Nitpicking Page 1971

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 11/25/1971 Leicester, UK (Master Cassette revision)

Immigrant Song- Plant announces he has the Flu before starting. The opening yells aren't half bad considering he's sick. 1:20, sounding fairly good here. 1:33, now we hear some raspiness in his voice as he sings this lazily. Solo- a little hesitant to get going but he soon finds a fluid groove. 3:00, hitting shred level. Unfortunately he slows it back down before finishing. "A-" for some weak vocals and lack of energy. Not bad however.

Heartbreaker- Up-tempo and Jimmy is a little sticky on the intro riffs. Plant holds on well through the verses. 1:55, Page fudges the lead-in a little but makes it work. He does get an amazing rockabilly section in, noodling flawlessly. The smear section is blazing guitar goodness. We get some Bouree but no 59th st. The fast section features top tier phrasing from Page. 6:20, awesome aggressive licks. This one is worth the solo section alone though it's rough on the edges. "A" overall.

Black Dog- Plant's power is noticeably diminished and he sings in a mediocre fashion. 2:50, Rob finally pushes himself. Instrumentally it's a very tight performance. Solo- 4:18, working up to that bend nicely. Page shows good fluidity through an aggressive set of leads. 5:11-5:14, some over the top phrasing. Top notch solo to end. Not bad even with the subdued vocals, "A".

SIBLY- The smooth sounding intro has some questionable phrases around the 0:33 mark. He soon gets on track to introduce the very gloomy feeling verses. The clarity of this recording is exceptional. Plant is reserved but effective. Solo- flawless phrasing to start. 4:48, Jones dropping out briefly. Page is absolutely wrecking it, easily one of the best solos. 5:42, he gets very loose on some chords through here. 6:21, Jones still intermittently dropping out. Bonham's energy also shouldn't go unnoticed. 7:22, Plant finally gets some gritty vocals in. The ending is done as slowly as possible and ends rather awkwardly. A total 50/50 performance here, with an excellent mood and a top tier solo versus quite a few flubs and hesitant vocals. "B+" seems unfair but it sums up the overall grade.

Celebration Day- A very off sounding intro from Page but once Robert comes in it smooths out. First solo is good per usual but Jimmy gets lost on the return. Rob tries his best to put energy into his vocals but it falls rather flat. 3:07, Jimmy still loose. 3:54, excellent runs here. Outro- 4:00, Bonzo pushes Jim along as he tries some unique, slightly rough sounding phrases. 4:50, getting very experimental for better or worse. The final riffs also sounding very loose. Not a good one technically but certainly an interesting listen. "C+".

GTC- Despite pre song tuning the guitar and mandolin are at odds with each other throughout. 3:40, Plant sounding off here. 5:28, vocal flub. 6:16, Jones attempting some unusual, almost Eastern sounding notes. A total lack of energy further dampens a rough performance. "B".

That's The Way- Jones giving that tuning another go. Very smooth and super relaxed. 4:16, awesome little accents by Jones. "A".

Tangerine- 0:33, something interrupts Page's playing as he stops abruptly and seemingly smacks a mic. After a restart everything goes well. Page amps up the energy on the bridge, strumming heavily. "A" not counting the first round.

BYAS- Intro gets the mood livened up as the crowd claps along. Plant still sounds weak through the verses but he's putting in good effort. Jimmy's breakdown is played well and pushed along by the crowd. 4:50, Plant skipping a line. "A-" considering the vocals.

Dazed- Bonham gets his foot warmed up on the intro with plenty of bass drum blasts. 3:23, Page ending with a unique phrase. 4:23, excellent pulloff work. 4:40, The first workout starts in an unusual fashion as Page introduces a slow and heavy riff. The jam comes to quick end however before the transition. The bow section stretches to over seven minutes. 14:09-14:40, Jimmy hits an absolute peak here as he delves into some of the most flawless shredding I've heard in a while. 15:30, nailing the ascending riff. We get another dose of the Shaft theme. The funk jam is done very well but short. 19:00, the boys go into an experimental jam and Bonham ups the energy. 19:53, Page on fire again with the lead phrasing. The Mars section takes a huge leap forward here as it evolves into the more familiar routine of later years, with Bonham and Jones matching Pages riff. The climax hits spot on and Jimmy gets an excellent wah jam in for the finale. For the lack of dynamics so far in the show they certainly make up for it here. "A+++".

Stairway- 2:35, slight flub by Jones. Just realized he's playing the organ all the way through on this (instead of switching to the Rhodes) and it has a strange tone about it. 3:20, some dissonant notes by Jones. The organ isn't really meshing well. 3:57, slight flub by Jim. 5:25, Bonham's drumming gets a little loose as Plant pushes his voice a bit. Solo- Jim is playing well enough on the start but the phrasing is choppy and oddball. 7:27, a monster of a phrase I've never heard before. 7:38, Bonham playing loosely. 8:21, visiting that awesome phrase once more before the finish. Plant sounds strong on the climax and the finish is good.  A unique version to say the least but it's got quite a few rough spots. "B+".

WIAWSNB- Robert's vocals come back with a vengeance. 1:03, minor flub by Page and he drops out for a few seconds. Solo- Jimmy sounds hesitant to get going but he nails the phrasing. 3:07, Bonham and Page play off each other on the last phrase. Outro- solid playing. "A".

WLL- 1:36, Jimmy improvises a unique ascending riff. Plant duels with the theremin on the freakout section. Page is loose on the solo. Boogie Chillen turns into a heavy Going Down, featuring an awesome solo by Jimmy. Boogie Chillen comes back around and also features good noodling by Jim. Hello Mary Lou- Bonzo is playful with the accents for this slightly loose version. Rave On- Plant strains some on the initial verses and someone provides some back up at 14:25. Page gets a good solo in here and Plant comes back with more oomph on the last verses. Mess Of Blues- Robert starts the intro vocals at a very slow tempo. 17:01, Bonzo gets off track and just makes the best of it by improvising. 18:25, Bonham missing the transition again and throws Jimmy off as well. So Many Roads/Mean Old Fireman- 20:28, some questionable lyrics from Plant. 21:13, Bonham switching the beat up again. 24:00, the latter part of Jim's solo features exceptional playing but Bonham again plays loosely throughout. 26:43, a quick air raid vocal. 27:20, he gets another one in for the verse return. The outro jam sounds fantastic to end. Lots of dynamics with this incredible mixed bag of tributes. Taking Bonham out of the mix it's very good but realistically has several flubs. "A-" overall but GDS steals the show. (31:22, almost certain that's Bonham yelling "Hello Peter!".)

Rock And Roll- Verses sound strong. Solo-2:21, just a tad sticky here but otherwise great. Bonham's drum finale hits perfectly for the finish. "A"+.

Communication Breakdown- A solid opening is followed by an extended wah solo with Page circling back around several times. 3:06, strange chording whether by accident or not. The funk jam has Jimmy once again operating the wah pedal. 5:20, one final air raid. Amazing version, "A++".

Final Assessment- Where the band are strong they are quite so, and where they trip up it's unusually so. Jimmy has a problem being consistent (imagine that) and has quite a few slumps on songs he's done perfectly many times now. But when he's on he's simply amazing. Plant's voice and enthusiasm may be hurt by the flu but he pushes through quite well considering. Bonzo seemed to drift off during the medley section. Jones evidently had some technical issues for Stairway with the organ sounding strange throughout. But let's look at the positives; The opening three numbers are fairly strong instrumentally, SIBLY has a top tier solo, Dazed is astounding, Going Down is a must hear, and the encores are top notch. Also the recording is spectacular. The bad- Celebration Day is a near disaster and the acoustic set is very off per their usual standards. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[Zep Hed]

2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Nitpicking Page 11/25/1971 Leicester, UK (Master Cassette revision)

Immigrant Song- Plant announces he has the Flu before starting. The opening yells aren't half bad considering he's sick. 1:20, sounding fairly good here. 1:33, now we hear some raspiness in his voice as he sings this lazily. Solo- a little hesitant to get going but he soon finds a fluid groove. 3:00, hitting shred level. Unfortunately he slows it back down before finishing. "A-" for some weak vocals and lack of energy. Not bad however.

Heartbreaker- Up-tempo and Jimmy is a little sticky on the intro riffs. Plant holds on well through the verses. 1:55, Page fudges the lead-in a little but makes it work. He does get an amazing rockabilly section in, noodling flawlessly. The smear section is blazing guitar goodness. We get some Bouree but no 59th st. The fast section features top tier phrasing from Page. 6:20, awesome aggressive licks. This one is worth the solo section alone though it's rough on the edges. "A" overall.

Black Dog- Plant's power is noticeably diminished and he sings in a mediocre fashion. 2:50, Rob finally pushes himself. Instrumentally it's a very tight performance. Solo- 4:18, working up to that bend nicely. Page shows good fluidity through an aggressive set of leads. 5:11-5:14, some over the top phrasing. Top notch solo to end. Not bad even with the subdued vocals, "A".

SIBLY- The smooth sounding intro has some questionable phrases around the 0:33 mark. He soon gets on track to introduce the very gloomy feeling verses. The clarity of this recording is exceptional. Plant is reserved but effective. Solo- flawless phrasing to start. 4:48, Jones dropping out briefly. Page is absolutely wrecking it, easily one of the best solos. 5:42, he gets very loose on some chords through here. 6:21, Jones still intermittently dropping out. Bonham's energy also shouldn't go unnoticed. 7:22, Plant finally gets some gritty vocals in. The ending is done as slowly as possible and ends rather awkwardly. A total 50/50 performance here, with an excellent mood and a top tier solo versus quite a few flubs and hesitant vocals. "B+" seems unfair but it sums up the overall grade.

Celebration Day- A very off sounding intro from Page but once Robert comes in it smooths out. First solo is good per usual but Jimmy gets lost on the return. Rob tries his best to put energy into his vocals but it falls rather flat. 3:07, Jimmy still loose. 3:54, excellent runs here. Outro- 4:00, Bonzo pushes Jim along as he tries some unique, slightly rough sounding phrases. 4:50, getting very experimental for better or worse. The final riffs also sounding very loose. Not a good one technically but certainly an interesting listen. "C+".

GTC- Despite pre song tuning the guitar and mandolin are at odds with each other throughout. 3:40, Plant sounding off here. 5:28, vocal flub. 6:16, Jones attempting some unusual, almost Eastern sounding notes. A total lack of energy further dampens a rough performance. "B".

That's The Way- Jones giving that tuning another go. Very smooth and super relaxed. 4:16, awesome little accents by Jones. "A".

Tangerine- 0:33, something interrupts Page's playing as he stops abruptly and seemingly smacks a mic. After a restart everything goes well. Page amps up the energy on the bridge, strumming heavily. "A" not counting the first round.

BYAS- Intro gets the mood livened up as the crowd claps along. Plant still sounds weak through the verses but he's putting in good effort. Jimmy's breakdown is played well and pushed along by the crowd. 4:50, Plant skipping a line. "A-" considering the vocals.

Dazed- Bonham gets his foot warmed up on the intro with plenty of bass drum blasts. 3:23, Page ending with a unique phrase. 4:23, excellent pulloff work. 4:40, The first workout starts in an unusual fashion as Page introduces a slow and heavy riff. The jam comes to quick end however before the transition. The bow section stretches to over seven minutes. 14:09-14:40, Jimmy hits an absolute peak here as he delves into some of the most flawless shredding I've heard in a while. 15:30, nailing the ascending riff. We get another dose of the Shaft theme. The funk jam is done very well but short. 19:00, the boys go into an experimental jam and Bonham ups the energy. 19:53, Page on fire again with the lead phrasing. The Mars section takes a huge leap forward here as it evolves into the more familiar routine of later years, with Bonham and Jones matching Pages riff. The climax hits spot on and Jimmy gets an excellent wah jam in for the finale. For the lack of dynamics so far in the show they certainly make up for it here. "A+++".

Stairway- 2:35, slight flub by Jones. Just realized he's playing the organ all the way through on this (instead of switching to the Rhodes) and it has a strange tone about it. 3:20, some dissonant notes by Jones. The organ isn't really meshing well. 3:57, slight flub by Jim. 5:25, Bonham's drumming gets a little loose as Plant pushes his voice a bit. Solo- Jim is playing well enough on the start but the phrasing is choppy and oddball. 7:27, a monster of a phrase I've never heard before. 7:38, Bonham playing loosely. 8:21, visiting that awesome phrase once more before the finish. Plant sounds strong on the climax and the finish is good.  A unique version to say the least but it's got quite a few rough spots. "B+".

WIAWSNB- Robert's vocals come back with a vengeance. 1:03, minor flub by Page and he drops out for a few seconds. Solo- Jimmy sounds hesitant to get going but he nails the phrasing. 3:07, Bonham and Page play off each other on the last phrase. Outro- solid playing. "A".

WLL- 1:36, Jimmy improvises a unique ascending riff. Plant duels with the theremin on the freakout section. Page is loose on the solo. Boogie Chillen turns into a heavy Going Down, featuring an awesome solo by Jimmy. Boogie Chillen comes back around and also features good noodling by Jim. Hello Mary Lou- Bonzo is playful with the accents for this slightly loose version. Rave On- Plant strains some on the initial verses and someone provides some back up at 14:25. Page gets a good solo in here and Plant comes back with more oomph on the last verses. Mess Of Blues- Robert starts the intro vocals at a very slow tempo. 17:01, Bonzo gets off track and just makes the best of it by improvising. 18:25, Bonham missing the transition again and throws Jimmy off as well. So Many Roads/Mean Old Fireman- 20:28, some questionable lyrics from Plant. 21:13, Bonham switching the beat up again. 24:00, the latter part of Jim's solo features exceptional playing but Bonham again plays loosely throughout. 26:43, a quick air raid vocal. 27:20, he gets another one in for the verse return. The outro jam sounds fantastic to end. Lots of dynamics with this incredible mixed bag of tributes. Taking Bonham out of the mix it's very good but realistically has several flubs. "A-" overall but GDS steals the show. (31:22, almost certain that's Bonham yelling "Hello Peter!".)

Rock And Roll- Verses sound strong. Solo-2:21, just a tad sticky here but otherwise great. Bonham's drum finale hits perfectly for the finish. "A"+.

Communication Breakdown- A solid opening is followed by an extended wah solo with Page circling back around several times. 3:06, strange chording whether by accident or not. The funk jam has Jimmy once again operating the wah pedal. 5:20, one final air raid. Amazing version, "A++".

Final Assessment- Where the band are strong they are quite so, and where they trip up it's unusually so. Jimmy has a problem being consistent (imagine that) and has quite a few slumps on songs he's done perfectly many times now. But when he's on he's simply amazing. Plant's voice and enthusiasm may be hurt by the flu but he pushes through quite well considering. Bonzo seemed to drift off during the medley section. Jones evidently had some technical issues for Stairway with the organ sounding strange throughout. But let's look at the positives; The opening three numbers are fairly strong instrumentally, SIBLY has a top tier solo, Dazed is astounding, Going Down is a must hear, and the encores are top notch. Also the recording is spectacular. The bad- Celebration Day is a near disaster and the acoustic set is very off per their usual standards. 

Well done as always, GFan. The tech issues musta been why Stairway was delayed til later in the show. Round this time Stairway was played prior to the acoustic set.

[gibsonfan159]

Nitpicking Page 12/2/1971 Bournemouth, UK (Rock And Roll Magic- Electric Magic)

Good audience source.

Immigrant Song- Robert straining a bit on the opening. Good energy on the verses. 1:32, pushing his vocals too hard here. Solo- Tape fluctuations throughout but sounds like Page gets on a roll with excellent phrasing. 3:05, strains on these bends just a little. Not a bad start and hopefully Rob warms up quickly. "A-".

Heartbreaker- Heavy with a quick tempo. 1:30, a series of voice cracks. Jimmy lowers his volume for some excellent acapella soloing. We get a rough sounding 59th St but no Bouree. The smear section is blazing as Jimmy shreds flawlessly. The phrasing on the fast section is very aggressive. 6:08, repeating a riff for a full measure. 6:51, chord flub. A thumping version but a little rough on the edges. "A-".

Black Dog- Keeping the energy alive with another fast tempo. 0:50, Jim trying to keep up. 1:03, mild vocal cracks. 1:35, a short air raid. 2:34, Jim slips a little. 3:18, Robert missing the key a bit. Solo- not bad at all considering the tempo but Jimmy is really rushing to keep up. Arguably too fast for this song. "B+".

SIBLY- The guitar tone is super clean on the intro but he cranks it up for the last part. The drums are coming through with perfect detail and you can hear all the little snare nuances. The chorus is very loud and distorts the tape a bit. 2:45, good passion from Plant. 3:33, Page strumming with intensity leading up to the solo. Solo- exceptional phrasing throughout with flawless technique. 4:47, one of, if not the most, powerful air raid vocals from Robert. 5:53, the energy on the outro is through the roof. A must hear version, easily one of the best. "A+++".

Stairway- Jimmy gets going quickly, maybe a bit too fast. Once the verses progress the tempo feels more natural though very energetic. Excellent start. 6:43, possibly an off note. Overall Jimmy is just shredding through this solo, doing some aggressive and unique phrases. Plant comes back with some noticeably half-hearted vocals on the climax, but it's nothing terrible. Just a lack of enthusiasm for whatever reason. The ending sounds good. "A-" considering the finale letdown.

GTC- Some electrical noises delay the intro but they soon get on track. Plant still sounding tired. 4:20, very tired on the bridge. There's an annoying clicking sound throughout the song, possibly just someone tapping their foot. Instrumentally sound but Plant really kills the vibes with this one. "B".

That's The Way- A dynamic performance with the tempo rising and falling throughout. Page strums heavily, seemingly almost breaking the strings in places. "A".

Tangerine- The recording has the guitar nearly inaudible but the playing sounds solid. 2:04, slight guitar flub (or small tape cut). The ending also cut with a quick fade out. Pretty standard run through. "A".

BYAS- Jim opens with some "Turkey in the straw". A lively performance with everyone sounding good. "A+".

Dazed- Plant singing with lots of emotion through the verses. 4:16, the first workout getting started with a heavy duel between Page and Bonham. 4:55, recording gets a little murky as Jimmy goes ape on some lightning fast runs. Bow section right at six minutes. 15:45, some choppy phrasing. The descending/ascending run lands perfectly. 16:45, Jimmy takes a side road for some dynamic riffing before working his way into the Shaft theme. 19:19, Jones and Bonham try to push another funk jam but Jim doesn't bite. 22:20, repeating an improvised riff that doesn't really go anywhere. Mars is basic and lacks some energy. The climax goes by unnoticed. 27:13, unreal sustain. Page gets some powerful wah leads in before the ending but it's short lived. I think Bonham and Jones are under the radar here and are playing with more enthusiasm than Page for this. Plant sounded strong throughout. Overall solid but a sleepy performance. "A-".

WIAWSNB- Another quick tempo assuming the tape speed is correct. Verses sounding good and lively. 2:04, just a little loose on the slide solo. 2:59, this riff lands perfectly. Outro- Rob with tremendous enthusiasm. Jimmy nails the ending lick. Very good, "A+".

Rock And Roll- Powerful start with strong vocals. Solo- textbook perfection until the last phrase where something causes Jimmy and Jones to stop dead in their tracks. Plant continues the next set of verses and the others eventually jump back in for a good finish. "B" considering the show stopping mishap, but this had tremendous potential.

WLL- They open with a unique intro jam before launching the main riff. 4:08, chord flub. The post-freakout jam has Jimmy repeating a riff and getting terribly sloppy at 5:16 as he botches several chords. 5:40, Jimmy goes on a noodling tangent and it sounds like the others mistake this for the solo, which comes around next measure. 6:14, flubbing this solo phrase. Bottle Up And Go- Plant puts plenty of attitude into the verses. Solo- Jimmy struggles to get going then plays a familiar phrase he's used for other medley pieces. Robert tries to get Boogie Chillen started but the audience's clapping skews the timing of it. The tape cuts to Buddy Holly's Heartbeat which sounds fantastic. Mary Lou- moving fast but smoothly. Solo- Page sidesteps the hybrid picking for some bluesier licks. Lawdy Miss Clawdy- Plant stepping up on this and sounding amazing. I Can't Quit You- very laid back. Jim gets his usual, excellent blazing runs in. Shame Shame Shame- spot on hybrid picking by Page for the verses but the solo is exactly the same as his That's Alright solo. Plant gets a nice air raid in for the return and the outro is packed with energy. Some highs and lows throughout, certainly not a perfect performance. "B+" at best.

Communication Breakdown- Raucous intro with Plant shouting to the heavens. Page goes otherworldly on the wah soaked solo, even recycling the That's Alright phrasing. They sidetrack into a funky Turn On Your Lovelight, then another improvised jam with good noodling from Jim. Very good, "A++".

Weekend- Plant isn't quite as strong here as the earlier versions but he's still good. Flawless performance. "A+". (Page does some Kinks riffs afterwards)

It'll Be Me- Verses sounding good. The first break is empty with no one taking a lead. The second has some wah runs by Page but nothing spectacular. 2:38, Plant straining for some unnatural high notes. This has always come across as an awkward cover by the band but nothing terrible here. "A-".

Final Assessment- Another rollercoaster ride here as the impressive parts are often followed by several mishaps. Once Robert gets warmed up he's his usual self for the era but the first few numbers have him sounding very tired. Jimmy certainly has some high points but the overall impression is that he's not playing confidently. The tempo throughout is noticeably fast (assuming the tape runs correctly), which probably didn't help. The highlights are a top tier SIBLY, energetic BYAS, powerful WIAWSNB, and an amazing encore version of CB. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[gibsonfan159]

*REVISION Nitpicking Page 8/19/1971 Vancouver, Canada (Source Mix) 

A newly liberated source for this is used to patch the missing pieces. 

Immigrant Song- Robert straining just a bit but sounding pretty good overall.  Solo- the usual slow build up leads to some good repeating bends (2:46), followed by slightly choppy phrasing toward the end. 3:22, final phrases are unusual but work well. Not bad at all and plenty of energy for the opener, "A".

Heartbreaker- The opening verses thrashing with attitude. 1:28, Bonham is playing so rhythmically it almost sounds like bongos. Page's lead in phrasing is simplistic. The rockabilly jam is hesitant as well and seemingly short. Smear section a little sticky but good overall, with a repeated phrase to end. Once the fast section comes in Jimmy is off to the races, ripping the fretboard apart and nearly bending the strings off the neck. He slows down a bit for a steady flow on the last half with some neat phrasing. Strong finish. Plant's power really pushes this but it's a booming version. "A".

SIBLY- Jimmy's intro is laid back but phrased well. 0:53, Jones hits a chord a little early but recovers well. 1:31, Jimmy is very active through the verses, doing a lot of call and response to the vocals. Solo- perfectly phrased throughout. 0:51, now that's a scream. People next to the tapers can be heard shouting expletives at someone not sitting down, to which they reply "Everyone else is standing up". The outro is played with tons of passion although Plant is low in the mix. 2:17, except for these excellent screams which are clear. Knockout version, "A++".

Black Dog- Taking off at break neck speed, verses sounding very strong and energetic. 2:00, Rob switching up the lyrics. Solo- Page gets lost on the start but soon gets on track for a nice set of phrases. Energy off the charts here but I wouldn't call it the most solid version. "A-".

Dazed- Booming intro is awash with screams of "Sit down". Plant sounding otherworldly as he rips some powerful screams. No real first workout here. Bow section roughly under six minutes. Second workout- Sounding good to start. 11:35, bit sloppy. 12:03, this ascending phrase ends badly as Page trips up. 12:23, Jimmy works his way into some interesting eastern sounding sitar like phrases. 14:46-14:56, Page is having some trouble finding a good flow. 15:15-15:25, awkward phrasing. The climax sounds decent as Plant strains a bit. "B", Page isn't his usual smooth self here.

Stairway- The BD, Dazed, Stairway setlist is always jarring. Intro and verses sounding fairly good. 4:57, some off notes by Jonesy on the keys. The solo lead in sounds fantastic, creating the perfect atmosphere. Solo- Jimmy kicks it off nicely, phrasing and articulation on point. 7:27, the final pull off notes are extended for the entire measure which works quite well. Plant nails a good climax section, maybe not his most powerful though. He extends a ridiculously long note on the outro. Not bad, "A". (Plant can be heard using some expletives toward the PA system).

GTC- Very clear recording. Plant sounds a little flustered on the opening verse (probably annoyed with the PA). Instrumentally solid but Plant doesn't sound like his usual self here. "B+".

TTW- Beautiful work by Plant through the verses with the other three accenting everything nicely. Wonderful version. "A+".

WIAWSNB- Cuts in on the second verse. Rob sounding very powerful. Solo- noticeably loose but nothing off track. The recording gets incredibly distorted in places. Outro- 3:51, awkward chording by Jim to end. "A-".

Celebration Day- Intro is decent as they launch into energetic verses. Jonesy's excellent bass work is buried under the noisy tape. First solo- couple of flubbed notes to start but otherwise solid. Outro- what starts good loses some impact as Jim struggles to really find a flow with the leads. Not bad however for an early version. "B+".

Gallows Pole- A slow, trodding tempo with some dynamic chording from Jimmy. Plant sounding excellent. 4:00, Page launches a foray of 12 string lead phrases that sound eerily similar to parts of The Song Remains The Same. This might be the most solid version of the song yet. "A++".

WLL- Jim warms up a bit on the intro and sets the mood. Verses have a good flow with the appropriate raunchy attitude. Jimmy attempts some lead on the freakout section but it doesn't seem to land well. Solo- Page makes it scream perfectly. 5:16, Jim gets unplugged and we get blasted with feedback for a couple seconds. 7:25, more feedback during an excellent solo. That's Alright- might be the recording but Plant sounds more strained here. Page's accompaniment is very well done however. Again, an awesome solo is matched by feedback squelches and Page seemingly turns his volume down some to get it under control. 10:20, tape cut takes us into Mess Of Blues. 10:53, Jim's phrasing just a little loose. 12:15, ending is a tad awkward. Another tape cut takes us to Honey Bee. 12:45, not the most nimble fingers. 15:07, better fluidity here. 17:20, Page going berserk. 18:47, Plant and Page get into a heated battle. 19:20, another cut takes us to what sounds like the end of a For What It's Worth jam. Plant gets a powerful but short air raid in for the return and the PA system goes askew with feedback. An entertaining version, maybe not the most explosive. "B+".

Weekend- Rough recording here but everything is sounding fine. 1:19, slight vocal crack. Solo- a bit disjointed but not terrible. Plant's vocal timing is loose on the last verses. Not the best version of this one. "B+".

Rock And Roll- Kickoff sounds fairly solid with a slight pause from Jim at 0:36. Almost positive Jimmy is using the EDS for this as the tone does not match a Les Paul. Solo- rough on the start but overall pretty good, plenty of energy. The outro verses are excellent as they end it perfectly. "A-".

Communication Breakdown- Perfect energy through the verses. Solo- Page is fairly sticky here with both articulation and phrasing. Nothing too off putting though. 2:42, he's running out road. 3:20-3:30, some very strained notes. It takes a couple of measures for everyone to get in sync for the ending. Not great. "B".

Final Assessment- A loose show obviously affected by a rowdy crowd and a misbehaving P.A. system. Robert is quite powerful throughout but Page is the odd duck here, not playing at his usually fluid 1971 level in several places. Definitely worth the listen however. Highlights are a superb SIBLY and in my opinion the best Gallows Pole we have available so far. Rock And Roll sounds like it was played with the EDS 12 string which if true is very unique.  

Edited September 4, 2023 by gibsonfan159

[Norsound]

Wow! SIBLY scoring some high marks on this one! I enjoyed it myself when I first listened to the cassette on August 31! And thankfully I will be able to put a better transfer out there at some point, maybe even a better transfer off of one generation less! I'm certainly going to be reviewing this thread to find "the" versions of songs to dig into the online sources and give a listen