Nitpicking Page (The quest for the best performance of 1975)

[Bonzo_fan]

1 hour ago, ZepHead315 said:

Sorry man. I wish I could find it. I've done quite a bit of searching but have yet to find the complete show. If anyone can PM me a link to the complete show (hint hint ) I'll be sure to pass it along to you! 

Ahh, bummer  Yeah, hint hint to anyone who has a sendable version of the show 

[rm2551]

I have an aud of it (Title: A Bloody act) dadgad. I'll put it up and send a link as soon as I can...

[blooze]

On 4/12/2018 at 12:45 PM, ZepHead315 said:

So I take it your goal is to listen to every '75 performance? Well, all I can say is good luck haha! Personally, I don't know if I'd be able to stand it unless I were to space it out quite a bit. The '75 shows (with the exception of the ones from January and Earls Court) all have a degree of "sameness" to them, with the setlist barely changing at all from night to night and Page and Plant being the only two who vary in terms of performance. And even then, Plant's best gigs for this year are just ones where he'd be considered "passable" to the casual listener. 

I will say I hope you pull through, because I may have to revise my "best of '75" compilation based on your reviews. 

I agree to a certain extent. Yeah the setlist is the same every night and there aren't many surprises, but what I like about 75 is how they make each show sound unique regardless (IMO). It's because of the jams each night on songs like No Quarter, DnC, and the funk section of WLL. They truely sound "free" in some moments. Its the 77 tour where they really start to sound monotonous. Now, admittedly, I've listened to much more of 75 than 77 but there I think all the shows blend together. They way I've often thought about it was...once you've heard Listen to this Eddie (or whatever your one favorite show is) is there any need to go back and listen to the others? You were getting about the same show night in, night out. They experimented a bit in NQ, but not nearly as much as they did in 75 where Jonesy was given authority to take the song wherever he pleased.

[Boogie Chillen 82]

On 4/11/2018 at 7:06 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 2/13/1975 Uniondale (Throwing The Wild Seeds)

Final assessment- Except for a couple of tracks, this show blows 2/12 out of the water for the most part. Definitely a must listen for 1975. On to 2/14.

+++++++ 1

Dude, I go away for a couple weeks and you've got three more nitpick reviews in already!! I love it. You're killing it!

2-12 to me was always kind of an overrated show. 2-13 and 2-14 are significantly more fun to listen to.

2-13-75 is one of my favorite shows that year,  I absolutely love Jimmy's playing on it. THOUGH, I am not a guitar player, so... yeah. But, as an example, I really enjoy his bedroom jamming on TUF (and that doesn't sound wrong at all)

2-14 to my ears is better than 2-12 but not as good as 2-13. For example, I really like Jimmy's aforementioned jam in 2-13 TUF but 2-14 TUF does significantly less for me. Not being a guitar player I can't explain it though, haha. I wonder how you'd compare the two as a professional.

Anyway, in 1975 I would LOVE for you to review 3-12 and 3-27. Everything else is a bonus... I'll read them all though.

Need some '73 nitpick sessions too (Europe and USA please)... and 6-21-77... and 6-23-77... 

[ZepHead315]

3 hours ago, blooze said:

I agree to a certain extent. Yeah the setlist is the same every night and there aren't many surprises, but what I like about 75 is how they make each show sound unique regardless (IMO). It's because of the jams each night on songs like No Quarter, DnC, and the funk section of WLL. They truely sound "free" in some moments. Its the 77 tour where they really start to sound monotonous. Now, admittedly, I've listened to much more of 75 than 77 but there I think all the shows blend together. They way I've often thought about it was...once you've heard Listen to this Eddie (or whatever your one favorite show is) is there any need to go back and listen to the others? You were getting about the same show night in, night out. They experimented a bit in NQ, but not nearly as much as they did in 75 where Jonesy was given authority to take the song wherever he pleased.

I see what you're saying. There's definitely more jamming in 75 than 77. But I personally prefer 77 because, for one, they shook the setlist up. You no longer had to hear Percy croaking his way through Rock and Roll, and I always thought TSRTS was a much better opener anyway. And, with the exception of the back to back drum and noise solos, I really like the pacing of the 77 setlist. They brought the acoustic set back, and they saved the "big" (ie. Kashmir, Stairway, etc.) songs for the latter part of the show. And the 77 setlist actually has more variation than the 75 setlist. You had the substituting of IMTOD and OTHAFA, the occasional appearance of Dancing Days in the acoustic set, sometimes including Trampled Underfoot (and occasionally putting it right after the acoustic set), sometimes including Black Dog in the encores, sometimes including Heartbreaker, and other variations. That's why I'd argue that 77 is less monotonous than 75.

Heck, even if you listen to just the LA run, every show is different, both in terms of the setlist and the vibe. 6/21 is the only show of the run to include Heartbreaker and is probably the tightest and most energetic, 6/22 has both OTHAFA and IMTOD and is probably the most confident, 6/23 has OTHAFA and TUF and is very loose, 6/25 has IMTOD and TUF and has Bonzo being a tad erratic, 6/26 has It'll Be Me and is probably the most "even keel" of all the shows in terms of performance (just solid all the way through), and 6/27 has Dancing Days and has Page being a tad erratic. They all have a unique character, at least to me. 

[Boogie Chillen 82]

4 hours ago, blooze said:

I agree to a certain extent. Yeah the setlist is the same every night and there aren't many surprises, but what I like about 75 is how they make each show sound unique regardless (IMO). It's because of the jams each night on songs like No Quarter, DnC, and the funk section of WLL. They truely sound "free" in some moments. Its the 77 tour where they really start to sound monotonous. Now, admittedly, I've listened to much more of 75 than 77 but there I think all the shows blend together. They way I've often thought about it was...once you've heard Listen to this Eddie (or whatever your one favorite show is) is there any need to go back and listen to the others? You were getting about the same show night in, night out. They experimented a bit in NQ, but not nearly as much as they did in 75 where Jonesy was given authority to take the song wherever he pleased.

+1 

I get it why some people love '77 - the set list. That was a great and more diverse set list, and WS to Kashmir is pure genius. But the noise solo without the funky rhythm just doesn't work for me, and I for one don't like TSRTS as the opener (and I really don't like what they did with NQ with Nutcracker and the blues jam)

I'm with you on the jams in '75, that's why I like that tour the best. They just leave these huge holes in every show and just go off creating. That's why '75 is also so easy to nitpick - some of the stuff in the jams is awful, and some of it is great, and all of it is genius, it's like Picasso lol. The "jam" songs: NQ, DAC, and the funk jam. Plus Jimmy approached every one of his solos from the Picasso angle too. Sadly he was often too tired (or wasted) by the final third of the show and so some Stairways and Black Dogs don't sound so great. OTHAFA and TUF are usually phenomenal though. Anyway, the result is a different show every night, more so than '73 or '77, which is why '75 is my favorite of the "late" tours (I can't listen to '80)

Edited April 15, 2018 by Boogie Chillen 82

[Sue Dounim]

I've gotta say that was the most negative review of 2/12 I've ever read that didnt just cite the condition of Plant's voice. Honestly while he may not be at his most technically proficient at that show I think Jimmy more than makes up for it with passion and energy.

[gibsonfan159]

7 minutes ago, Sue Dounim said:

I've gotta say that was the most negative review of 2/12 I've ever read that didnt just cite the condition of Plant's voice. Honestly while he may not be at his most technically proficient at that show I think Jimmy more than makes up for it with passion and energy.

I think that's why people love 3/21 so much. It has a tremendous amount of energy and Plant sounds great for 75, but I absolutely can not stand by Jimmy's playing and still be honest.

[nemophilist]

I agree with those stating their love for the 1977 setlist, it really is great and I really like how they brought back the acoustic section because those songs are a huge part of what sets them apart from basically every other rock, folk or metal band. I just feel (like many) that the magic wasn't quite there as consistently as it was in previous tours and that has a lot to do with the state that Jimmy was in. Still has great moments though and I'm not saying those shows are bad, they're just not on the level that they set for themselves from 1968 to 1975. But there really hasn't been any band to achieve what they did during that time period (in my opinion).

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 2/14/75 Uniondale, second show (Throwing The Wild Seeds)

The follow up to the good show the previous night. Let's see if Page can get it going again. I'm using the matrix version.

Rock And Roll- Sounds like the building comes crashing down when they launch into this. Plant is a little rough, but not too bad at all. The solo- Not as solid as the previous night, but pretty good. No real flubs. "B+".

Sick Again- Good energy. First solo- Solid, but sounds like he strains just a little to put the last couple of measures together. Maybe the finger is hurting tonight? 2:56, slight flub. Outro solo- Not a good flow at all. He's really struggling a bit here, but manages to survive without disaster. "C+".

OTHAFA- Another relaxed start. Solid beginning. The solo- I already don't like how this starts out of the gate. 3:27-3:31 is nice. 3:33-3:45, sticky fingers galore. At the 5:30 mark and I don't know what to say. He's playing. He's hitting notes in the key. But there's absolutely no fire behind his playing and very little fluidity. Articulation? Nope. I've listened about six times now trying to find something that stands out. I mean, there are some decent bits like 4:25-4:36, but calling this professional guitar playing by the biggest rock band on the planet seems like a crime. 4:53, he attempts something nice, but it comes out a slopfest. I wonder if he realizes how he's playing or if in his head he's playing like Vienna 73? 5:45 and on isn't too bad I suppose. He ends the song just fine. After the song Plant comments that Page hadn't slept much. Maybe he's noticed his playing as well. Let's just go ahead and assume Page indulged a bit before the show. "C".

IMTOD-  The guitar is really low in the mix on this. First solo- Not bad but the flow of it seems off, like the rhythm section is about to take off and leave him. Second solo- A little more fire on this one with a little better phrasing. A "B+" version, mainly because of Jones and Bonham.

SIBLY- This is one of those songs like The Rain Song where Page almost never screws up, no matter how off he is. Intro is beautiful. Solid playing through the first half. Solo- Not mind blowing, but a good solid solo played with accuracy. 6:18, Plant sounds really rough. Page's playing though the last half is present, but not making any kind of impact. I'm glad to hear this played in 75, but it's a mediocre version at best. Plant thinks it was great though. "B".

TSRTS-  Good energetic start. Slight flub at 0:53. First solo- He struggles a bit to get it going, but gets through okay. Second solo- Much more accurate and aggressive. Really not bad, a "B+" version.

The Rain Song- A flub at 4 seconds in, but I'll give him a break on that. The vibrato on the mellotron is way too heavy. Rock part- The phaser effect on Plant's vocals almost ruin this. Otherwise alright. The ending exposes a string out of tune. "B".

Kashmir- Bonham corrects his beat at 5:53. Plant sounds really tired toward the end. Not a bad version. "B+".

No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, an absolutely wonderful groove jam. I almost feel like Page comes in too soon and interrupts. 8:26, Bonzo has some fun and doubles the tempo for a measure (and will continue to do so throughout). Page solo- Good solid phrasing and surprisingly good fluidity. Bonzo's impatience really makes this stand out. 14:30, I don't know if Bonzo is trying to outshine Page or if he's just feeling great, but this is a rarity for 1975. 16:05, these three guys are killing it. 18:02, wrong chord Pagey. Outro solo- Page comes alive with some fire, smothered in wah pedal of course. 20:24, Jones misses the correct chord change. A very strong and unique version, but the small flubs make it a "B+".

Trampled Underfoot- 0:34, somebody screwed up. 1:40, listen to those pull offs! 3:00, some serious turkey gobbling. Solo- Articulation isn't great, but his phrasing is really good. 4:18-4:28, excellent flow. 5:13, sounds like a chase scene in a movie. I can't hear 5:40 well, but it sounds pretty awesome. 7:16, Page is feeling the groove as the right hand comes alive. His outro accents are great as well (7:53). A very good version apart from the few flubs. "A".

Moby Dick- Maybe it's this recording but Page's guitar sounds all out of whack. Bonham sounds tremendous and energetic. The sound quality really helps too. I'm only an amateur wannabe drummer, but this sounds like a tour de force. 19:00, Jesus. I imagine this bores the shit outta people who don't appreciate drumming, but I'm thoroughly impressed. Now let's hope Jimmy didn't chug a fifth of Jack backstage.

Dazed And Confused- Excellent guitar tone. First workout- 4:39, good run. Some articulation problems at 5:36. Bonzo and Jones are laying down a hell of a rhythm. Tape cut. San Fran, not a great start, guitar out of tune. Sounds excellent later on though. Fair bow solo. Workout- 19:40, starts a good run but loses it. 20:04, loses the flow. 20:17-20:22, not bad. 20:31, oh no. 20:50, jamming in the bedroom. 21:05 sounds like someone who's played guitar for a year took a Zep bootleg, cut out Page, and overdubbed their own playing onto it. 21:52, sticky fingers. 22:12 also. And 25:15. 26:12, slightly embarrassing. Mars- Not good. 30:32, Freebird licks. The wah pedal outro solo isn't too bad. "C".

Stairway To Heaven- A quick paced intro. The guitar drops way down in the mix and even this matrix sounds more dry soundboard-ish. Solo- Good flow at the start. Slight flub at 7:03. 7:28-7:42, I love these unusual low notes he's noodling with, and does an excellent run coming out of them. 8:00-8:25, really good articulation and phrasing through here. 8:58-9:06, yes sir. 9:25-9:29, a run reminiscent of 73 Page. 9:46, a very slight flub. 10:13, some articulation problems. Flub at 10:43. He barely catches the very last note at 10:47, maybe the most important one of the solo lol. If you could go back in time and slap the whiskey out of Page's hands for this show, this might have been the best Stairway solo ever. He was definitely feeling it here. The phrasing was perfect, but his ability was lacking a little. Even with flubs, a "B+" version.

Whole Lotta Love- Page sounds very loose now. Funk section- 2:25, Jones with the slap, Flea style. Page is doing some wicked stuff with the theremin here. Incoming Crunge. If you find the bridge, throw Page's whiskey stash off it. An "A" for a 75 version WLL.

Black Dog- Bonham loses beat at 0:46. Guitar at maximum twanginess. Plant belts a confident scream before the solo. Solo- A little hesitant at first. 3:52-4:17, well hot damn. 4:33-4:48, excellence, even with a dry soundboard tone. 4:58, struggling a little. 5:04-5:14, throwing in TSRTS style solo just for fun. Possibly the best Black Dog solo of 75? Shame the tone was so thin. "A". Maybe "A+" for 75 Page.

Heartbreaker- Awesome, unique intro. Slip up at 1:30. The solo- Page sounds a little unsure of what he wants to do. 5:28, slight flub. Mess O Blues, sounding good. The second part of the solo sounds a lot smoother, with some nifty finger work. 9:08 and on is pure comedy gold. 9:33-9:50, I'm dying. What a way to end. I'll give an "A" for uniqueness, performance wise- "C+".

Final assessment. Bonham was really impatient for this show which made for some great moments (and some bad ones). Page was up and down, one minute playing a lightning fast run and completely zoning out the next. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to his playing ability in 1975. Somehow he manages to sober up enough to impress in between drooling on the strings. Plant was rather mediocre, sounding very out of breath at the beginning and straining to hang on to notes. I'd still say 2/13 is the best of the NY run. But that's an opinion, not a nitpick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[paplbojo]

^One of the first bootlegs I ever listened to. Blasted it in my car on a long drive from VA to NY. I have had one or two handfuls of "jaw hits the ground" moments with Led Zeppelin. One of the very first was this STH solo...may very well be my favorite, certainly up there. He just keeps reaching for it. 

[Jimmy's Dragon Suit]

20 hours ago, Sue Dounim said:

I've gotta say that was the most negative review of 2/12 I've ever read that didnt just cite the condition of Plant's voice. Honestly while he may not be at his most technically proficient at that show I think Jimmy more than makes up for it with passion and energy.

I love the 2/12 MSG show and Page is on fire (along with Bonzo and Jonsey) but Gibson makes a good point of Jimmy falling off the rails right after Dazed. The quality of the soundboard recording also enhances the quality of the show even if Plant's voice isn't up to snuff.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 3/12/75 Long Beach Arena (Source 3 mix/Taking No Prisoners Tonight)

A very popular show that I've shamefully only skimmed through a few times. I'm switching between the two different sources mentioned above.

Rock And Roll- Bonham seems excited tonight. That's always a good sign. Solo- Absolutely perfect. Could've passed as the studio take. Plant seems warmed up already toward the end, but the audience source may blur reality. Badass drum finale. Gotta say "A+" for the opener, especially for 75.

Sick Again- Thunderous start. First solo- I've listened five times trying to find a flaw and can't. Fluidity supreme. Slight chord flub at 2:53. Sounds like Page jumps into the ending chords a little early. Outro solo- Very good fluidity. The phrasing is a little erratic, but this song doesn't have a very structured solo anyway. He's definitely feeling his oats so far tonight though. Even with the one flub I'd call it an "A" version.

OTHAFA- Glad to hear a speedy intro to this again, compared to the NY versions. Solo- Very good flow and phrasing.4:35, letting those fingers fly a little. Bonham is also solid as a rock. 4:57, nice lick. 5:11? What's he doing here? It almost sounds like an extremely fast sweep arpeggio, but I know better than that from Page. I suppose he's just holding the chords down and steadily strumming them. Phrasing out of this world. I would hold this solo to any OTHAFA solo from previous years. Maybe better than most of them. Considering how smooth Plant's voice is as well, this is a top tier version. "A+".

IMTOD- It's funny to think that by the time this song even takes off, most other songs have ended. The murky mix makes this one very hard to judge. First solo- 5:14, a vibrato so strong it sounds like Blind Willie Johnson. Beautiful and flawless. Solo 2- After the intensity of first one, this one doesn't hit quite as hard. Still solid playing though. 9:40, Page is actually rushing the tempo of this a bit. I think Bonham tries to bring it back down at 10:07. Excellent version, "A".

TSRTS- I won't count the mishap at 0:58 lol. Excellent pace. 4:28, very close to a Plant yodel. First solo- As good as it's ever been played, except for an almost unnoticeable wrong note on the ending string of pull offs at 5:11. 6:14, is Bonham using double bass here? Outro solo- Very good. Plant really has to strain for this song now. Easily an "A" version for 75.

The Rain Song- A slightly up-tempo version. Rock section- Plant hits a strong high note. The way Page plays the chords here reminds me of the 72 versions. No real flubs. "A".

Kashmir- The only negative is 8:20, he's trying to do too much instead just laying down some cool arabic licks. "B+".

No Quarter- Unique, haunting intro. Nitpicking Jones, beautiful grand piano groove. Page- 13:17, this fluidity is easily on par with 2/8. 15:06, a missed note, but calling this out seems ludicrous. 16:09, what an awesome little groove, 16:17, Page switches over to the bridge pickup, which is almost too trebly. 16:38-16:44, not perfect, but damn what a nice run.17:45, Bonham matching the intensity. Outro solo- "Give it to me". Page gonna give it to ya. 22:18-22:47, wow. One of the best versions ever, period. "A+".

Trampled Underfoot- Solo- Page is obviously playing with fluidity, but I don't think his phrasing matches the groove of the song. Nevertheless, a "B+" version.

Moby Dick- Sound quality takes a dive on this, but still sounds pretty good. This one gets a little repetitve, in my opinion.

Dazed And Confused- Plant is sounding great, almost like a good night in 72. First workout- not bad. Takes forever to get the San Fran section going. Apparently there's some technical issue. 8:33, excellent wah pedal riffing. It's starting to drag a little. Bow section- OK, but it obviously has less impact on an audience source. The crowd chatter tends to interfere with the atmosphere. Workout 2- 19:46, there's some straining. His fluidity picks up for some nice runs. 20:56 is blurred by the recording, but I bet that would be severe turkey gobbling on a SB. 25:00 in and he starts to lose his way a little. 25:13-25:23, very nice run. Mars section- Those drum triplets leading in was awesome, but Page hits the chords on the upbeat which sounds a little off. 26:49, he's not playing badly, but it sounds like he's just throwing in whatever he can think of. The buildup to the climax doesn't flow so well. Despite Page's fluidity, this version seemed too loose and unstructured with no hard hitting moments. "B".

Stairway To Heaven- Does Jones flub a little at 6:00? Almost unnoticeable. Solo- Sounds like a tape cut at 7:14, anyone know how much is missing? 8:04-8:10, very nice fluidity. Very smooth sailing with good phrasing. 9:52, Page tries to change it up some but flubs a few times. Very solid finish. Sounds like an excellent version but is hard to judge with the tape cut. 

Whole Lotta Love- Page gets a little off track at 1:43. The Crunge- Almost a total screw up. I guess the rhythm was even too complicated for them. Page seems eager to get out of it at 4:02 and starts doing some very funky improvised riffs. Is that the Ozone Baby riff at 4:50? A seemingly short theremin solo. "B".

Black Dog- Good pace and energy. 0:54-1:00, Page showing some fire. Solo- His fingers are flying but the phrasing is a little too sporadic. Feels like he's in a hurry to go nowhere. Struggles with the bends a bit at 4:25. Reminds me a little of the soundtrack version, not bad but not great. "B+".

Heartbreaker- Page's guitar tone starts out great but gets noticeably duller by the 1:00 mark. I suppose Millard was moving around a bit at the show. Some fine runs leading up to the solo. Solo- Very solid and reminiscent of the 71/72 versions. 4:30, for once the boogie section doesn't feel so forced and contrived. 5:06- 5:27, solo phrasing at it's finest. Page is feeling like his younger self. 6:10, very nice. 9:00-9:05, listen to that speed. Again at 9:21. One of the best versions I've heard in a while with Page's playing as smooth as butter. "A+".

Final assessment- The Jekyll and Hyde of Page on this tour is unbelievable. How he can turn around and lay something this fluid down after so many lethargic shows is mind-blowing. This show makes me wonder why anyone considers 3/21 to be so good. From a guitar standpoint, there's no comparison, this and 2/8 are way up there for 1975. Although I did think Page was a little A.D.D. at times, starting very quick, sporadic runs that didn't seem to go anywhere. And I noticed Bonham calms down after the first few numbers, unfortunately. A tremendous show nonetheless and restores some of my faith for Page in 1975.

[ZepHead315]

Glad to hear how much you enjoyed 3/12! I've always loved that show, but lately it's become probably my favorite show from 1975. Unlike most '75 shows, it starts off with tons of energy. The opening 3-4 songs are so powerful, and tell you right away that this is going to be one hell of a performance. I'm curious about you saying you switched between the 3 Source mix and Taking No Prisoners Tonight. The 3 source mix I have doesn't contain a cut in Stairway. Did you go for the David E version?

With regard to Seattle 3/21, I think the reason I and so many others go for that show is because it's got everything. It's an epic marathon performance that contains just about all the songs they performed on the 75 US tour (minus the January stuff), and they're all done well (at least imho). Sure, on a song-by-song basis, it may not have the best versions from that tour, but it's good enough to where if someone were to ask for just one show from '75, I'd probably give them Seattle. Plus, with the release of the soundboard and the matrix, it's all in excellent sound quality. As great as 3/12 is, until recently, much of it was only available in a very distorted and noisy audience recording, making it difficult to get into unless you had "bootleg ears". Hopefully, a soundboard for this show will come out soon. Apart from the January and Earls Court shows, it's the only remaining one from '75 that I'd care about in all honesty.

I also agree with others here. I'd love to see you nitpick shows from other years. I'd especially like to hear your thoughts on 3/24/73 Offenburg, and 7/24/79 Copenhagen.

[gibsonfan159]

25 minutes ago, ZepHead315 said:

. I'm curious about you saying you switched between the 3 Source mix and Taking No Prisoners Tonight. The 3 source mix I have doesn't contain a cut in Stairway. Did you go for the David E version?

I could only find the first disc of source 3. If you can send me a link for stairway that would be appreciated, and I could put a final stamp on it. 

I'm gonna stick to 75 for a while considering I'm in that mindset and can judge fairly. I still wanna do the Forum shows, Vancouver shows, and the other Seattle.

[chef free]

43 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I could only find the first disc of source 3. If you can send me a link for stairway that would be appreciated, and I could put a final stamp on it. 

I'm gonna stick to 75 for a while considering I'm in that mindset and can judge fairly. I still wanna do the Forum shows, Vancouver shows, and the other Seattle.

This is really a lot of FUN gibsonfan159!  Thank you!

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 3/24/1975 L.A. Forum (Deep Throat Disc 1)

The Forum has always been a hot spot for magical Zep performances, but I'll admit that every time I've listened to these shows before I was not impressed. I always thought the third show was the best but still mediocre. But on the other hand, doing these nitpicks has allowed me to notice things in detail that I hadn't heard before. There's a Winston remaster of these shows, but the tracks are cut in an odd fashion and don't sound a whole lot better. The version I'm using has the guitar on a soundboard quality, with the other members in the background. It also sounds like he's playing through a $50 practice amp. I'm not sure how this was achieved.

Rock And Roll- Guitar sounds slightly out of tune. Solo- Played very aggressively and pretty well flawless. I just wish he'd dialed up the overdrive a bit to thicken the tone. 3:10, some sloppy chording, which brings it down to a "B".

Sick Again- The guitar again sounds off. Solo- Not bad at all. Good phrasing and flow. Outro solo- The phrasing isn't great here, but he's playing with authority. He flubs the last chord. "B".

OTHAFA- Again, the guitar is out of tune. I'm surprised he hasn't swapped this thing out yet. Good intro with a monstrous build up to the first verse. Solo- Sounds a little awkward in the beginning. Gets a good flow going by 3:30. 3:42, excellent run. 4:12, some turkey gobble. 4:20-4:32, fingers stuck in strings. Nice ending, but still only a "B" version.

IMTOD- The midrange heavy guitar tone on this sounds much better than the Winston version. Very swampy. First solo- Gets off to a great start. Phrasing issues at 4:47. Finishes up nicely. Second solo- Ok, but doesn't really get a good flow going. The energy from Plant and Bonham knock this up to a "B+".

TSRTS- Good energy. Solo- A little sloppy, not bad. 2:49-3:00, Ok, it's kinda bad. Outro solo- Not very articulate. A "B" version despite the energy.

The Rain Song- A very beautiful, delicate version with the mellotron low in the mix (Thank God). Rock section- Hard hitting with Plant singing with passion. A solid "A" version.

Kashmir- 2:12, guitar sounds out of tune. The arabic phrases sound great. 6:16, out of tune.6:43, cool riffing. Outro solo doesn't flow well. 7:53 lol. Page played with some frustration through this. "C+".

No Quarter- Page's wah pedal is shaving off the treble too much. Nitpicking Jones- 8:04-8:28, I need a handkerchief. Was that improvised or did he steal it? Jones is from another planet. Page- Good intro riffing. 13:05, Page will practice guitar sometimes while playing live. If he doesn't get something right the first try, he'll play it a few more times. 14:16 just doesn't flow well. 14:24, good run. He's picking it up a little now. 14:52-15:10, very nice. 16:42, on the verge of cringe. The nasally wah pedal kicks in and he stays within his comfort zone. 19:17, careful. 20:15, recycling any trick he knows. He just doesn't seem to know where to go. Thankfully Jones comes back in. 22:49-23:06, some serious problems going on. 23:31-24:12, out of nowhere a hell of a run. Very problematic playing from Page overall. And the guitar still sounds out of tune. Did he not bring his back ups? A "C+" version, though I'll give Jones an "A".

Trampled Underfoot- 0:53 and 1:14, at least he's throwing in some cool ad libs. The guitar is way up in the mix on the version I'm listening to, which exposes his background rhythm playing during Jones' solo. It's pretty atrocious. I don't know if those are chords or if he threw the guitar down some steps. 2:51, he finally manages to get a sensible rhythm going. Page solo- Turkey gobbling galore. He's certainly playing with some fire though lol. 4:12, elbow deep in the strings. 5:15, he settles down a little. Not a good solo. "C+" is being generous.

Moby Dick- This seems to go anywhere from mundane to very dynamic.

Dazed And Confused- Page finally tries to tune up at 2:11. 4:03, tries tuning again. First workout- Page seems afraid to cut loose, then finally does a little at 5:18. 5:52, out of tune. San Fran/Woodstock section sounds ok once it gets going. Flub at 8:46. Better get "Back to the guitar shop". 9:11, tuning. Bow solo- At least you can't tell the guitar is out of tune. Second workout- Slop out of the gate. 19:30-20:00, not bad. It actually gets going ok in the later half. Mars- Not bad. 25:52, some struggling. Good build up to the climax. 27:51, ouch. Outro solo is decent. 32:42, I wish Page had never discovered that shitty lick. A more balanced mix on this might hide a lot of the flubs, but it's still a "C" version. I half expected Plant to say "Jimmy Page, mellotron!" lol.

Stairway To Heaven- The trusty double-neck is tuned up. Plant sounds great. Solo- Gets out of the gate very good. 7:03-7:12, very nice. A little slop at 7:23. 7:55, loses the flow a little. 8:40, I think Jones flubs. 8:55, flub. 9:36, flub. Doesn't even attempt the final triplet riff, finishes at a lower octave. 10:47, flub. I really had high hopes for the solo for a second, but he just couldn't put it together. "C+" considering Jones flubs.

Whole Lotta Love- A hint at The Rover at the start. Damn you Page. Ok beginning. The Crunge- 2:05, careful. Page is playing this with all downstrokes, which doesn't make sense. To keep the rhythm going for the odd time, you need to throw in those upstrokes as well. Licking stick- Sounds like Trampled Underfoot again. The theremin seems to be in tune. 7:24, Jones coming alive. 8:09, there's the upstrokes. Sounding good. I don't know what 8:46 is, but I love it. Not too bad, "B+".

Black Dog- 1:16, fingers getting sticky. 2:11, Page gets tangled up. Solo- It starts but Page isn't there lol. Finally comes in ok. Some speedy playing, but the phrasing is ungodly. The final series of runs are pretty good. "B".

Heartbreaker- 2:08-2:14, pretty good run. Solo- Not bad at all. Some decent noodling. Sort of flubs the chords at 6:01. Turkey gobbling at 7:06. "B+" is being generous.

Final assessment- All I can say is "Where's that confounded guitar tech?" Not a great showing from Page.

[Bonzo_fan]

I had never listened to 3/12 carefully all the way through until recently either (because of the sound quality pre-third source appearing), and was likewise thoroughly impressed.

Not surprised that 3/24 didn't fair too well under your microscope--I've never been able to enjoy it much. 

P.S.  Curious why you skipped ahead to 3/24 instead of sticking with your chronological run after your initial 3/21 review...

Edited April 17, 2018 by Bonzo_fan

[gibsonfan159]

1 hour ago, Bonzo_fan said:

. 

P.S.  Curious why you skipped ahead to 3/24 instead of sticking with your chronological run after your initial 3/21 review...

I think I got the best of the February shows that were listenable, except for Baton Rouge, and we know how that turns out. I jumped to 3/12 because a couple people had requested it. I'd like to get the Texas shows too.

[ZepHead315]

1 hour ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I think I got the best of the February shows that were listenable, except for Baton Rouge, and we know how that turns out. I jumped to 3/12 because a couple people had requested it. I'd like to get the Texas shows too.

Are you also going to be doing the Earls Court shows (once you get through the US ones of course)? 

[Bonzo_fan]

2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I think I got the best of the February shows that were listenable, except for Baton Rouge, and we know how that turns out. I jumped to 3/12 because a couple people had requested it. I'd like to get the Texas shows too.

Oh ok, yeah getting the Texas ones would be great!  I mostly meant skipping over the first Seattle and the two in Vancouver.

[gibsonfan159]

1 hour ago, ZepHead315 said:

Are you also going to be doing the Earls Court shows (once you get through the US ones of course)? 

I've definitely neglected the first three EC shows, so I'd like to get them just for my own benefit.

[gibsonfan159]

27 minutes ago, Bonzo_fan said:

Oh ok, yeah getting the Texas ones would be great!  I mostly meant skipping over the first Seattle and the two in Vancouver.

Definitely gonna get those.

[rm2551]

If you do EC, I have a suggestion....

As an exercise, listen with no video, write the review, then take a break, and listen and watch again with the footage (where the show has good footage). I'm always interested in how there is a difference with audio vs audio+video. I am not sure why, but it seems (to me) one vs the other can result in very different experiences. I'd be interested to know if that in any way translates into what you are doing (probably not so much on the technical level you are providing, but who knows! Worth doing I think).

Cheers!

Edited April 18, 2018 by rm2551

[Crimson Avenger]

10 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I think I got the best of the February shows that were listenable

2.16 is a very good show too, after maybe a sluggish start. It often seems to get overlooked for some reason.