. 2:48, not sure what's going on, maybe a technical problem. The solo- Sure it's subpar compared to others and he struggled some, but I've heard him do worse in some versions of Trampled Underfoot and D&C. 5:20-5:50 isn't bad at all. This is a bedroom jam solo and that's what it sounds like. 8:46, a very nice fluid run. 9:36, some flubs. Still gotta give it a C+. Final Assessment- Another great showing from Page in Vancouver, where he always appears to be sober when he plays. I'm not sure if either show is better, but they're both definitely great for 1975 with Plant sounding very good. Apart from Trampled, Dazed and Whole Lotta Love, I'd pick the 19th as the overall better show, with a more fluid Page.

You can literally hear him tuning the guitar twice during Dazed. I time stamped it if you wanna see for yourself, but I'm sure you'll just say he was experimenting with alternate tunings while in the middle of a song or something similar. I only mentioned the songs played with a Les Paul to be out of tune- for the entire show. You're either daft or you didn't read my post on the show. And there are songs from this show on DVD? Where? Edit: Granted, I'm also baffled that he would use the same Les Paul with tuning problems when he had back ups. I'm just calling it like I hear it.

Spit on my laptop. I think people think I'm trying to dictate what's good and bad and override their opinion with technicality. Like you said, I enjoy the Tempe show. I sure as hell wouldn't wanna nitpick it though.

I only used that as an example, but 3/24 is debatable considering he was out of tune for the entire show. But like I said, we can all say the versions with missed notes and sticky fingers are our favorites. Technicalities can't change opinions.

Only because there seemed to be no interest in it. I'm sure I could find something interesting on it.

I'd really dread doing most 73 shows because at least with the 75 shows, I can find a good array of both good and bad. With 73, I'd just be boring people to death jerking off over Page.

Definitely overlooked some good performances. But I also found some that were worse than I thought. And I admit I tried to pick out only the bad parts of 3/21, and I still stand by the fact that Page was slightly out of it for that show, despite the big set list and energy. I may redo that one the way I'm doing them now, but I guarantee you people will still scream foul lol.

Alright, you folks have to let me know. Are enough people enjoying me doing these and see them as relevant, or am I ruining people's enjoyment of the shows by over-analyzing? If so I'll stop. I know I've certainly found things that I'd missed before and learned to appreciate other things by looking more closely, but I'll keep the nitpicks to myself if they're annoying too many people.

Nitpicking Page 3/19/1975 Vancouver (Snow Jobs) *except Dazed And Confused in which I used the Canadian Crush boot as my file was corrupted.) Also known as the "Jones up front" bootleg, with the line from Jones' audio feed being very loud. Also a very clear, albeit a little dry, soundboard. Rock And Roll- Plant doesn't sound half bad out of the gate. Solo- Pretty solid. "A". Sick Again- Good energy. Solo- Good fluidity and phrasing. Very nice. Page gets a little loose on some chords. Outro solo- Doesn't flow great, but he's making it work with nimble fingers. Somewhere between "B+" and "A". OTHAFA- Good intro. Guitar tuning is a little questionable. Solo- Good fluidity without much straining. An awkward ending at 6:46. Page loses his way a bit at the end. Overall very good performance. "A". IMTOD- A good, swampy tempo. This song sounds good either too slow or too fast. If they play it at a normal speed it's boring. First solo- Good flow and phrasing. Jones is tearing it up as well. Second solo- A little looser than the first. The "Oh my Jesus" section is exceptional, with Page throwing in a guitar response. "Whoa Georgina. Whoa Georgina. Lick your p..*CENSORED*." Despite the Mature rating, "A+". TSRTS- Now this is a song that needs the bass up front. Hallelujah. First solo- Fingers just a little sticky, but still pushing through ok. Plant yodel at 3:07. It's inevetible on this song. Outro solo- Again, just a tad sticky, but probably unnoticeable to the average, non-nitpicking listener. A solid "A", very close to an "A+" considering the energy level. The Rain Song- Sounding good. C'mon mellotron, don't fail me now. In tune, alright. Why they insisted on using this thing baffles me. Imagine how great this would sound with some fine piano work from Jones. Rock section- Mellotron is crowding the mix, but not too bad. No real flubs, a solid "A" version. Kashmir- 2:25, Plant squeak. 3:39, wrong foot note, but he is playing three parts at once here. 4:25, excellent yell from Plant. 6:06, not a good yell from Plant. 8:18, Bonham catches the snare rim. Poor Page is so low in the mix I can't even nitpick him. Plant's voice cracks keep this at a "B+". Otherwise, excellent version. No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones- Sultry, confident, smooth, sophisticated, groovy, just put any positive adjective on this. Page dances into the party like an already half drunk guy knocking over vases, as usual. 11:32, flub. Now, that was an unwarranted metaphor (Although it certainly applies to other versions). He's actually laying down some very fluid playing here for once. Very refreshing. 13:28-13:38 is the "fall back riff" used successfully, and not as a last resort. 13:38-13:57, 1973 level noodling. Very nice. Gets a little loose after 14:00. 17:20, Page is actually gelling with the other two instead of just soloing wildly until he's done. Nicely done. Outro solo- 22:31, excellent, aggressive bends. This version goes to show that when Page was hot, he could ascend to a level that made other guitarists sound phony. How rare that was in 1975. This is how the song was meant to be played. "A+". Trampled Underfoot- 2:03, Plant feeling good. Solo- Good start. Some serious slop at 4:06-4:20. Catches himself and slows it down a bit. Right hand comes alive at 5:24. Aggressive ending. Despite some sloppy lead work, the energy alone makes this a "B+". Moby Dick- Decent, very intricate version which will bore non drummers and interest others. Dazed And Confused (From "Canadian Crush")- Minor flub at 4:06. First workout- Some good energetic noodling out of the gate. 5:20-5:40, very nice series of riffs. He slows down a little to collect himself. Woodstock- Sluggish flow leading in. Gets going good and Page is having fun with it. Beautiful rendition. Bow section- Almost professional sound quality makes this really pop, and I can't listen to it without picturing Page at Boleskine doing some weird Crowley ritual. 21:00, Page is a little out of tune and either takes time to tune or swaps guitars, but it's a seamless transition nonetheless. Workout- Again, comes in blazing, sounding almost like a 1973 version. 23:41, good speedy run. Mars- Bonham leads in with a different drum pattern and Page flubs the chords pretty badly, or he's way out of tune. 32:51, they nail the climax. 34:50, Freebird notes. Excellent series of runs to finish it up. This is a good performance that is very reminiscent of the movie/MSG 73 version. "A". Stairway To Heaven- Some unique sounding keys and guitar bits on the intro. 3:13, damn Rob, where'd that come from? 4:10, alright, maybe overdoing it a little?. Solo- 8:40, some flubbed notes. Otherwise a very smooth solo. It does seem to lack some fire, although it's played very fluidly. 10:37, Plant squeak. I feel like this is an "A" version, but the lack of energy, possibly from the guitar being low in the mix, makes me wanna give it a "B+". Whole Lotta Love- Funk section- The Crunge actually flows well. Maybe the best live version? Theremin- adequate. 6:58, Page has some trouble getting into the Licking Stick rhythm. 7:44, by the time Plant joins in they leave him behind. Still an entertaining version, "B+". Black Dog- Guitar is sounding very dry and flat on this SB. Solo- 4:30, what in the hell? Not great, but not bad. A solid "B+" version. Final assessment- This was one of the first boots I listened to and completely misjudged it originally. One of the best Page showings of the tour and one of the best overall shows. Everyone sounds great, even Plant who only had a few voice cracks. Also with perfect sound quality.

You disagree when he's playing in the wrong key by accident? You disagree that sometimes his fingers are barely hitting the strings? You disagree that sometimes he probably just drops his pick or breaks a string? You disagree that sometimes Robert squelches like a pre-pubescent teen or forgets some lyrics? Or when Bonham jumps into the turn around too quickly or gets a beat reversed? Or when someone throws an M80 at the stage and disrupts the show? I think people are still missing my point in doing these and getting butthurt by only looking at the negatives. All I'm doing is dissecting the individual parts that make up the whole picture, good and bad, for anyone interested in keeping an eye out for these bits while listening to the shows. Sort of a listening guide and a text analysis on which performances are the most technically solid, and which pieces might have gone unnoticed to a casual listener. I'm trying to be as technically biased as possible and not opinion based, although I do voice some opinion at times. We can all say "You know that version of Stairway where Page obviously couldn't remember how to play? Well that's my favorite version!" That's fine, I wouldn't dare attempt to dictate what someone enjoys. All I wanna do is find the hidden gems within the songs and point out the performances that stand out in some way, be it good or bad. Hell, maybe some people are interested in hearing an example of Page falling flat on his face. It's all interesting to me anyway, the good and the bad. There are some people who enjoy hearing Achilles from Tempe 77 because it's interesting. Edit: Do you also disagree with the good parts I point out?

Have you heard 3/19? I'm doing it currently and there's no comparison, to me anyway. Edit: No Quarter, that is.

I couldn't find any info about value on it. What's it worth?

A guide on how I'm personally rating the tracks: (Although I don't follow this strictly) A+, An overall exceptional performance with good energy. A, Pretty much a flawless (Or near) performance with good lead work from Page. B+, A good performance with a few flaws that hold it back. B, A mediocre performance with too many noticeable flaws. C+, A below average or lackluster performance. Cringe inducing in some areas. C, Severely flawed in some way.

Nitpicking Page 3/27/1975 L.A. Forum (Deep Throat disc 3) The second Forum show was undoubtedly a step up, now let's see what happens with the big finish. Great audio for the most part. Rock And Roll- Plant already sounds warmed up. Solo- Almost dead on to the studio version. Very good. Considering Plant is already sounding good, I'd have to give this an "A+". Sick Again- Speedy tempo sounds good. Minor flub at 0:38. First solo- Doesn't flow very well, but at least he's keeping a good pace and not trying to cram too much in there. 3:58, Plant yodel. Outro solo- Also doesn't flow well. 5:07, ok then? I do this kind of thing when I get bored practicing. Apart from lackluster solos, not too bad. "B+". OTHAFA- Intro drags too much. Weird note at 2:28. 2:50, oh no. Get on track Pagey. 3:07-3:11 is a good run, but ends on a wrong note. Finally gets going. Off track again at 4:00. Loses direction at 4:38. 5:48, Page jumps keys. 6:33, misses his cue and waits for the next bar. A slightly embarrassing solo. Page almost forgets how to end the song. "C+" is generous. IMTOD- First solo- Good, but loses it a little at 5:18. Second solo- A nice extended solo that flows well. Plant sounds great throughout. You Shook Me at the end for a great finish. "A". TSRTS- Very energetic start. Page sounds alive now. Very slight flub at 2:15. Solo- Good articulation and phrasing. Outro solo- Not perfect, but really good. Solid version, "A". The Rain Song- Mellotron sounds good. 4:08, tape cut straight to the end of the rock section. Damn it, this was sounding great. If anyone has an uncut version please PM a link. Kashmir- The mellotron is almost nonexistent, making for a pure rock version of the song. Plant lets out an excellent scream at 4:20. A slight voice crack at 4:53. Voice is shaky around 5:40. Again at 5:59. Chord flub at 6:16. Page drops out at 7:18, returns next bar. Again at 8:33. Plant rests his voice for the final bars. A slightly sloppy version, "B". SIBLY- A very strange place on the set list. Flub at 2:06. Again at 2:49. Page sounds unfamiliar with the structure. Solo- Excellent. Nails it. 5:22-5:28, Page is having trouble remembering the chords. A great showing from Plant, who admits to the crowd that they were out of practice "B+". No Quarter- Something happens to Page at 3:29. Nitpicking Jones- Some fine cocktail lounge keyboard noodling. 10:35, Page comes in with an awkward rhythm. 11:35, I really like that. Solo- Seems to struggle to get a good flow going. 12:40 is cringey. Does some decent runs, but still seems lost. Jones is showing him up in the background. 15:52, there it is, that timeless fall back riff. 17:30, once the rhythm switches up Page manages to do some more solid playing. 21:59-22:19, awesome runs. 26:27 starts a great run but he loses it a bit. This was a hell of a jam session, but I didn't really hear anything that stood out that much. I'd honestly like to hear Page's entire solo removed so I could listen to Jones and Bonham groove for thirty minutes. Barely a "B+" version. Trampled Underfoot- Solo- 3:35-3:42, absolutely awful. Even Bonham sounds off. Not a good flow. 5:55-6:02 sounds like two cats fighting. 7:44, I think Bonzo gives him the "let's wrap this up" signal. 9:52, Plant throws in some Gallows Pole. "C+". Moby Dick- 4 minutes of snare rolls before we get to the toms. Then it's back to the snare rolls for 4 minutes. This version seems very subdued and uninspired. Dazed And Confused- Muscular, moody intro. First workout- Page is playing very chill and experimental. Woodstock- A little too unstructured. Sounds alright once it gets going. 10:46, some unique vocal additions by Plant. Bow section- fair. Has to retune at 20:56. Workout section- Flubs guitar part at 21:45. 23:22, a sloppy mess. The energy is there, but his phrasing ability isn't. There isn't much to brag about. Some good noodling around 28:00. The guitar/vocal duel has Plant sounding very 73 ish. 32:44, very cool riff. 33:40, good jamming here. Mars- A little trouble with the chords. 35:55, Jones and Bonham go into the climax and leave Page behind, which actually turns into a good jam session. 37:10, Page again misses the cue. 39:21, Page finally gets some fluid licks going. 42:38, whoops. This honestly sounded like a practice run after a year off. I know they experiment with and expand their songs from night to night, but that doesn't excuse missing the basics. There are parts where Page sounds like he's practicing new riffs to add later. Not a great thing to do in front of a live audience. "B". Stairway To Heaven- Very sluggish tempo. There are parts where it sounds like Page is nodding off. The solo- A little too much overdrive on the amp makes this sound kind of twangy. Nevertheless, he's playing with a good flow and phrasing. 7:28-7:35 is a beautiful run. For crying out loud, another tape cut at 7:38. This one doesn't seem to lose too much though. Page is flowing along nicely, but it sounds slightly lethargic. Flub at 10:00 and 10:07. 10:20-10:35, a little sloppy. 10:45-10:55, the notes Jones is playing through here sound surreal. Page flubs the final triplets. 11:28, Plant straining. 11:55, Page gets in the way of those beautiful keys. This was another version where if Page had been in his right mind, he could've blown everyone away. "B+". Possible "B" considering the lethargy. Whole Lotta Love- Weird intro. Also sluggish. Funk section- Page has trouble maintaining the rhythm and cuts it short. Theremin- Actually an A+ theremin section. Plant further blows out his voice at 5:20 lol. "A" considering the extended jam. Black Dog- 1:59, Page has trouble holding on to the tempo. Plant is still feeling good. Must be thinking about Ms. Lovelace backstage. The solo- 3:59, he choked that note to death. Some decent runs but they all sound a little awkward. 4:42-5:00, A.D.D. kicks in as he keeps switching lead phrases. 6:15, the most fluid run. Not bad, but not good. A solid "B+". Final assessment- It's tough hearing all these crap performances of OTHAFA, one of my favorite songs. Rock And Roll, IMTOD, and TSRTS are the highlights. Of course Jones was fantastic on No Quarter. None of these Forum shows really stand out as superior. You'd just have to pick your favorite version from each one to make a best of compilation, but I'm glad I gave them a thorough nitpick to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I think Rock And Roll from this show may be the single highlight of all three, considering Plant sounded great out of the gate. Very rare.

Anyone have the Crawdaddy magazine with the Burroughs interview?

Or make you realize that a track is actually better than it seems on the surface. Breaking down the individual elements of a performance can expose (at least to me) certain things I would've been quick to dismiss had I not listened more closely. For example; I'd completely dismissed the 3/25 show before without ever realizing how awesome that Stairway was. There are No Quarters where Page is crap, but Jones and Bonham more than make up for it. Or Rain Songs that seem mediocre but have an incredible climax section. So I suppose I do this less to find "the best version" and more to find the little hidden gems that lie within a live performance. Again, I'm not nitpicking to only expose flaws. I'm looking for random good bits as well. But I see what you're saying on the other hand. If you enjoy a show, you enjoy it. Don't let some flubs get in the way of an enjoyable performance.

Nitpicking Page 3/25/1975 LA Forum (Deep Throat Disc 2) Couldn't be worse than the previous night. Could it? Some slight bootleg ears required at first, but clears up later. Then there's a loose cable from Page's guitar. Rock And Roll- A little slop on the solo, not too bad. "B". Sick Again- Plant isn't sounding so good. First solo- Good start. 1:55, struggling. 2:02, yikes. Outro solo- Not as bad, but you can tell he's straining to put something together. "C+". OTHAFA- Decent intro. Solo- Solid, average noodling throughout. 4:28, gobbling. Though a solid performance, this version seems to lack some energy. "B+". IMTOD- First time I've heard Page get sloppy on the main riff. Plant is warmed up and sounding good. Bonham is doing some thunderous drum fills. 2:58, flub. First solo- Guitar cuts out intermitently. A good flow, not bad. Second solo- Phrasing is great but he's hitting the notes a little off key. 8:46- 9:24, still hitting notes off key. "B". TSRTS- Guitar still cutting out. Good playing on the intro. First solo- Nimble fingers and pretty good articulation. Outro solo- Energetic, but lacking articulation. "B+". The Rain Song- Some accidental notes in the intro. 1:31, mellotron mishap. Rock section- Plant puts a little extra in and it sounds great. 5:22, mellotron mishap. Guitar is also now slightly out of tune. All of the mishaps knock this down to a "B". Kashmir- An uptempo version, and it sounds great. 4:15, careful Plant. 5:24, Plant yodel. 6:17, Plant is struggling a little. 8:30, awesome drums. Despite Plant's straining, I still give this energetic version an "B+". No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones- Maybe a little slow to get going, but incredible playing from Jonesy with good atmosphere. 11:57, some wrong notes. Page- 14:15, comes in wrong and tries a few more times. Disappears from 15:18-15:33. Comes back in with some fire. 17:14, awesome drum fill. Page is grooving fairly well. Not exactly shredding, but playing smoothly with good phrasing. 19:49, some good playing. 21:22, cool riff. Excellent finish. Very cool performance, but has enough flubs to make it a "B+". Trampled Underfoot- The solo- Bad phrasing, bad articulation. Some good bits here and there, but mostly a slopfest. "B". Moby Dick- This version failed to hold my attention. Dazed And Confused- First workout is pretty good, decent flow and phrasing. Woodstock- Very good noodling on the lead in with a haunting atmosphere. Plant just doesn't sound good here, though Page is nailing it. Bow section is pretty average with a good finish. Second workout- Page is flowing quite well with only a couple hangups. 25:40-25:57, excellent series of runs. 27:36, Page is testing Plant with the guitar/vocal duel. 28:35, minor hang up. This might be the best phrasing during the latter half of the workout I've heard in a while. No bedroom jamming. Mars- something sounds off at 31:12. 32:20, Bonham flexes a little. Finale- Page again throws down some good noodling. Flub at 38:43. A very solid version overall and worth sitting through. Once again though, Plant's straining keeps it at a "B+". I'd have to give Page an "A". Stairway To Heaven- Excellent clarity. Jones' keys are up in the mix and sound amazing. Solo- The guitar starts cutting out, but is still audible. Page's fingers are quite nimble, but the phrasing could be just a tad bit better. 8:14, very cool riff here. An excellent finish to a very good solo. Plant sounds better now as well. It's a shame this had the technical difficulties with the guitar. A solid "A" version. Stay tuned until 12:05 for the massive M80 lol. Whole Lotta Love- Plant sounding squeaky at first. Funk section- Sounding quite good, despite the audio problems. Theremin drags on a bit, but Jones is putting down a good rhythm. Weird transition into Black Dog. "B+". Black Dog- 1:10, Plant forgets the lyrics and throws Page off as well. Solo- Page comes alive, but his articulation isn't great. An honest "C+" version. Heartbreaker- Dropped. Final assessment- Not a standout show, but a rare one considering Page starts out terrible and gets better throughout. I'm guessing he did some snorting instead of drinking during Moby Dick. A very good Stairway. Solid versions of No Quarter and Dazed. This Kashmir would've really been something had Plant been in better shape.

$150-$300.

The Jimmy Page figurines are on my wish list. Which one do you think is best?