Christopher Lees Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 What is Jimmy's best guitar playing since Zeppelin? I never listened to Heaven Knows from Now and Zen before, but when I listened to it tonight, I was shocked at how awesome the guitar solo was! Jimmy wasn't playing too well in the 80s and I would never have expected such a slick, sleek, contemporary sound from him, with modern (for the 80s) phrasing to boot. It's easily as good as any Zeppelin solo from their heyday. Have you guys listened to his solo on Heaven Knows? What a pro. He plays what the song requires and does it so well. Still had that studio musician touch. Very tasty. What do you think is Jimmy's finest piece of work post Zep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Personally? The last night of the Outrider tour, in fact most of the Outrider tour from what I have heard. I saw Jimmy finishing off his tour in Manchester. His playing was fantastic. Secondly and very rarely heard, Plant & Page at Buxton Opera House for an Alexis Korner benefit show. They were great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xolo1974 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Bizarre festival at Cologne with Plant in 98. Check out No Quarter from that show. Superb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 In this clip Jimmy rekindles some of that old joyful abandon from live versions of Thank You. Starting about 4:03 he builds on the fantastic but skeletal guitar lines from the studio version of this song. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it was a new post Zep song. I love the album version but this blows it away. So much energy and verve, such fluidity. And his feel and tone for the whole song are wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 The instrumental introduction to this track is pure magic. My favorite Page post Zep composition/production/sound architecture. If this had only been done with Zeppelin! Coverdale's insipid lyrics and metal parody delivery keep it from being truly great overall, but Page is killing it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadianzepper Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Probably Coverdale/Page and the Page/Plant No Quarter album and subsequent tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecongo Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 I was at Syracuse in 88 for Outrider Tour. Jimmy was just totally on fire, by far his best playing that I’ve heard. Lots of those Outrider shows are amazing, he really threw down that tour. 98 was second peak, Las Vegas, Cologne, Paris, New Orleans, he really played well just not QUITE as fluid and quick as 88. Maybe better phrasing in 98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummingbird69 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 (edited) Jimmy Played great at every show I attended and the recordings bear this out. I don't know why people trash him during his time as a solo act or with The Firm. Crap, in 1988 I had to listen to my friend telling me Jimmy was dead so I took him to see an Outrider show and he had to admit how great Jimmy played. Jimmy did have some trouble in 95 when they started the tour but the second tour he was much better and he no longer needed Porl to fill things out. In 98 I was blown away, Jimmy was on Fire. He played great on the Coverdale Page tour but I don't go there because I hate Coverdale's voice. Same with the Crows, Jimmy played with no real problems but I cannot stand Robinson's voice at all so I don't go there either but if you want to listen to Jimmy play great post Zeppelin there are plenty of shows to find. Edited March 21, 2019 by hummingbird69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceFrogYum Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Every time I have seen Jimmy play live, April 10th 77', March 1985, October 1988, 95' & 98' he has been excellent and pretty much spot on. All performances were different but all excellent. Out of those I would place his playing from late 95' - 99' as his best, post Zep playing as he was truly in the stratosphere during those 5 years as a player. I may also be the exception here but I prefer Jimmy's #3 Norlan LP to his #1 & #2 59' LP's. IMO the tone of that Norlan and the way he plays it outshines the 59's but that is just my opinion FWIW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepHead315 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 This performance of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You from 1998 contains one of my all time favorite Page solos: I also really dig this Stairway solo from the Outrider tour. I actually prefer it over the solo on TSRTS: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummingbird69 Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 (edited) 22 hours ago, ZepHead315 said: This performance of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You from 1998 contains one of my all time favorite Page solos: I also really dig this Stairway solo from the Outrider tour. I actually prefer it over the solo on TSRTS: I was at the Worchester show! Edited March 22, 2019 by hummingbird69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickey g Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 I'll go by what I saw : The Firm, Outrider, Page & Plant or The Black Crows. I enjoyed the shows in the reverse order that are listed. I saw the Black Crows with my little sister, with whom I went to several Zeppelin shows and is still a Jimmy Page afficionado, especially all the spiritual stuff he's into. So, we're sitting in the upper reaches of Jones Beach Theater & she says to me : "they sound a lot better than LZ did" I said, well, yeah, there's like 20 more guys on stage playing...and no way the drums sound as good. Page & Plant were pretty good, too. The Firm & Outrider shows were OK, but that whole Led Zep vibe was missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZ98 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 My vote is for September '95 through July 2000. By the second half of the '95 Page & Plant shows, Jimmy was in fine form. He continued that level of playing on the '98 tour, and was in top gear for the shows with the Black Crowes. The thing that period has in common with early Zep is he was playing live consistently. He seems to need a good bit of time on the road to get into match form, not so much with his rhythm playing, but for his leads. In the early Zep days he was on the road for over four years basically non-stop, and he was just amazing. In the last half of the '90s he also was on the road consistently, although he not quite as frequently as the early Zep days, and his playing was first rate throughout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strombringer101 Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Saw Jimmy Page 10th row center of the stage at the Gorge Gorge Washington. Walking to Clark’s Dale. it was the Jimmy Page show, the versatility of page on title track Walking to.... was amazing, the bluesy emotion of Blue Train. Probably the best show I’ve ever seen second to Tool at Portland RoseGarden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xolo1974 Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 https://youtu.be/tvSV-o1AOrE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 On 3/22/2019 at 4:32 PM, hummingbird69 said: I was at the Worchester show! Me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpat Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 On 3/21/2019 at 1:31 AM, Christopher Lees said: What do you think is Jimmy's finest piece of work post Zep? The Death Wish 2 soundtrack. I must be in the minority about this recording. Rocking, ethereal, sublime, nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecongo Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 I’m a HUGE DW2 fan you’re not alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hummingbird69 Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 I listen to the vinyl to death Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strombringer101 Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 On 4/1/2019 at 11:57 AM, dpat said: The Death Wish 2 soundtrack. I must be in the minority about this recording. Rocking, ethereal, sublime, nicely done. My brother bought this when it came out, still have the record. Didn’t know what I was listening to??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Hoek Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 (edited) Hey All...as others have said Page has seemed to have a few peaks since Zeppelin; and these peaks are all be a result of extended touring. With that in mind... 1985 Sallie Mae Jam w/ Jaco Pastorius: Not the best technically, but I like this because Jimmy is put in a situation he was not comfortable with here and still rises to the occasion. In later years Jimmy seems to have lost the confidence to play with those he could be compared against (like at the Rock and Roll HOF in 2009)...not here! People could argue that Jaco is patronizing to jimmy here and that Jimmy is sloppy...he is but Jaco is not being mean-everyone is just f'd up! Yet again, lets say this was a tour...by the 10 show Jimmy would have already mastered & redefined fusion jazz. I kid, but I think I do have a good point here... 1988 Outrider Tour: had been touring with the firm for some time before w/o playing zep songs live...does this tour and is amazing as he basks in the love coming from the crowds. If Jason B only had the chops then he has today... 1998 P&P WIC Tour: Everything is on fire during this tour- BIGLY stands out, Ten Years Gone was fantastic, SIBLY and the japan shows where they sub out Tea for One, and a return to the electric version of No Quarter that makes me very disappointed that they go ahead and bring on JPJ and Jason Bonham at this point....or Mike Bordin (FNM had just ended I think). 2000-2001: W/ Black Crowes: People sometimes put this down because Jimmy having the support of two other guitarists, but he really is on fire during this tour and was able to truly do studio versions of the zep catalogue. Also, playing with two other guitarists when you are used to playing alone takes a lot of restraint and concentration that you usually don't see from Jimmy. 2008: O2- Not the best post Zep, but it must be noted for showing Jimmy on the uphill climb towards regaining his ability through extended practice; like many first nights of a Zep tour in the 70's...too bad they didn't keep going with that project w/o robert...I would have gone to see instrumental JPJ, Jason B, and Jimmy Page if they couldn't decide on a singer and I am sure all of you would have as well... Edited April 6, 2019 by Darth Hoek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstork Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Darth Hoek said: Hey All...as others have said Page has seemed to have a few peaks since Zeppelin; and these peaks are all be a result of extended touring. With that in mind... 1985 Sallie Mae Jam w/ Jaco Pastorius: Not the best technically, but I like this because Jimmy is put in a situation he was not comfortable with here and still rises to the occasion. In later years Jimmy seems to have lost the confidence to play with those he could be compared against (like at the Rock and Roll HOF in 2009)...not here! People could argue that Jaco is patronizing to jimmy here and that Jimmy is sloppy...he is but Jaco is not being mean-everyone is just f'd up! Yet again, lets say this was a tour...by the 10 show Jimmy would have already mastered & redefined fusion jazz. I kid, but I think I do have a good point here... 1988 Outrider Tour: had been touring with the firm for some time before w/o playing zep songs live...does this tour and is amazing as he basks in the love coming from the crowds. If Jason B only had the chops then he has today... 1998 P&P WIC Tour: Everything is on fire during this tour- BIGLY stands out, Ten Years Gone was fantastic, SIBLY and the japan shows where they sub out Tea for One, and a return to the electric version of No Quarter that makes me very disappointed that they go ahead and bring on JPJ and Jason Bonham at this point....or Mike Bordin (FNM had just ended I think). 2000-2001: W/ Black Crowes: People sometimes put this down because Jimmy having the support of two other guitarists, but he really is on fire during this tour and was able to truly do studio versions of the zep catalogue. Also, playing with two other guitarists when you are used to playing alone takes a lot of restraint and concentration that you usually don't see from Jimmy. 2008: O2- Not the best post Zep, but it must be noted for showing Jimmy on the uphill climb towards regaining his ability through extended practice; like many first nights of a Zep tour in the 70's...too bad they didn't keep going with that project w/o robert...I would have gone to see instrumental JPJ, Jason B, and Jimmy Page if they couldn't decide on a singer and I am sure all of you would have as well... Great summary! Agreed on the jam with Jaco. Tony Franklin said Jimmy and Jaco “negotiated” before that jam, no crazy jazz chords, etc. I think it’s fun to listen to Jimmy figure it out as he goes. In those days he’d jump onstage with anyone at any time, it’s why I’m surprised he’s pretty much the opposite of that now. My best guess is 1) his chops are not in touring shape for obvious reasons, and 2) he never thought something like Fanny Mae Jam with Jaco at the Lonestar would wind up on YouTube being picked apart by thousands of wannabes. Must be annoying. Outrider was a revelation to me after the abysmal Atlantic 40th performance. He was amazing, the soloing on OTHAFA alone was worth the price of admission. 98 in the Garden is a show I’ll always remember, he was clearly making a statement on that tour. Same with the Crowes, where it seemed like the presence of Audrey Freed and Rich Robinson allowed him to really concentrate on being a true lead guitarist. Finally, the O2 was terrific, especially given that it was only one show without a warmup and he hadn’t toured in years. The solos on GTBT told me right from the start that he took it very seriously. I had, and have, no doubt that even a handful of additional shows after that would have brought him back to an amazing level of playing. Shame it never happened.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rover Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 2007 - The O2 - Kashmir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rm2551 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 He KILLS it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherrySunburstWorshiper Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 (edited) For me it's a toss up between some of the P&P performances and the Black Crowes featuring Jimmy Page. I will say the Crowes only because I feel it is a testament to what he could do with back up guitars behind him, though you really need to stick to a script in that format. Jimmy doesn't like sticking to a script and most of us don't want to hear him stick to one either. But I'd say Ten Years Gone, Custard Pie, Sick Again and In My Time of Dying are the best live performances of these songs. And as for Page & Plant, The Rain Song perfomance has no equal on this planet and of the other live shows, albeit mostly scripted as well, has video on youtube of the New Orleans' concert where Jimmy very much went off script and the best of that set definitely, probably the best version of Heartbreaker you'll ever hear. When you consider how many great performances of that song exist, that's saying something. Edited April 22, 2019 by CherrySunburstWorshiper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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