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

[ZepHead315]

25 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 5/24/1975 (The Earl's Court Tapes Vol IV)

I'm using a remaster of the Watch Tower boot Zephead315 sent me (which sounds great). It has the same time stamps as the EC Tapes boot. 

Rock And Roll- Plant sounding pretty rough. Good energy though. Solo- I think "raunchy" is a good way to describe Page's lead playing that is sloppy in a good way. A little rough on the ending, but still a fairly good solo. "B+".

Sick Again- Good energetic vibe and Plant has warmed up quickly. First solo- Struggling pretty badly. 2:58, Jimmy's barely hanging on here. Outro solo- 4:25 starts a good, articulate run, which is immediately followed by some struggles. 4:55 goes off the track a little. Page brings this down to a "B".

OTHAFA- Cholera, sleeping sickness, Plant always has to cover for Jimmy lol. Perfect intro. 1:32, funny Plant yodel. 1:53, easy Robert. Solo- Phrasing is a little off at the start then finally tightens up some. 4:08, decent run. 4:55, turkey gobbling supreme. Not too bad, but probably the worst solo of the run so far. I really hate how Page always ends the song with that awkward finger slide."B".

IMTOD- Smokin' intro. 3:45, Page disappears. Reappears at 4:11. First solo- Excellent phrasing on this one with smooth transitions. Second solo- A little more basic, but not bad. Jimmy's rhythm work wasn't perfect, but still a great version. "A".

TSRTS- Good, speedy intro. The way it should be. First solo- Starts off good but loses some articulation on the fingerpicked part. A little smoother with a great finish on the pull offs. "B+".

The Rain Song- Everything sounding great on this, with the mello sitting just right in the mix. Rock section- "Now listen!" Very good emotion from Plant. Superb version, "A+".

Kashmir- Great first half. 6:30, flub. Good exit. "A".

No Quarter- 2:20, "The snow fulls hawrd". Nitpicking Jones- A little slow moving, but hauntingly beautiful. Solo- Page gets a good groove going. He's not doing anything mindblowing, but he's playing very solid all the way through. A good jam section from the three. 19:39, Page does an excellent descending run here that is drowned out by Rob's ad libs. An extremely rock solid version, though I wouldn't pit it against 5/18. "A".

Tangerine- Finally some bass coming through. Solo- Nailed it. The best so far. Perfect ending. "A+".

GTC- Audio switches to audience recording. 1:54, Plant tests his limit. Sounds like a 71 version. Very nice. "A".

That's The Way- Mandolin comes through nicely and Plant is lively, telling a story with the lyrics. Excellent mando on the outro with Plant nailing the last note. Plus a jab at Neil Young. "A+".

Bronyaur Stomp- Guitar is low in the mix. "There's no companion for a blue-eyed merle". Deducting points for lyrical flub. Good version overall. "A".

Trampled Underfoot- 2:58, Plant squeak. Solo- Jones is inaudible. Page comes in with some fiery riffs. He's keeping a good flow and not forcing anything. Plant throws in some nice Gallows Pole phrases. Very nice, "A".

Moby Dick- Not quite as dynamic as some others.

Dazed And Confused- First workout- Page doesn't get a great flow going and it sounds a little forced. Woodstock- Some good noodling before going into the main motif. 10:25, these wah riffs sound a little too erratic. Bow section- A little boring. Second workout- Phrasing is pretty straightforward. 20:44, not great articulation. 22:53, unique riff. 26:06, Page has used that descending run at least fifteen times now. Mars- Doesn't have much impact. 26:53, flub.  27:49, Page builds up to the climax then misses it. Page's finale noodling is decent. Not a terrible version, but arguably subpar. Plant sounds lazy and Bonham is half asleep. "B".

Stairway To Heaven- Good first half. Solo- Page starts out more subtly on this one instead of overdoing it. 8:27, nice run. 8:53, hiccup. A few hesitant licks, but a very good solo. 10:20, Plant yodel. A fairly good version, "B+".

WLL- Good energy. Page throws in some good funk riffs. Theremin- Plant comes alive with a good vocal duel as Jones shreds his bass. "Love Light" at the end. I suppose this is "A+" for an experimental track.

Black Dog- The tempo seems to be dragging some, which doesn't sound good for an encore. Solo- Pretty rough articulation though Page is playing with some fire and the phrasing is good. Unique ending with Bonzo being dramatic. "A".

Final assessment- Page's technicality has slowly declined as these shows have went on, but he's still better than most of 75. A perfect Rain Song, Solid Kashmir, haunting No Quarter, lively acoustic section, solid Trampled Underfoot, and textbook Stairway are the highlights. Not a bad show at all. Throw that Dazed out the window though.

Glad to hear you enjoyed my remaster! I tried to make the music sound more lively and have Page's guitar have more "aggressiveness" to it and I think I did a pretty good job...if I do say so myself! 

I mostly agree with your analysis above. Always thought this was the weakest Earls Court show by a fair margin and never understood those who consider it to be the best of the run (or one of the best of '75 for that matter). I'm particularly in agreement with you on No Quarter. Solid, but nothing on that version really blows me away. The 18th version smokes it.

The only real surprise to me was how you didn't like Dazed. This is actually one of the few versions from '75 that, imho at least, doesn't drag at any point. It's pretty tight and focused for the time period. Then again, I may be biased because it was actually the first live version of Dazed I ever saw or heard, even before TSRTS. I caught the footage on Youtube, which was split into four parts, and I was quite mesmerized by it. Page's bow solo was pretty eerie and spooky but in the best way. I don't know, maybe I just have nostalgia for it. You never forget your first love!

What do you plan on doing after the last Earls Court show?

[gibsonfan159]

9 minutes ago, ZepHead315 said:

The only real surprise to me was how you didn't like Dazed. This is actually one of the few versions from '75 that, imho at least, doesn't drag at any point. It's pretty tight and focused for the time period. Then again, I may be biased because it was actually the first live version of Dazed I ever saw or heard, even before TSRTS. I caught the footage on Youtube, which was split into four parts, and I was quite mesmerized by it. Page's bow solo was pretty eerie and spooky but in the best way. I don't know, maybe I just have nostalgia for it. You never forget your first love!

What do you plan on doing after the last Earls Court show?

That Dazed, to me at least, sounded like they were really tired of doing it. Add the fact that Page really wasn't "on" for this one like he was some others, his second solo lacked energy. He was much more fluid on the first two. I guess that's opinion though.

I really wanna do 7/17/77 to see if it's as bad as I remember. I downloaded the SB/Audience matrix.

[ZepHead315]

6 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

That Dazed, to me at least, sounded like they were really tired of doing it. Add the fact that Page really wasn't "on" for this one like he was some others, his second solo lacked energy. He was much more fluid on the first two. I guess that's opinion though.

I really wanna do 7/17/77 to see if it's as bad as I remember. I downloaded the SB/Audience matrix.

Is that the Slumpymatrix? If so, I'd actually say you'd be better off without it. They did a very sloppy job, and the two sources go out of sync quite a bit. If you're sticking to the soundboard (technically it's a video soundtrack, but it sounds just like a 77 soundboard), I'd recommend Godfather's "Conquering Kingdome". Personally, I prefer the audience recording. It's good enough to hear the instruments clearly, and it preserves the atmosphere and elation of the crowd. I have the JEMS transfer of the "Bill B" source and it sounds pretty good, on the level of the 4/28 Cleveland show. You should be able to find either one on Guitars101. If you can't find them, just PM me.

[Bonzo_fan]

3 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

Glad to hear you enjoyed my remaster! I tried to make the music sound more lively and have Page's guitar have more "aggressiveness" to it and I think I did a pretty good job...if I do say so myself! 

I mostly agree with your analysis above. Always thought this was the weakest Earls Court show by a fair margin and never understood those who consider it to be the best of the run (or one of the best of '75 for that matter). I'm particularly in agreement with you on No Quarter. Solid, but nothing on that version really blows me away. The 18th version smokes it.

The only real surprise to me was how you didn't like Dazed. This is actually one of the few versions from '75 that, imho at least, doesn't drag at any point. It's pretty tight and focused for the time period. Then again, I may be biased because it was actually the first live version of Dazed I ever saw or heard, even before TSRTS. I caught the footage on Youtube, which was split into four parts, and I was quite mesmerized by it. Page's bow solo was pretty eerie and spooky but in the best way. I don't know, maybe I just have nostalgia for it. You never forget your first love!

What do you plan on doing after the last Earls Court show?

I, too, am surprised at his take on Dazed, as it's always been one of my favourite versions.  But, like you, it was my first exposure to live Dazed (and live Zepp, for that matter!), via that four-part YouTube video...God bless the guy who uploaded that--started me down the ol' rabbit's hole!

To me, Bonham certainly sounds half-asleep during the first half of the show, but I never would've said that about Dazed.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Bonzo_fan

[gibsonfan159]

After I do the last one I'll go through and make a "best of" in which I usually listen to each track again and compare them. That way I'll know if I was mistaken in my judgement or not. Sometimes if I'm not feeling it that day I tend to miss the general presence of a song. But strangely, I really liked the TUF on that one, a song I usually never have a good feel for.

[paplbojo]

Interesting review.

 

^TUF from the 24 is my all time favorite performance of it. 

Edited May 26, 2018 by paplbojo

[rm2551]

Gibsonfan159, how about at the end of a tour review you to publish your "best of" compilation? Also a "B - best of" comprising your No.2 picks.

[gibsonfan159]

14 minutes ago, rm2551 said:

Gibsonfan159, how about at the end of a tour review you to publish your "best of" compilation? Also a "B - best of" comprising your No.2 picks.

Hey now, I'm doing these nitpicks so you can pick your own lol. But honestly, Zephead315 is the go-to for anything live. If you visit the Reddit Zep page /r/ledzeppelin/ he's already done a bunch of "Best of" lists.

[ZepHead315]

1 hour ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Hey now, I'm doing these nitpicks so you can pick your own lol. But honestly, Zephead315 is the go-to for anything live. If you visit the Reddit Zep page /r/ledzeppelin/ he's already done a bunch of "Best of" lists.

Lol I wouldn't go that far. For one, sometimes it's been a while since I listened to the shows when I do those compilations. For example, I recently put together a "best of Earls Court" compilation, and I had completely forgotten about Page disappearing at the end of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp on the 18th, or the somewhat sloppy Kashmir on the 18th. I'm going based off of memory and sometimes my memory of a show as a whole makes me biased and put in more songs from that performance than they deserve. I certainly haven't gone through them in as much detail as you have! 

[rm2551]

3 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Hey now, I'm doing these nitpicks so you can pick your own lol. But honestly, Zephead315 is the go-to for anything live. If you visit the Reddit Zep page /r/ledzeppelin/ he's already done a bunch of "Best of" lists.

fair enough, and your reviews are a great read.

Cheers.

[Adam Ryan watson]

On 5/22/2018 at 6:39 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 5/17/1975 (The Earl's Court Tapes Vol. 1)

Bootleg ears required. Distant and echo heavy. I'm gonna blow through this one rather quickly considering the bad audio makes it hard to nitpick.

Rock And Roll- 1:27, Page disappears and Plant sounds terrible. Solo- Page's guitar is cutting in and out. Solo sounds good though, if you can hear it. "B".

Sick Again- Decent start. Solo- Page lays down a decent solo. Outro solo- Really not bad. Page plays with some ferocity on this outro and seems to be pretty coherent. "A".

OTHAFA- Solid intro with Plant sounding a little better. Solo- Hard to make out details, but sounds alright with decent phrasing and he really comes alive toward the end. Pretty solid version, "A".

IMTOD- Good beginning. First solo- Murky, but sounds alright. Second solo- He's doing some unusual stuff here, like he's just slowly sliding up and down the neck. "B+".

TSRTS- Good energy on the intro. First solo- Articulation doesn't sound great. Outro solo- A little smoother. Not bad, "B+".

The Rain Song- Plant doesn't sound so hot here, but the other three sound fantastic. The rock section comes in a little soft. "B+".

Kashmir- The recording is clearer now. 0:48, Plant squeak. Powerful outro, though Plant is straining a little. 8:45, "That's what I've been waiting for". "B+".

No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones, Not bad, but his solo drags a bit. He gets a nice melody going right before Bonham comes in. Page comes in with some smooth runs. He isn't perfect, but he's playing with gusto and knocking the phrasing out of the park. Parts sound very Pink Floyd-ish. 15:00-15:07, Bonham hammers down some cool fills. A nice wind down before returning to the verses. 21:17-21:37, Page does some wicked stuff on this outro. Seriously badass playing here. I think it's fair to say, especially for 75, that this is an "A+" performance. Page was unreal for the most part.

Tangerine- Guitar is noticeably out of tune. The chorus comes in and the harmony sounds really off. Solo- Page gets a solid slide routine down and the harmony on the chorus sounds much better this time. 2:25, Plant almost sounds like his old self for a second. Outro- ending is a little wonky. Not bad, "B+".

GTC- Page's bottom string (E tuned to D) sounds a little flat. Plant sings unenthusiastically. "B".

That's The Way- A very good version with Plant sounding great for the most part. "A".

Bronyaur Stomp- Audio gets more distant. Good breakdown section from Page. A rollicking version with Plant belting out good vocals. "A".

Trampled Underfoot- Good energy. Solo- Page comes alive with some frantic playing. Excellent bends and articulation sounds good. Strong performance, "A+".

Moby Dick- Bonham gets off to a thundering start. 8:30, he actually sounds like a drag car getting ready to take off here. A good, dynamic version that's exciting for non-drummers as well. "A".

Dazed And Confused- The first workout section has some good playing but goes by fast. Woodstock- Strong, confident intro. It wouldn't be an understatement to say Page is on a 73 level here. He's playing smoothly with good phrasing. Mars- Page disappears after the second measure, but comes back in soon without really affecting it. His playing here is really impressive. This version is no joke and if you close your eyes, you'll swear it's Europe 1973. "A+".

Stairway To Heaven- Some weird notes at 1:29. Flub at 2:55. Solo- 7:15 and beyond is great. I hear no flubs or dead spots, but it seems a little too straight forward though it has a great finish. A soundboard might really bring it alive. The earlier flubs make it a "B+".

WLL- The funk and theremin sections aren't bad, but they go by pretty unnoticeable. "B+".

Black Dog- Lots of energy. Solo- Page starts out nice but starts to lose his way a bit as it goes on. Still a very solid version. "A".

Final assessment- I had only skimmed through this one before (because of the audio quality) but I'm pleasantly surprised. Even though the crowd is extremely unenthusiastic, the band still puts down a solid performance with Page playing great for the most part. No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot, and Dazed are the highlights.

 The part about page sounding pink Floyd like during no quarter is interesting because coinsidenrly I believe he played his blue strat on no quarter  on the 17th and 18th. Perhaps playing the strat caused him to  change his approach slightly. I do find those versions of no quarter to be unique from other versions.

[Adam Ryan watson]

On 5/23/2018 at 2:17 AM, Bonzo_fan said:

I always thought this was strange as well...

Especially when you consider they were paying guys to to be their guitars for them. But you would think page would give the guitar a strum to make sure it was in tune and then tune it if needed especially if it was just one string. I noticed there is far less onstage tuning on zeppelin boots compared to other bands.

[Adam Ryan watson]

On 5/23/2018 at 8:12 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 5/18/1975 (The Earl's Court Tapes Vol. 1)

Not a great recording, but definitely a step up from the previous night.

Rock And Roll- Pretty good start, though Plant sounds rough. Solo- Very solid with Bonham throwing in a unique drum fill. "B+".

Sick Again- Good energy. First solo- fluid perfection. No complaints. Outro solo- Good start; but those bends at 4:45 sound very strained. Pretty good, "A".

OTHAFA- Decent intro, but Plant sounds very shaky going into the chorus. Solo- 3:31-3:39, exceptional run reminiscent of 73. Again at 4:00-4:20. Page is ripping this apart. Flub at 5:32. Not bad, but Plant really brings this down a notch. "B+". 

IMTOD- Good intro. First solo- Page takes off with some good slide phrasing. Second solo- A little repetitive in spots, but not bad. Plant doesn't sound good on the cheeses part. Bonham does some amazing fills after the 9:00 mark. Pretty solid version despite Plant being subpar. "B+".

TSRTS- Bonham comes in with a lot of energy for the intro. First solo- Page has a little trouble starting, but then sounds great with good articulation. Outro solo- The guitar drops out almost entirely for a few seconds, but sounds like he was playing good. If Plant's vocals weren't so crackly all the way through it would be a great version. "A" for 75.

The Rain Song- Good start. Mellotron is a little flat compared to the guitar tuning. The rock section comes in like it's supposed to- blowing the doors off the place and Bonham knocking down the walls. Too bad Plant isn't sounding great. Good version, "A".

Kashmir- Plant is having a really hard time staying in key. A heavy, stomping rhythm throughout. Page's lead work on the outro is sloppy. "B".

No Quarter- Amazingly clear intro. You can hear the "swishing" from the chorus effect. Nitpicking Jones- 6:27-7:16, some of the most elegant, perfectly structured piano phrasing I've heard from Jones. Then Bonzo comes in for an excellent, dreamy jam section. I think Page even holds off a little longer than usual to let it flow. Solo- Page is playing very relaxed which works well for this. Good, smooth runs. 14:39-15:04, perfect phrasing and articulation. 15:42-16:25, Stevie Ray Vaughn level of bends and phrasing here, sans the beefy guitar tone. That bend at 16:16 gets me rigid. He merges the ending theme with some creepy chorded arppegios. Perfection. It seems wrong to bring the verses back after that. Decent outro solo, though the intensity is lacking after the previous solo. Page may not have had the frenetic energy he did in 72/73, but his fingers and brain are just as nimble. "A++" considering Jones really nailed it too.

Tangerine- Guitar is in tune (albeit twangy) and the harmony sounds better this time. Solo- Very loud and shrill, not great phrasing. Plant sounding much better. No bottom end makes this song sound slightly thin live. "B+".

GTC- This performance has a much better flow than the previous night's. Plant strains a little on the bridge. 4:14, that mandolin. "A".

That's The Way- Not gonna lie, this song bores me to death. Good mandolin playing throughout and Plant sounding good. "A".

Bronyaur Stomp- Solid version. Page's breakdown gets a little mundane and he disappears from the recording almost entirely at 4:52. "B+".

Trampled Underfoot- Recording gets a little murkier. Solo- Page gets some decent licks in, but the phrasing could have been a lot better. He kind of gets lost at the end. "B+".

Moby Dick- This one failed to hold my attention. It's alright I suppose.

Dazed And Confused- Powerful, menacing first part. First workout- Page goes wild at first and then tapers down. Woodstock- Takes a while to get going, but sounds pretty good. Plant always sings the verses like he's making them up on the spot. Bow section takes a while to get going. Not bad, not great. Second workout- Page's phrasing is alright, but his runs are just a tad sticky, like at 22:15. This one just isn't flowing as well as the previous night, though it's certainly not bad. Mars- Very basic. Climax sounds good with Bonham raisning the energy level. Page gets some nice fluid runs in at the very end. This is a very solid version with everyone sounding good, it's just very straightforward. "A".

Stairway To Heaven- Superb sound at first but gets a little muddy as it goes on. Excellent verses. Solo- Good energetic start with Page in shred mode. 7:20, speedy right hand. A very lively solo that's almost too energetic, but I'm not complaining. Plant is a little scratchy on the final verse. "A".

WLL- Very thin sound. Funk/theremin section is again nothing special.

Black Dog-  1:42, my ear drums are crying. Solo- Starts off good, but he loses it some at the end with some bad articulation. Good flurry of notes from Page on the finale. "B+".

Final assessment- Another good showing by Page, though I don't know if this show outweighs the previous night. Both are pretty good showings for 75. No Quarter is a must listen. Great Going To California and a very solid Dazed.

Again I find it interesting you mention hearing Stevie Ray Vaughn like playing on no quarter as just like David gilmour he plays a stat and page is again using a strat on this song. So it seems the strat is inspiring page to experiment and change up his approach . As much as I love les pauls the may 17th and 18th no quarters make me wish he played a strat more in 75  and onwards.

[IpMan]

5 hours ago, Adam Ryan watson said:

Again I find it interesting you mention hearing Stevie Ray Vaughn like playing on no quarter as just like David gilmour he plays a stat and page is again using a strat on this song. So it seems the strat is inspiring page to experiment and change up his approach . As much as I love les pauls the may 17th and 18th no quarters make me wish he played a strat more in 75  and onwards.

He used the Strat on the 18th & 23rd, I did not know he used it on the 17th as well.

[Bonzo_fan]

8 hours ago, Adam Ryan watson said:

Especially when you consider they were paying guys to to be their guitars for them. But you would think page would give the guitar a strum to make sure it was in tune and then tune it if needed especially if it was just one string. I noticed there is far less onstage tuning on zeppelin boots compared to other bands.

Now that you mention it, this is quite true.  The Dead had a decent amount of it, but they were pretty efficient at it.  The Doors had an almost unbearable amount of it--many of their live albums have several tracks entitled "Tuning/Breather #1, 2, 3, etc."

[gibsonfan159]

9 hours ago, Adam Ryan watson said:

Especially when you consider they were paying guys to to be their guitars for them. But you would think page would give the guitar a strum to make sure it was in tune and then tune it if needed especially if it was just one string. I noticed there is far less onstage tuning on zeppelin boots compared to other bands.

Jimmy always seemed to tune up after he just played a song out of tune. Maybe he couldn't hear his tuning through the monitors? How did his tech keep his job? So many questions considering they were the biggest band IN THE WORLD.

[bluecongo]

Re: Tuning

Back in the day, shit just didn’t stay in tune.  The technology of the time just wasn’t as good.  Add the fact Jimmy used ultra light strings, and the fact that Les Pauls are notorious for not staying in tune, well there’s your recipe.

i mean, don’t even get me started on poor Jimmys Strat in 79-80, but again, these were the days before locking nut tuners, etc etc 

its of its time

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 5/25/1975 (Keep Taking The Pills, *When We Were Kings)

I've personally always thought this was an awesome show. Let's see how it holds up under a microscope. Btw, the "Keep Taking The Pills" boot is fantastic, but incomplete. I used the other to fill in the blanks.

Rock And Roll- Robert a little scratchy, guitar a little twangy. Solo- Fine job. Good version, "A".

Sick Again- Plant sounding much better now. Solo- Maybe not the most fluid, but he gets some solid phrasing in there. Outro solo- 4:06 starts a good run but gets a little sloppy at the end. Not too bad. Solid "A". (Translating Robert- 5:25, "Quel dommage" means "What a pity".)

OTHAFA- Excellent intro. Solo- Starts off with some nice pedal-steel bends. 2:57 is a nice run that ends on some menacing low notes. 3:47, perfect articulation. 4:17, not so good, but a nice run anyway. 4:40-4:54, love this aggression. Maybe the best solo for this at EC? Good ending except for that wonky slide. And no squeaks from Plant? Amazing. "A+". (Translating Robert- 7:20, "Brahmaputra" is a river in India, unless he says something else?)

IMTOD- Good swampy tone. 4:11, minor flub. First solo- Good phrasing, very solid slide routine. 5:43, minor flub. Second solo- Maybe the clarity is influencing me, but this is one of the better slide solos I've heard from Page. 8:52, that slide riff. If only Bonham's drums had a better sound. The flubs don't matter, "A+".

TSRTS- Good energetic, speedy intro. First solo- Damn near perfect. Outro solo- A little sloppy at the end, but not bad. 4:45, Plant yodels in key. "B+" because of some minor flubs.

The Rain Song- 1:30, I've never heard Plant hit that note here before. Rock section- Plant on the edge of cracking, Bonzo going off. Pretty good. 7:42, the 'tron is a little flat. "B+".

Kashmir- Bass drum has a perfect heartbeat sound. 4:24, You can hear Plant's vocal effect (which extends that note another few seconds) in the background, but it doesn't come through on the recording. The ending sounds like Armageddon. Has a little more drive than the previous night's version. "A+".

No Quarter- Nitpicking Jones- Has some nice moments (8:18), but takes patience to listen to the whole run. The Bonzo/Jones jam is very basic and thankfully James comes in. 13:58, some nice legato licks. 14:40-14:52, not great articulation. 16:21, nice bend here. 17:53, some passionate bends accented by the wah. Outro switches sources and Page gets in some decent final licks. This was a solid version, though no one really did anything exceptonal. "B+".

Tangerine- The harmony is inaudible but Plant sounds good. Solo- good up to 1:53, which sounds a little off. Not bad, "B+".

*GTC- Mandolin and vocal version, as nothing else is coming through. Actually sounds quite nice this way. Plant squeaks on the bridge. Plant's ad libs kind of kill the mood. "B+".

*That's The Way.- Solid version. "A". 7:05, Robert takes on Robert.

*Bronyaur Stomp- A solid version with a decent breakdown from Page. "A". Plant gives a good history lesson after the song.

*Trampled Underfoot- Good energy. Jones' keys aren't coming through at all, but Page lays down some good rhythm work in the meantime. Solo- Page comes in with some fire. 4:21 is a lick left over from OTHAFA that he often falls back on. 5:28, articulation disaster. This solo wasn't too bad, but lacked a good flow. Good energy on the outro. "B+"'

*Moby Dick- zzzzzzzz. Excellent sound though.

*Dazed And Confused- Good intro. First workout- Good straightforward noodling from Page. Woodstock- Page's initial start sounds more like he's tuning up, but I love the way the band launches into this with full confidence. Page is a little sloppy on some of it. Plant is a little scratchy on some of it. 9:23, some good runs by Page. Second workout- 18:47, a little sticky through here. 19:32, also here. 20:22, slop. 20:35, these little riffs don't sound great. 20:50, fingers stuck in strings. 22:49, slopfest. 24:00, not good. 24:13, embarrassing. Mars- The drum fill going in was awesome. Page is barely hanging on to the chords. 25:38, good build up riffs. 26:22, misses the climax as usual. Finale- Not much going on. Is it safe to say Page indulged backstage? "B".

*Stairway To Heaven- Good first half. Solo- Good flow at the start, the phrasing is a little too basic though. 8:35, flub (Or string break, I'll have to watch the vid and see.) Page ends the final notes on a lower octave due to a broken string. Not bad, but nothing impressive. Fairly solid version, "B+".

WLL- Good intro. Funk section- Page's right has loosened up some and he puts down some good riffs. A good screaching theremin section. "A".

Black Dog- Good energetic tempo. Solo- 3:56, Page shoots for the moon but comes up a little sloppy. Not a bad solo, but he wasn't exactly outdoing himself. "A".

Heartbreaker- Good start. Solo- If we're not counting articulation, not bad at all. Good rockabilly jam. 5:42, he hits some unusual chords here that don't sound half bad. Last part is a little sloppy, but not bad. "A".

Communication Breakdown- Plant is squeaky on the intro. Solo- Wah drenched, but very good. They get a good breakdown in with Plant doing some hilarious improv imitations. "A".

Final assessment- First half and acoustic section is quite nice, however Page comes out in bad form for Dazed. I'll take the previous night's version over this one. IMTOD, OTHAFA, and a very good Kashmir are the highlights. TSRTS could've been great, but there were too many loose ends.

One thing I've noticed after doing all these is that I became accustom to Page's general technical ability and my standards for his playing has actually lowered. So as I went on, I became less critical of him as far as my opinion of what was sloppy. So to be fair, I probably haven't been as hard on Page on the later shows than the first nitpicks I did. 

[LedElvis75]

On ‎5‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 3:29 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

After I do the last one I'll go through and make a "best of" in which I usually listen to each track again and compare them. That way I'll know if I was mistaken in my judgement or not. Sometimes if I'm not feeling it that day I tend to miss the general presence of a song. But strangely, I really liked the TUF on that one, a song I usually never have a good feel for.

Very strange Bonham show (indeed), but TUF from that night has always been my favorite.  And the mood of NQ fits Bonham's mood from that night to a T.  Both are very sluggish, but the results are great (for NQ).  He really picks things up nicely for TUF and then chases Jimmy around brilliantly in my all-time favorite STH.  Jimmy really needs to cobble the best parts of the 24th and 25th together to form a complete show.  Would be an absolute monster live release. 

[gibsonfan159]

On 5/22/2018 at 11:56 PM, paplbojo said:

Bold words. I'll have to give it a listen....

Ignore that, I actually think it's about the same as the others after listening again. Page is very fluid though.

[gibsonfan159]

Best of Earl's Court 1975

Rock And Roll- 25th. Best sound quality and most energetic version.

Sick Again- 25th. Best sound and a very solid version. Page plays a better solo on the 23rd.

OTHAFA- 18th. The echo heavy boot actually accents this a little and Page is absolutely on fire for the solo. 25th is a close second.

IMTOD- 25th. Best solos and great sound quality. 

TSRTS- 25th. My original rating on this was B+, but I'd change that to an "A" despite some Plant yodels. Very uptempo.

The Rain Song- 24th. Moody version that has a little more character than the others.

Kashmir- 18th. I know most would choose the 25th, but it's too mellotron heavy for me and the tempo is unnaturally fast. The 18th also has Bonham's drums echoing for miles.

No Quarter- 18th, no contest.

Tangerine- 24th. Great sound and the best solo.

Going To California- 18th. There's something very organic about this one.

That's The Way- 24th. Good sound and nice mandolin work.

Bron-y-aur Stomp- 23rd. Good energy and a decent breakdown from Page. 18th is close. 

Trampled Underfoot- 24th. Though I think the 17th was performed much better with a more fluid Page. You ultimately have to go with better sound quality.

Moby Dick- 17th. 

Dazed And Confused- 23rd. A good balance between sound quality and performance. 24th if you prefer the bettter sound.

Stairway To Heaven- 18th. I think this one has a little more magic to the sound. 24th is close with an excellent solo.

Whole Lotta Love- 24th. 25th also good.

Black Dog- 25th. Best sound and very solid.

Heartbreaker- 25th.

Communication Breakdown- 25th.

Of course it's opinion. You could easily make a very listenable compilation just from the last two shows.

 

[Bonzo_fan]

10 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Best of Earl's Court 1975

Rock And Roll- 25th. Best sound quality and most energetic version.

Sick Again- 25th. Best sound and a very solid version. Page plays a better solo on the 23rd.

OTHAFA- 18th. The echo heavy boot actually accents this a little and Page is absolutely on fire for the solo. 25th is a close second.

IMTOD- 25th. Best solos and great sound quality. 

TSRTS- 25th. My original rating on this was B+, but I'd change that to an "A" despite some Plant yodels. Very uptempo.

The Rain Song- 24th. Moody version that has a little more character than the others.

Kashmir- 18th. I know most would choose the 25th, but it's too mellotron heavy for me and the tempo is unnaturally fast. The 18th also has Bonham's drums echoing for miles.

No Quarter- 18th, no contest.

Tangerine- 24th. Great sound and the best solo.

Going To California- 18th. There's something very organic about this one.

That's The Way- 24th. Good sound and nice mandolin work.

Bron-y-aur Stomp- 23rd. Good energy and a decent breakdown from Page. 18th is close. 

Trampled Underfoot- 24th. Though I think the 17th was performed much better with a more fluid Page. You ultimately have to go with better sound quality.

Moby Dick- 17th. 

Dazed And Confused- 23rd. A good balance between sound quality and performance. 24th if you prefer the bettter sound.

Stairway To Heaven- 18th. I think this one has a little more magic to the sound. 24th is close with an excellent solo.

Whole Lotta Love- 24th. 25th also good.

Black Dog- 25th. Best sound and very solid.

Heartbreaker- 25th.

Communication Breakdown- 25th.

Of course it's opinion. You could easily make a very listenable compilation just from the last two shows.

 

I usually assume a level-playing field, sound quality-wise, when I'm making my "best of"'s (i.e. assume we had them all on soundboard), but it's a pretty solid list.

[Christopher Lees]

On 5/30/2018 at 2:06 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Best of Earl's Court 1975

Rock And Roll- 25th. Best sound quality and most energetic version.

Sick Again- 25th. Best sound and a very solid version. Page plays a better solo on the 23rd.

OTHAFA- 18th. The echo heavy boot actually accents this a little and Page is absolutely on fire for the solo. 25th is a close second.

IMTOD- 25th. Best solos and great sound quality. 

TSRTS- 25th. My original rating on this was B+, but I'd change that to an "A" despite some Plant yodels. Very uptempo.

The Rain Song- 24th. Moody version that has a little more character than the others.

Kashmir- 18th. I know most would choose the 25th, but it's too mellotron heavy for me and the tempo is unnaturally fast. The 18th also has Bonham's drums echoing for miles.

No Quarter- 18th, no contest.

Tangerine- 24th. Great sound and the best solo.

Going To California- 18th. There's something very organic about this one.

That's The Way- 24th. Good sound and nice mandolin work.

Bron-y-aur Stomp- 23rd. Good energy and a decent breakdown from Page. 18th is close. 

Trampled Underfoot- 24th. Though I think the 17th was performed much better with a more fluid Page. You ultimately have to go with better sound quality.

Moby Dick- 17th. 

Dazed And Confused- 23rd. A good balance between sound quality and performance. 24th if you prefer the bettter sound.

Stairway To Heaven- 18th. I think this one has a little more magic to the sound. 24th is close with an excellent solo.

Whole Lotta Love- 24th. 25th also good.

Black Dog- 25th. Best sound and very solid.

Heartbreaker- 25th.

Communication Breakdown- 25th.

Of course it's opinion. You could easily make a very listenable compilation just from the last two shows.

 

I have to say, I very much appreciated reading through these "Nitpicking" threads, both this one and the one from 77. I started listening to May 18, 1975 last night and was blown away by how Page sounded so 1973ish. I listened to it as I was falling asleep so I only got so far. I am looking forward to giving this one a proper listen tonight. You should keep doing these nitpickins'

[gibsonfan159]

13 hours ago, Christopher Lees said:

You should keep doing these nitpickins'

Thanks, will do. Glad others enjoy it.

[1998giventofly]

Hey gibsonfan159! Very interesting little series here, love reading through. Curious if you'll give 2/28 Baton Rouge a run through? I remember this being the first time when I was listening to Zeppelin bootlegs where I looked up and was in shock over how badly page was playing because I thought it was so rare! This was during the Black Dog solo, he is COMPLETELY LOST.