Ranking The 1975 Shows

[Bonzo_fan]

As somewhat of a 1975 nut, I've been working on this list for awhile.  I decided to wait until after listening to the tour again this year to post it in case my opinion changed about any of them.  Two quick disclaimers:

1. With the exception of 1/22 Chicago and 2/3 New York, the list starts with 2/6 Montréal as I haven't listened to the ones prior to it, and;

2. I'm going to wait until after listening to the Earls Court shows again in May to decide where they fall within the list, although I have an idea.

Hoping this can lead to a fruitful discussion to keep us all entertained for a bit while we're quarantined!  So, without further ado, the ranking:

1. March 21 - Seattle -- Obviously it's a tough call between this and Long Beach, but Seattle is 40 minutes longer and has my all-time favourite version of "Dazed And Confused."  This show has always been my favourite of any year -- just has that "it" factor for me.  Such a treat to have it in such great sound quality now.
2. March 12 - Long Beach -- Phenomenal, energetic show, perhaps Page's best of the year.  Love the atmospheric quality of the third source that came out a few years ago, could make quite a matrix IMO.
3. March 19 - Vancouver -- The 5/24/75 Dazed was my introduction to live Zepp, but I'm pretty sure this was the first full show I listened to.  Other shows (like the two above it) might have slightly higher peaks, but this one is just rock-solid, good to great versions all the way through, including my all-time favourite version of "The Rain Song."  One of the coolest, best, most concise (22 minutes and change) versions of "No Quarter" as well.  It helps that it's probably THE best sounding soundboard of them all.
4. March 20 - Vancouver -- Just a hair below the night before, really.  A few more screw-ups (e.g. missed cue exiting the solo in "Trampled Under Foot"), but perhaps slightly higher peaks (e.g. better "Dazed And Confused" than the night before, especially on Page's part).  The "No Quarter" from this show is really good, and seems to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the best versions of NQ -- the whole show kind of gets lost in the shuffle IMO.  Another great soundboard, though not quite as clear as the previous night.
5. March 27 - Los Angeles -- This is probably where my ranking will get a bit controversial.  I've always had a big soft spot for this show.  Perhaps it's because I discovered it back when I conflated longest version with best version -- it features four 'longest''s ("Black Dog," "Dazed And Confused," "In My Time Of Dying" and "Over The Hills And Far Away") and one 'second-longest' ("Trampled Under Foot") in addition to several 'longest' or 'second-longest' of '75.  Features perhaps my all-time favourite version of "No Quarter."  I find Page's solo very dynamic, with a real sense of plot  -- as a matter of fact, it's his longest NQ solo.  Like 3/21 Seattle, this show just has a nice, albeit different, vibe.  It's the best sounding of the three '75 Forum shows as far as Millard's recordings go, but is still slightly hissy and lacking "oomph."  My opinion of 3/24 improved a lot after hearing the remastered soundboard (or is it a matrix?).  I suspect that this show and the one on the 25th would benefit similarly from a soundboard and potential matrix.
6. February 8 - Philadelphia -- Perhaps Page's best show of the year, maybe even his best post-'73 show.  Hopefully the soundboard surfaces soon so that we can confirm the quality of it.
7. February 13 - New York -- This is a fun one, featuring the first of the 40-minute versions of "Dazed And Confused" and Ronnie Wood's guest appearance on "Communication Breakdown."  The slightly overloaded soundboard really liberated this one.
8. March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year, especially Bonham -- approaching Europe '73/U.S. '77 aggressiveness for him.  What a nice surprise the soundboard of this was.
9. February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix.
10. March 5 - Dallas -- Underrated show, great Jones and Bonham show.  All-time great versions of both "Over The Hills And Far Away" and "Moby Dick."  One of the best sounding soundboards.
11. February 14 - New York -- Looser than the previous two nights in New York, but still a good one.  First of three '75 "Since I've Been Loving You"'s and first of four "circular funk" sections in "Dazed And Confused" in '75 (3/21, 3/25 and 3/27 being the others).  Another good soundboard.
12. February 28 - Baton Rouge -- Starts about as well as any '75 show.  The first two thirds of it are energetic, succinct and powerful.  Unfortunately, Page falls off the rails rather spectacularly after "Moby Dick."  Would be Top 10 with a stronger finish.  As is, it's still pretty close.  Nice, punchy soundboard.
13. March 17 - Seattle -- This one can be kind of hard to rank.  It's one of the flatter sounding soundboards, so the experience varies greatly when listening through a good stereo or car speakers versus headphones IMO.  It certainly doesn't have any train-wrecks, but not many soaring heights either, apart from the solo in "Stairway To Heaven."  Cool piano-drum groove in "No Quarter," but then the instrumental section wanders a little bit compared to the very best ones from March.
14. March 25 - Los Angeles -- Kind of follows the same pattern as 5/24 to me -- somewhat sloppy/lethargic start, but a great finish.  A very cool "No Quarter" with Jones teasing most of the piano-drum grooves from the preceding month before settling on one and then switching back to the electric piano partway through Page's solo.  Neat "Dazed And Confused" as well with Plant singing "Spanish Harlem" in the "San Francisco"/"Woodstock" section.  Not the best sounding Millard recording -- would benefit a lot from being matrixed with the soundboard once it surfaces someday.
15. March 14 - San Diego -- I debated putting this ahead of 3/25.  It has a great "In My Time Of Dying," and a very long (only '75 version over 30 minutes) and interesting "No Quarter."  Pretty good soundboard.
16. February 6 - Montréal -- Great showing from Page, Plant still working his way back.  Perfectly enjoyable audience recording, certainly not sound quality-prohibitive.
17. March 11 - Long Beach -- This one never seems to make a strong impression on me one way or another.  It could be because I'm always looking ahead to the next night.  The thing I always remember most is Bonham shouting into his mic at the end of "Moby Dick" lol.  What confuses me is (correct me if I'm wrong), nobody has made a matrix of this yet.  It's a great Millard recording and a great soundboard -- why wouldn't you make a matrix?
18. March 10 - San Diego -- I feel like we need a soundboard of this one to accurately judge it.  "Sick Again" sounds significantly faster than any other version I've heard, to the point of making me wonder if the tape runs slightly fast.  Sounds like a very energetic show, but I'll reserve judgement until the soundboard surfaces.
19. February 16 - St. Louis -- This one isn't bad by any stretch, and has some great highlights, such as "No Quarter," but also feels at times like they expended all of their "end of the first leg" energy at the three preceding New York shows.  Good soundboard though.
20. March 24 - Los Angeles -- My opinion of this one improved a lot when the partial soundboard surfaced, but still not enough to climb higher.  The Millard for this one is very anemic sounding though, so it's possible that I'll think better of it when the full soundboard appears.
21. January 22 - Chicago -- This one could be higher -- seems like a long time ago, so I may be misremembering as Roger Clemens would say.  It's pretty good, and certainly nice to have for "The Wanton Song" and "How Many More Times." I'd like to hear the soundboard someday, because the audience recording, while clear, is a bit hollow/lacking punch.
22. March 4 - Dallas -- Great, well-known soundboard, all-time great "Over The Hills And Far Away," mediocre performance overall.
23. February 10 - Landover -- Mediocre show, but I LOVE Bonham's fills in the last verse of "Heartbreaker."
24. February 7 - New York -- Not bad, but a valley between the peaks of Montréal and especially Philadelphia.
25. February 3 - New York -- Marks the return of "Dazed And Confused," but it's a truncated and rusty version of it.  They sound excited to be back at the Garden, but there isn't too much to remember the show by IMO.

Would love to hear what you all think!

[JohnOsbourne]

I agree w/your top 4;  Seattle and Long Beach are all-time great shows, and the two Vancouver shows are not far behind.  I'd rate the last two Long Island shows next, esp. the 13th, and I'd rate the first night in Seattle higher than you do, there are some really great moments there.  Then I'd do Philly (Page is almost '73-like fluid), and then Montreal, probably the first great show of '75.  I'll always have a soft spot for the Feb 12th NY show, and I love the Fort Worth show, a bit sloppy but very improvisational by '75 standards.  That's the top 11.

After that it's kind of a mixed bag.  You can almost always find superb moments, but as usual for '75 there's inconsistency.  St Louis is really good.  I like the first San Diego show because of the doomy, gloomy vibe from the audience recording (it'll be interesting to see if what it sounds like when the soundboard comes out).  The LA shows have some of the best moments of the tour, but also a lot of hiccups.  NQ from the 25th is probably my favorite version ever, and all of the TU are awesome.  OTHAFW from the 27th is one of the best, and SIBLY from the 27th is probably the best of the three times it was played that year.  DC from the 27th is also really good.  I agree that the soundboard for the 24th sounds promising.  The first night in Long Beach has problems (kind of sluggish), but some real highlights as well (one of my favorite STH).  

At the bottom of my list, I used to like Landover a lot, but the soundboard exposed some serious flaws (STH is a nightmare), still a pretty good NQ, and TU is decent enough.  I've always thought the Baton Rouge show is overrated, and the Dallas shows are overall pretty mediocre (some good moments here and there).  The first Long Island show on the 4th really needs a good recording to surface, it sounds like some really good playing but it's hard to tell from the terrible tape.  I really don't listen to the first two NY shows that much, they don't strike me as anything special.  The second San Diego show is pretty much a train wreck (they sound like they've been partying non-stop since arriving on the West Coast, which was probably the case), although I love the really tripped out NQ.  I almost never listen to any January shows, too many problems with them (Detroit is pretty solid, however).

Edited March 28, 2020 by JohnOsbourne

[Sticks of Fire]

Agree with a lot of what you both said.  I would move up 3/11 and 3/17 and that would be my top 10.   
 

People seem to do nothing but dog 75 tour but I think the March run was about as good as any tour

Edited March 29, 2020 by Sticks of Fire

[JohnOsbourne]

1 hour ago, Sticks of Fire said:

Agree with a lot of what you both said.  I would move up 3/11 and 3/17 and that would be not top 10.   
 

People seem to do nothing but dog 75 tour but I think the March run was about as good as any tour

'75 may have been the beginning of the end in some ways, but it still stands up favorably w/71-73 (esp. the West Coast shows).  For completeness, I'd probably rank the EC shows in the middle of the pack on my list.  Like LA, no single show is stellar, but collectively some truly great moments (LA still comes out ahead, IMO).

[johnlennon696]

As a whole, overall show 12th March is still my favourite single gig. But of course the whole tour has highlights in most shows you've listed.

[Badgeholder Still]

23 hours ago, Bonzo_fan said:

 

February 6 - Montréal -- Great showing from Page, Plant still working his way back.  Perfectly enjoyable audience recording, certainly not sound quality-prohibitive.

16 ? this is a top 5 show. Certainly more enjoyable than any of the LA shows.

23 hours ago, Bonzo_fan said:

January 22 - Chicago -- This one could be higher -- seems like a long time ago, so I may be misremembering as Roger Clemens would say.  It's pretty good, and certainly nice to have for "The Wanton Song" and "How Many More Times." I'd like to hear the soundboard someday, because the audience recording, while clear, is a bit hollow/lacking punch.

This deserves more love. A fine recording of a solid performance during a run which most regard as not worthy of their time. Probably THE live version of The Wanton Song. For anyone who mis-remembers, revisit this. Then judge.

[Tainted cheese]

On 3/28/2020 at 12:26 PM, Bonzo_fan said:

As somewhat of a 1975 nut, I've been working on this list for awhile.  I decided to wait until after listening to the tour again this year to post it in case my opinion changed about any of them.  Two quick disclaimers:

1. With the exception of 1/22 Chicago and 2/3 New York, the list starts with 2/6 Montréal as I haven't listened to the ones prior to it, and;

2. I'm going to wait until after listening to the Earls Court shows again in May to decide where they fall within the list, although I have an idea.

Hoping this can lead to a fruitful discussion to keep us all entertained for a bit while we're quarantined!  So, without further ado, the ranking:

1. March 21 - Seattle -- Obviously it's a tough call between this and Long Beach, but Seattle is 40 minutes longer and has my all-time favourite version of "Dazed And Confused."  This show has always been my favourite of any year -- just has that "it" factor for me.  Such a treat to have it in such great sound quality now.
2. March 12 - Long Beach -- Phenomenal, energetic show, perhaps Page's best of the year.  Love the atmospheric quality of the third source that came out a few years ago, could make quite a matrix IMO.
3. March 19 - Vancouver -- The 5/24/75 Dazed was my introduction to live Zepp, but I'm pretty sure this was the first full show I listened to.  Other shows (like the two above it) might have slightly higher peaks, but this one is just rock-solid, good to great versions all the way through, including my all-time favourite version of "The Rain Song."  One of the coolest, best, most concise (22 minutes and change) versions of "No Quarter" as well.  It helps that it's probably THE best sounding soundboard of them all.
4. March 20 - Vancouver -- Just a hair below the night before, really.  A few more screw-ups (e.g. missed cue exiting the solo in "Trampled Under Foot"), but perhaps slightly higher peaks (e.g. better "Dazed And Confused" than the night before, especially on Page's part).  The "No Quarter" from this show is really good, and seems to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the best versions of NQ -- the whole show kind of gets lost in the shuffle IMO.  Another great soundboard, though not quite as clear as the previous night.
5. March 27 - Los Angeles -- This is probably where my ranking will get a bit controversial.  I've always had a big soft spot for this show.  Perhaps it's because I discovered it back when I conflated longest version with best version -- it features four 'longest''s ("Black Dog," "Dazed And Confused," "In My Time Of Dying" and "Over The Hills And Far Away") and one 'second-longest' ("Trampled Under Foot") in addition to several 'longest' or 'second-longest' of '75.  Features perhaps my all-time favourite version of "No Quarter."  I find Page's solo very dynamic, with a real sense of plot  -- as a matter of fact, it's his longest NQ solo.  Like 3/21 Seattle, this show just has a nice, albeit different, vibe.  It's the best sounding of the three '75 Forum shows as far as Millard's recordings go, but is still slightly hissy and lacking "oomph."  My opinion of 3/24 improved a lot after hearing the remastered soundboard (or is it a matrix?).  I suspect that this show and the one on the 25th would benefit similarly from a soundboard and potential matrix.
6. February 8 - Philadelphia -- Perhaps Page's best show of the year, maybe even his best post-'73 show.  Hopefully the soundboard surfaces soon so that we can confirm the quality of it.
7. February 13 - New York -- This is a fun one, featuring the first of the 40-minute versions of "Dazed And Confused" and Ronnie Wood's guest appearance on "Communication Breakdown."  The slightly overloaded soundboard really liberated this one.
8. March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year, especially Bonham -- approaching Europe '73/U.S. '77 aggressiveness for him.  What a nice surprise the soundboard of this was.
9. February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix.
10. March 5 - Dallas -- Underrated show, great Jones and Bonham show.  All-time great versions of both "Over The Hills And Far Away" and "Moby Dick."  One of the best sounding soundboards.
11. February 14 - New York -- Looser than the previous two nights in New York, but still a good one.  First of three '75 "Since I've Been Loving You"'s and first of four "circular funk" sections in "Dazed And Confused" in '75 (3/21, 3/25 and 3/27 being the others).  Another good soundboard.
12. February 28 - Baton Rouge -- Starts about as well as any '75 show.  The first two thirds of it are energetic, succinct and powerful.  Unfortunately, Page falls off the rails rather spectacularly after "Moby Dick."  Would be Top 10 with a stronger finish.  As is, it's still pretty close.  Nice, punchy soundboard.
13. March 17 - Seattle -- This one can be kind of hard to rank.  It's one of the flatter sounding soundboards, so the experience varies greatly when listening through a good stereo or car speakers versus headphones IMO.  It certainly doesn't have any train-wrecks, but not many soaring heights either, apart from the solo in "Stairway To Heaven."  Cool piano-drum groove in "No Quarter," but then the instrumental section wanders a little bit compared to the very best ones from March.
14. March 25 - Los Angeles -- Kind of follows the same pattern as 5/24 to me -- somewhat sloppy/lethargic start, but a great finish.  A very cool "No Quarter" with Jones teasing most of the piano-drum grooves from the preceding month before settling on one and then switching back to the electric piano partway through Page's solo.  Neat "Dazed And Confused" as well with Plant singing "Spanish Harlem" in the "San Francisco"/"Woodstock" section.  Not the best sounding Millard recording -- would benefit a lot from being matrixed with the soundboard once it surfaces someday.
15. March 14 - San Diego -- I debated putting this ahead of 3/25.  It has a great "In My Time Of Dying," and a very long (only '75 version over 30 minutes) and interesting "No Quarter."  Pretty good soundboard.
16. February 6 - Montréal -- Great showing from Page, Plant still working his way back.  Perfectly enjoyable audience recording, certainly not sound quality-prohibitive.
17. March 11 - Long Beach -- This one never seems to make a strong impression on me one way or another.  It could be because I'm always looking ahead to the next night.  The thing I always remember most is Bonham shouting into his mic at the end of "Moby Dick" lol.  What confuses me is (correct me if I'm wrong), nobody has made a matrix of this yet.  It's a great Millard recording and a great soundboard -- why wouldn't you make a matrix?
18. March 10 - San Diego -- I feel like we need a soundboard of this one to accurately judge it.  "Sick Again" sounds significantly faster than any other version I've heard, to the point of making me wonder if the tape runs slightly fast.  Sounds like a very energetic show, but I'll reserve judgement until the soundboard surfaces.
19. February 16 - St. Louis -- This one isn't bad by any stretch, and has some great highlights, such as "No Quarter," but also feels at times like they expended all of their "end of the first leg" energy at the three preceding New York shows.  Good soundboard though.
20. March 24 - Los Angeles -- My opinion of this one improved a lot when the partial soundboard surfaced, but still not enough to climb higher.  The Millard for this one is very anemic sounding though, so it's possible that I'll think better of it when the full soundboard appears.
21. January 22 - Chicago -- This one could be higher -- seems like a long time ago, so I may be misremembering as Roger Clemens would say.  It's pretty good, and certainly nice to have for "The Wanton Song" and "How Many More Times." I'd like to hear the soundboard someday, because the audience recording, while clear, is a bit hollow/lacking punch.
22. March 4 - Dallas -- Great, well-known soundboard, all-time great "Over The Hills And Far Away," mediocre performance overall.
23. February 10 - Landover -- Mediocre show, but I LOVE Bonham's fills in the last verse of "Heartbreaker."
24. February 7 - New York -- Not bad, but a valley between the peaks of Montréal and especially Philadelphia.
25. February 3 - New York -- Marks the return of "Dazed And Confused," but it's a truncated and rusty version of it.  They sound excited to be back at the Garden, but there isn't too much to remember the show by IMO.

Would love to hear what you all think!

Thanks for putting this out to us, I'm not a huge fan of the '75 tour, but agree on most, I think the Feb 14th Valentine's concert is easily in the top 5 though, one of the better ones for sure, other than the Seattle show, Long Beach 12 is without a doubt GREAT, but is hard to listen to from start to finish due to the overloading bass (unless I missed out on hearing about a newer/better source) aside from the Mike the Mike getting the last few songs. The Vancouver and LA shows just don't get me fired up though, although I know many love them, funny how the works from person to person. Cheers!

[Strider]

On 3/28/2020 at 11:26 AM, Bonzo_fan said:

As somewhat of a 1975 nut, I've been working on this list for awhile.  I decided to wait until after listening to the tour again this year to post it in case my opinion changed about any of them.  Two quick disclaimers:

1. With the exception of 1/22 Chicago and 2/3 New York, the list starts with 2/6 Montréal as I haven't listened to the ones prior to it, and;

2. I'm going to wait until after listening to the Earls Court shows again in May to decide where they fall within the list, although I have an idea.

Hoping this can lead to a fruitful discussion to keep us all entertained for a bit while we're quarantined!  So, without further ado, the ranking:

1. March 21 - Seattle -- Obviously it's a tough call between this and Long Beach, but Seattle is 40 minutes longer and has my all-time favourite version of "Dazed And Confused."  This show has always been my favourite of any year -- just has that "it" factor for me.  Such a treat to have it in such great sound quality now.
2. March 12 - Long Beach -- Phenomenal, energetic show, perhaps Page's best of the year.  Love the atmospheric quality of the third source that came out a few years ago, could make quite a matrix IMO.
3. March 19 - Vancouver -- The 5/24/75 Dazed was my introduction to live Zepp, but I'm pretty sure this was the first full show I listened to.  Other shows (like the two above it) might have slightly higher peaks, but this one is just rock-solid, good to great versions all the way through, including my all-time favourite version of "The Rain Song."  One of the coolest, best, most concise (22 minutes and change) versions of "No Quarter" as well.  It helps that it's probably THE best sounding soundboard of them all.
4. March 20 - Vancouver -- Just a hair below the night before, really.  A few more screw-ups (e.g. missed cue exiting the solo in "Trampled Under Foot"), but perhaps slightly higher peaks (e.g. better "Dazed And Confused" than the night before, especially on Page's part).  The "No Quarter" from this show is really good, and seems to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the best versions of NQ -- the whole show kind of gets lost in the shuffle IMO.  Another great soundboard, though not quite as clear as the previous night.
5. March 27 - Los Angeles -- This is probably where my ranking will get a bit controversial.  I've always had a big soft spot for this show.  Perhaps it's because I discovered it back when I conflated longest version with best version -- it features four 'longest''s ("Black Dog," "Dazed And Confused," "In My Time Of Dying" and "Over The Hills And Far Away") and one 'second-longest' ("Trampled Under Foot") in addition to several 'longest' or 'second-longest' of '75.  Features perhaps my all-time favourite version of "No Quarter."  I find Page's solo very dynamic, with a real sense of plot  -- as a matter of fact, it's his longest NQ solo.  Like 3/21 Seattle, this show just has a nice, albeit different, vibe.  It's the best sounding of the three '75 Forum shows as far as Millard's recordings go, but is still slightly hissy and lacking "oomph."  My opinion of 3/24 improved a lot after hearing the remastered soundboard (or is it a matrix?).  I suspect that this show and the one on the 25th would benefit similarly from a soundboard and potential matrix.
6. February 8 - Philadelphia -- Perhaps Page's best show of the year, maybe even his best post-'73 show.  Hopefully the soundboard surfaces soon so that we can confirm the quality of it.
7. February 13 - New York -- This is a fun one, featuring the first of the 40-minute versions of "Dazed And Confused" and Ronnie Wood's guest appearance on "Communication Breakdown."  The slightly overloaded soundboard really liberated this one.
8. March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year, especially Bonham -- approaching Europe '73/U.S. '77 aggressiveness for him.  What a nice surprise the soundboard of this was.
9. February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix.
10. March 5 - Dallas -- Underrated show, great Jones and Bonham show.  All-time great versions of both "Over The Hills And Far Away" and "Moby Dick."  One of the best sounding soundboards.
11. February 14 - New York -- Looser than the previous two nights in New York, but still a good one.  First of three '75 "Since I've Been Loving You"'s and first of four "circular funk" sections in "Dazed And Confused" in '75 (3/21, 3/25 and 3/27 being the others).  Another good soundboard.
12. February 28 - Baton Rouge -- Starts about as well as any '75 show.  The first two thirds of it are energetic, succinct and powerful.  Unfortunately, Page falls off the rails rather spectacularly after "Moby Dick."  Would be Top 10 with a stronger finish.  As is, it's still pretty close.  Nice, punchy soundboard.
13. March 17 - Seattle -- This one can be kind of hard to rank.  It's one of the flatter sounding soundboards, so the experience varies greatly when listening through a good stereo or car speakers versus headphones IMO.  It certainly doesn't have any train-wrecks, but not many soaring heights either, apart from the solo in "Stairway To Heaven."  Cool piano-drum groove in "No Quarter," but then the instrumental section wanders a little bit compared to the very best ones from March.
14. March 25 - Los Angeles -- Kind of follows the same pattern as 5/24 to me -- somewhat sloppy/lethargic start, but a great finish.  A very cool "No Quarter" with Jones teasing most of the piano-drum grooves from the preceding month before settling on one and then switching back to the electric piano partway through Page's solo.  Neat "Dazed And Confused" as well with Plant singing "Spanish Harlem" in the "San Francisco"/"Woodstock" section.  Not the best sounding Millard recording -- would benefit a lot from being matrixed with the soundboard once it surfaces someday.
15. March 14 - San Diego -- I debated putting this ahead of 3/25.  It has a great "In My Time Of Dying," and a very long (only '75 version over 30 minutes) and interesting "No Quarter."  Pretty good soundboard.
16. February 6 - Montréal -- Great showing from Page, Plant still working his way back.  Perfectly enjoyable audience recording, certainly not sound quality-prohibitive.
17. March 11 - Long Beach -- This one never seems to make a strong impression on me one way or another.  It could be because I'm always looking ahead to the next night.  The thing I always remember most is Bonham shouting into his mic at the end of "Moby Dick" lol.  What confuses me is (correct me if I'm wrong), nobody has made a matrix of this yet.  It's a great Millard recording and a great soundboard -- why wouldn't you make a matrix?
18. March 10 - San Diego -- I feel like we need a soundboard of this one to accurately judge it.  "Sick Again" sounds significantly faster than any other version I've heard, to the point of making me wonder if the tape runs slightly fast.  Sounds like a very energetic show, but I'll reserve judgement until the soundboard surfaces.
19. February 16 - St. Louis -- This one isn't bad by any stretch, and has some great highlights, such as "No Quarter," but also feels at times like they expended all of their "end of the first leg" energy at the three preceding New York shows.  Good soundboard though.
20. March 24 - Los Angeles -- My opinion of this one improved a lot when the partial soundboard surfaced, but still not enough to climb higher.  The Millard for this one is very anemic sounding though, so it's possible that I'll think better of it when the full soundboard appears.
21. January 22 - Chicago -- This one could be higher -- seems like a long time ago, so I may be misremembering as Roger Clemens would say.  It's pretty good, and certainly nice to have for "The Wanton Song" and "How Many More Times." I'd like to hear the soundboard someday, because the audience recording, while clear, is a bit hollow/lacking punch.
22. March 4 - Dallas -- Great, well-known soundboard, all-time great "Over The Hills And Far Away," mediocre performance overall.
23. February 10 - Landover -- Mediocre show, but I LOVE Bonham's fills in the last verse of "Heartbreaker."
24. February 7 - New York -- Not bad, but a valley between the peaks of Montréal and especially Philadelphia.
25. February 3 - New York -- Marks the return of "Dazed And Confused," but it's a truncated and rusty version of it.  They sound excited to be back at the Garden, but there isn't too much to remember the show by IMO.

Would love to hear what you all think!

Great post. I'm still immersing myself in 1975 so I will get back to you when I finish. Hopefully before this coronavirus quarantine ends.

[Mr_K]

On 3/28/2020 at 1:26 PM, Bonzo_fan said:

As somewhat of a 1975 nut, I've been working on this list for awhile.  I decided to wait until after listening to the tour again this year to post it in case my opinion changed about any of them.  Two quick disclaimers:

1. With the exception of 1/22 Chicago and 2/3 New York, the list starts with 2/6 Montréal as I haven't listened to the ones prior to it, and;

2. I'm going to wait until after listening to the Earls Court shows again in May to decide where they fall within the list, although I have an idea.

Hoping this can lead to a fruitful discussion to keep us all entertained for a bit while we're quarantined!  So, without further ado, the ranking:

1. March 21 - Seattle -- Obviously it's a tough call between this and Long Beach, but Seattle is 40 minutes longer and has my all-time favourite version of "Dazed And Confused."  This show has always been my favourite of any year -- just has that "it" factor for me.  Such a treat to have it in such great sound quality now.
2. March 12 - Long Beach -- Phenomenal, energetic show, perhaps Page's best of the year.  Love the atmospheric quality of the third source that came out a few years ago, could make quite a matrix IMO.
3. March 19 - Vancouver -- The 5/24/75 Dazed was my introduction to live Zepp, but I'm pretty sure this was the first full show I listened to.  Other shows (like the two above it) might have slightly higher peaks, but this one is just rock-solid, good to great versions all the way through, including my all-time favourite version of "The Rain Song."  One of the coolest, best, most concise (22 minutes and change) versions of "No Quarter" as well.  It helps that it's probably THE best sounding soundboard of them all.
4. March 20 - Vancouver -- Just a hair below the night before, really.  A few more screw-ups (e.g. missed cue exiting the solo in "Trampled Under Foot"), but perhaps slightly higher peaks (e.g. better "Dazed And Confused" than the night before, especially on Page's part).  The "No Quarter" from this show is really good, and seems to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the best versions of NQ -- the whole show kind of gets lost in the shuffle IMO.  Another great soundboard, though not quite as clear as the previous night.
5. March 27 - Los Angeles -- This is probably where my ranking will get a bit controversial.  I've always had a big soft spot for this show.  Perhaps it's because I discovered it back when I conflated longest version with best version -- it features four 'longest''s ("Black Dog," "Dazed And Confused," "In My Time Of Dying" and "Over The Hills And Far Away") and one 'second-longest' ("Trampled Under Foot") in addition to several 'longest' or 'second-longest' of '75.  Features perhaps my all-time favourite version of "No Quarter."  I find Page's solo very dynamic, with a real sense of plot  -- as a matter of fact, it's his longest NQ solo.  Like 3/21 Seattle, this show just has a nice, albeit different, vibe.  It's the best sounding of the three '75 Forum shows as far as Millard's recordings go, but is still slightly hissy and lacking "oomph."  My opinion of 3/24 improved a lot after hearing the remastered soundboard (or is it a matrix?).  I suspect that this show and the one on the 25th would benefit similarly from a soundboard and potential matrix.
6. February 8 - Philadelphia -- Perhaps Page's best show of the year, maybe even his best post-'73 show.  Hopefully the soundboard surfaces soon so that we can confirm the quality of it.
7. February 13 - New York -- This is a fun one, featuring the first of the 40-minute versions of "Dazed And Confused" and Ronnie Wood's guest appearance on "Communication Breakdown."  The slightly overloaded soundboard really liberated this one.
8. March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year, especially Bonham -- approaching Europe '73/U.S. '77 aggressiveness for him.  What a nice surprise the soundboard of this was.
9. February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix.
10. March 5 - Dallas -- Underrated show, great Jones and Bonham show.  All-time great versions of both "Over The Hills And Far Away" and "Moby Dick."  One of the best sounding soundboards.
11. February 14 - New York -- Looser than the previous two nights in New York, but still a good one.  First of three '75 "Since I've Been Loving You"'s and first of four "circular funk" sections in "Dazed And Confused" in '75 (3/21, 3/25 and 3/27 being the others).  Another good soundboard.
12. February 28 - Baton Rouge -- Starts about as well as any '75 show.  The first two thirds of it are energetic, succinct and powerful.  Unfortunately, Page falls off the rails rather spectacularly after "Moby Dick."  Would be Top 10 with a stronger finish.  As is, it's still pretty close.  Nice, punchy soundboard.
13. March 17 - Seattle -- This one can be kind of hard to rank.  It's one of the flatter sounding soundboards, so the experience varies greatly when listening through a good stereo or car speakers versus headphones IMO.  It certainly doesn't have any train-wrecks, but not many soaring heights either, apart from the solo in "Stairway To Heaven."  Cool piano-drum groove in "No Quarter," but then the instrumental section wanders a little bit compared to the very best ones from March.
14. March 25 - Los Angeles -- Kind of follows the same pattern as 5/24 to me -- somewhat sloppy/lethargic start, but a great finish.  A very cool "No Quarter" with Jones teasing most of the piano-drum grooves from the preceding month before settling on one and then switching back to the electric piano partway through Page's solo.  Neat "Dazed And Confused" as well with Plant singing "Spanish Harlem" in the "San Francisco"/"Woodstock" section.  Not the best sounding Millard recording -- would benefit a lot from being matrixed with the soundboard once it surfaces someday.
15. March 14 - San Diego -- I debated putting this ahead of 3/25.  It has a great "In My Time Of Dying," and a very long (only '75 version over 30 minutes) and interesting "No Quarter."  Pretty good soundboard.
16. February 6 - Montréal -- Great showing from Page, Plant still working his way back.  Perfectly enjoyable audience recording, certainly not sound quality-prohibitive.
17. March 11 - Long Beach -- This one never seems to make a strong impression on me one way or another.  It could be because I'm always looking ahead to the next night.  The thing I always remember most is Bonham shouting into his mic at the end of "Moby Dick" lol.  What confuses me is (correct me if I'm wrong), nobody has made a matrix of this yet.  It's a great Millard recording and a great soundboard -- why wouldn't you make a matrix?
18. March 10 - San Diego -- I feel like we need a soundboard of this one to accurately judge it.  "Sick Again" sounds significantly faster than any other version I've heard, to the point of making me wonder if the tape runs slightly fast.  Sounds like a very energetic show, but I'll reserve judgement until the soundboard surfaces.
19. February 16 - St. Louis -- This one isn't bad by any stretch, and has some great highlights, such as "No Quarter," but also feels at times like they expended all of their "end of the first leg" energy at the three preceding New York shows.  Good soundboard though.
20. March 24 - Los Angeles -- My opinion of this one improved a lot when the partial soundboard surfaced, but still not enough to climb higher.  The Millard for this one is very anemic sounding though, so it's possible that I'll think better of it when the full soundboard appears.
21. January 22 - Chicago -- This one could be higher -- seems like a long time ago, so I may be misremembering as Roger Clemens would say.  It's pretty good, and certainly nice to have for "The Wanton Song" and "How Many More Times." I'd like to hear the soundboard someday, because the audience recording, while clear, is a bit hollow/lacking punch.
22. March 4 - Dallas -- Great, well-known soundboard, all-time great "Over The Hills And Far Away," mediocre performance overall.
23. February 10 - Landover -- Mediocre show, but I LOVE Bonham's fills in the last verse of "Heartbreaker."
24. February 7 - New York -- Not bad, but a valley between the peaks of Montréal and especially Philadelphia.
25. February 3 - New York -- Marks the return of "Dazed And Confused," but it's a truncated and rusty version of it.  They sound excited to be back at the Garden, but there isn't too much to remember the show by IMO.

Would love to hear what you all think!

My number 1. March 20, Vancouver. Listening to it as I write. I vote this gig as the "best of" in terms of the band being very tight, and playing well together on every song. No rust here. And Robert's voice is strong from the start. And Jones' bass is up in the mix. My gosh, what a musician. Under-rated and often under-mixed.

Tonight Zeppelin made it work. A real driving rock band.

"February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix."

Agreed. And a great vibe. 

"March 21 - Seattle" - 

Number 1? - great peaks, but the band was just.... what is the phrase?.... a little off kilter. With the soundboard, I find it is a good yet an over-rated show.

"March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year....."

I'm going to have to find this Texas killer!

Interesting how opinions differ. I'm no fan of Long Beach but I still hope for a soundboard of March 12 to reconsider.

I'm listening to Moby Dick, from March 20th, as I finish. I can't believe it. I like it!

In reviewing these shows, it seems like the band has matured. 69 to 73 is great but wild. In 75, they no longer have to conquer America. They own America. And Canada too. 

Thanks for posting.

[Strider]

5 hours ago, Tainted cheese said:

 Long Beach 12 is without a doubt GREAT, but is hard to listen to from start to finish due to the overloading bass (unless I missed out on hearing about a newer/better source) aside from the Mike the Mike getting the last few songs. 

 

1 hour ago, Mr_K said:

 

Interesting how opinions differ. I'm no fan of Long Beach but I still hope for a soundboard of March 12 to reconsider.

 

This will change your mind about 3.12 Long Beach. The third source is much better than the overloaded first source.

 

[Strider]

1 hour ago, Mr_K said:

March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year....."

I'm going to have to find this Texas killer!

Here you go Mr. K. One of my favourites of the year.

 

[rm2551]

I have the Mr Soundman boot. Is that Lirio's remaster???

I'm just finishing No Quarter now.

[Mr_K]

2 hours ago, Strider said:

 

This will change your mind about 3.12 Long Beach. The third source is much better than the overloaded first source.

 

Wow! This is an improvement. I hope to find it on Black Beauty. Thanks.

[Mr_K]

2 hours ago, Strider said:

Here you go Mr. K. One of my favourites of the year.

 

I am double lucky tonight.

First a cleaner version of March 12 and now this - a super version of March 3. It's like 2 lottery tickets coming in at the same time! I will have to download at least one tomorrow on Black Beauty.

I have 5 hours of new Zeppelin to hear and don't know which to finish first!

Thanks Strider!

[JohnOsbourne]

Both Vancouver shows are top-notch, but the 20th is better.

[Cosmic_Equilibrium]

Standout shows for me:

Feb 12th New York - a very well known show, and possibly the first bootleg that I heard which made me sit up and take notice. Great recording quality - my favourite is Keeper Of The Seasons which I think is a matrix of some sort. Great performance too despite Plant's voice being a bit ragged here and there.

Feb 14th Nassau - a very good vibe to this show, as evidenced by the Plantations. I did wonder if the SB ran slightly fast on the Throwing The Wild Seeds boot I downloaded, so switched to the St Valentine's Day Massacre one.

March 3rd Fort Worth - good SB and a really good fun show

March 19th Vancouver - possibly the best sounding SB ever, Jones is well up front and really clear, top 5 version of No Quarter, very consistent performance

May 18th Earls Court - the best of the EC shows that I've heard, possibly an even better version of NQ than Vancouver. Go to for this is Black Dragon WIth Blue Axe. Whole band very much on it and assured.

 

Other ones worth checking out are St Louis, Baton Rouge and Seattle. What I've heard of the LA Forum shows didn't impress me a great deal, they seemed to lack energy in comparison to the ones listed above. Baton Rouge I've always wondered if the SB runs too fast as Sick Again is notably faster paced than the versions from the rest of the tour, but I've never read any complaints in this regard about the recording.

Finally Feb 3rd New York is a good one, albeit not so much for the performance but the recording of the tapers and the general audience. Really gets the ambience and vibe of what going to a Zeppelin show was like back then.

[Tainted cheese]

9 hours ago, Strider said:

 

This will change your mind about 3.12 Long Beach. The third source is much better than the overloaded first source.

 

Ok, I change my mind now! Thanks man.

[Mr_K]

9 hours ago, Mr_K said:

I am double lucky tonight.

First a cleaner version of March 12 and now this - a super version of March 3. It's like 2 lottery tickets coming in at the same time! I will have to download at least one tomorrow on Black Beauty.

I have 5 hours of new Zeppelin to hear and don't know which to finish first!

Thanks Strider!

Hello again.

I had a Zeppelin mind block, where you forget that a concert exists because you can't download it quickly.

I just went to the topic, "SOUNDBOARD FORT WORTH 1975?" I saw my post from November 2015 - this show had a 6 hour download. So I didn't. And forgot it existed. Now my Zep head has been freed.

[Bonzo_fan]

On 3/28/2020 at 3:03 PM, JohnOsbourne said:

I agree w/your top 4;  Seattle and Long Beach are all-time great shows, and the two Vancouver shows are not far behind.  I'd rate the last two Long Island shows next, esp. the 13th, and I'd rate the first night in Seattle higher than you do, there are some really great moments there.  Then I'd do Philly (Page is almost '73-like fluid), and then Montreal, probably the first great show of '75.  I'll always have a soft spot for the Feb 12th NY show, and I love the Fort Worth show, a bit sloppy but very improvisational by '75 standards.  That's the top 11.

After that it's kind of a mixed bag.  You can almost always find superb moments, but as usual for '75 there's inconsistency.  St Louis is really good.  I like the first San Diego show because of the doomy, gloomy vibe from the audience recording (it'll be interesting to see if what it sounds like when the soundboard comes out).  The LA shows have some of the best moments of the tour, but also a lot of hiccups.  NQ from the 25th is probably my favorite version ever, and all of the TU are awesome.  OTHAFW from the 27th is one of the best, and SIBLY from the 27th is probably the best of the three times it was played that year.  DC from the 27th is also really good.  I agree that the soundboard for the 24th sounds promising.  The first night in Long Beach has problems (kind of sluggish), but some real highlights as well (one of my favorite STH).  

At the bottom of my list, I used to like Landover a lot, but the soundboard exposed some serious flaws (STH is a nightmare), still a pretty good NQ, and TU is decent enough.  I've always thought the Baton Rouge show is overrated, and the Dallas shows are overall pretty mediocre (some good moments here and there).  The first Long Island show on the 4th really needs a good recording to surface, it sounds like some really good playing but it's hard to tell from the terrible tape.  I really don't listen to the first two NY shows that much, they don't strike me as anything special.  The second San Diego show is pretty much a train wreck (they sound like they've been partying non-stop since arriving on the West Coast, which was probably the case), although I love the really tripped out NQ.  I almost never listen to any January shows, too many problems with them (Detroit is pretty solid, however).

You can certainly make an argument for 2/13 being #5.  I acknowledge my 3/27 pick isn't completely objective.

Agree with your middle paragraph.

That's interesting that you find Baton Rouge overrated.  I find its first two thirds really good (not Seattle/Long Beach good, but still).  With the Dallas shows, I think the second night is closer to Fort Worth in quality than it is to the first night.  I think the second night in San Diego has a few highlights other than NQ, but yeah it's not Top 15 or anything.

[Bonzo_fan]

On 3/28/2020 at 5:43 PM, Sticks of Fire said:

Agree with a lot of what you both said.  I would move up 3/11 and 3/17 and that would be my top 10.   
 

People seem to do nothing but dog 75 tour but I think the March run was about as good as any tour

You would move both of those into the Top 10?

I agree that March/second leg '75 compares well with other top months/legs, certainly from the middle years, such as June/second leg '77.

[Bonzo_fan]

On 3/28/2020 at 7:32 PM, JohnOsbourne said:

'75 may have been the beginning of the end in some ways, but it still stands up favorably w/71-73 (esp. the West Coast shows).  For completeness, I'd probably rank the EC shows in the middle of the pack on my list.  Like LA, no single show is stellar, but collectively some truly great moments (LA still comes out ahead, IMO).

You don't consider 5/18 stellar?  My only complaint with it is that the Dazed isn't as epic as you'd hope considering how good the rest of it is.  I think if the 5/24 Dazed was played on the 18th instead, that show would be nipping at the heels of Seattle/Long Beach/Vancouver for sure.  I expressed this a few weeks ago in the Earls Court thread that was going around, but I think part of the problem with EC is that to accommodate the acoustic set (which was a great addition), they dialled back the improvisation that was a big part of the charm of the West Coast shows in March.

[Bonzo_fan]

On 3/29/2020 at 2:22 PM, Badgeholder Still said:

16 ? this is a top 5 show. Certainly more enjoyable than any of the LA shows.

This deserves more love. A fine recording of a solid performance during a run which most regard as not worthy of their time. Probably THE live version of The Wanton Song. For anyone who mis-remembers, revisit this. Then judge.

Disagree about Top 5, but I certainly could have put it higher.  I have Philly higher than Montréal, so even if I bumped the last night in L.A. out, Philly would take its place before Montréal would for me.

Fair point about 1/22.  I could probably squeeze it up to around 15, but not Top 10.  If it had Levee as well, I could give it even more of a setlist boost.  I will say that I could see Bloomington cracking the Top 10 if the rest of it sounds as good as the two samples that leaked last month.

[Bonzo_fan]

18 hours ago, Tainted cheese said:

Thanks for putting this out to us, I'm not a huge fan of the '75 tour, but agree on most, I think the Feb 14th Valentine's concert is easily in the top 5 though, one of the better ones for sure, other than the Seattle show, Long Beach 12 is without a doubt GREAT, but is hard to listen to from start to finish due to the overloading bass (unless I missed out on hearing about a newer/better source) aside from the Mike the Mike getting the last few songs. The Vancouver and LA shows just don't get me fired up though, although I know many love them, funny how the works from person to person. Cheers!

You like 2/14 better than 2/13?  I see that Strider beat me to giving you the link for the new Long Beach source -- confident you'll find it thoroughly enjoyable!  It is interesting how opinions on this stuff vary person to person.  I can understand you feeling that way about the L.A. shows, but I'm surprised you feel that way about the Vancouver shows!

[Bonzo_fan]

18 hours ago, Strider said:

Great post. I'm still immersing myself in 1975 so I will get back to you when I finish. Hopefully before this coronavirus quarantine ends.

I look forward to your take!  Yes, if there's a silver lining about this quarantine, it's that we'll likely never have an opportunity for so much uninterrupted listening!  It's nice to be able to play a show start-to-finish without pausing as opposed to a few songs on the way to school/work, a few songs on the way home, a few more walking the dog, etc.

[Bonzo_fan]

14 hours ago, Mr_K said:

My number 1. March 20, Vancouver. Listening to it as I write. I vote this gig as the "best of" in terms of the band being very tight, and playing well together on every song. No rust here. And Robert's voice is strong from the start. And Jones' bass is up in the mix. My gosh, what a musician. Under-rated and often under-mixed.

Tonight Zeppelin made it work. A real driving rock band.

"February 12 - New York -- Another great Bonham show (see "Heartbreaker").  Definitely takes the cake for best sounding '75 show with the matrix."

Agreed. And a great vibe. 

"March 21 - Seattle" - 

Number 1? - great peaks, but the band was just.... what is the phrase?.... a little off kilter. With the soundboard, I find it is a good yet an over-rated show.

"March 3 - Ft. Worth -- One of the most energetic shows of the year....."

I'm going to have to find this Texas killer!

Interesting how opinions differ. I'm no fan of Long Beach but I still hope for a soundboard of March 12 to reconsider.

I'm listening to Moby Dick, from March 20th, as I finish. I can't believe it. I like it!

In reviewing these shows, it seems like the band has matured. 69 to 73 is great but wild. In 75, they no longer have to conquer America. They own America. And Canada too. 

Thanks for posting.

Interesting.  I can't argue with choosing 3/20, it's definitely a great show, and Robert is very strong.  It sounds like he's going for his "Immigrant Song" Valhalla cries during WLL!

That's funny that you feel that way about 3/21.  To me, if you listen to the four Pacific Northwest shows chronologically, each one sort of builds on the ideas of the previous one, finally culminating in Seattle on the 21st.

Glad Strider passed along the link for Ft. Worth for you -- enjoy!

Can't believe that you enjoyed a live "Moby Dick"?

That's an interesting perspective as far as them not having to conquer anymore.  I can see what you mean; there is a sort of relaxed deliberateness to the '75 shows.  Sometimes it results in sounding a bit flat, but when they mix in a bit of the old energy, it can be pretty great IMO.