Nitpicking Page 1973

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 3/26/1973 Lyon, France (Source 2 Reel)

A pretty dreadful but not unlistenable aud recording in which Jimmy is basically the only one coming through clearly, so the nitpicking on this one will revolve mostly around him. 

OTHAFA (cuts in)- We enter on the verses and Plant doesn't sound half bad beneath the murky recording. Solo- Page has a good flow going, playing with good articulation and the phrasing is decent. Nothing amazing but a solid solo. Last verses and outro sound pretty flawless. "A" for what we have.

Black Dog- Plant sounding excellent throughout the verses. Solo- good to my ears. Most likely a flawless version. "A+".

MMH- Plenty of energy. Solo- solid. A shame we can't hear Bonzo's massive drum fills. By all accounts a good performance. "A".

SIBLY- Fast intro played excellently. Perfect phrasing on the slow intro, Page sounding truly in the zone tonight. Verses are more energetic than usual, with Plant in high spirits. 3:40, mild air raid scream. Solo- some start/stop phrasing to begin. 4:37, repeating this phrase works well. Very nice phrasing throughout. Last verses sound decent to end a fantastic performance. "A+".

Dancing Days- Recording a bit murkier on this. 1:04, definitely a chord flub here. Not bad but likely some loose ends. "A-".

BYAS- Verses sound good as usual. Breakdown- Jim improvises a bit and teases That's The Way. Sounds solid overall though very straightforward. "A".

TSRTS- Abundant energy out of the gate and the intro sounds good. Verses slow down the tempo quite a bit. First solo- very hard to make out but I'd assume it's decent. Plant sounding strong on the California Sunlight phrase. Outro solo- nothing sounds off or out of place. My assumption is a solid performance. "A".

The Rain Song- Good start and the guitar/mellotron section played perfectly. Rock Section- comes blasting in with tremendous energy. Outro played well. Solid to my ears. "A".

Dazed- Intro played well although Bonham isn't quite as energetic as he was in Germany. First workout- not bad as they get a decent jam session in. San Fran- 7:24, Page flubs a note, otherwise good. The crowd goes berserk when Page whips out the bow. 9:33, unfortunately he has to stop to retune his guitar. Second workout- sounds like Jim is off to a good start but judging articulation is impossible. 18:07, struggling to get a good flow going here. 18:51, something happens as Jim drops out and Bonzo tries to fill the empty space. There's an account of someone storming the stage and this was possibly it. 20:34, very unusual riff. 22:07, phrasing sounding fairly erratic. 23:13, a better flow here. Mars- played well as they do the start/stop phrasing again. Climax- not bad. Last verse sounds good to me. Outro- 28:30, Page going nuts on the wah licks as he finally plays with some aggression. Too many technical issues combined with some tame dynamics hold this one back. "B".

Stairway- Absolutely fantastic start all the way up to..... 6:06, where everything stops due to a power supply failure. 8:26, not sure if the tape cuts to this or if they jump back into the solo section perfectly in time. Solo- phrasing a little choppy but not bad. He gets in the groove on the quiet section, bending a string endlessly to the heavens. The final phrases sound excellent. Very good solo considering the song was stopped halfway. The climax and outro are played seemingly well for a solid, though interrupted version. "A-".

WLL- Lots of energy on the verses. The funk section is good but over quickly. Theremin freakout- not bad. Another quick funk jam but Plant doesn't join in. The "Everybody" section doesn't really take off and fizzles out before everyone gets on track. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- sounding nice as Page nails down a perfect solo. Baby I Don't Care- abundant energy and good lead playing from Page. The recording takes a dive here. 11:26. Fantastic ending by Page. Let's Have A Party- adequate amount of raunchy playing. I Can't Quit You- Page's tone cleaner than usual. Verses sounding good if a little straightforward. 4:14, Page going deep. 5:36, leaving the planet. Plant dives into some lemon squeezing at the end of the medley. The return hits hard, picking up with the same energy from where they left off to finish it up. Some parts felt a little rushed but overall this is an impressive version. "A".

Heartbreaker- Page plays with a riff before starting that could fool one into thinking he's Angus Young. Verses played kind of loosely but not bad. Solo- playing well to start and the smear section is articulate with perfect phrasing. Bouree and 59th St sounding nice. Fast section- as nimble fingered as ever. Some of the phrasing sounds slightly forced but that's really not even a factor. 6:30, very loose here before the return. The outro sounds strong. Good but not great, "A-".

Final Assessment- Two things immediately stand out on this one- Plant sounds much improved compared to the last few shows and Bonham has relaxed with the "drum fills every bar" energy from previous shows. This tape source however has Bonham buried in the mix, so he may actually be doing more than we can hear. And again, the ratings for this one should be taken lightly due to the recording quality, but by all means it sounds like an incredibly solid show apart from the couple of incidents that interrupted the band. I don't think there's any single standouts as most songs were done well. Dazed however has a few noticeable hiccups and lacks the overall dynamics of the German/Austrian versions. 

[1975NQ]

On 4/8/2022 at 6:59 AM, rm2551 said:

Vienna is another BEAST. They make some astounding transitions and some passages are insane like 17:20 to 17:55. The outro, the whole song. All of them connect amazingly at different times but for me Essen has it.

Been listening to 73 shows all weekend, mainly Vienna and Essen so I could compare,, and yeah gotta agree - Essen DAC for the win. 😀 Unbelievable performance.  

[rm2551]

7 hours ago, 1975NQ said:

Been listening to 73 shows all weekend, mainly Vienna and Essen so I could compare,, and yeah gotta agree - Essen DAC for the win. 😀 Unbelievable performance.  

I have to listen to Essen again, I couldn't believe how they all transitioned to these different soundscapes multiple times flawlessy. I can't imagine a better DAC. @gibsonfan159 is right about the start dragging a bit, but it was still great. That second half though. Completely insane! NO ONE else can match Zep when they are like this. It so perfectly demonstrates to me how they really are - and will remain - unmatched. The best to do it.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 3/27/1973 Nancy, France (Master Cassette- Revision)

A slightly noisy and murky audience source but very listenable. 

Rock And Roll- Cuts in at the start of the solo, which is played quite well and the energy level is high. On the returning verses Plant is noticeably hoarse. Bonham destroys his kit on the ending. "A-" for what we have.

OTHAFA- Page nails the intro. Plant not sounding too bad on the intro vocals but sings the verses very reserved. Better than croaking I suppose. Excellent energy on this as well. Solo- Page's phrasing is impressive although the murky recording hides some of the articulation, but I'd wager it's not bad. 4:08, slight flub. Otherwise top notch solo. Plant singing decently for the last verses. Jim nails down the outro for a very solid version despite Plant being hesitant to go all out. "A".

Black Dog- Keeping the energy alive with a fast tempo. Verses sound good throughout. 3:34, Plant gets his confidence up and hits a decent scream. Solo- starts more relaxed with lots of bends but soon works his way up to some very aggressive phrases, played nicely. "A+".

MMH- Plant's hoarseness is having an affect on the verses as he's squeaking throughout. Solo- sounds good. 3:53, some confusion as Jim botches the chorus to verse transition. A little rough on the edges but plenty of energy. "B".

SIBLY- Blazing intro played nicely by Jimmy. 1:21, blindingly fast phrase but I don't think he ends it correctly. Plant's intro sounds pretty weak as he reserves himself. He does sing with emotion on the verses however. Solo- Bonham pushes the energy with lots of dynamic playing. Page begins with the usual false start phrases and builds his way up the octaves. The phrasing is a bit choppy up to 4:48 where he gets a better flow going. Not bad at all. Plant pushes his way through the last verses but there's less enthusiasm as they play it out. The recording takes a dive toward the end and there's a brief tape cut. An average performance. "B+".

TSRTS- Intro sounding good. 1:27, Jim drops out for a second. 2:00, lyric flub. First solo- very murky audio but nothing sounds out of place. Plant sounds excellent on the Sunlight section. Outro- again, impossible to make out the details but I'll assume it's decent apart from some looseness at 4:38. "B+" for a couple flubs.

The Rain Song- 1:46, mellotron flub. The overall feel of the guitar/mellotron section is kind of loose. Plant trudges through the verses not sounding confident at all. Rock section- some much needed energy for this more than sleepy version. 6:02, slight tape cut. 6:30, more cuts. Outro is played well. "B".

Dazed- Solid intro. First workout- Page gets an excellent flow going, shredding nicely through the jam as the others try to keep up. San Fran- haunting and beautiful transition, played perfectly. 7:40, Bonham decides to get experimental as Page grabs the bow. Second workout- Jimmy gets back into his zone and lets his fingers fly. 16:37, some country sounding bends. 17:32, slight tape cut. 17:48, Page hangs up on this phrase, maybe intentionally. 19:30, Page switches to the neck pickup and speeds through some nimble fingered phrases. 20:25, unique beat from Bonham as Page just keeps soaring through the clouds. Mars- Bonham's intro is a little sketchy but they time it just right. Solid playing. Climax- almost drowned out by feedback but nailed. The last verse is good. Outro- 25:50, they break from an excellent wah section and start another short jam before finally ending. One of the more solid versions I've heard although maybe not as dynamic and courageous as others. Page is excellent throughout. "A++"

Stairway- Cuts in at the first verse with a very relaxed tempo. 1:24, the batteries dying on the mellotron. Despite the lethargic energy level Plant does put some oomph behind the vocals. Solo- still relaxed as Jim starts with the usual phrasing. Guitar is buried in the mix. 6:43, repeating this bend again but it sounds good. 6:54, pretty sure he gets off track on this run as you can hear several off notes. 7:32, massive tape cut before we reach the climax (there's a dirty joke here somewhere), which is a shame as Robert was sounding impressive on this. No rating but what we have doesn't allude to a stand out version. 

WLL- Cuts in before the funk jam, which is extremely loose as it takes Page a while to get going. When he does it's trainwreck level playing. The theremin section is also a bit of a letdown. They do manage to get on track for a good "Everybody" section. Solo- decent. Boogie Chillen- Page's response to Plant's vocals are fantastic. Blazing solo from Page. Baby I Don't Care- Plant sounding good. Let's Have A Party- verses have a perfect energy and feel. Page's solo is a little choppy on the phrasing and they end it kind of awkwardly. I Can't Quit You- super slow tempo. Solo- pretty straightforward to start. 18:20, Bonham kicks up the energy level. 19:21, phrasing mishap as Jim doesn't end this run correctly. 19:42, really loose phrasing through here as Jimmy and the rhythm section can't really get on the same page. 20:30, much better. 22:25, Plant's air raid is more of a gentle alert. The return sounds pretty average as they close it down. Bonham's ending drum fills played very loosely. Maybe Page was having some technical issues, maybe not, but he sounded really off in certain areas. "B".

Final Assessment- Reports and witnesses mention the crowd being unruly before and during the show and I think this had an impact on the performance overall. Something definitely seemed off as they chose to skip Bron Y Aur Stomp, Dancing Days, and any encores. Plant takes a while to warm up but once he gets to Dazed he's sounding excellent. Dazed overall is an extremely solid version and the main highlight, though Bonham is noticeably more reserved compared to those chaotic German versions. 

Edited April 17, 2022 by gibsonfan159

[Zep Hed]

Generally speaking Europe 73 is hailed as the band at its technical peak, setting aside Robert's diminished  vocal capabilities. Of course not all the shows have been reviewed here - perhaps the arc of the tour was a slow start and sluggish finish while Vienna and the German shows were really where the band found its stride(r) 😉 - but couldn't help but notice that the nitpicking's don't quite measure up to the tour's legend. Not meant as a criticism, mind you, as I read the focus of these reviews - which I thoroughly enjoy - as being more detail-oriented than perhaps the general fan-reviewer perspective that's resulted in this tour being held in such high regard. Sandwiched between the UK and US tours, I think there was a noticeably lower level of audience enthusiasm in Europe which may have lead to a greater focus on the musicianship not only by we after-the-fact listeners but the band members themselves at the time which served to raise the level of the playing. Sure taking 'nitpicking' literally means pointing out faults as well as effective moments. There's a balance to be struck between critiquing the performances and sharing in the energy and atmosphere of the audience and performers. These reviews serve a great purpose in the regard. Thanks, gibsonfan!

[gibsonfan159]

7 hours ago, Zep Hed said:

couldn't help but notice that the nitpicking's don't quite measure up to the tour's legend.

I think if you tally up the highlights and peaks of the European 73 tour you'll get a score that can't be touched instrumentally. Unfortunately all the improvising and adventurous playing also contributes to mistakes and mishaps, and the Euro shows have their share and are far from flawless. 

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD (DADGAD Remaster/ZEPHEAD315 merge)

A pretty rough audience source requiring some bootleg ears but this is considered one of the better shows of the year, so it's worth an attempted nitpicking.

Rock And Roll- Plant his usually scratchy self for the time period but the energy is good. Solo- 3:17, Jones flub as he jumps to the D phrase a measure early and gets out of sync with the others. Luckily he realizes when the solo ends and makes the appropriate pause at 3:39 to get back on track. The solo itself sounds pretty solid. The final verses sound good. The Jones flub certainly puts a dent in this one as it throws off the whole feel of the solo (and it's eerily similar to the Providence flub). "B".

Celebration Day- Intro sounds a bit sluggish from Jim. Plant has smoothed out some. First solo- solid. 1:58, Plant singing powerfully. Outro solo- Page takes a while to get going. 2:58, finally some decent runs. By 3:15 he slows down again. Nothing to see here. "B".

Black Dog- Intro sounds decent. Plant has warmed up nicely now. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- Some tape warbling makes this a tough listen. 4:28, flub. Overall not bad but critiquing the solo is near impossible. "A-".

OTHAFA- The monstrous bends on the Black Dog solo has Page's guitar out of tune and he stops the intro to correct it. Rob sounding strong on the verses. Solo- starting with the usual slow build up. 3:50-4:15, now here we go as Page hits shred mode. 5:13, vocal squeak. Robert sounding a bit rougher on the last verses. Outro is good. "B+" overall with a pretty excellent solo. 

MMH- Plant giving his all on the verses. 2:15, impressive but painful sounding vocal. +1 nodule. Solo- solid. 3:53, Jones flub. Sounded alright overall but this tape hides a lot. "A-" considering that noticeable piano flub.

SIBLY- Unfortunately the severe tape warble makes a mess of the fast intro. Page's playing and phrasing is top notch on the slower part however. Plant sings with lots of emotion through the verses, putting excellent emphasis on every line. Solo- ripping an aggressive run on the start. 4:27, some unusual low octave bends. Nice phrasing and passionate bends for this one. 6:03, Plant going all out. Outro is is more of the same excellence. I'll assume that intro was perfect and say top tier, "A++".

No Quarter- 1:42, Jones flub. The vocals are a tough listen due to the recording but the verses sound decent. Jones' section is very simplistic but good enough. Solo- 7:30, some harsh sounding phrases. 7:40, some notes sound off but it could be tape warble. The phrasing is steady though not the best I've heard. 8:55, getting into a better groove here. 9:19, some trills with string bending. Not a bad solo but nothing jumps out as notable. 12:00, strong vocals. The tape quality no doubt lowers the overall impact of this version but then again there's nothing technically astonishing like I've heard on other versions from the same year, so by that calibration, "B+".

TSRTS- Intro played well. 1:23, chord sounds off but it could be the tape. 2:20, unusual vocal as Plant is feeling good. Solo- 3:02-3:05, some off sounding notes. 3:19, Robert hitting the high notes. Outro- good except for the last bit at 4:50, where Page gets off track with his phrasing. Plant again reaching his vocal limits at the end. Certainly not the most technically precise but there's ample energy here. Also the tape warbles make it difficult to judge the accuracy of the playing. "B".

The Rain Song- 0:58, excellent vocals. Plant improvising to tell people to sit down. Guitar/mellotron duel sounding nice. 3:57, pretty big tape cut. Rock section- tape quality is rough but sounds good. 5:20, Plant sings emotionally on the last verses. 6:25, some sloppy chording on the outro. 6:48, about the best Plant you'll hear in 73. No rating.

Dazed- 1:37, almost sounds like Page is using the bow on the intro. Good start. The first workout starts off with the usual jam then takes a turn as Page and Robert jump into the second half of the second workout, featuring an intense guitar/vocal duel and improvised jamming. 11:12, finally reaching the San Fran section with Plant's usually scratchy vocals sounding excellent this time around. Second workout- 20:40, Page going into shred mode. 22:20, getting an excellent flow going. 23:00, Page feeling it. 23:10, blistering run. 23:20, another one. 23:40, Jimmy starts playing Jones' circular bass line like he's teasing him. Mars- 24:52, minor chord flub. 25:30, Page even having fun with the climax section. The outro features more blazing wah soaked runs and responses from Plant. Fantastic and unique version with Page in God mode. "A++".

Stairway- Intro and verses sounding very good. 5:15, powerful vocal. Solo- Page wastes no time and gets in a groove right off the bat. 7:53, the softer part features some speedy finger work. 8:38, hard to tell if he played these phrases correctly. Last phrases played in a simplistic fashion but still good. Plant returns on the climax and strains to stick with the higher register. 10:01, slight vocal crack. 10:08, possibly another. Outro sounds solid. The recording undoubtedly masks some of the details but an excellent Plant with a solid Jimmy automatically warrants an "A+".

Heartbreaker- Bonham gets his slow, booming intro started. Audio has serious fluctuation issues on the beginning. Plant still sounding strong throughout the verses. Solo- the build up is done nicely. Smear section- pretty good, nothing spectacular. Bouree is short. Fast section- 6:04, repeats this phrase six times but it works. He sounds a little hesitant to let his fingers fly and the phrasing is a bit choppier than usual. A tape cut ends the recording. "B+" for what we have.

WLL- Another Bonham intro. 2:08, Jimmy does some weird chording on the first funk jam, possibly intentional but it has a dissonant sound. Theremin section has Jimmy going wild as Jones and Bonham duel it out, followed by a nice improv jam. 5:50, sounds like Robert sings "Excuse me" before the return solo. Solo- solid. Recording gets a little worse. 6:44, Robert taking advantage of his strong vocals tonight. Boogie Chillen- 9:42, Plant comes in on the wrong measure causing some confusion but they keep it together. Solo- articulation could be better. 11:17, pretty loose here. He gets in a better groove on the quiet part. For whatever reason they skip any more medley songs and jump to the Coda. "B".

The Ocean- Excellent tempo and energy. First solo- heavy wah effect but played well. 3:25, Page having some trouble getting on track. They get through the outro but it's not the tightest playing. "B+" at best. 

Final Assessment- After only listening to pieces of this show I'm glad I sat through it as there's definitely some gems. Dazed is the main standout as it might be the most unique version, being played completely out of order but done so without missing a beat. Jimmy and Robert both hit a peak on SIBLY, making for an excellent rendition. Stairway is also very solid. However it's not without flaws and run of the mill sounding performances. Rock And Roll is botched, Celebration Day is lacking some kick, No Quarter is too straight forward and mundane, TSRTS has Jimmy struggling, and WLL is a bit of a letdown. Both highs and lows here, but it's overall a decent show.

Edited April 30, 2022 by gibsonfan159

[1975NQ]

2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 7/23/1973 Baltimore, MD (DADGAD Remaster/ZEPHEAD715 merge)

A pretty rough audience source requiring some bootleg ears but this is considered one of the better shows of the year, so it's worth an attempted nitpicking.

Rock And Roll- Plant his usually scratchy self for the time period but the energy is good. Solo- 3:17, Jones flub as he jumps to the D phrase a measure early and gets out of sync with the others. Luckily he realizes when the solo ends and makes the appropriate pause at 3:39 to get back on track. The solo itself sounds pretty solid. The final verses sound good. The Jones flub certainly puts a dent in this one as it throws off the whole feel of the solo (and it's eerily similar to the Providence flub). "B".

Celebration Day- Intro sounds a bit sluggish from Jim. Plant has smoothed out some. First solo- solid. 1:58, Plant singing powerfully. Outro solo- Page takes a while to get going. 2:58, finally some decent runs. By 3:15 he slows down again. Nothing to see here. "B".

Black Dog- Intro sounds decent. Plant has warmed up nicely now. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- Some tape warbling makes this a tough listen. 4:28, flub. Overall not bad but critiquing the solo is near impossible. "A-".

OTHAFA- The monstrous bends on the Black Dog solo has Page's guitar out of tune and he stops the intro to correct it. Rob sounding strong on the verses. Solo- starting with the usual slow build up. 3:50-4:15, now here we go as Page hits shred mode. 5:13, vocal squeak. Robert sounding a bit rougher on the last verses. Outro is good. "B+" overall with a pretty excellent solo. 

MMH- Plant giving his all on the verses. 2:15, impressive but painful sounding vocal. +1 nodule. Solo- solid. 3:53, Jones flub. Sounded alright overall but this tape hides a lot. "A-" considering that noticeable piano flub.

SIBLY- Unfortunately the severe tape warble makes a mess of the fast intro. Page's playing and phrasing is top notch on the slower part however. Plant sings with lots of emotion through the verses, putting excellent emphasis on every line. Solo- ripping an aggressive run on the start. 4:27, some unusual low octave bends. Nice phrasing and passionate bends for this one. 6:03, Plant going all out. Outro is is more of the same excellence. I'll assume that intro was perfect and say top tier, "A++".

No Quarter- 1:42, Jones flub. The vocals are a tough listen due to the recording but the verses sound decent. Jones' section is very simplistic but good enough. Solo- 7:30, some harsh sounding phrases. 7:40, some notes sound off but it could be tape warble. The phrasing is steady though not the best I've heard. 8:55, getting into a better groove here. 9:19, some trills with string bending. Not a bad solo but nothing jumps out as notable. 12:00, strong vocals. The tape quality no doubt lowers the overall impact of this version but then again there's nothing technically astonishing like I've heard on other versions from the same year, so by that calibration, "B+".

TSRTS- Intro played well. 1:23, chord sounds off but it could be the tape. 2:20, unusual vocal as Plant is feeling good. Solo- 3:02-3:05, some off sounding notes. 3:19, Robert hitting the high notes. Outro- good except for the last bit at 4:50, where Page gets off track with his phrasing. Plant again reaching his vocal limits at the end. Certainly not the most technically precise but there's ample energy here. Also the tape warbles make it difficult to judge the accuracy of the playing. "B".

The Rain Song- 0:58, excellent vocals. Plant improvising to tell people to sit down. Guitar/mellotron duel sounding nice. 3:57, pretty big tape cut. Rock section- tape quality is rough but sounds good. 5:20, Plant sings emotionally on the last verses. 6:25, some sloppy chording on the outro. 6:48, about the best Plant you'll hear in 73. No rating.

Dazed- 1:37, almost sounds like Page is using the bow on the intro. Good start. The first workout starts off with the usual jam then takes a turn as Page and Robert jump into the second half of the second workout, featuring an intense guitar/vocal duel and improvised jamming. 11:12, finally reaching the San Fran section with Plant's usually scratchy vocals sounding excellent this time around. Second workout- 20:40, Page going into shred mode. 22:20, getting an excellent flow going. 23:00, Page feeling it. 23:10, blistering run. 23:20, another one. 23:40, Jimmy starts playing Jones' circular bass line like he's teasing him. Mars- 24:52, minor chord flub. 25:30, Page even having fun with the climax section. The outro features more blazing wah soaked runs and responses from Plant. Fantastic and unique version with Page in God mode. "A++".

Stairway- Intro and verses sounding very good. 5:15, powerful vocal. Solo- Page wastes no time and gets in a groove right off the bat. 7:53, the softer part features some speedy finger work. 8:38, hard to tell if he played these phrases correctly. Last phrases played in a simplistic fashion but still good. Plant returns on the climax and strains to stick with the higher register. 10:01, slight vocal crack. 10:08, possibly another. Outro sounds solid. The recording undoubtedly masks some of the details but an excellent Plant with a solid Jimmy automatically warrants an "A+".

Heartbreaker- Bonham gets his slow, booming intro started. Audio has serious fluctuation issues on the beginning. Plant still sounding strong throughout the verses. Solo- the build up is done nicely. Smear section- pretty good, nothing spectacular. Bouree is short. Fast section- 6:04, repeats this phrase six times but it works. He sounds a little hesitant to let his fingers fly and the phrasing is a bit choppier than usual. A tape cut ends the recording. "B+" for what we have.

WLL- Another Bonham intro. 2:08, Jimmy does some weird chording on the first funk jam, possibly intentional but it has a dissonant sound. Theremin section has Jimmy going wild as Jones and Bonham duel it out, followed by a nice improv jam. 5:50, sounds like Robert sings "Excuse me" before the return solo. Solo- solid. Recording gets a little worse. 6:44, Robert taking advantage of his strong vocals tonight. Boogie Chillen- 9:42, Plant comes in on the wrong measure causing some confusion but they keep it together. Solo- articulation could be better. 11:17, pretty loose here. He gets in a better groove on the quiet part. For whatever reason they skip any more medley songs and jump to the Coda. "B".

The Ocean- Excellent tempo and energy. First solo- heavy wah effect but played well. 3:25, Page having some trouble getting on track. They get through the outro but it's not the tightest playing. "B+" at best. 

Final Assessment- After only listening to pieces of this show I'm glad I sat through it as there's definitely some gems. Dazed is the main standout as it might be the most unique version, being played completely out of order but done so without missing a beat. Jimmy and Robert both hit a peak on SIBLY, making for an excellent rendition. Stairway is also very solid. However it's not without flaws and run of the mill sounding performances. Rock And Roll is botched, Celebration Day is lacking some kick, No Quarter is too straight forward and mundane, TSRTS has Jimmy struggling, and WLL is a bit of a letdown. Both highs and lows here, but it's overall a decent show.

I think the shitty recording quality that masks flubs you seem to able to catch (your headphones must be much better than mine), Robert being in great voice, and the "high highs" of this show have given it mythic status - for myself included. I've noticed a pattern with some  Zep boots that get mythic status, particularly for Robert's voice - they all have abominable sound quality. Manchester 71, Baltimore 73, Philly 75 are all supposedly killer nights for Plant. I find all of them rough listens, and I have some serious bootleg ears. Philly is the easiest to stomach of the 3.

Anyway, just a thought. In the 80s, I had a horrible quality boot of 10-2-72 and thought for years it was a magic show. When a much clearer boot surfaced, it was a rude awakening. 

I'd still put Baltimore in the top 3 for the July shows until a soundboard comes out to prove me wrong lol. Curious what your thoughts are on Pittsburgh, as I think that show is killer and hugely underrated.

Edited April 30, 2022 by 1975NQ

[gibsonfan159]

17 minutes ago, 1975NQ said:

Philly 75 are all supposedly killer nights for Plant

You might be mistaken about Philly 75. It's an excellent Page show but Plant is clearly subpar.

[1975NQ]

1 hour ago, gibsonfan159 said:

You might be mistaken about Philly 75. It's an excellent Page show but Plant is clearly subpar.

Well, that was kind of my point in the post. Most Zep fans think Robert's having a great night at Philly, one of his best of the year (going off of YouTube comments, this forum, and some reddit posts). But the shitty sound quality may be masking the reality. So when you say "you are mistaken", you're making it sound like I was asserting something that I wasn't. I was saying that is ^supposedly^ a killer night in reference to my original point about sound quality. Capiche?

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by 1975NQ

[JohnOsbourne]

52 minutes ago, 1975NQ said:

I think the shitty recording quality that masks flubs you seem to able to catch (your headphones must be much better than mine), Robert being in great voice, and the "high highs" of this show have given it mythic status - for myself included. I've noticed a pattern with some  Zep boots that get mythic status, particularly for Robert's voice - they all have abominable sound quality. Manchester 71, Baltimore 73, Philly 75 are all supposedly killer nights for Plant. I find all of them rough listens, and I have some serious bootleg ears. Philly is the easiest to stomach of the 3.

Anyway, just a thought. In the 80s, I had a horrible quality boot of 10-2-72 and thought for years it was a magic show. When a much clearer boot surfaced, it was a rude awakening. 

I'd still put Baltimore in the top 3 for the July shows until a soundboard comes out to prove me wrong lol. Curious what your thoughts are on Pittsburgh, as I think that show is killer and hugely underrated.

Yeah, I was a little surprised by the somewhat lukewarm review of this show, in particular the relatively low grade for NQ.  

[1975NQ]

8 minutes ago, JohnOsbourne said:

Yeah, I was a little surprised by the somewhat lukewarm review of this show, in particular the relatively low grade for NQ.  

I was as well. I love the NQ from this night

[JohnOsbourne]

52 minutes ago, 1975NQ said:

I was as well. I love the NQ from this night

Agreed, it has hints of '75 in it.

[gibsonfan159]

3 hours ago, 1975NQ said:

Well, that was kind of my point in the post. Most Zep fans think Robert's having a great night at Philly, one of his best of the year (going off of YouTube comments, this forum, and some reddit posts). But the shitty sound quality may be masking the reality. So when you say "you are mistaken", you're making it sound like I was asserting something that I wasn't. I was saying that is ^supposedly^ a killer night in reference to my original point about sound quality. Capiche?

 

 

Gotcha. Just thought you might've been thinking of something else because I've never seen anyone praise him there. He's still obviously dealing with the effects of influenza.

[1975NQ]

3 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Gotcha. Just thought you might've been thinking of something else because I've never seen anyone praise him there. He's still obviously dealing with the effects of influenza.

Yeah it's possibly a confirmation bias thing, which is something I've been thinking about a lot with these low fidelity bootlegs. You get an idea in your head that something sounds better than it really is, and your imagination fills in the gaps. And then you hear your opinion echoed back to you in comment sections on YouTube or wherever else, and it confirms your opinion (talking about myself here). I think Plant sounds pretty decent at Philly once he's warmed up (by 75 standards) but a soundboard could reverse that opinion for sure.

.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 4/1/1973 Paris, France (3rd Gen/sources 1 and 2)

Not the greatest tape quality as the first few numbers are pretty rough and distant with frequency fluctuations throughout. It's still very listenable if you picture yourself in the back row. There's almost no crowd noise which helps.

Rock And Roll- Robert just a little raspy but not bad at all. Solo- impossible to judge under the distant recording but the phrasing sounds perfect. 3:12, powerful vocal. Solid playing for the opener, "A".

OTHAFA- Intro has a tape cut but otherwise sounds good. 1:17, slight vocal crack. Verses sounding decent. Solo- 3:00-3:20, Jimmy shredding and it's a shame the recording isn't clearer. 5:20, guitar flub on the outro. "A-".

Black Dog- Slightly up tempo with lots of attitude. Plant sounding solid through the verses. 3:27, despite sounding good he reserves his air raid scream here. Solo- Articulation is anyone's guess but the phrasing and bends sound excellent. I'll give this the benefit of the doubt and say "A".

MMH- Excellent energy on the verses. Solo- sounds good. Bonham doing his usual kit destruction throughout. Very solid version from what I can make out. "A+".

SIBLY- Fades in near the end of the fast intro. Jim puts down perfect phrasing with flawless playing to get started. The tape gets more distant during the verses. Solo- some start/stop phrasing to kick it off. Jim's playing with tons of energy, maybe a bit too wild. 5:06-5:10, the final phrases and bends are excellent. Plenty of energy on the returning verses. 6:47, voice crack. 7:11, Robert goes all out for an unearthly scream. Very nice version that needs a soundboard release. "A+".

Dancing Days- Sounds like a solid performance throughout. The bass distorts the recording badly at 2:30 and again toward the end. "A".

BYAS- Tape gets fairly rough and distant here but I hear nothing off the mark. "A".

TSRTS- Could be the tape but Jimmy's twelve string sounds very strange on the start. The playing sounds great however and the tempo is frantic. Plant sings with lots of emotion through the verses. First solo- fairly nimble playing. 3:00, some altered phrasing. Plant sounds fantastic on the California section. Outro- 4:20, Page's fingers absolutely on fire. 4:44, killing it all the way through. Plant going all out toward the end. Top tier version judging by the recording, but of course it could be hiding some mistakes. "A++".

The Rain Song (included with TSRTS on this version)- Excellent start. Guitar/Mellotron duel played well. Rock section- Robert is all but drowned out but sounds fairly average. Outro- Solid playing. "A".

Dazed- The bass fluctuates between soft and deafening on the beginning. 1:18, Bonzo feeling playful so early is a good sign. First workout- Smoking jam session as everyone goes off. 4:47, Jim doing some insanely fluid country licks. San Fran comes in nicely and is played perfectly. Second Workout- 15:05, Page and Bonham getting locked in. 15:30, Jimmy bending notes with extreme precision. 17:45, Jim leading the others as they try to keep up. 19:17-19:30, lightning fast and fluid runs. 20:16, Page's fingers becoming god like. Mars- Nailed the intro and no strings out of tune this time. 21:40. ascending riff seemingly going up forever. Climax is great until 22:08, where Bonham and Page mis-time each other for the next riff. Nothing major however. Outro- Page still going with some nimble playing. He stomps the wah and continues shredding on another level, bending strings to their max. And of course we end with a killer Bonzo drum finale. Phenomenal playing especially from Jim. "A++".

Stairway- 3:06, Plant going for some high notes. Solo- Excellent start. 6:38-6:45, doing two back to back ascending runs that sound nice. The softer part features the usual fluid playing. The final phrases are spot on. The recording quality lowers the overall impact but it's a great solo, with Jimmy playing a bit more focused and not overdoing it. The climax has Plant sounding good but noticeably reserved considering his vocal power tonight. I was expecting him to go all out. Very solid version. "A+".

WLL- Tape gets slightly more distant. Good energy to start. The short funk jam sounds solid but nothing over the top. 2:20, an awkward transition to the theremin section. 3:00, the recording drops the bass and drums completely out. "Everybody" sounds good as they end it with a frantic climax. Solo- sounds good. Boogie Chillen- the usual start. Solo- articulation is impossible to judge but he's on fire with the phrasing, which is slightly different than usual. 10:19, round two. Baby I Don't Care- Good throughout. Let's Have A Party- Page's solo is perfectly gritty. I Can't Quit You/You Shook Me- played extremely heavy. 18:02, Page unsurprisingly shreds his guitar on the solos. Unfortunately a chunk of it is cut. 20:00-20:23, ridiculous. Some lemon squeezing toward the end. Tape cut before the ending. For what we have and for what is audible, I'd definitely say "A+" if not higher for the medley alone.

 

Final Assessment- As per the luck of Zep, we get another phenomenal performance on a lower tier recording. C'est la vie. But this one is worth a listen as it's mostly above average from start to finish with an excellent sounding Plant for the era. Page is cooking throughout the show. TSRTS could be the most impressive live version I've heard but that's a tough call with the tape quality. SIBLY, Dazed, STH, and WLL all feature top level playing with pretty much no flubs. Now this is one we need a soundboard for. 

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 4/2/1973 Paris, France (Two Source Merge)

The last recorded show of the European tour. Mostly the very good EVSD "Vive Le Zeppelin" source with a very distant second audience source to fill the gaps. 

Rock And Roll- That distant second source kicks off the opener. Robert sounds a bit hoarse per usual before getting warmed up. Energy is thumping and the tempo is pretty fast. Solo- articulation may be suspect underneath the murky audio. 2:17, Page's phrasing gets a little loose for the last measure but nothing off track. 3:21, Plant warming up some. Nice finish by Bonham. "A-".

OTHAFA-  0:12, slight flub. Page plays the intro sounding overly cautious and unconfident. Plant still not fully warmed up but holds the verses together well enough. Solo- Shredding right off the start. 3:16, and we're off to the races. 3:31, massive drum fill. Page nailing every phrase and bend so far. 3:49, I think he jumps into the ending phrase early here but just plays it through. Robert sings more confidently on the last verses. Outro is played perfectly. Points have to be deducted for that lackluster intro but don't let that take away from the rest of it. "B+".

Black Dog- Verses are devastatingly heavy. 3:38, excellent scream from Plant. Solo- 3:57, Bonham pushing it along. 4:08, maybe it's a product of the echo heavy recording but sounds like Page is doing some kind of palm muted chicken pickin type phrasing. He sticks to the big bends and avoids any fast runs but it's still a solid solo. I think the previous night's solo had more enthusiasm but this one isn't bad at all. Another monstrous finish by Bonham. "A".

MMH- Medium tempo and sounding very heavy. Jim nails the straightforward solo. Good enthusiasm and solid playing from everyone. "A".

SIBLY- Page sounds just a little sticky on the fast intro. The slower part features some very delicate playing, done flawlessly. Plant's opening note is perfectly controlled and he sings the verses in dramatic fashion. Solo- everything here is phenomenal- playing, phrasing, passion. Bonham's energy is also off the charts. One of those must listen solos. 7:19, nice scream from Plant but not as powerful as the previous night's. 7:21, sounds like Page tries to play with his fingers but misses the strings. Not a technically perfect version but there's nothing to stop it from being "A+". I'd love to hear the 4/1 version with this audio quality for comparison.

Dancing Days- Robert delivers nicely on the verses. Solid so far. 3:08, Jim close to botching the solo. That ending brings this down to a "B" and that's a shame considering the effort put into the rest. 

BYAS- Bonham sounding nice on backup. Excellent vibes on this one. The breakdown includes the usual Black Mountain Rag and That's The Way teases. The crowd joins in for the finale clapping in time. Excellent version. "A++".

TSRTS- Thunderous intro played nicely. Verses played well. First solo- Exuberant energy and somehow Page keeps up. 2:55, Jones however misses a step here. Plant really pushing his limits on the California Sunlight section, cracking once. Outro energy is just furious as Page seemingly nails everything. Plant strains a bit toward the end. A close run with the 4/1 version but I'd still give the first night the edge. "A-".

Rain Song- Audio quality is superb and the mix between the instruments is just right. First verses sounding great. Guitar/Mello section flawless. Rock section- hold on tight because Bonzo blasts this one into space. Plant sounds pretty hesitant though. Second source comes in near the end. Ending sounds well played despite a small cut. "A+".

Dazed- Recording cuts in on the first verses. First workout- Page wastes no time going into a flurry of noodling. One of the more energetic ones I recall though a bit short. San Francisco- intro has that magical, ethereal energy. The transition to the bow section is astounding. Second workout- good start with maximum energy. 16:44, insanity in musical form. 17:12, neat descending riff. 17:30, Bonham pushing the tempo. Mars- intro is a little sluggish from Bonham but it's still powerful overall. Climax is played flawlessly. Plant rushes through the vocals on the last verses. Outro- a bit disappointing as Jimmy avoids the usual wah licks played at maximum speed. At least Bonzo ends it with a nice finish. The first workout was certainly a hook in the lip but the rest was fairly average as Jim didn't really ascend into shred mode. Still a very solid version with no noticeable flaws. "A". 

Stairway- Tempo dragging quite a bit. Good verses but there are tape speed fluctuations throughout. Solo- Nice start. 7:08, Bonham throws in an accent the same time Jimmy starts a phrase and it clashes a bit. 7:29, Page plays some unique riffing patterns that sound excellent as the rhythm is matched by Bonham. 7:50, almost sounds like the end phrase. 7:55, a screaming lead in to the soft part, which isn't very soft at all as Page plays aggressively. Bonham's drumming is very dynamic throughout the solo, sometimes working sometimes not. The final phrases are played superbly. Tremendous effort and enthusiasm by Page. 9:00, bad vocal crack on the climax. The verses here didn't impress me much the solo alone makes it a worthwhile listen. "B+" overall.

WLL- Chaotic sounding intro. Thumping verses with lots of swagger. The funk jam is a little disjointed as they attempt to experiment with it. The theremin section is also a bit shorter than usual. Page goes into "Somebody" with extreme confidence and Plant is sounding excellent. Solo- very nice. Boogie Chillen- Robert goes from "Laying down" to "Going Down" as they switch songs. Solo- Page takes a second to get going but it's solid playing. Now we're back to Chillen. 11:17, maybe a little sticky. 11:52, nimble playing. Baby I don't Care- 13:39, Jim hits some bad chords at the end but otherwise good. Let's Have A Party- inferior source cuts in but it's a good performance. ICQYB/You Shook Me- Plant sounding very powerful now. 17:59, sounds like Plant hits an ungodly high note but I'm fairly certain it's tape distortion. Solo- classic Page shredding. 20:58, unique sounding pulloff lick. 21:21-21:38, whoo boy. Very raunchy playing. Like dirty dancing but with Jim's fingers. The return to the main riff transitions perfectly. 25:02, Page botches the ending phrases pretty badly. Well, it's not the most solid version overall but the highs are really high. An absolute shame the better recording cuts out before Jim's best playing. But if you take those high points out there are several flubs and some awkward jams early on. "B+" overall but the medley is quite impressive.

Heartbreaker- Inferior source for this. Verses are pretty good. Solo- 3:04, smear section is sloppier than average. 3:56, no Bouree this time. 4:06, getting off track. 4:58, sloppy. 5:04, goes into a unique transition. 5:09, intentional or not it sounds off key. 5:50-6:10, very sloppy. The return is decent. "C+".

Final Assessment- I didn't think the band were as dynamic or as in step as the previous night but there are certainly some highlights. Plant never seemed to get fully warmed up and sounded weaker as the show went on. Not sure what happened with the encore but it felt like they were in a hurry to get through it. We now have all current Euro 73 recordings nitpicked, so everyone needs to get out there and find new ones. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by gibsonfan159

[William Austin]

Now that Euro is all done, will you follow up with the remaining May shows? (Houston, DFW, LA…)

[gibsonfan159]

3 hours ago, William Austin said:

Now that Euro is all done, will you follow up with the remaining May shows? (Houston, DFW, LA…)

possible, but not in the near future.

 

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page- Madison Square Garden, New York 1973

A combination of mostly SBD with AUD sources used to fill in gaps and missing songs. I'm using the Eddie Edwards remasters for this since I imagine it's the more popular version, however it's not the most complete.

7/27/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol1 - Eddie Edwards)

Rain Song- Cuts in during the guitar/mellotron section. 2:21, some off notes from the Tron. Plant sounding very good. Rock Section- tremendous energy and Plant belts out some banshee screams. 6:18, Page late on a chord here and rushes to catch up. "B+" for what we have.

Dazed- The band is nearly drowned out by constant screams of "Sit down" from the crowd. First workout- energy off the charts as Page finds his groove. San Fran- excellent transition with Plant sounding very good. 8:30, masterful dynamics from Jim. Second Workout- recording is a bit murky through here. 16:48, using the wah pedal early on unlike all previous versions. Very good groove so far. 17:30, wah pedal again. 17:47, articulation isn't bad but also not great. 18:22, funk jam full of energy as Page's fingers loosen up for some nimble runs. 20:40, firecracker explosion and Plant feigns being shot. 21:36, Plant hitting some fairly high registers. 22:33, a little clunky on these phrases. Mars- solid. 23:43, Jones following Page up the scale. Climax played flawlessly. Outro- Page dishing out the usual wah licks. Not quite on the level of the Euro outros but still good. No reason not to call it a solid "A".

Stairway- "This is a song of hope, and it's a very quiet song so shut up". Should've been on the film. 2:20, a firecracker apparently throws Jim off a bit as he hesitates on a chord. The mellotron is dangerously close to being out of tune. 5:00, everything except the vocals drops out for a few seconds. 6:37, nice drum dynamics from Bonzo. Solo- good start. 7:46, awkward sounding phrase intentional or not. 8:28, slight flub. The quieter part has Jim playing fluidly and phrasing nicely as Jones perfectly imitates the "All Along The Watchtower" bass line. 9:38-9:42, just a little sticky. Final phrases sounding excellent. Outside of a few flubs Page kept a steady stream of fluid phrases going. Plant drops out on the climax but can still be heard in the background, sounding pretty good. Page's outro on the twelve string isn't perfectly played but it's nothing too off. I think it's fair to call this one rough around the edges although it has a certain magic. "B+".

Heartbreaker- Bonham's signature groove setting intro. 0:46, Jim flub. Verses sound solid. Solo- the usual start. 3:34, Jim trying out some new phrases. Smear section- not the best. Actually pretty sticky. The rockabilly jam sounds great however. Fast section- 5:52, off track a little. 6:07, ladies and gents, we have some turkey gobbles. Not great. "B".

WLL- Good energy and groove to start. The funk jam has some loose chording from Jim but otherwise good. Theremin section sounds good and the solo is played perfectly. "Everybody Needs Somebody" is skipped for these NY shows. 6:22, powerful vocal. Boogie Chillen- Robert delivers convincing vocals on the initial verses. Solo- Page nails down the usual phrases very well and the first half is played with solid articulation. 11:40, slight hangup near the end. And that's all the medley we get. 12:40, the outro groove has tremendous swagger and the boys end it with a thunderous finish. Seems rather blasphemous to have a WLL this short, but it is what it is. "A-".

The Ocean- Excellent start and verses. 2:09, either Jim drops out or the guitar feed drops out. Solo- 4:00, not the most fluid phrasing but it's still fairly good. 4:18, Plant straining a bit to sing in key. Not too bad. "A-".

Final Assessment- Not too bad for what we have but Jim seemed to be struggling in some areas. Dazed is very good.

7/28/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol2 - Eddie Edwards)

Rock And Roll- Medium tempo and lots of attitude to kick off the second night. Plant just a little rough on the verses. Solo- The "smear" start sounds appropriately played. Phrasing is on point as Jimmy lays down a good one. Outro sounds good. "A".

Celebration Day- Solid start and verses sounding good. First solo- perfect. Outro- very raunchy playing with nice phrasing. Excellent. "A+".

Black Dog- Bring It On Home intro a little loose from Jim. Verses sound decent though there's not much power behind Plant's voice. 2:35, vocal squeak. Plant does get a decent scream in before the solo. Solo- I think Page rushes this one a little as it sounds pretty erratic, as if he's cramming in as much as possible. 4:32, not the best articulation. Overall it's still an excellent solo, just a bit too excited. "B+".

OTHAFA- Intro is good with no flaws. Opening verses has Plant sounding more warmed up. Solo- 3:12, excellent speedy set of runs. Phrasing is mostly good with nice transitions. 3:50, just a hair sticky. Last verses sounding nice and the outro is good. "A+".

MMH- Sounding good off the bat. 2:21, powerful vocal. Solo- sounds good as the panning effects are very obviously overdone. Solid throughout. "A".

SIBLY- Fast intro not perfectly fluid but still pretty good. The slower part is phrased well throughout. Plant's vocals are fairly subdued through the verses although his delivery is good. The dry soundboard does this song no favors. 3:50, Jim extending this trill. Solo- good start. 4:43, sticky. Page doesn't get completely loosened up but overall it's still played well. 7:30, Plant finally screaming with confidence. Not a bad version at all. Is it on par with others of the year (i.e. Providence)? Not even close. It's actually a bit of a sleepy performance by comparison. "B+".

No Quarter- Intro and first verses sounding good. Jones' section is moody, dark, and atmospheric. Solo- Jim drops in and starts an endless array of excellent phrasing backed by perfectly fluid playing. This is the full potential of 1973 Page in action. 7:28, this is a phrase Jimmy has dabbled with in other versions but none of them is done as well as this one. It's perfectly timed and in sync with the rhythm. 8:45, killing it. Not an understatement to call this THE No Quarter solo. The return is good and they finish strong for a standout version. "A+++".

TSRTS- Solid playing on the intro. Verses also sound good. First solo- top notch phrasing and I don't hear Jim miss one note. Plant pushes his vocals on the California Sunlight section but manages quite well. Outro- 5:44, very minor hang up. Other than that, more high level playing from Jimbo. Very good. "A++".

Rain Song- Verses sound great and the guitar/mellotron section is perfectly intricate. Rock section- the dry soundboard kind of subdues the gut punching energy but it's a good one. Outro- solid as it gets. "A++".

Dazed- Starts off solid as usual. First workout- Page gets going on some lower octave phrasing that's not the most impressive I've heard. 6:00-6:48 is much better as Jim gets into a good flow of gritty improvised runs. The transition to San Fran is solid but not quite as smooth as the previous night and Plant squeaks a bit through the verses. Second Workout- Page gets going with some solid noodling to start. He avoids using the wah pedal unlike the previous night. 19:08-19:24, a little sticky. 20:45, sticky fingers. 21:00, Jim plays a couple riffs of "Crossroads" before slowing it down. 23:08, rockabilly type phrases. 23:48, he gets on track here for an excellent series of fluid runs. Mars- intro is good though I do miss the giant drum fills leading in. Solid playing. The build up to the climax is well done. 26:00, Bonham's lead in to the climax is unorthodox and throws everyone off for a few seconds. Last verses sounding good. Finale- 28:47, Page hangs up a bit on the phrasing. Otherwise an excellent ending as Page works his wah pedal magic. Fantastic drum outro also. Obviously not the greatest version on a technical level but the energy and enthusiasm are still here. "B+".

Stairway- Fantastic mood being set on the first verses. 6:08, excellent drum dynamics. Solo- Jimmy wastes no time getting to work on some good runs. The soft section has the usual nice fluidity and phrasing. 8:52, some stickiness. 9:00, this strummed section not played the smoothest but nothing bad. Final phrases are played well with nice accents from Bonzo. Plant sounding excellent on the climax. Outro- good. "A-".

Heartbreaker- Verses sounding good. Solo- smear section sounds fairly good, just a bit sticky. No rockabilly noodling tonight. Fast section starting off well. Page keeps a steady stream of phrases going. 6:35-7:10, some sticky runs on the final phrases will undoubtedly bring this one down. "A-".

WLL- Jim is absent on the start but soon comes in. The raunch and groove of the initial verses is excellent. Funk jam- Page gets in the zone for a water tight groove with Jones and Bonham. Theremin section is ultra spacey. 4:44, back with some awesome right hand riffing as Plant asks "Where's That Confounded Bridge?".  Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- the usual start. Solo- 9:38, not quite as fluid as he usually does it but not bad. The quieter section has the usual solid Page noodling. Plant sounds impressive on the return as the band takes us out with the same swagger. Obviously too short but it's a solid "A". 

The Ocean- Page's guitar tone thick as molasses. Plant almost pushing his vocals to squeak level on the first verses. Lots of enthusiasm on this. Solo- wah soaked goodness. 2:30, wrong notes by Jim. Outro- 3:15, a bit sluggish with the phrasing. Plant's outro vocals here aren't as good as 7/27 (even though he was a little out of key). Maybe "A-" overall. 

Final Assessment- This show will forever stand out as the base structure of three of the best live versions ever recorded- No Quarter, TSRTS, and The Rain Song, all performed pretty much flawlessly. There are several other very solid versions of songs performed this night. 

7/29/1973 (The Garden Tapes Vol3- Eddie Edwards)

Rock And Roll- Robert cracking badly on the opening verses. Solo- 2:38, I don't think one note was actually hit on the first set of phrases. The rest is played well however. The energy was there but's not the most explosive version. "B+".

Celebration Day- Excellent start. Plant still a bit squeaky. First solo- nailed. Outro- Page knocks down some solid lead work as they finish up. Very good version though Plant is subdued. "A".

Black Dog- Plant warming up some now. Verses sound good throughout. Solo- good flow on the phrasing as Page sounds more focused this time around. Spot on. "A+".

OTHAFA- Intro played perfectly. Verses not too bad but Plant sounds like 1973 Plant. Solo- Good start on the lower 3:05-3:30, Page is on another level with some awesome phrasing and nimble articulation. The last verses has everyone sounding good. 5:04, tough to hear but Page hits a wrong note here. Very good version, neck and neck with the 28th version. "A+".

MMH- Verses sounding pretty good. Solo- no mistakes here. 4:18, Jimmy's palm mutes on the riff sound very nice, adding lots of attitude. Solid version. "A".

SIBLY- Fast intro has a slight hang up at the end but otherwise very good. The slower part has perfect phrasing as usual. Verses good throughout. Solo- Top notch playing from Jimmy all around. Standout solo. 5:22, Jones copying Page with the bass synth. The last verses have Plant pouring his heart out, even getting some good screams in. Excellent. "A++".

No Quarter- Opening and first verses sounding good. Jones' section gets menacing once he starts using the bass pedals. Page's rhythmic riffing fits the moody atmosphere perfectly. Solo- 7:12, getting some fluid runs in early. Jim stays in the zone throughout, phrasing nicely. 9:28, switch to a dreadful AUD source for a few seconds as Page works his wah pedal. 10:43, he finishes up with a speedy run. A very good solo almost on par with the previous night. The return is good as Plant sings somberly and Page takes us out with the wah. Very solid but it could've used a hair more enthusiasm. "A".

TSRTS- Intro played well but the tempo is a little sluggish. Verses are even more sluggish. 2:34, even Bonham's drum fill sounds asleep. First solo- finally some life. 3:40, not the most fluid here but not bad. Plant holds steady on the California vocals. Outro- 4:55, much better drum fill. 5:31, Jones attempts an ascending bass line that ends awkwardly. Page's fingers are on fire. 5:51, Plant squeak. Sleepy first half but the second half is good. Still rough around the edges. "B+".

Rain Song- Nice start with Plant sounding phenomenal. 2:00, mellotron getting a little wonky. 3:44, either a bad note or a string out of tune. 4:17, wrong note by Jones. Rock section- Jones' bass pedals don't come through at all making it feel shallow. Apart from that very good. Outro is solid and the big finish would have to be the most energetic one I've heard for the song, with Page, Bonzo, and Plant all going out with a bang. It doesn't really save this version however. "B".

Dazed- The usual start. First workout- 4:45, comes to a halt for a second. 5:14, some sticky articulation. 5:52, sounding much better once Jim moves to the higher octaves. Not the most impressive however. The San Fran transition is very good with excellent wah riffing from Page. The bow transition also sounding great. Bow section seems rather short at approx. seven minutes. Second workout- 18:48, Page is off to the races with some nice runs. 19:34, these phrases are played more coherently here. 19:43, descending/ascending phrase played well. 20:22, Page gets off track with the phrasing for the start of the funk jam. 21:30, some fluid noodling. 23:44, Jones' bass phrasing sounding very unusual here as Page shreds away. 25:00- 24:48, Page showcasing his lead work. Mars- Very close to being flubbed as Jim jumps early. 26:07, some wrong notes on guitar as we switch to the distant AUD source. The climax hits perfectly. Outro- Last verses played well. Jim ascends to wah Heaven on the finale. I hate to knock this one too much as it has some excellent sections in it, but it also has some very noticeable loose spots. "B" but still worth a listen. 

Stairway- Unfortunately we stick with the AUD source for this. Solid verses. 4:00, excellent vocal. Solo- sounds like the usually good phrasing but the murky audio is a tough listen. Soft section- 8:08-8:18, magnificent phrasing here. Actually all of this part is top tier phrasing from Jim. Sounds like he skips the strummed part tonight. Final phrases played well. I can't attest to the articulation but it appears to be a solid solo. Plant holds on well for the climax and the outro sounds good with Plant hitting the final high note. "A".

Heartbreaker- Back to the SBD. Nice crunchy guitar tone. 1:10, nice drum dynamics. Verses all sound good. Solo- lead in played nicely. 3:51, this three octave phrase fits better this time. Smear- 4:08, a bit sticky. Fast section- 5:24, bad articulation. His overall flow and fluidity isn't great through here but it's nothing terrible. 6:54-7:07, sloppy. Fairly underwhelming by 73 standards. "B".

WLL- Perfect energy to start. Funk jam features the same odd sounding chording from Jim as the 27th. 2:50, very cool sounding riff jam before going into a solid theremin section. 5:16, funk jam round two. Solo- Very nice. 6:49, some very heavy echo effect on Rob's vocals. He changes the lyrics up for Boogie Chillen. 9:44, Robert comes in a bar late and the first verses sound a bit off. Back on track the next round though. Solo- 10:32, these phrases played well. 10:58-11:05, a bit sloppy. 11:40, the quieter section features some good bluesy noodling. 2:24, energy off the chart on the returning boogie with Bonham doing all sorts of swing techniques. The coda and outro sound pretty decent. The real standout however is Bonham throwing in a five minute drum solo to finish up, sounding very similar to the Dazed outro rhythm. It was the last performance of the tour after all. Not the most technical version but it's decent. "B+". (Plant announces "Next year, maybe")

The Ocean- 1:15, Robert really pushing to sing in the original style. Verses sounding nice. First solo- good. 3:07, nice drum fill. Last verses also solid. Outro- Page transitions much better to this part tonight, not sounding awkward like the previous nights. 4:00, second solo maybe not as good as the 28th but still solid playing. 4:24, Plant singing this part better than the previous two nights, perfectly in line with Page's phrasing. Excellent version and I'd dare to say one of the best I've heard. "A++".

Thank You- Jones graces us with some soulful organ noodling to kick it off, because why not. Not bad for an organ solo. Intro to the song played well and Robert sounds excellent. Verses and chorus sound as good as ever. Solo- 6:26-6:30, phrasing a little loose. 7:10, playing with better energy here. 7:30, Bonham destroying his kit. 7:54, sounding very close to a Marshall Tucker song. Not a bad solo at all but it's clear Page is a little rusty compared to the older versions. The returning verses are excellent. 10:45, Jimmy uses a delay effect on the outro which sounds very good. Plant pours out his heart on the final vocal phrases. "A+".

Final Assessment- Ups and downs all over here. Black Dog, SIBLY and The Ocean stand out as near flawless performances. There are some duds in there as well as Page and the boys didn't seem to play as smoothly on certain tracks.

Overall Opinion- First, we don't have the first half of the first show (which hopefully will change), so not having that to compare with the other shows hurts. Second, not having the SBD for the 29th Stairway sucks because all available sources for it are a rough listen, and I feel like that solo was phenomenal. Third, they had to drop a lot of small bits and pieces and do some rearranging considering these shows were being recorded for use on the film (copyright issues I assume). I think that threw them off a lot on some tracks, namely Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker. Jim really struggled on Heartbreaker without that nice flow of his usual acapella solo phrases and Whole Lotta Love just sounded sad with only one medley song. So what we get is an altered live experience that caters to the film/soundtrack. These shows did however produce some of the band's best highlights of their career. The three song run of TSRTS, TRS, and NQ from the 28th will always be regarded highly. OTHAFA, Celebration Day, and The Ocean are consistently good from all three.

Edited May 30, 2022 by gibsonfan159

[JMH]

^

Yes, don't understand the dismissive comments about the 73 MSG shows. I've got the 28th and 29th boot and they both rock. 28th especially is a stellar show. Maybe the bad rap is due to the less excellent Dazed but hey, there is another 2+ hours of stellar performance.

[JohnOsbourne]

On 12/7/2022 at 2:41 AM, JMH said:

^

Yes, don't understand the dismissive comments about the 73 MSG shows. I've got the 28th and 29th boot and they both rock. 28th especially is a stellar show. Maybe the bad rap is due to the less excellent Dazed but hey, there is another 2+ hours of stellar performance.

The 28th sizzles outside of D&C and STH.  The 29th is an excellent show from start to finish, probably the best overall of the three.  I think the various negative comments the band has made about these shows over the years are unjustified and tend to bias people against them.  They have some of Page's greatest playing ever (D&C and STH from the 27th, NQ from the 28th), obviously they had something good going on those last nights.  

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 5/14/1973 New Orleans, LA (Winston Remaster)

An superb audience recording filled in with soundboard.

Rock And Roll- Plant sounding squeaky but decent for the opener. (1:58, Bonzo switches up the beat and throws Jim's timing off (I'm sure he was laughing his ass off for causing this). Solo- Sticky in places, not the smoothest from Jimmy. Bonham's finish is textbook drumming perfection. "B" overall but it's not a bad start.

Celebration Day- Jimmy nails the intro and the verses sound full of energy. Page nails the first solo perfectly. Outro solo- excellent fluidity and phrasing with Jones going wild as well. Nice one, "A+".

Black Dog- Speedy intro slows down a bit on the verses. Robert sounding dreadful now. He pushes through the verses and gets a decent air raid scream in to cue Jim. Solo- flows fairly well with some nimble playing. 4:48, runs out of steam a little toward the end though. Not terrible, "B+".

OTHAFA- Page flubs the initial intro and starts over but we won't count that. Excellent start with solid verses and Robert holding on well. Solo- 3:20, Page goes into shred mode for some extremely fluid runs. Very good. Plant strains some on the last verses but pushes through well enough. Page's outro is exquisitely done. "A+".

MMH- Plant scratchy on the first chorus. 1:03, He jumps in early for the second set of verses. Solo sounds good. One mishap but otherwise pretty solid. "B+".

SIBLY- Intro played nicely as Jim exudes perfect emotion. 1:17, trips up just a little but jumps right into an impressive run. Plant's opening vocal is downright sad. Solo- Jimmy wastes no time with some face melting phrasing. 4:25, one of the longest fills I've heard from Bonzo. 4:37, bending behind the nut. Eargasm level solo. Plant's return is staggeringly painful as he pushes himself through the final verses. It doesn't kill the vibe but definitely keeps it from being top tier. "A-" because of nodule issues. 

No Quarter- 1:38, minor tape blip. This is one of only three early versions that feature Jimmy playing without using the wah pedal for the main riff. 2:28, Plant sings the same lyric twice. No experimentation from Jones as his acapella section is very straight forward. Solo- Jimmy finds a good groove and keeps the phrasing steady. Compared to later versions it's difficult to be impressed here, but it's a rock solid performance. "A-".

TSRTS- Booming energy to get things started. First solo- Page sounding good. Plant's vocals actually sounding decent on the bridge verses. Outro- 4:45-5:10, Page is just unstoppable here. Not factoring in some scratchy vocals this is an "A++".

The Rain Song- Excellent playing and Robert sounds good throughout the verses. The rock section has Plant's voice cracking in a few spots. Jim's outro is played perfectly. "A-".

Dazed- Plant sounding more warmed up and powerful. First workout gets the energy pumped up as everyone falls into an amazing jam. 5:45, Jimmy dabbles with some "Crossroads" riffs. San Francisco is simply beautiful here and Jim transitions perfectly into the bow section, which lasts about six minutes. Second workout- blasting out of the gate with furious energy. Jimmy is in the zone, noodling away with ease and pushing the others. 18:58, a couple minor flubs, barely noticeable. 21:16, the band pushing themselves into a chaotic frenzy. 22:19, Jones throwing in some unique freeform jazz licks. Mars section- they nail the timing to get it started. 24:00, something happens here and Jimmy gets left behind for a measure. 24:18, more unusual notes from Jones. 24:35, Page and Bonham get out of sync for the climax, causing Bonham to switch up his playing. Nothing too off track however. Plant strains terribly on the "25". Jimmy's outro jam is just unreal. A powerful version with some noticeable flubs near the end. "A-" but a must listen. (Plant states they're nervous playing in their 'Hometown' .)

Stairway- The mood gets set perfectly as Plant sits by the campfire tells the story of meaningless metaphors. 3:45, Jim plays this a little awkwardly, nothing major. 4:45, same phrase again sounding odd. Solo- 7:00, Jimmy gets off to an awkward start as he struggles to get the phrasing down smoothly. 8:05, sticky. The final phrases are played nicely. Some nice parts mixed with some stickiness. Climax- Plant cracks every time he attempts a higher range. He also sings noticeably off key on the outro. Far from the best version but it does have some magic to it. "B".

Moby Dick- Page misses the intro as he's probably still plugging in his Les Paul. Also misses several notes thereafter. The drum solo itself is fairly straightforward. 

Heartbreaker- Bonham plays his acapella intro before the rest jump in. Plant still straining some but managing well enough. 2:23-2:28, Page's phrasing a little off track. 3:55, smear section is overly sloppy. Bouree sounding a hair out of tune. 6:20, sticky on the fast section but nothing too bad. 7:00, now it's sounding kinda bad. Just not a smooth Jimmy here as you can hear the frustration in his playing. "C+".

WLL- Very nice start. Jimmy and Bonzo square off on a James Brown tribute. Robert let's out some blood curdling screams on the theremin section and Jimmy goes nuts with more funk riffing. Solo- perfect. Boogie Chillen- Plant sings the intro verses with passion and the band come in with swaggering attitude. Jimmy shreds through an amazing, top tier solo. 11:00, Plant throwing out everything he's got left. They more than make up for Heartbreaker with this awesome (though disappointingly short) performance. "A++".

Communication Breakdown- Very cool intro with Jimmy and Bonzo finding a groove. Plant is suffering the consequences of that last number and sounds a bit scratchy. Solo- Jim dances up and down the fretboard with ease and gets a little experimental. The "It's Your Thing" jam is fantastic and they wrap it up with explosive energy. "A+".

 

Final Assessment- This show was requested and it was a surprising listen with some hidden gems. A few bustles in the hedgerows as well. Jimmy is up and down, playing phenomenally in some areas and struggling in others. Plant is actually not terrible for the era but he's noticeably hoarse. The energy and attitude is great however and you can feel the vibes from the Nola crowd. The recording is remarkably clear (one of the better audience recordings). TSRTS is near perfection and the two closers are exceptionally done. Also a flawless OTHAFA solo here.

[JMH]

On 8/1/2018 at 6:30 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 1/15/1973 Stoke, UK (Voodoo In The Gardens- Winston Remaster)

Let's jump way back to the UK tour for some contrast. This was supposedly an important show for Bonham because he had friends and family in the audience. A muffled, unbalanced soundboard that doesn't sound too bad. The Winston is the way to go as he managed to bring the guitar up without all the hiss.

Rock And Roll- Bonzo is way up in the mix and Page is way down. Plant is hanging on to what high range he has left. Solo- Phrasing is naturally frantic on the start, but he gets on track for a solid set of runs. The ending phrase is a little off. The energy is there for the song, but this mix does it no favors. "B+".

OTHAFA- Solid intro, played very delicately. Plant opens with the original verse, I'm not used to that. The way he sings the second line of each verse on this version is different than later on, and I honestly think it sounds better. Solo- Decent noodling on the start. 3:10, nimble fingers. Again at 3:18. Very fluid and articulate, though the phrasing could've been better. Plant is squeaky on the return but it almost accents the emotion of the song. 5:18, that walk down and pull-off sounds fantastic. I gotta go "A".

Black Dog- Plant sounds a little subdued as he struggles with his range limits. 1:49, wa-wa-wa-WAAAOW. Solo- Superb phrasing and bends. 4:18, that bend. One of the better solos I think I've heard. "A".

MMH-  Bonham is a one man army on this. Fast paced and very solid. "A".

SIBLY- Not a blazing intro like the later versions, but very good. Plant is holding back quite a bit on the verses. Solo- Nimble fingers, of course. His phrasing is less frantic tonight and the transitions are smooth. Excellent solo. Considering Plant's struggles for 73, "B+".

Dancing Days- 0:39, guitar notes sound off. 3:08-3:17, Page experiments a little. The ending is sudden, but this song really doesn't have one. Plant did well. "B+".

BronYaur Stomp- Sounding good, lots of enthusiasm from Plant. The guitar breakdown is a little too straightforward. Not too bad, "B+".

TSRTS (cut)- Good intro. Not sure if it's the tape, but the verses sound slowed down. First solo- 2:41, excellent run. 3:03, Bonzo and Page get out of sync for a couple of seconds. Outro solo (4:22)- I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the best outro solo for the song I've heard. Page nails the phrasing and Bonham matches the energy perfectly, even doing a unique refrain at 4:38. Shame this isn't complete. "B+" considering the tape cut and Plant's squeaks.

The Rain Song (cut)- Fades in on the mellotron interlude, which sounds like an old movie from the 30s. 2:20, awesome drum fill. Rock section (2:38)- Again, I'm not exaggerating when I say this might be the best rock section of the song I've heard. Cuts out early also. No rating, but take a listen just for the middle part.

Dazed And Confused- Bonham very restless on the first verses, almost destroying his kit right off the bat. First workout- Bonzo and Page have a duel, with Jones just trying to keep up. Some unique stuff going on. Bonzo plays right through the San Fran section and it's simply beautiful. Bad Plant yodel at 6:46. 7:27, he makes up for the yodel here with a killer vocal ad lib. Bow section is barely audible in places, but good. Second workout- 14:40, the high range is back!! 14:42, nope, gone again. Page doesn't really take off like I hoped but he gets a good flow going. Nothing really special for 73. 17:04, Aaand we're looking for that confounded bridge. Takes Page a second to jump in. Honestly one of the better Crunge jams I've heard, too bad Plant never joined in. 23:04-23:10, good noodling by Pagey. Mars, Bringer Of War- I don't think Bonzo was ready but he managed to jump in. 23:48, Bonham hitting the double bass? Whatever it was sounded awesome. Good climax. Bonham goes wild on the finale. I think this one started off impressively but slacked a little after the bow section, but that doesn't really take away from the performance overall. "B+".

Stairway To Heaven (Cut)- Good balanced sound on the verses with that twelve string sounding like a harpsichord. Bonham comes in with a unique beat, the bass drum imitating a heartbeat. 5:19, legends are made from drum fills like this. The organ accents the solo section perfectly. Solo- No words. He's buried in the mix a little, but his phrasing sounds rather unique for the first half, hanging out on the lower notes longer than usual. 7:55, JONES WTF ARE YOU DOING? Mesmerizing solo. Plant strains slightly on the climax vocals, but survives. How have I missed/skipped this version? The last verse is cut but I don't even care. "A".

WLL (Cut)- Comes in at the end of the initial verses. "Everybody Needs Somebody" doesn't work well here. A little high on the cheese scale. Excellent solo. Boogie Chillun- 9:46, listen to those riffs. Solo- For anyone who dares to say Page was always sloppy, let them listen to 10:49-11:30. Some of the most articulate playing from Page ever. Baby, I Don't Care- Solid, not great. Let's Have A Party- Plant gets a little squeaky and the tempo moves like a tranquilized bear. Another excellent solo. The return is excellent and Bonham lays down a final series of drum fills that probably knocked the crowd back ten feet. "A".

Final Assessment- An interesting period considering Plant hasn't fully transformed into "73" Plant yet. There's still some high register in his voice, but he can't actually use it, and you can hear it dwindling away. Page and Bonham are flexing their respective talents. Most of the highlights for this show are best represented in sections rather than entire songs. Black Dog solo, Bonham on MMH, Plant's enthusiasm on BronYaur Stomp, TSRTS outro, Rain Song rock section, first half of Dazed, and the Boogie Chillun solo. OTHAFA and Stairway are must listens for their uniqueness. A new favorite show for myself.

As soon I had heard the whole show, the same here. A new favourite.

Page’s Voodoo Child licks in the beginning of WLL are priceless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Strider]

4 hours ago, JMH said:

As soon I had heard the whole show, the same here. A new favourite.

Page’s Voodoo Child licks in the beginning of WLL are priceless.

 

Stoke 1973 was the first show I heard from the 1972-73 European Tour. Yes, before Offenburg, before Southampton, before Alexandra Palace, before Munich, before Vienna.

As such, I will always have a sentimental attachment to Stoke. Even after hearing all of the other concerts from the tour, Stoke remains in my top 5 from Euro '73 and is definitely my favourite from the UK leg. I just love the sound and impact of Bonham's drums on the soundboard tape.

gibsonfan159, are you going to have some 50th anniversary nitpicking posts for the West Coast Swing of 1973?

Edited May 23, 2023 by Strider