Adam Ryan watson
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Posts posted by Adam Ryan watson
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On 6/25/2018 at 6:37 PM, confounded_bridge said:
Hi everyone. I've been reading this forum for a long time and i recently created an account. I enjoy all the twelve years of music that Led Zeppelin gave to us, and i am a huge fan of the 1977 tour. I see that the 77 tour gets slammed by some waterheads here and there, without a reason. I decided to rank all the 77 shows, to prove that most of them are good. THE ORDER IS RANDOM. I included only the shows that we have recordings for.
BAD/WEIRD SHOWS
Tempe Arizona, July 20 1977
Oklahoma city, April 3 1977 (the band is unrehearsed)
Chicago, April 6 1977 (the band is unrehearsed)
Chicago, April 7 1977 (the band still sounds a little bit rusty)
Landover Maryland, May 26 1977 (IMTOD and Kashmir are trainwrecks)
MEDIOCRE-GOOD SHOWS
Houston TX, May 21 1977 (good performance)
Fort worth TX, May 22 1977 (good performance)
Landover, May 25 and 28 1977 (mediocre to good)
Cleveland, April 27 1977 (good)
Chicago, April 9 1977 (good)
Cincinatti, April 19 and 20 1977 (good)
Atlanta, April 23 1977 (good)
Kentucky, April 25 1977 (good)
New York, June 7 1977 (good)
San Diego, June 19 1977 (brilliant playing from Jimmy, bad playing from Bonzo)
Seattle, July 17 1977 (good show, but shitty SIBLY and Jimmy is lost during the OTHAFA solo)
Oakland, July 23 1977 (good show, but Jimmy completely destroys the TYG solo)
Oakland, July 24 1977 (good)
VERY GOOD-LEGENDARY SHOWS
Chicago, April 10 1977 (very good, the only bad moment is the first TYG solo, but Jimmy makes up with the second solo)
Cleveland, April 28 1977 (excellent show, one of the best TYG, great NQ, kashmir and ALS)
Pontiac, April 30 1977 (excellent, Jimmy plays greatly)
Birmingham, May 18 1977 (excellent)
Landover, May 30 1977 (excellent)
Tampa, June 3 1977 (it started excellent and powerful)
New York, June 8,10,11,13,14 1977 (excellent)
Los Angeles, June 21,22,23,25,26,27 1977 (epic, legendary shows, with the 22nd being my favorite)
I'd like to hear your opinions on my list.
I agree with almost all of it except I rank the 2nd Oakland show in the bottom tier . I also think the first 2 Chicago shows. Are pretty solid considering the lack of rehearsal with the 2nd show being a very good one plants voice is in very strong shape in Chicago . I find the 7th to be a very strong and compact show from start to finish and a big improvement over the shows that came before it since I've been loving you from the 6th and 7th are great versions . San Diego was a pretty wired show . Page and plant were in great form but Bonham was a train wreck . If Bonham had been on it would have been one off the best shows of 77. The aborted 3rd Chicago show was another bad one . Jimmy was on bad shape and had to walk off after the first few numbers and cancel the rest of the show . I would count Seattle as one of the worst of 77 as well. Plants voice is awful and jimmy is a mess. I think even the first Chicago show is much better then srattle
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18 minutes ago, paul carruthers said:
#1 - Earl's Court 5/24...
Also, some really great ones from the 79-80 years with the synths instead of the mellotron--might start with the first Copenhagen show...
Really like the one from the 2nd knebworth show . Plant gives what I think is his best vocal for that song post 73. I really enjoy the 2nd knebworth show despite it being quite rough instrumentally . Plant gives a very strong vocal performance from start to finish I think it's one of his best post 72
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I really like the October 3rd 1972 version on japan . Instrumentally there are better versions but this one is my favorite simply because plant hits all the high notes of the studio version . I also really like. The one from Seattle 73 when jones as had to switch to piano because the melotron broke down st Louis 75 is another one I really like .
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On 5/7/2018 at 10:31 PM, JohnOsbourne said:
Have to disagree with the previous two posts about the '73 and first '75 SD show. I've generally found the San Fran and LA shows in '73 to be overrated, I think SD is the best of the Cali bunch (a tad on the sloppy side by '73 standards, admittedly). I've always really liked the first SD show in '75, it definitely gets overlooked. You can sense throughout that the band is energized to be back on the West Coast, esp. after the lackluster Texas shows. A caveat, I enjoy the gloomy, murky vibe from the audience recording, it's possible the show will be a disappointment when the soundboard comes out, akin to Landover.
The 2nd SD show in '75 is indeed shit, except for the epic NQ. The band really sounds like they woke up late that afternoon and realized they had a show that night, they sound completely unprepared.
I have never been completely taken with San Diego 73 bonzos birthday or kezar . Kezar is a killer show in the second half but the first half while great is no more special than any other 73 shows . Kezar and bonzos birthday suffer slightly from pages injured hand. Seems pretty reserved and cautious especially for the may 31st show his playing does get more expressive at kezar . I do however find the juse 3rd l.a show to be outstanding . Page plays so much better . He is not as sloppy and really seems to be going for it in his solos and plant sounds very strong as well. Not a big fan of fort worth 75 either although the sound is nice. March 4 in Dallas starts out very strong but they really seem to hit the wall early and the 2nd half is pretty lackluster with page very sloppy. I really like the 2nd 75 Dallas show alot . It's no west coast for sure but it's a very noticeable improvement over the previous 2 shows . It starts out a little sluggish on the first couple of songs but it really turns into a very solid show . It starts to pick up during over the hills and builds . Dazed and no quarter are great 75 versions . Imtod and Kashmir are nice as well and plant seems to be in much better voice than the previous 2 nights though the west coast shows are far better as well as the mid February new York area shows. The 2 Nassau shows are by far my favorites from the first leg.
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On 5/7/2018 at 10:31 PM, JohnOsbourne said:
Have to disagree with the previous two posts about the '73 and first '75 SD show. I've generally found the San Fran and LA shows in '73 to be overrated, I think SD is the best of the Cali bunch (a tad on the sloppy side by '73 standards, admittedly). I've always really liked the first SD show in '75, it definitely gets overlooked. You can sense throughout that the band is energized to be back on the West Coast, esp. after the lackluster Texas shows. A caveat, I enjoy the gloomy, murky vibe from the audience recording, it's possible the show will be a disappointment when the soundboard comes out, akin to Landover.
The 2nd SD show in '75 is indeed shit, except for the epic NQ. The band really sounds like they woke up late that afternoon and realized they had a show that night, they sound completely unprepared.
That first San Diego in 75 was a great show. They really raised the bar on the west coast . The 2nd San Diego show is the oddball of the bunch it's just not on the level of the other west coast shows I also find the first long beach show to be much better than It gets credit for . Page and plant both sound excellent for the first sd show.
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On 3/21/2018 at 11:18 AM, LedElvis75 said:
Yessir!
I'd never ask for another Zep recording again if we got these two. IS from 6/15 is some of the nastiest, raunchiest playing from Jimmy's entire career. And the D&C is just bone crushing.
I think the 72 Nassau shows are better than the 72 California shows. The hwww shows are killer though . But I like the Nassau and both Seattle shows better .
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On 6/15/2018 at 12:20 PM, blindwillie127 said:
Yes, but if that person who has it is rich they'd have no incentive to make money from it. I believe the person who supposedly has a copy (other than Page) was a major league baseball player (name escapes me) who's a huge Zeppelin fan. Also, didn't Grant say that they'd viewed the tape and then destroyed it because it looked/sounded like shit? Of course, I don't believe they destroyed it , but it 'was' definitely (and probably still is) in Page's possession. The Pontiac concert was a landmark show for them so I seriously doubt that they'd have burned it, or lost it along the way. Since they managed to hold on to Seattle then my guess is they have Pontiac as well, lying around in the vault somewhere. I can't imagine it looking or sounding worse than Seattle, but you never know. The real shame is that the only pro-shot video we have of Zeppelin from 1977 is from their most anemic show of the tour...thats some shit luck right there..for them...and us.
The sound on the footage would have just been from a patch to the sound board . So the soundtrack would have been the same mix being sent to the p a. So the film would have foh audio. The acoustics of the siverdome and the size of the place would have made it hard to get an foh mix that sounded good in the venue. So a recording of that mix may have sounded really odd and poorly balanced the recording could have ended up really overloaded sounding.
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I really like Milan 1971. It's another one of plants best vocals for that song. I love how the tape distorts when plants let's that amazing scream rip after the solo . September 24 71 in Tokyo is another great one. Belfast in March 71 is another blistering version and a tip shelf plant vocal. Manchester 71 is excellent as well with plant owning it vocally. Melbourne and Brisbane on the 72 Aussie tour are 2 great overlooked versions . Auckland new Zealand is one of my all time favorites as well . Vocally all three of those are extremely powerfull and are among the best plant delivered on stage for that song. They are much more powerful than many of the 1971 versions and the Aussie tour is the last time plant was able to sing that song with that much range power and intensity. Pages playing and tone has a sound and vibe thst reminds me alot of the more raw versions from August and September of 1970. Alot of poeple mention the june 19 72 version which is amazing but i think the june 18th version is just as great and is my favorite from the 72 u s tour. It's another one that puts me in mind of the latter 1970 versions.
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On 1/24/2018 at 11:50 PM, bluecongo said:
No love for Copenhagen 7/24/79?
very unique version with a BLISTERING solo
I love that version. It's easily one of the best versions they did post 75. All 4 1979 versions are killer. Vocally I have always felt the 2nd knebworth version was one of plants best for that song lost 72. The Copenhagen versions were very unique and never really played that way again pages guitar playing on those versions was so much cleaner the. Any of the other post 73 versions. Easily pages best sounding guitar tone post 73.
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On 1/18/2018 at 12:01 AM, ZepHead315 said:
I just discovered one version that hasn't been brought up yet, but deserves to be mentioned: Milwaukee 8/31/70. Page's solo is terrific and Plant...Jesus! He's hitting some of the highest notes I think I've ever heard him do. Just damn!
This is probably the closest plant came to matching his vocals on the studio version on terms of power and intensity . Vocally the studio version has never been topped. Milwaukee is insanely powerful vocally and the band plays great. I have always preferred the guktar tone on the 1970 versions to any other year. It's so much more full and cleaner then any other year. It had a much more traditional blues tone to it in 1970 . There is a warmth and richness to the tone in 1970 which gave the song a darker sound and vibe. I really love Vancouver and Memphis for the pre album versions. To me the pre album versions are a completely different song. The mood is darker and more somber. I find them to have a soul influence that is not as evident on the post album versions not better or worse just different. I do prefer plants vocals on the pre album versions though. It's deeper and richer. More bluesy and soulful. 1970 from start to finish is such an amazing year for plants voice. He sounds amazing almost every show
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On 6/17/2018 at 10:16 PM, blooze said:
Maybe I'm wrong but isnt Chicago's reputation due more to Plant than Page? I remember thinking he played nicely then. From what I've heard, Jimmy's worst 73 show is Southampton.
It baffles me why so many people cite Southampton as their favorite 1973 show or as one of the best 1973 shows. Page is sticky and sloppy . Plants voice is a mess and the band sound tired and uninspired. Shows like stoke and Oxford are killer . Even though the sound quality is bad I think Dundee and Aberdeen slay Southampton performance wise.. the band are on fire in Scotland and both page and plant are on much better form than Southampton.
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1 hour ago, LedElvis75 said:
72 Japan just might be my least favorite tour they ever did. Just seem to lack the hunger from earlier tours and the energy/nastiness of later tours.
I always felt they sounded a bit under rehearsed in that tour and the new numbers from houses sounded a bit stiff. I actually prefer the December 72 shows from an instrumental stand point and especially the 73 Europe and u.s tours.
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On 6/4/2018 at 3:55 AM, zepster1979 said:
I am not sure, I just said it would knock out 1972 tour as well.
Plants voice had really declined to quite a degree between the 71 and 72 japan tours and the band is just not as powerful or tight on the 72 japan tour. They really seemed to lose a step between the 72 u s tour and japan. But they are still fantastic shows with many great highlights . There are some cuts where plant sounds amazing after he gets warmed up. It's cool to hear him actually hit all the studio high notes on the song remains the same and rain song sibly from October 2 and 3rd feature some amazing plant vocals. Probably the last time he ever sang it so well. But it seemed the band was starting to really loose their consistency on that tour . A stellar release could be made from those shows by cherry picking the highlights. Very interested in what this boxset may bring.
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I wonder if there will be a soundbaord track on it like when they put black dog from 928 on the 71 japan boxset.
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On 5/23/2018 at 8:12 PM, gibsonfan159 said:
Nitpicking Page 5/18/1975 (The Earl's Court Tapes Vol. 1)
Not a great recording, but definitely a step up from the previous night.
Rock And Roll- Pretty good start, though Plant sounds rough. Solo- Very solid with Bonham throwing in a unique drum fill. "B+".
Sick Again- Good energy. First solo- fluid perfection. No complaints. Outro solo- Good start; but those bends at 4:45 sound very strained. Pretty good, "A".
OTHAFA- Decent intro, but Plant sounds very shaky going into the chorus. Solo- 3:31-3:39, exceptional run reminiscent of 73. Again at 4:00-4:20. Page is ripping this apart. Flub at 5:32. Not bad, but Plant really brings this down a notch. "B+".
IMTOD- Good intro. First solo- Page takes off with some good slide phrasing. Second solo- A little repetitive in spots, but not bad. Plant doesn't sound good on the cheeses part. Bonham does some amazing fills after the 9:00 mark. Pretty solid version despite Plant being subpar. "B+".
TSRTS- Bonham comes in with a lot of energy for the intro. First solo- Page has a little trouble starting, but then sounds great with good articulation. Outro solo- The guitar drops out almost entirely for a few seconds, but sounds like he was playing good. If Plant's vocals weren't so crackly all the way through it would be a great version. "A" for 75.
The Rain Song- Good start. Mellotron is a little flat compared to the guitar tuning. The rock section comes in like it's supposed to- blowing the doors off the place and Bonham knocking down the walls. Too bad Plant isn't sounding great. Good version, "A".
Kashmir- Plant is having a really hard time staying in key. A heavy, stomping rhythm throughout. Page's lead work on the outro is sloppy. "B".
No Quarter- Amazingly clear intro. You can hear the "swishing" from the chorus effect. Nitpicking Jones- 6:27-7:16, some of the most elegant, perfectly structured piano phrasing I've heard from Jones. Then Bonzo comes in for an excellent, dreamy jam section. I think Page even holds off a little longer than usual to let it flow. Solo- Page is playing very relaxed which works well for this. Good, smooth runs. 14:39-15:04, perfect phrasing and articulation. 15:42-16:25, Stevie Ray Vaughn level of bends and phrasing here, sans the beefy guitar tone. That bend at 16:16 gets me rigid. He merges the ending theme with some creepy chorded arppegios. Perfection. It seems wrong to bring the verses back after that. Decent outro solo, though the intensity is lacking after the previous solo. Page may not have had the frenetic energy he did in 72/73, but his fingers and brain are just as nimble. "A++" considering Jones really nailed it too.
Tangerine- Guitar is in tune (albeit twangy) and the harmony sounds better this time. Solo- Very loud and shrill, not great phrasing. Plant sounding much better. No bottom end makes this song sound slightly thin live. "B+".
GTC- This performance has a much better flow than the previous night's. Plant strains a little on the bridge. 4:14, that mandolin. "A".
That's The Way- Not gonna lie, this song bores me to death. Good mandolin playing throughout and Plant sounding good. "A".
Bronyaur Stomp- Solid version. Page's breakdown gets a little mundane and he disappears from the recording almost entirely at 4:52. "B+".
Trampled Underfoot- Recording gets a little murkier. Solo- Page gets some decent licks in, but the phrasing could have been a lot better. He kind of gets lost at the end. "B+".
Moby Dick- This one failed to hold my attention. It's alright I suppose.
Dazed And Confused- Powerful, menacing first part. First workout- Page goes wild at first and then tapers down. Woodstock- Takes a while to get going, but sounds pretty good. Plant always sings the verses like he's making them up on the spot. Bow section takes a while to get going. Not bad, not great. Second workout- Page's phrasing is alright, but his runs are just a tad sticky, like at 22:15. This one just isn't flowing as well as the previous night, though it's certainly not bad. Mars- Very basic. Climax sounds good with Bonham raisning the energy level. Page gets some nice fluid runs in at the very end. This is a very solid version with everyone sounding good, it's just very straightforward. "A".
Stairway To Heaven- Superb sound at first but gets a little muddy as it goes on. Excellent verses. Solo- Good energetic start with Page in shred mode. 7:20, speedy right hand. A very lively solo that's almost too energetic, but I'm not complaining. Plant is a little scratchy on the final verse. "A".
WLL- Very thin sound. Funk/theremin section is again nothing special.
Black Dog- 1:42, my ear drums are crying. Solo- Starts off good, but he loses it some at the end with some bad articulation. Good flurry of notes from Page on the finale. "B+".
Final assessment- Another good showing by Page, though I don't know if this show outweighs the previous night. Both are pretty good showings for 75. No Quarter is a must listen. Great Going To California and a very solid Dazed.
Again I find it interesting you mention hearing Stevie Ray Vaughn like playing on no quarter as just like David gilmour he plays a stat and page is again using a strat on this song. So it seems the strat is inspiring page to experiment and change up his approach . As much as I love les pauls the may 17th and 18th no quarters make me wish he played a strat more in 75 and onwards.
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On 5/23/2018 at 2:17 AM, Bonzo_fan said:
I always thought this was strange as well...
Especially when you consider they were paying guys to to be their guitars for them. But you would think page would give the guitar a strum to make sure it was in tune and then tune it if needed especially if it was just one string. I noticed there is far less onstage tuning on zeppelin boots compared to other bands.
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On 5/22/2018 at 6:39 PM, gibsonfan159 said:
Nitpicking Page 5/17/1975 (The Earl's Court Tapes Vol. 1)
Bootleg ears required. Distant and echo heavy. I'm gonna blow through this one rather quickly considering the bad audio makes it hard to nitpick.
Rock And Roll- 1:27, Page disappears and Plant sounds terrible. Solo- Page's guitar is cutting in and out. Solo sounds good though, if you can hear it. "B".
Sick Again- Decent start. Solo- Page lays down a decent solo. Outro solo- Really not bad. Page plays with some ferocity on this outro and seems to be pretty coherent. "A".
OTHAFA- Solid intro with Plant sounding a little better. Solo- Hard to make out details, but sounds alright with decent phrasing and he really comes alive toward the end. Pretty solid version, "A".
IMTOD- Good beginning. First solo- Murky, but sounds alright. Second solo- He's doing some unusual stuff here, like he's just slowly sliding up and down the neck. "B+".
TSRTS- Good energy on the intro. First solo- Articulation doesn't sound great. Outro solo- A little smoother. Not bad, "B+".
The Rain Song- Plant doesn't sound so hot here, but the other three sound fantastic. The rock section comes in a little soft. "B+".
Kashmir- The recording is clearer now. 0:48, Plant squeak. Powerful outro, though Plant is straining a little. 8:45, "That's what I've been waiting for". "B+".
No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, Not bad, but his solo drags a bit. He gets a nice melody going right before Bonham comes in. Page comes in with some smooth runs. He isn't perfect, but he's playing with gusto and knocking the phrasing out of the park. Parts sound very Pink Floyd-ish. 15:00-15:07, Bonham hammers down some cool fills. A nice wind down before returning to the verses. 21:17-21:37, Page does some wicked stuff on this outro. Seriously badass playing here. I think it's fair to say, especially for 75, that this is an "A+" performance. Page was unreal for the most part.
Tangerine- Guitar is noticeably out of tune. The chorus comes in and the harmony sounds really off. Solo- Page gets a solid slide routine down and the harmony on the chorus sounds much better this time. 2:25, Plant almost sounds like his old self for a second. Outro- ending is a little wonky. Not bad, "B+".
GTC- Page's bottom string (E tuned to D) sounds a little flat. Plant sings unenthusiastically. "B".
That's The Way- A very good version with Plant sounding great for the most part. "A".
Bronyaur Stomp- Audio gets more distant. Good breakdown section from Page. A rollicking version with Plant belting out good vocals. "A".
Trampled Underfoot- Good energy. Solo- Page comes alive with some frantic playing. Excellent bends and articulation sounds good. Strong performance, "A+".
Moby Dick- Bonham gets off to a thundering start. 8:30, he actually sounds like a drag car getting ready to take off here. A good, dynamic version that's exciting for non-drummers as well. "A".
Dazed And Confused- The first workout section has some good playing but goes by fast. Woodstock- Strong, confident intro. It wouldn't be an understatement to say Page is on a 73 level here. He's playing smoothly with good phrasing. Mars- Page disappears after the second measure, but comes back in soon without really affecting it. His playing here is really impressive. This version is no joke and if you close your eyes, you'll swear it's Europe 1973. "A+".
Stairway To Heaven- Some weird notes at 1:29. Flub at 2:55. Solo- 7:15 and beyond is great. I hear no flubs or dead spots, but it seems a little too straight forward though it has a great finish. A soundboard might really bring it alive. The earlier flubs make it a "B+".
WLL- The funk and theremin sections aren't bad, but they go by pretty unnoticeable. "B+".
Black Dog- Lots of energy. Solo- Page starts out nice but starts to lose his way a bit as it goes on. Still a very solid version. "A".
Final assessment- I had only skimmed through this one before (because of the audio quality) but I'm pleasantly surprised. Even though the crowd is extremely unenthusiastic, the band still puts down a solid performance with Page playing great for the most part. No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot, and Dazed are the highlights.
The part about page sounding pink Floyd like during no quarter is interesting because coinsidenrly I believe he played his blue strat on no quarter on the 17th and 18th. Perhaps playing the strat caused him to change his approach slightly. I do find those versions of no quarter to be unique from other versions.
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On 3/4/2018 at 9:16 PM, Sue Dounim said:
Been listening to 1980 shows lately and man do I still really wish we had the first 24 minutes of Rotterdam, Vienna, and Munich in soundboard form.
I prefer Rotterdam and Munich to Zurich and frankfurt. Plants voice is so strong during the Munich show and page sounds much more fluid. He plays a great stairway solo. Rock and roll was the best plant sang that song after the 72 u s tour. Thst scream he lets go before the solo was insane. Rotterdam has one of my favorite performances of heart breaker. It's my favorite heartbreaker post 73. Achilles from that show is great as well. I really like cologne as well.
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On 8/15/2017 at 1:32 PM, sean_the_bootlegger said:
Im only responsible for Mobile, Chicago (from Rain Song to the end of the show), Buffalo and Fort Worth '73. They were separate from the other '73 boards and held by another person. I circulated them in the old trading circles soon upon receiving them for mass consumption.
Fort worth 73 is one of my favorite zeppelin boots. Plant sounds great by 73 standards . Page is on fire and his guitar tone is killer. Bonham sounds savage at that show. The band had a very raw sound at that show and played with great energy . A textbook example of zeppelin in tight but loose mode. May 73 is one of my favorite favorite periods. I would love for the rest of the Houston board to show up as it is a scorcher as well. Even Dallas after the first 3 songs which were rough turns into a great performance . Since I've been loving you no quarter and dazed from Dallas are awesome versions.
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On 3/4/2018 at 11:33 PM, gibsonfan159 said:
The 71 U.K. shows might stand up to Japan if the recordings were decent. The Wembley Empire Pool show has one of the best Stairway solos, but man is that recording bad.
Manchester on November 24th is a monster show but the sound quality is not great. It's one of plants best performances of 1971 and was the best his voice had been since the first l.a show. The November 11th show was another great performance with a powerful performance by plant. I found the band to be tighter overall on the 71 u.k tour then they were on the north America tour.
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On 4/15/2018 at 6:20 PM, gibsonfan159 said:
Nitpicking Page 2/14/75 Uniondale, second show (Throwing The Wild Seeds)
The follow up to the good show the previous night. Let's see if Page can get it going again. I'm using the matrix version.
Rock And Roll- Sounds like the building comes crashing down when they launch into this. Plant is a little rough, but not too bad at all. The solo- Not as solid as the previous night, but pretty good. No real flubs. "B+".
Sick Again- Good energy. First solo- Solid, but sounds like he strains just a little to put the last couple of measures together. Maybe the finger is hurting tonight? 2:56, slight flub. Outro solo- Not a good flow at all. He's really struggling a bit here, but manages to survive without disaster. "C+".
OTHAFA- Another relaxed start. Solid beginning. The solo- I already don't like how this starts out of the gate. 3:27-3:31 is nice. 3:33-3:45, sticky fingers galore. At the 5:30 mark and I don't know what to say. He's playing. He's hitting notes in the key. But there's absolutely no fire behind his playing and very little fluidity. Articulation? Nope. I've listened about six times now trying to find something that stands out. I mean, there are some decent bits like 4:25-4:36, but calling this professional guitar playing by the biggest rock band on the planet seems like a crime. 4:53, he attempts something nice, but it comes out a slopfest. I wonder if he realizes how he's playing or if in his head he's playing like Vienna 73? 5:45 and on isn't too bad I suppose. He ends the song just fine. After the song Plant comments that Page hadn't slept much. Maybe he's noticed his playing as well. Let's just go ahead and assume Page indulged a bit before the show. "C".
IMTOD- The guitar is really low in the mix on this. First solo- Not bad but the flow of it seems off, like the rhythm section is about to take off and leave him. Second solo- A little more fire on this one with a little better phrasing. A "B+" version, mainly because of Jones and Bonham.
SIBLY- This is one of those songs like The Rain Song where Page almost never screws up, no matter how off he is. Intro is beautiful. Solid playing through the first half. Solo- Not mind blowing, but a good solid solo played with accuracy. 6:18, Plant sounds really rough. Page's playing though the last half is present, but not making any kind of impact. I'm glad to hear this played in 75, but it's a mediocre version at best. Plant thinks it was great though. "B".
TSRTS- Good energetic start. Slight flub at 0:53. First solo- He struggles a bit to get it going, but gets through okay. Second solo- Much more accurate and aggressive. Really not bad, a "B+" version.
The Rain Song- A flub at 4 seconds in, but I'll give him a break on that. The vibrato on the mellotron is way too heavy. Rock part- The phaser effect on Plant's vocals almost ruin this. Otherwise alright. The ending exposes a string out of tune. "B".
Kashmir- Bonham corrects his beat at 5:53. Plant sounds really tired toward the end. Not a bad version. "B+".
No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, an absolutely wonderful groove jam. I almost feel like Page comes in too soon and interrupts. 8:26, Bonzo has some fun and doubles the tempo for a measure (and will continue to do so throughout). Page solo- Good solid phrasing and surprisingly good fluidity. Bonzo's impatience really makes this stand out. 14:30, I don't know if Bonzo is trying to outshine Page or if he's just feeling great, but this is a rarity for 1975. 16:05, these three guys are killing it. 18:02, wrong chord Pagey. Outro solo- Page comes alive with some fire, smothered in wah pedal of course. 20:24, Jones misses the correct chord change. A very strong and unique version, but the small flubs make it a "B+".
Trampled Underfoot- 0:34, somebody screwed up. 1:40, listen to those pull offs! 3:00, some serious turkey gobbling. Solo- Articulation isn't great, but his phrasing is really good. 4:18-4:28, excellent flow. 5:13, sounds like a chase scene in a movie. I can't hear 5:40 well, but it sounds pretty awesome. 7:16, Page is feeling the groove as the right hand comes alive. His outro accents are great as well (7:53). A very good version apart from the few flubs. "A".
Moby Dick- Maybe it's this recording but Page's guitar sounds all out of whack. Bonham sounds tremendous and energetic. The sound quality really helps too. I'm only an amateur wannabe drummer, but this sounds like a tour de force. 19:00, Jesus. I imagine this bores the shit outta people who don't appreciate drumming, but I'm thoroughly impressed. Now let's hope Jimmy didn't chug a fifth of Jack backstage.
Dazed And Confused- Excellent guitar tone. First workout- 4:39, good run. Some articulation problems at 5:36. Bonzo and Jones are laying down a hell of a rhythm. Tape cut. San Fran, not a great start, guitar out of tune. Sounds excellent later on though. Fair bow solo. Workout- 19:40, starts a good run but loses it. 20:04, loses the flow. 20:17-20:22, not bad. 20:31, oh no. 20:50, jamming in the bedroom. 21:05 sounds like someone who's played guitar for a year took a Zep bootleg, cut out Page, and overdubbed their own playing onto it. 21:52, sticky fingers. 22:12 also. And 25:15. 26:12, slightly embarrassing. Mars- Not good. 30:32, Freebird licks. The wah pedal outro solo isn't too bad. "C".
Stairway To Heaven- A quick paced intro. The guitar drops way down in the mix and even this matrix sounds more dry soundboard-ish. Solo- Good flow at the start. Slight flub at 7:03. 7:28-7:42, I love these unusual low notes he's noodling with, and does an excellent run coming out of them. 8:00-8:25, really good articulation and phrasing through here. 8:58-9:06, yes sir. 9:25-9:29, a run reminiscent of 73 Page. 9:46, a very slight flub. 10:13, some articulation problems. Flub at 10:43. He barely catches the very last note at 10:47, maybe the most important one of the solo lol. If you could go back in time and slap the whiskey out of Page's hands for this show, this might have been the best Stairway solo ever. He was definitely feeling it here. The phrasing was perfect, but his ability was lacking a little. Even with flubs, a "B+" version.
Whole Lotta Love- Page sounds very loose now. Funk section- 2:25, Jones with the slap, Flea style. Page is doing some wicked stuff with the theremin here. Incoming Crunge. If you find the bridge, throw Page's whiskey stash off it. An "A" for a 75 version WLL.
Black Dog- Bonham loses beat at 0:46. Guitar at maximum twanginess. Plant belts a confident scream before the solo. Solo- A little hesitant at first. 3:52-4:17, well hot damn. 4:33-4:48, excellence, even with a dry soundboard tone. 4:58, struggling a little. 5:04-5:14, throwing in TSRTS style solo just for fun. Possibly the best Black Dog solo of 75? Shame the tone was so thin. "A". Maybe "A+" for 75 Page.
Heartbreaker- Awesome, unique intro. Slip up at 1:30. The solo- Page sounds a little unsure of what he wants to do. 5:28, slight flub. Mess O Blues, sounding good. The second part of the solo sounds a lot smoother, with some nifty finger work. 9:08 and on is pure comedy gold. 9:33-9:50, I'm dying. What a way to end. I'll give an "A" for uniqueness, performance wise- "C+".
Final assessment. Bonham was really impatient for this show which made for some great moments (and some bad ones). Page was up and down, one minute playing a lightning fast run and completely zoning out the next. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to his playing ability in 1975. Somehow he manages to sober up enough to impress in between drooling on the strings. Plant was rather mediocre, sounding very out of breath at the beginning and straining to hang on to notes. I'd still say 2/13 is the best of the NY run. But that's an opinion, not a nitpick.
I thought plant sounded far better on the 14th then he did the night before. The 14 th was the best vocal performance by plant up to that point although it was still pretty mediocre.
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On 4/14/2018 at 9:19 PM, ZepHead315 said:
I see what you're saying. There's definitely more jamming in 75 than 77. But I personally prefer 77 because, for one, they shook the setlist up. You no longer had to hear Percy croaking his way through Rock and Roll, and I always thought TSRTS was a much better opener anyway. And, with the exception of the back to back drum and noise solos, I really like the pacing of the 77 setlist. They brought the acoustic set back, and they saved the "big" (ie. Kashmir, Stairway, etc.) songs for the latter part of the show. And the 77 setlist actually has more variation than the 75 setlist. You had the substituting of IMTOD and OTHAFA, the occasional appearance of Dancing Days in the acoustic set, sometimes including Trampled Underfoot (and occasionally putting it right after the acoustic set), sometimes including Black Dog in the encores, sometimes including Heartbreaker, and other variations. That's why I'd argue that 77 is less monotonous than 75.
Heck, even if you listen to just the LA run, every show is different, both in terms of the setlist and the vibe. 6/21 is the only show of the run to include Heartbreaker and is probably the tightest and most energetic, 6/22 has both OTHAFA and IMTOD and is probably the most confident, 6/23 has OTHAFA and TUF and is very loose, 6/25 has IMTOD and TUF and has Bonzo being a tad erratic, 6/26 has It'll Be Me and is probably the most "even keel" of all the shows in terms of performance (just solid all the way through), and 6/27 has Dancing Days and has Page being a tad erratic. They all have a unique character, at least to me.
Plant actually sounded pretty decent on rock roll in 1977 but it was played as an encore . I was always impressed how great plant sounded on the song remains the same in 1977. It's a very hard song to sing with all the high notes and he pulled it off and as a set opener. Perhaps he actually warmed up in 77. I have always liked 77 more then 75 simply because plant sounded so much better and had alot more range in 77. The l a 77 run has his best singing post mid 72.
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On 4/14/2018 at 5:43 PM, blooze said:
I agree to a certain extent. Yeah the setlist is the same every night and there aren't many surprises, but what I like about 75 is how they make each show sound unique regardless (IMO). It's because of the jams each night on songs like No Quarter, DnC, and the funk section of WLL. They truely sound "free" in some moments. Its the 77 tour where they really start to sound monotonous. Now, admittedly, I've listened to much more of 75 than 77 but there I think all the shows blend together. They way I've often thought about it was...once you've heard Listen to this Eddie (or whatever your one favorite show is) is there any need to go back and listen to the others? You were getting about the same show night in, night out. They experimented a bit in NQ, but not nearly as much as they did in 75 where Jonesy was given authority to take the song wherever he pleased.
Is there any other shows you need to hear from 77 once you have heard Eddie? Yes and thst would be June 22 77. Many feel that a better quality recording would reveal it to be better then eddie. It has probably the best in my time of dying they ever played and possibly the best over the hills and far way solo. Page is fantastic at that show and is easily one of his best performances post 73. The in my time of dying is essential. No quarter is amazing at that show as well. Performance wise I think it beats eddie and badgeholders. The msg shows from 1977 are quite exceptional too. The June 77 run is as good as anything from 75
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On 4/12/2018 at 4:30 PM, ZepHead315 said:
True, but the '73 setlist feels a lot tighter and seems to fly by much quicker, at least to me. The '75 setlist feels like an update of the '73 setlist, only with (imho) worse pacing. Having a 20-30 Moby Dick followed by a 40 minute Dazed and Confused is just way too excessive. It makes it lose momentum and it's more difficult for me personally to get through. Also, don't forget that the band occasionally skipped songs in the '73 setlist due to crowd issues or health issues. Not to mention novelties like hinting at Georgia on My Mind in Salt Lake City or playing Dazed out of order in Baltimore.
The few versions of going down they played during whole lotta love medley are some of my favorite moments from the 73 u s tour. When they did play it they played amazingly and plant sounded terrific especially the Houston version. Thst one smokes
1977 SHOWS RANKED INTO 3 CATEGORIES
in Led Zeppelin Live
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June 27 is a bit rough and they are pretty tired . The 26th is. An above average show for 77 but it's just a good solid show with nothing that really stands out. Bonham is a little lack luster on the 25th but jimmy and Robert are on . I do think the 22nd is a better show then the 25th . I don't know if it's better then the 23rd or 21st but it's at least on par with them . You can find performance from the 22nd that top ones from the 22st and 23rd . It has the best version of over the hills and far way of 77 as well as the best imtod of 77. In terms of pages guitar playing and plants vocals it's hard to find better performances from 77. No quarter has a killer solo from page . The 22nd has one of the most powerful Kashmirs of 77 . Since I've been loving you is stellar as well. It's really hard to say how good the show really is because of the recording quality . Each of the first 3 shows In l.a have moments that top the other two . It definitely beats shows like the landover run Houston and fort worth . Houston is not near as bad as some make it out to be but I still find it to be pretty dull.