Nitpicking Page 8/21/1971 Inglewood, CA (Source Merge) Decent audience sources with Bonham's kick drum crowding the recording. Immigrant song- Bonham dominating the mix with the bass almost nonexistent. Plant's opening notes are decent though he sounds somewhat tired on parts of the verses. Solo- Very murky recording. Hesitant in places but overall not bad. "A-". Heartbreaker- 1:00, with the drums up front you can really hear all the little accents Bonham plays. Good verses. Solo- Smear section sounds solid. Bouree- good. Unfortunately the recording takes a dive on the fast section and makes it impossible to judge. If I had to take a guess I'd say he nailed it. "A". SIBLY- Intro and verses sound excellent. Solo- Page leaves the planet on the opening runs and lays down some top notch phrasing with tons of feel. Masterful solo, one of the best I've heard for this song. The return has tons of energy and emotion as Plant sings with compassion. "A+". Black Dog- Robert's voice sounding a little scratchy. 2:38, Plant improvising new lyrics throughout. Solo- good start. 4:45, a bit hesitant with the phrasing. 4:55, Page fires off a series of lightning fast bends and pulloffs. For 1971, "A-". Certainly a unique version lyric wise. Dazed- Although Bonham is crowding the mix it's interesting to hear the accents and nuances he does, which is otherwise near inaudible on audience sources. First workout quickly leads to the bow section, lasting nearly five minutes. 9:40, the bass drum sounding like thunder. Second workout- Page quickly launches into shred mode. 12:45, sounds like Bonham's earliest rendition of "The Crunge". Mars is played well. Page misses a chord on the climax, but nothing major. Plant sounding rough on the return. The outro jam sounds great as Bonham rattles the walls for the ending. Fairly solid version. "A". Stairway- 2:38, lyric flub, otherwise good verses. 5:54, Bonzo and Jones out of sync. Solo- Page is so low in the mix it's just impossible to judge. The climax sounds decent as this one winds down. Some obvious flubs keep this at a "B+". (Plant dedicates the next track to "The bootleggers from last time", possibly eluding to Blueberry Hill.) Celebration Day- Feedback screeches throughout as the recording gets worse. First solo- good. Outro- inaudible. No rating. That's The Way- Solid performance. "A". GTC- An excellent vocal performance as Plant puts emphasis on every word. "A+". WIAWSNB- Verses sound good. Solo- not great as Page again struggles to get the slide routine started. Outro sounds decent although Plant's vocal power has clearly diminished. "B+". WLL- The usual start. 1:36, huge firework explosion. Freakout section- 3:10, some interesting phrasing from the rhythm section. 4:00, a nice rock jam. 5:14, Page does some different phrasing on the solo which sounds great. Bonham also throwing in some fills. Boogie Chillen- 7:07, Plant improvising lyrics. Page gets the usual excellent solo in. After dabbling with the "It's Your Thing" riff the band move through "Movin On" and "That's Alright", the latter featuring a blazing solo from Jim. The "For What It's Worth" melody is started but Plant doesn't get on board and Jimmy just solos through it. Mess Of Blues- good verses and Page nails the solo. 17:11, Bonham a little sloppy with this transition. "Got A Lot Of Livin To Do" sounds great. Honey Bee- 22:34, and there it is, God mode Page. Very nice. The return and outro are good to end a fantastic set of medleys. Solid "A" overall but maybe not the best I've heard. Weekend- Solid throughout with a flawless solo. "A+". Rock And Roll- Verses sounding good with plenty of energy. Solo- a little hard to make out but seemingly flawless. Plant destroying what vocal chords are left at the end with "Tiiiime!". "A+". CB- More fireworks to get things started. Perfect energy. Solo- Page gets in plenty of wah noodling. After a short drum and bass funk jam they bring it to a close. Not bad. "A". Thank You- After a skippable organ intro the song gets going. Verses sounding good. Solo- Page starting off with relaxed phrasing. 3:30, still reserving some energy. I've definitely heard more explosive solos from Page here which renders this one slightly disappointing. "B+". Final Assessment- A little rough around the edges but this show certainly has some highlights. Plant may not be his usually powerful self but the mood and solo on SIBLY are excellent. Dazed and WLL are both very solid with Page in the zone. Acoustic section and encores are flawless. Stairway however was a bit uneven this time around and Page refused to go all out on the Thank You solo. This is the first show so far where I can hear a distinct difference in the power of Robert's vocals. Not just an "Off night" either, but a tonal change. We'll see how he fares moving forward.

After doing the Japan 72 nitpicks those solos are no joke. Page goes into shred mode in places.

Nitpicking Page 8/7/1971 Montreux, Switzerland (Eddie Edwards Remaster) Immigrant Song- Plant's opening battle cries are spot on and his vocals are very up front in the mix. Excellent verses. Solo- Page builds nicely, working his way up to a peak of speedy pull offs and descending for the finish. "A". Heartbreaker- Page's opening bend is sustained a little longer before going into an energetic tempo. Solo- smear section is actually quite articulate. He rushes through Bouree before doing some unique riffs to kick off the fast part. 3:58, throwing in the "rockabilly" phrasing. Page plays near flawlessly throughout with good, aggressive phrasing. The finish is strong. "A". (Plant mentions that they played Italy and "It was a different scene altogether"). SIBLY- The recording is as clear of an audience tape as you'll ever hear. 0:34, Jones playing some more soulful notes. Solid intro and verses. Solo- A bit of awkward phrasing to start but he keeps it together. Not bad. The return is decent but the flow of the performance feels very uneven, almost dragging in spots. "B+". Black Dog- Plant sounding identical to the album version. The tempo however is much faster. 1:55, "I got a girl, gonna steal my soul, gonna make me beg, gonna make me roll". Excellent verses. Solo- 3:47, unique phrasing. 4:14, Page getting loose with these bends. Far from the most articulate solo but Page makes the strained bends work. "A-", only subtracting because Page has played the solo much better. Dazed- 2:52, slight guitar flub. Plant sounding incredibly powerful. First workout still hasn't developed yet and is over quickly. Bow section lasts just over four minutes and receives an applause. Second workout- Jimmy wastes no time getting off to the races. Good fluid playing throughout. The Mars section comes out of nowhere but played well. The climax is very up tempo before they finally slow back down. 16:37, interesting phrasing from Jones on the outro as Page shreds some wah licks. A pretty solid and energetic version, but felt a bit rushed. "A". Stairway- Some tape warble on the recording. Maybe I'm wrong but Jones plays the intro very different here. 1:37, guitar flub. 4:15, lyric flub. Solo- Recording gets murky but Page sounds good. Climax- Plant nailing the vocals. Outro- 8:20, Plant not nailing the vocals as he sings "Heaven" off key. I know it's still in it's early stages here, but I'd have to go "B" for this one. GTC- Another speedy tempo. Played perfectly throughout. "A". That's The Way- Keeping the energy going. Nice mandolin work from Jones and Plant sings with emotion. "A". (Plant mentions "We're making a bootleg album tonight"). Celebration Day (First performance)- 0:49, flub as Rob sings the chorus but no one joins him. First solo- good. Outro solo- hard to make out but Page's twelve string phrases sound good. A little loose. "B+". WIAWSNB- solid start. Solo- Page struggles badly to get going but gets on track when Bonham joins in. The outro is played well with lots of energy. "B+". WLL- Thunderous start. 3:14, Plant has a shouting match with the audience as Jimmy's freakout section is inaudible. Solo- excellent. Boogie Chillen- Played well with a solid solo. That's Alright- Good with Page shredding perfectly on the solo and going into an extended jam afterwards. Ramble On- Plant goes into the vocals and the others join in as if it were planned. 11:20, a primal roar from Rob before he gives some social commentary to the crowd. 13:12, some more blues improv including "I'm A Man". Honey Bee- 16:00, these solo sections are always a must hear as Page shreds an incredible blues routine. 20:00, the return is good as Plant nails the air raid vocal. The medley felt a little short but still an "A+". Weekend- Verses sound good and Page plays a simple but decent solo. A fairly solid rendition of the Eddie Cochran cover. "A". Final Assessment- Another phenomenal gig for Plant as he wails and moans to maximum ability. The band overall sounded more loose however, but it's fair considering they had a month off since the Milan show. Despite the looseness there's plenty of energy and enthusiasm making for some good highlights. The opening numbers are as solid as ever. Dazed is played at it's normally thunderous level. The acoustic section is done very well. The main standout in my opinion is Whole Lotta Love as Plant taunts the audience with aggressive vocals and Page burns through some excellent blues leads on the medleys.

Here ya go https://reverb.com/item/48113680-1970-s-gibson-double-white-t-tops-rare

Personally I'd say save your money and keep what you've got. The tone isn't gonna vary that much anyway and if you're actually trying to dial in Page's exact tone for a certain era, then you'll have to match everything he used as well. $$$ A Les Paul style guitar through a British modeled amp is gonna get you in the ballpark as is.

People are quick to assume alcohol, which was very evident, but quaaludes were also making the rounds in those days and were probably just as much to blame for his incoherent, erratic phrasing. Of course on shows like baton rouge he quite obviously gets more incoherent as the show goes on. But if it were the finger or any other physical ailments, he'd have been playing poorly from the start I suppose.

Nitpicking Page 7/5/1971 Milan, Italy (Two source merge) Only a partial audience recording exists of this as the show was cut short due to confrontation between the audience and security. Good sounding audience sources. SIBLY- Cuts in. Plant sounding as powerful as ever on the verses. Solo- textbook playing from Jim, no flaws. 4:00, a vocal strong enough to collapse the roof. 4:30, some off notes by Page. "A-". Black Dog- Very up tempo. 1:55, some improvised lyrics. Solo- Sounds good throughout. "A". Dazed- A good start. Unfortunately the tape sources cut in and out during the verses. The first workout is basically non existent and the bow section just over four minutes. Second workout- Page gets off to a blistering start. Excellent playing throughout. Mars has Bonham matching Page's playing this time. 15:04, Jimmy shredding on the outro. A solid showing with Plant again sounding strong. "A+". WLL- Page gets experimental with the intro. 1:27, tear gas cannisters can be heard exploding as the local police force decides the crowd is becoming too unruly, cutting the show short. No rating. Final assessment- Plant puts on a superhuman performance that almost destroys the house PA and also the taper's microphone. An absolute shame we don't have more. The rest of the band are on fire as well, right up until the Italian police decide they don't like the energy of rock music. I hope Pavarotti kept them satisfied for the next few decades.

Nitpicking Page 5/03/1971 Copenhagen, Denmark (Master Reel-revision/speed corrected) A good audience recording, much improved over previous versions. Immigrant Song- Off to a thunderous start and Plant's opening wails sounding powerful. 0:52, Rob pushing his vocals harder than usual. 1:32, again. Solo- Jim does some warm up noodling to start but doesn't really come alive until 2:40 where he goes full anger mode. 2:44, sounds like Bonham beating the hell out of his ride cymbal. 3:18, nice aggressive bend. Excellent version. "A++". Heartbreaker- Good verses. Solo- 2:08. I've never really critiqued the "behind the nut" bend before but this one stands out as amazing. Smear section is blistering and very articulate, ending on a menacing bend. Bouree done nicely. Up-tempo section flowing flawlessly. 4:23, speedy descending lick. The return is good to complete a seemingly perfect version. "A+". (Plant accosts the disruptive audience immediately afterwards.) SIBLY- Excellent intro solo by Page. 1:56, Jimmy misses (or skips) this chord and it reduces the impact of the chorus dramatically. 2:55, air raid supreme. Solo- solid throughout but not the most aggressive playing I've heard for it. A good performance but for some reason it feels a little unconfident. Perhaps the unruly crowd is impacting things. "A-". Dazed- Coming before Black Dog for whatever reason. The usual start with a short first workout. Bow section sounding menacing and lasting five minutes. Second workout- 10:50, intense vocal matching Page's notes. Decent noodling throughout but nothing overly impressive. 14:37, behind the nut bends. Mars comes in with thunderous energy. 16:30, Plant very hesitant with the lyrics. 16:48, banshee scream. Jim gets some excellent outro noodling in. Something missing from this one although it's certainly not bad. "A". Black Dog- Powerful vocals and a speedy tempo. Solo- phrasing is a little erratic to start. 4:48-5:00, Page going bonkers for a few seconds with some very aggressive phrasing. Some lightning fingers on the ending phrases sounding just like the intro to "Eruption". "A". Stairway- Recording gets a little more distant but the verses sound solid. 4:46, Plant air raid out of nowhere. Solo- fluid playing throughout with Page playing passionately. 7:46, gotta be one of the fastest ending phrases he's ever played, a shame it's barely audible. The climax is sang with precision and power by Robert to bring this standout version to a close. "A++". GTC- Sounds good throughout. "A". That's The Way- Jones' mando being low in the mix takes away from the magic a bit but it's a perfectly solid version. "A". WIAWSNB- 1:26, powerful vocals. Solo- played quite well. Solid version. "A". Four Sticks- Page starts with some experimental rhythms on the twelve string before kicking into the main riff. Plant's vocals are stunning throughout, sounding close to the album vocals. A shame the drums are buried in the mix. 5:10, Page attempts a makeshift solo before ending the song. Really not bad for a one off. "A". Gallows Pole- And the rarities continue. Intro sounding good with accents from Bonzo and Jones. 1:37, once the second rhythm starts Page seems unable to find the correct timing, but it's nothing too off-putting. 2:57, again some powerful vocals from Robert. 3:27, Page struggling on these last phrases of the song. 4:08, airraid vocal almost identical to the album version. Page's outro solo is a bit lacking however. Obviously not a well rehearsed track. "B". WLL- Plant introduces Richard Cole on tabla. Copenhagen, quite famous for out of time clapping and rivaled only by Japan. The usual start. Freakout is good and the solo is played nicely. Boogie Chillen- moving very fast. 5:52, Page goes for the stop/start rhythm but Bonham skips it, so Page quickly jumps to the solo, which is played awkwardly but decent. Bottle Up And Go has more energy as Page rips a mean solo. 7:40-7:50, Page on another level. That's Alright Mama- feels just a little rushed but played well. Mess O Blues- 10:38, Bonzo comes in early but they keep it together, though it does hurt the impact of the opening. Solo is played well. Plant comes back in while Jim just keeps going. Honey Bee- 14:33, Bonham changing up the beat. Solo- 15:02, Page just takes off into the stratosphere like it's nothing. It's seriously the most impressive set of runs, phrasing, and articulation I think I've ever heard from him, just ridiculously perfect playing here. 18:02, Plant's almost perfect air raid gets choked off at the top note. Still very impressive for 1971. The return and outro sounds good as this top notch medley closes down. Some of the songs felt rushed and some had some minor flubs, but overall this was a pretty good run through. I'll still hold it at an "A-" considering some notable mishaps. Communication Breakdown- Perfect energy and verses. Solo- Page fires up the wah pedal and gets in his lightning fingered zone once again. Perfect. The "It's Your Thing" section gets expanded significantly with an amazing bass solo from Jones. Plant jumps in with Celebration Day as Jim tries to improvise something that matches, resulting in a unique little jam section. Jimmy eventually finds his way to the coda to end the song. A standout, unique version. "A++"' MMH- (First live performance) 2:50, sounds like the guitar and Rhodes piano aren't in tune with each other. Verses are done fairly well. Solo is played decently. Plant's last lyrics are interrupted by an awkward solo by Page to end the song. Plant ends by singing "I really don't know" which seems to be in jest of this off the wall attempt. "B". Rock and Roll- Recording gets pretty murky but sounds like an ok start. Solo- Page seems to forget some of the phrasing and wings it. Not too bad but definitely sounds off. Also noticed Plant's vocals are less powerful on these encores. An odd though energetic version. "A-". Final Assessment- A standout Plant gig but also features some very impressive moments by Jimmy. The band were obviously itching to try out some new live material whether for good or bad. Plant warns that the material is raw and it is, with Gallows Pole sounding like it was made up on the spot. Highlights are Immigrant Song and Stairway, both boosted by a phenomenal Plant and solid playing by Page. Communication Breakdown also being played exceptionally with some bonus material. Don't let the "A-" on WLL fool you though. Aside from a few flubs it features some noteworthy, must hear work by Page.

I can see tendonitis for some of the stickiness but not for his incoherent phrasing throughout 75. I'd out my money on his self medication.

Very underrated 75 show. I'd throw it in with the top 5.

A personal favorite of mine is Mobile 73. It's only one of two versions on recording in which Page doesn't use the wah effect for most of the song and is played flawlessly throughout. For 75 I'd go 2/8, 3/12, 3/19, 3/20, 3/21, and 5/18.

Nitpicking Page 4/1/1971 London, England (Complete BBC Sessions, BBC Zep Original Master- Tarantura) Although most of this BBC Radio broadcast was released officially it's worth noting that a good chunk was edited out. Here the original uncut performance is put under the microscope. Immigrant Song- Maybe it's the dry sound of this radio broadcast but Plant's vocals are lacking the usual power, even sounding quite scraggly on the opening note. Verses sounding good however. Solo- very controlled phrasing throughout, though a little hesitant. Where are those monstrous bends from the Belfast version? Not bad but not overly impressive. "B+". Heartbreaker- Solid verses. Solo- excellent articulation throughout. Bouree is played well. The up-tempo section flows nicely with a near perfect Page. 4:25 however has some bad chording. The return is good for an overall solid version, though once again Page seems to be more reserved for the radio. "A-". SIBLY- Perfectly phrased intro. Plant's conviction on the verses is very good and filled with emotion. Solo- again, although this is played superbly, Jimmy seems to be more controlled and doesn't shoot for the moon. Nothing to complain about though as it's a very good solo. Plant pushes harder on the return for some powerful vocals and the song ends nicely. "A". Black Dog- Plant sounds very weak now after pushing himself on SIBLY. The twangy guitar tone leaves much to be desired. However it's evident that his tone changes on the sections between the verses to one with more gain, also on the solo. Plant doesn't even attempt the pre solo scream. Solo- Page more than makes up for the anemic verses with this monstrous set of phrasing and articulation. 4:02, perfect bends. 4:10-4:20 is simply astounding. Definitely worth sticking around for. "B+" overall but the solo is top tier. Dazed- Solid takeoff. 3:25, Plant improvising some lyrics. First workout- almost non existent here. Bow solo- just over five minutes. Second workout- 10:56, promising start from Jimmy. 11:23, a little inarticulate on the ascending/descending runs. 13:01, interesting effect with Rob's vocals. 13:21, excellent lead work. Jimmy only hints at Mars. The climax comes in with flawless execution and the return sounds great. 16:19, the bass drum enters the mix out of nowhere. Outro feature solid wah noodling to bring it to a close. Pretty impressive version despite feeling short. "A". Stairway- The mellotron coming though loud and clear. 1:27, unusually high vocals from Rob. Decent verses though Robert sings with a different feel throughout. Solo- Excellent start. 6:37, blazing run. 6:50, Page ends nicely as he's still yet to incorporate the actual studio phrase. Plant sounding surprisingly good on the climax, though noticeably less powerful than the Irish versions. Not a bad version but still a little unconfident sounding. "A-". GTC- Takes a while to get going on this version as the tape isn't cut to the intro. Relaxed tempo. 2:15, Robert possibly misses the vocal cue here but comes in on the next bar. Jones sounding excellent on mandolin throughout. Very nice rendition for a yet still early version. "A". That's The Way- A more lively tempo for this usually relaxed song. Jones again sounding fantastic, adding endless little phrases and accents. Very underrated as a mandolin player. Verses sound amazing. Honestly one of the better versions I can remember hearing. "A++". WIAWSNB- Booming energy on the chorus. Solo- 2:06, a unique phrase. Pretty solid playing from Jim. The ending is energetic and played well. 3:50, strong vocals from Rob. Very good. "A+". WLL- Bass comes in loud in the mix. Plenty of energy on this one. The freakout section is short and sweet and Jim knocks down a good solo. Boogie Chillen- Page kicks off the solo with some aggressive playing. 6:02, fantastic run. Bottle Up And Go thrown in and sounds great. Fixin To Die/That's Alright- expert pickin by Jim as he channels Scotty Moore. For What It's Worth played perfectly. Mess Of Blues- raunchy with some passionate vocals. Honey Bee- Page introducing the track with some "buzzing" guitar. Plant sounding exceptional now compared to the first half of the show. solo- 16:17, Page lays waste to the studio with this fiery run. 16:45, behind the nut bends. Plant hits an air raid scream to bring in the Coda to end it. Simply a standout version. "A++". Thank You- Solid verses and organ work from Jones. Solo- an impressive showing here as Jim lets loose on some powerful phrases. Excellent solo and feels too short. Outro is played delicately to end a textbook version. "A". Communication Breakdown- The soft ending of Thank You is quickly interrupted by an explosive intro. Pure energy on the verses. Solo- some unique phrasing in places as Page improvises some blazing runs and pull-offs. It's Your Thing section is funky and includes a small medley before returning to a walloping end theme. "A". Final Assessment- A reluctant, nervous sounding start to the show quickly disappears once Dazed rolls around and the band starts firing on all cylinders. Plant takes a few numbers to warm up but hits his usual range once he does (The show was actually suppose to be a week earlier but got moved to let Plant rest his voice). Anyone who only listens to the official release is undoubtedly missing out on some prime material during the WLL medley. Highlights are a standout Black Dog solo, very solid That's The Way, and an amazing WLL.

Nitpicking Page 3/6/1971 Dublin, Ireland (The Performance Of Kells- Wendy) Decent audience recording. Immigrant Song- Fairly speedy tempo. Plant still sounding strong even after last night's show. Solo- distant, but sounds like a solid Page. Not quite as powerful overall as last night's version. "A". Heartbreaker- 0:19, Plant says something inaudible just before the verse. Plant sounding great on the verses. Solo- smear section played well. Sounds good throughout. The return is done well for a solid version. "A". SIBLY- Some mock harmonica from the tapers on the beginning might actually outshine the underwhelming intro from Page. Plant on the other hand is singing very passionately. Solo- flawless playing and excellent phrasing. Something missing from this performance though it's not bad. "B+". (8:20, a very American sounding accent) Black Dog- Another fast tempo. 1:55, slight guitar flub. 2:27, Plant possibly improvising some lyrics. Plant sounding excellent throughout. Solo- a textbook blazing solo. "A+" overall. Stairway- Coming before Dazed in the set tonight. Plant starts by telling the audience to pipe down. Tempo rolling along quickly but sounding great, no noticeable flaws on the verses. Bonzo comes in playing very excitedly. 5:31, Page misses the first chords of the interlude. Solo- Bonzo just taking over the mix with Jimmy fighting for space. Jim holds his own though with a series of fluid phrasing throughout. 7:18, the ending phrase again isn't played, but it's no big deal as Plant comes in and nails the climax. Not perfect but another nice early version. "A-". Dazed- excellent start with plenty of energy. First workout- Bonzo is game but Page is hesitant to match his enthusiasm, only playing some mild lead phrases. Bow section is just over four minutes. Second workout- 10:13, Page ripping some blistering runs. 11:06, cool descending riff. 12:56, possibly the most primal scream I've heard by Plant. Mars section sounding good as Plant throws in the signature vocal ad libs. The outro jam is strong to close this very solid version. Some excellent guitar work by Page. "A+". GTC- A wonderful start is soon cut short at 1:30. WIAWSNB- Cuts in at the end. WLL- Good start and the theremin section is well done. Solo- excellent. Boogie Chillen- strong start. Solo- flawless. Susie Q- Plant singing from the chest. Honey Bee- very good with a blazing, must hear solo from Page. The Lemon Song is short and sweet. That's Alright- takes off at a frantic pace. 19:18, Plant stops the verse to let Jimmy continue. The return is good and they bring this strong version to a close. "A". CB- Energetic start with a blistering solo. The tape has some warbling issues but nothing too distracting. The breakdown features a funky "It's Your Thing" section and some noodling from Jones. Solid ending. "A". C'mon Everybody- Apparently Phil Carson joins on bass. We get to hear exactly one note from Phil before the recording cuts off. Rock And Roll- Cuts in. Solo- very odd sounding build up as Page is using the wah (I think). The recording is very murky here but sounds like he nails some good wah enhanced phrasing. 1:52, a bad mix up as Plant misses the ending line. Not sure what to think of this unique version. Listening to the Belfast version again to see if the wah is present but the recording is just too distorted to tell. "B". Final Assessment- The recording ends with the crowd chanting "We want more". The second show in Ireland is again an explosive ball of energy that any fan would be grateful to witness. Though I don't think the overall power and performance was as great as the Belfast show, this one seemed to have less nervous energy and was maybe more solid overall. Highlights are a very solid Dazed and some incredible soloing from Jim on the WLL medley. I'd give a leg to hear a complete tape with Phil Carson on C'mon Everybody.

Not sure if Richard's Facebook feed is still visible, but I remember him joining a conversation a couple years ago about Bath 1970 and saying he knew that show was the one that would solidify the power of the group and that it was their most important show in his opinion.

The Aussie shows are some of my favorites, the missing encores makes me reluctant to nitpick them. As for 71, I plan on continuing from Belfast.

I agree, the 24th is my overall favorite Japan show. They got a little too relaxed in Osaka.

Nitpicking Page 3/5/1971 Belfast, Ireland (Master cassette) Slightly boomy audience recording, but more than clear enough to enjoy. Immigrant Song- Recording starts just as the song starts and Plant is sounding powerful. Solo- 2:29-2:48, some of the most intense bends I've heard Jim play with excellent noodling in between. Amazing performance. "A++". Heartbreaker- Tape cut on the intro. 1:28, I can already tell this nitpick will have lots of notable vocal timestamps. Solo- fluid noodling with another small tape cut. 2:55, the smear section blows the roof off the place. 3:50, Jimmy in fine form as he shreds flawlessly. Ending is perfect. "A+". SIBLY- Jones not coming through clearly at first. Jim again just killing it on the intro. 2:52, air raid Rob. Solo- Off to the races and doesn't slow down. Recording is a little murky but sounds flawless throughout. The return is as energetic and intense as I've ever heard it. "A++". Black Dog- First live performance. Blazing tempo. 1:47, Page gets ahead of the beat just a little. Verses are played viciously and it's easy to see why Plant's voice didn't last longer. Solo- audio is too murky to nitpick but sounds pretty good. "A". Dazed- 2:09, the main riff rattling the walls. First workout still in it's infancy but Page gets some fluid noodling in. Bow section lasts a whopping four minutes. Second workout- Page hasn't turned this into a guitar showoff section yet, it's still an intense representation of a bad acid trip. And a seemingly accurate one. The return sounds good as it comes to a close. Not a lot to nitpick with this early version. "A". Stairway- First live performance. Tape cuts in. Verses sounding good. 2:30, recording starts to get badly overloaded. Solo- 5:53, slight cut. Guitar is very hard to make out here but what there is of it sounds decently played. Plant sounding powerful on the climax. Another cut on the outro. I suppose it's solid enough for a first attempt but maybe not perfect. "A-". GTC- First live performance. cuts in on the first verse with several more cuts throughout. There's enough to realize it's being played well though. No rating. WIAWSNB- Cuts in. Booming energy. Hard to tell if there's an echo effect on Robert's vocals or if it's natural. Solo- played flawlessly. Outro sounds great with Robert destroying eardrums. "A". WLL- Solid start.1:24, slight cut. 2:42, theremin section melting people's brains. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- devastating tempo and energy. Solis solo. Bottle Up And Go- tearing it up. Honey Bee- 10:50, unique sounding picking effect I've never heard before. Excellent soloing. 12:40, again with the unusual picking. 14:14, Robert trying to destroy the crowd's vocals as well. The return is almost double time. "A". Communication Breakdown- Just as much energy as the rest of the show, maybe more. Solo- sounding good with a solid "It's Your Thing" section. "A". Rock And Roll- First live performance. Ludicrous tempo and energy if this tape is running correctly. Comparing this to the TSRTS version from 73 seems like a joke. Solo- not sure how accurate he's playing here but I'll be damned if he doesn't keep up. Plant does miss the return though and waits for the next round. Can't blame him, that's like trying to jump a bullet train. "A-". I'm just putting the minus in there because playing that blindingly fast should be illegal. Bring It On Home- Beautiful intro. Takes off just like you'd expect, shaking the foundation. Page gets in some speedy pull offs and Plant lays down some extra bloozy harmonica at 6:06. 7:30-8:00, nice soloing from Jim. The return is up-tempo and lacking any vocals. Overall a heavy, entertaining performance but feels sort of rough on the edges, and a bit rushed. Still an "A" I think. Final Assessment- Zep only went to Ireland once but it appears they got their money's worth. I'd dare call this one of the most important shows in their live history, debuting four tracks from their new album. And doing so in exemplary fashion. A soundboard of this would be a godsend although this recording is good enough to make the case for just how unrivaled the band was by this time.

Fixed 👍

Nitpicking Page 9/29/1971 Osaka, Japan (Kutabare Moonchild- Winston Remaster) The final show of the five night run. This is mainly a remastered SBD with patched audience sources. Immigrant Song- Plant struggling just a bit on the opening wails. 0:59, the second set of viking wails sound very scratchy, not recommended for a proper invasion. Solo- some hesitant phrases before launching. Page not quite finding his flow here but it's a decent routine. The wah pedal comes in but the phrasing is still basic, until 3:58 where he finally takes off for some inspired runs. Fairly lackluster by 1971 standards. "B". Heartbreaker- Nice textbook start with a slightly better sounding Rob. 1:42, Page's pre solo solo is executed nicely. 3:02, nimble fingers. Rockabilly jam played flawlessly. Smear section is as raunchy as it needs to be. 59th St and Bouree played well. Page kicks off the official solo in an elegant manner. 6:47, just a hair sticky. Solid solo. Ending is decent for an overall good version. "A". SIBLY- Solid intro. Verses sounding decent. Solo- Page enters with some hesitant but emotional phrasing before knocking some aggressive, passionate phrases out of the park. Very well structured solo. Last verses are good for a very solid version, despite a reserved Plant. "A". Black Dog- Strong start but Jimmy gets off track a bit at 0:47. Plant isn't very strong on the verses but he manages well enough. Solo- the usual runs and phrases to start. 4:00, nimble runs. 4:22, perfect bends. 4:26-5:02, may be the best playing, both articulation and phrasing, I've heard for this song. A bad flub and weak Plant hold this to a "B", but that solo was something else. (Plant- "A common complaint in Osaka, rice in hair." You can hear who I believe is Bonham snicker, probably realizing how offensive that quirk was.) Dazed- Sounding like a good start. First workout- Page starts with some unique phrasing similar to the previous night. 5:16, a nice heavy riff with Jones and Bonham following suit, Page playing some blazing leads. Bow section- close to nine minutes. Second workout- Page apparently having trouble turning off the wah effect before launching. 16:23, solid runs to start as Page gets going with nimble fingers. 17:05, bad phrasing here but he gets back on track. 18:03, not the best he's played that ascending run. 18:46, not much better. 19:30, Bonham puts down the Honky Tonk Women beat. 20:26, Page coming alive more with aggressive bends. The funk jam is short but sweet. 22:11, Pennies From Heaven sounding wonderful with some more funky chording from Jim. Mars- Page plays the riff while Jones and Bonham stay on their respective path. Climax is good as they bring it back around. 28:20, Bonham having some fun. Outro jam sounds strong as the source switches to an audience recording. Not the most technically precise performance on Page's part but the dynamics here are exceptional as the jams are developing and maturing. "B+". Stairway- Verses solid throughout although Plant's vocals are subdued. Solo- Page starts by playing two measures of rhythm. Solid playing to start as Page leaves no breathing room between phrases. 8:00, Bonham switching up the beat throughout. The final phrases are played well to end a steady set of leads, though a lot of it sounded run of the mill. Plant comes back in pushing his vocals but sounding decent. A fairly solid, though routine version. "A". Celebration Day- Page pauses a couple times on the intro riff, a little slow to get going. Bonham's drums dominating the mix on this source. Verses sound good enough and the first solo is played well. Second solo- good flow and phrasing throughout. 3:25, Bonham playing half time beats. Excellent soloing from Page considering this is played on the twelve string, like a Song Remains The Same solo on steroids. "A-". That's The Way- Preceded by Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. Very relaxed tempo. 1:43, Jones' first mandolin break has some off notes. 3:10, source switch to fill a gap. Not bad but a bit sleepy. Jones was loud and clear on this recording and it's honestly not the best I've heard him play. "B". (Jones also tries the Rudolph phrase on mandolin). GTC- Page starting off with the verse chords before switching and Jones throwing in a wonderful improv mandolin solo before the verses come in. 3:17, Page almost goes back into the verse but it's extended another round. 5:30, source switch for this extended mandolin section, played nicely. Plant was rather subdued vocally but it doesn't necessarily detract from the mood too much. Staying consistent with another solid version, "A". (Mr. Bonham seems to have disappeared while they were playing and a voice states "He refuses to come".) Tangerine- Vocals up front in the recording. Solid throughout. "A". (Plant can be heard scolding Bonzo, "Where were you man?") Friends- Mr. Bonham reappears to join this unique performance. The only live version, played near perfectly. "A-". (I believe Bonham accuses the crowd of being too noisy). *following the input of Duckman I changed this from an "A+" to "A-". WIAWSNB- A restless tempo and energy on this one. Solo- takes Jim a few seconds to get going and he's not playing very precisely. The outro is solid enough for an energetic, though not perfect version. "A-". WLL- Jimmy with some groovy riffing and lead work to kick it off. Vocals are way down in the mix as the sources jump around. Good verses and Jim gets some raunchy noodling in before the theremin section. 4:53, some improvised jamming but Jim has trouble finding the right chords. Solo- excellent. Return is good before turning to the medley. Boogie Chillen- 8:16, some unique riffing by Jimmy. 10:00, flawless soloing by Page. 10:50, making that note work. I Gotta Know- played perfectly, and heavily at that. 12:48, another well played set of leads. Twist And Shout- 15:05, Jim struggling with these chords a bit but knocks down an awesome solo afterwards. Fortune Teller- Robert a little vague with the lyrics but instrumentally amazing with another tremendous solo. Good Times Bad Times- A perfect start is marred by Robert coming in out of time with the first verse, then Jimmy flubs some chords on the chorus. Jim does however get an excellent solo in before leading into a funk jam, featuring some powerful wah work. You Shook Me- verses sounding great. Solo- Jim once again just tearing it apart. The return sounds good with Bonzo going nuts. So close to perfection, but alas, those few significant flubs keep it from being there. "B+", but still a must listen. Communication Breakdown- The usual energetic start. Solo- sounding flawless as he works the wah pedal. 3:00, the extended solo has Jimmy repeating a lot of phrases but he keeps it going smoothly. The "Just A Little Bit" jam sounds good. 6:28-6:58, Jim playing the raunchiest of phrases. 7:35, everyone jumping to the ending in perfect syncopation. A must hear version. "A+". Thank You- Solid verses. Bonham with some big drum fills before the solo starts. Solo- sounding good throughout though he's not quite as energetic as I've heard him before. 3:37, more awesomeness from Bonzo. 4:46, bad chording. 5:55-5:60, chord clashing between Jim and the organ on the outro. Maybe not the most impressive performance, but fairly solid with a couple flubs. "B+". Rock And Roll- 0:56, Plant straining a bit. Solo- extra sloppy to start but not necessarily in a bad way. 2:09, choking some notes. The energy was there at least. "B" for 1971. Final Assessment- Plant is undeniably a couple notches lower on this show. Not saying that's bad since it's still 1971 Plant, but then again it's 1971 Plant and we're used to siren wails and lots of energy on vocals. Instrumentally the band is impressive in some areas but falters in others. The Black Dog solo is shredtastic whereas the Dazed ones are pretty loose. I think Friends is the standout track as it's very rare we hear the boys perform something perfectly for the first time. The WLL medley is nothing to shake a stick at despite some flubs. Still a legendary show with an awesome setlist.

Richard Cole, a Zep legend gone. Whatever your opinion of him was after the band ended, he was undoubtedly an integral part of the success of the group and worked endlessly to push this band to the top.

Imagine hearing those two tracks and anticipating the whole album.

Strange Plant would say "soccer" instead of football if he were anywhere outside the states. But I'm not familiar with what they call it in Japan.

Strangely I can't find any info on them. Must be pretty rare?

I think that's how I ended up with them. Maybe from a merit adventures catalogue.