The Obelisk and Bonzo dressing like a droog in 75. These guys had a serious fascination with Kubrick. I wonder if there were any legal problems with it? But you know, that rectangular black figure had been used for hundreds of years /sarcasm.

I'm actually going for belt buckles now. They're cheap, and some of them are actually pretty unique.

What do you hardcore collectors go after once you've got the main items (i.e. vinyls, tshirts, ticket stubs,)? Is it smart to go after custom made art? What's the most expensive item you've nabbed?

Snowed Monday night, waited for the snow to melt Tuesday so I could mow the yard in 75° weather, now it's back below freezing for a few days. Fruit trees will be scrogged this year.

Definitely gonna get those.

I've definitely neglected the first three EC shows, so I'd like to get them just for my own benefit.

I think I got the best of the February shows that were listenable, except for Baton Rouge, and we know how that turns out. I jumped to 3/12 because a couple people had requested it. I'd like to get the Texas shows too.

Nitpicking Page 3/24/1975 L.A. Forum (Deep Throat Disc 1) The Forum has always been a hot spot for magical Zep performances, but I'll admit that every time I've listened to these shows before I was not impressed. I always thought the third show was the best but still mediocre. But on the other hand, doing these nitpicks has allowed me to notice things in detail that I hadn't heard before. There's a Winston remaster of these shows, but the tracks are cut in an odd fashion and don't sound a whole lot better. The version I'm using has the guitar on a soundboard quality, with the other members in the background. It also sounds like he's playing through a $50 practice amp. I'm not sure how this was achieved. Rock And Roll- Guitar sounds slightly out of tune. Solo- Played very aggressively and pretty well flawless. I just wish he'd dialed up the overdrive a bit to thicken the tone. 3:10, some sloppy chording, which brings it down to a "B". Sick Again- The guitar again sounds off. Solo- Not bad at all. Good phrasing and flow. Outro solo- The phrasing isn't great here, but he's playing with authority. He flubs the last chord. "B". OTHAFA- Again, the guitar is out of tune. I'm surprised he hasn't swapped this thing out yet. Good intro with a monstrous build up to the first verse. Solo- Sounds a little awkward in the beginning. Gets a good flow going by 3:30. 3:42, excellent run. 4:12, some turkey gobble. 4:20-4:32, fingers stuck in strings. Nice ending, but still only a "B" version. IMTOD- The midrange heavy guitar tone on this sounds much better than the Winston version. Very swampy. First solo- Gets off to a great start. Phrasing issues at 4:47. Finishes up nicely. Second solo- Ok, but doesn't really get a good flow going. The energy from Plant and Bonham knock this up to a "B+". TSRTS- Good energy. Solo- A little sloppy, not bad. 2:49-3:00, Ok, it's kinda bad. Outro solo- Not very articulate. A "B" version despite the energy. The Rain Song- A very beautiful, delicate version with the mellotron low in the mix (Thank God). Rock section- Hard hitting with Plant singing with passion. A solid "A" version. Kashmir- 2:12, guitar sounds out of tune. The arabic phrases sound great. 6:16, out of tune.6:43, cool riffing. Outro solo doesn't flow well. 7:53 lol. Page played with some frustration through this. "C+". No Quarter- Page's wah pedal is shaving off the treble too much. Nitpicking Jones- 8:04-8:28, I need a handkerchief. Was that improvised or did he steal it? Jones is from another planet. Page- Good intro riffing. 13:05, Page will practice guitar sometimes while playing live. If he doesn't get something right the first try, he'll play it a few more times. 14:16 just doesn't flow well. 14:24, good run. He's picking it up a little now. 14:52-15:10, very nice. 16:42, on the verge of cringe. The nasally wah pedal kicks in and he stays within his comfort zone. 19:17, careful. 20:15, recycling any trick he knows. He just doesn't seem to know where to go. Thankfully Jones comes back in. 22:49-23:06, some serious problems going on. 23:31-24:12, out of nowhere a hell of a run. Very problematic playing from Page overall. And the guitar still sounds out of tune. Did he not bring his back ups? A "C+" version, though I'll give Jones an "A". Trampled Underfoot- 0:53 and 1:14, at least he's throwing in some cool ad libs. The guitar is way up in the mix on the version I'm listening to, which exposes his background rhythm playing during Jones' solo. It's pretty atrocious. I don't know if those are chords or if he threw the guitar down some steps. 2:51, he finally manages to get a sensible rhythm going. Page solo- Turkey gobbling galore. He's certainly playing with some fire though lol. 4:12, elbow deep in the strings. 5:15, he settles down a little. Not a good solo. "C+" is being generous. Moby Dick- This seems to go anywhere from mundane to very dynamic. Dazed And Confused- Page finally tries to tune up at 2:11. 4:03, tries tuning again. First workout- Page seems afraid to cut loose, then finally does a little at 5:18. 5:52, out of tune. San Fran/Woodstock section sounds ok once it gets going. Flub at 8:46. Better get "Back to the guitar shop". 9:11, tuning. Bow solo- At least you can't tell the guitar is out of tune. Second workout- Slop out of the gate. 19:30-20:00, not bad. It actually gets going ok in the later half. Mars- Not bad. 25:52, some struggling. Good build up to the climax. 27:51, ouch. Outro solo is decent. 32:42, I wish Page had never discovered that shitty lick. A more balanced mix on this might hide a lot of the flubs, but it's still a "C" version. I half expected Plant to say "Jimmy Page, mellotron!" lol. Stairway To Heaven- The trusty double-neck is tuned up. Plant sounds great. Solo- Gets out of the gate very good. 7:03-7:12, very nice. A little slop at 7:23. 7:55, loses the flow a little. 8:40, I think Jones flubs. 8:55, flub. 9:36, flub. Doesn't even attempt the final triplet riff, finishes at a lower octave. 10:47, flub. I really had high hopes for the solo for a second, but he just couldn't put it together. "C+" considering Jones flubs. Whole Lotta Love- A hint at The Rover at the start. Damn you Page. Ok beginning. The Crunge- 2:05, careful. Page is playing this with all downstrokes, which doesn't make sense. To keep the rhythm going for the odd time, you need to throw in those upstrokes as well. Licking stick- Sounds like Trampled Underfoot again. The theremin seems to be in tune. 7:24, Jones coming alive. 8:09, there's the upstrokes. Sounding good. I don't know what 8:46 is, but I love it. Not too bad, "B+". Black Dog- 1:16, fingers getting sticky. 2:11, Page gets tangled up. Solo- It starts but Page isn't there lol. Finally comes in ok. Some speedy playing, but the phrasing is ungodly. The final series of runs are pretty good. "B". Heartbreaker- 2:08-2:14, pretty good run. Solo- Not bad at all. Some decent noodling. Sort of flubs the chords at 6:01. Turkey gobbling at 7:06. "B+" is being generous. Final assessment- All I can say is "Where's that confounded guitar tech?" Not a great showing from Page.

I could only find the first disc of source 3. If you can send me a link for stairway that would be appreciated, and I could put a final stamp on it. I'm gonna stick to 75 for a while considering I'm in that mindset and can judge fairly. I still wanna do the Forum shows, Vancouver shows, and the other Seattle.

Nitpicking Page 3/12/75 Long Beach Arena (Source 3 mix/Taking No Prisoners Tonight) A very popular show that I've shamefully only skimmed through a few times. I'm switching between the two different sources mentioned above. Rock And Roll- Bonham seems excited tonight. That's always a good sign. Solo- Absolutely perfect. Could've passed as the studio take. Plant seems warmed up already toward the end, but the audience source may blur reality. Badass drum finale. Gotta say "A+" for the opener, especially for 75. Sick Again- Thunderous start. First solo- I've listened five times trying to find a flaw and can't. Fluidity supreme. Slight chord flub at 2:53. Sounds like Page jumps into the ending chords a little early. Outro solo- Very good fluidity. The phrasing is a little erratic, but this song doesn't have a very structured solo anyway. He's definitely feeling his oats so far tonight though. Even with the one flub I'd call it an "A" version. OTHAFA- Glad to hear a speedy intro to this again, compared to the NY versions. Solo- Very good flow and phrasing.4:35, letting those fingers fly a little. Bonham is also solid as a rock. 4:57, nice lick. 5:11? What's he doing here? It almost sounds like an extremely fast sweep arpeggio, but I know better than that from Page. I suppose he's just holding the chords down and steadily strumming them. Phrasing out of this world. I would hold this solo to any OTHAFA solo from previous years. Maybe better than most of them. Considering how smooth Plant's voice is as well, this is a top tier version. "A+". IMTOD- It's funny to think that by the time this song even takes off, most other songs have ended. The murky mix makes this one very hard to judge. First solo- 5:14, a vibrato so strong it sounds like Blind Willie Johnson. Beautiful and flawless. Solo 2- After the intensity of first one, this one doesn't hit quite as hard. Still solid playing though. 9:40, Page is actually rushing the tempo of this a bit. I think Bonham tries to bring it back down at 10:07. Excellent version, "A". TSRTS- I won't count the mishap at 0:58 lol. Excellent pace. 4:28, very close to a Plant yodel. First solo- As good as it's ever been played, except for an almost unnoticeable wrong note on the ending string of pull offs at 5:11. 6:14, is Bonham using double bass here? Outro solo- Very good. Plant really has to strain for this song now. Easily an "A" version for 75. The Rain Song- A slightly up-tempo version. Rock section- Plant hits a strong high note. The way Page plays the chords here reminds me of the 72 versions. No real flubs. "A". Kashmir- The only negative is 8:20, he's trying to do too much instead just laying down some cool arabic licks. "B+". No Quarter- Unique, haunting intro. Nitpicking Jones, beautiful grand piano groove. Page- 13:17, this fluidity is easily on par with 2/8. 15:06, a missed note, but calling this out seems ludicrous. 16:09, what an awesome little groove, 16:17, Page switches over to the bridge pickup, which is almost too trebly. 16:38-16:44, not perfect, but damn what a nice run.17:45, Bonham matching the intensity. Outro solo- "Give it to me". Page gonna give it to ya. 22:18-22:47, wow. One of the best versions ever, period. "A+". Trampled Underfoot- Solo- Page is obviously playing with fluidity, but I don't think his phrasing matches the groove of the song. Nevertheless, a "B+" version. Moby Dick- Sound quality takes a dive on this, but still sounds pretty good. This one gets a little repetitve, in my opinion. Dazed And Confused- Plant is sounding great, almost like a good night in 72. First workout- not bad. Takes forever to get the San Fran section going. Apparently there's some technical issue. 8:33, excellent wah pedal riffing. It's starting to drag a little. Bow section- OK, but it obviously has less impact on an audience source. The crowd chatter tends to interfere with the atmosphere. Workout 2- 19:46, there's some straining. His fluidity picks up for some nice runs. 20:56 is blurred by the recording, but I bet that would be severe turkey gobbling on a SB. 25:00 in and he starts to lose his way a little. 25:13-25:23, very nice run. Mars section- Those drum triplets leading in was awesome, but Page hits the chords on the upbeat which sounds a little off. 26:49, he's not playing badly, but it sounds like he's just throwing in whatever he can think of. The buildup to the climax doesn't flow so well. Despite Page's fluidity, this version seemed too loose and unstructured with no hard hitting moments. "B". Stairway To Heaven- Does Jones flub a little at 6:00? Almost unnoticeable. Solo- Sounds like a tape cut at 7:14, anyone know how much is missing? 8:04-8:10, very nice fluidity. Very smooth sailing with good phrasing. 9:52, Page tries to change it up some but flubs a few times. Very solid finish. Sounds like an excellent version but is hard to judge with the tape cut. Whole Lotta Love- Page gets a little off track at 1:43. The Crunge- Almost a total screw up. I guess the rhythm was even too complicated for them. Page seems eager to get out of it at 4:02 and starts doing some very funky improvised riffs. Is that the Ozone Baby riff at 4:50? A seemingly short theremin solo. "B". Black Dog- Good pace and energy. 0:54-1:00, Page showing some fire. Solo- His fingers are flying but the phrasing is a little too sporadic. Feels like he's in a hurry to go nowhere. Struggles with the bends a bit at 4:25. Reminds me a little of the soundtrack version, not bad but not great. "B+". Heartbreaker- Page's guitar tone starts out great but gets noticeably duller by the 1:00 mark. I suppose Millard was moving around a bit at the show. Some fine runs leading up to the solo. Solo- Very solid and reminiscent of the 71/72 versions. 4:30, for once the boogie section doesn't feel so forced and contrived. 5:06- 5:27, solo phrasing at it's finest. Page is feeling like his younger self. 6:10, very nice. 9:00-9:05, listen to that speed. Again at 9:21. One of the best versions I've heard in a while with Page's playing as smooth as butter. "A+". Final assessment- The Jekyll and Hyde of Page on this tour is unbelievable. How he can turn around and lay something this fluid down after so many lethargic shows is mind-blowing. This show makes me wonder why anyone considers 3/21 to be so good. From a guitar standpoint, there's no comparison, this and 2/8 are way up there for 1975. Although I did think Page was a little A.D.D. at times, starting very quick, sporadic runs that didn't seem to go anywhere. And I noticed Bonham calms down after the first few numbers, unfortunately. A tremendous show nonetheless and restores some of my faith for Page in 1975.

Nitpicking Page 2/14/75 Uniondale, second show (Throwing The Wild Seeds) The follow up to the good show the previous night. Let's see if Page can get it going again. I'm using the matrix version. Rock And Roll- Sounds like the building comes crashing down when they launch into this. Plant is a little rough, but not too bad at all. The solo- Not as solid as the previous night, but pretty good. No real flubs. "B+". Sick Again- Good energy. First solo- Solid, but sounds like he strains just a little to put the last couple of measures together. Maybe the finger is hurting tonight? 2:56, slight flub. Outro solo- Not a good flow at all. He's really struggling a bit here, but manages to survive without disaster. "C+". OTHAFA- Another relaxed start. Solid beginning. The solo- I already don't like how this starts out of the gate. 3:27-3:31 is nice. 3:33-3:45, sticky fingers galore. At the 5:30 mark and I don't know what to say. He's playing. He's hitting notes in the key. But there's absolutely no fire behind his playing and very little fluidity. Articulation? Nope. I've listened about six times now trying to find something that stands out. I mean, there are some decent bits like 4:25-4:36, but calling this professional guitar playing by the biggest rock band on the planet seems like a crime. 4:53, he attempts something nice, but it comes out a slopfest. I wonder if he realizes how he's playing or if in his head he's playing like Vienna 73? 5:45 and on isn't too bad I suppose. He ends the song just fine. After the song Plant comments that Page hadn't slept much. Maybe he's noticed his playing as well. Let's just go ahead and assume Page indulged a bit before the show. "C". IMTOD- The guitar is really low in the mix on this. First solo- Not bad but the flow of it seems off, like the rhythm section is about to take off and leave him. Second solo- A little more fire on this one with a little better phrasing. A "B+" version, mainly because of Jones and Bonham. SIBLY- This is one of those songs like The Rain Song where Page almost never screws up, no matter how off he is. Intro is beautiful. Solid playing through the first half. Solo- Not mind blowing, but a good solid solo played with accuracy. 6:18, Plant sounds really rough. Page's playing though the last half is present, but not making any kind of impact. I'm glad to hear this played in 75, but it's a mediocre version at best. Plant thinks it was great though. "B". TSRTS- Good energetic start. Slight flub at 0:53. First solo- He struggles a bit to get it going, but gets through okay. Second solo- Much more accurate and aggressive. Really not bad, a "B+" version. The Rain Song- A flub at 4 seconds in, but I'll give him a break on that. The vibrato on the mellotron is way too heavy. Rock part- The phaser effect on Plant's vocals almost ruin this. Otherwise alright. The ending exposes a string out of tune. "B". Kashmir- Bonham corrects his beat at 5:53. Plant sounds really tired toward the end. Not a bad version. "B+". No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, an absolutely wonderful groove jam. I almost feel like Page comes in too soon and interrupts. 8:26, Bonzo has some fun and doubles the tempo for a measure (and will continue to do so throughout). Page solo- Good solid phrasing and surprisingly good fluidity. Bonzo's impatience really makes this stand out. 14:30, I don't know if Bonzo is trying to outshine Page or if he's just feeling great, but this is a rarity for 1975. 16:05, these three guys are killing it. 18:02, wrong chord Pagey. Outro solo- Page comes alive with some fire, smothered in wah pedal of course. 20:24, Jones misses the correct chord change. A very strong and unique version, but the small flubs make it a "B+". Trampled Underfoot- 0:34, somebody screwed up. 1:40, listen to those pull offs! 3:00, some serious turkey gobbling. Solo- Articulation isn't great, but his phrasing is really good. 4:18-4:28, excellent flow. 5:13, sounds like a chase scene in a movie. I can't hear 5:40 well, but it sounds pretty awesome. 7:16, Page is feeling the groove as the right hand comes alive. His outro accents are great as well (7:53). A very good version apart from the few flubs. "A". Moby Dick- Maybe it's this recording but Page's guitar sounds all out of whack. Bonham sounds tremendous and energetic. The sound quality really helps too. I'm only an amateur wannabe drummer, but this sounds like a tour de force. 19:00, Jesus. I imagine this bores the shit outta people who don't appreciate drumming, but I'm thoroughly impressed. Now let's hope Jimmy didn't chug a fifth of Jack backstage. Dazed And Confused- Excellent guitar tone. First workout- 4:39, good run. Some articulation problems at 5:36. Bonzo and Jones are laying down a hell of a rhythm. Tape cut. San Fran, not a great start, guitar out of tune. Sounds excellent later on though. Fair bow solo. Workout- 19:40, starts a good run but loses it. 20:04, loses the flow. 20:17-20:22, not bad. 20:31, oh no. 20:50, jamming in the bedroom. 21:05 sounds like someone who's played guitar for a year took a Zep bootleg, cut out Page, and overdubbed their own playing onto it. 21:52, sticky fingers. 22:12 also. And 25:15. 26:12, slightly embarrassing. Mars- Not good. 30:32, Freebird licks. The wah pedal outro solo isn't too bad. "C". Stairway To Heaven- A quick paced intro. The guitar drops way down in the mix and even this matrix sounds more dry soundboard-ish. Solo- Good flow at the start. Slight flub at 7:03. 7:28-7:42, I love these unusual low notes he's noodling with, and does an excellent run coming out of them. 8:00-8:25, really good articulation and phrasing through here. 8:58-9:06, yes sir. 9:25-9:29, a run reminiscent of 73 Page. 9:46, a very slight flub. 10:13, some articulation problems. Flub at 10:43. He barely catches the very last note at 10:47, maybe the most important one of the solo lol. If you could go back in time and slap the whiskey out of Page's hands for this show, this might have been the best Stairway solo ever. He was definitely feeling it here. The phrasing was perfect, but his ability was lacking a little. Even with flubs, a "B+" version. Whole Lotta Love- Page sounds very loose now. Funk section- 2:25, Jones with the slap, Flea style. Page is doing some wicked stuff with the theremin here. Incoming Crunge. If you find the bridge, throw Page's whiskey stash off it. An "A" for a 75 version WLL. Black Dog- Bonham loses beat at 0:46. Guitar at maximum twanginess. Plant belts a confident scream before the solo. Solo- A little hesitant at first. 3:52-4:17, well hot damn. 4:33-4:48, excellence, even with a dry soundboard tone. 4:58, struggling a little. 5:04-5:14, throwing in TSRTS style solo just for fun. Possibly the best Black Dog solo of 75? Shame the tone was so thin. "A". Maybe "A+" for 75 Page. Heartbreaker- Awesome, unique intro. Slip up at 1:30. The solo- Page sounds a little unsure of what he wants to do. 5:28, slight flub. Mess O Blues, sounding good. The second part of the solo sounds a lot smoother, with some nifty finger work. 9:08 and on is pure comedy gold. 9:33-9:50, I'm dying. What a way to end. I'll give an "A" for uniqueness, performance wise- "C+". Final assessment. Bonham was really impatient for this show which made for some great moments (and some bad ones). Page was up and down, one minute playing a lightning fast run and completely zoning out the next. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to his playing ability in 1975. Somehow he manages to sober up enough to impress in between drooling on the strings. Plant was rather mediocre, sounding very out of breath at the beginning and straining to hang on to notes. I'd still say 2/13 is the best of the NY run. But that's an opinion, not a nitpick.

I think that's why people love 3/21 so much. It has a tremendous amount of energy and Plant sounds great for 75, but I absolutely can not stand by Jimmy's playing and still be honest.

If you don't listen to Tempe closely it almost sounds normal. If you do then you realize they're all playing out of sync. It's quite a comedy routine.

I had no idea. Can't wait to nitpick this one lol.

Man, I played this non-stop back in the day.

Certainly not all. I'm gonna skip through some and hit the more notable performances, though I doubt I'll find a Page that matches 2/8.

Nitpicking Page 2/13/1975 Uniondale (Throwing The Wild Seeds) After a mediocre show the previous night, let's move on to Uniondale, NY and see if he gets back on track to match the level of playing from 2/8 Pittsburgh. Another soundboard, I'm not aware of any audience sources. Rock And Roll- Good solid solo. No mishaps. "A". Sick Again- Flub at 0:16. First solo- He starts off pretty good but loses the flow a little at 1:53. Pushes through ok. Outro solo- Keeps a good steady flow with no mishaps. Other than Plant sounding a little hoarse, this is a solid version. "B+". OTHAFA- A string ever so slightly out of tune. Very slow tempo. Those little full neck finger slides Jimmy does between chords sound freaking awesome. 2:12, a Plant yodel. The solo- The 2:52 run sounds out of key but it still works somehow. The low octave noodling has a decent flow. 3:42, he bites off more than he can chew with that speedy run. Recovers with a good one at 3:57-4:07. 4:30, the solo should have ended here. It's not terrible after this, but Page really had no good noodling left from here on. 4:54, fingers stuck in strings. 5:16, turkey gobbling. An "alright" version. "C+". IMTOD- Slow and heavy like the previous night's. Accurate slide work. First solo- Excellent flow on this one. Perfect phrasing. Second solo- Not as good, but still really good. And listen to Jones in the background. 7:30-7:52, Bonzo finally comes alive. "Oh my cheeses". A very good version, one of the best in my opinion. The only problem I have is how reserved Bonham is up until the last half. "A+". TSRTS- Good energy and Page sounds good through the opening. In case the soundboard wasn't twangy enough, here's a twelve string. 2:20, Plant yodel. I had to listen to this one about ten times because it's freaking hilarious. Solo- Very accurate with nimble fingers. 3:36, a missed chord but that really is nitpicking. Second solo- Page gets a second wind and takes off like a madman. Excellent. Very good version apart from Plant channeling Yoko Ono. "A". The Rain Song- The mellotron is accenting the music like a real orchestra for once. (Side note, I recently read that a mellotron plays prerecorded sound samples and doesn't actually produce the sounds. It's like pressing "Play" on a cassette deck. Quite an interesting instrument.) Good playing throughout. Rock section- very passionate and well performed. Plant does a great job on this one. Great version. "A". Kashmir- This version seems slightly unenthusiastic for some reason. Maybe it's the sound quality of the boot, or because Plant sounds half asleep. 4:30, mellotron mishap that sounds quite good. A "B" version. No Quarter- The description on the website gave this a rave review, let's see how it holds up. So. Much. Bass Pedal. Nitpicking Jones- Very solemn and meditative, not exactly showing off, but it works. 4:39-4:44, an arabic sounding run. 6:24, a unique little funk rhythm. Enter Pagey- A good build up, shows some fludity at 8:08. Again at 9:06. Good phrasing so far. 10:22, this run is very fluid but he's done it three times now. 12:03, starts sounding a little desperate but saves it with a good run at 12:13. 13:22, he's playing solid through here but that's it. Kinda got the jamming in my bedroom thing going. But, he's staying within his reach and not straining. Outro solo- A little more fire here with a massive finish. 18:13, Jones tries to end but Jimmy keeps going. Very solid playing throughout, but there's no doubt that Jimmy has lit up the fretboard more than this on other performances. A "B+" version. Trampled Underfoot- Solo has a decent start, but starts losing flow at 4:34. Articulation problems at 4:51. 5:15, we've walked in on Page jamming in his bedroom. 5:34 is a good riff, but he can't take it anywhere. 6:55, someone is hitting wrong notes here but I can't tell if it's Page or Jones. Plant sounds quite excellent through this one and probably steals the show. "B". Moby Dick- Maybe it's the tone of the soundboard but this one isn't quite as exciting. Dazed and Confused- First solo, he gets a good flow going with good phrasing. He channels Freebird at 4:53. The lead in to San Fran is really good. 9:00, I love this sinister riff Jones is putting down. 9:32, Robert is overdoing the "Whoo"s. Bow solo- pretty good, just a little drawn out. Workout section- 21:22-21:34, alright Jimmy, keep it up! Some good phrasing. 22:02, rockabilly jam out of nowhere. 22:14-22:26, not an articulate run but still pretty impressive with a good ending. His phrasing is on point even if his fluidity isn't 100%. 23:27-23:41, excellent run with decent articulation. 23:47, hand cramps up. 23:57, just stop doing this riff dude. Luckily, he winds this down before it goes south. 26:05, Plant has some fun with the call and response section. Last solo, he again gets a good flow going. Very fluid at 27:23. 28:16, we go rockabilly again. 28:32, sounds like "Royal Orleans". 29:27-29:36, articulation sounds great on a good fluid run. Mars section is played devastatingly heavy. 31:32, prog funk section with Jones coming alive. 32:28, perfect entrance into the finale. Outro solo, 34:53, some more Freebird riffs. Some very nice string bends. 38:24, it starts feeling a little too drawn out, but as good as it's been so far it's fair game. Might as well carry this one to the heavens. 39:18, a riff from "Night Flight". 40:17, a slight flub. Strong finish. I'm glad I started doing these nitpicks now because I never realized how awesome this version was before, probably because I usually skipped a lot of the 75 versions of Dazed. Easily one of my favorites now. A very solid "A". An "A+" had the bow section been a little more drastic. Stairway To Heaven- Plant's voice sounds good, but he sounds absolutely exhausted. The solo- Good smooth start. 8:21, very slight flub. His flow slows down some after the 10:00 mark. 10:14-10:32, the same riff. 11:20, Page starts that run off time and even fools Bonzo lol. An average solo, certainly not great. Barely good from a guitarist's view. I think the Jack has kicked in a little bit. Plant also sounds very tired and is forcing himself to sing this. "C+". Whole Lotta Love- Poor Plant is barely hanging on. 1:14, Page flubs. Not a good funk section either. Black Dog- Drags just a little. The solo- Good start with a decent run at 4:05-4:27. Fairly nimble fingers for this late in the show. Slight flub at 5:33. Much better playing than I suspected. "B+". Communication Breakdown- Kicks in at full speed. Plant sounds alright. 0:48, Ron obviously didn't run through the chord changes before taking the stage. His tone on his solo is amazing though as he blazes right through. 3:10, awesome groove. Too bad they didn't stretch that out. I ain't gonna lie, Wood does a better job with the "groove jamming" than Page. Video footage of this would be amazing to see. "A+". How could it not be? Final assessment- Except for a couple of tracks, this show blows 2/12 out of the water for the most part. Definitely a must listen for 1975. On to 2/14.

That would be a dream. Unfortunately, Page's superb playing on No Quarter doesn't have a good impact because the rest of the band doesn't really match his playing.

I know, but I can't resist being a smartass. Thanks for letting me know about the matrix.

I'm gonna work my way towards that one and will use those sources. Doing 2/13 as we speak.

All I wanted was a version of The Crunge without the wonky synthesizer. Take out the synths and add some nifty lead work and that could've been a really cool track.

I found the Flying Circus FLAC. Will take a listen and see if the flubs stand out as much.

I do not. Do you think Page plays better on it?

I'm gonna keep all future 1975 nitpicks under this thread as not to clog up the forum. Nitpicking Page 2/12/75 Madison Square Garden (Four Blocks In The Snow) This one has a reputation as one of the best shows of 1975. Of course this is a straight soundboard source, so I really need to imagine how it would sound live to judge fairly. I've listened to it a few times before but have never nitpicked it, so here we go. (Here's a remaster I did of the show that doesn't sound so dry- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKfR9NOkf_U&list=PLtkfyvuP52RcQVJt6vNVOF6SsyDo-lf6L&index=1 Rock And Roll- A good solid start, Plant doesn't sound half bad. The solo, very reminiscent of the soundtrack version, except a little different at the end. Very nice start. Sick Again- First solo, good start. Hangs up a little at 1:49. 1:58, strains a bit. Outro solo, good fluidity but gets a little repetitive. A very pale comparison to 2/8, but not as bad as 3/21. OTHAFA- No flubs at the start. The solo, good noodling on the lower notes. The SB mix makes some of the bends sound strained, but I imagine they sounded more impressive live. Decent phrasing and improv throughout. 6:45, flubs the chords a bit. Not a bad version, though Plant started sounding flat. IMTOD- Solid playing, slow and heavy. One of my favorite versions actually. Solo 1, good flow with nothing forced. Pretty much perfect. Solo 2, same here. A solid slide routine. Page doesn't tend to improvise with the slide as much, but maybe that's a good thing. 10:22, listen to Percy! I guess that's as high as he could get in 1975 lol. A superb version, with Jones and Bonham also playing well. TSRTS- A muddy mix on this. The guitar on the first verses seems a little lackluster. The solo seems a bit strained at times, but I'm sure the SB mix accents that. The outro solo at 4:48 has Page's fingers tiring just a little. This version may not have been perfect, but it still had lots of energy. The Rain Song- 3:12, attack of the shitty mellotron (Or whatever he was using here). It drags a little up until the rock part, then seems to get back on track. Page's playing is fine though. 7:26, throw that damn mellotron out a hotel window. Beautiful ending otherwise. Kashmir- A very good version. 3:30, the mellotron acts up but it actually sounds intentional. No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, he's putting down a very nice groove. Not really showing off, but playing what needs to be played. In comes JP. Not really nailing the flow on the funky part, but still maintaining the groove. Some decent fluidity on 9:05-9:12. He's playing very relaxed and without the fire he usually has for this. Sticky fingers at 10:03. 10:33-10:48, phrasing nightmare. Could this be the show where he really starts to lose his phrasing ability? 11:03-11:10, a nice fluid run. 12:37, some good bends. Bonzo and Jones are sounding excellent through this. 14:03, the jam seems to drift into an open field with Jimmy not sure what to do, but it almost mimics a Pink Floyd sound. The song comes back on track nicely. Outro solo, some solid playing accented by the wah pedal. It's obvious though that he's not in shred mode like 2/8. He's relying more on the powerful bends rather than lightning runs. It works alright for now. Trampled Underfoot- I'm sure Jones is doing some technical stuff for his solo on this song, but I've never found it very interesting. Luckily Page comes in soon. He's playing with some fire and nailing the bends. 4:22-4:27, these slow release bends usually sound terrible, but my god does he nail this one. 5:22, I love when he invents new rock riffs during a solo. Not the most articulate Page, but his phrasing was something else here. My only complaint is the incessant bass pedal through the whole thing. Moby Dick. 0.18, guitar flub. 0:42, flub. Damn Jimmy, you OK? Bonzo is, he's killing it. It's nice to hear this on a good soundboard where you can hear all those little snare rolls he's doing between the big hits. 18:58, guitar flub lol. Maybe he's out of tune? Dazed and Confused- I have to say, this song suffers badly without Plant's higher register. It just doesn't have the same impact. Maybe that's why they dropped it after 75. Page is playing very well through the opening. Not a bad opening solo, good phrasing and no strains. This San Fran section sounds really good, maybe the best I've heard. Bow solo, 11:50, that's officially the creepiest sound I've ever heard. It sounds like Plant is dying lol. This is a horror film done with sound. If there's any evidence the guys made a pact with satan, it's this bow section. Workout time- 18:03, sticky fingers. 18:10, some straining. 18:17-18:40, not good. Bad phrasing and articulation. 18:42, he finally gives up to rest his hand. Or brain. He comes back in and it's the same thing. 18:42-18:49 induces cringe. I'm thinking the Jack Daniels has kicked in? 22:30, he gets back in gear a little, with the speedy right hand showing up. The articulation is still a little rough. 22:38, very cool riffing. 24:25, officially out of ideas. He does manage to go into the Mars section flawlessly. 26:30, a very cool improv riff despite his sporadic playing. The song comes to an end like nothing bad ever happened lol. It's a shame because with the good opening, awesome San Fran section, and haunting bow section, this could have really been a classic. Stairway- "Sometimes all of our tharts.." Plant is singing with extra enthusiasm. Anyone know what he says at 5:58? The solo- a good start but Page seems to lose his direction quickly and starts repeating the same licks and pausing frequently. This has nothing to do with an injured finger, he's clearly inebriated and unable to focus. It's not a terrible solo, but compared to others it's a huge step down. To a nitpicker, it's an embarrasment. Plant sounds good though. Whole Lotta Love (Partial)- Plant is feeling good tonight. Opening riff sounds awesome and Plant is giving the crowd their money's worth. Black Dog- For all his flawed lead playing, Page is hammering down these riffs like a pro. Maybe it's muscle memory VS. improv ability (While drunk)? The solo- Other than a little bit of turkey gobbling, it's really not bad at all. He does the bends adequately and doesn't venture too far from the norm. 5:20 is a perfect speedy run to end it. Heartbreaker- I already dread nitpicking this solo. Let's see how goes it. Thundering intro. Solo- It's a standard "Heartbreaker" amount of sloppy. 6:07, nice change up. 7:10-8:48 somehow Page gets out of his mental fog and nails down a solid, fluid series of licks to end the song. 8:54, that drum fill must be mentioned. Final assessment- A good show overall. Plant, Jones, and Bonzo are relatively flawless. Page starts out alright, but sure enough after Moby Dick, his lead playing takes a noticeable dive. There's a pattern I've noticed with him starting a lead run, ending with a bend, and then he pauses like he doesn't know where to go from there. To mend this mental problem he starts repeating a line a few times as if to give himself time to figure out where he's going next. Until a soundboard of 2/8 surfaces I can't make an absolutist judgement, but Page is nowhere near the level here he was for that show or Montreal. As bad as 3/21? Maybe on par, but I'd have to listen to them side by side.