BBC Sessions Appreciation

[goldenretreiver157]

Led Zeppelin has released barely any live material. The DVD includes very little footage of early zep at their peak where Robert has his incredibly high and beatiful voice. I wish we had more footage like Royal Albert Hall, but i guess we’re gonna have to deal with it. Besides the DVD, we have the god like audio of the LA and long beach performances of How The West Was Won, The Song Remains the Same, and the BBC sessions.

This post is to appreciate the sessions which have not been discussed recently (as far as i know). They are probably the only semi-crystal clear live performances of 1971 we will get, and im not forgetting the up and coming Osaka soundboard, that from what we got so far, lacks The power of professionally recorded material. Still exciting tho, it will definitely rock. Anyways, the sessions need to be more recognized. They include some songs closely resembling the studio recording, for example the John Peel sessions “What is and what should never be” and some mind blowing improvising in the 1969 sessions including Traveling Riverside Blues. Overall, I am very bad at explaining this, but just remember to re-listen to the BBC sessions! They are some one of a kind performances.

[gibsonfan159]

I bought it on cassette in 97 just for Traveling Riverside Blues. First time I ever heard the WLL medley and it floored me.

[paul carruthers]

BBC sessions--as far as the original, nothing beats the 2nd ICQYB, D & C, and SIBLY. Just a few that jump to mind. I guess Jimmy cleaned out the vaults and the few official releases are good enough; if I even need to mention bootlegs....

[duckman]

As a teenager with little pocket money,  TMOQ's Stairway to Heaven was the second boot lp I could afford (After May 24 'Earl's Court').

Mostly culled from the intimate 71 Paris Theatre show in sparkling stereo , the first part of Whole Lotta Love was replaced by the June 69 studio Beeb version. What a tremendous experience  "Train I ride, sixteen coaches long". And of course Robert chatting with the audience and John Peel (I originally thought it was John Lennon 😴). The Beeb sessions are an integral part of the Zeppelin canon.

[rm2551]

The SIBLY on BBC Sessions is incredible. They really give it a unique vibe that still rocks out hard even though it has a much more quieter, emotive vibe.

And yeah, much love to the BBC Sessions as a whole. I still haven't listened to my new extra content. Damn distractions.....

[John M]

The BBC sessions are an amazing document to be treasured.

 I can still recall the moment I heard the 1971 set on the radio for the first time I think in the late 70s.   Immigrant Song was so raw and powerful, so different from the studio version - and that solo at the end!  That was unexpected.  And the rest of that set is just fantastic.

I first heard the June 27, 1969 session in a record store in Providence  Rhode Island in 1982.  I was there to buy Death Wish 2, and I saw the "import" section.  There was a disc with a black cover and just the four symbols in white on the front.  No other print of any kind.  I asked if I could check it out.  When I dropped the needle I could not believe it.  That was a very well worthwhile $8 purchase.

[chillumpuffer]

12 hours ago, goldenretreiver157 said:

Led Zeppelin has released barely any live material. The DVD includes very little footage of early zep at their peak 

Really? I could have sworn The Albert Hall show was from 1970 and the Denmark show was from 1969? Not forgetting that French TV show

If you mean 1971 -1972 then I agree with you

[Strider]

17 hours ago, goldenretreiver157 said:

Led Zeppelin has released barely any live material. The DVD includes very little footage of early zep at their peak where Robert has his incredibly high and beatiful voice. I wish we had more footage like Royal Albert Hall, but i guess we’re gonna have to deal with it. Besides the DVD, we have the god like audio of the LA and long beach performances of How The West Was Won, The Song Remains the Same, and the BBC sessions.

This post is to appreciate the sessions which have not been discussed recently (as far as i know).

Actually, they have and are being discussed...multiple times. There is an entire thread devoted to the BBC Sessions in the Re-Issue section and there are a plethora of BBC threads already in this Live Section.

The early 1969 sessions are great to have, no doubt, but I find the 1971 Paris Theatre show strangely lacking. I like the acoustic section the best, and "Thank You". But I find Plant's voice annoying on many songs such as "Dazed and Confused" and "Stairway to Heaven". It sounds like he has a cold. 

The way the BBC recorded the show is annoying, too. For the acoustic set it works, as the guitar and mandolin ring clear and there are no drums to worry about. But on the rockers, Jimmy's guitar sounds neutered. There's no balls or edge to his sound. That is not how Led Zeppelin sounded in concert to me. The BBC is too genteel, too weak.

No, I'll take 1971 Orlando and Osaka over the 1971 BBC session any day. I even listen to May 3 Copenhagen more than the BBC Paris Theatre.

Edited September 20, 2018 by Strider

[SuperDave]

3 hours ago, Strider said:

Actually, they have and are being discussed...multiple times. There is an entire thread devoted to the BBC Sessions in the Re-Issue section and there are a plethora of BBC threads already in this Live Section.

The early 1969 sessions are great to have, no doubt, but I find the 1971 Paris Theatre show strangely lacking. I like the acoustic section the best, and "Thank You". But I find Plant's voice annoying on many songs such as "Dazed and Confused" and "Stairway to Heaven". It sounds like he has a cold. 

The way the BBC recorded the show is annoying, too. For the acoustic set it works, as the guitar and mandolin ring clear and there are no drums to worry about. But on the rockers, Jimmy's guitar sounds neutered. There's no balls or edge to his sound. That is not how Led Zeppelin sounded in concert to me. The BBC is too genteel, too weak.

No, I'll take 1971 Orlando and Osaka over the 1971 BBC session any day. I even listen to May 3 Copenhagen more than the BBC Paris Theatre.

I remember reading about the BBC sessions and Plant was suffering from the flu during the Paris Theatre show.  It was pushed back a week as he was too ill to perform on the original date.  But I agree with you that he was still suffering from it a bit.

[Xolo1974]

4 hours ago, Strider said:

The way the BBC recorded the show is annoying, too. For the acoustic set it works, as the guitar and mandolin ring clear and there are no drums to worry about. But on the rockers, Jimmy's guitar sounds neutered. There's no balls or edge to his sound. That is not how Led Zeppelin sounded in concert to me. The BBC is too genteel, too weak.

No, I'll take 1971 Orlando and Osaka over the 1971 BBC session any day. I even listen to May 3 Copenhagen more than the BBC Paris Theatre.

Dead right. In particular IS sounds terrible. It’s all bass

[Xolo1974]

On 9/20/2018 at 1:51 PM, duckman said:

As a teenager with little pocket money,  TMOQ's Stairway to Heaven was the second boot lp I could afford (After May 24 'Earl's Court').

Mostly culled from the intimate 71 Paris Theatre show in sparkling stereo , the first part of Whole Lotta Love was replaced by the June 69 studio Beeb version. What a tremendous experience  "Train I ride, sixteen coaches long". And of course Robert chatting with the audience and John Peel (I originally thought it was John Lennon 😴). The Beeb sessions are an integral part of the Zeppelin canon.

‘69 version of WLL. Is that from the same session as the Travelling Riverside Blues track? 

This version of WLL is it complete on the BBC sessions official release. I’ll have to give it a spin as I don’t recollect Mystery Train being on it. 

If it isn’t on the official release, best bootleg? 

 

[duckman]

1 hour ago, Xolo1974 said:

‘69 version of WLL. Is that from the same session as the Travelling Riverside Blues track? 

This version of WLL is it complete on the BBC sessions official release. I’ll have to give it a spin as I don’t recollect Mystery Train being on it. 

If it isn’t on the official release, best bootleg? 

 

Hi there

yes, the first part of WLL on the TMOQ boot,  is from the same studio June session as Traveling Riverside. And it's during the theremin section you can hear Robert screaming 'Train I ride, Sixteen coaches long'.  Mind you it's only the lyrics, the rest of the band is indulging in the orgastic part of WLL. At the time I didn't get it... the rest of the TMOQ album was stereo and that first section of WLL was mono and sounded different (haha because it was recorded in a studio, with guitar overdub)