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Your favorite Zeppelin Set List?


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In the many tours they did, Zeppelin's set lists changed and got modified, sometimes adding in a small amount of songs, sometimes fitting in a lot of songs.

Out of the many set lists they did, which set list did you think fit Page's idea of the whole 'Light and Shade' that he uses to describe Led Zeppelin?

For me, It's the 1977 tour. To me, a Zeppelin set list HAS to have an acoustic set list. It properly shows the light side, with also Achilles Last Stand and Kashmir showing the heavier side of their musical catalog.

It was also spread out a lot more than other tours, IMO. Going from Achilles to stairway allows Bonzo to have rest before needed for the ending for stairway. Starting with TSRTS also works as a high energy opener, and shows what some first time listeners of Zeppelin what the band are made of.

The set list also fully showed what each member was properly capable of. Page had Achilles and White Summer, Bonzo also had Achilles and Moby Dick, Jonesy had No quarter, and Plant had almost all of the songs, but really showed his talent on some Over the hills and Far Away performances.

So what's yours?

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Seattle 1972 (19th), even with Dancing Days played twice!

Others that rank high: LA Forum 1972; a few Japan dates 1971. Can't argue with any from 1979. I supposed the Earls Court shows get a mention, although over 5 nights, how cool would it have been for Zep to mix it up and include early 1975 live tunes amongst those 5 shows: WTLB, Wanton, HMMT, even SIBLY. Virtually the same set list every night at EC, except for the encores the last night of the run.

While I love 1973-1977, the lack of variety kills it for me, compared to these shows. And I add 1979 because of the sheer number of songs played, highest numbers of Zep originals of any Zep tour.

But Seattle 1972 (19th, 2nd show)...that's the one I think I'd like to go back in time for.

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1977/06/22

Yes, that's a mother of a show...where's the soundboard recording?! :lol:

It's hard to beat the setlist for the Copenhagen/Knebworth shows.

I would say overall the '79 setlists are the most comprehensive for sure.

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Yes, that's a mother of a show...where's the soundboard recording?! :lol:

Sue and Nutrocker:

Help this Zep fan out, as I respect your opinions, especially since you're both '77 aficionados: why do you like this LA show so much? Help educate me, because I feel like it's the worst show of the LA run, basis Jimmy sounding so sloppy. Not a fan of IMTOD, I prefer the 25th (love Rip It Up, Robert so powerful, versus LS tease on this show), OTHAFA, to me, sounds weird and out of place late in the set list, and overall just feel like Jimmy's playing dropped in quality big time versus the 21st, then skyrocketed again the 23rd (and maybe that's my problem, expectations of his playing this night sandwiched between great performances the 21st and the 23rd).

I have the show, maybe it's time for me to get it out and listen again with fresh perspective, after I hear your opinions. Happy to eat a slice of humble pie if I'm way off base. And, which of the '77 LA shows do you find to be the weakest?

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Sue and Nutrocker:

Help this Zep fan out, as I respect your opinions, especially since you're both '77 aficionados: why do you like this LA show so much? Help educate me, because I feel like it's the worst show of the LA run, basis Jimmy sounding so sloppy. Not a fan of IMTOD, I prefer the 25th (love Rip It Up, Robert so powerful, versus LS tease on this show), OTHAFA, to me, sounds weird and out of place late in the set list, and overall just feel like Jimmy's playing dropped in quality big time versus the 21st, then skyrocketed again the 23rd (and maybe that's my problem, expectations of his playing this night sandwiched between great performances the 21st and the 23rd).

I have the show, maybe it's time for me to get it out and listen again with fresh perspective, after I hear your opinions. Happy to eat a slice of humble pie if I'm way off base. And, which of the '77 LA shows do you find to be the weakest?

Good morning!

Well, like I mentioned in another discussion, I busted out 22/6/77 a couple of weeks back for the first time in ages. What makes the show for me is Bonham. He just kicked ass on the night...some would definitely say he was "overplaying" but not in same manner that he was in Houston or Fort Worth where his extra fills would sort of throw off the rest of the band. I was pretty gobsmacked listening to it, truth be told. I had the thing cranked on the stereo while my wife and I were making dinner and we kept saying, "Holy shit, did you hear what he just played?!" Yeah, Page is a little sloppy, but, Jesus, when wasn't Page sloppy in 1977? :lol: "No Quarter" is really excellent as well; it's long, but doesn't really meander like the ones on the 21st and 23rd do. Give the 22nd another listen. See, the thing is, June 22 and 26th are sorta the red headed stepchildren of the LA '77 shows simply because we don't have "good" (i.e. Millard) recordings to overanalyze. :lol: I can't remember if Strider was at the June 22 show, if he was he could give more insight than I could simply on the basis of a so-so audience tape.

As for which of the LA '77 shows I find weakest? Hands down, June 25. Yeah, I know this show has its fans but I find it weak for the very opposite reason I'll praise June 22: Bonzo was having an off night on the 25th (all that partying with Keith Moon must have caught up with him). Nowhere as bad as in San Diego, of course, but Bonzo's tempos were a little shaky and you can tell the energy just wasn't there (sort of like the May 28 Landover show, actually).

Mind you, I'm not one of these fans who puts the LA '77 shows on a pedestal over the rest of the tour. I mean, call me a heretic, but generally speaking I don't find the June 21 show to be anything special performance wise, for example. I like it more for the sound of the goddamn recording than the performance to be honest. IMO people who say it's the best '77 show clearly haven't given April 28 in Cleveland a good listen. When it comes to the LA '77 run the June 27 show has always been my favourite because I like the general 'vibe' of the performance (in spite of my bitching about its excesses in another discussion the other day :lol: ) but overall I tend to prefer the New York '77 shows- on a performance by performance basis I reckon the New York gigs were better than LA- to be blunt, the band were focused on giving good performances in New York, whereas in LA they were more given to simply showing off and not always succeeding (a malady that wasn't just a case on the '77 tour, either- I have the same issue with the LA '75 shows). Again, just my opinions...

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Jimmy doesn't sound sloppy at all to me. In fact he comes out kickin' serious ass throughout the whole show. Listen again to Nobody's Fault But Mine, he shreds that whole song like it's nobody's business and he's actually the strongest thing about that version of the song, an especially amazing feat considering he was in need of a belt. No Quarter is tops too, and White Summer is especially creative this night. (That's not a joke either). I like OtHaFA being that late in the set, it's a nice change of pace and feels unique. His solo is extra spacey too. The only real problem is when he has to switch guitars during Achilles, but even that doesn't stop him from making that song his bitch. (It's my favorite Achilles of the whole LA run too). Stairway and the encores are also pretty good.

If I had to pick the weakest, I guess I'd say the 27th? It pains me to say that cuz I love that show but some songs just needed an extra "oomph" that just couldn't be found. The 25th has it's problems too, but I feel people exaggerate Bonzo's condition that night.

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