Nitpicking Page 1980

[ADK-Zeppy]

Where can we find this matrix?

 

ADK-Zeppy

[bluecongo]

 

[ADK-Zeppy]

Many thanks for posting this!

 

ADK-Zeppelin

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 7/3/1980 Mannheim (Mannheim Steamroller - Bluecongo)

Train Kept A rollin- Kicking off with good energy, Plant sounding pretty good, a little raspy. First solo- wah drenched with flawless phrasing. Second solo- a little looser but good. Just noticed how similar the drumming is to Walter's Walk. "A".

NFBM- Some tape distortion on the intro. Heavy with a good tempo. Harmonica- one of the more passionate routines by Percy. Very good. Solo- an excellent start but gets sticky at 4:11. Strong finish. Some sticky fingered notes keep this at a "B+", but otherwise excellent.

Black Dog- Plant still sounding raspy. Flawless throughout the verses with tremendous energy. Solo- instead of shredding away with a sloppy mess Page seems to take his time and really focus on the phrasing. Some bum notes at 3:59, but otherwise top notch. Really impressed with his phrasing coherency here. 4:54, I assume Plant had a vocal effect here, otherwise he goes full spider monkey. Easily "A", better if excluding the couple of flubbed notes.

In The Evening- The usual solid start with some passionate vocals. A good mix balance with all instruments siting equal. First solo- nothing fancy but good overall. Outro solo- average. Nothing bad to say but nothing stands out either, a solid performance however. "A". 

The Rain Song- A fairly solid run-through. Rock section hits hard. Slight guitar flub at 6:44. "B+".

Hot Dog- Page flubs the very last note of the intro lick which almost sounds intentional. Solid first half. Solo- Page slides in just a little late but gets on track for some good runs. At 2:00 there's a mini Tempe episode as Page jumps to the next phrase early and Jones tries to shift to match him. It throws the rest of the solo off a bit but they do end on time before the verses return. Apart from the solo mishap it's not a bad performance, though lacking the usual energy. "B".

All My Love- Tempo dragging just a little but Plant sounds great. Solo- much better than the usual trainwreck but sounds like he just barely hangs on. They play it out in the usual fashion though Bonham is more reserved with the big drum fills. "B+".

Trampled Underfoot- Audio gets a little murky but the guitar is up front. Good start and Jones gets a good solo in. Guitar solo- 3:06-3:40, I've used the reference "Turkey gobble" to describe Page's bad articulation before and this is the prime example. 3:52, once he loosens up some and gets the delay dialed in right he takes off and shreds in true fashion, though it's a far cry from other versions. Outro solo- slightly more focused but reserved. 8:19, a strong finish with a unique riff. I hate to knock Page's articulation too hard on this tour, but it was pretty bad and the phrasing wasn't as good as other times. "B".

SIBLY- A nicely phrased, mellow intro. Plant singing with good enthusiasm. Solo- A blazing lick to start quickly winds down to more moody phrasing. 5:00, a little sloppy but he catches himself and tones it down again. 6:00-6:09, sticky. Had the articulation been there this could've been a top notch version. Not terrible, but only a "B" when compared to the other tremendous performances from the tour.

Achilles- Perfectly played intro and the tempo is just right. First solo- fairly solid playing but the phrasing could be better. Second solo (7:00)- pretty sloppy in places. Third solo- simple but good. Solid ending. A very average run through. "B".

WS/BMS- 0:06, Page misses some harmonic strums. Solid first half with a good flow. 5:24-6:08, hauntingly beautiful. 6:57, I can't remember the last time he played this part fluently. Surprisingly good with a few flubs. "B+".

Kashmir- 4:42, very slight flub. Bonham's drum fills on the outro are reminiscent of LA 77. The superior version from the tour? "A+".

Stairway- 3:44-3:51, Page struggles with some chords. 5:32, small guitar flub. Solo- 6:31, flub. The transitions between phrases are very rough and forced. 7:20, some fluid licks on the slow part. 8:14-8:25, struggling. The final phrases sound decent as the climax hits for a perfect ending. Overall not a great solo, but not exactly terrible. "B".

Communication Breakdown- Page opens with an acapella wah riff and the vocals are way down in the mix. Solo- Jimmy comes alive with some blazing licks, sounding very good. 2:08, an improvised riff almost has him going into a medley break but he jumps back into the main riff for a strong finish. "A".

Rock And Roll- Good energy on the kickoff. Solo- Sloppy in all the best ways as he nails the phrasing. If only Plant had sounded this good at the beginning of the show. Not just a solid performance but one with some extra "oomph". "A+"

Final Assessment- This was an enjoyable performance although there was very little that could be deemed mindblowing. In other words it's an average 1980 show. I think the gap between very good and very bad is narrower here, which makes for a solid performance overall but nothing great. Page had noticeable trouble putting fluid phrases together on some solos but nailed phrasing on others (Black Dog). The standouts are Kashmir and an excellent Rock And Roll.  

[rm2551]

That Kashmir is a MONSTER.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 6/23/1980 Bremen (Live Omega-Winston)

Somehow I skipped this one, so here we go. A slightly harsh soundboard made more listenable by Winston. Guitar and drums are up front, but the bass is low.

Train Kept A Rollin- The usual thunder off the bat, Plant sounding good. First solo- excellent with Page nailing the ascending riff toward the end. Something happens at 3:25, Jonesy disappears and Bonzo hesitates for a bit, but then they're back on track. Outro solo- very aggressive playing from Page with good phrasing. One of the heaviest versions. The mishap keeps it at "B+".

NFBM- Solid start. 1:40, these drum fills. Good lord. Harmonica- Pretty good. 2:29- Bonham keeps an unorthodox beat going here on the transition. 2:59, he does it again and almost confuses Page. Solo- Phrasing is there but Jim struggles a little with stickiness. Not too awful. 5:00, Bonzo finally stops for the final transition. The unusual drumming doesn't really hurt the performance, but I'll keep it at "B+". (Bonzo is feeling lively tonight as you can hear him joking in the background)

Black Dog- Devastatingly heavy. Solo- the opening runs are alright but Page gets sticky in a few places. Phrasing is on point though he seems to hesitate between each phrase. Tons of energy. "A".

In The Evening- 1:09, Page accidentally bumps a string as Plant sings the opening catchphrase, creating an eerie effect. Excellent energy. Solo- Page unleashes a smooth flurry of notes to begin. 4:16, does some amazing whammy bar dives. 4:24, toggle switch trickery. Throwing in the kitchen sink on this one. Unfortunately Jones gets a little lazy on his final synth part. Outro solo- aided by a screaming wah pedal Page leaves the planet, finally slowing to cruise space at 6:31. Wow. "A+". Page is doing great so far.

Rain Song- Tempo feels a little rushed. Excellent throughout with no flaws I can hear. Rock section- played very well though Robert is sounding a little weaker. 5:37, Page throws some extra quotient in. He doesn't quite nail the outro but nothing too noticeable. "B+".

Hot Dog- Intro is extremely sloppy and JPJ's piano work isn't much better. Tempo feels a little rushed but Plant goes through the verses quite proficiently. Solo- fairly sticky to start. Just like the Vienna 6/26 solo, Jones comes in sounding like he's playing with his knuckles for the last half and ruins any impact Page had. This version has energy but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends. "B".

All My Love- 0:52- some off notes by Jones. Verses are good. Jones solo- perfect. Guitar solo- unprepared and lost as usual. Just sad. Page's leads on the last part sound awkward until they kick into the outro, which is short and sweet. Honestly a "C+". (6:00, Plant calls out Phil Carson in a threating manner).

Trampled Underfoot- Strong out of the gate. Jones' exciting solo is almost thrown off by a restless Bonzo. Guitar solo- Page stomps the wah and goes into overdrive, leaving the planet at 3:22 for some well phrased licks. The outro is solid with Page knocking down some more wah phrases. "A".

SIBLY- Intro is very simplistic, yet effective. 3:05-3:18, played very passionately by all members. Solo- first half is played quite well. 5:05 is fairly sloppy. 5:48, bad articulation. His heart is in it but his fingers aren't. 8:00, Plant has no business going that high in 1980. One of the stranger versions I've heard. Intriguing, but not great. "B". "Jimmy Page on guitar" for once sounds like he's placing blame. (At 9:39 either Page or Bonham says "It sounds terrible")

Achilles- Intro is a little sluggish but they get going quite well. First solo- very loose, sloppy in places, but not terrible. Second solo- completely abandons any lead notes and only plays the transition chords. Third solo- just not a good flow of phrases. Plant and the others sounded good throughout, but Page was only in a "need to play" mindset. With that said, it's not a bad listen. "B".

WS/BMS- Pagey gets a solid, rather impressive flow going for the first half. 3:02, a unique phrase. 5:30, more unique riffing. Very impressed with this WS, no dead spots. Page stumbles on the usual parts during BMS. 1:18-1:25, a nice sitar sounding series of riffs. Not bad overall, "B+". Very close to an "A".

Kashmir- Wow, nothing to criticize here. A very solid version. "A+".

Stairway- 0:32, a rare Jones flub. 2:13, an almost unnoticeable guitar flub. 2:36, once Jones switches to the piano it simply sounds fantastic. Solo- Not the most articulate but Page keeps a solid flow going throughout. 7:57, Bonzo matches Jimmy on the fast picked section. Page stiffens up some on the latter parts but his phrasing remains solid. 8:50, unique riff. 9:05, there's a source change here and it appears the two middle bars of the last measure are cut, but Page nails the last bit. Plant sings the climax with maximum emotional impact and the crowd joins in on the final verses. Despite a few missed notes and a slightly sticky solo, this is a very good listen with a lot of character. B+ performance wise, but if not for the flubs easily an A+.

Rock And Roll- A false start by Bonham but they're soon off with good energy. Solo- just the right amount of grime and grit. Bonham gets very dramatic with the drum outro. "A".

Communication Breakdown- A rollicking version full of aggression. Solo- Page goes maximum wah for some blazing runs. More punk than anything the Clash ever did. "A".

Final Assessment- Not sure how I skipped this one but I'm glad someone pointed it out. Honestly one of the more overall solid shows of 1980 I've heard so far. Certainly has some low points but it's above average for the most part. Highlights are a very strong In The Evening and Trampled (both featuring blistering solos), a flawless Kashmir, and a tremendous one-two punch encore. I also have to point out one of the best Stairway solos I've heard for the year.

Edited May 19, 2020 by gibsonfan159

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 7/5/1980 Munich (EVSD)

Video footage- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiW4VnX_5k&feature=youtu.be

 

A murky but very listenable audience recording filled in with a murkier audience recording. Featuring the last performance of Achilles Last Stand. Also a guest appearance by Simon Kirke of Bad Company.

Train Kept A Rollin- The usual kickoff, Plant sounding decent. First solo- simple but effective. Outro solo- good phrasing, fluid playing. "A".

NFBM- Speedy tempo, almost sounds as if it's running fast. Good start. Harmonica- a little slack as Robert runs outta steam toward the end. Solo- some very nimble fingers throughout along with flawless phrasing. Top notch. A surprisingly solid run through with an excellent solo. "A".

Black Dog- Energetic and heavy throughout. Solo- 3:45, bad articulation. Not quite as nimble as the previous song as he gets stuck repeating the old familiar phrases. A fairly solid version. "B+".

In The Evening- Good start but Plant seems to fumble/mumble the lyrics throughout. Solo- Page flies through the usually solid routine. The outro solo is decent and wah drenched. Plant seems to disappear toward the end. "B+".

The Rain Song- Page gets a slightly uptempo flow going, almost rushing the chord changes. Plant sounds very hoarse on an otherwise excellent rock section. Page gets a little loose on the outro notes. "B".

Hot Dog- Sounds like a switch to an inferior source now, which changes again later. Page nails the intro and we're off. Solo- Hard to make out, but sounds like Jimmy knocks down a solid set of country licks and pedal steel bends. Jones' piano bashing isn't quite as harsh either. Honestly an "A+" to my ears, but the recording isn't great.

All My Love- A tempo that feels just right. Jones knocks down his solo. Guitar solo- Page finally gets a decent set of phrases in that don't sound like a trainwreck. Still not great though. The song winds down in good fashion and finishes a pretty solid version. I'd have to go "A+" for this track considering the solo is semi coherent.

Trampled Underfoot- Speedy tempo. Jones' keys are buried in the recording but sound good. Solo- Page fools the audience by starting with some intriguing notes and then falling into articulation despair at 3:03. He gets back on track with some solid wah licks to finish, not bad. That unfortunate sloppy solo run keeps this at a "B+".

SIBLY- Very unconfident start. 2:04, chord flub. The verses are almost too downtrodden for even this song. Solo- Page blasts off akin to the 77 versions. His playing is a little choppy but he's fairly articulate and keeps the phrasing on point. A strong solo overall. Bonham and Jones sound asleep on this one and Page doesn't exactly leave the earth. Despite a solid solo I still have to say "B".

Achilles- Off to a good start. First solo- Excellent legato phrasing and articulation is good. 4:20-4:45 is phrasing supreme. 4:50, a missed note. Back to the inferior source for a couple minutes. Second solo- Standard phrases here. Third solo- Sounds good. 8:18, minor flub. A strong finish for an overall excellent version barring some minor flubs. I'll still go "A".

WS/BMS- Page warms up and takes off in true 1970 fashion. Nothing bad to say about this WS as Page never once stutters or misses a note. BMS- Page even nails the usual hangup phrases. A++

Kashmir- 2:07, wonky synth note. Sounds strong throughout, however Page is extremely reserved on the outro soloing. Luckily Bonham kills it with some awesome fills (9:07). "B+".

Stairway- The audience singing harmony sounds pretty surreal here. The guitar is very low in the mix but Jones' piano more than covers for it. Solo- phrasing Heaven as Jim keeps a steady flow of notes going. 7:20, some bad chording, nothing major. 8:43, some rough articulation but he moves on from it. The final four runs are played fairly well to bring in a powerful climax. Very good, "A+".

Rock And Roll- Takes off at breakneck speed and Plant sounds strong. Solo- Page barely hangs on but does alright. "B+".

WLL- Simon Kirke is welcomed to the stage and Page jokingly starts the Moby Dick riff. Plant's voice sounds as good here as anytime in 8 years. The trippy/funk section is intense but Page struggles a little with the solo. Boogie Chillen- Page and Plant play off each other well before launching into a very heavy rendition. Page doesn't go crazy on the solo but plays fairly well. 10:20, some stickiness. The return finishes out an overall solid version, though Kirke wasn't allowed to do much. "B+".

Final Assessment- The highs by far outweigh the lows for this one. NFBM, All My Love, Hot Dog, Achilles, and Stairway are all some of the best of the year, but I think the single standout is WS/BMS as Page plays it near perfect in a year where it's often a disaster. It takes Plant longer than usual to get warmed up but he really comes alive toward the end.

[wordev1977]

57 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 7/5/1980 Munich (EVSD)

Video footage- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiW4VnX_5k&feature=youtu.be

 

A murky but very listenable audience recording filled in with a murkier audience recording. Featuring the last performance of Achilles Last Stand. Also a guest appearance by Simon Kirke of Bad Company.

Train Kept A Rollin- The usual kickoff, Plant sounding decent. First solo- simple but effective. Outro solo- good phrasing, fluid playing. "A".

NFBM- Speedy tempo, almost sounds as if it's running fast. Good start. Harmonica- a little slack as Robert runs outta steam toward the end. Solo- some very nimble fingers throughout along with flawless phrasing. Top notch. A surprisingly solid run through with an excellent solo. "A".

Black Dog- Energetic and heavy throughout. Solo- 3:45, bad articulation. Not quite as nimble as the previous song as he gets stuck repeating the old familiar phrases. A fairly solid version. "B+".

In The Evening- Good start but Plant seems to fumble/mumble the lyrics throughout. Solo- Page flies through the usually solid routine. The outro solo is decent and wah drenched. Plant seems to disappear toward the end. "B+".

The Rain Song- Page gets a slightly uptempo flow going, almost rushing the chord changes. Plant sounds very hoarse on an otherwise excellent rock section. Page gets a little loose on the outro notes. "B".

Hot Dog- Sounds like a switch to an inferior source now, which changes again later. Page nails the intro and we're off. Solo- Hard to make out, but sounds like Jimmy knocks down a solid set of country licks and pedal steel bends. Jones' piano bashing isn't quite as harsh either. Honestly an "A+" to my ears, but the recording isn't great.

All My Love- A tempo that feels just right. Jones knocks down his solo. Guitar solo- Page finally gets a decent set of phrases in that don't sound like a trainwreck. Still not great though. The song winds down in good fashion and finishes a pretty solid version. I'd have to go "A+" for this track considering the solo is semi coherent.

Trampled Underfoot- Speedy tempo. Jones' keys are buried in the recording but sound good. Solo- Page fools the audience by starting with some intriguing notes and then falling into articulation despair at 3:03. He gets back on track with some solid wah licks to finish, not bad. That unfortunate sloppy solo run keeps this at a "B+".

SIBLY- Very unconfident start. 2:04, chord flub. The verses are almost too downtrodden for even this song. Solo- Page blasts off akin to the 77 versions. His playing is a little choppy but he's fairly articulate and keeps the phrasing on point. A strong solo overall. Bonham and Jones sound asleep on this one and Page doesn't exactly leave the earth. Despite a solid solo I still have to say "B".

Achilles- Off to a good start. First solo- Excellent legato phrasing and articulation is good. 4:20-4:45 is phrasing supreme. 4:50, a missed note. Back to the inferior source for a couple minutes. Second solo- Standard phrases here. Third solo- Sounds good. 8:18, minor flub. A strong finish for an overall excellent version barring some minor flubs. I'll still go "A".

WS/BMS- Page warms up and takes off in true 1970 fashion. Nothing bad to say about this WS as Page never once stutters or misses a note. BMS- Page even nails the usual hangup phrases. A++

Kashmir- 2:07, wonky synth note. Sounds strong throughout, however Page is extremely reserved on the outro soloing. Luckily Bonham kills it with some awesome fills (9:07). "B+".

Stairway- The audience singing harmony sounds pretty surreal here. The guitar is very low in the mix but Jones' piano more than covers for it. Solo- phrasing Heaven as Jim keeps a steady flow of notes going. 7:20, some bad chording, nothing major. 8:43, some rough articulation but he moves on from it. The final four runs are played fairly well to bring in a powerful climax. Very good, "A+".

Rock And Roll- Takes off at breakneck speed and Plant sounds strong. Solo- Page barely hangs on but does alright. "B+".

WLL- Simon Kirke is welcomed to the stage and Page jokingly starts the Moby Dick riff. Plant's voice sounds as good here as anytime in 8 years. The trippy/funk section is intense but Page struggles a little with the solo. Boogie Chillen- Page and Plant play off each other well before launching into a very heavy rendition. Page doesn't go crazy on the solo but plays fairly well. 10:20, some stickiness. The return finishes out an overall solid version, though Kirke wasn't allowed to do much. "B+".

Final Assessment- The highs by far outweigh the lows for this one. NFBM, All My Love, Hot Dog, Achilles, and Stairway are all some of the best of the year, but I think the single standout is WS/BMS as Page plays it near perfect in a year where it's often a disaster. It takes Plant longer than usual to get warmed up but he really comes alive toward the end.

Definitely the best 80 show for me, Jimmy seems really coherent and fluid with his playing and Robert sounds as good as ever with his voice hitting a higher register for the final half of the show.

[High-hopes Hailla]

Man, I really appreciate your efforts here. I respect the takes because you obviously know your music, but more to the point, I've been looking for a good "Tour Over Europe" assessment for so long. I've heard all the '80 shows over the last 30 years--I've got a couple dozen silver CD first-releases stored in my attic (Condor/Toasted, Flying Disc, TDOLZ etc.), which I bought in indie record stores back in the day--hell, those were different times to be sure! But with all the new Zep glories uncovered in recent years, combined with my own crazy life stuff (new kid, new mortgage, etc.) I have never had time to go back and fully assess the '80 tour. You've done that work for me. Eye Thank Yew!  I totally get folks' issues with this tour, the health of the band, etc., but I find the best parts of these shows totally fascinating---a look at what this incredible band might have been heading for in the '80s. You've done a great job pointing out the highlights (as well as the lowlights, which for me are summed up by White Summer/BMS July 7 Berlin...the absolute nadir). Rock on, bro.

[gibsonfan159]

2 hours ago, High-hopes Hailla said:

Eye Thank Yew!

My pleasure. Can't wait to finish Berlin and go back through some previous years. There are still lots of shows worthy of putting the microscope on!

[Zep Thunder]

On 5/25/2020 at 12:44 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Luckily Bonham kills it with some awesome fills

If you look at the video footage during Kashmir you can notice Plant watching Bonzo and smiling at the massive fills he’s doing.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 7/7/1980 Berlin (A Memory Frozen Forever- Godfather)

Train Kept A Rollin- The usual raucous energy to get things started. Plant sounding decent. Solo- wild and loose, but good overall. Outro solo- Same. Not a bad start. "B+".

NFBM- Solid, thunderous start. Harmonica- tremendous passion at first but it tapers down quickly. Solo- again with some loose playing, some parts sounding very forced and sticky. He survives without disaster though. Another fairly solid "B+".

Black Dog- 0:18, Bonzo and Page out of sync just a little. 0:47, Bonham gets the beat reversed. 1:20, a very strange vocal echo. 2:32, Page getting sticky on these notes. Solo- some strained notes to start. 4:01-4:14, very sloppy followed by some strained bends. Ouch. "C+". (Robert states that "Page loves this town very much". Berlin was the heroin capital of the world back then.)

In The Evening- Mesmerizing intro and solid verses. Solo- ear-piercing but seemingly good. Plant's passionate vocals are really standing out. Outro solo- Uh oh. Some major articulation issues off the bat but he smooths out a little. Plenty of energy but Jim brings it down a bit. "B".

The Rain Song- 0:23, Page not quite hitting the chords fully. 2:12, can't seem to get his fingers on the strings. 3:32, still choking the chords. Rock section- guitar is barely present. Ending is decent but doesn't save this one. "C+".

Hot Dog- Dedicated to Showco, although they might've been responsible for secretly recording all the 1975 soundboards. Page sticky on the intro. 1:39, Robert sings this part differently, apparently attempting to imitate classic country singers. Solo- Page misses his cue and gets a late start. 2:04-2:12, not good. Everyone was there except Pagey, who keeps it at a "B".

All My Love- Another dragging tempo with Jones' synths sounding like the batteries are going dead. Page's guitar accompaniment sounds tired with minimum effort. Jones gets a perfect solo in. Guitar solo- not terrible, but straining some. Quite possibly the sleepiest version ever. "B".

Trampled Underfoot- Finally back on track with some energy as Jones and Bonzo get a thumping rhythm going. Jones gets an excellent, funky routine in and the tempo increases slightly. Solo- long story short, 3:47-6:23 is the absolute most inarticulate playing I've ever heard by Page by far. This outweighs any turkey-gobbling issues I've heard before and the phrasing is also extremely forced. Bonzo does end the song with a killer drum fill. "C+" only considering the rhythm work.

SIBLY- Very unique intro as Page plays some improv phrases before launching the song. He's really choking down on the pick and each phrase sounds overly gritty. 3:54. nice piano phrasing. Solo- comes in very unorthodox and his phrasing is choppy throughout, but yet very effective combined with the excellent rhythm being laid down. The latter half plays out in dramatic fashion with no real flaws. As offbeat as this version is it's also full of character and emotion, undeniably an entertaining performance. "B+".

WS/BMS- Page starts the song and soon stops, stating that the "Backroom boys weren't ready for the alternate tuning". Jim starts over again but it's no better as he's missing some notes left and right and struggling with the chording. The uptempo section takes off and it's obvious Page just isn't there mentally. 7:42, Page seemingly gives up on the original phrasing and improvises some. He returns to the normal phrasing but his coordination just isn't there as he stumbles through different motifs of the song. Pointing out the individual flubbed notes would be pointless considering this entire thing is in shambles. Trainwreck defined. I'd pay good money to see the other member's reaction to this. Gotta slap the bottom of the barrel "C" on this.

Kashmir- Plant is low in the mix. 2:01, some off notes by someone. Overall not bad. "B+".

Stairway- 0:07, slightly off note. 2:30, Page and Plant are out of sync just a bit and Page is missing some notes. 3:24, excellent piano phrase. 5:50, Page chokes some chords. Solo- a very somber start. 6:23, Page jumps into this phrase earlier than usual and quickly gets lost. 7:10, oh boy. 7:57, Page has clearly overdosed on quaaludes. 8:50, even on the slow part Page struggles to find a path through this quagmire of a solo. 10:15, fingers stuck in strings. 10:59, Page actually feels brave enough to attempt the staccato chords. 12:12, Page almost gets a decent flow going through here. The final bars are played better than the entire solo, but that's saying nothing. Plant comes back in with some good aggression to bring this trainwreck to a halt. "C+".

Rock And Roll- Page is choking the chords right off the bat. Solo- loose, but not that bad actually. 2:05, an excellent unique phrase. Not terrible, "B". (Plant- "We've had a great tour but we've just about toured out")

WLL- Page opens with a dissonant chord before launching the main riff. 1:20, very loose riffing here. 1:41, Jimmy's backing vocals are very audible. Jones kicks off a superb (and long) funk section while Page throws in delay heavy screeches. 14:02, a really cool riff that could've easily been turned into a song. 14:56, Page struggles badly with the solo, completely missing the last phrase. Luckily there's no medley and they close the song adequately. "B" overall but that funk section is something else.

Final Assessment- What can be said? This is easily one of Page's worst shows ever, arguably the worst. The only highlight is the WLL funk section where Bonzo and Jones are absolutely killing it. 

[Zep Hed]

Thanks, gibsonfan, for your detailed assessments of these and other shows. Always an interesting read. Much appreciated!

[jsj]

I know it’s been raised before but I don’t understand why WS/BMS was included in the set in its full form. Often Page couldn’t play it well, it was passed its sell by date, and why not just play another better song instead?
I think if he’d have just played a very short version of it as a tease it could have been a great intro to Kashmir. But to string it out so long when he was struggling was just daft.
Did anyone hope for its inclusion in a set after 1970?

[SteveAJones]

22 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 7/7/1980 Berlin 

Final Assessment- What can be said? This is easily one of Page's worst shows ever, arguably the worst. The only highlight is the WLL funk section where Bonzo and Jones are absolutely killing it. 

Jimmy himself expressed personal dissatisfaction with his playing tonight at the hotel afterward.

[Bonzo_fan]

7 hours ago, jsj said:

I know it’s been raised before but I don’t understand why WS/BMS was included in the set in its full form. Often Page couldn’t play it well, it was passed its sell by date, and why not just play another better song instead?
I think if he’d have just played a very short version of it as a tease it could have been a great intro to Kashmir. But to string it out so long when he was struggling was just daft.
Did anyone hope for its inclusion in a set after 1970?

I've wondered this before as well. I understand why it was included in the 1977 setlist because Plant needed extra breaks for his foot (even though it was probably past its "sell by date" then as well), and the transition from it into "Kashmir" was certainly thrilling. The '77 versions of it were also reasonably concise apart from the last few shows in Los Angeles and the Seattle show.

It just seems kind of antithetical to the "cut the waffle" approach to the rest of the 1980 setlist.  It would have been very interesting to see what the North American setlists would have looked like had Bonham not passed.  I'm sure "cutting the waffle" in America would have taken much more restraint...

Edited June 9, 2020 by Bonzo_fan

[wordev1977]

22 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

Jimmy himself expressed personal dissatisfaction with his playing tonight at the hotel afterward.

Where'd you read that at?

[Zep Hed]

How about the amount of White Summer that's on the Victoria Theatre April 1980 rehearsal? He was THAT serious about keeping in the set. A bit baffling.

[High-hopes Hailla]

On 5/28/2020 at 12:10 AM, gibsonfan159 said:

My pleasure. Can't wait to finish Berlin and go back through some previous years. There are still lots of shows worthy of putting the microscope on!

but good to Yeah you got that right. I dig your perspective and the way you put it down , so keep it going. When I sift through all the takes I can read about Zeppelin, or any other bands I care about, 98 percent of it is ego-driven, self-serving bullshit written by people who don't know how to write about music. They just like to hear themselves talk. You're the rare cat what knows his stuff and understands what a reader wants to read. Not saying I agree with you 100%, but good to have a perspective worth respecting.

 

[Guest WD52]

Having listened to all the available recordings I just have to say the band on this tour just lack any consistent real dynamic energy or drive. Nothing really takes off and Bonham is a shadow of his former self-listen to anything 69-75 for real power. In places it sounds more like a tribute band-good, but not the real deal. I guess drink and drugs eventually caught up with them.

[rm2551]

10 hours ago, WD52 said:

Having listened to all the available recordings I just have to say the band on this tour just lack any consistent real dynamic energy or drive. Nothing really takes off and Bonham is a shadow of his former self-listen to anything 69-75 for real power. In places it sounds more like a tribute band-good, but not the real deal. I guess drink and drugs eventually caught up with them.

Overall - yeah, agree, but there are still diamonds to be had from that tour. Not many, but they are there.

[76229]

On 6/24/2020 at 3:07 AM, rm2551 said:

Overall - yeah, agree, but there are still diamonds to be had from that tour. Not many, but they are there.

It does make you wonder why Jones said they were "almost in a rebirth situation". Did he really believe it, or was it the relief of helping get the band functioning again that made him say that? Europe 1980 isn't a disaster by any means, but they just seem underpowered.

Yet Copenhagen a year earlier had been brilliant. The difference between a one off show and being on tour? Would it have been different if Page had been energised by being back in America? I guess we'll never know.

 

On 6/23/2020 at 4:27 PM, WD52 said:

Having listened to all the available recordings I just have to say the band on this tour just lack any consistent real dynamic energy or drive. Nothing really takes off and Bonham is a shadow of his former self-listen to anything 69-75 for real power. In places it sounds more like a tribute band-good, but not the real deal. I guess drink and drugs eventually caught up with them.

 

[Nutrocker]

On 6/8/2020 at 4:33 PM, SteveAJones said:

Jimmy himself expressed personal dissatisfaction with his playing tonight at the hotel afterward.

Gee, I can't imagine why.😅

On 6/9/2020 at 3:11 PM, wordev1977 said:

Where'd you read that at?

Dave Lewis says as much in his Feather In The Wind book- said book is about as merciless when it comes to the 1980 tour as this discussion was!

I doubt Berlin was a show about which the band were saying, "Good show tonight, lads" when it was over. Page knew he'd screwed the pooch more than once on the night.

[The Only Way To Fly]

I think the best combo of White Summer into Kashmir was during the 77 tour. Imagine seeing it live for the first time. It must have been mind blowing. I'm assuming that's why Page kept the combo for the 1980 tour. It worked well during 77, so why change it (compared to the 1975 1,2,3,4, Bonzo count in i.e. Earls Court).

 

[PeaceFrogYum]

1 hour ago, The Only Way To Fly said:

I think the best combo of White Summer into Kashmir was during the 77 tour. Imagine seeing it live for the first time. It must have been mind blowing. I'm assuming that's why Page kept the combo for the 1980 tour. It worked well during 77, so why change it (compared to the 1975 1,2,3,4, Bonzo count in i.e. Earls Court).

 

I get it, but Page should have at least shortened WS/BMS to three, maybe four minutes. Or even better, he should have brought back Spanish Blood from his Yardbirds days, that would have been a great segue.