tictac Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Profiting form your experience I have to ask which is, in your opinion, the best Rock and Roll version. I have to say the first album I heard from Led Zeppelin was The Song Remains The Same and obviously the first song, Rock and Roll. And still is my favourite Led Zeppelin song. Maybe I am biased but I also think is the best version I have ever heard. Better than the studio version and better than How The West Was Won's and Knebworth's. Somebody can point to another good version. Cheers. tt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matjaz1 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) How about this from Australia, the beggining is missing but the vocals blow away any of the versions you mentioned, except if you perhaps prefer the lower vocal melody! Edited March 2, 2013 by Matjaz1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Knebs Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Rock & Roll is my pet peeve There's more there than they got out of it. Got close several times. Either the rythym section went soft, the tangents went wonky, synch got fuzzy- I come away shaking my head. I don't think the recording on IV is greatness. The times I have seen it performed live it was some home runs just not epic outta the park and into the parking lot world record setting one of a kind pinnacle we did it... I'll stop. In the bands where we covered this song, it is one of the easiest to play note for note. To get the feel and sound and max it out, no way could we ever get close. Still ticks me off. Seen several bands cover it "good" just... oh nevermind. I had one bandmate tell me he thought it resides in the structure of the tune. His theory is that the bass has its riffs, the drums has its riffs, the guitar has its riffs and the vocal has its riffs. The riffs compete at certain points in the songs and if they do not match exactly in timing and intensity you get drop outs or noise. Hopefully Rock & Roll has one or two alternate takes on the box sets coming out. I have heard rumors of an acoustic version when it was being presented to the band. Fingers crossed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Led Dirigible Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I have heard rumors of an acoustic version when it was being presented to the band. Fingers crossed... I thought that Rock and Roll originated in a jam session, and therefore was not "presented" to the band by Page. I could be wrong though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Knebs Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I thought that Rock and Roll originated in a jam session, and therefore was not "presented" to the band by Page. I could be wrong though. as I understand it, the acoustic was tuned for Four Sticks as that was where the log jam was in the studio. Bonham was frustrated with the continual hold ups and to blow off steam did a jump intro and Page & Jones followed for a short few bars then returned to wrap work on Four Sticks they later resumed the jam piece and JPJ presented a riff he thought might work and they played it a few times and any hopes of using an acoustic faded quickly....since Bonham still had four sticks in his hands. Page got the LP in standard tuning, they tweaked the riff and what a release. What a jam session it must have been. An homage to a genre. Terry does a great job describing what is going on with the drums- good stuff happens at 1:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Led Dirigible Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 as I understand it, the acoustic was tuned for Four Sticks as that was where the log jam was in the studio. Bonham was frustrated with the continual hold ups and to blow off steam did a jump intro and Page & Jones followed for a short few bars then returned to wrap work on Four Sticks they later resumed the jam piece and JPJ presented a riff he thought might work and they played it a few times and any hopes of using an acoustic faded quickly....since Bonham still had four sticks in his hands. Page got the LP in standard tuning, they tweaked the riff and what a release. What a jam session it must have been. An homage to a genre. Terry does a great job describing what is going on with the drums- good stuff happens at 1:21 Thanks for explaining, DallasKnebs. It would have been amazing to be there watching this song come together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tictac Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 Sidney 1972 is really great. But overall TSRTS remains better in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepscoda Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 June 23, 1977....when I first got my FBHO tape, back at 14yo I think, the broadway show ( for lack of a better term ) ending to Rock n Roll blew me away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazulike88 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I have heard rumors of an acoustic version when it was being presented to the band. I Actually read somewhere that The Acoustic Rock and Roll became Boogie with Stu, but i don't know when boogie with stu was recorded, So, Who knows ?? And as for my favourite version Of RnR, i know it's a bit weird, but i always enjoyed the Studio Version the most !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 You can't beat the Sydney version. It's pretty intense and powerful. Also like the HTWWW version as well. Just at a time when Plant was hitting so vocals so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matjaz1 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) Rock & Roll is my pet peeve There's more there than they got out of it. Got close several times. Either the rythym section went soft, the tangents went wonky, synch got fuzzy- I come away shaking my head. I don't think the recording on IV is greatness. The times I have seen it performed live it was some home runs just not epic outta the park and into the parking lot world record setting one of a kind pinnacle we did it... I'll stop. In the bands where we covered this song, it is one of the easiest to play note for note. To get the feel and sound and max it out, no way could we ever get close. Still ticks me off. Seen several bands cover it "good" just... oh nevermind. I had one bandmate tell me he thought it resides in the structure of the tune. His theory is that the bass has its riffs, the drums has its riffs, the guitar has its riffs and the vocal has its riffs. The riffs compete at certain points in the songs and if they do not match exactly in timing and intensity you get drop outs or noise. Hopefully Rock & Roll has one or two alternate takes on the box sets coming out. I have heard rumors of an acoustic version when it was being presented to the band. Fingers crossed... Yeah there is really A LOT going on in that song, everyone contributes such incredible details while interacting with others! And I think Robert's voice is also very, very important, I doubt anyone can do it in such an incredible integrity, powerhouse, full voice tenor! In this version from 1980 Jimmy stops a bit at 1:00 and you can hear the complexity of the drums! Edited March 2, 2013 by Matjaz1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Dounim Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) The outro on this one is mind-blowing. Edited March 2, 2013 by Sue Dounim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepscoda Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 The outro on this one is mind-blowing. That's a good one Sue, but I'm sticking to my guns with Badge Holders :http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WpWm1UNdk_E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Rotterdam 1980 for me. I find that in 1980 the band was really tight, but not overbearing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amstel Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Terry does a great job describing what is going on with the drums- good stuff happens at 1:21 He is brutal at demonstrating anything Bonham or Led Zeppelin. He doesn't know Bonham was the one that was frustrated with the way a session was going, so he blasted into Keep A Knocking by Little Richard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutrocker Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) That's a good one Sue, but I'm sticking to my guns with Badge Holders :http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WpWm1UNdk_E Yeah...having Moonie banging away on tambourine and tympani alongside Bonham sorta makes that the Grandaddy of "Rock And Roll" performances IMO. Great opener in '73, not so great in '75 -sometimes Plant's voice reminds me of George Harrison on the '74 Dark Horse tour, and that isn't really a good thing; opening with "Rock And Roll" in 1975 also adds to that sense of repeating the '73 tour I get from time to time. It made sense as an encore after that, even though I kinda get a "Right, let's get this one over with" feeling with some of the 1980 versions. Or they sound like a bad cover band other nights Having said that, though, "Rock And Roll" is a very fun song to actually play; its popularity aside, you can see why Zeppelin made it a concert standard, from a musical point of view. Edited March 3, 2013 by Nutrocker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matjaz1 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 He is brutal at demonstrating anything Bonham or Led Zeppelin. He doesn't know Bonham was the one that was frustrated with the way a session was going, so he blasted into Keep A Knocking by Little Richard. What he explains there is EXACTLY what makes Bonham a 'melodic' drummer in terms of either responding so well to others or in this case building his intro on a melody of fifties rock and roll he had in his head! I wondered a while ago, whether he imagined melodies of songs when he played Moby dick and whether many of those were perhaps big hit songs, because that is then perhaps one of key elements why his solos were never boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabe Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I'm being petty, but I like the live versions where Jimmy's solo ends high on the fretboard or higher octave like TSRTS movie, compared to later live versions. The ending to the earlier solos pack more wallop to me. It's a great song any way you slice it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach_7 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 June 23, 1977....when I first got my FBHO tape, back at 14yo I think, the broadway show ( for lack of a better term ) ending to Rock n Roll blew me away! I'd echo that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ListenToThis Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I always thought Berlin '80 was good, certainly one of the highlights of the show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Knebs Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 went back and listened to Berlin... lot to feel in that one. I'm not sure what it is about Sydney, it just rivets me and forces me to put the headphones on and try to shread them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Dounim Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Jimmy's solo on 1980/07/07 is badass and raunchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Jimmy's solo on 1980/07/07 is badass and raunchy. I certainly agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Dounim Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Another good one that nobody thinks of 1975/05/23. Robert wails much better than he would for the next two nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelema Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 To me this is one of the songs that doesn't work without the original high vocals + Plant never bothered to warm up his pipes to sing it properly in 73&75 even in his low range with a few exceptions. So anything like 1972-02-27, 1971-11-24, 1971-05-03 is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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