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How were Page's Guitar Solos at the 02 Gig?


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From what I saw on YouTube with my poor sounding computer speakers :(

I could tell that the Band was on the money and kicked some Major Ass! but the guitar solos were hard to hear, and some sounded a bit off.

IMO, That was the best version of Kashmir Ever.

What was your opinion of the guitar Solos Page played at the 02 gig?

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well let's see.

there's actually a couple threads about Jimmy's Stairway solo.

Here's one you should check out:

The "Original" O2 Stairway to Heaven solo thread

...

But as for the other songs, I'm interested to hear what people think.

I guess the Good Times Bad Times solos have a special timing factor to them and I think Jimmy did well with it.

You've got to really "press Go" on spot for those solos, and seeing how these were the first that Jimmy did that night, he did great.

It's pretty much like the album, but Jimmy changes it up a little bit. Is it because he's fudging it or is it because he was trying to do something different? We'll never know.

But he made it sound good, and that's what a true master does.

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If Im being honest I would say Jimmy's playing was "spirited" "heartfelt" and "emotional"...if not really precisely articulated. There was a fair amount of hap-hazzardness...he has been better, in my estimation.as recently as his gigs with the Black Crowes..but obviously the WEIGHT of this whole thing... the incredible expectations and scrutiny made even our "gods" a little nervous. After all...the are merely mortals.

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JP could probably not hear himself properly if the monitoring on the stage was controlled by the same spunk trumpet that had him missing from the PA mix. My guess is he was just firing off licks and trying to keep his fingers playing a rhythm that would sit inside the drum pattern. Jimmy's reputation for sloppiness is partly due to his inherent style, partly due to being a little the worse for wear but very often, I suspect, because he can't hear himself on stage!. Still the greatest though...and those riffs.

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page's guitar solos were on the spot,

do you think he wouldn't of been professional ?

what do you want to hear ? that his solos were "sloppy" and his solo to "stairway" was only 49 seconds long ?

he played like a consumate professionaal, let's just say he played the electric like only page can..........now stop asking inane questions !

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JP could probably not hear himself properly if the monitoring on the stage was controlled by the same spunk trumpet that had him missing from the PA mix. My guess is he was just firing off licks and trying to keep his fingers playing a rhythm that would sit inside the drum pattern. Jimmy's reputation for sloppiness is partly due to his inherent style, partly due to being a little the worse for wear but very often, I suspect, because he can't hear himself on stage!. Still the greatest though...and those riffs.

I think if he was standing in front of his four half stacks he could probably hear himself clearly. He has always had an element of slop, that is part of his charm.

I think the more overdriven sound he had at 02 helps his playing. I remember when he went into the Heartbreaker solo at the Atlantic show I was thinking it would sound fine if he would just step on a distortion pedal...

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page's guitar solos were on the spot,

do you think he wouldn't of been professional ?

what do you want to hear ? that his solos were "sloppy" and his solo to "stairway" was only 49 seconds long ?

he played like a consumate professionaal, let's just say he played the electric like only page can..........now stop asking inane questions !

:huh:

Why can't he ask the question? Inane? :rolleyes: Given Jimmy's performances at past reunion shows, he poses a very legitimate question. Yes he played great on the P&P tours and with the Crowes, but that was a few years ago now.

To actually answer the question, I'd say his solos were pretty good. Not great, but pretty darn good given his lengthy lay off. Many of them take on a bit more of a studio feel (not exact copies though) if you're going to compare them to some of his late 60's/70's Zeppelin solos. Some solos could have went a little smoother, i.e. Stairway, and some were pretty wicked, i.e. Dazed. From reading a few reviews from people in attendance, Jimmy was mostly using a 3 finger technique during soloing. I wasn't there (and we don't have video clear enough), so I have no way to really know for sure. If true, that man sound damn good without a pinky finger. B)

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From what I saw on YouTube with my poor sounding computer speakers :(

I could tell that the Band was on the money and kicked some Major Ass! but the guitar solos were hard to hear, and some sounded a bit off.

IMO, That was the best version of Kashmir Ever.

What was your opinion of the guitar Solos Page played at the 02 gig?

I read in an article (Rolling Stone or MOJO) that he wanted to play all the solos similar to the originals just so he can show people that he can actually remember them and play them after hearing people ask him for years why he never played the solos from the albums. So he's basically just taking a new approach and honestly, it's a different world we live in. Peoples attention spans or far less than they were back in the day, so he was smart about doing that...think about it

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Watching the video clips, I broke out in a grin every time Jimmy took a solo. It is just so good to see him again!! Couldn't believe I was hearing and seeing this man in 2007; it was weird to watch.. same tone, same moves, same magic... he was great!!!! I want more!

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I wasnt at the show but from watching the vids and hearing some audio, he did well.. Was it his best guitar work? Probably not.. You can't expect anything spectacular at a "one off" show, even with all the rehearsing prior..

I say that things will loosen up once they hit the road, and play on a nightly basis... Thats when everything will get dialed in. And YES they ARE hitting the road..

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I thought he really nailed GTBT, including the fast parts. I also haven't heard too many people mention the great solo he played on Trampled, which had some new effects and sounded nasty. I also loved what he did with For Your Life, which started with the same lick as the recorded version, then went on to articulate the mood of the song in a new way that only he could do.

I thought his solos were great, especially considering the seven year layoff from live performance and the nerves that he had to be feeling. His last seven year layoff had a bad effect on him that was not in evidence this time IMO...

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Technical rock guitarist play perfectly in step with the drums and see any deviation as a flaw. One thing Jimmy does a lot of live in his solos is playing behind the beat and then catching up. I don't know if it's 100% intentional but it sounds almost like a jazz crooner's singing technique. It effectively adds tension but some people might just think of it as "sloppy". If Jimmy were to play too "straight" it wouldn't be Jimmy anymore. But if he loses the rhythm too much, does a lot of accidentally muffling of notes, he's having a bad moment. What I've heard of the O2, Jimmy seems to be largely playing what he intended to play. The Atlantic reunion was him really struggling physically.

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I sure wish I could have been there. From what I have seeen on the clips, I was enthralled!! My favorite was Kashmir, which really shows that the band is a band, and not just a soloist with "sidemen". I don't think the solo for STH was happening and Jimmy knew it. But that was 49 seconds. There was ton of great solos............Jimmy's body language says a lot about what was good about it. Page was great 98 percent of the time, and as usual Jones was probably underappreciated. They were a band again, which can make you sometimes play better than you thought was possible.

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I was looking foward to see if Page could nail the solo on Heartbreaker, but they did not play that one. Hopefully there will be more shows where Page really lets it rip like the old days.

You and me both man. I would have loved to hear heartbreaker, probably my favorite zep solo.

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I don't think the solo for STH was happening and Jimmy knew it. But that was 49 seconds.

I read these types of comments before I actually watched the video, so I was getting ready for it to be the way people kept describing it. But, upon watching it, it wasn't as bad as I interpreted people were making it out to be. I quite liked it. Wasn't the best version out there, but it certainly wasn't a disaster either!

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The question can be asked and if I may try to answer I will. For me, I dont listen to Zeppelin or critique Jimmy's playing based on his soloing. He himself has said he's not about technique but emotions. Did his playing evoke the emotions of the song/situation - HELL YES. Were the solos short/sweet/precise? For the most part. JImmy isn't a jeff beck/john mclaughlin in the sense where he can wank and wank solo to no end, his strength is in the riffs, the emotions and the overall light/shade thing he always talks about.

That's enough for me, I dont really care to hear a 10 min solo or a long boring thing where it's sloppy and teetering o n the edge of disaster. I think Jimmy did a fine job.

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I read these types of comments before I actually watched the video, so I was getting ready for it to be the way people kept describing it. But, upon watching it, it wasn't as bad as I interpreted people were making it out to be. I quite liked it. Wasn't the best version out there, but it certainly wasn't a disaster either!

Good point. The main thing is, Jimmy, John and Robert are playing very well together, and Led Zeppelin have found their Groove again with Jason on drums. The Magic is Back!

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Good point. The main thing is, Jimmy, John and Robert are playing very well together, and Led Zeppelin have found their Groove again with Jason on drums. The Magic is Back!

Exactly! Days, weeks, months, years after a show people aren't going to remember every little nuance of Page's solos, if he 'messed up' here, or there... they're going to remember the way the music made them feel. And making people FEEL is the whole essence of Jimmy and Led Zeppelin.

BTW, I just listened to the 02 Stairway solo twice in a row and I honestly can't hear any 'mistakes.' Maybe because the sound is atrocious, but ... :lol:

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From what I saw on YouTube with my poor sounding computer speakers :(

I could tell that the Band was on the money and kicked some Major Ass! but the guitar solos were hard to hear, and some sounded a bit off.

IMO, That was the best version of Kashmir Ever.

What was your opinion of the guitar Solos Page played at the 02 gig?

Jimmy was in stellar form. To generalise, the whole point about Page and the band live (I've only seen them at the O2 but have listened to loads of bootlegs), is playing in the moment and from one's inner being. To my mind the guitar sound is not about technical precision live, it is about intuitive expression and emotional resonance. If you want technical precision go listen to Pat Metheny, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, etc.

As Robert says, Jimmy plays from somewhere a little South of Heaven, not the domain of clean, crisp licks and studied accuracy.

Indi.

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