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1977 SHOWS RANKED INTO 3 CATEGORIES


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On 9/15/2018 at 4:13 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

I don't get the love for the 11th. I thought the 10th blew it away both technically and energetically. The 10th, 13th, and 14th are the standouts from that run to me, but they all have their highlights I guess. 

I owe it to Nutrocker for turning me on to to 6.11.77. .It sucks that NY 77 doesn't represent sonicly like LA 77. .Isn't it crazy that we all have different tastes when we talk about shows?  I cringe when someone will say for example 5.24.75 EC is their favourite or the 2nd KW show was killer LOL. . All this chatter about the 9.29 SB coming out yet Im not all that excited. .I was stoked for the Seattle SB last year and was greatful someone gave it to me. . Now if only a 6.22.77 SB would come out. . . 🙏😄 

Edited by Bozoso73
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49 minutes ago, Bozoso73 said:

I owe it to Nutrocker for turning me on to to 6.11.77. .It sucks that NY 77 doesn't represent sonicly like LA 77. .Isn't it crazy that we all have different tastes when we talk about shows?  I cringe when someone will say for example 5.24.75 EC is their favourite or the 2nd KW show was killer LOL. . All this chatter about the 9.29 SB coming out yet Im not all that excited. .I was stoked for the Seattle SB last year and was greatful someone gave it to me. . Now if only a 6.22.77 SB would come out. . . 🙏😄 

5/24/75 is definitely overrated, except for Trampled through to the end.

And yes, a 6/22/77 soundboard would be a Godsend 🙏  I think the fact that the SB of the Noise Solo from 6/23/77 circulates, coupled with the release of the 3/21/75 & 9/29/71 SBs, proves that 6/22/77 and other 'holy grail' SBs likely exist...it's only a matter of time.  And it's certainly encouraging that they would release 3/21/75 & 9/29/71 in consecutive years...

Edited by Bonzo_fan
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9 hours ago, Bozoso73 said:

. . All this chatter about the 9.29 SB coming out yet Im not all that excited. 

I'm with you here. I was originally excited until I compared 9/29 Immigrant Song to 8/31 Orlando. Orlando just blows it away, which made me realize 9/29 probably isn't as great as we think. I'm still happy for anything though.

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2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I'm with you here. I was originally excited until I compared 9/29 Immigrant Song to 8/31 Orlando. Orlando just blows it away, which made me realize 9/29 probably isn't as great as we think. I'm still happy for anything though.

I know this is off topic for this thread but I went back and compared both Orlando and Osaka Immigrant Songs.  Both are essential listening of course but I give the nod to Osaka.  The bass and drums are clearer and much more distinct, and the solo is longer with the wah wah section.    And the rest of the Osaka show is so excellent.  Osaka Celebration Day alone will be worth the price of admission to me.

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1 hour ago, John M said:

, and the solo is longer with the wah wah section.    

Longer or not, Page's playing on Orlando is miles above Osaka. That's really what I was basing my opinion from. 

Edit: In reference to Immigrant Song only.

Edited by gibsonfan159
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One of my favorite things to do is read reminiscences of Zep concerts by people who attended them. One in particular sticks out. The person saw one of the '77 shows. He said the transition from the end of Jimmy's solo to the beginning of Achilles was the most stunning thing he ever saw in the 100 or so concerts he attended. This version from 5/22/77 made me think of how great it must have been to see that; the laser pyramid spinning around Jimmy in his dragon suit, him playing some seemingly random notes, "what song is this?", and then the blinding white lights as they launch into Achilles. Man, how I wish I got to see them live. 

 

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5 hours ago, SteveZ98 said:

One of my favorite things to do is read reminiscences of Zep concerts by people who attended them. One in particular sticks out. The person saw one of the '77 shows. He said the transition from the end of Jimmy's solo to the beginning of Achilles was the most stunning thing he ever saw in the 100 or so concerts he attended. This version from 5/22/77 made me think of how great it must have been to see that; the laser pyramid spinning around Jimmy in his dragon suit, him playing some seemingly random notes, "what song is this?", and then the blinding white lights as they launch into Achilles. Man, how I wish I got to see them live.

The '77 Jimmy solo transition that really sticks out for me is the end of "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" going into "Kashmir."

Jimmy is sitting on a small stool while soloing, and for the last note of Black Mountain Side, Jimmy stands and kicks the stool back in one motion, and immediately launches into the opening chords of the epic "Kashmir," with the power, the full force, the "Hammer Of The Gods..."

I made a mix tape in the 90's with the quick edit between the two songs. Happy Daze! :bubble:

 

Edited by The Rover
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8 minutes ago, The Rover said:

The '77 Jimmy solo transition that really sticks out for me is the end of "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" going into "Kashmir."

Jimmy is sitting on a small stool while soloing, and for the last note of Black Mountain Side, Jimmy stands and kicks the stool back in one motion, and immediately launches into the opening chords of the epic "Kashmir," with the power, the full force, the "Hammer Of The Gods..."

Yes!  That was one of the special moments for me too, June 11, 1977.  I had never heard White Summer before so I kept wondering what is he playing?  Is this a new song?  Then the familiar Black Mountainside started and the intensity built up to that incredible opening of Kashmir.  I had no idea what to expect not knowing the set list in advance.  Not knowing the set list added real mystery and excitement to the show.  I had not seen any reviews of the tour yet and of course there was no internet or social media.   The laser pyramid and the opening to Achilles probably equaled the opening of Kashmir for me.

One other thing that I recall vividly is the lighting during Kashmir as Page did that circular pattern on the stage.

During No Quarter Page took a full run toward the piano and did an abrupt stop right in front of it.  For a second I thought is he going to jump on top of the piano ?  He was that active and mobile during the show.

The opening of the show was pure mania and bedlam.  Then the Rover started and I thought wow they are playing the Rover !!  When Sick Again took over I thought wait what ?  What happened to the Rover?  What is this?  Wow it is Sick Again!!  I had already forgotten the Rover, except I was writing down the set list as we went and later saw my scribbled note saying the Rover. 

  

 

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  • 3 months later...

I haven't heard enough of the 77 tour in detail to place all the shows in definite categories but I will just echo the opinion that the second Cleveland show is the equal of the LA shows, best version of Achilles Last Stand ever IMO. The Liriodendron remaster of Landover 5/30 is something of a revelation too, really brings the soundboard to life. Not sure if the performance is in the absolute top echelon for 77, but it has some really great moments, No Quarter, Achilles and Stairway being one of them, and some interesting keyboard playing from Jones in Kashmir.

Currently listening to MSG 6/13. This has OK sound and seems to be a very good show so far. I've heard some people refer to it as one of the best of the tour (the Year Of Led Zeppelin blog has it as a must hear), what do others think?

Wasn't going to check out the other Landover shows but may listen to 5/26 as a couple of people have given more favourable reviews of it.

So far I'd say the best shows of 77 I've heard are: 6/21, 6/22, 6/27 and 4/28. 6/27 is a good deal looser than the other LA shows but has an amazing vibe and great sound.

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4 hours ago, Cosmic_Equilibrium said:

I haven't heard enough of the 77 tour in detail to place all the shows in definite categories but I will just echo the opinion that the second Cleveland show is the equal of the LA shows, best version of Achilles Last Stand ever IMO. The Liriodendron remaster of Landover 5/30 is something of a revelation too, really brings the soundboard to life. Not sure if the performance is in the absolute top echelon for 77, but it has some really great moments, No Quarter, Achilles and Stairway being one of them, and some interesting keyboard playing from Jones in Kashmir.

Currently listening to MSG 6/13. This has OK sound and seems to be a very good show so far. I've heard some people refer to it as one of the best of the tour (the Year Of Led Zeppelin blog has it as a must hear), what do others think?

Wasn't going to check out the other Landover shows but may listen to 5/26 as a couple of people have given more favourable reviews of it.

So far I'd say the best shows of 77 I've heard are: 6/21, 6/22, 6/27 and 4/28. 6/27 is a good deal looser than the other LA shows but has an amazing vibe and great sound.

Give 4/30/77 Pontiac and 6/26/77 LA a whirl...both are in my Top 15 for 1977. Pontiac's sound quality is a tad better than 6/26 LA's, but they're both listenable.

And 7/24/77 Oakland is worth a spin for historical importance alone.

Edited by Strider
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On 9/17/2018 at 10:16 PM, The Rover said:

The '77 Jimmy solo transition that really sticks out for me is the end of "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" going into "Kashmir."

Jimmy is sitting on a small stool while soloing, and for the last note of Black Mountain Side, Jimmy stands and kicks the stool back in one motion, and immediately launches into the opening chords of the epic "Kashmir," with the power, the full force, the "Hammer Of The Gods..."

Same for me. It was a moment I'll never forget, simply incredible

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7 hours ago, Cosmic_Equilibrium said:

The Liriodendron remaster of Landover 5/30 is something of a revelation too, really brings the soundboard to life. Not sure if the performance is in the absolute top echelon for 77, but it has some really great moments,

It's in the top five for Jimmy Page performances for 77. He was doing some impressive stuff that night.

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On 9/18/2018 at 3:16 PM, The Rover said:

The '77 Jimmy solo transition that really sticks out for me is the end of "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" going into "Kashmir."

Jimmy is sitting on a small stool while soloing, and for the last note of Black Mountain Side, Jimmy stands and kicks the stool back in one motion, and immediately launches into the opening chords of the epic "Kashmir," with the power, the full force, the "Hammer Of The Gods..."

The Listen to this Eddie remaster really brings out how powerful and awesome this moment is. It must have been life changing to have attended the better '77 concerts.

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12 hours ago, Strider said:

Give 4/30/77 Pontiac and 6/26/77 LA a whirl...both are in my Top 15 for 1977. Pontiac's sound quality is a tad better than 6/26 LA's, but they're both listenable.

And 7/24/77 Oakland is worth a spin for historical importance alone.

Thanks, will give those ones a go. Pontiac sounds interesting as that's the next show after the second Cleveland performance. Also didn't it get filmed? 

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6 hours ago, Cosmic_Equilibrium said:

Thanks, will give those ones a go. Pontiac sounds interesting as that's the next show after the second Cleveland performance. Also didn't it get filmed? 

Not "filmed" technically. They had video cameras to provide visuals to the giant video screen hanging above the stage so that the punters in the nosebleeds could be sure that was Led Zeppelin on stage and not Slade.

The same premise as Earls Court in 1975 and the Seattle Kingdome in 1977 and Knebworth in 1979. There is no film. Only videotape somewhere buried in the archives...and only if someone was recording the video feed as it was being fed to the video screen.

So far we have Earls Court (May 24, 25), Seattle '77, and Knebworth '79 videos in circulation. No Pontiac '77 has surfaced. Only rumours and false promises.

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On 12/29/2018 at 1:11 AM, rm2551 said:

The Listen to this Eddie remaster really brings out how powerful and awesome this moment is. It must have been life changing to have attended the better '77 concerts.

Yes, it was mind-blowing. People can poo-poo the '77 Tour as a whole all they want (based on some shows). But the Houston and the Ft. Worth shows in May of that year were top notch shows to experience live. My report of the '77 US Tour is a Good One. That will never change. Boots, good or otherwise, don't take in account the time-space continuum that takes place being there a Led Zeppelin concert. Hence some people speak so highly of the Knebworth and Earl's Court shows, because there's audio and video. But not having been at either, I don't rate Knebworth or EC as highly as Houston or Ft.Worth. But, I'd probably have a different opinion if I'd been in the audience.

The best and most powerful version of Kashmir post 1980 was the 2007 O2 performance, imo.

 

Edited by The Rover
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Great thread...seeing the laser pyramid was incredibly exciting live...and I agree the segue from that into Achilles in the Fort Worth show sounds absolutely amazing, one of the great live moments imo.

Glad to see some love for Landover 5-26, one because I was there and two because I think it’s better than advertised although the horribly dry soundboard does it no favors (as is often the case with 75 and 77 gigs).  And the segue from White Summer into Kashmir is 77 was indeed thrilling.

Oh, and Osaka 71 kicks serious ass!

 

 

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1 hour ago, Cosmic_Equilibrium said:

Am about to investigate the NY shows and was wondering what the general opinion is on them? So far I have heard the June 7 & June 13 shows, of which the latter is the better performance by some distance, but was wondering how the other four shows compare? 

This was a pretty good show.

 

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1 hour ago, Cosmic_Equilibrium said:

Am about to investigate the NY shows and was wondering what the general opinion is on them? So far I have heard the June 7 & June 13 shows, of which the latter is the better performance by some distance, but was wondering how the other four shows compare? 

The NY shows are some of the best of 77, they just get skipped because of the sound quality. The 8th requires serious bootleg ears. Robert's voice sounds very strong on most nights and there's good energy, but Page is hit and miss (as usual). I'd personally rate the shows from best to worst as;

1. 6/10

2. 6/13

3. 6/14

4. 6/8 (I've only skimmed through this one, but it doesn't sound too bad)

5. 6/11 (Jimmy is struggling, but the others are good)

6. 6/7 (Robert sounds amazing, but there's some nerves showing on the first half)

 

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10 hours ago, The Rover said:

Yes, it was mind-blowing. People can poo-poo the '77 Tour as a whole all they want (based on some shows). But the Houston and the Ft. Worth shows in May of that year were top notch shows to experience live. My report of the '77 US Tour is a Good One. That will never change. Boots, good or otherwise, don't take in account the time-space continuum that takes place being there a Led Zeppelin concert. Hence some people speak so highly of the Knebworth and Earl's Court shows, because there's audio and video. But not having been at either, I don't rate Knebworth or EC as highly as Houston or Ft.Worth. But, I'd probably have a different opinion if I'd been in the audience.

The best and most powerful version of Kashmir post 1980 was the 2007 O2 performance, imo.

 

Well, unfortunately audio-only boots are the only way the vast majority of Zep fans are going to be able to experience the '77 band, and on this count, the abundance of shows reveal a band whose technical prowess was a shell of the glory years of '71-73, and even far weaker than the '75 tour with it's many problems.  (The Texas shows you mention are a case in point, Page's playing is just horrid.)  It's revealing that so many '77 aficionados have to refer to the non-aural aspects of those shows to make the case for '77.  No doubt the '77 shows were an impressive visual experience (except for Page's emaciation), and great set list, too, but the actual playing was really poor.

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6 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

The NY shows are some of the best of 77, they just get skipped because of the sound quality. The 8th requires serious bootleg ears. Robert's voice sounds very strong on most nights and there's good energy, but Page is hit and miss (as usual). I'd personally rate the shows from best to worst as;

1. 6/10

2. 6/13

3. 6/14

4. 6/8 (I've only skimmed through this one, but it doesn't sound too bad)

5. 6/11 (Jimmy is struggling, but the others are good)

6. 6/7 (Robert sounds amazing, but there's some nerves showing on the first half)

 

Thanks, much appreciated. Will get a hold of the June 10th show at least.

Currently playing the 8th June show on Youtube and it doesn't sound that bad at all really, was wondering if a new source has been uncovered or it's been remastered? Certainly I've heard worse sounding recordings.

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