Nitpicking Page 1971

[JMH]

^

CD from this is a steam roller on speed.

Edited December 22, 2022 by JMH

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 9/7/1971 Boston, MA (I Got A Feeling- Graf Zeppelin)

Immigrant Song- Plant's opening Viking yells sounding fairly strong. 0:48, slight vocal crack as he pushes himself. Very powerful verses and Jim's guitar tone is thick and brutally heavy.  Solo- playing with passion off the bat. 3:17, in the zone for some fluid noodling. 3:53, getting a little experimental before returning to the riff. Very strong opener tonight, "A+".

Heartbreaker- Energetic tempo and plenty of energy. Page starts the solo with the usual phrasing. His rockabilly jam sounds good and he cranks the volume for the smear section, which is a tad sticky. Bouree is short and followed by a quick blues improv. Fast section- Page's tone sounds tremendous on this recording. He launches into a decent set of the usual bluesy phrases and reiterates the rockabilly riffs halfway through. The last measures has him still firing on all cylinders. Very good solo. Final verses are booming as they bring it to an end. "A".

SIBLY- Superb intro from Page. Robert's vocals sounding good through the verses and the tempo is slow and dramatic. Solo- perfect articulation and flawless phrasing throughout. 4:51, absolutely making his guitar scream. Robert's scream on the return however is a bit lackluster. The outro verses are solid but Page is the one who really shines here. "A+".

Black Dog- 2:06, some lyrical change ups. Robert is both powerful and a bit squeaky through the verses. Jimmy shredding on the start. 4:38, Jim's phrasing doesn't flow well but he's putting in maximum effort as far as emphasis. Not the most solid version here but fairly impressive. "B+".

Dazed- Good intro and verses. 3:47, Page improvising a unique phrase. First workout has Jimmy getting some good runs in. Six minute bow solo. Second workout- 11:40. Jimmy sounding a little loose on the start. 12:15, missing some notes through here. 12:37, phrasing hang up. Page is struggling terribly on this one. 14:35, Plant yells "You'd better stop it , man!" at a rowdy audience. 15:02-15:12, Page still missing notes. 17:00, Page abandons the soloing for some rhythmic riffing. 17:45, sloppy. 18:00, even Mars is played with little confidence. A couple of tape cuts take us to the outro, which has some experimental phrasing from Page. I think the misbehaving crowd threw the band off a bit, especially Jimmy. "C+".

Stairway- Jimmy loose on the opening phrase but everything is sounding good afterwards. The tape speed is questionable here as the tempo drags terribly. 2:37, Plant missing a verse. Also mistakenly singing the last verse early. Solo- Page kicks into shred mode off the bat with energetic phrasing. 6:13, bending this note badly off key. He gets back on track but seems to repeat the same phrases again, then a tape cut ends it. "B" for what we have. 

Celebration Day- Tape cut takes us to the second chorus. First solo sounds decent and Jimmy takes a couple seconds to jump back to the verse. And that's all we have. No rating.

TTW- Only fifty seconds of audio, but sounds good.

GTC- Plant scolds the rowdy crowd. Tape cut skips the intro, but the rest is mostly here. "A".

WIAWSNB- Small cut on the start. Verses and first chorus are played very well. 1:35, Page ending the second chorus loosely with the slide. Solo- fairly good playing here from Jimbo. Plant incredibly powerful on the last chorus. Outro- dynamic playing with perfect energy to carry it out. Shame we don't have all of this. "A+".

WLL- A tape cut takes us to a medley performance of The Lemon Song, in which Page plays the solo very loosely. Not his best lead work but having this song live in 1971 is a godsend. 3:22, Page challenging Robert to a duel and going insane with some chaotic but passionate phrases. 4:24, Plant gets an excellent air raid scream in for the coda. 5:01, some unique phrases on the outro. Definitely interested in having this complete. "A-" for what we got.

CB- The usual energetic verses. Solo- Page shows wah pedal supremacy as he nails down some solid noodling. 4:20, Jimmy still going ham on this breakdown as Jones shows off a bit. Top tier performance. "A+++".

Thank You- Jones' organ intro is dynamic and well done, as much as it can be I suppose. Verses lack the usual liveliness but they're not bad. Solo- Page slings out the usual solid phrases here with good enthusiasm. 2:50, a little confusion as Bonham drops out to readjust his beat. 4:08, bending this note to the skies. Very good solo. 7:27, the outro drags on a bit with no direction as Page plays some final out of tune chords. "A-".

Rock And Roll- Hopefully he got tuned up. 0:20, some off sounding guitar phrasing. Plant's voice is deadly on the verses. 1:14, slight vocal crack. Solo- Page uses the wah and it fits quite nicely as he nails some good phrasing. Last verses are followed by an explosive finish. Very good ending track for the show. "A+".

Final Assessment- An excellent opening three songs quickly turns sour as Page loses his footing for a mid set slump. He does get back on track but unfortunately the recording is very incomplete. The main highlight is a standout Communication Breakdown, but there are also very solid versions of Immigrant Song, SIBLY, WIAWSNB, and a dynamic version of Rock And Roll. The Boston crowd sounds rowdy as they usually do, possibly throwing the band off a bit. 

[goodstudent]

2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 9/7/1971 Boston, MA (I Got A Feeling- Graf Zeppelin)

Immigrant Song- Plant's opening Viking yells sounding fairly strong. 0:48, slight vocal crack as he pushes himself. Very powerful verses and Jim's guitar tone is thick and brutally heavy.  Solo- playing with passion off the bat. 3:17, in the zone for some fluid noodling. 3:53, getting a little experimental before returning to the riff. Very strong opener tonight, "A+".

Heartbreaker- Energetic tempo and plenty of energy. Page starts the solo with the usual phrasing. His rockabilly jam sounds good and he cranks the volume for the smear section, which is a tad sticky. Bouree is short and followed by a quick blues improv. Fast section- Page's tone sounds tremendous on this recording. He launches into a decent set of the usual bluesy phrases and reiterates the rockabilly riffs halfway through. The last measures has him still firing on all cylinders. Very good solo. Final verses are booming as they bring it to an end. "A".

SIBLY- Superb intro from Page. Robert's vocals sounding good through the verses and the tempo is slow and dramatic. Solo- perfect articulation and flawless phrasing throughout. 4:51, absolutely making his guitar scream. Robert's scream on the return however is a bit lackluster. The outro verses are solid but Page is the one who really shines here. "A+".

Black Dog- 2:06, some lyrical change ups. Robert is both powerful and a bit squeaky through the verses. Jimmy shredding on the start. 4:38, Jim's phrasing doesn't flow well but he's putting in maximum effort as far as emphasis. Not the most solid version here but fairly impressive. "B+".

Dazed- Good intro and verses. 3:47, Page improvising a unique phrase. First workout has Jimmy getting some good runs in. Six minute bow solo. Second workout- 11:40. Jimmy sounding a little loose on the start. 12:15, missing some notes through here. 12:37, phrasing hang up. Page is struggling terribly on this one. 14:35, Plant yells "You'd better stop it , man!" at a rowdy audience. 15:02-15:12, Page still missing notes. 17:00, Page abandons the soloing for some rhythmic riffing. 17:45, sloppy. 18:00, even Mars is played with little confidence. A couple of tape cuts take us to the outro, which has some experimental phrasing from Page. I think the misbehaving crowd threw the band off a bit, especially Jimmy. "C+".

Stairway- Jimmy loose on the opening phrase but everything is sounding good afterwards. The tape speed is questionable here as the tempo drags terribly. 2:37, Plant missing a verse. Also mistakenly singing the last verse early. Solo- Page kicks into shred mode off the bat with energetic phrasing. 6:13, bending this note badly off key. He gets back on track but seems to repeat the same phrases again, then a tape cut ends it. "B" for what we have. 

Celebration Day- Tape cut takes us to the second chorus. First solo sounds decent and Jimmy takes a couple seconds to jump back to the verse. And that's all we have. No rating.

TTW- Only fifty seconds of audio, but sounds good.

GTC- Plant scolds the rowdy crowd. Tape cut skips the intro, but the rest is mostly here. "A".

WIAWSNB- Small cut on the start. Verses and first chorus are played very well. 1:35, Page ending the second chorus loosely with the slide. Solo- fairly good playing here from Jimbo. Plant incredibly powerful on the last chorus. Outro- dynamic playing with perfect energy to carry it out. Shame we don't have all of this. "A+".

WLL- A tape cut takes us to a medley performance of The Lemon Song, in which Page plays the solo very loosely. Not his best lead work but having this song live in 1971 is a godsend. 3:22, Page challenging Robert to a duel and going insane with some chaotic but passionate phrases. 4:24, Plant gets an excellent air raid scream in for the coda. 5:01, some unique phrases on the outro. Definitely interested in having this complete. "A-" for what we got.

CB- The usual energetic verses. Solo- Page shows wah pedal supremacy as he nails down some solid noodling. 4:20, Jimmy still going ham on this breakdown as Jones shows off a bit. Top tier performance. "A+++".

Thank You- Jones' organ intro is dynamic and well done, as much as it can be I suppose. Verses lack the usual liveliness but they're not bad. Solo- Page slings out the usual solid phrases here with good enthusiasm. 2:50, a little confusion as Bonham drops out to readjust his beat. 4:08, bending this note to the skies. Very good solo. 7:27, the outro drags on a bit with no direction as Page plays some final out of tune chords. "A-".

Rock And Roll- Hopefully he got tuned up. 0:20, some off sounding guitar phrasing. Plant's voice is deadly on the verses. 1:14, slight vocal crack. Solo- Page uses the wah and it fits quite nicely as he nails some good phrasing. Last verses are followed by an explosive finish. Very good ending track for the show. "A+".

Final Assessment- An excellent opening three songs quickly turns sour as Page loses his footing for a mid set slump. He does get back on track but unfortunately the recording is very incomplete. The main highlight is a standout Communication Breakdown, but there are also very solid versions of Immigrant Song, SIBLY, WIAWSNB, and a dynamic version of Rock And Roll. The Boston crowd sounds rowdy as they usually do, possibly throwing the band off a bit. 

Thanks for review! 

[William Austin]

In Vancouver, are you thinking that he played Rock and Roll on the 12-string neck of the EDS or the 6-string?

I assumed it was that guitar since he doesn't seem to switch after Weekend, but I figured he played the 6-string neck. 

[gibsonfan159]

1 hour ago, William Austin said:

In Vancouver, are you thinking that he played Rock and Roll on the 12-string neck of the EDS or the 6-string?

I assumed it was that guitar since he doesn't seem to switch after Weekend, but I figured he played the 6-string neck. 

I would have assumed it was solely on the EDS 6 string but the tone on the verses is very reminiscent of the 12. Might be a stretch but I think he switches to the 6 at 1:40 for the solo and then back at 2:30.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 9/9/1971 Hampton, VA (Dead Battery- Flagge)

A decent soundboard recording that is unfortunately missing the last few songs and encores. The EVSD version has a split channel mix with an overloaded bass track on the left. This one features the normal audio mixed to both sides which is a much better listen.

Immigrant Song- Cuts in at the end of the first verse. Robert's voice is lacking in power but he's singing with good enthusiasm. Solo- starts with the usual series of pulloffs. 2:20, repeats a phrase three times but makes it work nicely. 2:50, maybe getting a little sticky here but the energy is good. Honestly not the best flow of phrases but it's certainly not bad. "B+".

Heartbreaker- Strong opening. 1:38, Plant achieves a strange vocal effect. Solo- 2:25, sounding a little stiff. 3:05, the acapella noodling has some good phrasing. The rockabilly section is kept short this time. The smear section is done excellently without overdoing anything. Bouree exposes a string slightly out of tune. Fast section- steady set of phrases as Jim plays flawlessly. 7:12, bad vocal crack. Not bad, "A-".

SIBLY- Intro played superbly with slow, passionate phrasing from Jim. 2:58, Jimmy with some off sounding riffs. Robert sounds very good through the verses. Solo- 3:58, Jimmy does some behind the nut bends that sound fantastic. Solid soloing. Bonham also noteworthy, adding awesome dynamics to accentuate Jim. Outro has some powerful vocals and Jimmy still has a string slightly out (which he fixes after the end). Nothing too noticeable on this passionate performance, "A-".

Black Dog- Slow tempo is heavier but lacks some energy. 0:30, Robert pauses on "sting" and causes Jimmy to miss a couple notes. 1:10, Robert sings some verses very low and jumps back to a higher range on others. 3:37, no air raiding tonight. Solo- Jim keeps it steady with solid noodling. 4:42, awesome set of descending runs. 5:14, Jim picking up the slack from the tired verses. Amazing solo, easily one of the best I've heard for the song. Excellent finish as well as Jim ends with a country bend. A tough rating that's split down the middle. Verses- "B+", Solo- "A+++".

Dazed- Good intro and verses, very heavy as Bonham bangs away dynamically. First workout- another excellent jam with everyone improvising like a psychedelic jazz band. Bow section over seven minutes. Second workout- Jimmy starts with some wild trill licks. 14:20, nimble fingers. 14:38, some unique licks that don't quite fit. 15:12, sticky. 15:30, awesome ascending phrase goes on forever. 15:57, nice set of hard rock riffs. 16:30, they settle into a nice groove. 17:40-18:11, Page just going ham with the improvised riffs. 19:14, the vocal duel has a bit of "Over under sideways down" from Page. 20:02 Page starts doing some unique sounding bends but a tape cut takes us to the outro. 20:17, definitely one of the more experimental performances. Extremely dynamic version and what a shame we don't have all of it. Jim had a couple sticky places but nothing really worth mentioning. "A++".

Stairway- Excellent verses. 4:20, Jones gets a little out of sync and pauses to adjust. Solo- Page plays fairly loose throughout, teetering between emphasis and sloppiness. 7:40, some rough articulation. The final phrase is solid however. Plant sounding strong on the climax verses. Outro played well. "B+" overall.

Celebration Day- Intro played well and the verses kick off nicely. First solo- good. 2:00, vocal crack. Outro solo- Page a bit sticky and struggles to find a flow. He does get on track for the coda before ending. "B+".

TTW- Page warms up some before officially starting. Very mellow tempo for this one. 1:25, Jones' first mandolin break sounds awkward as he possibly has a string out of tune. 4:00, more strange phrasing from Jones. Good, passionate verses from Rob throughout. Almost too relaxed of a performance. "B+".

GTC- Plant yells "Shut up" during the intro. Verses sound wonderful as all instruments come through well balanced. Like the previous song this one is almost too laid back. Jones isn't doing a lot of improv and Robert sings fairly straightforward. Solid performance however. "A".

WIAWSNB- Excellent intro and verses with Page's rhythm played intricately. Solo- very loose on the start. The faster section sounds much better from Jim. Outro- good amount of energy and heavy attitude. 4:34, Page ending with some awkward notes. "B+".

Final Assessment- That's all we have as the recording ends with Moby Dick. What we do have is a slightly mediocre show overall. Plant isn't his strongest tonight and Page is up and down throughout. The highlights are an amazingly experimental (though incomplete) Dazed And Confused and a standout solo from Jimmy on Black Dog. 
 

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 9/11/1971 Rochester, NY (Source Merge)

 

A multi source mix that starts out very rough but clears up decently by the acoustic set.

Immigrant Song- Recording is pretty muffled with Plant being the most audible. 0:45, Robert straining terribly to stay in key. Solo- 3:20, Page goes on a face melting sonic tirade, playing one of the more aggressive solos I've heard for this. Tough to judge with the quality but I'd put it in the "A-" range. 

Heartbreaker- Good verses have Plant still straining some. Solo- Page's lead in and rockabilly phrases are done well. The smear section is where he really comes alive, playing very aggressive and not missing a note. The fast section has Jimmy still in shred mode. The outro verses finish strong. A shame this recording isn't better but it sounds like a superb version. "A+".

SIBLY- Jimmy's intro is very relaxed and doesn't make much of a first impression for the song. The verses sound extremely moody and downtrodden. Solo- hard to hear the details but Page appears to nail this one as far as phrasing and attitude. The atmosphere of the song was certainly captured here but it's a sleepy version. "B+".

Black Dog- 2:00, someone ends on a bum note as Plant mumbles some strange lyrics. 2:30, a royal flub as they forget to play the turnaround riff here, leaving them to wait on someone to make a move. Page finally starts improvising on the chorus riff and then jumps to the solo to move it along. Solo- pretty solid playing considering the awkward situation they were just in. "C+".

Stairway- Starts with the solo already in action, to which it sounds like Jimmy is doing very well on. Plant sounds strong on the climax and the outro is solid. No rating.

Celebration Day- Page's intro played well to get the energy started. Very lively verses. First solo- good. Outro- Jimmy's fingers sound nimble as he plays a series of pulloffs. "A" but a better recording might boost that rating.

TTW- Very slow tempo. Instrumentally good, but not very exciting. "A-".

GTC- Tape is much clearer now. Intro and verses sound fantastic with Robert singing with enthusiasm. Very good. "A+".

WIAWSNB- Excellent verses. Solo- just a tad loose but he holds on. Outro played well for a strong finish. "A-".

WLL- A wild intro as Jimmy starts the riff at hyper speed and Bonham/Jones joining in. He slows back down to normal speed for the official start. Theremin freakout is intense. Solo- a unique bend at 6:00. Boogie Chillen- excellent phrasing from Jimmy. 9:17, some raunchy chording. Hello Mary Lou- may be a trick of the recording but this one doesn't seem to flow well with Jonesy trying to catch up and playing off beat. Tape cut goes to a different source and Mess Of Blues. Jimmy dons the slide for the solo, laying down some well played licks. You Shook Me- Jimmy rips through the usual fantastic blues phrases with ease. 20:05, unique phrasing. Plant's last verse lyrics are changed up. He gets a straining air raid in for the return. A good finish. This version overall is fairly average performance wise with a couple of unique parts. "A-". 

Thank You- Jones' organ intro is a bit mundane but the crowd claps in time. 1:00, Page plays loosely on the first verses (and his guitar sounds close to being out of tune). 1:40, Jimmy's phrasing is noticeably off. 1:45, Plant announces "Bullshit" for whatever reason. Solo- energy is great as Bonham blasts away behind Page's noodling. The solos for this song set a pretty high bar and although this one isn't bad, it doesn't quite reach the heights of others. 7:37, Page ends with some cool arpeggiated chords. The guitar and organ being out of key with each other make this a frustrating listen, but it's not terrible. It does lack some magic. "B+".

Final Assessment- Definitely not the most solid of shows nor exciting, but with so much missing that's an unfair judgement. I don't know if there's any one standout but I'd probably go with the excellent Going To California. I'd really like to hear all of this Stairway and of course Dazed missing sells this recording short.

Edited December 31, 2022 by gibsonfan159

[JMH]

If you ever do 1970 (or have you done it?), please start with the quartet of:

RAH
Montreux

LA

MSG (evening)

[gibsonfan159]

3 hours ago, JMH said:

If you ever do 1970 (or have you done it?), please start with the quartet of:

RAH
Montreux

LA

MSG (evening)

Earlier years are definitely on the list but it may be a while. I'm aiming to finish up the current years before starting another. So I've got 75, 73, 72, and 71 to finish. 

[JMH]

Sounds like a plan(t)

[gibsonfan159]

75, 73, and 71 are about 70% done. I'm not sure how far I'll go with 72 as I'm not a huge fan of that year. I would like to at least get 6/14, 6/15, 6/19, and some AUS shows in. Also Tuscon.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 9/13/1971 Berkeley, CA (Master Cassette- Revision)

Good, consistent audience recording, slightly murky in a few places.

Immigrant Song- After a short introduction the band kick off in heavy fashion. Plant sounds rather strained on the opening wails and verses. Solo- nice opening pulloffs and speedy runs to start. 2:52, off track with the phrasing. 3:33, more aggressive toward the end. 3:50, finishing with an extended trill. Not bad but not the best from Jim. Overall "B+".

Heartbreaker- Plant a little stronger now. Jim hits some massive bends for the lead in. The pulloff phrasing is done well and the rockabilly noodling is more subtle. Smear section is super aggressive. Bouree is good and followed by some dismal chording similar to his bow section lead in on later years of Dazed. Fast section- 5:28, straining some on these bends but he gets back on track for very nimble runs. 6:09, straining. 7:03, Plant squeak. Good energy but not the most solid. "B+".

SIBLY- Page stalls a bit to check his tuning. Solid intro from Pagey and the verses are performed nicely with Plant in good form. Solo- Bonham accents Page's flawless phrasing. Maybe a little too straightforward but excellent nonetheless. Good performance overall, "A+".

Black Dog- Plant's vocals are uninspired through the verses as he sings in a safe range. Instrumentally it flows well. Solo- 4:18, some unique playing. Page plays very aggressively and nails the phrasing. 5:14, a bit sloppy here before the finish. Overall not a very exciting version apart from the solo. "B+".

Dazed- Intro and verses are devastatingly heavy with Plant sounding good. 4:05, some confusion as Page accidentally goes into another verses, but everyone follows through perfectly. The first workout is a bit of a letdown this time. Bow section just under six minutes. Second workout- Page seems to have some equipment trouble to start, playing some odd notes before taking off. 13:48-14:10, Jimmy struggling to get any fluid phrasing down and playing sticky. 14:40, sticky fingers. 15:13, something is definitely going on equipment wise as Page drops out and either retunes or swaps guitars. 17:00, now we're off to the races. The Mars section is decent and Jimmy builds up slowly to finish the jam. 20:45, where were these lightning fast trills during the workout? Jim shreds to the moon on the outro to at least finish strong. Too many mishaps on this one. "C+".

Stairway- 0:37, minor flub as Jimmy accidentally starts to play the G chord as if he's playing the second measure. Plant is borderline whispering the vocals at first but comes more alive later on. 4:57, chord flub. Solo- decent start. Jimmy plays a steady flow of the usual phrases in good fashion. 7:45, the final phrase catches him just a little off guard. Plant sounding very strong on the climax, good ending. "B+".

Celebration Day- Booming intro and verses. 1:09, vocal crack. 1:52, Robert's voice just barely hanging on. First solo sounds good. Outro- 3:02, Jim starts great but has a few phrasing hiccups in between. Not bad, the energy is there. "B+".

TTW- Plant again not showing much emphasis on the verses, singing under his breath. Very solid version however all the way through. "A".

GTC- Complete opposite from Robert here as he sings with compassion. Excellent. "A+".

WIAWSNB- 0:18, hesitant with the lyrics. Verses sound good with plenty of attitude. Solo- Jim a little loose with the slide but he manages to stay mostly on track. 3:15, Jimmy's transition to the outro a bit loose. Energy is booming on the exit phrases. "B+".

WLL- Another experimental intro jam to get it started. 2:44, Jimmy does some unique riffing to start the freakout section that sounds vaguely like St. Tristan's Sword. The theremin section is kept fairly short and Jimmy launches into some more riffing. Solo- good. Boogie Chillen- 9:13-9:50, not the smoothest phrasing for this solo. Hello Mary Lou starts awkwardly and Page can't seem to get the rhythm timing down. Solo- first measure is great but he hangs up at 11:15. Mess Of Blues- decent verses. Jimmy again plays the solo with the slide, and does so quite well. You Shook Me- powerful verses as Jim backs up Plant with some serious blues/slide licks. He switches to his fingers for the solo which features some gritty playing. 21:58, Plant's air raid sounds rather painful. The coda finishes this one off on a strong note. The medleys here are honestly on the lower end of the performance spectrum. "B+" overall. 

Communication Breakdown- An aggressive intro jam gets us started. Plant isn't exactly impressive on the verses. Solo- Page ascends to wah heaven on the start, nailing the usual opening phrases. He wanders into some improvised riffing by 3:00. A good "It's Your Thing" jam turns into Plant singing Gallows Pole for a couple measures. Strong finish. "A".

Final Assessment- This is another one of those where the band just doesn't get completely in control for whatever reason. Jimmy seems to struggle with phrasing and technical issues throughout. Plant has some good moments but is mostly subdued vocally and lacking energy in places. There are several instances between songs where Plant argues with the crowd, perhaps this was a distraction. There's an almost nervous vibe about the show that is backed up by too many small mistakes and mishaps, especially by Jimmy.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 9/14/1971 Berkeley, CA (Going To California- TMOQ)

Rough start but clears up tremendously a few songs in.

Immigrant Song- Jones jumping in just a little late on the intro. Plant's opening wails are in key but sound rather weak. 0:57, much worse here. 1:34, barely hanging on. Solo- Page builds up nicely before launching the aggressive licks, all played well. 3:17, Bonham with some unique fills. His phrasing toward the end gets more relaxed but it's a good finish. Robert certainly detracts from this one. "B".

Heartbreaker-  0:23, short tape cut. Plant sings nervously on the verses and Bonham gets some awesome fills in. Solo- pulloff section sounding good. Rockabilly phrases are played well and not over done. Smear section isn't as aggressive as usual put played cleanly. 59th St and Bouree snippets are good. Fast section- very heavy start and Jim shreds on the opening lead notes. He keeps it steady and inspired up through to the Coda. Plant sounds a bit more confident on the last verses. Not the strongest vocals here but I'd still go "A+".

SIBLY- Intro has a cut but Jimmy sounds fantastic per usual. Solid verses with plenty of emotion. Solo- Page isn't too smooth on the start but he gets on track for some decent, basic phrasing. Plant's nervous vocals may actually accent this song. Very solid version. "A".

Black Dog- Good energy off the bat. 2:03, some different lyrics. Plant very vibrant through the verses. Solo- Excellent phrasing as Jim keeps a steady flow of runs going. Maybe not the most intense but very solid. "A".

Dazed- Another short cut on the intro but the verses sound good. First workout has Robert pushing his vocals. Six minute bow section. Second workout- 12:43-12:55, rather unique phrasing. 13:13, a riff similar to Walter's Walk intro. 13:36-13:48, sticky. Page's playing is decent but not great. 15:00, Back In The USA. 16:20, Bonzo and Jones locking in as Jim takes a break. 19:15, Jimmy pushing the suspense to the heavens before knocking the climax down. Outro has a significant cut but what we have sounds good. "A+".

Stairway- Intro and verses played flawlessly with the perfect amount of magical energy. Bonham playing fantastically on the middle verses. Solo- smooth start as Jim takes his time and phrases with perfect emotion. Last phrases are nailed to end a flawless solo. Plant is lacking the usual power on the climax but he does excellent with what he's got. Very nice, "A+++".

That's The Way- Relaxed mood with a medium tempo. 4:44, Robert with lots of vocal emphasis. Solid version, Jones could've been a bit more involved. "A".

GTC- 1:36, Plant announces he "Got here a little late" to California. Plant sings the verses in a somber fashion and the overall appeal is more downtrodden and moody. Good version but doesn't jump out. "A".

WLL- The usual good start. The jam section is very short and uninspired. The freakout takes some time to get going as Jimmy is reserved on the theremin, electing instead to jump back into the jam section and playing "It's Your Thing". Solo- just a little loose here. Boogie Chillen- oozing with a greasy groove and Jim's raunchy rockabilly phrases, played very well. Hello Mary Lou- good start but Plant doesn't sound too lively. Jimmy nails an excellent solo. My Baby Left Me- good. Mess Of Blues- solid enough. Page doesn't exactly go crazy with the slide but it's all good technically. You Shook Me- slow and heavy. Page's slide induces some screeching feedback. Solo- a perfectly played set of gritty phrases appropriate for any strip club. Robert's lemon squeezing ends the medley on a peak note. His returning air raid however isn't a peak note. The outro sounds good for a strong finish. Everything here is solid as a rock but is missing some energy in places, but I won't take too much away because of that. A perfectly solid performance but not a lot that stands out. "A".

Final Assessment- What we have here is one of the most solid performances on recording for 1971 (apart from Plant almost collapsing on the opener). It should be noted that although the overall performance is extremely solid there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from all four members. Nobody is exactly going out of their way for anything tonight. So if "vibes" are important to you then you might feel this show is lacking. While Plant does quite well it is clear he is tired and Page just plays the more basic phrases and doesn't get experimental. That works great for some songs but not others. Considering the sound quality and performance it is clear why this is one of the most famous bootlegs.

Edited January 10, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[ToddS01]

Happy birthday Jimmy Page and gibsonfan159! As a way of celebrating both of these guys, I wanted to share this playlist I've been making and listening to ever since I started getting into Led Zeppelin's live recordings. This is every "A+" or higher performance in chronological order as nitpicked by gibsonfan159 in one playlist. (Some versions are missing, but they're in the playlist description. There's a few extras, such as some early February 1975, and Rock and Roll from 7/27/73.)

To gibsonfan159, thank you for taking the insane amount of time to make all of these concert reviews. I sincerely enjoy reading them and I've gained a deeper appreciation for shows I have and haven't listened to before. And again, happy birthday!

 

[gibsonfan159]

😯 Very cool, and thanks!

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/11/1971 Newcastle (First Gen Master)

A bit distant in places although very clear and listenable.

Immigrant Song- Plant's opening wails sounding very powerful. 2:16, shaking the mic as he screams the last verse (akin to Orlando). Solo- the distant recording hides some of the details but Jim's phrasing seems to be good. A promising start, "A".

Heartbreaker- 0:14, unique drum fill. 1:00, strange delay effect on the vocals. 2:55, Jimmy shreds through some very fluid rockabilly licks. The smear section is aggressive and smooth, Bouree sounds good. 4:50, Jim in the zone. 5:19, odd sounding notes that Page makes work. Rock solid, "A+".

Black Dog- 1:27, Bonham flexing right off the start. 2:16, either Bonham gets confused or he's just testing his snare. 3:03, Bonham again with a timing hiccup. Robert's vocals are devastatingly powerful. Oddly though his airraid scream is rather half-hearted. Solo- Page is rock solid through all the phrases. Lots of potential for this one but it feels rushed. "A-".

SIBLY- 1:27, Bonham again destroying his kit with massive drum fills. 3:05, Page might be having equipment issues as he hesitates to play the accompaniment. 3:18, power vocals. Solo- good showing from Jimmy as he's almost overshadowed by Bonzo's energetic playing. 5:22, airraid vocal. Dramatic and dynamic but the distant recording hurts the overall impact. "A+".

Rock And Roll- Up tempo and raucous with Plant nailing the high pitched verses. Solo- fluid playing from Jim. Small hang up at 2:30 as he improvises a unique phrase for the ending, throwing Plant off a little for the return verse. Strong finish for a high energy version. "A-".

Stairway- Excellent beginning and verses. 3:44, Jones' bass pedals don't come through on the middle section, making it sound somewhat hollow. Solo- Jimmy nailing every phrase for a top notch solo. Plant sounds fairly strong on the climax and the final phrases are done in dramatic fashion. Very solid but there's a little something missing. "A". 

That's The Way- A nice relaxing atmosphere and solid strumming. "A".

GTC- Beautiful mood set from the start. 3:10, the audience gets a chuckle from something. 3:45, Plant mumbles his way through some of the lyrics. Overall good version, "A-".

Tangerine- Jimmy strums heavily through the chorus. 2:57, Rob throwing some excellent ad libs in toward the end. "A+".

Dazed- Bonzo blasting away during the first verses. First workout features some cool ascending/descending riffs from Page but is otherwise very short. Bow section lasts six minutes. Second workout- 12:27, Robert getting into the higher range. 13:37, Page and Bonham pushing each other to the brink of falling apart. 15:59, a funk jam comes blasting out of nowhere. 17:35, Jimmy is in the zone and shredding flawlessly. Mars- still sounding experimental but they come together well for this one. 19:11, Page butchers a couple chords on the climax. The outro jam reaches another level and Bonzo utterly destroys his kit for the finale. Very dynamic, powerhouse of a performance despite a couple small flubs. "A+"

WIAWSNB- Solid verses. Page is a little hesitant to get the solo going but is played decently. Outro sounding good. "A".

Celebration Day- Hmm, Page's usually blazing intro falls flat here as he struggles to even get it going. Plant sings the lyrics a little unorthodox. 2:04, nothing really sits right here rhythmically.  Outro- decent noodling to start. 3:45, Jim seemingly runs out of road and just throws in random riffs. It's rare this song gets this loose. "B".

CB- Someone shouts Lemon Song before they get silenced by a barrage of open E notes. Good energy and Page nails an aggressive solo. 2:20, a mild air raid. The It's Your Thing jam plays out nicely and the finish is strong. "A".

Final Assessment- Only one dud in the entire show. I'm not certain there was any one performance that would be notable above others but it's a very concrete performance throughout. Let's hope this luck continues.

[JMH]

We are closing on Ipswich, aren’t we?

Thanks again for your work. It is not only a few times while listening to a show when I go back and try to find a nitpick on it.

Edited June 13, 2023 by JMH

[1975NQ]

If you end up doing Leicester this year, this is the clearest, up front source I've found for the show:

https://youtu.be/gIec_32JMwQ

It's allegedly from Empress' "Supreme" Best for Hard n Heavy 3 cd set (2001). There are a number of various physical editions of this show floating around (Electric Magic, Empress, Tarantura, etc), and an overwhelming number of digital files. Most are pretty washed out and dull-sounding. This one is the sharpest, to my ears anyway.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/13/1971 Dundee, Scotland (Master/DAT- Weedwacker)

A mostly clear but distant audience tape severely marred by speed fluctuations for the last half.

Immigrant Song- Cuts in on the first wail and Plant is sounding excellent through the distorted tape. A slight cut on the first verses. 1:35, doing the mic shake again on the final verse. Solo- plenty of energy from the rhythm section as Page wades through a flood of never-ending notes, played with passion. 3:12, starts dabbling with some power chords near the end. Excellent finish. "A+".

Heartbreaker- Good start and verses. Page plays an extended rockabilly jam with extra smooth fretwork. 3:30, the smear section is less smear and more straight aggressive phrasing. Bouree and 59th St get the crowd excited. Page flies through the fast solo with ease, noodling nicely and the band finish strong. "A++".

Black Dog- Just a brutally heavy start. 1:34, strong air raid from Rob and the energy is insane. 1:40, no chorus vocals from Rob. 3:47, superb phrase as Page starts with a country sounding double stop bend and follows with a fluid major run. 4:15, straining these bends just a hair. Bonham's drums sounding like cannon fire on the finish. "A+".

Rock And Roll- Booming energy and strong verses from Plant. Solo- a little murky on the recording but sounds spot on. Solid finish to this over the top version. "A+++".

Since I've Been Loving You- 0:28, that extended trill creates perfect tension. Not the most blazing intro here but one that certainly sets the mood. 1:40, some unique chording. Solo- flawless playing through a constant stream of blues phrases. 4:45, extremely powerful vocal. Plant is just God-like though this whole performance but almost gets drown out by the energy of the others. If you like loud, energetic versions this is the one. "A++".

Stairway To Heaven- Cuts in during the verses. Page's twelve-string sounds magical throughout. Solo- Jimmy plays through the chords one time before launching. The recording has some speed fluctuations but they don't interrupt Page's very solid solo. As strong as Plant is tonight I'm very surprised he didn't attempt the higher vocals for the climax. That would've sent this over the edge. The ending is cut. "A".

That's The Way- A few fluctuations but the overall performance sounds spot on with wonderful instrumentation. "A".

Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp- Perfect vibes on the first verses as the crowd claps along. Unfortunately cut near the end but it sounded like a good one. No rating.

Tangerine- We do get most of this one as there's only a few tape issues. Very good, "A".

Dazed And Confused- An unusually calm intro until Plant belts out the first verse. A significant cut takes us to the bow section. 4:29, maybe my ears deceive me but this sounds just like someone plucking the mandolin during the bow solo. The second workout seems to get going well with Plant screaming like a banshee but the tape fluctuations continue and the rest of the song is cut. A shame for sure. No rating.

What Is And What Should Never Be- Cuts in on the second verses. Solo- murky but seemingly played well. Plant is sounding ridiculously powerful but again the tape is cut before we hear the outro. Undoubtedly a top tier performance. "Sigh", no rating.
 
Moby Dick- Incomplete but considering how awesome John's drums sounded in this venue I'd say this was a monster.

Whole Lotta Love- Fluctuations on the intro as Jim plays some lead in riffs. The freakout section features the same problems. Solo- perfect. Boogie Chillen- Plant and Page battle for sonic glory. 5:13, Page starts an amazing descending/ascending riff that almost sounds neo classical in places. Solo has some odd phrasing but Jim is shredding fluidly. Hello Mary Lou- the fluctuations all but ruin this one. Mess Of Blues- a solid rendition made almost unlistenable by the recording. Honey Bee- 12:30, Bonham either accidentally or purposefully mixes up the beat. Page shreds through his usually impressive blues licks. Fortunately the tape cooperates here. 16:36, I believe Rob drops an F bomb here. The return coda is vibrant and full of attitude as they end strong. Tape fluctuations be damned, "A+". 

Communication Breakdown- Sounds like an exciting performance, shorter without much jamming, but the tape warbles make it an impossible listen. No rating. 

Weekend- Fortune shines upon us as the majority of this recording is good, and it's an absolute banger. Perfect energy and Rob's vocals are mind-blowingly powerful. "A++".

Final Assessment- All four members are feeling great and playing great tonight and sounding eager to impress the Scottish crowd. Easily a top show of 1971. But in true Zep fashion we get a tease of a tremendous performance and something throws a wrench in the gears. It's not as bad as it may appear however as seven of the fifteen tracks are mostly complete and that's something to be grateful for. Hopefully a new source will pop up.

Edited June 17, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/16/1971 Ipswich, England (Over The Twelve Foot End- Graf Zeppelin)

A thin and slightly distorted audience recording but mostly clear. 

Immigrant Song- Robert comes in sounding fantastic, almost destroying the taper's mic. 0:50, really testing himself to see how high he can go. Solo- a little hesitant to get rolling on the start but soon enough Jim's shredding fluidly. He again stutters in some spots but nothing off-putting. Nice solo overall. Excellent vocals but without an over the top solo it stays at an "A".

Heartbreaker- Decent start with good energy. Jimmy's lead-in jam features some nice fretwork. The acapella and Rockabilly phrasing also par for course. The smear runs are explosively aggressive and teeter on sloppiness at the end. Bouree and 59th St transitions perfectly into the fast section. 5:28 sounds a little frustrated but he pushes through. 6:09, sounding lost. Rob rescues the stalling solo and ends the verses on a strong note. Not a trainwreck but Jimmy was struggling a little. "B+".

Black Dog- Jim jumps in a bit late. 2:10, singing the verses very strangely. 3:33, power vocal. Solo- 4:08, missing these bends badly. 4:49, he gets back into a better flow toward the end. Not bad, just unusual. "B+".

SIBLY- Exceptional intro by Page with perfectly smooth phrasing. Plant's intro is very subtle, shying from the banshee scream. Verses sounding good. Solo- more flawless playing from Jimmy for a top tier solo. Plant pushes himself on the return. The last verses are dramatic and emotional with Bonzo throwing in every fill in the book. Must hear version, "A+++".

Rock And Roll- Jim does a cool little intro riff before launching. Plant's vocals sound almost too high and thin but he's nailing the verses. Solo- some slight stickiness on the start but he smooths out and shreds just fine. 3:50, bit of a unique ending phrase. Very good, "A+".

Stairway- The crowd is dead silent as the verses move along in a quick fashion. Solo- perfect execution by Jim. The phrasing is all on point and there's almost no gaps between any note as he flows seamlessly. The climax is solid and Bonzo plays with the beat on the outro. Can't get much more solid than this but there's a noticeable lack of vibes. "A+".

GTC- Good performance throughout. "A".

That's The Way- Very laid back but he energy picks up some later. No flaws here, "A".

Tangerine- Page's guitar is slightly out of tune. 2:10, some excellent vocal harmonies from Page (I'm assuming). "A-" taking tuning into account.

Dazed- Page and Bonham square off on the intro. The first workout is a dynamic jam session with all members playing off each other. The bow section stretches out to seven minutes. 13:51, air raid. 15:35-16:00, Page ascending to lead guitar heaven, almost leaving the others behind. 16:28, Page dabbles with some unique riffs while adjusting a string. 17:30, Jim experimenting with some oddly timed riffs as the others try to follow. 19:25, unique riff that Bonzo adds some accents to. 20:30, Plant really getting up there with the air raids. Page jumps into Mars while the others are still adjusting but it develops into an amazing jam. 22:43, Jimmy climbing to the top of the mountain. 23:42, he starts this final climax phrase a little late and rushes it. The outro has more solid noodling, nothing too exhilarating. Bonham's ending fill is explosive however. Not the tightest version but certainly one of the more dynamic. "A+".

WIAWSNB- Lively, upbeat tempo. The first chorus comes in with a roar. Jim's slide solo is played loosely but nothing off track. Plant sings the third verse with plenty of attitude and emphasis. 3:12, Jimmy throws in some extra pulloffs. Outro- good execution to end it. "A".

Celebration Day- Excellent intro. Plant nails the verses but his voice sounds slightly unnatural. Solo is good. Outro- Jimmy starts the usual pulloffs with the twelve string  3:35, Jim switches to the six string and gets on shred level for some fluid runs. 4:00, phrasing gets a little choppy as he prepares to switch back to the twelve for the ending. Overall very nice, "A".

WLL- Solid start. There's an excellent jam after the freakout section and Jimmy plays some different phrases for the solo. Boogie Chillen also features some unique phrases at the beginning. Solo- all around good job from Jimmy. Mary Lou- average run through with a solid solo. 10:53, Jones starts playing hesitantly for the last verse. Mess Of Blues- Jim does some unusual phrasing all through this one. Nothing bad however and the solo is flawless. Honey Bee- in comparison to other versions this one is fairly tame but it's another good showcase of Jimmy's pentatonic blues masterclass. Very good. The coda comes back with a fury to end this good, although slightly askew performance. "A".

Weekend- Page does a warm up riff and fools Robert into a false start. Plant's vocals are powerful and passionate. Solo- sounds good, maybe not as good as some others per phrasing. A nice one. 

Gallows Pole- Intro and first verses sounding very good. 3:30, Page and Jonesy both struggling to get the timing synced up. 4:14, Jimmy with some decent lead phrasing. Outro- decent solo licks to carry it out. "B+". Another version a little rough around the edges but otherwise pretty good.

Final Assessment- Only a minor slump in the beginning on a very impressive show overall. Jimmy seems to take some sideroads on certain phrases but the destinations are still reached. The complete silence of the audience while the band performs is both a blessing and curse for the listener, making it both more listenable but lacking energy to push the performances. That doesn't detract too much however as this is another must listen show for the end of 1971. Highlight is an extremely passionate SIBLY and there are honestly no real off track moments for this "Baths Hall" concert.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/20/1971 Wembley Empire Pool, London (Electric Magic Definitive Edition- Graf Zeppelin)

Murky audience source that clears up in places. The Graf release is a vast improvement over the old sources.

Immigrant Song- A small tape cut on the intro right before Robert enters with some pitiful sounding viking yells. Verses played well per usual. Solo- Jimmy starts slow, builds to some aggressive runs, and slows back down for a lackluster finish. Hopefully things improve for the next one. "B".

Heartbreaker- Lacking some energy on the verses. Jimmy's lead-in solo is good. The acapella and smear sections feature excellent work by Jim. The fast section is very hard to make out but the overall flow sounds great. Starting to pick up a bit. "A".

Black Dog- Robert sounds powerful throughout the powerful verses and the energy is up all the way. Solo- Page plays steadily, keeping the phrasing smooth up to 4:48 where he finally misses a couple notes near the end. Can't detract much for that. "A".

SIBLY- Page's intro isn't bad at all but it almost sounds like he forgets the usual phrasing for it and wanders off track a little. Plant enters in a  delicate fashion, reserving his voice. Solo- very good. 6:23, air raid. The energy picks up to where it needs to be toward the end. 7:26, flub and Jimmy sounds hesitant on the outro. There's also a loud electrical buzz coming from Jim's amp once the song ends, possible equipment issues. The groove on this one never quite got centered but it's still a good one. "A-".

Rock And Roll- Recording is pretty rough but the verses sound good. Solo- good up until the end where Page ends very awkwardly at 2:53. Small tape cut at the end. "A-".

Stairway- Verses played well. 5:35, Plant hums a strange sounding vocal. Solo- Jim plays smoothly, not forcing anything. 6:45, murdering this phrasing (in a good way). 7:36, excellent palm muted runs. Final phrases are spot on to end a beautiful solo. Climax performed with passion from Rob. 9:02, perfect timing on the ending. "A+".

GTC- Sounding marvelous. The opening verse is sang a bit different than usual. Robert very strong on the bridge. Outro played wonderfully. "A".

That's The Way- Some more tuning adjustments. The tempo is lively, one of the more energetic versions. Sounds very good. "A++".

Tangerine- Up tempo and lively. "A".

Dazed- Another strange electrical hum present at the start. Good dynamics on the verses. The first workout is funky and experimental. Six minute bow solo. Second workout- 14:28, desending/ascending phrase done very well until 14:43 where he snags a string. 14:58, repeating a phrase to catch his breath. 15:55, switching up to some country runs. Not the most blazing Jimmy here but he's playing steadily. 17:10, hanging up badly as it sounds like he's either got equipment issues or just experimenting. 19:45, starts a series of unique runs. Mars still sounds undeveloped here as it's just Jimmy playing along. He makes some feedback squeal before nailing the climax. A small cut takes us to the outro jam, which sounds good with Bonzo matching Jim's intensity. A few flubs detract from an otherwise decent showing, but Jimmy has certainly been more impressive. "B+".

WIAWSNB- Small cut at the beginning. Verses played well, Plant being maybe a little reserved. Solo- Just slightly loose but mostly on point. Outro picks up the energy. Not bad at all but there are livelier versions, "A".

Celebration Day- Jimmy arpeggiates a few chords before launching. By the second verses the energy is booming. Jim's articulation can't be judged through this murky tape but the general impression is good. First solo sounds spot on. Outro- good noodling on the twelve to start. I don't think he ever switches to the six string here. Plant duels Jimmy on the last few measures to end an excellent version. "A+".

WLL- 0:54, Bonzo enters strangely almost sounding like he's playing tabla drums instead of a snare, likely just a trick of the recording. The freakout section has an epic theremin journey with Jim playing guitar and theremin at once. The following jam has Page noodling nicely. 4:40, slight hiccup on the solo. 5:21, Plant holding an extra long vocal. Boogie Chillen- Jim hitting on all cylinders through the solo. Hello Mary Lou- a little rough on the transition but they quickly get in sync. Excellent groove and vibes. Mess of Blues- 13:24, something sounds off here with the timing. Otherwise good. 14:05, nice falsetto from Rob. Honey Bee/Going Down Slow- Jimmy puts on a clinic for blues shredding. 19:30, Bonham unsure of where to go. 23:41, a little bit of Hendrix riffing for the finale. Not flawless but the spirit is strong on this one and Jim hits some real peaks. Plant sounds very strong as well. "A".

Final Assessment- A mostly solid show overall marred by a slightly rough tape. Plant starts rough but warms up quickly. Page struggles in places but there's nothing trainwreck level. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[The Only Way To Fly]

On 1/2/2023 at 5:59 AM, JMH said:

If you ever do 1970 (or have you done it?), please start with the quartet of:

RAH
Montreux

LA

MSG (evening)

+1!

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/24/1971 Manchester, UK (Low gen revision)

Immigrant Song- Plant sounding in pain on the opening. It's an inspired, gritty performance though and Rob manages the chorus well. Solo- 2:38, Page sounds energetic has he almost bends the strings off the fretboard. The murky recording hides a lot but I'd bet he's on point here. "A".

Heartbreaker- Fast tempo. Energy is booming on the lead in to the solo. 2:41, Jim turns down his volume knob to where it's almost inaudible for some good rockabilly jamming. The smear section is absolutely blistering before he runs through the usual Bouree and 59th st. The fast section is overloaded by the bass and Jimmy all but disappears, shame. On the surface it sounds great but I won't rate this one.

Black Dog- Robert sounds fully warmed up now and gets an excellent scream in before the solo. Solo- Jim again at the bottom of the mix but sounds like his phrasing is steady, not overdoing it. 4:45, unusual fill by Bonham. Murky recording aside I'll go "A".

SIBLY- Some hesitance on the intro as Jones is still situating. 1:18, Jimmy making those last notes work hard. The flow on this feels off but everyone is playing passionately. Solo- 4:41, sounds like a monster run. 5:11, now that's a power vocal. 7:12, another scream from Plant almost blows out the walls. A strange sounding version of this but it's equally as intriguing in it's style. "A+".

Celebration Day- The twelve string sounds terribly disharmonic on the start but Jim takes off anyway. The verses are extremely murky a drowned out by the snare drum. First solo- ok I guess. 4:00, by this point the band could be playing Amazing Grace and I couldn't tell. What sounds like a solid performance is hidden by a terrible recording. No rating.

Stairway- Good verses all the way through. Solo- sadly it's impossible to make out the guitar here. 1:11 certainly has some off notes. Overall it sounds like Jimmy played some more unique phrasing for this and wasn't half bad, but that's anyone's guess. Plant does sound incredible on the climax. "A" as is.

GTC- Flawless performance to my ears. Robert sings wonderfully throughout. "A+".

That's The Way- Another rock solid acoustic jam with good vibes. "A+".

Tangerine- Some warbling going on with the recording and my version sounds just a bit slow. 2:35, awkward vocal improv. Definitely a lack of oomph but not bad. "A-".

BYAS- Up tempo and plenty of energy. 1:04, Plant really getting into his high range. 4:09, Page drops out for a bit. Apart from one flub this is a masterful performance with the strongest vocals I've heard from Robert in a while. "A".

Dazed- Jones gets his timing mixed up on the intro but quickly readjusts. Plant's opening vocal is a textbook air-raid viking scream. 4:20, Jimmy gets some interesting phrases going for the first jam. 4:55, Bonzo almost going into a Moby Dick routine.  Bow section just over six minutes. 11:20, Plant making the most of his regathered vocals to show off a little. Second workout- Page drops in the mix and is difficult to follow. 14:30, unique phrasing. The circular funk jam is dynamic with each member doing their own thing. 16:15, the band do their take of the Shaft theme. 20:04, Mars is a little disjointed but they make it work. The climax hits like an explosion and Plant does some wild vocal improv on the extended outro while Jimmy shreds with the wah pedal. A standout, dynamic version. "A+++".

WIAWSNB- Cuts in on the first verse. Solo- average Jimmy looseness with the slide. Outro is powerful as Robert sings with full confidence. "A".

Rock And Roll- Slight cut at the beginning. The vocals and drums pretty much drown out everything, which is fine considering Plant is at an absolute peak for this show. Solo- what can be heard sounds great from Jim. Very solid version, "A+".

WLL- You can tell that Robert has to restrain himself at the start to stay in key. 4:00, a nice bluesy jam. Solo- Page plays to perfection. 5:55, another off the wall jam. Boogie Chillen- Page is hard to hear through the extended solo but on the surface it sounds fantastic. Rave on- sounding on point for this rare jam. A tape cut takes us to an incredible air-raid for the outro. A terrible shame the medley was cut. "A+".

Thank You- We only get the opening verses before the tape ends. No rating.

Final Assessment- Another show that makes me glad I started doing nitpick reviews. A much better show than I recall with Plant in particular at one of his vocal peaks, made even better by the rest of the band also playing to impress. Unfortunately the recording isn't one of the best and a better source for this would be tremendous. A must listen for sure.

[RaKaCHa]

Completely unknowledgeable listener here.

I don't understand how Robert could sound so awful on the first scream(s) of Immigrant Song. I would think that he would warm up his voice before going on stage, yet most times I feel he just messes up badly on the first few verses of IS. It's usually corrected the second time around during the song.
Did he just not warm up ? Were a few bad screams unavoidable ?

 

Thanks gibsonfan159 for your reviews !

Edited July 31, 2023 by RaKaCHa

[gibsonfan159]

7 hours ago, RaKaCHa said:

Completely unknowledgeable listener here.

I don't understand how Robert could sound so awful on the first scream(s) of Immigrant Song. I would think that he would warm up his voice before going on stage, yet most times I feel he just messes up badly on the first few verses of IS. It's usually corrected the second time around during the song.
Did he just not warm up ? Were a few bad screams unavoidable ?

 

Thanks gibsonfan159 for your reviews !

I'm as puzzled as you. He was a professional vocalist who had to have been around many people in the business who would've/should've gave him advice on taking care of his voice. For whatever reason he seemed to always open cold and warm up during the set.