[Nitpicking Page 1977]

On 12/22/2019 at 12:55 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

On 3/3/2020 at 3:52 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 6/19/1977 (Net Source- first Gen)

 

Four days off from their last show should have the boys rested and ready to rock. Apparently it wasn't so. I've been interested in doing this one for a while because one, it was the first boot I ever heard and it's been ages since I've listened, and two, it's infamous for a sloppy Bonzo. The devil is in the details though, so here we go. (Excellent audience recording by the way.)

TSRTS- 1:28, an excellent start is quickly marred by Bonzo dropping out for a bit. 2:12, again. First solo- Not Jimmy's best, but not terrible. Second solo- Page picks it up a little here. A solid second half and Plant is sounding great. "C+" though considering the drum mishaps.

Sick Again- Bonham is playing behind Jimmy by half a second on the intro, pointing almost certainly to monitor problems or bad venue acoustics. Or drugs. Once the song gets going the tempo is slow but steady. First solo- A good, fluid set of runs but Page sounds like he has to wait for the next measure to arrive before starting each phrase. 3:42, Page does some nifty chording in the background here. Outro solo- Page enters shred mode for the usual semi sloppy phrases. "Lethargic" doesn't come close to describing this one, but it's not unlistenable. "B".

NFBM- Page plays the opening riff at his tempo, but Bonzo brings it down to his. 1:18, Page again plays the riff faster, but Bonzo is still drumming through mud. 2:38, getting sloppy. Harmonica- Excellent routine by Percy. 3;10, Bonham only taps the hi-hats for a bar. Solo- Page lets loose with extra ummph on his phrases as if to let the crowd know the band is still alive. The phrasing is there but there's a little sloppiness around the edges. He does get some nice trills in. Bonham completely fudges the end of the solo. 6:36, okay, this is a very telling moment. Bonham almost certainly misses the last snare hits on purpose. The timing is just too good for it to be due to technical or physical issues. He wasn't slow or sloppy, he intentionally hesitated. Is it possible Bonham is purposely throwing this fight? Maybe a joke? Did San Diego piss him off somehow? There's some good stuff in this, but that tempo just kills it. "C+".

IMTOD- 0:46, for a second I thought the joke was over, but he comes in a little late here and again slows it down. Jokes on him though, this song sounds great slow. 2:54, comes in a little late again. First solo- a little too repetitive with the phrasing, steady but doesn't seem to go anywhere. Second solo- more creative flow on this one. 8:05, Bonham misses the end of the bar. Not as bad as the previous three. "B".

SIBLY- First off, one the best intros ever by Jimmy. I know the "Just like 73" moniker gets thrown around a lot, but this was spectacular. And Plant extends the opening vocal amazingly. Jones' organ is beautifully haunting. Solo- a stunning array of emotion and blazing blues phrases. Well done. 5:30, Bonzo dangerously close to ruining it, but manages to hang on. 8:06, the way they slow it down here couldn't be done any better to secure the mood of the song. Bonham surprisingly knocks down an impressive drum roll finish. Gonna throw the ol "A+" on this one.

No Quarter- Tempo once again slow on a solid start. Jones- sound quality is unreal. How is this not a soundboard? The Fender Rhodes creates a mesmerizing segue into the piano routine. which is short but well done. The blues/boogie jam takes off and Page sounds a little hesitant to jump in but once he does he screeches out some decent licks, nothing great. Solo- though the playing is fluid the phrases are pretty average. He's not trying to leave the earth here, but he's not causing a scene either. Outro solo- 18:20, a speedy run. 19:02, Plant belts one out for the dogs of doom. If he didn't shred his vocals in 71, he sure did here. A very solid version overall but played a little too safe. "A".

Ten Years Gone- Good start. 2:32, very minor chord flub. First solo- Page is killing it, Bonzo is dragging. Second solo- Page relies on the released bends too much, but still pretty good. Third solo- a good set of runs but he runs out of road at 6:45. Fourth solo- average, not bad. The song winds down to a strong finish, but it felt like some energy was missing. "B".

BOE- 1:19, nice vocal harmony. 3:58-4:14, Plant feeling it tonight. He could easily do Immigrant Song. Bonham seems to be doing okay with the bongos. "A".

GTC-  1:27, Robert misses a line. 1:51, almost misses another. "B+" only because of the vocal flubs, otherwise excellent.

Mystery Train/BCW. Page and Plant launch into Mystery Train like they've been practicing it for weeks. Shame it didn't last longer. BCW is short and sweet. "B+".

BYAS- Page nails down the intro and we're off. Good energy and tempo. Page gets a superb flow going on the breakdown, flawless. The others join back in for a strong finish. A standout version. "A++".

WS/BMS- A well played version, on par with any 1970 performance. Even the usually flubbed chords in BMS are played fairly smoothly. "A+".

Kashmir- 2:16, it took this long but Bonzo slips here. 4:44, Bonzo trips up a little. 6:23, a very interesting, must listen drum pattern I've never heard him play before on this song. It honestly sounded fantastic. The couple of slips bring the proficiency level to a "B+", but it's a great version otherwise with Bonham's altered mindset making for some interesting drumwork.

Achilles- Good intro and the song kicks off with good energy. Fingers crossed Bonzo stays on point. First solo- Good phrasing, good articulation. 4:21-4:46 is especially impressive. Second solo- hard to make out, but sounds fluid and well phrased. Third solo- sounds good. 9:27, Bonzo off time just a hair, but he executes a perfect finish. One of the better versions I've heard. "A+".

Stairway- A speedy tempo but everything flows well. Solo- a good start which is rivaled by Bonzo's dynamic playing. 8:36, some bad articulation. Overall a great solo, but felt like he failed to convey enough emotion. Plant finally sings the climax in 1977 without straining. "B+".

WLL( Partial)- Very uptempo.

Rock And Roll- Excellent energy though the sound is a little more distant. Solo- A slopfest off the bat, but he straightens out for decent ending. "B+".

Final Assessment- True to Zep fashion this is one of those lopsided, dynamic shows where some things are off and others are really on. Bonham clearly had issues. Whether he was having a piss or was legitimately out of it, he was borderline trainwreck for most numbers, finally coming around on the latter half. Page was surprisingly very coherent and above average for 1977. I think the real standout for this show is Robert's vocals, which are about as close to a 1971 level as you're gonna hear. I'd wager to say they're better here than anytime in 1973 or 1975. The acoustic section really shines with flawless playing. Imagine what this show could've been had Bonzo been on track. The acoustic section is the standout as Page just shreds and Plant's voice is phenomenal. SIBLY and Achilles are definitely worth a listen as well.  

Seems like this show only gets better as it moves on. I don't think Bonzo was having a piss though, sounds like he was f'd up on something but started to slowly straighten out. You ever thought about the two Oakland shows? You've covered about everything from '77. Overall I agree with most of your ratings here (I'd probably give IMTOD a generous B+, Page isn't no Allman on slide, but overall I thought the song was performed greatly, I'd also say you were a bit too generous to No Quarter. I would have given it a B at most. Thought Page was coherent but he came off lacking a lot of enthusiasm during the performance. Average to Below Average playing overall.). Once SIBLY rolls around this show is actually pretty damn good. Plant's vocals are god damn great. Next to 6/10 & 6/23, this could probably be his best '77 show. I really overlooked this show.

Also, It'd be great if you continue doing these more on your spare time. These reviews are actually really damn cool. I'd suggest more of '73 stuff or even "Celebration Day" for Pagey.

 

[Nitpicking Page 1980]

On 12/26/2019 at 3:58 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 6/29/1980 Zurich (Blitzkrieg Over Zurich- EVSD)

This version is apparently a matrix with good balance and sound.

Train Kept A Rollin- Solid kickoff with Plant sounding a little scratchy. Solo- good wah drenched solo. Outro solo is played fairly well except for the sloppy final licks. "B+".

NFBM- The usual thunderous start. Harmonica- 2:18, the lowest harmonica note I've ever heard. Not bad. Solo- 3:33, Page fails to launch properly but manages to get back on track. 3:39, a nice run. 3:56, a unique, country sounding lick that works great. 4:10, some sticky icky. 4:46, Bonham isn't sure when Page wants to end it. Despite the botched intro and ending, it's an intriguing solo. 5:24, Plant sounding rough. I've heard worse. "B". 

Black Dog- Page plays loosely, but stays on point. Solo- Gets going smoothly out of the gate. 4:02-4:15, a forced sounding set of licks. 4:30, slight chord flub. Very energetic, better than a lot of 75 versions. "B+".

In The Evening- The verses kick off with almost no bass in the mix. Plant sounding enthusiastic here. Solo- Page nails down some speedy and well played phrases. Maybe the best solo I've heard for this. The slow section sounds a little off key. The latter half features a good wah soaked solo and simplistic drum fills by Bonham. Finishes strong. Gotta go "A" despite the out of key synth.

The Rain Song- 1:46, synths off key. Rock section- the drums and keyboard drown everything else, but sounds good. Outro is played very nicely. Not a bad performance but something doesn't gel right with it. "B+".

Hot Dog- Intro played perfectly and Jones' honky-tonk sounds good. Solo- Sticky start. He tries a different set of phrases that don't sound great. Long gone are the impressive hybrid licks from 1979, now replaced with a series of repeated bends. A good finish for a decent version. "B+" despite the sticky solo.

All My Love- Starts off extremely slow and the guitar almost non-existent in the mix. I'd wager the tape is running slow as Plant sounds deeper than normal. Jones nails his synth solo. Page once again sounds completely unprepared for his solo and barely holds it together. 4:40, bad synth notes. A lethargic version. "B".

Trampled Underfoot- At least the tempo is right. 1:42, a mix up between Page and Jones. Plant seems to be forgetting the lyrics as well. Jones gets an excellent solo in. Guitar solo- Page comes in lightheartedly with a chickin pickin type of phrasing. 4:04, a very cool descending phrase. The wah comes alive for the last part with an awkward finish. A decent solo. Plant just doesn't sound like he wants to sing this. Page goes maximum wah for the outro as Jones and Bonham churn out a seriously funky freight train rhythm. The outro overshadows the first three quarters, but it's too little too late. A half hearted sounding version. "B".

SIBLY- 0:08, a blazing little run. The sound quality is simply amazing now. Page shows great patience on the intro, phrasing everything nicely and not overdoing it. 3:37, Plant belts one out with full confidence. He's singing with compassion. Solo- Again, showing patience and focus as he doesn't force anything, playing elegantly yet passionately. No timestamps are needed as the whole thing is superb. I bragged on the Vienna version as one of the better ones I've heard, but this is honestly right there with it. "A+".

Achilles- Intro lacks some confidence, but gets off okay. This one goes so smoothly it's almost over relaxed. First solo- 3:52, these little trills with the delay sound great. 4:51, slight flub, perfection other than that. Second solo- Slight stickiness but not bad. Third solo- Played well. One thing missing from this otherwise excellent version- Bonham. He's basically a drum machine on this and is lacking those big energetic fills throughout. But I can't detract much because of that. "A+".

WS/BMS- For the first time in a long time Page starts this routine off without almost no awkward or forced phrases and puts the pieces together very similair to a 1970 performance. 6:58, a flurry of articulate notes. 8:34-8:38, the only flawed playing in the whole thing. A stunning rendition of a track that's been a struggle for Page since the early days. "A+".

Kashmir- 2:18, it's hard to tell what happens here but it sounds like Jones' synths stop functioning. Page and Bonham hit the turnaround at 2:55, but are soon confused again at 3:08 as Jones is still working out his technical problems. 4:24, back to normal. This was very close to being a "Tempe" level disaster. Audio jumps to an audience source at 6:36. 7:23-7:25, some synth flubs. "C+". (Plant afterwards; "If anyone is bootlegging that you'll have to scratch that one..").

Stairway- 1:18-1:28, there's something very unique about this phrase in particular, you can hear the audience singing along and also Jones hitting the bass pedals which I don't think he usually does here.. 2:15, minor chord flub. Solo- pretty much perfection until 7:47 when the slow part kicks in. Oddly this is usually where Page hammers down some of his most fluid licks, but he struggles to get a good flow here. Back on track for the rest of it, an overall excellent solo. Not overdone and solid throughout. 10:34, a flub by Jones as he doesn't transition the bass notes properly after the four bars. Not a perfect version but has a certain intriguing quality about it, with a very solid solo. "B+".

Rock And Roll- Kicks off with an absurdly fast tempo. Solo- somehow Page hangs on for a solid run. No rock and roll here, this is almost punk rock. Excellent finish by Bonham. "A" for the most frenetic version I've heard.

Heartbreaker- Nice stomping groove and guitar crunch. Solo- The rockabilly routine is fluid though low in the mix. 5:30, some slight stickiness but par for the course. 6:24-6:33, the most sinister chords I've heard by Page. 6:38, Page is a little loose on the chords for this transition. 7:40, some strange sounding phrases that somehow fit. The second half of the solo is fairly solid and could easily match a 73 show. 9:28, Bonham absolutely nails a triplet here to send the track into the outro. Not perfect, but I'll go "A" for 1980.

Final assessment- Plant takes a while to warm up, the synths are either out of key or not functioning for several songs, Page was hit and miss as usual, Bonham was just there and not attempting to show off. That being said it's still a good show overall, you just have to look past the flaws. Highlights are an excellent three song run with SIBLY, Achilles, and White Summer. Unfortunately the flow gets thwarted as Kashmir falls apart early on. The encores are notable as well. Stairway was very close to being spectacular but has a few too many flaws.

Rock and Roll is insane from this show. Wow. Bonzo really kicks it into high gear and drives the song into a completely new dimension. Plant is singing the song completely different as well. He's almost shouting with anger. Sounds great. I was pleasantly surprised by this concert apart from Kashmir.

[Nitpicking Page 1977]

On 11/29/2019 at 1:54 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 7/20/1977 Tempe. Arizona ( Net Source )

Considered the worst Zep show ever. Let's see how bad it really is. All boots are incomplete as they open with the acoustic set, but are a fairly clear audience source.

Battle Of Evermore- This boot opens with a number of firework explosion and Plant immediately scolds the crowd. A good version with even Jonesy singing on point. "A".

GTC- An adequate version. Nothing too impressive. Another "Boom" at the end. "B+".

Black Country Woman- Rather short but played well. "A".

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp- Good start, good energy. Page's breakdown isn't spectacular but is played fairly well. 6:04, he hints at Dancing Days and Bonzo complies, but he skips it. A good finish for a strong "B+".

Trampled- Booming start. Jones gets in a decent, somewhat repetitive solo. Guitar solo- Page opens with some underwhelming notes, then comes blasting in screaming. It's hard to make out but sounds overall very sloppy. Not a train-wreck, but just not good. 
 6:44, Page sounds off key here. A decent finish for a "B" overall.

Black Mountainside- My version goes for 17 seconds and jumps into Kashmir, obviously in an unplanned fashion as the rest of the band miss the first bar.

Kashmir- The audio gets bad here and there is an annoying audio glitch. Cuts out at 8:15. Apart from the off start, this sits at a "B+". Not too bad.

Achilles- Comes in noticeably slow. By 0:40, it's obvious Bonham is either playing too fast or there's some monitor problems as Page and Plant both sound off time (this is apparently where the pyro guy blasted Jimmy in the face). At 0:50 Bonham is noticeably trying to hesitate to get the timing back on track. It sounds okay until 1:44 where Page misses the cue. 3:30, first solo- pretty sloppy. 4:22, Page jumps into this phrase a bar too early and repeats it next measure. 4:27, Plant follows Jimmy's lead and comes in too early. 6:18, second solo- not bad. 7:31, third solo- sounds pretty average until 8:10 where either Jimmy or JPJ get off key. It almost sounds like the tape speeds up for a sec. A decent finish as Plant makes some quips about the lighting crew. Definitely the worst Achilles ever. "C".   Plant afterwards- ("That was ah, Achilles Last Stand. That explosion at the beginning was ah, not supposed to be there, but anyway. In fact, whoever triggered that off is gonna be castrated shortly. That's what happens when half the crew are asleep, you see? We've been on the road now for about fourteen weeks, and every now and then somebody on the lighting tower sort of twirls to the floor there. Sort of Pirowhettes down and lands on the stage. Can we have a spotlight on the gentlemen on the stageleft? Spotlight up there over them. There's an Englishman there who's in the spotlight who fortunately, see those two Englishmen there? The pride of Chelsea. Wonderful boys. Well this song ah, I guess this song needs ah, well I don't think it needs much of an introduction. It's been very good to us.")

Stairway- A good start. 2:30, Page hesitates a bit. 2:55, some off notes. Solo- Page isn't exactly in shred mode but his phrasing is quite nice. The bit at 8:25 flows well. 9:30, off the tracks a little. 10:05, Bonham plays softer than usual here and I think he's allowing Jimmy to gather his bearings a little. The final measures are played straightforward, but well. I've heard far worse Stairway solos. Some hangups make this a "B".

Final assessment- I don't know how anyone could call this their worst show ever considering it's only the last half of the show. Maybe those who were there saw Page fall on his face during TSRTS, Plant's vocals blow out on Sick Again, or Bonham's sticks fly out of his hands during No Quarter, but apart from an unfortunate Achilles and a lackluster Stairway I just can't call it their worst show. Not even their worst bootleg.

Hey! This is my first post on the forums, you might recognize my name from /r/LedZeppelin. Im a big fan of what you do and I use your reviews of these shows as a template and what to hunt down and listen to next. Im glad you did this show just due to its infamy alone. Im surprised at your STH rating mostly, I actually think its pretty fantastic. I noticed you were a big fan of a few of the late May solo's that Page pulled out and honestly I cant get behind them I think Jimmy here was extremely fluid, his phrasing and improvisational skills were pretty off the charts. I think this was honestly one of his best solo's of this tour and its up to par with what he was able to put together in LA and MSG. I'd suggest maybe a relisten to Stairway? 

I hope that one day we get the full release of this show. I think it has some sorts of potential to be pretty solid show and its reception is wildly overblown.