The REAL 1977 Tour

[Rock Action]

Duuuuuude! That's a lot to sacrifice for one concert, you might bump into Lori Maddox one of these days, even if she is over 50 now.

Bonham vs. Lee IS crap, a serious delusion. Michael could play in 6 very well; SINCE I'VE LOVING YOU was the best Zeppelin tune he played, his ROCK AND ROLL disappointed me though. Jason is the man for the job now. Wonder how much Bonzo practiced alone at home? I could see the growth in his style as time went on, particularly from '75 to '77. In March '73 he was just sick; his '77 chops were a new stride forward in technique as well.

I know the Purdie shuffle (Bernard called me on my cellphone one day, long story) but I can't play FOOL IN THE RAIN very well. I wonder if Purdie and Bonham met? Somebody asked Buddy Rich in an interview what he thought of Bonzo, Buddy sat down and played some Bonham licks and sneered, "That ain't hard!" Buddy disregarded the fact he himself was one of the greatest drummers to ever pick up a pair of sticks. Personally, I think the 4 Bs are indispensible in drumming: Bonzo, Buddy, Bozzio & Bernard. Simon and Vinnie are dangerous too. I'm interested in what kind of drums you play, Rock Action, pedal(s), etc. If you're so inclined, please PM me.

I'm primarily a guitarist. Oh, I play a little drums here and there, but not all that often. That's not me in the avatar, unfortunately.

[Dirigible]

Dirigible (drums & vocals)

Semi Page (guitar) Steve Walters (bass)

Just saw your video....drumming and singing, holy frack how do you do that?

Very cool!

Stop that, rewati, you're making me blush! How do I sing and drum simultaneously? I honestly don't know but thanks for the compliment. Smoking and drinking surely didn't help. Since Semi Page couldn't sing (I can't either) and we never could find anybody to cover Plant's parts I was FORCED to. If I may be so immodest my Mick Jagger is much better. I only wish I could get Black Dog, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid, Whole Lotta Love, Out On The Tiles & Radioactive <from the same day> on YouTube as well.

Semi Page died in his sleep in 2007 so let me brag about him for a paragraph. We used to call him Semi Hendrix too. He was a genius and could duplicate any guitarist, had the Ear From Hell. He was a sound reinforcement guru as well, we were always louder than any of our friends' bands with no feedback. He could play all of John Paul Jones' bass parts too and taught our various bassists how to play the Zeppelin numbers we did. In the early nineties I was trading tapes with a guy who got me all the March '73 stuff available at the time. The Zep tapes I was trading him had a 45 minute side left blank so I filled it with our renditions of Zep songs like Sick Again, Communication Breakdown and Nobody's Fault But Mine, et al. After the guy got the tapes I sent him he told me he listened to us more than the Zeppelin. Semi & I were floored. We could play about 60 Zeppelin tunes start to finish, Black Dog was the hardest to execute. Semi hated keyboards and when a friend of mine came over to jam one day with his keyboard Semi pulled me to one side and whispered angrily to me: "I'm not gonna play with any wimpy keyboards." I told him to fuck off and went in started jamming. The keyboardist started playing 'All My Love' and Semi damned near broke his neck running to get his guitar.

Reqiescat in Pace, Semi (real name John Seymour). By the way, 1977 was his favorite tour too and he saw them in '71, '73, '75 and '77.

[Dirigible]

I'm primarily a guitarist. Oh, I play a little drums here and there, but not all that often. That's not me in the avatar, unfortunately.

First moffo, now you, Rock Action! I'm not gonna say another bloody word today about anybody's avatar!!

[reswati]

Stop that, rewati, you're making me blush! How do I sing and drum simultaneously? I honestly don't know but thanks for the compliment. Smoking and drinking surely didn't help. Since Semi Page couldn't sing (I can't either) and we never could find anybody to cover Plant's parts I was FORCED to. If I may be so immodest my Mick Jagger is much better. I only wish I could get Black Dog, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid, Whole Lotta Love, Out On The Tiles & Radioactive <from the same day> on YouTube as well.

Semi Page died in his sleep in 2007 so let me brag about him for a paragraph. We used to call him Semi Hendrix too. He was a genius and could duplicate any guitarist, had the Ear From Hell. He was a sound reinforcement guru as well, we were always louder than any of our friends' bands with no feedback. He could play all of John Paul Jones' bass parts too and taught our various bassists how to play the Zeppelin numbers we did. In the early nineties I was trading tapes with a guy who got me all the March '73 stuff available at the time. The Zep tapes I was trading him had a 45 minute side left blank so I filled it with our renditions of Zep songs like Sick Again, Communication Breakdown and Nobody's Fault But Mine, et al. After the guy got the tapes I sent him he told me he listened to us more than the Zeppelin. Semi & I were floored. We could play about 60 Zeppelin tunes start to finish, Black Dog was the hardest to execute. Semi hated keyboards and when a friend of mine came over to jam one day with his keyboard Semi pulled me to one side and whispered angrily to me: "I'm not gonna play with any wimpy keyboards." I told him to fuck off and went in started jamming. The keyboardist started playing 'All My Love' and Semi damned near broke his neck running to get his guitar.

Reqiescat in Pace, Semi (real name John Seymour). By the way, 1977 was his favorite tour too and he saw them in '71, '73, '75 and '77.

Thank you for that story, this really moved me!

[Rock Action]

First moffo, now you, Rock Action! I'm not gonna say another bloody word today about anybody's avatar!!

It's cool. I should be so damn lucky. That's Scott Asheton of Stooges fame. Not Bonzo of course, but a great, underappreciated drummer. Lots of power and a raw precision, you might say.

[Dirigible]

It's cool. I should be so damn lucky. That's Scott Asheton of Stooges fame. Not Bonzo of course, but a great, underappreciated drummer. Lots of power and a raw precision, you might say.

To Rock: as you (without a doubt) know during the first '77 tour break (May 1 thru May 17) Pagey went to check out the burgeoning (without a doubt Stooges' influenced) punk band The Damned featuring Rat Scabies (without a doubt not the name on his birth certificate) on drums. Jim said the energy coming off Rat was fantastic, this while Bonzo was still alive. Wonder what Page'd've thought of Iggy's stickman Scott? What-o, mate; we can relate darn near anything to the 1977 tour to keep the thread on topic, right? Right.

To all: may the dreams you dream today be tomorrow's dreams come true. God bless & evening all; unless you're European, in which case good morning. Meself, I'm hittin' the sack.

[greenman]

Hey, everybody gather round, greenman just said Michael Lee is a better drummer than John Bonham, don't hurt him too bad.

Isn't it a shame when cousins marry?

You really need to stop posting such pointless rambling bollocks, seriously this entire thread is full of you putting words into other peoples mouths to try and backup your point.

[Dirigible]

Greenman, that entire post was meant as a joke and I twisted your words about Bonham. That admission however excuses none of my antics.

You are right---I shouldn't have made that remark. It was funny when Letterman said it, but NOT funny when I regrettably repeated it.

Please accept my apologies, man, and I mean that. I recognize your valuable contributions to this thread and I thank you for taking the time to do so. The truth is I happen to think you're an astute observer on all things Zeppelin; this forum is a better place because of fans like yourself. Forgive me.

[moffo]

Dirigible (drums & vocals)

Semi Page (guitar) Steve Walters (bass)

Just saw your video....drumming and singing, holy frack how do you do that?

Very cool!

I've just watched it as well, fantastic!!! Pretty impressive i've got to say!

[ZeppFanForever]

Some, not all, of those among us who never saw Led Zeppelin in concert are habitually slagging this tour and that show judging either solely from bootlegs, or the questionable opinions of writers of books/magazine articles, or both. This is about the 1977 tour in particular. If you have something to say about any other tours please feel welcome to post it in this thread if it pertains to the point I'm attempting to make.

Fact: Our Ledded ones NEVER did a half-assed tour.

Fact: The 1977 shows kicked ass. Period, fini, game over.

Question: Is there anyone reading who saw the band perform in 1977 and thought the show sucked? I doubt it very much, but if you did I respect your opinion.

Question: Do you believe everything you hear and read? We all know the answer to that.

Nobody said it better than LedZep4Ever said about '77: "You just had to have been there." I like Zep books and bootlegs as much as anybody, but let's get real here and be serious. Those individuals who never saw the band can only envision them vicariously through said books and bootlegs. Fair enough, but it's wearying reading posts speculating about how '77 was lame-o, the band wasn't firing on all four cylinders, Plant's voice was shot, Page was sick again, bad karma surrounded the group and and other heresies they know little about; it's not even secondhand news in most cases, more often than not it's so far removed from the source and the truth to be dogma. I'm not saying I fucking know if any of what's shuttling back and forth is true or false myself. What I AM saying is: who among the naysayers was actually acquainted with the band members, Cole, Grant, and hangers-on in the entourage and accompanied them on the road for all or part of the '77 tour? Answer: not a bloody one of those who've been spewing negative opinions of the tour. If you'd've been there you'd've likely dug the music, the scene, the cola and all the other stuff that may or may not have gone hand-in-hand with it. I also wouldn't buy into lurid tales of groupies who allegedly let Page, Plant, Bonham or Jones roll them over on their tummies and 'do what thou wilt' with them either. For the most part that equates to letting folks like Stephen Davis, Luis Rey, Richard Cole (via their books), hack magazine writers and starfuckers do your thinking for you.

With all due respect I know some of you know better.

I've said this before so forgive my saying it again: I have soundboards of three of the LZ shows I attended and the tapes are disappointing compared to the visceral power that hit you in the ears (and chest) from the stage. Trust me, the difference between the concert and the teensy-weensy piece of thin tape of the concert is night and day. I know how well-attuned your ears are, but they hear one thing when the fact of the matter is experiencing the performance in person is something else entirely. You need only compare the audience tape to the soundboard of Seattle '73 to realize what I'm saying is true. Mistakes evident on the soundboard are unheard in the audience boot, or are so reduced as to become minute, meaningless. You're letting what you perceive as sloppiness or mistakes spoil an entire string of tour dates for you and that's just wrong.

Those who were born too late to have seen Zep live need to readjust their judgments and especially their DICTION. If you didn't see this or that tour then you need to clarify what you REALLY mean is---the '75 bootlegs were better than the '77 bootlegs but they were on fire on the '72 bootlegs except I liked the bootlegs from 1970 best or what have you.

Substituting the word 'tour' for 'bootleg' simply isn't on.

How's it going "Dirigible?" I saw your band, they sound good and tight. Man, you should hit the road and go on tour, I would pay to see you. ROCK ON!

[Dirigible]

Thanks for the kind words, moffo and ZeppFanForever. You're the ones who rock!

To put things in perspective that's only copying something someone else did. There's a level of accomplishment in duplicating someone else's original work, sure, but to know Led Zeppelin wrote and recorded all that timeless music helps one to have a keen appreciation for the talent that originated it. What's cool is one need not be a musician to appreciate Zep's greatness (and other great bands, writers, painters, architects, etc.)

Anyone considering, daydreaming, wishing to be a player should be encouraged not to hesitate another day. You'd be amazed how easy it is to play at a level you never dreamt possible. The day might come sooner than you think when people are glorying in YOUR original music.

Go for it, d.

[ZeppFanForever]

Thanks for the kind words, moffo and ZeppFanForever. You're the ones who rock!

To put things in perspective that's only copying something someone else did. There's a level of accomplishment in duplicating someone else's original work, sure, but to know Led Zeppelin wrote and recorded all that timeless music helps one to have a keen appreciation for the talent that originated it. What's cool is one need not be a musician to appreciate Zep's greatness (and other great bands, writers, painters, architects, etc.)

Anyone considering, daydreaming, wishing to be a player should be encouraged not to hesitate another day. You'd be amazed how easy it is to play at a level you never dreamt possible. The day might come sooner than you think when people are glorying in YOUR original music.

Go for it, d.

How's it going "Dirigible?" Do you write songs? ROCK ON my friend!

[Dirigible]

How's it going "Dirigible?" Do you write songs? ROCK ON my friend!

Less than a dozen, my friend, sadly none of them rock like The New Yardbirds.

But I have written three or four books of poetry, almost 100 novelettes ranging the gamut of murder mystery, sci/fantasy, speculative fiction, children's story, vampire, mainstream, film/TV treatment, softcore trash & western genres. I've written some essays here you may have noticed. I was in the throes of writing page 463 of my third fantasy novel when I saw your latest post. I've sold 33 pages of the last 1500 I've written, but I have a lot of fun doing what I fail at. Maybe one of these days......

My greatest accomplishment is the joy in my three-year-old niece's eyes when she sees her Unca D standing at the door to pay her a visit.

[ZeppFanForever]

Less than a dozen, my friend, sadly none of them rock like The New Yardbirds.

But I have written three or four books of poetry, almost 100 novelettes ranging the gamut of murder mystery, sci/fantasy, speculative fiction, children's story, vampire, mainstream, film/TV treatment, softcore trash & western genres. I've written some essays here you may have noticed. I was in the throes of writing page 463 of my third fantasy novel when I saw your latest post. I've sold 33 pages of the last 1500 I've written, but I have a lot of fun doing what I fail at. Maybe one of these days......

My greatest accomplishment is the joy in my three-year-old niece's eyes when she sees her Unca D standing at the door to pay her a visit.

How's it going "Dirigible?" I hear ya! My nephew A.J. gets all excited when I come to California and visit him. Then again, his mother (My sister) and I are usually letting the tongues slip when we cuss around him resulting in him going to school and cussing out his teacher. We find out about this when my sister gets a call from the Principal. At school, he blames it on his mom and Uncle John. Its funny how things don't change much. ROCK ON!

[SourceNRG]

I agree with danelectro!!!!!!! Having people tell you what to like/what not to like about music..hear, hear!! YOU have to decide for yourself, not what some "expert" nitwits say you should like or hate.

That being said, I LOVED the show I saw in 1977!! One of the best moments of my whole life.

Sharon

[Jiri]

Good point, Dirigible!

However, what about the shows that sounded right to the audience AND sounded good on "thin tape"?

There are tons of them...pre 77 that is...;-)

[Dirigible]

Good point, Dirigible!

However, what about the shows that sounded right to the audience AND sounded good on "thin tape"?

There are tons of them...pre 77 that is...;-)

Jiri, a great bootleg is like a beautiful woman, a marvel to behold. Alas, a bootleg only engages one of the senses, and a beautiful woman could, conceivably, engage all five.

A pity you don't have any good '77 recordings. I've got a Boston Tea Party show in 1969 and it sounds like it was recorded from at least a mile away, no bass frequencies or cymbals. Many here like the Destroyer soundboard from 1977, but to me that's a thin recording even though all instrument voices are present. If those voices were on separate tracks that would allow them in a studio environment to be boosted (louder) or faded (quieter) then any engineer could get Destroyer sounding as heavy as Presence.

[Sibh23]

Jiri, a great bootleg is like a beautiful woman, a marvel to behold. Alas, a bootleg only engages one of the senses, and a beautiful woman could, conceivably, engage all five.

A pity you don't have any good '77 recordings. I've got a Boston Tea Party show in 1969 and it sounds like it was recorded from at least a mile away, no bass frequencies or cymbals. Many here like the Destroyer soundboard from 1977, but to me that's a thin recording even though all instrument voices are present. If those voices were on separate tracks that would allow them in a studio environment to be boosted (louder) or faded (quieter) then any engineer could get Destroyer sounding as heavy as Presence.

I actually think the problem with it is that it was recorded too close to the stage.

[Dirigible]

I actually think the problem with it is that it was recorded too close to the stage.

Nice! That's likely the reason, Sibh, you may well have put your finger on the reason some bootlegs sound so distant; they were recorded too close to the sound source. The band played at threshold of pain volume levels throughout its career and the deafening roar probably overloaded the recorder's microphone in Boston. That would certainly muddy the highest highs and lowest lows of a recording. You have a sharp ear, Sibh, and I don't mean like Spock's. As always, thanks for posting.

[georgio]

Good post. Responding from page 1 - not the last few posts.

I will support Dirigible's statement that bootlegs do not equal the live experience at all. Soundboards give a very clean but illusory feel of the band, while audience tapes are missing out on various aspects.

Another thing: I don't know why fans generally diss the 1977 tour. Apart from Jimmy's drop in playing standards, Robert's voice was generally FAR BETTER than it was back in 1975. Both '75 and '77 tours were ambitious affairs but Robert's voice was pretty shot in many '75 dates, a fact that many bootleg affecienados tend to overlook conveniently. I couldn't honestly say that 1980 was my favourite Zep era either.

Clearly, most people think Jimmy didn't cut it in 1977 on some nights / songs. Is that reason to slam the whole thing? Robert with a cold in 1973 or 1975 - that to me was pretty much a low point - Jimmy at his worst, was still in tune.

So, if we're gonna use Jimmy as the barometer of the show, then let's look at the overall picture and address the biases of each listener. Bad Jimmy = bad show? Or Bad Robert = Forgivable show? I look at it overall...

Cheers

[Dirigible]

Jimmy at his worst, was still in tune. So, if we're gonna use Jimmy as the barometer of the show, then let's look at the overall picture and address the biases of each listener. Bad Jimmy = bad show? Or Bad Robert = Forgivable show? I look at it overall...

Cheers

WORD!

Better a bad show than a no show.

Forthwith you are dubbed Sir Georgio the Wise and are hereby entitled to all "77" rights and privileges incumbent with said title. May your glass ne'er be empty or your ears without song!

In other words, you the man, g.

[Rock Action]

Simply put- if you compare the 1977 shows with 1973 or 1975, here's what I've observed. Looser, more fun, more diverse, and Robert's voice was MUCH better in 1977 than in the previous years mentioned. He got that ol' fire back in there. Sure, there were a few clinkers here and there. JUST LIKE THE OTHER YEARS I MENTIONED. But 1977 was the most fun to hear of all for me. Especially the MAGNIFICENT No Quarter, and that MONSTER Kashmir. Yowza!!

[snapper]

Simply put- if you compare the 1977 shows with 1973 or 1975, here's what I've observed. Looser, more fun, more diverse, and Robert's voice was MUCH better in 1977 than in the previous years mentioned. He got that ol' fire back in there. Sure, there were a few clinkers here and there. JUST LIKE THE OTHER YEARS I MENTIONED. But 1977 was the most fun to hear of all for me. Especially the MAGNIFICENT No Quarter, and that MONSTER Kashmir. Yowza!!

I love the 77' tour. My biggest gripe is that they didn't play another song or two from Presence.

[Dirigible]

I love the 77' tour. My biggest gripe is that they didn't play another song or two from Presence.

Hots On For Nowhere woulda been nice.

[ZepFanatic]

'77 had by far the best, most varied setlist of Zep's career...another song or two from Presence (For Your Life!! Royal Orleans!) would have been awesome, as would a few more acoustic songs...