Nitpicking Page 3/27/1973 Nancy, France (Master Cassette- Revision) A slightly noisy and murky audience source but very listenable. Rock And Roll- Cuts in at the start of the solo, which is played quite well and the energy level is high. On the returning verses Plant is noticeably hoarse. Bonham destroys his kit on the ending. "A-" for what we have. OTHAFA- Page nails the intro. Plant not sounding too bad on the intro vocals but sings the verses very reserved. Better than croaking I suppose. Excellent energy on this as well. Solo- Page's phrasing is impressive although the murky recording hides some of the articulation, but I'd wager it's not bad. 4:08, slight flub. Otherwise top notch solo. Plant singing decently for the last verses. Jim nails down the outro for a very solid version despite Plant being hesitant to go all out. "A". Black Dog- Keeping the energy alive with a fast tempo. Verses sound good throughout. 3:34, Plant gets his confidence up and hits a decent scream. Solo- starts more relaxed with lots of bends but soon works his way up to some very aggressive phrases, played nicely. "A+". MMH- Plant's hoarseness is having an affect on the verses as he's squeaking throughout. Solo- sounds good. 3:53, some confusion as Jim botches the chorus to verse transition. A little rough on the edges but plenty of energy. "B". SIBLY- Blazing intro played nicely by Jimmy. 1:21, blindingly fast phrase but I don't think he ends it correctly. Plant's intro sounds pretty weak as he reserves himself. He does sing with emotion on the verses however. Solo- Bonham pushes the energy with lots of dynamic playing. Page begins with the usual false start phrases and builds his way up the octaves. The phrasing is a bit choppy up to 4:48 where he gets a better flow going. Not bad at all. Plant pushes his way through the last verses but there's less enthusiasm as they play it out. The recording takes a dive toward the end and there's a brief tape cut. An average performance. "B+". TSRTS- Intro sounding good. 1:27, Jim drops out for a second. 2:00, lyric flub. First solo- very murky audio but nothing sounds out of place. Plant sounds excellent on the Sunlight section. Outro- again, impossible to make out the details but I'll assume it's decent apart from some looseness at 4:38. "B+" for a couple flubs. The Rain Song- 1:46, mellotron flub. The overall feel of the guitar/mellotron section is kind of loose. Plant trudges through the verses not sounding confident at all. Rock section- some much needed energy for this more than sleepy version. 6:02, slight tape cut. 6:30, more cuts. Outro is played well. "B". Dazed- Solid intro. First workout- Page gets an excellent flow going, shredding nicely through the jam as the others try to keep up. San Fran- haunting and beautiful transition, played perfectly. 7:40, Bonham decides to get experimental as Page grabs the bow. Second workout- Jimmy gets back into his zone and lets his fingers fly. 16:37, some country sounding bends. 17:32, slight tape cut. 17:48, Page hangs up on this phrase, maybe intentionally. 19:30, Page switches to the neck pickup and speeds through some nimble fingered phrases. 20:25, unique beat from Bonham as Page just keeps soaring through the clouds. Mars- Bonham's intro is a little sketchy but they time it just right. Solid playing. Climax- almost drowned out by feedback but nailed. The last verse is good. Outro- 25:50, they break from an excellent wah section and start another short jam before finally ending. One of the more solid versions I've heard although maybe not as dynamic and courageous as others. Page is excellent throughout. "A++" Stairway- Cuts in at the first verse with a very relaxed tempo. 1:24, the batteries dying on the mellotron. Despite the lethargic energy level Plant does put some oomph behind the vocals. Solo- still relaxed as Jim starts with the usual phrasing. Guitar is buried in the mix. 6:43, repeating this bend again but it sounds good. 6:54, pretty sure he gets off track on this run as you can hear several off notes. 7:32, massive tape cut before we reach the climax (there's a dirty joke here somewhere), which is a shame as Robert was sounding impressive on this. No rating but what we have doesn't allude to a stand out version. WLL- Cuts in before the funk jam, which is extremely loose as it takes Page a while to get going. When he does it's trainwreck level playing. The theremin section is also a bit of a letdown. They do manage to get on track for a good "Everybody" section. Solo- decent. Boogie Chillen- Page's response to Plant's vocals are fantastic. Blazing solo from Page. Baby I Don't Care- Plant sounding good. Let's Have A Party- verses have a perfect energy and feel. Page's solo is a little choppy on the phrasing and they end it kind of awkwardly. I Can't Quit You- super slow tempo. Solo- pretty straightforward to start. 18:20, Bonham kicks up the energy level. 19:21, phrasing mishap as Jim doesn't end this run correctly. 19:42, really loose phrasing through here as Jimmy and the rhythm section can't really get on the same page. 20:30, much better. 22:25, Plant's air raid is more of a gentle alert. The return sounds pretty average as they close it down. Bonham's ending drum fills played very loosely. Maybe Page was having some technical issues, maybe not, but he sounded really off in certain areas. "B". Final Assessment- Reports and witnesses mention the crowd being unruly before and during the show and I think this had an impact on the performance overall. Something definitely seemed off as they chose to skip Bron Y Aur Stomp, Dancing Days, and any encores. Plant takes a while to warm up but once he gets to Dazed he's sounding excellent. Dazed overall is an extremely solid version and the main highlight, though Bonham is noticeably more reserved compared to those chaotic German versions.

Nitpicking Page 3/26/1973 Lyon, France (Source 2 Reel) A pretty dreadful but not unlistenable aud recording in which Jimmy is basically the only one coming through clearly, so the nitpicking on this one will revolve mostly around him. OTHAFA (cuts in)- We enter on the verses and Plant doesn't sound half bad beneath the murky recording. Solo- Page has a good flow going, playing with good articulation and the phrasing is decent. Nothing amazing but a solid solo. Last verses and outro sound pretty flawless. "A" for what we have. Black Dog- Plant sounding excellent throughout the verses. Solo- good to my ears. Most likely a flawless version. "A+". MMH- Plenty of energy. Solo- solid. A shame we can't hear Bonzo's massive drum fills. By all accounts a good performance. "A". SIBLY- Fast intro played excellently. Perfect phrasing on the slow intro, Page sounding truly in the zone tonight. Verses are more energetic than usual, with Plant in high spirits. 3:40, mild air raid scream. Solo- some start/stop phrasing to begin. 4:37, repeating this phrase works well. Very nice phrasing throughout. Last verses sound decent to end a fantastic performance. "A+". Dancing Days- Recording a bit murkier on this. 1:04, definitely a chord flub here. Not bad but likely some loose ends. "A-". BYAS- Verses sound good as usual. Breakdown- Jim improvises a bit and teases That's The Way. Sounds solid overall though very straightforward. "A". TSRTS- Abundant energy out of the gate and the intro sounds good. Verses slow down the tempo quite a bit. First solo- very hard to make out but I'd assume it's decent. Plant sounding strong on the California Sunlight phrase. Outro solo- nothing sounds off or out of place. My assumption is a solid performance. "A". The Rain Song- Good start and the guitar/mellotron section played perfectly. Rock Section- comes blasting in with tremendous energy. Outro played well. Solid to my ears. "A". Dazed- Intro played well although Bonham isn't quite as energetic as he was in Germany. First workout- not bad as they get a decent jam session in. San Fran- 7:24, Page flubs a note, otherwise good. The crowd goes berserk when Page whips out the bow. 9:33, unfortunately he has to stop to retune his guitar. Second workout- sounds like Jim is off to a good start but judging articulation is impossible. 18:07, struggling to get a good flow going here. 18:51, something happens as Jim drops out and Bonzo tries to fill the empty space. There's an account of someone storming the stage and this was possibly it. 20:34, very unusual riff. 22:07, phrasing sounding fairly erratic. 23:13, a better flow here. Mars- played well as they do the start/stop phrasing again. Climax- not bad. Last verse sounds good to me. Outro- 28:30, Page going nuts on the wah licks as he finally plays with some aggression. Too many technical issues combined with some tame dynamics hold this one back. "B". Stairway- Absolutely fantastic start all the way up to..... 6:06, where everything stops due to a power supply failure. 8:26, not sure if the tape cuts to this or if they jump back into the solo section perfectly in time. Solo- phrasing a little choppy but not bad. He gets in the groove on the quiet section, bending a string endlessly to the heavens. The final phrases sound excellent. Very good solo considering the song was stopped halfway. The climax and outro are played seemingly well for a solid, though interrupted version. "A-". WLL- Lots of energy on the verses. The funk section is good but over quickly. Theremin freakout- not bad. Another quick funk jam but Plant doesn't join in. The "Everybody" section doesn't really take off and fizzles out before everyone gets on track. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- sounding nice as Page nails down a perfect solo. Baby I Don't Care- abundant energy and good lead playing from Page. The recording takes a dive here. 11:26. Fantastic ending by Page. Let's Have A Party- adequate amount of raunchy playing. I Can't Quit You- Page's tone cleaner than usual. Verses sounding good if a little straightforward. 4:14, Page going deep. 5:36, leaving the planet. Plant dives into some lemon squeezing at the end of the medley. The return hits hard, picking up with the same energy from where they left off to finish it up. Some parts felt a little rushed but overall this is an impressive version. "A". Heartbreaker- Page plays with a riff before starting that could fool one into thinking he's Angus Young. Verses played kind of loosely but not bad. Solo- playing well to start and the smear section is articulate with perfect phrasing. Bouree and 59th St sounding nice. Fast section- as nimble fingered as ever. Some of the phrasing sounds slightly forced but that's really not even a factor. 6:30, very loose here before the return. The outro sounds strong. Good but not great, "A-". Final Assessment- Two things immediately stand out on this one- Plant sounds much improved compared to the last few shows and Bonham has relaxed with the "drum fills every bar" energy from previous shows. This tape source however has Bonham buried in the mix, so he may actually be doing more than we can hear. And again, the ratings for this one should be taken lightly due to the recording quality, but by all means it sounds like an incredibly solid show apart from the couple of incidents that interrupted the band. I don't think there's any single standouts as most songs were done well. Dazed however has a few noticeable hiccups and lacks the overall dynamics of the German/Austrian versions.

Pretty sure there's an extra musician onstage during a Brin y Aur stomp performance in Japan that I suspect was Phil. Not sure about the prank though.

Nitpicking Page 3/22/1973 Essen, Germany (Gracias- EVSD) A decent audience source augmented by some soundboard recordings for Dazed and WLL. Rock And Roll- Robert sounding very raspy, squeaking on the first verses. The energy is there however. Solo- 2:30, underneath the murky recording that sounds like an inarticulate mess to start. He gets on track for the remainder. 2:59, slight hiccup. Plant straining on the return. Bonham destroys his kit on the ending. Plant hurts this a little and Jim wasn't perfect. "B+". OTHAFA- Jim nails the intro except for a slight flub at 1:28. Plant pushes his way through the verses, not sounding too terrible. Solo- Jim starts working his way up from the lower octave. 2:57, sounds like a very small tape cut. Page strays from attempting lightning fast runs and focuses mostly on big bends and noisy screeches, but it works well. The last verses are good and Page plays the outro with a string slightly out of tune. "A-" giving some leeway for the vocals. (Plant tells the audience to "Cool it for about three minutes because James' guitar is fucked") Black Dog- Plant still squeaky through the verses and Bonham's drums sound thunderous. The pre solo scream is between bad and decent. Solo- Good start as Jimmy puts emphasis on the bends. 4:04, Bonham giving it a push. 4:18, Page gets some speedy runs in but the phrasing is extremely erratic. An exciting solo but not the smoothest. Not bad. "B+". (Plant sounds half asleep during his between song banter) MMH- 1:07, Plant still struggling as he sings half-heartedly. Solo- solid. Bonham throws in random fills like a madman throughout. Robert hurts this some but I'd still go "A-" for the tremendous energy the other three put in. SIBLY- 0:07, just a bit of confusion as Jimmy ends the fast intro a little differently. 1:15-1:24, Page full of energy and leaving gaps between the phrases. Plant's raspiness actually suiting the mood of this song. 3:26, Page improvising some very experimental accompaniment behind the vocals. Solo- Jim wastes no time getting out of the gate. Excellent phrasing and articulation. Top notch solo. 5:20, Plant shoots for the moon with an all out air raid scream and it pays off. The ending verses sound good as they wind it down. Maybe not technically perfect but there's really nothing to subtract for. Then you have the bonus of a perfect solo and an air raid. "A+". (Robert's introduction for the next song could possibly be used against him in court) Dancing Days- Plant finally sounding energetic. Good instrumentals all around. A very solid version. "A+". BYAS- Sounding good throughout apart from some feedback issues toward the end. "A". TSRTS- Intro is played perfectly before several tape cuts take us to the.. Solo- sounds good. Plant however does not on the California Sunlight section. Outro solo- Page hits his stride here as his fingers work some magic. No rating. The Rain Song- 1:10, passionate vocals from Rob. Guitar/Mellotron section sounding good. 4:17, squeaky Rob. Rock Section- Vocals get very murky but nothing sounds too off. Outro played well. "A-". Dazed- 3:08, some thundering fills by Bonham. First workout- Page and Bonham square off for an energetic jam. Robert throws in some "Cold Sweat" lyrics during the funk jam. 6:36, Page struggling a bit with the San Fran transition. 7:19, a bum note by Jim. 7:40, Bonzo switching the beat up. 7:57, missed chord. Bow section sounds perfectly adequate. Second workout- an interesting transition as Jimmy continues playing the bow on the start. 17:20, the descending/ascending runs sound decent. Page gets in the zone for some solid phrasing and finger acrobatics. The soundboard allows us to hear the details of Bonham's drumming, which I think sometimes goes unnoticed on audience recordings. 20:05, Bonzo and Page throwing in the kitchen sink. 20:46, uncanny syncopation on the improvised jam. 24:23, Bonham launches the Mars section with a booming drum roll as we hear Jim come in with a string badly out of tune. That doesn't hurt the excitement or the performance much however. 24:36, Page flicking his pickup switch. 25:25, Page and the rhythm section just being mind blowing with their timing and ability to read each other's minds. The climax hits home perfectly with the same energy. Outro jam- 29:20, getting in a trance like groove. 29:53, those drum intricacies I was talking about earlier as Bonham absolutely wrecks his kit. 30:38, of course Page gets in the final word with possibly the fastest run he's ever played. Well, well, well. A rollercoaster ride is understating it. I'd heard some folks brag about this one and I was a bit skeptical with the tamer than usual first half and some sloppy parts by Page, but the second workout alone puts this performance into a top tier, must hear bracket. However, it has flaws and I use my grading system based mostly on technical aspects of the entire performance. Which means, due to the complex, intricate, and very extended nature of this song, I'll give it two grades. Overall- "B+" due to a lackluster Jim in some sections and some strings out of tune. The second workout however is a one off "A+++", even with some mild guitar tuning issues. Stairway- Very sleepy tempo but the verses sound good. 6:32, nice vocal extension. Solo- tempo still dreadfully relaxed. The recording is fairly murky but sounds like decent playing from Page. 8:36, stretching this note out forever. Jimmy gets some nimble licks in on the quiet part. The final phrases sound good. Plant sounds fairly rough on the return but his heart is in it. An overall solid performance but you won't find any energy left over from Dazed here. "B+". WLL- A better vibe going for this. First workout- a nice funk driven jam quickly goes into the theremin section, which also brings in the soundboard portion. "Everybody" features more jamming as they only loosely follow Robert's lead and have fun instead. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- Robert improvises some different lyrics throughout although he struggles to put any energy into it. Solo- Page goes on his usual noodly tirade. Baby I Don't Care- 13:11, some loose chords but otherwise good. Let's Have A Party- Plant a bit squeaky on the verses and Page plays some excellent country string bends on the solo. I Can't Quit You- Page's opening notes are very unique has he plays an arpeggiated chord. 18:30, Plant pushing what's left of his high range. Solo- Page plays relaxed to start and slowly build up speed. 20:31, finally taking off on some excellent runs. The guitar drops in the mix from here. 20:54, Bonham turns up the heat as he starts playing double time. 23:10, Jim let's the tiger out of the cage for some grimey phrases. 25:00, some You Shook Me riffing. The return raises the energy level up and they end it nicely. A better Rob would obviously improve things but as it is, "A-". Heartbreaker- Verses sounding good despite raspy Rob. Solo- solid start and perfect playing on the fast section. Bouree sounds decent. We get some 59th St also. Up tempo section- Jimmy on fire as his fingers fly across the fretboard with perfect articulation. Plant struggling on the return but what else is new. They wrap it up nicely. I'm gonna take Robert out of the equation here and give it an "A+". Final Assessment- Definitely one of those where you just have to look past Plant and enjoy the other three going ape instrumentally. He never actually gets warmed up for this one and sounds tired throughout. As for the others there are some very impressive moments. Dancing Days is played near perfectly, SIBLY has a unique, darker feel to it and a blazing solo, WLL and Heartbreaker are both instrumentally astounding. Then there's the last half of Dazed where Jim and Bonzo basically blow the roof off the place in an endless array of musical dynamics. Such a shame they weren't as on point for the first half. Also worth mentioning that it's another high energy showing from Bonham, blasting away with extra drum fills throughout the show.

Sheffield has a dreadful tape.

Very nice! Thanks.

Nitpicking Page 3/19/1973 Berlin, Germany (Reel Master 2nd gen) Mostly clear audience source with Jones very low in the mix. WLL has a soundboard recording available. Rock And Roll- Booming energy and Plant is sounding exceptional for the era. Verses sound great. Solo- first couple phrases are very sticky but he gets on track after that. 2:23, sticky on the last phrase. Last verses sound good. Not flawless but a good start. "B+". OTHAFA- Intro is just a little loose. Plant handling the verses quite well, careful not to push himself. Solo- Bonham adding fills throughout. 3:10, excellent run. A well structured, safely played solo. Nothing over the top. The return is good as Rob reserves himself. 4:45, he pushes here and cracks a bit. Outro is good. Hard to not go "A" considering Plant isn't a disaster here and everything is played solidly. Black Dog- 0:28, Page a little late to jump in. 1:41, a decent scream from Plant. Verses flowing quite well. 3:36, another decent scream though a bit painful sounding. Solo- Jimmy gets a nice flow going to start. 4:00-4:18, getting in the zone for some top notch phrasing. Very good. I think it's fair to call this an "A". MMH- Verses sounding good as ever. Solo- solid. No flaws here. "A". SIBLY- Excellent intro from Page. Verses are as good as they can be with Plant careful not to overdo it. Solo- good noodling to start. Solid playing and phrasing throughout. Plant puts tremendous emotion into the last verses. "A+". Dancing Days- relaxed sounding but the groove and mood is perfect. Verses are solid. Solo- no flaws I can hear. Sounds good to my ears. "A". BYAS- Uptempo and lively with Robert sounding excellent. 2:17, Page getting inventive with the chording. Breakdown- not bad, with a That's The Way tease. Solid ending. "A". TSRTS- Plenty of energy out of the gate. Intro and verses sound good. First solo- fingers flying as Jim hammers down the phrasing perfectly. Plant strains just slightly on the California Sunlight section but manages quite well. Outro- solid playing throughout except for some loose chording at 4:31. 4:54, unique phrases I haven't heard before sounding great to end the run. Apart from one instance of sloppy chording this one is near perfect and one of the liveliest versions I've heard. "A+". Rain Song- Intro and verses sounding good. Jones and Page play off each other nicely through the mellotron section. Rock section- recording gets a little muddy but sounds good and heavy with Plant not cracking. Outro played perfectly. "A+". (Plant jokes that Whole Lotta Love is a Jethro Tull song while Page plays a rockabilly riff). Dazed- 0:49, Bonham getting wound up. The vocals again masked with a heavy echo effect. 3:26, squeaky vocals. First workout- excellent jam section but nothing too extreme. San Fran- 5:37, either a bad chord or a string out of tune. 6:50, takes Jim a few seconds to get the bow in his hands, perhaps he was tuning that string that sounded off. Second workout- off to the usual start. 15:09, switching to some bluesy/country sounding phrases. 16:04, struggling a little on the ascending riff. 16:27, we get some "Got A Feeling" riffs. 17:32, Page getting into the zone as Bonham blasts some thunderous fills. 20:12, Plant is holding his own with the vocal/guitar duel. 20:47, Page again in shred zone. Mars- enters perfectly and as heavy as ever as Bonham switches up the beat some. 22:17, this ascending phrase sounds fantastic as Jones matches it perfectly in the background. The timing on the climax is nailed and Bonzo's triplets level the building. 23:48, Page plays some unique riffs on the last verses. Outro jam- 25:30, some sticky articulation. The wah section is noticeably underwhelming this time around. The second workout is one of the most impressive I can recall hearing, the rest is pretty average with some hiccups. Which makes this tough to rate. I'll go "A-" overall but the second workout is certainly in "A++" territory. Stairway- The initial verses are very somber but played well. 3:38, excellent vocal improv by Plant. 5:30, Plant getting more energetic. Solo- phrasing is a little choppy to start. 7:21, now here we go. Page starts to let his fingers fly. 7:59, unique phrasing. Final runs are nailed. Plant sounding a little flat on the climax, even changing up the vocal melody. Outro is good. A very unique version to say the least, though I can't grade it on uniqueness. "B+". WLL- Decent start. This first jam is short and sweet as Jim moves on. Theremin section- good. Funk jam- Page gets in a groove with some nice chording but it ends up being a quick one. "Everybody" sounds good. Solo- perfect. Boogie Chillen- Plant and Page both with lots of enthusiasm. The song turns into a quick jam before the verses come in. Solo- Jim is on fire throughout. Baby I Don't Care- sounding good throughout. Let's Have A Party- 12:53, Plant flubs the vocals a bit. 13:12, and again. Solo- not bad, some good raunchy phrases. I Can't Quit You- usual start. Solo- good noodling from Jim. 18:10, slight tape cut of about 20 seconds (can be heard on the SBD). 19:25, getting dirty through here as Page plays with grit. Plant sounds convincing on the Lemon Squeeze section. The return is good and filled with energy as they bring it to a thunderous end. Not bad at all but far from the most impressive version. "A-". Final Assessment- "Consistent" is the word I'd use for this one as the entire band stay focused for the majority of the numbers. The entire first half of the show is solid as a rock and even the few flubs aren't enough to ruin anything. Plant sounds excellent for the most part, especially for this tour. Page's fingers are nimble and his phrasing excellent for most of it, with only a few spots of stickiness. Bonham is again energetic as he's been this whole tour. It's a crying shame Jones is so absent on the recording. Highlights are a near perfect TSRTS and a top tier second workout on Dazed as Jimmy taps into his element.

Nitpicking Page 3/17/1973 Munich, Germany (Live In Moon Chin- Winston) A very clear audience source that is lacking some bass. Rock And Roll- Robert not sounding too bad at all. Solo- Phrasing is good but the articulation is questionable. Good energy for the opener and a decent version. "A-". OTHAFA- Intro is a little loose but nothing major. Plant sounding pretty rough on the verses but the tempo and energy are spot on. 2:31, some loose notes and Page has a string out of tune. Solo- good start. Some good bits here and there but this one feels rushed with lackluster phrasing. Plant's return sounds pretty dreadful. Bonham throws in some nice fills toward the end. Pretty average with some flubs. "B". Black Dog- Verses sounding decent with a faster tempo but Rob is still noticeably scratchy. 2:38, Page gets sticky fingered and struggles to catch back up to the beat. Solo- 4:12, excellent bends here. Phrasing is a tad erratic but seems to work fairly well as Jim shreds away. Not terrible. "B+". MMH- 1:00, the main guitar riff sounds forced and off throughout, almost sharp. Plant is also really pushing his vocals while being reserved. Solo is played well. 3:50, voice crack. Robert's lack of vocal conviction drags this one down a bit along with Page's guitar possibly being out of tune. "B". SIBLY- Not the best fast intro but the slower part is fantastic. Verses are decent but Robert is still a little reserved. Solo- a bit sloppy on the get go but he gets on track for some excellent phrasing. Plant attempts a throat tearing air raid on the return. The latter half has the band in full swing except for Robert, who sounds like he's ready for a nap. A nice version minus the vocals, but still not top tier. "B+". Dancing Days- Page tuning his own guitar beforehand. Verses are decent but once again Robert just isn't feeling it. 3:09, Page getting off track with the slide phrasing. Bonham seems to be the only one in his element tonight. Generous "B+". BYAS- Solid throughout. "A". TSRTS- Decent intro. Plant sounding marginally better on the verses. First solo- Page struggles a bit to keep up with the blazing tempo and changes up the phrasing some. Outro solo- Page gets on fire for this one, phrasing and fingers nearly flawless. Plant's return however is much less impressive, screeching and croaking for his final verses. A dynamic version for sure but not top tier. "B+" not taking the vocals into much account. The Rain Song- Guitar sounds slightly out of tune. Plant manages the verses ok. The mellotron/guitar section is done quite well with perfect balance on the recording. Rock Section- Plant tries to say "Talk to me" but he can barely talk. The others however blast away. Outro is decent to end it. Pretty average but Plant really hurts this one. "B". Dazed- 1:08, Bonham having some fun. 3:32, I have no idea what the purpose of Plant's vocal delivery is on this song for this tour. He's always drowned out by an echo effect and sings more like he's doing a jazz/scat routine while just mumbling the words. In my opinion it ruins the integrity of the song, but that's an opinion unrelated to nitpicking. The first workout section is very good with nice phrasing by Page and energy by Bonham/Jones. The San Fran section feels rushed as the tempo goes pretty fast. Second Workout- awesome start. 15:20, source switch. 16:25-16:45, Page in the zone. 17:28, very unique fingerpicked phrasing. 20:15, excellent fluidity. Mars- Bonham's intro triplets are perfectly thunderous. 22:38, some confusion between Page and Bonham as to when they should hit the climax section but they make it work. Plant mumbles through the last verse. Page goes wild on the outro with screeching wah noodling as Bonham continues to thrash his drums in a tribal fashion. A little loose in places but overall it's an instrumental powerhouse. I'm gonna rate this as if Plant's vocals are just another instrument. Like a scratchy, echo-laden trombone or something. "A-". Stairway- 0:37, some off notes by Jones. 1:24, again. The 'Tron must be acting up. 2:11, Robert sings the "Misgiven" part late and it doesn't match Page's phrasing. 5:00, some nice Good Time Bad Times -esque bass drum rolls by Bonham. Verses are mostly solid overall with a few minor hiccups. Solo- Page's structuring and fluidity is sounding flawless. 7:46, perfect bends. 8:00, good flow on the quiet part. Near perfect all the way through with excellent emotion behind each note. Plant's return on the climax is truly dreadful as he sounds like he almost just gives up. 9:27, these descending phrases by Page sound great. Not a spectacular version but I'd single out that solo as one of the best I've heard, definitely top 10. "B". WLL- Plant sounding screechy on the verses. Page going wild on the funk jam, almost leaving the others behind. Theremin freakout sounding good. Plant squeaks his way through the "Everybody" section. 4:44, Page and Bonham build the tempo going into the solo, which is done well. Boogie Chillen- Page's phrasing on the solo is on the erratic side but his intense playing makes up for it. 9:20, Plant comes in a little early for "Baby I Don't Care" and when he tries again he's off key. They get it together however for a nice jam. Let's Have A Party- perfect amount of raunchiness and groove with a big finish. I Can't Quit You- good start. Solo- not the most technically impressive but he's feeling good tonight and it comes through with each note and bend, with Bonham and Jones matching his intensity. We get some "Going Down Slow" toward the end. 20:00-20:30, Bonham and Page getting down and dirty. Plant's air raid scream for the return is sickening. Bonham destroys his kit on the finale as this one ends. Taking Rob out of the equation, this performance is overall very solid, just a bit of looseness from Jimmy. But it also feels like Jimmy was a little reserved for his solos although they're still very good. Bonham really pushes this version as he's done all night. "A-" instrumentally, but let's just ignore Robert. Heartbreaker- 1:17, Robert just needs to pretend like his mic isn't working and let the others jam out on this. Solo- 3:20, another must hear smear section as there's no "smear" at all as Page nails every note with perfect articulation. The rockabilly jam is short and sweet, followed by a fantastic Bouree. Up tempo section- Page keeps the vibe going with excellent phrasing and no slop. 6:00, possible tape cut. 6:29, blazing away on these last phrases. The return is decent to end a superb rendition (minus raspy Rob). "A+" instrumentally. Final Assessment- It's rare Robert starts out a show decent and gets worse as it goes but this is one of those. Don't let that get in the way of some good performances by the others. Page himself is also slow to warm up but once Dazed rolls around he's playing on a pretty high level. The Stairway and Heartbreaker solos are some of the best I've heard. Bonzo is amped up throughout the show and his ability to match and accentuate Jim's improv parts is uncanny. A decent performance but not quite on the level of the other Euro shows.

Nitpicking Page 3/14/1973 Nuremburg, Germany (Graf Zeppelin) Rock And Roll- Off to a booming start with a raspy Robert. Articulation is hard to hear but he knocks the phrasing out of the park. Excellent energy on this opening number. Not taking points off for the usually scratchy vocals I'd call this an "A+". OTHAFA- Page sounding a bit loose on the intro. Plant really holding back on the verses. Solo- good start. 3:10, very nice flow with the phrasing. 3:55, maybe just a bit of turkey gobbling here. 4:11, very slight chord flub. Overall a solid solo. The vocals definitely have an impact on this one as Plant sounds near death on the last verses. Good outro by Jim. "B+". Black Dog- Slow and thunderous tempo. 1:37, Plant somehow manages a very squeaky airraid. That's a +1 throat nodule. Solo- not a bad start but the phrasing is a little hesitant and choppy in places. 4:13, he gets going here on an excellent set of speedy runs for the remainder. A decent run-through. "A-". MMH- 0:11, small flub by Jim. Verses sounding good with Bonham pounding away. Jimmy knocks down the solo. Plant manages this one quite well. "A-". SIBLY- Good intro. Plant sounds semi warmed up now on the very quietly played first verses. Solo- Page a little late coming in but recovers nicely with some blazing blues licks. Top notch phrasing/playing on this one. Plant screechy on the return. 6:44, Page missing some notes. Plant manages to hit some powerful notes near the end. Not terrible but the solo is the real standout. "B+". Dancing Days- Decent start. 1:59, vocal squeaks. 2:39, Page's slide work a little sloppy. Not the most impressive version. "B+". BYAS- Solid intro and verses. Breakdown- after the usual improv noodling Page hints at That's The Way. Excellent finish. "A". TSRTS- Superb energy on the takeoff. Excellent verses. First solo- 2:52, 2:56, slight hangups. Page gets a little mixed up on the phrasing but makes it work. The bridge sounds great but has a small cut. Outro solo- played well although Plant is straining a bit. Another cut before it ends. Overall "A-". The Rain Song- Vocals are distant but the verses sound good. 3:20, mellotron sounds a little wonky through here. Rock section- a delay/echo effect overwhelms the mix but you can still hear Plant being very scratchy. Overall a bit lackluster. "B". Dazed- Bonham throwing in some nice snare rolls on the beginning. 2:35, the main riff being played very heavily. 3:24, Bonzo destroys his kit for a couple measures, a theme that would continue throughout the Euro Dazed performances. First workout- excellent energy as Jimmy and Bonzo duel it out. San Fran section almost goes a too fast. 8:35, Bonham still energetic leading into the bow section. Bow section clocks in around 5 1/2 minutes. Second workout- 15:58, some sloppy phrasing by Page. 16:44 sounding great here. 18:40, in the zone on a nice jam section. 22:43, Bonzo misses the Mars cue but improvises some fills that work just as well. The climax hits hard with plenty of enthusiasm. The outro has Jimmy and Bonzo still going insane with some raspy vocal noises from Robert. Bonham's finishing triplets bring down the house. Not the tightest version but definitely up there as far as energy and dynamics. "A-". Stairway- We get a quick tease of Ramble On before things get serious. 0:42, Page's guitar sounds unusually strange here, as if he's playing the intro on the six string instead of the twelve. 4:00, Robert's vocals sound especially melancholic. 5:57, small tape cut. 6:12, larger tape cut takes us to the last half of the solo. Solo- 7:10-7:26, Page just can't get a good flow going here. He nails the final phrases though. Plant straining some on the climax. An unusual version and not a precise one. "B+". WLL- Another tease before starting, this time Tarantella Napoletana. Verses sound average. They get a quick funk jam in before a very short theremin section. Page instead jumps into a nice improvised jam section. "Everybody Needs Somebody" has good enthusiasm. Solo- Solid. Boogie Chillen- sounding good. Page digs his heels in for an awesome solo. Baby I Don't Care- 11:40, some unusual phrasing by Jim, otherwise solid. Let's Have A Party- good verses. Page's solo sounds a bit awkward as the phrasing doesn't match well. I Can't Quit You- Plant's weaker vocals can't really do this one justice. Jimmy nails down an adequate, extended solo but it's not the most intense I've heard from him. The return brings back some much needed energy though Plant is still weak. 26:24, Page sounds a little off on these ending phrases. Not a terrible version but could definitely be better. "B+". Heartbreaker- Very solid, energetic start. Solo- the smear section is blazingly fast and articulate with some extra repeated phrases at the end. Bouree- there's one bad note, nearly unnoticeable. Fast section- 5:30, despite some speedy playing Page struggles on these ascending chords. Decent solo overall but not peak Jimmy. The return and outro sound fairly good. "B+". Final Assessment- Not a bad show but not a great one either. Plant is rough, Page isn't exactly in the zone, but Bonham does deliver quite well with some tremendous energy throughout. This can be classified as a perfectly normal, average show. No trainwrecks, no mindblowers. Just a band who showed up to do their job.

Nitpicking Page 3/6/1973 Stockholm, Sweden (Two Hundred And Forty Pounds- EVSD) Rock And Roll- Plant sounds a bit hoarse, but not the worst I've heard. Decent verses with good energy. Solo- Page cuts loose wildly on the beginning. 2:13, a tad loose on the latter half but nothing major, with a strong finish. The returning verses are good as they bring it to a close. "A-". OTHAFA- 0:23, loose on the intro phrasing. Rob sounding much better now. First verses are decent but Robert holds back a lot. Solo- the usual start with some lower octave noodling, building his way up nicely. 3:37-3:45, 73 Jim in full swing. 4:32, hard to make out the articulation of these phrases but sounds loose. The coda has a scratchy Plant and the outro sounds good. Good tempo and energy and a blazing solo, though it's not perfect and Plant is reserved. "B+". Black Dog- Very energetic with Bonzo's drums echoing through the venue. 1:43, Rob attempts a high note but ends with a squeak. Verses are fairly solid. 3:34, and again. Solo- not a lot of shredding as Jimmy mostly sticks to lots of bends with some hesitant phrases. Good soloing overall. Not bad. "A-". MMH- Plant's hoarseness is really affecting the impact of this one although the energy is tremendous. 2:30, Jones hitting some strange notes on the piano. Page's short solo is well done and the last verses are good. "B". SIBLY- The lead-in is slightly sticky but good. 0:30-0:40, Page dials it back a bit. Plant is a bit underwhelming on the opening vocals. Solo- 4:42, nice emotion on these bends. Sounds like a decent solo underneath the noisy audio. Plant's effort on the last half is still reserved but the song is carried by an energetic Jimmy and Bonzo. 7:30, Plant seemingly releases all his vocal frustrations with a primal air raid to end the song. "B+" for 73. (Plant tells the audience to put out their cigs) Dancing Days- Robert again sounding very tired. Sounds solid throughout but I couldn't say it's anything special. "B+". BYAS- Rob does sound a bit more lively here. Unfortunately there's some constant feedback throughout. Jim's breakdown is played well as he teases some Black Mountain Rag phrases. Good ending and a decent run through apart from Jimmy stopping because of the feedback. "A-". TSRTS- Jimmy teases Satisfaction before starting. Good energetic start. 1:49, Plant falling a bit flat on this note. First solo- 2:30, phrasing is all over the place but not necessarily bad. Plant really pushing himself on the "California sunlight" section. Outro sounds decent. Excellent energy but a fairly loose performance. "B+". Rain Song- Not sure if it's the recording or the live equipment but the vocals are dialed way down. Good beginning. Jones' mellotron section is played fantastically. Rock section- good. The song winds down nicely. "A-". Dazed- Nice, moody start with some good energy by Bonham. First workout- Page gets going on some fluid, energetic lead phrasing as the others match his energy. 6:20, some Crunge like riffing on steroids. Page sounding very good on the San Francisco section. 11:15, the audience finds this a good time to do a hoe-down. Second workout- the recording gets murky throughout but sounds solid with plenty of energy. 20:00, funk section flowing well but is short. 21:43, Page tempts Rob on the call and response section but Plant holds back. 22:42, now he lets go a bit. Mars- hits well with the appropriate feedback screeches from Jim. The climax builds and hits nicely. The outro is very experimental and done fairly well with a thunderous ending. Overall quite good. "A". Stairway- Good start but there's a cut at 2:02. Solo- 6:11, an unusual moment as Page holds this note for an incredibly long time instead of playing the full phrase. 7:14-7:38, nimble fingered runs on the quiet section. Final phrases are played perfectly with excellent bending. Plant pushes himself on the climax but he's still relatively weak. Outro is good. Everything we have sounds decent. "A". WLL- Page teases some kind of jingle before starting (which sounds suspiciously like Tommy's Holiday Camp). Plant sounding a little flat on the opening verses. Theremin freakout is on point. Everybody Needs Somebody is good but goes by quickly. Solo- played excitedly by Page. Boogie Chillen- good start. 11:10, Page chokes on these phrases a bit. Solo- Jimmy goes berserk with excellent articulation. Baby I Don't Care- solid. Let's Have A Party- good. I Can't Quit You Baby- nice start. Solo- Jim starts out with delicate, relaxed phrasing then gradually amps it up. 21:45, still keeping it chill here. 22:10, Page and Bonham finally wake up and blow the doors off the place. Plant's lemon squeezing return is subdued. Not a bad rendition but lacks the out of control aggressiveness of other versions. Plant gets a decent scream in for the return and the finish is full on energy as Bonzo's drums echo throughout the venue. Not bad but not the best. "B+" compared to other performances. Heartbreaker- Energetic start with good verses. Solo- The usual start. Well, there's smear sections then there's this. Wow. Bouree phrasing is good. Fast section is a little murky but he sounds impressive throughout, speedy and articulate. The return has Bonham having some fun with the beat. Excellent version. "A+". The Ocean- Plant sounds a little nervous and shaky on the verses. 2:17, tape cut takes us to the outro. No rating. Final Assessment- A decent performance but obviously not the standout Euro 73 show. Plant is very lax and Jimmy isn't exactly on God mode here. It has some high points however. Heartbreaker is the main highlight in my opinion, with excellent energy and Jim shredding away.

No worries. 👍

I've never seen anyone say they liked Jim's 75 tone lol. It puts a serious dent in the appeal of the music that year along with croaky Plant and over relaxed Bonzo.

Nitpicking Page 9/3/1971 MSG, NY (It's Been A Long Time- Graf Zeppelin) Mostly two alternating audience sources, one bright one muffled, but very listenable. Immigrant Song- Plant sounding fairly decent on the opening vocals. Tempo matches the studio version perfectly. 1:25, Plant feeling energetic as he shakes the mic while screaming. Good verses. Solo- Page gets off to a quicker start here, with more energetic phrasing off the bat. 3:07, interesting descending phrase. Page plays a steady, flawless stream of leads to end a rock solid version. "A+". Heartbreaker- Verses played well with Robert still sounding lively. Solo- rockabilly section features some nimble fingers. Smear section is expressive and played well. Bouree-good. The audio takes a dive on the fast section but Jimmy keeps his head above water for an excellent set of phrasing and seemingly good articulation. Good finish. "A". SIBLY- Very nice intro. 3:12, a unique vocal phrase I've never noticed before from Rob. Solo- perfect playing and phrasing throughout. The return has Plant putting lots of emphasis on the vocal delivery. Strong finish. "A++". Black Dog- Tapers are making plenty of noise telling people to sit down. The band is sounding fantastic however. Plant still singing the "Jelly roll" lyric. Plant's pre-solo scream isn't a scream at all. Solo- another flawless set of leads. Plant could've been stronger but this is a solid one overall. "A". Dazed- Good start. First workout is developing a little more. 7:52, "Jimmy Page is the best guitarist in the world." Brave words considering 1975 is around the corner. Second workout- Page gets off to the races with some energetic phrasing and nimble fingers. 13:15, throwing in a couple country licks and we can also hear "The Crunge" section developing on drums. 16:10, changing up phrasing nicely. Mars sounds good as Jones keeps playing the circular riff. 17:13, taking the phrasing to different levels. Climax lands perfectly. Outro jam is more excellence from Page, with the others matching his musical mindset. "A+". Stairway- Verses sounding good. Solo- very good phrasing to start. Steady throughout. 7:30, interesting bends here before the final pull offs. Solid as ever. Plant's voice cracks on "souls". Otherwise a good climax. "A-" only for some subdued vocals. Celebration Day- No fooling around as Page gets the intro off quickly. Tempo is high energy. Jones' bass really stands out on the recording. Verses are good. First solo- no flaws. Outro solo- 3:37, excellent phrasing. Not bad. "A". That's The Way- Solid all the way through. "A". GTC- 1:03, odd vocal phrase. 3:50, the "Sit down" police arrive. Not bad but missing a bit of magic. "B+". WIAWSNB- Verses sound decent. Solo- Jim a little sloppy on the start but the last half is played very well. 3:34, minor bass flub. Outro is good. Not bad but not the best, "B+". Moby Dick- Bonham keeps the energy up throughout. The muffled source however makes it hard to hear the details. WLL- Nice little intro jam to get started. Verses are good and Jones gets funky on the freakout section. Solo- not perfect but very good. Boogie Chillen- Jim starts up a CCR sounding jam before the solo. Solo- Solid playing. My Baby Left Me- 8:52, Plant vocal crack. Excellent solo. Mess of Blues- Jimmy seemingly uses a slide during the vocals and he nails down a flawless solo as well. 13:15, slide is gone here as it's evident he's using his fingers. You Shook Me- verses sounding good. Solo- Page blasts off into his usual routine of impressive pentatonic blues runs, akin to Honey Bee and Going Down Slow. 21:22, Page ending the medley with a stunning set of pulloffs. Outro verses sound good. This one deserves a listen just for the dynamics of it, but also because Page is once again nimble fingered. Plant isn't exactly phenomenal vocally but he's mostly solid throughout. "A". CB- Blistering tempo and good verses. Solo- Page lets his wah talk though he's more reserved on this solo. Jones however isn't reserved at all as he throws down an excellent bass solo/funk section. "A+". Thank You- A good start comes to a halt as the crowd tries to climb the stage. After Plant scolds the crowd they jump back into the verses in a professional manner. Solo- some unusual phrasing throughout but it's a good one. The outro is done very dramatically. Ignoring the abrupt stop, "A". Rock And Roll- Jimmy does some twangy bends to get started. Perfect energy on the verses. Solo- near impossible to make out any details but it is very evident that Jim does some unique phrasing. 2:58, Jimmy palm muting. Strong finish. This is one I'd like to hear a soundboard for. "A-". (Rating changed because somehow I didn't notice a skipped verse). Final Assessment- Apparently there is no standing allowed in NY as the crowd tells each other to sit down for the entire show. Aside from the noisy tapers this is certainly one of the most solid shows overall so far. Plant isn't exactly peaking but he's strong throughout and has excellent projection on the lyrics. Page is very consistent and so are Jones and Bonham. Maybe the soundboard Gods will bless us with this show.

Much appreciated. When I first started these everyone thought I was solely intending to criticize the band, which isn't the case. I just find it interesting to run the live performances through a sieve and separate the good parts and the bad parts.

You realize you don't need the solo for a comparison? All the little nuances of the verses (drum fills, vocal notes) also match up. Unless you're suggesting the solo only is from Orlando?

If you play both versions side by side they match up perfectly, note for note. There's no question that they're the same. How they ended up getting mismatched is a real mystery however.

Nitpicking Page 9/1/1971 Hollywood, FL (On The Diamond Of The Gold Coast- DOD liberation) This audience recording starts out murky with some fluctuations but clears up as it goes along. Might require some slight bootleg ears. Immigrant Song- After a false start Bonzo recounts and starts again. Plant's opening screams not overly impressive, but not terrible. Verses sound good. Solo- some warm up noodling leads to some more nimble fingered licks. Jim's very patient with this one but the phrasing is well done. Not a bad start but there's a lack of energy. "A-". Heartbreaker- Solid verses. Solo- 3:12, Jim changes up the rockabilly phrasing a bit. Smear section is perfectly raunchy, not too sloppy. Bouree sounds rushed. Fast section- steady phrasing throughout as Jim stays on the path nicely. Plant sounding strong on the return. "A". SIBLY- Bonham with excellent footwork on the intro as Jim plays some delicate lead guitar. Very nice start. Plant sounding decent so far though extremely reserved. Solo- playing steadily, not overdoing anything. Solid phrasing. 6:48, Plant missing that one a bit. Not one of Plant's better vocal performances but it's still fairly good otherwise. Just a little too casual sounding. "B+". Black Dog- Verses sounding good with enthusiasm from Rob. Plant's pre solo scream is good. Solo- recording is murky but sounds like Jim again keeps to more steady, slightly reserved playing. He focuses more on big bends and less on fast runs. An average run through. "A-". Dazed- Average start with some tape issues. First workout is short. Bow section goes on for six minutes. Tape issue as the second workout begins, with audio fluctuations throughout. 10:37, a decent air raid from Plant. Page seems to be playing well but the tape issues make it a tough assessment. Mars sounds good. The climax is played well as Plant sings with excellent enthusiasm on the final verses. Page doesn't seem to get anything going for the outro jam. Hard to rate but I'd guess "A-". Stairway- Tape issues continue. Verses sound good enough. Solo- sounds like the textbook phrases to start and Jim playing well but the tape issues really make it a tough listen. Some slightly different phrases on the final measure. Plant sounds fairly good on the climax, even going for the "Lady" high note. Another difficult version to grade but I'll say "A". That's The Way- cuts in. What we have sounds good, with Plant singing confidently. No rating. (Plant gives a lecture about how they'll never play the same songs over and over again. Maybe should've thought about that one a little more.) WIAWSNB- Excellent verses. Solo- well done. Outro is played well to end a solid version. "A". WLL- Page's intro riffing isn't as exciting this time but the verses sound impressive. Unfortunately the tape cuts here with only a snippet of You Shook Me. No rating. Thank You (SBD)- Using the soundboard as the audience version cuts out. One of the most impressive solos you'll ever hear by Page, simple as that. Perfect phrasing and execution. It's also aided by some heavy footwork by Bonham. Outro is decent as Jones adds some organ ambience. "A++". Final Assessment- A lot of solid playing but there's definitely a certain amount of magic missing for most of this one. The songs are played well but they're about as straight forward as you can get. Plant is rough in places and Page is very hesitant to let his fingers fly. Nevertheless I think the Florida folks got their money's worth. Highlights are a top notch version of Thank You and a perfectly played WIAWSNB.

Nitpicking Page 2/7/1975 MSG, NY (Source Mix) A decent but distant mix of audience sources. Rock And Roll- Hopefully the taper's voice goes out at sometime. Good energy from the band as well although Plant's voice isn't near as strong as the taper's. Solo- mildly sticky but mostly good. Apart from a very scratchy Rob it's a pretty solid version. "A-". Sick Again- Decent verses. First solo- Not bad at all. Plant starts to loosen up some near the end. Outro solo- Page appears to be fairly coherent as the phrasing and bends are all done flawlessly. "A". OTHAFA- The taper asks someone for a "roach clip". Page nails the intro with a good tempo. Good verses. Solo- decent noodling to start. His phrasing builds nicely. 4:00, possibly very sloppy articulation here. Apart from that it's a textbook 75 solo and done fairly well. 5:01, Page chord flub. Solid outro. "A-". (The P.A. system makes an audible hum which Plant comments on.) IMTOD- Intro played perfectly. 3:40, tempo picks up nicely. First solo- a frantic start smooths out for some good phrasing. Second solo- perfect phrasing off the start. Very good soloing from Jim here. The energy continues afterwards. 8:26, Jim gets a little loose here. 9:12, Bonham really driving this thing home. One of the more energetic versions I've heard. "A+". TSRTS- Keeping with the ultra fast tempo. Good intro and verses. First solo- Page seems to be mostly coherent but missing some notes in a couple places. Plant is scratchy but manages the climax vocals. Outro solo- a bit hard to make out but mostly sounds good. Very energetic with only a few flubs. "A-". The Rain Song- Very solid verses with the mellotron fitting perfectly with the mix. Plant strains a bit on an otherwise good rock section. Page nails down a solid outro. Maybe not the smoothest flowing version but there's no flaws here. "A-". Kashmir- Good start. 2:12, Plant hitting a rare falsetto note. The interlude is done decently with Plant straining slightly throughout. 7:30, Page's Arabic soloing is erratic but fitting. 8:11, Jones hits a wrong note on the bass pedal. An exciting version but maybe not the most solid. "B+". No Quarter- Solid intro verses. Jones section- excellent 73-ish build up. Page drops in ever so slightly with some rhythmic riffing. Solo- good flow and phrasing to start. 8:30, getting into a groove. 9:19-9:23, a little sloppy. 9:55, Page's tone becoming much harsher. 10:56, wrong note before he takes a few seconds to switch to some decent wah licks. Not a bad solo for 1975. The return is good and Jimmy gets some decent soloing in to close the song. "A-". Trampled Underfoot- Blazing tempo. Verses sound decent. Jones' solo is fast paced and good. Solo- 4:33, rockabilly licks. 4:57, phrasing gets off track. 5:17, playing vigorously but loosely. Plenty of energy but lacking some technique. The energy continues til the end. Not terrible, "B+". Dazed- Decent start. 2:55, tape cut to an inferior source. First workout- Jimmy sounding pretty sloppy initially but jumps to some more stable licks. San Francisco has a wonderful intro by Page. Bow section sounding good. Second workout- starts out a little unorthodox. 14:05, some slop. 14:24, Page having a difficult time finding a flow. He does keep it lively however. The call and response section is done well. 17:30, sticky. Page throws in the kitchen sink on the final stages of the solo, not sounding too bad. Mars- some choppy playing on this. The climax hits good although Page flubs the notes at 20:17. 20:35, Jones having trouble getting in sync. The return sounds good and Page gets some minorly sloppy wah licks in toward the end. Definitely an uber dynamic version that's worth a listen, but I imagine the subpar recording is masking an already sticky sounding Page. "B". Stairway- Excellent verses with Jones' keys adding a perfect balance and mood. 5:37, Page hesitates for a moment between chords. Solo- of course it switches to the inferior source. 6:32, bending these notes perfectly. 6:46-6:53, very nice phrasing. 7:18, switching to more short, choppy runs. Final phrases sound good. Maybe not the most articulate but this was a phrasing mastery class. Plant sounds absolutely dreadful on the climax. Outro is good. "A+" solo bit Plant's vocals and some small flubs keep it at an "A-" overall. (The taper encourages someone to throw more firecrackers afterwards.) WLL- Partial and Plant is rough again. BD- 0:37, minor guitar flub. 1:05, Plant barely hanging on. Tempo drags badly throughout assuming the tape speed is correct. 3:28, Plant really going for the scream, voice be damned. Solo- decent start, a bit sluggish. 4:20-4:30, return of the turkey gobble. 4:36, runs out of road. The finish is ok for a rough version. "C+". Heartbreaker- They're all really struggling to get through the verses. Solo- fortunately for Jim and unfortunate for nitpicking, the solo is almost entirely cut. I'm sure it was something else but oh well. "B" for what we have. Final Assessment- Another classic tale of a 1975 show going downhill after the midway point. Everything up to Dazed is quite consistently good however. Highlights are a brutal IMTOD and one of the better STH solos I've heard for 1975. Plant somehow warms up quickly for the show and soon gets cold again.

Nitpicking Page 8/31/1971 Orlando, FL (Source mix) Soundboard patched with a distant audience source. Previous versions of this bootleg has "Organ solo/Thank You" which turns out is actually a SBD from the Hollywood, FL show. Immigrant Song- Page does some nice crunchy warm up riffs before starting. Plant's opening wails may not be peak vocals but the emphasis he's putting on them makes up for it, literally shaking the mic as he screams. This one is pure energy with Bonzo beat his drums to death. 1:50, Plant feeling great tonight. Solo- Some steady warmup phrasing to start. 2:58, kicking into a higher gear. Not exactly shred mode but the phrasing is well done. "A+" just for the enthusiasm. Heartbreaker- Excellent energy and Robert sounds good. Bonham also throwing in some nasty drum fills. Solo- the first rockabilly section appears, which is played well. The smear section is perfectly raunchy, though a tad stickier than usual. Bouree is good. Up-tempo section- Page sounds a little hesitant to let go but keeps a steady flow of phrasing going. Not the most impressive solo. "B+". SIBLY- Page changes the intro phrasing up just slightly. Solo- Page plays steady phrasing throughout with perfect emotion. Nothing mind blowing but it's a perfectly executed solo. Plant returns with a decent scream, though he gets a bit scratchy towards the end. A very solid version. "A". Dazed- Bonham feeling playful on the intro. Plant still putting extra emotion into the vocals. First workout is very short. Bow section lasts 6 minutes. Second workout- 11:35, Page hits a rough spot and the phrasing gets a little off. He gets back on track for more steady phrasing, mixing in rhythmic licks between lead runs. 14:30, experimental phrases. Mars is played decently and the climax hits good. 18:11, phrasing mixup. The outro is exciting as the four push each other in a musical standoff to see who goes the longest. 21:32, Page dabbles with some White Summer phrasing. I've heard better versions from Page but this one is no slouch, just rough around the edges. "A-". Black Dog- 0:36, Page a little late. Bonham doing extra foot work throughout. 1:54, Bonham dropping out for a second. 2:00, lyric flub. Solo- 4:34, phrasing hang up. Exciting soloing but not the most fluid phrasing by Jim. 5:00, Jones thinking this was the end. A few flubs on this one though Bonzo's foot work really stands out. "B". Stairway- 0:37, Jim plays some different notes here that sound oddly fitting. Very solid verses. Solo- some of the best phrasing to start I've heard, with Jim nailing every little bend with perfect emphasis. 7:05, one barely noticeable off note. Beautiful finish. Robert sounds decent on the climax and the voice crack on "Lady" is actually in key lol. Outro sounds good. One of the best versions thus far. "A+". Celebration Day- Page doing some warmup riffing before launching. Unfortunately we get the aud source at this point. Verses sound great with amazing energy. First solo- perfect. Outro- hard to make out but sounds like clean playing all around. Arguably the most solid version yet. "A+". That's The Way- A more relaxed feel this time. Sounds good throughout with Plant putting excellent emotion into the lyrics. "A". GTC- Solid version. "A". (Jim teases "You really got me" before the next number) WIAWSNB- Good start. 0:46, tape cut. 1:35, soundboard returns. Solo- a little loose but Jimmy hangs on. 3:09, tiny guitar flub. Rob's vocals cracking some on the final measures. "B+". MD- A dynamic performance though I don't hear anything too impressive from John this time around. Some of his triplets are very loose and lazy sounding WLL- More heavy warmup riffing. Verses sounding good. The theremin takes a while to come in on the freakout and someone is mysteriously playing Jones' Rhodes piano. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- 6:07, Plant tells a stage invader "That's far enough" and calls for roadie Clive Coulson. Solo- flawless playing from Jim. 8:55, changes up to some rockabilly phrasing before jumping to some blazing leads. 9:33, Plant gets lost before finally starting the "My Baby Left Me" lyrics. Mess Of Blues- very slow tempo. Solo- Page breaks out the slide for some very sloppy playing. 14:58, thankfully he tosses it for the final phrases. 16:18, Page experimenting with an interesting riff. Unfortunately the recording ends here. Final Assessment- One might say A for enthusiasm and B for execution with this show. Certainly some loose spots but the overall performances are full of vigor. Plant and Bonham are both feeling their oats but Page seems to be a little distracted in places. The main highlight to me is the first confident sounding Celebration Day. The acoustic numbers are also very solid as usual and the Stairway solo is very near perfect. The recording stopping on WLL is a heartbreaker because I'm sure Page went ape on a version of You Shook Me or something similar.

The lack of crowd enthusiasm on 8/23 is very strange. Very much like the Japanese audience.

My original nitpick was solely pointing out the flaws so this one was necessary to balance out the criticism. I still consider it a top 3 75 show although I do think Robert being in great shape and the setlist influences that a great deal. Page certainly isn't flawless here though and isn't close to his better 75 performances.

Changed the STH rating from A- to B+ after some reconsideration. Jimmy's playing on the verses is fairly choppy and his solo phrasing has been better.

Nitpicking Page 8/23/1971 Ft Worth, TX (Pernod Revision) Extremely clear audience recording with Jimmy up front in the mix. Unfortunately incomplete. Dazed (cuts in)- Page adequately mesmerizes the audience with the bow section. Second workout- excellent start. 8:33, a little sticky. 10:48, nice wails by Rob. 11:00-11:08, Jimmy Van Halen. Mars is played well as the performance builds up to a nice peak. Jimmy puts the wah to work on the outro to end a seemingly decent version for what we have. "B+". Stairway- Jones is non-existent in the recording. Jimmy's playing doesn't flow perfectly through the verses but it's nothing too noticeable. Bonham's drum tuning sounds unusual for this. Solo- Excellent start with fluid phrasing. 7:25, gets hung up on this phrase until he finds somewhere else to go. Final phrases are played well. Robert sounds good on the climax and the outro is perfect. "B+". Celebration Day- Playing loosely as usual. Solo- good. It takes Jimmy a full bar to jump back to the rhythm. Outro solo- chaotic is an understatement but Jim holds it together fairly well. Getting better with each performance but still very loose. "B+". That's The Way- Perfection all the way through with beautiful mandolin from Jones. 5:00, very nice vocal harmonizing. Possibly the best version I've heard yet. "A++". WIAWSNB- Solid verses though the tempo is a bit relaxed this time around. Solo- Jimmy knocks it down fairly well. Outro- 3:54, throwing in some extra phrases. Not bad at all. "A". MD- A bit too straight forward in my opinion. Cuts out near the end. WLL- More experimental riffing to get started. Verses sounding good. The freakout section is adequately freaky. Solo- good up until the last phrase which is played unusually. Boogie Chillen- 8:00-8:15, Jimmy leaves the earth for these runs. Bottle Up And Go- 10:08, a mix up as Bonzo mistimes the beat. Otherwise very good. Mess Of Blues- Page's solo is somewhat awkwardly phrased but it all works out. You Shook Me- Verses sound great. Solo- Page takes off on some gritty runs. 18:50-20:00, phrasing perfection. Some of the nastiest playing ever. 20:54, mild air raid. 21:18, they switch up to a different rhythm where Page once again goes wild. Plant gets another good scream in before the return and outro. Some top notch playing by Jim but the medley overall wasn't as solid as other ones. "B+". CB- The taper is now much further away and the recording cuts out. Final Assessment- Not the most precise performance overall but definitely has some standouts. Highlights are a perfect That's The Way, solid WIAWSNB, and some otherworldly guitar work on WLL. Robert comments on his vocal struggles but they're much better than previous shows. The rest of this one would be very interesting but what we have leaves a good impression.

Nitpicking Page 8/22/1971 Inglewood, CA (Master Reel) Good audience source. Walk Don't Run- A short warm up jam before they get started, possibly done to check their equipment or the PA. Immigrant Song- Bonzo jumps into the drum beat but everyone else waits a measure to join in, with feedback squawking from a mic. Plant again sounding hoarse and lacking power, squeaking out some pathetic opening wails. The energy is somewhat lackluster as well. Solo- Page loosens up with the usual series of pulloffs before jumping into some excellent, steadily played phrases. Not exactly an impressive start but Jim seems to be playing well so far. "B". Heartbreaker- Maybe it's an effect of tape warbling but Jimmy's opening riff is off key. Plant sounding a bit more tolerable, feedback still screeching. Verses are good. Solo- the initial guitar noodling sounds good and appropriately raunchy. Smear section played well. 3:20, some unique phrases. Bouree is solid. Someone near the taper says "Just listen to him" before Page launches into the fast section, which is played flawlessly throughout. The return is good and Plant has improved slightly. "A-". SIBLY- Jim's opening phrases sound different and somewhat hesitant. 1:30, now here we go. Jones' bass pedal doesn't come through and it creates a very two dimensional sound, lacking impact. Verses are decent. Solo- Page nails down another good one. The return verses are more energetic as they wind down. Just felt like their heart wasn't in this one. "B+". Black Dog- Plant sounding more confident now and the tempo is excellent. Robert gets experimental with the lyrics throughout. Solo- a simply astounding routine from Jim, playing very aggressively and nailing every bend and run. Despite the unique lyrics I'll still go "A+" with that solo. Dazed- 2:59, Robert improvising with the vocal melody. Bow solo clocks in at almost six minutes. Second workout- Page goes wild straight out of the gate. Unfortunately the recording gets murkier. 12:45, some unique phrasing. 14:20, a little sloppy on these runs. Page gets back on track for some solid noodling. Mars is a little loose but not bad. The climax is solid and the band put down a good outro. Not bad. "A-". Stairway- Plant tells the audience to be quiet but I haven't heard them make a sound yet. Some tape warble makes things sound off key. 2:15, vocal ad libs. Verses are done fairly well. Solo- recording goes to hell here as Jim is barely audible. Sounds decent enough though. Plant is okay on the climax but doesn't attempt anything crazy. Outro is good. Definitely a unique version but considering the recording takes such a dive I'll avoid rating. Celebration Day- 0:52, rough transition from Page and Plant sings the chorus with a scratchy voice. 1:51, Plant talks over the solo, which is played well. 2:12, some more bad chording. Solo- impossible to make out any details but sounds decent. A very awkward version. "C+". (Plant mentions that his voice is "Really fucked" before beginning the next number). That's The Way- Solid verses. 3:53, excellent mandolin phrasing by Jones. Plant's voice may not be strong but he's giving it 100%. "A". WIAWSNB- Verses are remarkably good from Plant. Solo- a sluggish start but he straightens out for the end of it. Plant attempts the outro vocals but reserves himself. "B". Moby Dick- Plant introduces the track but Page is tuning up. A solid drum solo, nothing remarkable. WLL- The intro jam goes on seemingly forever and Page's guitar tone is godly. 4:38, the crowd's clapping matching Page's tempo as he speeds up is remarkable. Solo- played well with a unique phrase at 5:04. Boogie Chillen- played loosely with Page doing some abstract stuff for the solo. The band improvise some unique blues riffs throughout before playing the "It's Your Thing" riff. "My Baby Left Me" sounds good with a nice solo from Page. "Mess Of Blues" takes off well. 15:30, I've used the word "Raunchy" to describe Page's solos before but this one defines it. You Shook Me- good start. Solo- Page blasts off and circles the globe a few times with some behind the nut bends. 20:08, Jim peaking for this show. Plant breaks out a solid harmonica solo. 22:33, Plant teasing some 1969 air-raids. 23:05, he actually gets a decent one in here. The return sounds good as they bring it to a close. A refreshing amount of energy for this oddball show. "A+". CB- Page kicks off with some riffs similar to the WLL intro. The verses sound good as Plant wails wildly. Solo- excellent start as Jim works his way through a decent set of phrasing. 4:50, some experimental jamming as Jones improvises a bit. The return and outro are played well. An off shoot version but it's worth a listen. "A". Thank You- Solid start. Solo- excellent phrasing throughout and a huge step up from the previous night. Despite the murky recording this one stands out as special. "A+". Final Assessment- It's shows like this that remind one that the band actually weren't Gods on earth. They weren't mythological beings who traveled from a netherworld to perform for mere humans. They were just some people playing music together and sometimes they had off nights. But even the off nights had some standout performances. Black Dog features an exceptional solo, WLL is unique from start to finish, and Thank You is very impressive. Arguably the worst recorded show of 1971 so far.

Nitpicking Page 1/24/1975 Cleveland, OH (Hedrick 1st Gen) A slightly distant though very listenable audience recording. This is 1975 Plant so his raspy vocals won't affect the ratings much. Rock And Roll- Plant starting off with his distinct 1975 scratchy voice. Verses and energy are good. Solo- phrasing is a bit unusual but seems to be played well. Good start. "A". Sick Again- Good tempo and energy. First solo- fluid playing and phrasing. Outro solo- Page plays coherently with seemingly good articulation, though this audience source could be masking some details. "A". OTHAFA- Solid intro from Page. Plant only sounding slightly better. First verses sound good. Solo- good start with fluid phrasing and playing. 3:53, articulation on this run could be questionable. A soundboard might reveal some problems but it doesn't sound too bad. Plant still not warmed up on the last verses. Decent outro. No reason not to go "A". IMTOD- 3:55, hard to make out but Bonham and Page sound out of sync here. First solo- Page stays between the ditches but the phrasing doesn't sound the best. Second solo- Lots of repeated phrases but not terrible. 8:58, Bonham doesn't seem to play the cue correctly and just joins Page. Energy is great but I'd be skeptical as to how articulate everything was behind the recording. "B+". TSRTS- Good start. First solo- Page seems to struggle a bit on the first parts. He comes alive on the last measures though the articulation sounds off. Bonham and Jones push the energy level on the outro. Outro solo- Page is giving his all here and it doesn't sound bad at all. "B+". The Rain Song- Perfectly good verses. Rock section- Tremendous energy as Bonham wrecks his kit. Solid outro. "A+". Kashmir- Nothing too notable but sounds good throughout. "A". The Wanton Song- Verses sounding good. 1:10, Page sloppy here. Solo- played well. Pretty straight forward but not perfect. "A-". No Quarter- Verses sounding good. Jones' section, still reminiscent of the 1973 routine, is done well. Solo- Page drops in with the usual phrasing, playing seemingly fluid. 8:45, speedy run. 9:15, really pushing this phrase. 9:36, some unusual phrasing but it works. 10:40, nice 73 level run. Very creative solo mostly played well. The return is good and Page's outro wah licks sound excellent. Very solid version though a better Plant would've improved things. "A". Trampled Underfoot- Plant informs the audience that Page has a broken fingertip. Energy sounds good. Jones' routine is simple but sounds decent. Solo- Page does a couple introductory phrases before going all out aggressive. 5:05, small hang up. Very erratic phrasing but not necessarily bad. They finish up nicely. I'll give that solo the benefit of the doubt and go "A-". Moby Dick- 0:35-0:42, sounds like Page flubs these phrases. Bonham gets off to the races quickly, sounding very much identical to his 1973 versions. Outro is done well. Excellent solo from Bonzo. How Many More Times- First verses sound good as Plant has finally warmed up some. 3:05, some interesting phrases by Page. Jim's noodling leading up to the bow section sounds good. In all seriousness the bow section itself sounds rusty in places, like Jimmy can't remember which parts go where. The Hunter- Plant's lack of vocal power just makes this sound odd, but it's otherwise played well. The return is good but boy is Plant rough. Unfortunately the tape cuts out. I know I said his vocals wouldn't affect things much but it leaves this one flat considering this was once his vocal powerhouse performance. "B". Stairway- Some tape issues on the intro. Verses are decent but overly relaxed. Solo- 6:39, not the smoothest start. 7:04, some strained phrasing. 7:42, sounds like a small flub. 8:50, 9:02, playing these phrases loosely. The final phrases sound good. Page's phrasing sounded on point but his execution seemed to be off. I can only imagine what a soundboard would reveal here. Plant actually sounding good on the climax. Outro is done well. A cautious "B+". WLL- Partial. Black Dog- Playing with plenty of attitude and Rob still sounding good. 1:54-2:00, something happens here as Jimmy loses traction (or his pick) for a measure. Solo- 3:16-3:27, sounds like the articulation, or lack there of, is borderline disastrous. 4:13,playing aggressively. I'd be afraid to hear this solo on a better source. "B". Communication Breakdown- The murky recording is masking Rob's vocals and it's probably a good thing. Solid amount of energy however. Solo- Page ascends to wah pedal heaven for some good phrases until...1:55, where he doubles down on a riff that sounds completely out of place (and key). The "It's Your Thing" jam is good. 4:04, Page missing the chord. 4:16, again. "C+". Final Assessment- What started to be a surprisingly coherent show turned out to be another another 50/50 1975 performance. I will say however that the first 9 songs were done quite well despite a rough Plant. This being a murky audience source undoubtedly hides some details but I'd still say this is one of the most solid starts for a 75 show, especially considering the unique setlist. Whether Page's finger started acting up or whether he hit the bottle backstage during MD is anyone's guess, but something threw him off in the last half.