Nitpicking Page 1977

[gibsonfan159]

11 hours ago, JMH said:

STH from 23rd... yeah, not for Page's soloing but for the sledgehammer from Bonham (& Jones). Page not inventing anything miracular here but just playing OK, which is enouhg as the star of the show is one apparently very coked up drummer.

 

This version really hits you in the face.

I'd probably change that rating to an A+. I think Bonham's dynamics really made a strong impression and Jimmy was very solid throughout. Plant was just a little shaky in some places. Glad you're enjoying the nitpicks.

[gibsonfan159]

12 hours ago, John M said:

Gibsonfan159 thank you again for these reviews.  I have listened to this show (6/23/77) many times over the years, but not recently.  Your review encouraged me to dig out No Quarter and listen anew.  Such a great version.  Parts of it I remembered quite, well but other parts were a revelation all over again.  It was your description of the last sections after about 21:00 that had gotten me to listen again.  Amazing stuff.  Cheers.

Glad you're enjoying it. I think I had slept on this version a little originally and this revised listen opened my ears a bit. It's one of the more consistent versions from 77. 

[Xolo1974]

9 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Glad you're enjoying it. I think I had slept on this version a little originally and this revised listen opened my ears a bit. It's one of the more consistent versions from 77. 

Also made me listen to TYG again from this show. Never really appreciated or given it much airspace. It’s a cracker 

[gibsonfan159]

*REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/25/1977 (Badgeholder's Annual Meeting/Mike The Mike- Winston Remaster)

A day off to rest and back at it. Very good sound.

TSRTS- 1:13-1:19, Page botching the chords here. 1:30, something sounds weird here, almost like he switched to a minor key. 2:14, loose chording. 2:28, flub. 2:41, a little sloppy. 2:57, Page struggling to hit the chords properly throughout the entire intro. First solo- Maybe he's got a string out of tune? Sounds extremely wonky. 3:33, loose. 3:44, not good. Plant sounds worse Honolulu section as well. 4:15, Jim still straining to play chords. Outro solo- Fingers barely hitting the strings. Aaand we're back to mid 1975 with Page chugging whiskey. Not a total disaster but very close. "C+".

Sick Again- Perfect intro although Bonham doesn't really deliver with the fills per usual. Plant has warmed up some. 2:02, Page does some excellent bends here. First solo- Everything sounds fluid and smooth (compared to other solos here). Not bad at all and has a cool ending. 4:24, another good bend. Outro solo- Jimmy throws in every phrase he can think of in an erratic fit of guitar noodling, but he stays mostly on track. Overall a good version. Upgraded from "B+" to "A".

NFBM- 0:34, Bonzo false start. 0:56, Page struggling again. Harmonica- Basic stuff. Solo- phrasing is on point but the articulation is a little rough. 5:35, playing the ending riff loosely. Very lackluster version, but no real flubs. "B+".

IMTOD- Excellent sound on this, with Page's guitar tone sounding like a Lamborghini. Page's slide playing sounding good on the intro. First solo- solid playing but pretty straightforward. The energy level gets higher by now with Plant putting good emphasis on his vocal delivery. Second solo- A little more fire here as Bonham and Jones push Page along. Excellent slide phrasing. 8:04, Plant goes astray on some Little Richard and the band attempts to follow. 8:38, Jimmy missing Robert's cue. Page's rhythm work gets a bit looser toward the end but nothing too noticeable. 10:35, You Shook Me only a tease this time. The only thing this version is missing is more giant drum fills, which didn't really show up until the end. Maybe not as solid as some other versions but not bad at all. "A-".

SIBLY- Very good intro with the old, slower tempo. 2:58, Page following Plant's vocals, which aren't quite as strong tonight. Solo- 4:07-4:30, Page takes off and leaves the earth. 4:28, impressive phrasing as Jim bends that note while trilling. 5:00, that ending note on that run is incredibly spooky. 5:02, those little "take off" staccato notes sound amazing. Phrasing masterpiece. 5:47, Page's power chords here sound heavy as hell. 6:51, loose with this chord. 7:38-7:44, also a bit loose. Beautiful ending. An incredible solo here but points have to be taken for a weaker Plant and an overall lack of "spirit" from the other members. "A-".

No Quarter- Page's guitar sound is almost soundboard quality. 1:28, Page usually plays an alternate ascending phrase here but skips it tonight. Nitpicking Jones- 9:17, gets a bit meandering by this point. 9:43, almost nailing some samba phrases. A fairly entertaining piano routine, nothing special. Blues jam- Page comes in awkwardly, then takes off on some muscular runs. Nothing too impressive from Jim this time around and the overall jam is lackluster. Not having a proper bass sound really hurts this. 15:17. Page plays a really good arpeggio here right before going into the solo, shame he didn't keep it going longer. Solo- Starts off pretty standard. 15:53, getting a little too relaxed on the phrasing. 16:23 starts an excellent run. 16:47, getting into a better flow now. 17:20, choppy playing on these riffs. 17:57, Jones hammers the hell outta that piano note. 18:11, a repeated phrase that fits very well. 18:42, a little sloppy. 19:10, sloppy. 19:44-20:00, very nice extended run. 22:55, sticky. The solo gets more energetic the longer it goes, then winds down nicely. 23:40, very cool riff he's playing with. 26:49, wah licks aren't exactly the smoothest. No trainwrecks here but it's a sleepy performance with some sticky parts. "A" gets changed to "B+". Especially when compared to the dynamics of the first three nights.

Ten Years Gone- Nice, delicate intro but maybe lacking some confidence. First solo- Phrasing isn't spot on but he's playing okay. Bonham appears to drag the tempo down some. 3:53, flub. 4:45, choppy transitions. 5:03, Bonham finally coming alive as if he knows they're dragging. 5:15, nice emotion from Robert. Second solo- Phrasing is noticeably off, not too bad. Third solo- 6:50-7:17, much better playing from Page as he kicks into a higher gear. Fourth solo- the guitar delay section sounds fantastic. Outro- also better here from Jimmy as he takes us out nicely. Overall sounds too relaxed and Jimmy struggles in a couple places. "B+". (10:24, Robert says "Got trouble with your nose John?" Possibly alluding to some powder sniffing)

BOE- Sounding good to start. Jones and Plant play off each other well. A pretty straightforward version but missing a bit of magic. "A".

GTC- 0:36, this lead in phrase from Jones isn't spot on but it works. Plant sounding good, teasing the California crowd. 1:53, Rob putting in good effort. 2:18, more energy from Percy. 2:43, slight vocal crack. 3:25, Robert breaks character and chuckles at something as the crowd cheers. A very light hearted version, not bad at all. "A-".

BCW- Sounds good. "A".

BYAS- Guitar is a bit muffled on the intro for which Page switches up the phrasing to some energetic chording. 1:38, more chording on the short breakdown. Verses sound good per the usual. The main guitar breakdown has some solid, intriguing phrasing by Jim and is played with enthusiasm. 5:35, some nifty finger picking. 6:13, going all out. This might be this best breakdown section I can recall. Overall not the most vibrant performance of the song, but Jimmy is magnificent. "A+".

WS- 0:15, wrong note but he continues on like it was on purpose. 1:17, retuning. The intro/warm up is a little disjointed. The fast section gets going much better. 4:39, again doing this linear run, sounding almost like an Iron Maiden riff. 6:20, a little sticky on this transition. "A-".

BMS- 0:27, loose. 0:41, playing some odd phrases. 1:06, struggling to stay on the path. "B" at best. 

Kashmir- The drums have a perfect "Levee" echo to them. Plant's vocals sound very thin in the recording and reduces the overall impact. 4:18, mellotron knocked out of tune. 5:25, can't tell if that's a drum fill or timing readjustment. 8:37, 9:24, 9:34, Bonham's fills on the outro are simply devastating. Monstrous version with the mellotron low in the mix and Bonham going nuts at the end. I think the sound of this recording being so different than the previous three nights gives it a shallower feel but it's almost as good, outside of the mellotron going awry. "A-".

Trampled Underfoot- A slower tempo, more akin to the album version. Bonham doing very nice drum work, moving this along like a freight train. Solo- Page comes in with a wicked tone and phrase. 3:35, from here on he starts to get sloppy. Nothing trainwreck level but there's some major articulation issues. The overall energy and vibes for this are lacking also. I gave this a good amount of praise on the first nitpick but it's certainly not "A" tier. Changed to "B+".

Achilles Last Stand- Good intro. 2:19, awesome little drum fill. 2:45, sticky. First solo- the phrasing is decent but Jim's playing sounds slightly off key and rough. 4:52 and 4:58, some hesitant drumbeats. 5:12, sticky. Second solo- not bad. Third solo- The delay effect doesn't come through well, but still good. Plant gets a cool vocal effect on the final outro note but Page's ending is a little more awkward. Just didn't gel as well as some other versions. "B+".

Stairway To Heaven- 0:23, heart attack. Beautiful work by Jones on the intro. 1:18, interesting vocal phrase. 3:09, weird sounding vocal phrase. 5:04, cool drum fill. Verses are fairly good but not the smoothest I've heard. Solo- Excellent start. 6:42, struggling some on these repeated phrases. The soft section flows well as Bonzo plays impatiently. 8:43, that's a 1973 level run if I've ever heard one. 9:03, if that's Plant's tambourine then that's amazing. 9:06, Jones nails that piano line better than the last show. 9:36, Bonzo creates a unique rhythm here. 9:56, Bonham lagging a little as Jim nails the last phrases. Overall an good solo with a couple sticky parts. The climax is powerful and the outro sounds solid. I think I overshot this rating last time as well but it's good enough to stand at an "A".

WLL- Jimmy dabbles with various riffs before pushing through this abbreviated version. "B+".

Communication Breakdown- Good energy with Plant not sounding half bad, though he's got a heavy delay effect on his mic (and phase shifter later). Solo- Page leaves the earth. Couldn't be done any better for 1977. 1:55, we get some "It's Your Thing". Devastating and punk sounding, maybe the best post-72 version I've heard. "A+".

Final Assessment- The opener is a travesty but then they level out fairly well. Page and Bonham are noticeably more relaxed than the previous nights, but still do some good stuff. Realistically the only standout is Communication Breakdown. This show obviously made a stronger impression on me during the first review (especially the last half) so this one has some better calibration. Not a bad performance overall however, just not up to snuff with those first three.

Edited February 4, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[JMH]

25/6/1977 should have been a default level for a band with the size and reputation Zeppelin had. Well, we know it unfortunately was not the case 77. 

[ListenToThis]

06/25, to me, simply has the best atmosphere and vibe of the run. As I stated earlier Bonham is less bombastic but his subtle contributions on the night are delicious. Like you said his fills at the beginning of SA are less intense, but the two quick successive snare snaps he does to mimic Page’s guitar notes is sublime. I can’t agree on Plant however - he is simply full of energy and at the peak of his cock-rock voice. His howls at the beginning of the guitar outro solo in SA are the best he ever did them. Vocals on SIBLY, TUF, ALS, all excellent. But hey, anybody who loves Zeppelin so much and enjoys nitpicking every aspect is great by me. 

[kdh]

The nit pick starts with the drug use. After that its all opinion. I LOVE HIS PLAYING ON THE 77 TOUR. Have at it internet.

[ListenToThis]

06/26 - Bonham is back to form - first half of ALS has a ridiculous tempo and the fills are exquisite. Second longest STH and longest of the LA run. It’ll Be Me is the real treat - Plant sings at the highest tone he can maintain.  

[Nicodemus]

hell all. first timer. can anyone lead me to a clip whererobert plant celebrates john bonham at the end of a solo screaming "john bonham....john henry bonham"

cannot for the life of me remember where it is from. or maybe i dreamt it.

rock on

[gibsonfan159]

*REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/26/1977 (Take The High Road- DADGAD/ source 2 intro for TSRTS).

Some bootleg ears required. Murky sound with Bonham's snare sounding like a metronome playing on a smartphone. (Actually clears up quite a bit halfway through).

TSRTS- Good start. First solo- 3:22, Page a little loose here. Plant straining badly on the Honolulu section. Outro- the main source kicks in here. Again Page sounds loose on the chord transitions but nothing serious. Not quite warmed up yet but not a bad version. "B+". 

Sick Again- 0:30, slight flub from Page as he misses a couple notes on the intro. Plant sounding much better now on the verses. First solo- Page has nimble fingers here and nails some good phrases. Outro solo- 5:06-5:15, a bit sloppy but the energy is good. 5:20, Page throws in some unique power chord riffs that don't quite fit. Plant uses the vocal harmonizer on the ending for some chipmunk effects. "A-". 

NFBM- Solid intro. Harmonica- decent but overly repetitive. Solo- solid noodling here. 5:20, aggressive lightning fast run. Sounds excellent, Page playing with fire. "A".

OTHAFA- Decent, speedy intro. Plant hitting in the high range a little. Solo- 3:28-3:36, amazing phrasing as Jim makes his guitar scream. 4:24, articulation here is very suspect behind the murky tape. Nonetheless Page keeps a perfect flow going through this epic routine and there's nothing noticeably bad. 6:25, very slight flub. 6:35, slight vocal crack as Plant pushes himself for a big finish. I wouldn't call this a flawless version but it's a powerhouse of energy. "A-".

SIBLY- Perfectly moody intro from Pagey. 1:18, Plant nailing the opening vocal. Solo- nimble fingers on the start. Jimmy stays between the lines and plays smoothly throughout. The ending phrase is a little awkward. 5:33, slight guitar flub. 7:26, some loose chording during these last verses. "A-" but the passion behind the music is good.

No Quarter- The usually solid intro and verses. Nitpicking Jones- 4:07, slight tape cut. Jones takes his time with some menacing phrases on the start. 8:10, a beautiful, classic sounding set of melodic phrases. 9:48, another one here. Blues jam- comes in slowly with hesitant playing from Jimmy. When he does launch his solo it's feedback galore, but he puts down some solid blues playing. I'm assuming he was using some kind of treble booster just for this solo which was too hot for the amps. Page noodles away for over four minutes. Very good playing with Jones ending it nicely. Solo- Page comes in with a very dreamy sequence. Playing is average and a little erratic until 19:47, where he takes off on a very fluid run. 20:49, excellent series of aggressive pull-offs. 21:08, Jones plays some mysterious notes on piano (or windchime?) Jim is a little more nimble fingered on this tonight and keeps the phrasing tight. 23:07, badass riff that sounds like "Yallah" from Unledded. 24:30, cool riff. Excellent solo with great phrasing. 28:47, Jones' bass pedal seems to be absent for the outro. Jimmy gets wild on the wah section. Only complaint- Bonham wasn't active enough. "A".

Ten Years Gone- Intro played wonderfully by Jim. First solo- 2:44, minor flub going into that opening phrase. 3:24, not perfect on this pull off section but he almost never is. Excellent phrasing. 4:50, strong vocal effort by Rob. Second solo- More lively and nicely done. Third solo- playing is a bit choppy but still sounds great. Fourth solo- Jimmy uses the delay effect effectively with solid riffing. Outro solo- Excellent string bending. A solid version and I believe a better source would really make it pop. "A".

BOE- Instrumentally sound with good energy through the verses. Bonham's percussion crowds the recording but that's no major problem. 5:08, strong vocals. Very good, "A+".

GTC- Everyone is in good spirits here and the mood is lively. "A".

That's Alright- Robert starts and it takes a couple measures for everyone else to get on track. Once they do the rhythm falls into place nicely and Jimmy grabs his slide for an excellent solo to end. "B+".

BCW- Tons of energy from Robert on this solid version. "A".

BYAS- Page loosens up and gets experimental on the intro. 2:10, Page again playing in a unique rhythmic fashion on the first breakdown. Page's second breakdown features some exquisite flatpicking and is extended perfectly without getting boring. Plenty of energy throughout. "A+".

WS/BMS- The intro/warm up is somewhat disjointed but nothing too unusual. the fast section takes off wonderfully with the drums rumbling like a stampede of buffalo. Page shows excellent dynamics, switching up the light and shade throughout. 6:06, not entirely smooth. 7:11, a small cut followed by some loose spanish style fingerings. Very good White Summer overall with some loose spots, "A-". BMS gets off to a familiar start with Page struggling on what I'm now gonna call the "BMS struggle riff". His abstract noodlings and harmonic journeys here are unique but nothing to jump for. "B". (This version repeats the last half for whatever reason and lasts 21 minutes, which isn't the actual length)

Kashmir- 3:07, the mellotron can be heard coming in early, Jones maybe thinking this was the interlude. Jimmy's Arabic scales toward the end are played well. A solid version, however Bonham is keeping time and that's it. "A".

Achilles Last Stand- Solid intro, good energy and a medium-fast tempo. Unfortunately the recording fluctuates but still has clarity. 2:47, slight guitar flub. First solo- Page playing fluidly with good phrasing. 4:20, sounding very nimble. 5:05, some strained notes on this section. Second solo- Sound quality is hard to judge, but sounds decent. Third solo- Page has some trouble getting the phrasing together smoothly. A slightly awkward ending from Page. "A-".

Stairway To Heaven- Very solid first half, though Plant isn't too enthusiastic and everything feels rushed. Solo- Page comes out with energy. He's certainly playing with fluidity, but the phrasing is really straightforward with nothing that makes a big impression. 7:10, might be hearing wrong but sounds like Bonham gets off time. 7:27, Jimmy experimenting with some not so smooth riffing but making it work. 7:50, Bonham again loose with the beat. 8:28, unique guitar phrases. Page's lead runs get a bit repetitive before he switches to a strummed riff at 9:15. 9:33, this stop and go part is noticeably less dramatic this time, garnering less response from the crowd. 10:11, excellent bends. 10:27, this wind down sounds great. 10:53, Bonham again switching up the beat as he attempts to accent Page but misses the syncopation. The final phrases are nailed perfectly. Plant sings with passion and sounds strong for the climax section. The final verse is interrupted by fireworks. Some loose timing and bland soloing keep this at "A-".

It'll Be Me - Plant pushes his vocals to the limit on the opening, almost cracking. Reminds me a little of the Eddie Cochran covers they used to do. 2:56, Bonham gets the beat mixed up and quickly corrects it. Solo- Good, raunchy solo by Page.   "A".

Final assessment- Obviously this is the most overall solid show so far in L.A., but there seems to be something missing to me. Maybe the murky sound quality is playing tricks on my ears but it's like there's a level of energy missing. Like they just showed up to get the job done instead of "wowing" the audience. Maybe it's a solid show because nobody took any chances to create something spectacular? Solid as it is it still has a few blemishes, as all Zep shows do.

[Strider]

11 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

*REVISION Nitpicking Page 6/26/1977 (Take The High Road- DADGAD/ source 2 intro for TSRTS).

Some bootleg ears required. Murky sound with Bonham's snare sounding like a metronome playing on a smartphone. (Actually clears up quite a bit halfway through).

TSRTS- Good start. First solo- 3:22, Page a little loose here. Plant straining badly on the Honolulu section. Outro- the main source kicks in here. Again Page sounds loose on the chord transitions but nothing serious. Not quite warmed up yet but not a bad version. "B+". 

Sick Again- 0:30, slight flub from Page as he misses a couple notes on the intro. Plant sounding much better now on the verses. First solo- Page has nimble fingers here and nails some good phrases. Outro solo- 5:06-5:15, a bit sloppy but the energy is good. 5:20, Page throws in some unique power chord riffs that don't quite fit. Plant uses the vocal harmonizer on the ending for some chipmunk effects. "A-". 

NFBM- Solid intro. Harmonica- decent but overly repetitive. Solo- solid noodling here. 5:20, aggressive lightning fast run. Sounds excellent, Page playing with fire. "A".

OTHAFA- Decent, speedy intro. Plant hitting in the high range a little. Solo- 3:28-3:36, amazing phrasing as Jim makes his guitar scream. 4:24, articulation here is very suspect behind the murky tape. Nonetheless Page keeps a perfect flow going through this epic routine and there's nothing noticeably bad. 6:25, very slight flub. 6:35, slight vocal crack as Plant pushes himself for a big finish. I wouldn't call this a flawless version but it's a powerhouse of energy. "A-".

SIBLY- Perfectly moody intro from Pagey. 1:18, Plant nailing the opening vocal. Solo- nimble fingers on the start. Jimmy stays between the lines and plays smoothly throughout. The ending phrase is a little awkward. 5:33, slight guitar flub. 7:26, some loose chording during these last verses. "A-" but the passion behind the music is good.

No Quarter- The usually solid intro and verses. Nitpicking Jones- 4:07, slight tape cut. Jones takes his time with some menacing phrases on the start. 8:10, a beautiful, classic sounding set of melodic phrases. 9:48, another one here. Blues jam- comes in slowly with hesitant playing from Jimmy. When he does launch his solo it's feedback galore, but he puts down some solid blues playing. I'm assuming he was using some kind of treble booster just for this solo which was too hot for the amps. Page noodles away for over four minutes. Very good playing with Jones ending it nicely. Solo- Page comes in with a very dreamy sequence. Playing is average and a little erratic until 19:47, where he takes off on a very fluid run. 20:49, excellent series of aggressive pull-offs. 21:08, Jones plays some mysterious notes on piano (or windchime?) Jim is a little more nimble fingered on this tonight and keeps the phrasing tight. 23:07, badass riff that sounds like "Yallah" from Unledded. 24:30, cool riff. Excellent solo with great phrasing. 28:47, Jones' bass pedal seems to be absent for the outro. Jimmy gets wild on the wah section. Only complaint- Bonham wasn't active enough. "A".

Ten Years Gone- Intro played wonderfully by Jim. First solo- 2:44, minor flub going into that opening phrase. 3:24, not perfect on this pull off section but he almost never is. Excellent phrasing. 4:50, strong vocal effort by Rob. Second solo- More lively and nicely done. Third solo- playing is a bit choppy but still sounds great. Fourth solo- Jimmy uses the delay effect effectively with solid riffing. Outro solo- Excellent string bending. A solid version and I believe a better source would really make it pop. "A".

BOE- Instrumentally sound with good energy through the verses. Bonham's percussion crowds the recording but that's no major problem. 5:08, strong vocals. Very good, "A+".

GTC- Everyone is in good spirits here and the mood is lively. "A".

That's Alright- Robert starts and it takes a couple measures for everyone else to get on track. Once they do the rhythm falls into place nicely and Jimmy grabs his slide for an excellent solo to end. "B+".

BCW- Tons of energy from Robert on this solid version. "A".

BYAS- Page loosens up and gets experimental on the intro. 2:10, Page again playing in a unique rhythmic fashion on the first breakdown. Page's second breakdown features some exquisite flatpicking and is extended perfectly without getting boring. Plenty of energy throughout. "A+".

WS/BMS- The intro/warm up is somewhat disjointed but nothing too unusual. the fast section takes off wonderfully with the drums rumbling like a stampede of buffalo. Page shows excellent dynamics, switching up the light and shade throughout. 6:06, not entirely smooth. 7:11, a small cut followed by some loose spanish style fingerings. Very good White Summer overall with some loose spots, "A-". BMS gets off to a familiar start with Page struggling on what I'm now gonna call the "BMS struggle riff". His abstract noodlings and harmonic journeys here are unique but nothing to jump for. "B". (This version repeats the last half for whatever reason and lasts 21 minutes, which isn't the actual length)

Kashmir- 3:07, the mellotron can be heard coming in early, Jones maybe thinking this was the interlude. Jimmy's Arabic scales toward the end are played well. A solid version, however Bonham is keeping time and that's it. "A".

Achilles Last Stand- Solid intro, good energy and a medium-fast tempo. Unfortunately the recording fluctuates but still has clarity. 2:47, slight guitar flub. First solo- Page playing fluidly with good phrasing. 4:20, sounding very nimble. 5:05, some strained notes on this section. Second solo- Sound quality is hard to judge, but sounds decent. Third solo- Page has some trouble getting the phrasing together smoothly. A slightly awkward ending from Page. "A-".

Stairway To Heaven- Very solid first half, though Plant isn't too enthusiastic and everything feels rushed. Solo- Page comes out with energy. He's certainly playing with fluidity, but the phrasing is really straightforward with nothing that makes a big impression. 7:10, might be hearing wrong but sounds like Bonham gets off time. 7:27, Jimmy experimenting with some not so smooth riffing but making it work. 7:50, Bonham again loose with the beat. 8:28, unique guitar phrases. Page's lead runs get a bit repetitive before he switches to a strummed riff at 9:15. 9:33, this stop and go part is noticeably less dramatic this time, garnering less response from the crowd. 10:11, excellent bends. 10:27, this wind down sounds great. 10:53, Bonham again switching up the beat as he attempts to accent Page but misses the syncopation. The final phrases are nailed perfectly. Plant sings with passion and sounds strong for the climax section. The final verse is interrupted by fireworks. Some loose timing and bland soloing keep this at "A-".

It'll Be Me (Mick Ralphs on rhythm guitar)- Plant pushes his vocals to the limit on the opening, almost cracking. Reminds me a little of the Eddie Cochran covers they used to do. 2:56, Bonham gets the beat mixed up and quickly corrects it. Solo- Good, raunchy solo by Page. Shame he didn't give Ralphs a turn but I imagine he learned a lesson with Ronnie Woods playing better than him on a guest spot in 75. "A".

Final assessment- Obviously this is the most overall solid show so far in L.A., but there seems to be something missing to me. Maybe the murky sound quality is playing tricks on my ears but it's like there's a level of energy missing. Like they just showed up to get the job done instead of "wowing" the audience. Maybe it's a solid show because nobody took any chances to create something spectacular? Solid as it is it still has a few blemishes, as all Zep shows do.

I hate to nitpick but Mick Ralphs was not on stage with Led Zeppelin at this show. "It'll Be Me" was handled by just the four of 'em. You're thinking of May 22, 1977 Ft. Worth.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Strider

[gibsonfan159]

57 minutes ago, Strider said:

I hate to nitpick but Mick Ralphs was not on stage with Led Zeppelin at this show. "It'll Be Me" was handled by just the four of 'em. You're thinking of May 22, 1977 Ft. Worth.

Wow, quite the brain fart. 👍too late to edit however.

[jsj]

I’m going to miss the nitpicking posts when you reach the end. I don’t even listen to the 77 tour but I still love reading these

[Oso2]

On 7/24/2020 at 2:52 PM, Paimonus Rex said:

gibsonfan159

You're perilously in danger of being my new, favorite boot commentator.  Your screeds are a strange hybrid of Luis Rey and Crowley's IX / XI diaries... 

Well thanks to you I can never get the phrase "turkey gobbling" out of my head when I listen to late period Zeppelin!