4/27. . . Which one???

[Bozoso73]

So as I look for a show I look at the calendar to see what the date is. . It's 4/27. . It might have been 8 years but it might as well had been 88. . 4/27/69 this killer new band is in SF rewriting the rock books as they kill every show. . . or 4/27/77. . DESTROYER. . What this show means to a lot of LZ fans as they find this incredible show from a band that can kill from night to night but can burst at the seams as they roll through EVERY town SOLD OUT. . 

If you have a pick which one means the most to you in context of the band in their state of recording of said bootleg??  Its just something to pass the time.  .. CHEERS!:)

[SteveZ98]

Great topic. For me it's 4/27/69, no question. Just a stellar performance, plus a bunch of songs that were never officially released, including a stunning version of As Long As I Have You. I really wish this was the show Jimmy included as the bonus for the remaster of the first album. Even though it's famous for a bootleg, there are still tons of casual Zep fans who have never heard it who would have been blown away by it like we all are.

[1975NQ]

1 hour ago, SteveZ98 said:

Great topic. For me it's 4/27/69, no question. Just a stellar performance, plus a bunch of songs that were never officially released, including a stunning version of As Long As I Have You. I really wish this was the show Jimmy included as the bonus for the remaster of the first album. Even though it's famous for a bootleg, there are still tons of casual Zep fans who have never heard it who would have been blown away by it like we all are.

Great question and +1 to @SteveZ98 comments. If I were to introduce someone to live Zep boots, and wanted to limit it to just a few shows, 4/27/69 would be one of them.

[zeplz71]

2 hours ago, SteveZ98 said:

Great topic. For me it's 4/27/69, no question. Just a stellar performance, plus a bunch of songs that were never officially released, including a stunning version of As Long As I Have You. I really wish this was the show Jimmy included as the bonus for the remaster of the first album. Even though it's famous for a bootleg, there are still tons of casual Zep fans who have never heard it who would have been blown away by it like we all are.

+1

[The Only Way To Fly]

Destroyer was the second Zeppelin bootleg I bought after first getting Blueberry Hill.

1977 FTW on this one!

[chillumpuffer]

April 27th 1969. Fresh, raw and great. 

April 27th 1977. Tired, overblown and err not so great.

[ledzepfilm]

Both are pretty average shows for their respective tours, but 1969 no doubt.

4/27/77 has potential as being one of Plant's best shows for the year, but Jimmy is way too lackluster.

4/27/69 has a fantastic first set - one of the best ALAIHYs and HMMTs - but the second set drags a bit and Plant doesn't compare to previous shows on the tour.

Go for 4/26/69 and 4/28/77 instead.

[Zep Hed]

4/27/77 was the first live Zeppelin I heard other than TSRTS film so perhaps a special place in my heart. That primal scream from Robert during IMTOD was shocking to uninitiated ears. 4/27/69 I heard about - and its high rating among fans - before I actually heard it so perhaps prior knowledge skews my opinion of it. I'd say I had a higher opinion of 73-80 Zeppelin in the early stages of my live Zeppelin education; as the years have passed I've become more critical of those performances - the generally static set lists and Robert's diminished vocal capabilities. Not to summarily dismiss them, mind you; they're still exciting shows in their own right. There's something for everyone from the best band there ever was regardless of which stage of their career you're listening to. But comparing two distinctly different eras, I've landed on embracing the formative and developmental stages of the band's career with the sweet spot being March 71 thru June 72. The four members at the heights of their powers; experiencing new and exciting adventures while building fan bases that would last a lifetime; with just enough - but not too much - material in their arsenal that they were still experimenting - at times at the drop of a hat. 69 wins this one for me.

[1975NQ]

8 minutes ago, Zep Hed said:

4/27/77 was the first live Zeppelin I heard other than TSRTS film so perhaps a special place in my heart. That primal scream from Robert during IMTOD was shocking to uninitiated ears. 4/27/69 I heard about - and its high rating among fans - before I actually heard it so perhaps prior knowledge skews my opinion of it. I'd say I had a higher opinion of 73-80 Zeppelin in the early stages of my live Zeppelin education; as the years have passed I've become more critical of those performances - the generally static set lists and Robert's diminished vocal capabilities. Not to summarily dismiss them, mind you; they're still exciting shows in their own right. There's something for everyone from the best band there ever was regardless of which stage of their career you're listening to. But comparing two distinctly different eras, I've landed on embracing the formative and developmental stages of the band's career with the sweet spot being March 71 thru June 72. The four members at the heights of their powers; experiencing new and exciting adventures while building fan bases that would last a lifetime; with just enough - but not too much - material in their arsenal that they were still experimenting - at times at the drop of a hat. 69 wins this one for me.

Nicely said. My own sweet spot for the band is similar - March 71 through July 73. I've always viewed 72 as a transitional year for them, particularly with Robert's voice. 73 feels to me like a culmination of the development you mention, particularly with WLL in the UK 72-73 tour and Dazed with the Euro and US tours in 73. I've been on a July 73 kick the past several months so my post here might be a little biased from that lol. But the undeniable power and this-can-go-anywhere vibe of those 69 performances are really unique and a "must listen" for sure.

[SuperDave]

22 hours ago, SteveZ98 said:

Great topic. For me it's 4/27/69, no question. Just a stellar performance, plus a bunch of songs that were never officially released, including a stunning version of As Long As I Have You. I really wish this was the show Jimmy included as the bonus for the remaster of the first album. Even though it's famous for a bootleg, there are still tons of casual Zep fans who have never heard it who would have been blown away by it like we all are.

Classic show and one of my all time faves. One of the first bootleg shows I heard.

[Strider]

Both dates are problematic.

4.27.69 is fine for the most part, but I prefer 4.26. and even 4.24 in that 1969 San Francisco run.

4.27.77 has never meant much to me. It was not my first, second, or even third Led Zeppelin bootleg. I first heard it in late 1977, maybe early 1978 and my first response was that this DID NOT sound anything close to what Led Zeppelin sounded like at the LA Forum on that 1977 tour. Thin, flat, disjointed, sterile...it soured me on soundboards immediately. I would rather listen to 4.28.77 any day of the week.

So, this choice is easy: 4.27.69

Edited April 29, 2022 by Strider

[Walesdad]

Probably, just for old times sake, for me it would be 4/27/77. Back in the days when tape trading was the most common way of hearing live concert recordings, this was the first live led Zeppelin I had heard. It would easily be well over thirty five years since I first heard this recording. Sure, its not the very best night of the tour and the lack of audience noise does the recording no favours but I'd plump for this.