[Why No Quarter from SRS is the band’s best. Hear this re EQ’d version.]

I'll check this out later. 👍

Even still, this is probably my favorite version.

[Shred Fest]

Any version of Honey Bee or Going Down Slow from the WLL medley.

[Hoodie girl from The Song Remains the Same film]

17 hours ago, Styngyn said:

There’s always the chance this would not ring a bell with RP, that he wouldn’t recall the specific shot in the movie of Ana. He would have to be shown again. Probably watched it once back in the day and exclaimed ‘Ok, is what it is. Next….’ From everything I read the movie was never that popular with the band. But who knows 

100%

I doubt Robert has seen the film since the premiere and I think we all know his general opinion of recounting and reliving his Zep history. He avoids it like a plague.

[Hoodie girl from The Song Remains the Same film]

10 hours ago, Ana Pearce said:

Stevie why are you such a dick? Is it just here or you spread your anger elsewhere? Do you do this in person or just behind the screen. Really it's not healthy. I think you should take a holiday from the keyboard. Or your going to get a visit from Karma and let me tell you she don't play!

Have a nice day.

(Sorry for the rest of you guys I could not keep quiet no longer)

😆👍

Welcome to the forums and thank you for putting this mystery to rest!

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 6/3/1977 Tampa, FL (Source merge)

An unfortunate abbreviated show due to lightning and rain. Several good AUD sources for this.

TSRTS- Before the start someone with a megaphone screams what sounds like "Robert Plant you can party here". The intro is played well as everyone's fingers are in perfect time. Verses sounding good. First solo- Bonham switching the beat up ridiculously while Page hammers down a smooth set of phrases played blindingly fast. Plant nails the California Sunlight verses. Outro- one would think Page should be struggling to keep up here, but he's doing just fine. Remarkable. "A++".

Sick Again- Solid intro. Thumping tempo and plenty of attitude. 2:03, excellent country style bends from Jim. First solo- 2:48, fluidity is pretty good and phrasing is spot on. Plant sounding phenomenal throughout the verses. Outro- Jim shreds along nicely with more focus on the phrasing compared to most other versions. Top tier version. "A+++".

NFBM- Intro and verses are excellent, everyone in perfect sync. During Plant's harmonica solo it sounds like both source 1 and 2 tapers take cover from the storm (and of course source 3 is inferior). Solo- Page is still fairly audible as the source 2 tapers make their way to shelter and it's a surprisingly solid run of phrases from Jimmy. Another round of sonic perfection as the storm approaches. "A++".

Final Assessment- Lucky to have what we have, but this is the band's luck at it's finest.  

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/25/1977 Louisville, KY (Source Merge)

A good AUD source with some slight mic clipping, especially on Plant's vocals.

TSRTS- We start with crowd problems right off the bat as the stage announcer tries desperately to convince people to back away from the stage. Six minutes in we get to the opening number. Page's twelve string sounds unusually twangy as if the wah pedal is engaged. 7:50, I'm now 100% certain the wah effect is on or something is interfering with the guitar signal. Plant sounding excellent on the verses. 8:40, Jim's tone sounding more normal here. Solo- Page jumps off to a confident start but it's on the sloppy side. The last half is played much better. Robert seems to jumble the "sunlight" lyric. Outro- Page much more coherent here as he drives it home nicely. 11:10, just a tad sticky. Apart from the strange sounding guitar tone it's not a terrible start. Not great either however. "B+".

Sick Again- Perfect intro until a slight chord flub at 0:50. 2:11, interesting lead improv by Page. Robert's vocals sound harsh and distorted through the verses but he's singing well. Solo- not the worst I've heard but lacks some fluidity. Outro- 5:20-5:24, sticky. 5:38, straining badly on these runs. The energy is there at least. "B".

NFBM- Solid start. 1:46, Plant yells "Cool it" to warn the out of control crowd. 2:35, a little confusion before the harmonica section. Jim's playing throughout teeters on looseness but he's holding it down fairly well. Solo- full of energy and played surprisingly well, with just a bit of choppy articulation. Not bad. 5:53, Plant a little raspy for the ending. I honestly can't take too much away from this mostly solid run through. "A-". (Plant again scolds the crowd for pushing forward too much).

IMTOD- 0:58, Jones ends on the wrong note. 3:50, we lose Jim for a few seconds. First solo- very straightforward, almost like he just sticks to the main riff. 5:56, Jim getting off track. Second solo- rough start as he struggles to get going. 6:33, much better from here on out. 9:07, masterful slide phrase here but he hesitates on the transition and gets out of sync. 9:40, some obvious confusion for the ending. A taste of You Shook Me before wrapping it up. This is a strange one as there's clearly some very rough spots but the energy still carries it along. I'll meet half way with a "B".

SIBLY- Page plays the intro with low energy, maybe an attempt to chill out the crowd. Solid verses with a very moody feel. Solo- Page bursts into some good energetic runs to start. 5:05-5:27, very nice playing from Jim as he phrases and articulates perfectly, even nailing the finish. Top tier solo for 77. Also noticing Bonham's energy through this. Strong finish. "A+".

No Quarter- 1:10, slight note flub, otherwise excellent start. Verses sound solid. Jones- nice transition to the piano. 6:02, nimble fingered on some beautiful classical phrases. 7:05, we have a Nutrocker. 7:44, Jim improvises some licks but doesn't seem sure where to go. Very nice routine. Solo- 10:23-10:35, sloppy. 10:48, Page rushing this a bit and losing some fluidity. 11:20, Jones steps in with some nice phrases to settle Jim down. 12:06, the power chord riff played very loosely. 13:20. Jimmy going all out with some bad articulation. 15:34, some aggressive licks that flow much better. Not Jim's best. The return verses are played well and Jimmy's wah licks are adequate. 19:30, Jim hesitates on the riff and flubs a bit. A good piano section and a sloppy, erratic guitar solo. Seems like a repeating theme in 1977. "B" overall.

TYG- 0:42, some loose chording on the intro. Verses sound good throughout. First solo- Page launches with some loose chords. 3:17, sloppy. 3:30, Robert waits for Jim to finish up and comes in a little late. 4:10, off notes. 4:33, Plant's vocal delivery is on the weak side. Second solo- some equipment trouble as Page struggles to stay in tune. Oddly enough he's back in tune for the verses. Third solo- only slightly improved as Jim's phrasing is very choppy. Fourth solo- no delay effect is audible but it's played well. The lack of bass is also noticeable and affects the listening impact. Outro- probably the best set of phrases out of all. This one seems to drag on forever. "C". (10:10, does Plant yell "Hot Dog" here?)

BOE- 0:20, Jimmy is all alone on the main riff as Jones jumps in late, seemingly being cheered on by the audience. 2:30, Plant's vocal delivery is impressive on this one, singing confidently. Jones also holds his own. "A+", lots of character for this.

GTC- Excellent instrumentals. Plant is scratchy in places but otherwise very good. "A-".

BCW- Just realized Plant sometimes opens with "Hey hey baby" instead of "Hey hey mama". No deduction for that though. 1:33, nice drum fill. Good vibes on this short version. "A".

BYAS- Good energy and verses. 2:25, minor guitar strumming flub. Page gets creative on his breakdown but a tape cut takes us to the end of it. "A-".

WS/BMS- 1:30, Page losing track of the phrasing. The faster part flows nicely. 3:43, slowing it down in an effective manner and keeping the phrasing on track. BMS comes in nicely but some looseness at 5:18. 5:47, a bit sloppy. 6:08, small hang up. Obviously not the best version of either. "B".

Kashmir- Verses sounding good but Page's guitar sounds just slightly out of tune. 1:55, unique drum fill. 3:40, the out of tune guitar makes the bridge section sound uneven. Plant sounds powerful throughout and frequently distorts the microphone with his screams. Outro- very energetic with massive drum fills. "A-".

Achilles- 0:12, flub on the intro. 0:34, Page's chording on the opening riffs sound very rough. 2:28, vocal squeak followed by some loose guitar chords. Verses sounding decent but a bit sluggish. First solo- inferior source used for a few seconds. 3:27, Jimmy plays a long, speedy run that's in the sloppy realm. The last phrases are good however. 5:28, Jim sounding slightly off key. The energy picks up significantly on the last half of the song. Second solo- much better phrasing and articulation here. Third solo- a little loose. 8:32, one of Plant's better ending screams. The intro and first half was definitely subpar but there's some good stuff later on. "B+". (Plant actually mentions the Presence album, which oddly seems to rarely happen on this tour.)

Stairway- Verses are good apart from a severely twangy guitar. Bonham's entrance takes the energy up a level. 4:48, nice vocals. Solo- 6:18, sloppy articulation. Jim is playing with ample energy through some slightly choppy phrases. The soft section winds down to where Jim is playing almost by himself. 8:13, excellent timing on the strummed section and the energy is through the roof. The final phrases are just a tad loose. The climax is breakneck speed as Rob tries to keep up. Outro is played well. One of the more dynamic versions. Jim's solo isn't technically flawless but it holds up well enough. "A-" and definitely worth a listen. 

Rock And Roll- Solid verses. 1:11, loose drumming. Solo- Page opens with some unhinged but decent playing. The last phrases are just unhinged though. 3:27, either Plant or an audience member hits an air raid, hard to tell. Energy aplenty but that solo was borderline slop and too much loose playing overall. "B".

Final Assessment- Highs and lows throughout this typical April show. A solid SIBLY and very dynamic BOE (How often do we get that?) are the main standouts but there are some runners up with NFBM, Kashmir, and STH. The lows however are extremely low with Page barely hanging on or having equipment trouble. The crowd is also hugely responsible for some nervous playing as you can tell Plant can't focus on his vocals in areas. Not a terrible show overall.

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/20/1977 Cincinnati, OH (Eddie Edwards)

TSRTS- 1:06, Page getting off track a little but recovers. Excellent verses with lots of energy. First solo- some stickiness but really not bad overall. Plant sounding strong on the bridge.  4:13, sloppy chording. Outro- 4:40, very sloppy playing as Jim struggles to get his fingers to work. That last section brings it down quite a bit. "C+".

Sick Again- Jim struggling with the intro, barely able to get the chords down. Verses sounding good. First solo- decent start with ok phrasing until he hangs up badly at 2:45. 4:12, sticky. Outro- Jimmy gets into turkey gobble territory to start but he does manage to finish ok. The energy is there so far but Jim is taking a while to warm up. "C+".

NFBM- Jim and Robert seem to be horribly out of sync on the intro but manage to get through it. 2:30, some looseness though these phrases. Harmonica- not bad. 4:30, sounds faintly like Plant doing some harmonica licks before Jim's solo. Solo- decent start. 5:16, a bit loose on the last phrases. Nothing too impressive but Jimmy survives it. Good energy on the ending. Very rough on the edges. "B".

IMTOD- Some loose playing through the verses but sounding very good overall with Jimmy playing confidently. 3:03, Page improvises some slide licks. 4:05, blazing tempo. First solo- Bonham is crowding the mix but sounds like Jim gets a solid set of licks in. 5:49, tape cut. Second solo- already in progress as Jimmy winds out the last phrases. 8:23, Bonzo putting in some extra accents. They finish strong. Not the most technically precise version but the energy is through the roof. "A-".

SIBLY- Only a snippet of the intro is available. 

BOE- Sounds like Jimmy doesn't quite play the intro correctly but it works out. 3:28, hilarious vocal crack. Verses are fairly good with Jonesy doing a decent job on backup. "B+".

WS/BMS- After a choppy warm up section Page once again starts the fast part with a different phrase. 2:27, odd phrasing. 4:08-4:18, sloppy. BMS is rough on the edges but not bad. "B".

Kashmir- 0:35, slight guitar flub. Verses are decent but Rob doesn't sing as powerfully as usual. Maybe it's the recording but this one doesn't have a strong impact. "B+".

Achilles- Good start. 2:37, sloppy. 3:06, Bonham throwing in some unusual fills. First solo- Jim's phrasing and playing is good throughout, maybe just a tad sticky. Second solo- a little stickier and choppier this time around but not terrible. 6:44, excellent playing by Bonham as Jim drops out for a few seconds. Third solo- Page is clearly frustrated with his equipment as he drops out again near the end of the solo and plays overly aggressive on his return. All in all it's still not a terrible version as there's plenty of energy and attitude. "B+".

Stairway- Plant's vocal projection through the verses is very subtle as he almost whispers in places. Otherwise flawless so far. Solo- Excellent start. 7:03, some very nice released bends on the soft section. 7:23, timing sounds great. 7:57, just a hair loose on the final phrases but still sounding good. Climax- Plant struggles a bit but hangs on. Had Plant been a bit stronger this would really stand out. I'd still go "A".

Rock And Roll- Tempo and energy are good but Jim's playing is on the jangly side. Solo- 1:55, very odd phrasing. 2:02, listen carefully here and you can hear some type of vocal-like effect come through, suspiciously sounding like Plant's vocal harmonizer. Page a little rough on this. 2:30, vocal crack. 2:43, guitar hang up. 2:54, again. "C+".

TUF- 1:24, Jim drops out and sounds like he's having equipment issues. 1:58, still struggling. 2:50, Page drops out again as Jones gets a solid routine in. Solo- some spacey riffs to start then he goes all out with lots of aggressive phrasing. I know Plant often jumbles the lyrics to this song but with my attention focused on the instrumentals I dare not nitpick actual words. Technical issues obviously bring this down but I really liked Jim's solo here as it sounded like he was taking out his frustrations. "B".

Final Assessment- Another very rough start for Jim but it evens out some later. Overall it's still not a great showing from the guitarist as he's struggling both with playing ability and equipment. Plant's problem isn't necessarily his voice but more his confidence as there are several instances of him putting in minimum effort vocally, but that's just a judgement from a bootleg recording. I did notice Bonham is feeling more lively tonight than usual. 

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/19/1977 Cincinnati, OH (First Gen Master)

Good AUD source. The actual audio is very distant at first but gets closer later. 

TSRTS- Some looseness on the intro but not bad. Verses played decently and Rob sounds good for the opener. First solo- Jimmy sounding ham-fisted but the phrasing is ok. 3:26 and 3:46, Jim struggling with the chords. Outro- more extremely choppy playing. Energy is good but Jimmy is clearly suspect on this first song. "B".

Sick Again- Jim botches the intro a bit. 1:41, flub. First solo- Jim's first phrases sounding very wonky but he pulls it together some on the last bits. Verses all sounding fairly good. Outro- more messy than usual. "C+".

NFBM- 0:46, either Jim breaks a string or his guitar came unplugged. Or he's out of it, which is the more likely situation. 2:20, Page playing off time. Harmonica solo is very good. 3:34, Jim gets confused and plays the guitar solo ending phrase. Solo- energy is superb but he's very sticky in places. Last verses are good. "C+".

SIBLY- Not the most impressive intro but it's solid overall, except for that disastrous run at 1:33. Verses are as good as usual for 77. Solo- nothing off the track but boy is it loose in places. Phrasing is surprisingly decent. Last verses are good but might put one to sleep. "B".

No Quarter- The usual solid intro and verses. Jones' routine isn't bad but sounds very directionless. The boogie jam has a better flow and good energy as Jim blends in with some rhythm guitar. 11:20, more impressive playing by Jones here. 12:40, Jimmy decides to drop in while Jones is still in the zone, forcing him to suddenly stop these wonderful piano phrases. Solo- 12:25, decent run. 14:35, some unique phrases. 15:47, Jimmy playing safe, carefully not overdoing it. 17:05, straining some here. 17:42, excellent timing between Jim and Bonzo for this riff. Not a bad solo at all with Jim playing mostly coherently. Last verses sounding good. Outro- Jim plays expressively on the wah licks. Pretty solid playing overall but not one I'd brag about. "A-".

TYG- Good intro and verses but Plant seems to be lacking some energy. First solo- 3:31, a bit loose here but otherwise very nice playing from Jim. Second solo- 5:31, minor hang up here but overall good. Third solo- nice string bends throughout. 7:30, tape cut takes us to the end. Which is a shame considering Jim was very coherent on this version. "A-" for what we have. 

BOE- 1:28-1:32, some stickiness on the mando. Not terrible but this one is lacking some magic. "B+".

GTC- 2:28, Plant sounding good. Solid version. "A".

BCW- Just a tease at less than two minutes. 

BYAS- Bonzo's vocals coming through loudly. Plenty of energy through the verses. The guitar breakdown is nearly inaudible but sounds about average. Solid ending. "A".

WS/BMS- The warmup section is slow going and loose. 1:50, Jim starts the fast part with a different phrase. Bonham's drum are drowning out the guitar. 4:18, interesting phrase on the slower part. BMS sounding loose in places as Jim seems hesitant to let his fingers fly. I'd call this slightly below average. "B".

Kashmir- Solid verses throughout. 7:06, the mellotron faintly sounds off here. Very solid version on the surface but who knows what a SBD would reveal. "A".

Final Assessment- A very rough start gets better as it goes. Unfortunately the last few tracks are missing, but I'd be willing to trade the first few for them considering how much Jim straightened up as the show moved along. Plant starts good and ends good, but he's never really above average, just good not great. 

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/23/1977 Atlanta, GA (2nd Gen cassette)

A fairly distant and muffled AUD source requiring some bootleg ears but clears up a little by No Quarter.

TSRTS- Excellent start with Robert sounding decent on the first verses. First solo- phrasing sounds good but the articulation is anyone's guess. Plant strains on the California sunlight verse. 5:23, some rough chording. Outro- 6:17, sounding just a little loose. Not a bad start however. "B+".

SA- Intro sounds ok to my ears. 1:32, guitar riff here sounds a little off. First solo- murky recording aside it sounds fairly solid. Outro- Jim works his usual chaotic phrasing until 5:34, where he drops out for a couple seconds. "B+".

NFBM- Solid intro. 1:32, possible minor chord flub. 2:57, incredible drum fills. Harmonica- sounds good. Verses sound flawless throughout. Solo- 2:21, phrasing and bends sounding excellent. Nothing off track here. Nice ending. The vibes and energy on this one are also excellent. "A+".

IMTOD- Keeping the lively energy going. Verses are flawless throughout. First solo- Page takes off on some speedy slide licks, playing fairly safe but safe is better than sloppy. 5:40, Page gets a little ahead of Bonham here. Second solo- sounds like some solid playing. The outro has tons of energy with everyone grooving, unfortunately the tape is cut right before the ending. One of the better versions I can remember. "A++".

SIBLY - Jim's intro is played in a subtle but effective fashion. 2:55, Jim throwing in some nice improv riffs. Robert sings convincingly through the verses. Solo- Jim starts out with some energetic runs, slows it down, and finishes with a soulful set of phrases. Well played solo. The last verses are played in an extremely moody fashion. Solid version. "A".

No Quarter- Intro and verses sounding very good. Jones- the first few minutes are honestly a little mundane as Jones runs through a number of arpeggios that sound like warm up routines. 8:19, finally some phrases with character as Jones prepares for the boogie jam. The jam is pretty straightforward as Jim riffs on some basic blues licks in the background. Not bad but not the most exciting set from Jonesy. Solo- Jim comes in decent enough but some of the bends are strained and his phrasing is overly basic. 15:00, he finds a better flow here. 16:15, much better groove as the three instrumentalists play off each other. 18:20-18:45, Page starts playing aggressively but some of it is on the sloppy side. 19:30, Jim plays more fluidly here for some nice runs. A tape cut takes us to Jones' return. The outro features some much needed energy as Plant wails away. I'd go "B+" considering nobody really seemed eager to impress on this one.

TYG- Solid intro and verses. First solo- Decent start. 4:30-4:40, many of the B bender bends sound forced and overdone. 5:20, Jim using the harmonizer. Second solo- 6:12, some off notes. Not a good flow on this phrasing. Third solo- better playing here. 8:24, Plant singing passionately. Fourth solo- 8:43, the delay effect clashes with Jim's phrasing and creates some weird tones. Outro- Jimmy's final set of phrases are on the choppy side. If you can ignore the guitar noodling details and look at the big picture this one is very solid. But that's not the intent here. "B+" at best.

BOE- 2:06, Plant sounding good. Jonesy not half bad either. 4:23, Robert adding some nice vocal work. Very good version. "A+".

GTC- The guitar is practically inaudible but Jones comes through well on the mandolin. 1:46, sounds like someone got off track with the phrasing here as the verse comes back in awkwardly. Excellent mandolin work towards the end. "B+" considering the mishap.

BCW- Tremendous energy for this short version. "A".

BYAS- 0:21, slight flub on the intro and Page spends a couple bars trying to get back on track. Verses sounding lively. Page keeps an excellent flow going through an extended breakdown. Very nice and the intro flub wasn't anything off-putting. "A+".

WS/BMS- The warm up is played on the loose side. The fast section takes off with more nimble fingers. BMS is played fairly solid throughout. Only some slight sticky parts in this overall good version. "A-".

Kashmir- Excellent intro and verses. 5:00, Bonham switching the rhythm up nicely. 5:09, mellotron sounding off. Outro- 7:13, more massive drum fills. Jimmy's outro noodling is on the erratic side but not bad. "A-".

Achilles- Jim plays the intro hesitantly (likely due to adjusting his equipment on the transition) but the main riff kicks off nicely. Verses sounding perfect. First solo- Jimmy starts with some speedy phrases that are played very well. Not a sign of sloppiness as Jim is impressive throughout on this one. Second solo- good energy and coherent phrases. Third solo- the delay effect isn't audible but Jim still sounds excellent. A thunderous finish to this rock solid version. "A+++".

Stairway- Intro and verses played very well. Solo- the tempo picks up noticeably. 7:12, Jim usually plays this phrase toward the end but it works ok here, although Bonzo wasn't quite ready for it. Good playing on the soft section. 8:54, Jim does an excellent released bend at the end of the fast strummed part. Final phrases sound good. Very solid playing throughout. Climax- Plant sings the lyrics in a quick fashion but effectively. Outro sounds good. "A+".

Rock And Roll- Booming energy and solid verses. Solo- surprisingly good playing from Jimmy. Final verses played well and Jim gets in a nice ending phrase to finish. "A++".

Trampled Underfoot- Steady tempo and lively energy. Jones' phrasing on his solo is on the choppy side. Solo- Page's guitar howls out like a wolf caught in a bear trap as he plays some aggressive/expressive phrases aided by the wah and delay effects. Interesting and not bad at all. Last set of verses keep the energy at a high level and Plant does his signature karate yells at the end. A better routine from Jones would've really boosted this. "A+".

Final Assessment- 1. I remember this recording being a much harsher listen but it's really not that bad and is quite listenable. 2. This is possibly the most surprising show I've heard from 1977. Jim is coherent for the most part and Robert sounds very good once he warms up. They hit a bit of a slump for NQ and TYG but get back on track afterwards. Jonesy oddly sounds like the least impressive person tonight. There's lots of solid versions on this show but ALS really stands out as it's some of Jimmy's most inspired and nimble fingered soloing I've heard for the song. A must listen show and one I'd love to have a SBD for. 

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/10/1977 Chicago, IL (Two Source Merge- Zephead 420)

Slightly distant and noisy main source. Medium bootleg ears recommended.

TSRTS- 1:38-2:06, definitely some bad chording by Jim through here. Verses sound good with Robert in excellent shape. First solo- The bad recording hides a lot here but 3:40-3:50 most certainly has some sloppy playing. Plant more or less just moans through the California section, but he moans in key at least. Outro- 5:30-5:38, Jim straining on these phrases. Good energy for the opener. "B+".

Sick Again-  0:37, chord flub. Otherwise good intro. Verses sounding strong. Solo- Bonzo's snare drum floods the audio but Jim actually sounds decent here. Outro- 5:13, some articulation issues but nothing too major. "A-".

NFBM- Strong start with Robert sounding powerful. Average sounding harmonica routine. Should be noted that Jim's rhythm playing is nearly inaudible on this recording. Solo- A bit sticky on the start. 5:10, articulation nightmare. 6:03, Plant belting out a powerful vocal to end. Overall, "B+".

IMTOD- Page playing the intro just a tad sloppy. 4:25, Jim drops out for a minute and comes into his solo late. First solo- a complete mess. Page sounds like he's having trouble keeping up through the verses. Second solo- obviously the recording makes any true critique impossible, but it's also pretty obvious Jim isn't playing his best slide work here. The outro isn't so bad however as Jim holds on til the end. "C+".

SIBLY- Intro is fairly solid though very relaxed. Verses not bad at all  but there's a certain energy missing from them. Solo- good start. 4:37, articulation here is anyone's guess. Jim winds down for a somber finish. Not terrible. The energy picks up for the last verses to save this sleepy version somewhat. "B+".

No Quarter- Solid intro and verses. Jones- the "lounge jam" is simplistic but well done. The boogie jam has good energy with Jones being a bit more experimental in his phrasing. Jimmy sits this one out. Solo- the recording fluctuates some as Page drops in with some hesitant licks. 10:28, practicing his turkey call. 11:16, awful articulation but his phrasing is flowing along decently. 11:50-12:02, trainwreck. Bad playing throughout as Jim sounds very incoherent. 13:30, turkey gobble. Jim ends with the power chord riff which also sounds awkward, though it has a nice menacing bend at the end. 16:53, wah licks on the outro also sounding strained. 17:15, better here. "C+" at best.

TYG- Intro and verses sounding good. First solo- rough on the edges but not terrible. Second solo- some excellent country bends. Source switch afterwards. Third solo- experimental but not bad. Fourth solo- good. Outro- nothing crazy as they take it out in basic fashion. A surprisingly solid version, just a little loose in places. "A-".

BOE- Very fast intro and tempo. Plant and Jones manage to keep up just fine however and sound good through the verses. 4:07, vocal crack. Has to be the most energetic version. "A+".

GTC- Appropriate tempo here as the audience cheers wildly on the first verse. Plant sounding excellent on the bridge section. A no frills version played with integrity. "A+".

BCW- Also a bit up tempo. 1:27, Jim getting restless and throwing in some extra strums. Solid. "A".

BYAS- Jim's intro is on the erratic side as he quickly jumps through the phrasing. Breakdown- source switch and Jimmy goes on a strumming tirade. Very nice. Good ending. "A+".

Trampled Underfoot- Verses sound good with plenty of energy. Jones' solo sounds decent but the recording is murky. Solo- some very aggressive playing and letting the delay effect work its magic. Not bad. Outro verses sound good. "A".

WS/BMS- 0:38, struggling to get going. 1:44, Page experimenting with the phrasing either on purpose or accident. Once Bonham joins in it pushes Jim along a bit better but he's still playing loose. 3:24, more unusual phrasing. BMS starts out smoothly. The entirety of the latter track is played exceptionally. I'll give this a dual rating- "B/A".

Kashmir- some slightly botched chords on the beginning. 1:23, maybe a Jones flub. 2:28, possible small tape cut. The energy is excellent throughout. 3:53, Bonzo pounding away. 4:34, some wrong chords by somebody. 6:10, several small cuts through here. Page nails down some decent Arabic phrases on the outro, albeit played loosely. Exciting version with some noticeable flubs. "B".

ALS- First solo- Decent intro and verses. Jim almost plays ahead of the rhythm throughout this energetic solo, but still keeps the expressive and somewhat sticky phrasing on track. Second solo- good enough. Third solo- no delay comes through but it sounds ok. This entire performance sounds a little disjointed in its sense of urgency, but altogether it's a competent version that holds its own with ample energy. "A-".

STH- 0:34, not sure who's at fault but the guitar and mellotron are definitely not in key with each other. Plant sings in key with the guitar so I'll blame the mellotron. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- 6:21, some strained notes out of time with the beat. The playing on the softer section sounds kind of lazy. 7:56, strummed chords are decent. 8:16, struggling some on the last phrases. Climax- pretty good. Solid outro. Jim seemed to struggle through the solo which brings this one down. "B".

Rock And Roll- Intro sounds a little disjointed. Verses are just ok. Solo- 1:38, Page's phrasing is suspect here. 2:05, also here as he seemingly gets off track a bit. 2:00, God awful phrasing. 2:29, bad guitar notes. Decent last verses. Not great, "C+".

Final Assessment- Ups and downs. The acoustic section is a standout as Page seems to be feeling excitable and pushes the songs through with lots of energy. TYG and ALS are surprisingly solid for Jimmy. Overall it's not a top tier show but it's certainly worth a listen.

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/9/1977 Chicago, IL (KRW_CO 2nd Gen- Two Source Merge)

A slightly noisy but close sounding AUD source. Very listenable. 

TSRTS- Good energy to start and the intro sounds spot on. Verses sounding nice. First solo- somewhat choppy playing but not bad. Plant cracking a little on the California verses. 6:05, Plant sounding rough. Outro- 6:44, sticky. Plant is the weakest link this time around as Jim sounds fairly coherent. "B+".

Sick Again- Very sticky fingered intro but no missed notes. 0:40-0:44, nevermind, there they are. Verses sound decent. First solo- not the most fluid playing but it's not bad. Outro- just the usual erratic playing which is normal. The intro certainly brings down the rating but overall not bad. "B".

NFBM- Jim opens with the SIBLY intro mistakenly. 1:28, chord flub. 2:36, wrong note by Jim. Harmonica solo starts excellent. 3:55, Rob stops playing while everyone else goes another round. Solo- decent start. 5:43, very sticky and Jim barely survives the rest of it. Not really a trainwreck, more like a bus or single engine plane wreck. "C+".

SIBLY- The first intro was much better. 0:22, oh God. Plant's opening note is pretty impressive and the verses are solid. Solo- phrasing is actually coherent throughout and the articulation isn't terrible. Last verses are solid enough. Not perfect and it drags a bit. "B".

No Quarter- Solid start. Jones- very dramatic intro with the piano. Excellent flow of phrases as Jones' fingers sound nice and loose. 6:22, small tape cut and source switch. Jim joins in on the blues boogie with some screeching guitar, not sounding good at all. 8:17, very impressive noodling from Jones as he brings it back down nicely. Solo- good start. 11:40, a little loose. 12:05, source switch as Jim does some very strange bends that sound like a whammy bar being used, which couldn't be the case here. 13:30, some bad chords by Jones. 13:48, Page really forcing these last phrases. 14:09, some good aggressive runs. 14:28, the power chord riff finish sounds decent. Not a solo I'd call impressive but not bad considering what we've had previously. 17:20, Page comes alive for some good wah runs but quickly runs out of steam. Jones really shines here but Jim was just too up and down. "B+".

TYG- Excellent intro and verses. First solo- good start but he gets way off track at 2:56 and never fully recovers. Second solo- Jim is clearly struggling. Third solo- very slow to get going. Fourth solo- average. Page does get it together for the outro. Obviously a "C". (Plant mentions Jimmy has "Gastroenteritis" and takes a shot at the firecracker tossers, implying it made it worse. Richard Cole then comes in telling the crowd "Jimmy doesn't wanna do a half-assed show so hold on to your tickets and it will be rescheduled". Might wanna reschedule those first two Chicago shows as well, Richard.)

Final Assessment- A promising start quickly goes downhill. Whether you wanna take the band's word or not about Jim's ailments is kind of moot considering he had other notably bad nights throughout the 1977 tour. One excuse is as good as another. A shame considering the rest of the guys are spot on tonight and the sound quality of the main source is fantastic. 

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/7/1977 Chicago, IL (Home Of The Electric Blues- Gusto Revision)

A slightly distant AUD source but very listenable. 

TSRTS- 1:03, sounding pretty loose on the intro. 2:07, either the twelve string is out of tune or Page is botching these chords. 3:00, Jim drops out for a moment. First solo- about as sloppy as I've ever heard it. He's either got major equipment issues or he's completely wasted. Plant cracks on the California verses. Outro- 4:12, pitiful. Very loose all the way. 5:17, ouch. Plant still straining on the final verses. "C".

Sick Again- Sticky intro but not terrible. Plant still scratchy on the first verses. The energy is there however. First solo- quite sticky. 3:42, flubbed chords. Outro- well, it sounds about as bad as usual as Jim frantically attempts every pentatonic riff he knows. "C+".

NFBM- Intro isn't too bad. Jim is playing loosely throughout the verses with his flanger effect sounding out of control. Harmonica- Pretty solid routine from Rob, who's also sounding more warmed up on the return. Solo- His phrasing is decent but his execution is very rough. 4:51, sticky. 5:28, Page almost going back to the verse riff. It's definitely Page's fault again on this one. "C+".

SIBLY- Intro really isn't too bad. Sticky in a couple places but Jim holds it together quite well considering what we just went through.  2:56, a little sloppy. 3:12, not sure if he actually hits a note here. Plant is putting in tremendous effort on the verses. Solo- a bit sloppy on the start. Jim plays with good emphasis on the attitude but boy is his articulation rough. Not a good one. The last verses are played decently at least. "B" is probably generous. 

No Quarter- Solid intro. 2:38, Plant giving it his all. Bonham also very lively on the first chorus. Jones- very good atmosphere being set on the beginning. 6:17, introducing the soul phrases. The boogie jam is well done as Jones keeps the soulful riffs going. 8:05, a switch to more dramatic phrases. Solid routine but nothing amazing. Solo- 10:23, loose. 10:37, trying to make the slop work. 10:50, hang up. 11:10, trying to hide the lack of articulation with aggressive phrasing. It does work somewhat. 12:25, more aggressive phrasing that's very forced. 13:23, getting experimental. 13:28, a menacing riff that actually sounds good to end it. Not necessarily a trainwreck but nothing I'd brag about. Tape cut on the returning verses. "B" for what we have. 

TYG- Cuts in. Plant sings loosely on a couple verses. First solo- 1:24, doesn't quite land these pulloffs. Bends sound a little off, otherwise not too bad. Plant sounding hoarse on the next verses. 2:40, minor chord flub. Second solo- excellent start but Jim hits a major snag at 3:04. 3:20, I guess the solo was so bad Plant didn't realize where to come back in. Third solo- some decent country bends here. Plant's lyrical projection is good on the last verses. Fourth solo- somewhere between good and bad. Decent outro. "C+".

BOE- Very uptempo. Verses sounding good. 6:08, vocal crack. Not a bad rendition but Plant has sounded better. "B+".

GTC- Excellent mandolin break by Jones. Plant is anywhere from impressive to screechy. Not bad overall. "A-".

WS/BMS- Rough intro as Page has trouble just warming up. The fast part actually goes ok to start. 2:13, sloppy. 3:11, sloppy. 3:40, slower phrasing is a bit smoother. 4:30, disastrous playing here. BMS is actually played well for the most part. "B".

Kashmir- Solid start and verses. 3:35, Plant not singing with much confidence. 4:15, much better here. 7:08, painful scream. Again, Plant is anywhere between banshee and flu ridden. Overall pretty decent. "B+".

ALS- Cuts in near the third solo, which has no bass coming through. No rating.

STH- 1:51, small phrasing flub. 2:35, Page missing some chords. 4:03, Jim drops out again. "Does anybody remember the chords?" He doesn't actually say that unfortunately. 5:50, Rob sounds a little flat here. Solo- good start but the tape gets murky and Jim is very hard to hear. The phrasing sounds kinda choppy on the quieter part. The final phrases sound a bit strained but not bad. Plant pushes his vocals on the climax, sounding just a little raspy but overall good. Outro is good. Not the most solid performance. "B".

Rock And Roll- Verses sound ok. Solo- 2:58, Jim struggling to get any kind of flow going throughout. 3:27, not sure what happens here as the guitar pitch rises to a higher key. I wouldn't expect anything different for tonight's finale. "C+".

Final Assessment- Just not good. 

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

Nitpicking Page 4/6/1977 Chicago (2nd Gen- KRW_CO)

A fairly noisy AUD source but the band come through ok. Bootleg ears recommended.

TSRTS- Firecrackers sounding like hand grenades before the band get started and Robert quickly warns them to stop. Excellent start. 3:32, some tape warble. First verses sounding good. First solo- 4:32-4:42, sounding pretty sloppy here even through the noisy recording. Plant just a little raspy on the California section but not bad at all. Outro- 6:26, not great here either from Jim. The energy is there but Page seems to be struggling out of the gate. "B+".

Sick Again- Something very strange about the intro. Almost sounds like Page is using the wah pedal throughout the song but the recording makes that impossible to verify. Verses sounding decent. First solo- apart from a bum note at 2:54 it's fairly good. Last verses good. Outro- sounds like a phrasing nightmare as Jim plays erratically. A generous "B+".

NFBM- Rob sounding good on the verses. The recording gets a bit distorted during the harmonica solo but sounds like an average one. Solo- 5:01-5:10, not the most precise bends. 5:18, disastrous articulation and possibly out of key. 5:35, very off sounding phrases for the end. Everyone is good except Jim, who's clearly struggling. "C+".

IMTOD- Beginning sounds decent. 1:40, Jim jumps the gun a bit. 1:47, Jim off key with his slide lick. 1:52, Jones flub. 2:50, Jim out of sync with Bonzo again. 3:05, and again. Most definitely monitor issues. First solo- tough to judge but doesn't sound bad to start. 5:13, strange phrase. 5:25, off key on the ending. The tape warbles badly throughout. Second solo- sounds alright. 7:01, might be mistaken but sounds like Bonzo starts the ending snare beats but Jim keeps going another measure. More tape warbles. 9:25, off key slide. 10:34, Page plays aggressively with the slide but it's not gonna save this. At least Plant sounded decent. Disastrous, "C".

SIBLY- 0:46, good run. 0:59, some sloppy bends. Decent intro. Plant sounding spectacular on the verses. Solo- 4:06, very thin line between being expressive and sloppy. 4:22, bad start on this phrase. 5:13, Page plays an uneven phrase for an embarrassing end. The last verses are good enough. The energy was here but the chops were not. "B" at best. 

No Quarter- Excellent vibe to start with Page's wah riffs sounding menacing. Jones section- superb phrasing off the bat as Jonesy is feeling it. The "Boogie jam" is still in early development here and is done well, no screeching leads from Jim yet though. Jones brings it back down nicely. Solo- 11:35, Jim gets some unique riffs in before dropping in. Good phrasing and fluidity to start. 13:44, a little loose. 14:20-14:24, some sloppiness on this phrasing. 14:50, Bonzo playing a disco beat. 15:02, terrible articulation. 15:20, bad chording. The tape cuts to Jones' transition to the verses then cuts again to the outro. Jim's wah outro sounds good. In reality it's a typical 77 showing from Page, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be better. "B+" overall. 

Ten Years Gone- Page's opening notes played loosely. Verses sounding good. 2:40, wrong chord. First solo- 3:04, struggling some. His phrasing is solid here but there's a lack of execution. 3:35, Plant late on the return. 3:49, possibly a Jones flub with the bass pedal. Second solo- Page lets loose on some better, aggressive runs here. 5:18, Plant again late coming in. Third solo- sounding a bit sticky but not bad. Fourth solo- sounds alright. 8:30, the harmonizer effect on the guitar sounds a little harsh. Good ending. If you could tighten up the loose ends on this one you'd have a pretty solid version. "B" as is. 

BOE- 4:47, Plant hesitant with the lyrics. 5:13, again. Instrumentally very good but Plant was unconfident on this one. "B+".

GTC- Good start and first verses. Some tape warble throughout. Solid performance with excellent vibes. "A+".

BCW- Solid. "A".

BYAS- Nice intro by Page. 1:20, Page's first breakdown features some good riffing. Second breakdown- goes through several phrases and played smoothly. Plant sings with emphasis throughout. Very good. "A".

WS/BMS- 1:10, string out of tune. 1:32, Page retuning before taking off. 1:56, sticky fingers and Page tries to retune the string on the fly, making for some strange sounds. 2:52, still out of tune. This will be interesting going into the next song if he doesn't get it fixed. 4:28, not good. BMS sounds a little more in line and honestly isn't too bad considering he was thrown off track. 6:18, some Swan Song phrases. "C+".

Kashmir- The Danelectro is still wonky on the first verses but it's masked some by the band. Plant sounds great however. 4:47, Page's guitar sounds like it's falling apart in the background. Last half is played well with an excellent outro. Taking the guitar tuning out of the equation- "A-".

Moby Dick- Strangely Page's Les Paul is also out of tune for the intro. Ray Thomas must not have showed up tonight. Terrible tape fluctuations on the first half. 

Achilles- Out of tune for the intro and Page plays hesitantly. 2:51, fingers stuck in strings. First solo- very loose but the phrasing is decent. 4:34, these bends sound painful. 4:45, flub. Second solo- 6:57, barely hanging on. Third solo- the delay effect doesn't come through but it sounds ok. Everyone was on track here except for Jim. "C+".

Stairway- Intro and verses sounding very good. 3:44, Plant hesitant with lyrics. Solo- Solid start. 6:37, nice fluid run. 6:58, another one. The softer section features some good phrasing played just a little loose. The strummed phrases are quite sticky sounding. 8:37, straining on these bends. Final phrases are decent. I was expecting worse but honestly not a terrible solo. Climax and outro played well. "A-" for some stickiness.

Rock And Roll- 1:53, Bonham switching up the beat either by accident or intentionally. Solo- Page playing wildly with energy, somewhat erratic. 2:20, Bonham pauses for a beat. A very unhinged solo but not bad. Unique and almost out of control. "B+".

Trampled Underfoot- Good vibes and energy. 1:58, Page trips up. 2:22, the wah sounds off in places. 3:55, bad notes by Jones but otherwise an average keyboard solo. Jim's Solo- 4:27, what he's doing to get these sounds is anyone's guess. Almost sounds like he's using a whammy bar. 4:50, playing aggressively. 5:16, some erratic noodling to end this experimental solo. 6:48, Jimmy having no fear of wild phrasing, for good or bad. One I'd like to hear a SBD for. "B".

Final Assessment- I had done a string of 1971 and 1973 reviews before returning to 77 with this show and it was quite a shock, possibly setting a record for low ratings. But it wasn't all Jim's fault as he obviously had major issues with his equipment. Then again some of it was on Jim as he's not quite as coherent with his playing compared to other 77 shows. Don't let that kill the excellent vibes of the show though as the others are playing very good with Plant sounding fantastic for the most part. The acoustic set has some standouts and Kashmir and Stairway are mostly solid. Very interested to hear what the next few Chicago performances reveal. 

[Nickname]

I've never heard that but it wouldn't surprise me. Sounds like something Plant would call him.

[4 May 71 Odense, Denmark show to be released]

On 5/28/2022 at 10:07 AM, Ian Smith said:

Who still buys bootlegs? Honestly asking. You know that 5 minutes after anything is released it is up on all our fave bootleg websites. My days of spending $150 for shitty sounding box sets are long over. 

All my 2 cents. If you do still buy them I would love to know why? A collector's thing? I have respect for whatever y'all do as long as you are not hurting anyone. 

Except liking Greta Van Douchebags. That I will not tolerate! 😳  Hey I am not a saint 😇

Some people feel that buying the physical copy helps to fund the search for future releases. 

[4 May 71 Odense, Denmark show to be released]

On 5/31/2022 at 5:57 PM, Moby_Dick_Ale said:

I'm also the owner of the EVSD - The Overture box-set. The reason why I wanted The Campaign box-set is because of the Ukiyo-e covers with the zeppelin photoshopped into. As beautiful as all the different covers used for Black Dog 928 (6 covers), Immigrant Song 929 (6 covers) and Stairway To Heaven 928 (5 covers) Empress Valley 2018 releases.

Black Dog:  Immigrant Song:  

Stairway To Heaven: 

Yes, I know 2 missing on the photo's; the 6th BD and IS covers were released in 2019, after I've made these pictures.

Not gonna lie, that packaging is pretty sweet.

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

Nitpicking Page- Madison Square Garden, New York 1973

A combination of mostly SBD with AUD sources used to fill in gaps and missing songs. I'm using the Eddie Edwards remasters for this since I imagine it's the more popular version, however it's not the most complete.

7/27/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol1 - Eddie Edwards)

Rain Song- Cuts in during the guitar/mellotron section. 2:21, some off notes from the Tron. Plant sounding very good. Rock Section- tremendous energy and Plant belts out some banshee screams. 6:18, Page late on a chord here and rushes to catch up. "B+" for what we have.

Dazed- The band is nearly drowned out by constant screams of "Sit down" from the crowd. First workout- energy off the charts as Page finds his groove. San Fran- excellent transition with Plant sounding very good. 8:30, masterful dynamics from Jim. Second Workout- recording is a bit murky through here. 16:48, using the wah pedal early on unlike all previous versions. Very good groove so far. 17:30, wah pedal again. 17:47, articulation isn't bad but also not great. 18:22, funk jam full of energy as Page's fingers loosen up for some nimble runs. 20:40, firecracker explosion and Plant feigns being shot. 21:36, Plant hitting some fairly high registers. 22:33, a little clunky on these phrases. Mars- solid. 23:43, Jones following Page up the scale. Climax played flawlessly. Outro- Page dishing out the usual wah licks. Not quite on the level of the Euro outros but still good. No reason not to call it a solid "A".

Stairway- "This is a song of hope, and it's a very quiet song so shut up". Should've been on the film. 2:20, a firecracker apparently throws Jim off a bit as he hesitates on a chord. The mellotron is dangerously close to being out of tune. 5:00, everything except the vocals drops out for a few seconds. 6:37, nice drum dynamics from Bonzo. Solo- good start. 7:46, awkward sounding phrase intentional or not. 8:28, slight flub. The quieter part has Jim playing fluidly and phrasing nicely as Jones perfectly imitates the "All Along The Watchtower" bass line. 9:38-9:42, just a little sticky. Final phrases sounding excellent. Outside of a few flubs Page kept a steady stream of fluid phrases going. Plant drops out on the climax but can still be heard in the background, sounding pretty good. Page's outro on the twelve string isn't perfectly played but it's nothing too off. I think it's fair to call this one rough around the edges although it has a certain magic. "B+".

Heartbreaker- Bonham's signature groove setting intro. 0:46, Jim flub. Verses sound solid. Solo- the usual start. 3:34, Jim trying out some new phrases. Smear section- not the best. Actually pretty sticky. The rockabilly jam sounds great however. Fast section- 5:52, off track a little. 6:07, ladies and gents, we have some turkey gobbles. Not great. "B".

WLL- Good energy and groove to start. The funk jam has some loose chording from Jim but otherwise good. Theremin section sounds good and the solo is played perfectly. "Everybody Needs Somebody" is skipped for these NY shows. 6:22, powerful vocal. Boogie Chillen- Robert delivers convincing vocals on the initial verses. Solo- Page nails down the usual phrases very well and the first half is played with solid articulation. 11:40, slight hangup near the end. And that's all the medley we get. 12:40, the outro groove has tremendous swagger and the boys end it with a thunderous finish. Seems rather blasphemous to have a WLL this short, but it is what it is. "A-".

The Ocean- Excellent start and verses. 2:09, either Jim drops out or the guitar feed drops out. Solo- 4:00, not the most fluid phrasing but it's still fairly good. 4:18, Plant straining a bit to sing in key. Not too bad. "A-".

Final Assessment- Not too bad for what we have but Jim seemed to be struggling in some areas. Dazed is very good.

7/28/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol2 - Eddie Edwards)

Rock And Roll- Medium tempo and lots of attitude to kick off the second night. Plant just a little rough on the verses. Solo- The "smear" start sounds appropriately played. Phrasing is on point as Jimmy lays down a good one. Outro sounds good. "A".

Celebration Day- Solid start and verses sounding good. First solo- perfect. Outro- very raunchy playing with nice phrasing. Excellent. "A+".

Black Dog- Bring It On Home intro a little loose from Jim. Verses sound decent though there's not much power behind Plant's voice. 2:35, vocal squeak. Plant does get a decent scream in before the solo. Solo- I think Page rushes this one a little as it sounds pretty erratic, as if he's cramming in as much as possible. 4:32, not the best articulation. Overall it's still an excellent solo, just a bit too excited. "B+".

OTHAFA- Intro is good with no flaws. Opening verses has Plant sounding more warmed up. Solo- 3:12, excellent speedy set of runs. Phrasing is mostly good with nice transitions. 3:50, just a hair sticky. Last verses sounding nice and the outro is good. "A+".

MMH- Sounding good off the bat. 2:21, powerful vocal. Solo- sounds good as the panning effects are very obviously overdone. Solid throughout. "A".

SIBLY- Fast intro not perfectly fluid but still pretty good. The slower part is phrased well throughout. Plant's vocals are fairly subdued through the verses although his delivery is good. The dry soundboard does this song no favors. 3:50, Jim extending this trill. Solo- good start. 4:43, sticky. Page doesn't get completely loosened up but overall it's still played well. 7:30, Plant finally screaming with confidence. Not a bad version at all. Is it on par with others of the year (i.e. Providence)? Not even close. It's actually a bit of a sleepy performance by comparison. "B+".

No Quarter- Intro and first verses sounding good. Jones' section is moody, dark, and atmospheric. Solo- Jim drops in and starts an endless array of excellent phrasing backed by perfectly fluid playing. This is the full potential of 1973 Page in action. 7:28, this is a phrase Jimmy has dabbled with in other versions but none of them is done as well as this one. It's perfectly timed and in sync with the rhythm. 8:45, killing it. Not an understatement to call this THE No Quarter solo. The return is good and they finish strong for a standout version. "A+++".

TSRTS- Solid playing on the intro. Verses also sound good. First solo- top notch phrasing and I don't hear Jim miss one note. Plant pushes his vocals on the California Sunlight section but manages quite well. Outro- 5:44, very minor hang up. Other than that, more high level playing from Jimbo. Very good. "A++".

Rain Song- Verses sound great and the guitar/mellotron section is perfectly intricate. Rock section- the dry soundboard kind of subdues the gut punching energy but it's a good one. Outro- solid as it gets. "A++".

Dazed- Starts off solid as usual. First workout- Page gets going on some lower octave phrasing that's not the most impressive I've heard. 6:00-6:48 is much better as Jim gets into a good flow of gritty improvised runs. The transition to San Fran is solid but not quite as smooth as the previous night and Plant squeaks a bit through the verses. Second Workout- Page gets going with some solid noodling to start. He avoids using the wah pedal unlike the previous night. 19:08-19:24, a little sticky. 20:45, sticky fingers. 21:00, Jim plays a couple riffs of "Crossroads" before slowing it down. 23:08, rockabilly type phrases. 23:48, he gets on track here for an excellent series of fluid runs. Mars- intro is good though I do miss the giant drum fills leading in. Solid playing. The build up to the climax is well done. 26:00, Bonham's lead in to the climax is unorthodox and throws everyone off for a few seconds. Last verses sounding good. Finale- 28:47, Page hangs up a bit on the phrasing. Otherwise an excellent ending as Page works his wah pedal magic. Fantastic drum outro also. Obviously not the greatest version on a technical level but the energy and enthusiasm are still here. "B+".

Stairway- Fantastic mood being set on the first verses. 6:08, excellent drum dynamics. Solo- Jimmy wastes no time getting to work on some good runs. The soft section has the usual nice fluidity and phrasing. 8:52, some stickiness. 9:00, this strummed section not played the smoothest but nothing bad. Final phrases are played well with nice accents from Bonzo. Plant sounding excellent on the climax. Outro- good. "A-".

Heartbreaker- Verses sounding good. Solo- smear section sounds fairly good, just a bit sticky. No rockabilly noodling tonight. Fast section starting off well. Page keeps a steady stream of phrases going. 6:35-7:10, some sticky runs on the final phrases will undoubtedly bring this one down. "A-".

WLL- Jim is absent on the start but soon comes in. The raunch and groove of the initial verses is excellent. Funk jam- Page gets in the zone for a water tight groove with Jones and Bonham. Theremin section is ultra spacey. 4:44, back with some awesome right hand riffing as Plant asks "Where's That Confounded Bridge?".  Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- the usual start. Solo- 9:38, not quite as fluid as he usually does it but not bad. The quieter section has the usual solid Page noodling. Plant sounds impressive on the return as the band takes us out with the same swagger. Obviously too short but it's a solid "A". 

The Ocean- Page's guitar tone thick as molasses. Plant almost pushing his vocals to squeak level on the first verses. Lots of enthusiasm on this. Solo- wah soaked goodness. 2:30, wrong notes by Jim. Outro- 3:15, a bit sluggish with the phrasing. Plant's outro vocals here aren't as good as 7/27 (even though he was a little out of key). Maybe "A-" overall. 

Final Assessment- This show will forever stand out as the base structure of three of the best live versions ever recorded- No Quarter, TSRTS, and The Rain Song, all performed pretty much flawlessly. There are several other very solid versions of songs performed this night. 

7/29/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol3- Eddie Edwards)

Rock And Roll- Robert cracking badly on the opening verses. Solo- 2:38, I don't think one note was actually hit on the first set of phrases. The rest is played well however. The energy was there but's not the most explosive version. "B+".

Celebration Day- Excellent start. Plant still a bit squeaky. First solo- nailed. Outro- Page knocks down some solid lead work as they finish up. Very good version though Plant is subdued. "A".

Black Dog- Plant warming up some now. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- good flow on the phrasing as Page sounds more focused this time around. Spot on. "A+".

OTHAFA- Intro played perfectly. Verses not too bad but Plant sounds like 1973 Plant. Solo- Good start on the lower 3:05-3:30, Page is on another level with some awesome phrasing and nimble articulation. The last verses has everyone sounding good. 5:04, tough to hear but Page hits a wrong note here. Very good version, neck and neck with the 28th version. "A+".

MMH- Verses sounding pretty good. Solo- no mistakes here. 4:18, Jimmy's palm mutes on the riff sound very nice, adding lots of attitude. Solid version. "A".

SIBLY- Fast intro has a slight hang up at the end but otherwise very good. The slower part has perfect phrasing as usual. Verses good throughout. Solo- Top notch playing from Jimmy all around. Standout solo. 5:22, Jones copying Page with the bass synth. The last verses have Plant pouring his heart out, even getting some good screams in. Excellent. "A++".

No Quarter- Opening and first verses sounding good. Jones' section gets menacing once he starts using the bass pedals. Page's rhythmic riffing fits the moody atmosphere perfectly. Solo- 7:12, getting some fluid runs in early. Jim stays in the zone throughout, phrasing nicely. 9:28, switch to a dreadful AUD source for a few seconds as Page works his wah pedal. 10:43, he finishes up with a speedy run. A very good solo almost on par with the previous night. The return is good as Plant sings somberly and Page takes us out with the wah. Very solid but it could've used a hair more enthusiasm. "A".

TSRTS- Intro played well but the tempo is a little sluggish. Verses are even more sluggish. 2:34, even Bonham's drum fill sounds asleep. First solo- finally some life. 3:40, not the most fluid here but not bad. Plant holds steady on the California vocals. Outro- 4:55, much better drum fill. 5:31, Jones attempts an ascending bass line that ends awkwardly. Page's fingers are on fire. 5:51, Plant squeak. Sleepy first half but the second half is good. Still rough around the edges. "B+".

Rain Song- Nice start with Plant sounding phenomenal. 2:00, mellotron getting a little wonky. 3:44, either a bad note or a string out of tune. 4:17, wrong note by Jones. Rock section- Jones' bass pedals don't come through at all making it feel shallow. Apart from that very good. Outro is solid and the big finish would have to be the most energetic one I've heard for the song, with Page, Bonzo, and Plant all going out with a bang. It doesn't really save this version however. "B".

Dazed- The usual start. First workout- 4:45, comes to a halt for a second. 5:14, some sticky articulation. 5:52, sounding much better once Jim moves to the higher octaves. Not the most impressive however. The San Fran transition is very good with excellent wah riffing from Page. The bow transition also sounding great. Bow section seems rather short at approx. seven minutes. Second workout- 18:48, Page is off to the races with some nice runs. 19:34, these phrases are played more coherently here. 19:43, descending/ascending phrase played well. 20:22, Page gets off track with the phrasing for the start of the funk jam. 21:30, some fluid noodling. 23:44, Jones' bass phrasing sounding very unusual here as Page shreds away. 25:00- 24:48, Page showcasing his lead work. Mars- Very close to being flubbed as Jim jumps early. 26:07, some wrong notes on guitar as we switch to the distant AUD source. The climax hits perfectly. Outro- Last verses played well. Jim ascends to wah Heaven on the finale. I hate to knock this one too much as it has some excellent sections in it, but it also has some very noticeable loose spots. "B" but still worth a listen. 

Stairway- Unfortunately we stick with the AUD source for this. Solid verses. 4:00, excellent vocal. Solo- sounds like the usually good phrasing but the murky audio is a tough listen. Soft section- 8:08-8:18, magnificent phrasing here. Actually all of this part is top tier phrasing from Jim. Sounds like he skips the strummed part tonight. Final phrases played well. I can't attest to the articulation but it appears to be a solid solo. Plant holds on well for the climax and the outro sounds good with Plant hitting the final high note. "A".

Heartbreaker- Back to the SBD. Nice crunchy guitar tone. 1:10, nice drum dynamics. Verses all sound good. Solo- lead in played nicely. 3:51, this three octave phrase fits better this time. Smear- 4:08, a bit sticky. Fast section- 5:24, bad articulation. His overall flow and fluidity isn't great through here but it's nothing terrible. 6:54-7:07, sloppy. Fairly underwhelming by 73 standards. "B".

WLL- Perfect energy to start. Funk jam features the same odd sounding chording from Jim as the 27th. 2:50, very cool sounding riff jam before going into a solid theremin section. 5:16, funk jam round two. Solo- Very nice. 6:49, some very heavy echo effect on Rob's vocals. He changes the lyrics up for Boogie Chillen. 9:44, Robert comes in a bar late and the first verses sound a bit off. Back on track the next round though. Solo- 10:32, these phrases played well. 10:58-11:05, a bit sloppy. 11:40, the quieter section features some good bluesy noodling. 2:24, energy off the chart on the returning boogie with Bonham doing all sorts of swing techniques. The coda and outro sound pretty decent. The real standout however is Bonham throwing in a five minute drum solo to finish up, sounding very similar to the Dazed outro rhythm. It was the last performance of the tour after all. Not the most technical version but it's decent. "B+". (Plant announces "Next year, maybe")

The Ocean- 1:15, Robert really pushing to sing in the original style. Verses sounding nice. First solo- good. 3:07, nice drum fill. Last verses also solid. Outro- Page transitions much better to this part tonight, not sounding awkward like the previous nights. 4:00, second solo maybe not as good as the 28th but still solid playing. 4:24, Plant singing this part better than the previous two nights, perfectly in line with Page's phrasing. Excellent version and I'd dare to say one of the best I've heard. "A++".

Thank You- Jones graces us with some soulful organ noodling to kick it off, because why not. Not bad for an organ solo. Intro to the song played well and Robert sounds excellent. Verses and chorus sound as good as ever. Solo- 6:26-6:30, phrasing a little loose. 7:10, playing with better energy here. 7:30, Bonham destroying his kit. 7:54, sounding very close to a Marshall Tucker song. Not a bad solo at all but it's clear Page is a little rusty compared to the older versions. The returning verses are excellent. 10:45, Jimmy uses a delay effect on the outro which sounds very good. Plant pours out his heart on the final vocal phrases. "A+".

Final Assessment- Ups and downs all over here. Black Dog, SIBLY and The Ocean stand out as near flawless performances. There are some duds in there as well as Page and the boys didn't seem to play as smoothly on certain tracks.

Overall Opinion- First, we don't have the first half of the first show (which hopefully will change), so not having that to compare with the other shows hurts. Second, not having the SBD for the 29th Stairway sucks because all available sources for it are a rough listen, and I feel like that solo was phenomenal. Third, they had to drop a lot of small bits and pieces and do some rearranging considering these shows were being recorded for use on the film (copyright issues I assume). I think that threw them off a lot on some tracks, namely Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker. Jim really struggled on Heartbreaker without that nice flow of his usual acapella solo phrases and Whole Lotta Love just sounded sad with only one medley song. So what we get is an altered live experience that caters to the film/soundtrack. These shows did however produce some of the band's best highlights of their career. The three song run of TSRTS, TRS, and NQ from the 28th will always be regarded highly. OTHAFA, Celebration Day, and The Ocean are consistently good from all three.

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

3 hours ago, William Austin said:

Now that Euro is all done, will you follow up with the remaining May shows? (Houston, DFW, LA…)

possible, but not in the near future.

 

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

Nitpicking Page 4/2/1973 Paris, France (Two Source Merge)

The last recorded show of the European tour. Mostly the very good EVSD "Vive Le Zeppelin" source with a very distant second audience source to fill the gaps. 

Rock And Roll- That distant second source kicks off the opener. Robert sounds a bit hoarse per usual before getting warmed up. Energy is thumping and the tempo is pretty fast. Solo- articulation may be suspect underneath the murky audio. 2:17, Page's phrasing gets a little loose for the last measure but nothing off track. 3:21, Plant warming up some. Nice finish by Bonham. "A-".

OTHAFA-  0:12, slight flub. Page plays the intro sounding overly cautious and unconfident. Plant still not fully warmed up but holds the verses together well enough. Solo- Shredding right off the start. 3:16, and we're off to the races. 3:31, massive drum fill. Page nailing every phrase and bend so far. 3:49, I think he jumps into the ending phrase early here but just plays it through. Robert sings more confidently on the last verses. Outro is played perfectly. Points have to be deducted for that lackluster intro but don't let that take away from the rest of it. "B+".

Black Dog- Verses are devastatingly heavy. 3:38, excellent scream from Plant. Solo- 3:57, Bonham pushing it along. 4:08, maybe it's a product of the echo heavy recording but sounds like Page is doing some kind of palm muted chicken pickin type phrasing. He sticks to the big bends and avoids any fast runs but it's still a solid solo. I think the previous night's solo had more enthusiasm but this one isn't bad at all. Another monstrous finish by Bonham. "A".

MMH- Medium tempo and sounding very heavy. Jim nails the straightforward solo. Good enthusiasm and solid playing from everyone. "A".

SIBLY- Page sounds just a little sticky on the fast intro. The slower part features some very delicate playing, done flawlessly. Plant's opening note is perfectly controlled and he sings the verses in dramatic fashion. Solo- everything here is phenomenal- playing, phrasing, passion. Bonham's energy is also off the charts. One of those must listen solos. 7:19, nice scream from Plant but not as powerful as the previous night's. 7:21, sounds like Page tries to play with his fingers but misses the strings. Not a technically perfect version but there's nothing to stop it from being "A+". I'd love to hear the 4/1 version with this audio quality for comparison.

Dancing Days- Robert delivers nicely on the verses. Solid so far. 3:08, Jim close to botching the solo. That ending brings this down to a "B" and that's a shame considering the effort put into the rest. 

BYAS- Bonham sounding nice on backup. Excellent vibes on this one. The breakdown includes the usual Black Mountain Rag and That's The Way teases. The crowd joins in for the finale clapping in time. Excellent version. "A++".

TSRTS- Thunderous intro played nicely. Verses played well. First solo- Exuberant energy and somehow Page keeps up. 2:55, Jones however misses a step here. Plant really pushing his limits on the California Sunlight section, cracking once. Outro energy is just furious as Page seemingly nails everything. Plant strains a bit toward the end. A close run with the 4/1 version but I'd still give the first night the edge. "A-".

Rain Song- Audio quality is superb and the mix between the instruments is just right. First verses sounding great. Guitar/Mello section flawless. Rock section- hold on tight because Bonzo blasts this one into space. Plant sounds pretty hesitant though. Second source comes in near the end. Ending sounds well played despite a small cut. "A+".

Dazed- Recording cuts in on the first verses. First workout- Page wastes no time going into a flurry of noodling. One of the more energetic ones I recall though a bit short. San Francisco- intro has that magical, ethereal energy. The transition to the bow section is astounding. Second workout- good start with maximum energy. 16:44, insanity in musical form. 17:12, neat descending riff. 17:30, Bonham pushing the tempo. Mars- intro is a little sluggish from Bonham but it's still powerful overall. Climax is played flawlessly. Plant rushes through the vocals on the last verses. Outro- a bit disappointing as Jimmy avoids the usual wah licks played at maximum speed. At least Bonzo ends it with a nice finish. The first workout was certainly a hook in the lip but the rest was fairly average as Jim didn't really ascend into shred mode. Still a very solid version with no noticeable flaws. "A". 

Stairway- Tempo dragging quite a bit. Good verses but there are tape speed fluctuations throughout. Solo- Nice start. 7:08, Bonham throws in an accent the same time Jimmy starts a phrase and it clashes a bit. 7:29, Page plays some unique riffing patterns that sound excellent as the rhythm is matched by Bonham. 7:50, almost sounds like the end phrase. 7:55, a screaming lead in to the soft part, which isn't very soft at all as Page plays aggressively. Bonham's drumming is very dynamic throughout the solo, sometimes working sometimes not. The final phrases are played superbly. Tremendous effort and enthusiasm by Page. 9:00, bad vocal crack on the climax. The verses here didn't impress me much the solo alone makes it a worthwhile listen. "B+" overall.

WLL- Chaotic sounding intro. Thumping verses with lots of swagger. The funk jam is a little disjointed as they attempt to experiment with it. The theremin section is also a bit shorter than usual. Page goes into "Somebody" with extreme confidence and Plant is sounding excellent. Solo- very nice. Boogie Chillen- Robert goes from "Laying down" to "Going Down" as they switch songs. Solo- Page takes a second to get going but it's solid playing. Now we're back to Chillen. 11:17, maybe a little sticky. 11:52, nimble playing. Baby I don't Care- 13:39, Jim hits some bad chords at the end but otherwise good. Let's Have A Party- inferior source cuts in but it's a good performance. ICQYB/You Shook Me- Plant sounding very powerful now. 17:59, sounds like Plant hits an ungodly high note but I'm fairly certain it's tape distortion. Solo- classic Page shredding. 20:58, unique sounding pulloff lick. 21:21-21:38, whoo boy. Very raunchy playing. Like dirty dancing but with Jim's fingers. The return to the main riff transitions perfectly. 25:02, Page botches the ending phrases pretty badly. Well, it's not the most solid version overall but the highs are really high. An absolute shame the better recording cuts out before Jim's best playing. But if you take those high points out there are several flubs and some awkward jams early on. "B+" overall but the medley is quite impressive.

Heartbreaker- Inferior source for this. Verses are pretty good. Solo- 3:04, smear section is sloppier than average. 3:56, no Bouree this time. 4:06, getting off track. 4:58, sloppy. 5:04, goes into a unique transition. 5:09, intentional or not it sounds off key. 5:50-6:10, very sloppy. The return is decent. "C+".

Final Assessment- I didn't think the band were as dynamic or as in step as the previous night but there are certainly some highlights. Plant never seemed to get fully warmed up and sounded weaker as the show went on. Not sure what happened with the encore but it felt like they were in a hurry to get through it. We now have all current Euro 73 recordings nitpicked, so everyone needs to get out there and find new ones. 

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

Nitpicking Page 4/1/1973 Paris, France (3rd Gen/sources 1 and 2)

Not the greatest tape quality as the first few numbers are pretty rough and distant with frequency fluctuations throughout. It's still very listenable if you picture yourself in the back row. There's almost no crowd noise which helps.

Rock And Roll- Robert just a little raspy but not bad at all. Solo- impossible to judge under the distant recording but the phrasing sounds perfect. 3:12, powerful vocal. Solid playing for the opener, "A".

OTHAFA- Intro has a tape cut but otherwise sounds good. 1:17, slight vocal crack. Verses sounding decent. Solo- 3:00-3:20, Jimmy shredding and it's a shame the recording isn't clearer. 5:20, guitar flub on the outro. "A-".

Black Dog- Slightly up tempo with lots of attitude. Plant sounding solid through the verses. 3:27, despite sounding good he reserves his air raid scream here. Solo- Articulation is anyone's guess but the phrasing and bends sound excellent. I'll give this the benefit of the doubt and say "A".

MMH- Excellent energy on the verses. Solo- sounds good. Bonham doing his usual kit destruction throughout. Very solid version from what I can make out. "A+".

SIBLY- Fades in near the end of the fast intro. Jim puts down perfect phrasing with flawless playing to get started. The tape gets more distant during the verses. Solo- some start/stop phrasing to kick it off. Jim's playing with tons of energy, maybe a bit too wild. 5:06-5:10, the final phrases and bends are excellent. Plenty of energy on the returning verses. 6:47, voice crack. 7:11, Robert goes all out for an unearthly scream. Very nice version that needs a soundboard release. "A+".

Dancing Days- Sounds like a solid performance throughout. The bass distorts the recording badly at 2:30 and again toward the end. "A".

BYAS- Tape gets fairly rough and distant here but I hear nothing off the mark. "A".

TSRTS- Could be the tape but Jimmy's twelve string sounds very strange on the start. The playing sounds great however and the tempo is frantic. Plant sings with lots of emotion through the verses. First solo- fairly nimble playing. 3:00, some altered phrasing. Plant sounds fantastic on the California section. Outro- 4:20, Page's fingers absolutely on fire. 4:44, killing it all the way through. Plant going all out toward the end. Top tier version judging by the recording, but of course it could be hiding some mistakes. "A++".

The Rain Song (included with TSRTS on this version)- Excellent start. Guitar/Mellotron duel played well. Rock section- Robert is all but drowned out but sounds fairly average. Outro- Solid playing. "A".

Dazed- The bass fluctuates between soft and deafening on the beginning. 1:18, Bonzo feeling playful so early is a good sign. First workout- Smoking jam session as everyone goes off. 4:47, Jim doing some insanely fluid country licks. San Fran comes in nicely and is played perfectly. Second Workout- 15:05, Page and Bonham getting locked in. 15:30, Jimmy bending notes with extreme precision. 17:45, Jim leading the others as they try to keep up. 19:17-19:30, lightning fast and fluid runs. 20:16, Page's fingers becoming god like. Mars- Nailed the intro and no strings out of tune this time. 21:40. ascending riff seemingly going up forever. Climax is great until 22:08, where Bonham and Page mis-time each other for the next riff. Nothing major however. Outro- Page still going with some nimble playing. He stomps the wah and continues shredding on another level, bending strings to their max. And of course we end with a killer Bonzo drum finale. Phenomenal playing especially from Jim. "A++".

Stairway- 3:06, Plant going for some high notes. Solo- Excellent start. 6:38-6:45, doing two back to back ascending runs that sound nice. The softer part features the usual fluid playing. The final phrases are spot on. The recording quality lowers the overall impact but it's a great solo, with Jimmy playing a bit more focused and not overdoing it. The climax has Plant sounding good but noticeably reserved considering his vocal power tonight. I was expecting him to go all out. Very solid version. "A+".

WLL- Tape gets slightly more distant. Good energy to start. The short funk jam sounds solid but nothing over the top. 2:20, an awkward transition to the theremin section. 3:00, the recording drops the bass and drums completely out. "Everybody" sounds good as they end it with a frantic climax. Solo- sounds good. Boogie Chillen- the usual start. Solo- articulation is impossible to judge but he's on fire with the phrasing, which is slightly different than usual. 10:19, round two. Baby I Don't Care- Good throughout. Let's Have A Party- Page's solo is perfectly gritty. I Can't Quit You/You Shook Me- played extremely heavy. 18:02, Page unsurprisingly shreds his guitar on the solos. Unfortunately a chunk of it is cut. 20:00-20:23, ridiculous. Some lemon squeezing toward the end. Tape cut before the ending. For what we have and for what is audible, I'd definitely say "A+" if not higher for the medley alone.

 

Final Assessment- As per the luck of Zep, we get another phenomenal performance on a lower tier recording. C'est la vie. But this one is worth a listen as it's mostly above average from start to finish with an excellent sounding Plant for the era. Page is cooking throughout the show. TSRTS could be the most impressive live version I've heard but that's a tough call with the tape quality. SIBLY, Dazed, STH, and WLL all feature top level playing with pretty much no flubs. Now this is one we need a soundboard for. 

[Nitpicking Page (The quest for the best performance of 1975)]

3 hours ago, 1975NQ said:

If you're going to give Seattle 75 an 'A', where Page is less fluid to my ears and your original nitpick picked out loads of errors, this one deserves at least an 'A' as well.

Yeah, 3/21 didn't deserve an "A" either. I must've been in a good mood while picking it apart lol. 

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

3 hours ago, 1975NQ said:

Well, that was kind of my point in the post. Most Zep fans think Robert's having a great night at Philly, one of his best of the year (going off of YouTube comments, this forum, and some reddit posts). But the shitty sound quality may be masking the reality. So when you say "you are mistaken", you're making it sound like I was asserting something that I wasn't. I was saying that is ^supposedly^ a killer night in reference to my original point about sound quality. Capiche?

 

 

Gotcha. Just thought you might've been thinking of something else because I've never seen anyone praise him there. He's still obviously dealing with the effects of influenza.

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

17 minutes ago, 1975NQ said:

Philly 75 are all supposedly killer nights for Plant

You might be mistaken about Philly 75. It's an excellent Page show but Plant is clearly subpar.

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

Nitpicking Page 7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD (DADGAD Remaster/ZEPHEAD315 merge)

A pretty rough audience source requiring some bootleg ears but this is considered one of the better shows of the year, so it's worth an attempted nitpicking.

Rock And Roll- Plant his usually scratchy self for the time period but the energy is good. Solo- 3:17, Jones flub as he jumps to the D phrase a measure early and gets out of sync with the others. Luckily he realizes when the solo ends and makes the appropriate pause at 3:39 to get back on track. The solo itself sounds pretty solid. The final verses sound good. The Jones flub certainly puts a dent in this one as it throws off the whole feel of the solo (and it's eerily similar to the Providence flub). "B".

Celebration Day- Intro sounds a bit sluggish from Jim. Plant has smoothed out some. First solo- solid. 1:58, Plant singing powerfully. Outro solo- Page takes a while to get going. 2:58, finally some decent runs. By 3:15 he slows down again. Nothing to see here. "B".

Black Dog- Intro sounds decent. Plant has warmed up nicely now. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- Some tape warbling makes this a tough listen. 4:28, flub. Overall not bad but critiquing the solo is near impossible. "A-".

OTHAFA- The monstrous bends on the Black Dog solo has Page's guitar out of tune and he stops the intro to correct it. Rob sounding strong on the verses. Solo- starting with the usual slow build up. 3:50-4:15, now here we go as Page hits shred mode. 5:13, vocal squeak. Robert sounding a bit rougher on the last verses. Outro is good. "B+" overall with a pretty excellent solo. 

MMH- Plant giving his all on the verses. 2:15, impressive but painful sounding vocal. +1 nodule. Solo- solid. 3:53, Jones flub. Sounded alright overall but this tape hides a lot. "A-" considering that noticeable piano flub.

SIBLY- Unfortunately the severe tape warble makes a mess of the fast intro. Page's playing and phrasing is top notch on the slower part however. Plant sings with lots of emotion through the verses, putting excellent emphasis on every line. Solo- ripping an aggressive run on the start. 4:27, some unusual low octave bends. Nice phrasing and passionate bends for this one. 6:03, Plant going all out. Outro is is more of the same excellence. I'll assume that intro was perfect and say top tier, "A++".

No Quarter- 1:42, Jones flub. The vocals are a tough listen due to the recording but the verses sound decent. Jones' section is very simplistic but good enough. Solo- 7:30, some harsh sounding phrases. 7:40, some notes sound off but it could be tape warble. The phrasing is steady though not the best I've heard. 8:55, getting into a better groove here. 9:19, some trills with string bending. Not a bad solo but nothing jumps out as notable. 12:00, strong vocals. The tape quality no doubt lowers the overall impact of this version but then again there's nothing technically astonishing like I've heard on other versions from the same year, so by that calibration, "B+".

TSRTS- Intro played well. 1:23, chord sounds off but it could be the tape. 2:20, unusual vocal as Plant is feeling good. Solo- 3:02-3:05, some off sounding notes. 3:19, Robert hitting the high notes. Outro- good except for the last bit at 4:50, where Page gets off track with his phrasing. Plant again reaching his vocal limits at the end. Certainly not the most technically precise but there's ample energy here. Also the tape warbles make it difficult to judge the accuracy of the playing. "B".

The Rain Song- 0:58, excellent vocals. Plant improvising to tell people to sit down. Guitar/mellotron duel sounding nice. 3:57, pretty big tape cut. Rock section- tape quality is rough but sounds good. 5:20, Plant sings emotionally on the last verses. 6:25, some sloppy chording on the outro. 6:48, about the best Plant you'll hear in 73. No rating.

Dazed- 1:37, almost sounds like Page is using the bow on the intro. Good start. The first workout starts off with the usual jam then takes a turn as Page and Robert jump into the second half of the second workout, featuring an intense guitar/vocal duel and improvised jamming. 11:12, finally reaching the San Fran section with Plant's usually scratchy vocals sounding excellent this time around. Second workout- 20:40, Page going into shred mode. 22:20, getting an excellent flow going. 23:00, Page feeling it. 23:10, blistering run. 23:20, another one. 23:40, Jimmy starts playing Jones' circular bass line like he's teasing him. Mars- 24:52, minor chord flub. 25:30, Page even having fun with the climax section. The outro features more blazing wah soaked runs and responses from Plant. Fantastic and unique version with Page in God mode. "A++".

Stairway- Intro and verses sounding very good. 5:15, powerful vocal. Solo- Page wastes no time and gets in a groove right off the bat. 7:53, the softer part features some speedy finger work. 8:38, hard to tell if he played these phrases correctly. Last phrases played in a simplistic fashion but still good. Plant returns on the climax and strains to stick with the higher register. 10:01, slight vocal crack. 10:08, possibly another. Outro sounds solid. The recording undoubtedly masks some of the details but an excellent Plant with a solid Jimmy automatically warrants an "A+".

Heartbreaker- Bonham gets his slow, booming intro started. Audio has serious fluctuation issues on the beginning. Plant still sounding strong throughout the verses. Solo- the build up is done nicely. Smear section- pretty good, nothing spectacular. Bouree is short. Fast section- 6:04, repeats this phrase six times but it works. He sounds a little hesitant to let his fingers fly and the phrasing is a bit choppier than usual. A tape cut ends the recording. "B+" for what we have.

WLL- Another Bonham intro. 2:08, Jimmy does some weird chording on the first funk jam, possibly intentional but it has a dissonant sound. Theremin section has Jimmy going wild as Jones and Bonham duel it out, followed by a nice improv jam. 5:50, sounds like Robert sings "Excuse me" before the return solo. Solo- solid. Recording gets a little worse. 6:44, Robert taking advantage of his strong vocals tonight. Boogie Chillen- 9:42, Plant comes in on the wrong measure causing some confusion but they keep it together. Solo- articulation could be better. 11:17, pretty loose here. He gets in a better groove on the quiet part. For whatever reason they skip any more medley songs and jump to the Coda. "B".

The Ocean- Excellent tempo and energy. First solo- heavy wah effect but played well. 3:25, Page having some trouble getting on track. They get through the outro but it's not the tightest playing. "B+" at best. 

Final Assessment- After only listening to pieces of this show I'm glad I sat through it as there's definitely some gems. Dazed is the main standout as it might be the most unique version, being played completely out of order but done so without missing a beat. Jimmy and Robert both hit a peak on SIBLY, making for an excellent rendition. Stairway is also very solid. However it's not without flaws and run of the mill sounding performances. Rock And Roll is botched, Celebration Day is lacking some kick, No Quarter is too straight forward and mundane, TSRTS has Jimmy struggling, and WLL is a bit of a letdown. Both highs and lows here, but it's overall a decent show.

[Nitpicking Page 1973]

7 hours ago, Zep Hed said:

couldn't help but notice that the nitpicking's don't quite measure up to the tour's legend.

I think if you tally up the highlights and peaks of the European 73 tour you'll get a score that can't be touched instrumentally. Unfortunately all the improvising and adventurous playing also contributes to mistakes and mishaps, and the Euro shows have their share and are far from flawless.