Dog-of-Doom Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 These are in my opinion the best performances of these songs while also accounting for somewhat decent sound quality. I am well aware there are better versions of some songs here that exist on far less enjoyable bootlegs to my ear. However, I am more than interested to here alternatives - I just thought this is fun to make. I have also included all of the Non-Album/Covers they did that I know of, but I can’t guarantee I got them all. (Not including those that were played within the context of another song) I should probably say, there are many songs on this list that either Zeppelin just didn’t perform with Bonham (Between ‘69 - ‘80) or were done far better by one of the members in their solo endeavours. So I count things like Page and Plant, Band of Joy and the Sensational Space Shifters in this list as, although not including Jones, they are fantastic performances. They have to be songs done by Led Zeppelin however, so songs by Coverdale/Page, The Firm, any of Robert Plant or Jones’ Solo careers and the Outrider Album are not included. I would provide links but there are so many here and quite often these videos get taken down for various reasons, but simply googling the band and the date will bring up the gig. There’s often time stamps. Led Zeppelin Good Times Bad Times - The version from the “Communication Breakdown” medley in 1970 on the Blueberry Hill bootleg. For the full song, “Celebration Day” from 2007 is also a worthy choice and sends chills down my spine purely as it opens their return to the stage. Babe I’m Gonna Leave you - Robert Plant at Glastonbury 2014. A brilliant version, and In My Opinion better than the electric ones from ‘69 You Shook Me - January 26th 1969. Great Organ solo. Dazed and Confused - Sept 29 at Osaka. This could be a whole discussion in and of itself. Every version has the same first 5 minutes, then a different 25 minute follow up. The one I listen to the most is probably the TSRTS version purely for the “San Fransisco” part, but any European ‘73 version is killer. For the best “Woodstock” section, I recommend May 24th at Earls Court. Your Time is Gonna Come - Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes “Live at The Greek” - Basically the only option but still great. Black Mountain Side - Take your pick between Royal Albert Hall and The Julie Felix Show. Most of the later ones in my opinion, especially from 1980 are downright sad to listen to. Good for hearing the surprise burst into “Kashmir” however. Communication Breakdown - Personally, the aforementioned “Blueberry Hill” performance. That Bass solo. The “For What It’s Worth” Jam. I Can’t Quit You Babe - Royal Albert Hall. The version on CODA is in my opinion far superior to the one which appears on this album and that’s Basically a remix of the RAH recording. Listen to the full version though, not the cut one on CODA. How Many More Times - Again, Royal Albert Hall. The Paris Theatre version is also a highlight. Some of the ‘73 versions (The final ones) are pretty damn good. Led Zeppelin II Whole Lotta Love - Sept 29th ‘71 at Osaka. The sound quality drops for part of it, I think the Good Times Bad Times part of the medley, however when you’re listening to a 30 minute song, 5 or so minutes of that isn’t too bad. GTBT was also in the “Communication Breakdown” Medley. Also an interesting, by no means best version, would be Belgium 1980. This is their last song from their last performance. The band is in nowhere near top form, but towards the end Jones starts ripping it on bass. An interesting and perhaps in some way fitting end for the Zep!! What is and What Should Never Be - January 9th 1970, Royal Albert Hall. The Lemon Song/Killing Floor - “Killing Floor” at the Fillmore West ‘69. Great Version. Thank You - BBC sessions. One of Jimmy’s finest solos. The final night of MSG, curiously not included on TSRTS is also killer as is Monterey 1970. I recommend all of these. Heartbreaker - Monterey 1970. The version captured on “How The West Was Won” is also killer as is Sept 29th at Osaka. Living Loving Maid - Page hated this song, so it was never performed sadly. Ramble On - Robert Plant along with Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller on YouTube. It has countless performances with Page and Plant, but I’ll take the “Celebration Day” Version from 2007 over those. Moby Dick/Pats Delight - Royal Albert Hall. 20 minutes shorter than the later versions, still packs as much punch. Bring it on home - 6/25/72 (The final performance).. Led Zeppelin III Immigrant Song - How The West Was Won. A powerful performance. Friends - Osaka. The only one. I prefer this over subsequent Page and Plant or Plant + whatever band came after. Celebration Day - Sept 4th ‘71. Don’t know much about the song, don’t listen to it too much. TSRTS is good enough for me. Since I’ve Been Loving You - Whilst Jimmy’s playing in my opinion gets too fast during the version on TSRTS, I’d maybe still say that one. It still captures so much emotion. The one on “BBC Sessions” has an amazing performance from Plant. Orlando ‘71 and “Blueberry Hill” are both great. Any earlier version where page is at his cleanest. Out On The Tiles - 9/19/70. Gallows Pole - The version on Page and Plants “No Quarter” Album. It was also covered as part of a medley at the end of Trampled Underfoot” in 1975, namely at Earls Court. Tangerine - May 25th ‘75 at Earls Court. Basically the only one but great at that. That’s The Way - Earls Court. Not sure if the “Official” video on YouTube is edited or spliced. I don’t much care, this version is my favourite. The acoustic sets from Earls Court are amazing and I much prefer them to the How The West Was Won versions. Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp - Earls Court. Again, possibly spliced. There are many ‘77 versions which are amazing and much longer, performed as a medley, however I’ve never felt that acoustic guitars come across well at all in bootlegs. If there is one, please let me know I’d love to hear it. The sound here is amazing with an amazing, soulful solo in the middle. Not much more to ask for. Led Zeppelin IV Black Dog - Sept 9 1971. The most Aggressive version. Or one of them. Also Sept 28th at Osaka. The version on the ORIGINAL cut of “The Song Remains The Same” I also hold in extremely high regard. The remasters and the version that exists on Spotify has been butchered completely. Rock and Roll - March 5th 1971 The Battle of Evermore - Page and Plants “No Quarter” Album. As much as I love JPJ, his vocals on the ‘77 versions render these far inferior to Basically any Page and Plant version. I don’t remember her name, but the backing vocalist taking the place of Sandy Denny on this version is phenomenal. Stairway to Heaven - Many. June 23rd ‘77 is pretty good. Countless from ‘71 when Plant really believed the lyrics. Overall, MSG ‘73 is about as legendary enough as it needs to be. Misty Mountain Hop - March 5th ‘71. Literally the only version I know of where Plant sings it at all close to the album. TSRTS is good enough though. Four Sticks - May 3rd ‘71. This show in Copenhagen I think is the only performance by Bonham. Or one of really not many. There are amazing ones my Michael Lee with Page and Plant, however this is a Bonham song. Going to California - I am extremely Biased here as I listened to this at the perfect time in my life and it has stuck with me. Almost no version can top it. The version from Earls Court uploaded on the official YouTube channel. God knows what date it was but the video has been floating around for years, presumably from the DVD but idk. Absolutely perfect. Sept 29 ‘71 at Osaka is also phenomenal and much longer. When The Levee Breaks - Neither of the live versions in ‘75 (There are two) are very good. And whilst Page and Plant did perform it at least once, I have yet to find any performance of the song, live or not, by anyone, that even comes close to that which was cut on the album. So just stick to that would be my advice. Houses of The Holy The Song Remains The Same - June 21 ‘77 (The “Bonham Concert”). The Whole of the “Listen To This Eddie” bootleg Bonham is on fire. His earth shattering intro on this is thunderous. The Rain Song - “The Song Remains The Same” (MSG ‘73). There is also an equally amazing version which was, in a similar fashion to “Thank You” at MSG, performed seemingly at the same gig as some of the Page and Plant “No Quarter” Album, however it is not included. It is Basically an acoustic version of the MSG with an orchestra instead of a Mellotron. Over The Hills and Far Away - Depends on if you are after Plants best singing or Page. Plant hits the high notes no problem on Basically any ‘72 version, HTWWW will do, however Page has a much more extended solo on the later ‘77 ones with plant singing at a lower pitch. June 27th ‘77 has a good version for Page. The Crunge - March 3rd ‘75. One of few. D’yer Mak’er - Was never performed despite rumours of a 1973 performance. Some mistake a reggae-ish jam from May 25th 1975 to be D’yer Mak’er, however it is not this song specifically. Dancing Days - June 19th 1972. They played it twice during this concert. They just decided to give it another crack at the end. The second one I prefer. No Quarter - My favourite Zep Track Personally. Similarly to “Dazed and Confused”, this is a whole separate discussion and is highly subjective. Personally, the best version for Jones is March 21st ‘75 in Seattle. Page’s solo is a bit choppy to begin with but he gets there eventually. If you want a shorter, more atmospheric version, I’d stick with the one on the ORIGINAL cut of “The Song Remains The Same”. Again, it has been cut up needlessly on recent releases. For a longer version, June 21st 1977 (Listen to This Eddie) is the one. Many of the ‘77 versions are amazing. Be wary though, on this tour they added a blues jam which was quite often a train wreck. The version caught on the warm up Gig in Copenhagen, 1979 for Knebworth is also good and far better than either of the Knebworth Shows. The Ocean - Madison Square Garden in ‘73 is about as good as any other I’ve heard. Physical Graffiti Custard Pie - Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes “Live at The Greek”. Again, not much choice. This is better in my opinion than the Page and Plant versions. The Rover - There is a sound check for an unknown 1973 show where they played this song. Although not fully developed, it is the only complete version the band played. They played the opening in ‘77 only as an intro to “Sick Again”. The video has been uploaded by “Led Zeppelin Rarities”. In My Time of Dying - June 22nd ‘77. The day after “Listen to This Eddie”, this version is almost 15 minutes and includes a lengthy improvisation section which covers “The Lemon Song”. One nitpick I do have however is that Jones switched to an Alembic Bass, which I feel never reached the tone his Fender Jazz Bass got to. For that, any ‘75 North American show will do just fine. This is fire however. Houses of the Holy - Robert Plant and Band of Joy. Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAlknGLym7M&pp=ygUeQmFuZCBvZiBqb3kgaG91c2VzIG9yIGdoZSBob2x5. I think this is around 2010, not sure. The song was never performed by the band and barely after they broke up. Regardless, this is a good listen. Trampled Under Foot - June 30th 1980. Probably the most consistent song of the 1980 “Tour over Europe”, if that says anything. This and many ‘75 versions. Kashmir - Honestly, I’m voting “Celebration Day” 2007. The Aging of Plants voice really lends itself to this song. I feel this is much better than any they performed pre-1980. And such a grand ending. The orchestral version from Page and Plant is also phenomenal, however I prefer the original arrangement. In The Light - Literally the only Option is a bonus track on the Japanese release of “Live at The Greek”. Plant allegedly was extremely enthusiastic about playing this live, however Jones simply could not reproduce the sound on stage. A very underrated song. As a side note, Mike Kerr, singer of Royal Blood, lists Zeppelin as a heavy influence. I can hear his singing style most clearly and directly in this song. Bron-Yr-Aur - Sept 9th ‘70. If you must have a live version. The studio release is far more atmospheric due to quality and effects - this is Basically the only option we have. He does add an interesting harmonic section, very briefly, but other than that I’d stick with the album cut. Down By the Seaside - It was often performed as part of a medley within “Calling To You” by Page and Plant, however in its entirety it was never performed, neither by the band or any of its members to my knowledge. Ten Years Gone - August 4th ‘79 at Knebworth. The aforementioned Copenhagen warmup show is also phenomenal for this song. They are tied. Night Flight - Again, this was never performed live by the band or any of its members. The Wanton Song - January 12th ‘75. I personally prefer the Page and Plant versions where they blast the Immigrant Song intro then 10 seconds in just switch smooth as hell into The Wanton Song. Sick. Boogie With Stu - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. “Stu” is Ian Stewart of The Rolling Stones for anyone who doesn’t know. They were using the Stones’ recording equipment at Headley Grange. Black Country Woman - June 19th 1972 Sick Again - June 21st ‘77 (Listen to This Eddie) Presence Achilles Last Stand - Knebworth ‘79. I’m not sure which of the two nights is featured on the filmed and presumably edited video on YouTube, I think taken from the Led Zeppelin DVD, but that version is powerful as hell and I’ll take it. For Your Life - To my knowledge, the only option for this is “Celebration Day” 2007. Other than the opening riff, this is not my favourite song. Royal Orleans - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members, thank God. Nobody’s Fault but Mine - Knebworth ‘79. Candy Store Rock - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Hots on For Nowhere - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Tea For One - February 13th 1996. Whilst never performed live by the band as a whole, Page and Plant performed it in the 90s and this version from Tokyo in ‘96 is killer. Joe Bonamassa has also done great covers of it. In Through The Out Door In The Evening - Knebworth ‘79. Page and Plant’s performance in Detroit, ‘95 also has a great version. South Bound Suarez - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Fool in The Rain - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Hot Dog - July 24th ‘79. I actually can’t believe they did this live but there you go - Copenhagen ‘79. Carouselambra - Pretty certain it was performed briefly within “In The Evening” by Page and Plant on occasion, however never in its entirety or with synths. I think this song is vastly underrated and I’m not even a fan of “In Through The Out Door”. I do sometimes prefer “The Epic (Rough Mix)” from the deluxe edition of the album as the vocals and guitars are more pronounced. It was probably going to be on the set lists for the 1980 American Tour apparently, but we all know what happened there… All My Love - June 30th ‘80. I’m Gonna Crawl - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Another underrated song. Pages best solo on the album. Plant give an emotional performance, a highlight since Houses of the Holy In My Opinion. Since I’ve Been Loving You and Tea For One are both in C Minor, and so were performed together in ‘77 to my memory. It’s possible this would have replaced that lengthy jam in future tours as I think it’s a decent enough song, though not as good, as they were veering away from longer jams. The ‘80 tour did not feature lengthy Dazed and Confused and No Quarter renditions and they may have wanted to include more tracks from the new album. Coda Hey, Hey What Can I Do - There are multiple Page and Plant versions of this but I much prefer the Album cut over any performance I’ve heard. We’re Gonna Groove - Royal Albert Hall. Legendary. Bonzo’s Montreux - I believe he played it in ‘77 versions of Moby Dick - and as much as I love Bonham and his solos, I do not think listening to half an hour of Moby Dick is worth it so I honestly couldn’t tell you which one is better. Wearing and Tearing - Knebworth ‘90. Page and Plant performed it at the reunion at Knebworth in 1990. It is to my knowledge the only option. Non-Album/Covers Train Kept a Rollin - January 26th ‘69. Some 1980 versions aren’t bad too. As Long as I Have You - April 27th 1969 C’mon Everybody - Royal Albert Hall Long Tall Sally - June 28th 1970 Louie Louie - June 25th 1972 (Same concert as “How The West Was Won”, however cut) “Burn Like a Candle” Bootleg. Weekend - August 21st 1971 Money (That’s What I Want) - June 30th 1980 Blueberry Hill - At Blueberry Hill It’ll Be Me - May 22nd 1977. They only did it twice. This is much better quality than the other one and even features Mick Ralphs himself. I Gotta Move - March 16 1969. Soundboard in Excellent Quality. Mystery Train - June 19th 1977. An Elvis Cover. Please Please Me - Sept 28th 1971 From Me to You - Sept 28th 1971 Georgia (On My Mind) - Unknown Date but was improvised once in 1973 when Jimmy had a Guitar Restrung after a string snapped. Happy Birthday - May 31st 1973 High Heeled Sneakers - Sept 28th 1971 I Can’t Be Satisfied - Sometime in ‘77 Sittin and Thinkin - April 27th 1969 at the Fillmore. Stand By Me - October 9th 1972 The Girl Can’t Help it - September 19th 1970 Twenty Flight Rock - September 19th 1970 (Second Show) Walk Don’t Run - August 22 1971 We Shall Overcome - September 28th 1971 When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) - June 19th 1972 Apologies for any mistakes or typos, I’ve been awake for about 30 odd hours at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave2007 Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 (edited) That was a good read. (actually, Page and Plant did perform Candy Store Rock live at the Momtreux Jazz Fest in July 2001 ) Edited April 6, 2023 by dave2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 Page and Plant also played Night Flight in the UK on their 1998 tour as well. Hots On was played by Page and the Crowes during their summer 2000 tour. Foolin the Rain played by Robert Plant with Pearl Jam during a Hurricane Katrina benefit over 15 years ago. This was a great list and enjoyed seeing what your faves were and includes many of my favorite versions. Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xolo1974 Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 Great list mate. Few observations. 1. Hots on For Nowhere was performed by Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes. I have an excellent bootleg recording - will send you a link in a week and a half (I am away camping). Great concert. 2. Tangerine - Page and Plant ones are great. 3. How Many More Times - Surely has to be the 1969 Denmark TV performance? 4. Thank You - What about 31/8/71 - New Orleans? Smoking! if you have the official release version of ‘In the Light’ from JP and the Black Crowes, I’d really appreciate a link. Great list and a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 Great list, I will check them all out when I have time. Plant has done a few versions of my all time fave Zep tune In The Light a few times. There is a TV appearance of one on YouTube. And it's a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 12 hours ago, Xolo1974 said: Great list mate. Few observations. 1. Hots on For Nowhere was performed by Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes. I have an excellent bootleg recording - will send you a link in a week and a half (I am away camping). Great concert. 2. Tangerine - Page and Plant ones are great. 3. How Many More Times - Surely has to be the 1969 Denmark TV performance? 4. Thank You - What about 31/8/71 - New Orleans? Smoking! if you have the official release version of ‘In the Light’ from JP and the Black Crowes, I’d really appreciate a link. Great list and a good read. That Thank You 👆, oh I agree. It is truly smoking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 7, 2023 Author Share Posted April 7, 2023 17 hours ago, dave2007 said: That was a good read. (actually, Page and Plant did perform Candy Store Rock live at the Momtreux Jazz Fest in July 2001 ) Ah. Cheers I’ll check it out. I don’t know much about Candy, Hots on and Royal Orleans I’m not too much a fan but I’ll check out the live ones to see if they change my mind 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 7, 2023 Author Share Posted April 7, 2023 2 hours ago, Ian Smith said: Great list, I will check them all out when I have time. Plant has done a few versions of my all time fave Zep tune In The Light a few times. There is a TV appearance of one on YouTube. And it's a good one. In The Light is also one of my all time favourites. I believe Plant himself agrees as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 7, 2023 Author Share Posted April 7, 2023 15 hours ago, Xolo1974 said: Great list mate. Few observations. 1. Hots on For Nowhere was performed by Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes. I have an excellent bootleg recording - will send you a link in a week and a half (I am away camping). Great concert. 2. Tangerine - Page and Plant ones are great. 3. How Many More Times - Surely has to be the 1969 Denmark TV performance? 4. Thank You - What about 31/8/71 - New Orleans? Smoking! if you have the official release version of ‘In the Light’ from JP and the Black Crowes, I’d really appreciate a link. Great list and a good read. Will check out hots on for nowhere, open to see what it sounds like live. The Page and Plant ones for tangerine are great, there is just something about that Earl’s Court one. Maybe it just gets an aura of sorts as it was the only one of its time, and you get to see page with the double neck which ig is a cheat. The Denmark TV of HMMT is legendary and I’ve probably watched it through hundreds of times. I would edit the list and put it as 2nd. I believe August 8th 1971 was Orlando, and it is one of the best Boots out there. Thank You on it is a masterpiece, it usually was in the early period. Some of his best guitar playing took place during that song, right up until the end of it being performed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 7, 2023 Author Share Posted April 7, 2023 17 hours ago, SuperDave said: Page and Plant also played Night Flight in the UK on their 1998 tour as well. Hots On was played by Page and the Crowes during their summer 2000 tour. Foolin the Rain played by Robert Plant with Pearl Jam during a Hurricane Katrina benefit over 15 years ago. This was a great list and enjoyed seeing what your faves were and includes many of my favorite versions. Well done! Was not aware of night flight. I should have been, I’m very fond of Page and Plant in ‘98 as page really picked up momentum by that point. Will look it up. Yea I’ve been made aware of hots on and fool in the rain, cheers will definitely give them a listen. Apparently candy store rock was also performed by Page and Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgeholder Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 You have Heartbreaker and Thank You as 'Monterey 1970'. Did you mean Montreux? Interesting list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 7 hours ago, Dog-of-Doom said: Was not aware of night flight. I should have been, I’m very fond of Page and Plant in ‘98 as page really picked up momentum by that point. Will look it up. Yea I’ve been made aware of hots on and fool in the rain, cheers will definitely give them a listen. Apparently candy store rock was also performed by Page and Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2001 Here you go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 8 hours ago, badgeholder said: You have Heartbreaker and Thank You as 'Monterey 1970'. Did you mean Montreux? Interesting list Yes 😂 sorry was listening to Hendrix not too long ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 5 hours ago, SuperDave said: Here you go! Thanks! Sounded great. Definitely gonna add that to the playlist. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plant77 Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 On 4/6/2023 at 4:38 AM, Dog-of-Doom said: These are in my opinion the best performances of these songs while also accounting for somewhat decent sound quality. I am well aware there are better versions of some songs here that exist on far less enjoyable bootlegs to my ear. However, I am more than interested to here alternatives - I just thought this is fun to make. I have also included all of the Non-Album/Covers they did that I know of, but I can’t guarantee I got them all. (Not including those that were played within the context of another song) I should probably say, there are many songs on this list that either Zeppelin just didn’t perform with Bonham (Between ‘69 - ‘80) or were done far better by one of the members in their solo endeavours. So I count things like Page and Plant, Band of Joy and the Sensational Space Shifters in this list as, although not including Jones, they are fantastic performances. They have to be songs done by Led Zeppelin however, so songs by Coverdale/Page, The Firm, any of Robert Plant or Jones’ Solo careers and the Outrider Album are not included. I would provide links but there are so many here and quite often these videos get taken down for various reasons, but simply googling the band and the date will bring up the gig. There’s often time stamps. Led Zeppelin Good Times Bad Times - The version from the “Communication Breakdown” medley in 1970 on the Blueberry Hill bootleg. For the full song, “Celebration Day” from 2007 is also a worthy choice and sends chills down my spine purely as it opens their return to the stage. Babe I’m Gonna Leave you - Robert Plant at Glastonbury 2014. A brilliant version, and In My Opinion better than the electric ones from ‘69 You Shook Me - January 26th 1969. Great Organ solo. Dazed and Confused - Sept 29 at Osaka. This could be a whole discussion in and of itself. Every version has the same first 5 minutes, then a different 25 minute follow up. The one I listen to the most is probably the TSRTS version purely for the “San Fransisco” part, but any European ‘73 version is killer. For the best “Woodstock” section, I recommend May 24th at Earls Court. Your Time is Gonna Come - Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes “Live at The Greek” - Basically the only option but still great. Black Mountain Side - Take your pick between Royal Albert Hall and The Julie Felix Show. Most of the later ones in my opinion, especially from 1980 are downright sad to listen to. Good for hearing the surprise burst into “Kashmir” however. Communication Breakdown - Personally, the aforementioned “Blueberry Hill” performance. That Bass solo. The “For What It’s Worth” Jam. I Can’t Quit You Babe - Royal Albert Hall. The version on CODA is in my opinion far superior to the one which appears on this album and that’s Basically a remix of the RAH recording. Listen to the full version though, not the cut one on CODA. How Many More Times - Again, Royal Albert Hall. The Paris Theatre version is also a highlight. Some of the ‘73 versions (The final ones) are pretty damn good. Led Zeppelin II Whole Lotta Love - Sept 29th ‘71 at Osaka. The sound quality drops for part of it, I think the Good Times Bad Times part of the medley, however when you’re listening to a 30 minute song, 5 or so minutes of that isn’t too bad. GTBT was also in the “Communication Breakdown” Medley. Also an interesting, by no means best version, would be Belgium 1980. This is their last song from their last performance. The band is in nowhere near top form, but towards the end Jones starts ripping it on bass. An interesting and perhaps in some way fitting end for the Zep!! What is and What Should Never Be - January 9th 1970, Royal Albert Hall. The Lemon Song/Killing Floor - “Killing Floor” at the Fillmore West ‘69. Great Version. Thank You - BBC sessions. One of Jimmy’s finest solos. The final night of MSG, curiously not included on TSRTS is also killer as is Monterey 1970. I recommend all of these. Heartbreaker - Monterey 1970. The version captured on “How The West Was Won” is also killer as is Sept 29th at Osaka. Living Loving Maid - Page hated this song, so it was never performed sadly. Ramble On - Robert Plant along with Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller on YouTube. It has countless performances with Page and Plant, but I’ll take the “Celebration Day” Version from 2007 over those. Moby Dick/Pats Delight - Royal Albert Hall. 20 minutes shorter than the later versions, still packs as much punch. Bring it on home - 6/25/72 (The final performance).. Led Zeppelin III Immigrant Song - How The West Was Won. A powerful performance. Friends - Osaka. The only one. I prefer this over subsequent Page and Plant or Plant + whatever band came after. Celebration Day - Sept 4th ‘71. Don’t know much about the song, don’t listen to it too much. TSRTS is good enough for me. Since I’ve Been Loving You - Whilst Jimmy’s playing in my opinion gets too fast during the version on TSRTS, I’d maybe still say that one. It still captures so much emotion. The one on “BBC Sessions” has an amazing performance from Plant. Orlando ‘71 and “Blueberry Hill” are both great. Any earlier version where page is at his cleanest. Out On The Tiles - 9/19/70. Gallows Pole - The version on Page and Plants “No Quarter” Album. It was also covered as part of a medley at the end of Trampled Underfoot” in 1975, namely at Earls Court. Tangerine - May 25th ‘75 at Earls Court. Basically the only one but great at that. That’s The Way - Earls Court. Not sure if the “Official” video on YouTube is edited or spliced. I don’t much care, this version is my favourite. The acoustic sets from Earls Court are amazing and I much prefer them to the How The West Was Won versions. Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp - Earls Court. Again, possibly spliced. There are many ‘77 versions which are amazing and much longer, performed as a medley, however I’ve never felt that acoustic guitars come across well at all in bootlegs. If there is one, please let me know I’d love to hear it. The sound here is amazing with an amazing, soulful solo in the middle. Not much more to ask for. Led Zeppelin IV Black Dog - Sept 9 1971. The most Aggressive version. Or one of them. Also Sept 28th at Osaka. The version on the ORIGINAL cut of “The Song Remains The Same” I also hold in extremely high regard. The remasters and the version that exists on Spotify has been butchered completely. Rock and Roll - March 5th 1971 The Battle of Evermore - Page and Plants “No Quarter” Album. As much as I love JPJ, his vocals on the ‘77 versions render these far inferior to Basically any Page and Plant version. I don’t remember her name, but the backing vocalist taking the place of Sandy Denny on this version is phenomenal. Stairway to Heaven - Many. June 23rd ‘77 is pretty good. Countless from ‘71 when Plant really believed the lyrics. Overall, MSG ‘73 is about as legendary enough as it needs to be. Misty Mountain Hop - March 5th ‘71. Literally the only version I know of where Plant sings it at all close to the album. TSRTS is good enough though. Four Sticks - May 3rd ‘71. This show in Copenhagen I think is the only performance by Bonham. Or one of really not many. There are amazing ones my Michael Lee with Page and Plant, however this is a Bonham song. Going to California - I am extremely Biased here as I listened to this at the perfect time in my life and it has stuck with me. Almost no version can top it. The version from Earls Court uploaded on the official YouTube channel. God knows what date it was but the video has been floating around for years, presumably from the DVD but idk. Absolutely perfect. Sept 29 ‘71 at Osaka is also phenomenal and much longer. When The Levee Breaks - Neither of the live versions in ‘75 (There are two) are very good. And whilst Page and Plant did perform it at least once, I have yet to find any performance of the song, live or not, by anyone, that even comes close to that which was cut on the album. So just stick to that would be my advice. Houses of The Holy The Song Remains The Same - June 21 ‘77 (The “Bonham Concert”). The Whole of the “Listen To This Eddie” bootleg Bonham is on fire. His earth shattering intro on this is thunderous. The Rain Song - “The Song Remains The Same” (MSG ‘73). There is also an equally amazing version which was, in a similar fashion to “Thank You” at MSG, performed seemingly at the same gig as some of the Page and Plant “No Quarter” Album, however it is not included. It is Basically an acoustic version of the MSG with an orchestra instead of a Mellotron. Over The Hills and Far Away - Depends on if you are after Plants best singing or Page. Plant hits the high notes no problem on Basically any ‘72 version, HTWWW will do, however Page has a much more extended solo on the later ‘77 ones with plant singing at a lower pitch. June 27th ‘77 has a good version for Page. The Crunge - March 3rd ‘75. One of few. D’yer Mak’er - Was never performed despite rumours of a 1973 performance. Some mistake a reggae-ish jam from May 25th 1975 to be D’yer Mak’er, however it is not this song specifically. Dancing Days - June 19th 1972. They played it twice during this concert. They just decided to give it another crack at the end. The second one I prefer. No Quarter - My favourite Zep Track Personally. Similarly to “Dazed and Confused”, this is a whole separate discussion and is highly subjective. Personally, the best version for Jones is March 21st ‘75 in Seattle. Page’s solo is a bit choppy to begin with but he gets there eventually. If you want a shorter, more atmospheric version, I’d stick with the one on the ORIGINAL cut of “The Song Remains The Same”. Again, it has been cut up needlessly on recent releases. For a longer version, June 21st 1977 (Listen to This Eddie) is the one. Many of the ‘77 versions are amazing. Be wary though, on this tour they added a blues jam which was quite often a train wreck. The version caught on the warm up Gig in Copenhagen, 1979 for Knebworth is also good and far better than either of the Knebworth Shows. The Ocean - Madison Square Garden in ‘73 is about as good as any other I’ve heard. Physical Graffiti Custard Pie - Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes “Live at The Greek”. Again, not much choice. This is better in my opinion than the Page and Plant versions. The Rover - There is a sound check for an unknown 1973 show where they played this song. Although not fully developed, it is the only complete version the band played. They played the opening in ‘77 only as an intro to “Sick Again”. The video has been uploaded by “Led Zeppelin Rarities”. In My Time of Dying - June 22nd ‘77. The day after “Listen to This Eddie”, this version is almost 15 minutes and includes a lengthy improvisation section which covers “The Lemon Song”. One nitpick I do have however is that Jones switched to an Alembic Bass, which I feel never reached the tone his Fender Jazz Bass got to. For that, any ‘75 North American show will do just fine. This is fire however. Houses of the Holy - Robert Plant and Band of Joy. Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAlknGLym7M&pp=ygUeQmFuZCBvZiBqb3kgaG91c2VzIG9yIGdoZSBob2x5. I think this is around 2010, not sure. The song was never performed by the band and barely after they broke up. Regardless, this is a good listen. Trampled Under Foot - June 30th 1980. Probably the most consistent song of the 1980 “Tour over Europe”, if that says anything. This and many ‘75 versions. Kashmir - Honestly, I’m voting “Celebration Day” 2007. The Aging of Plants voice really lends itself to this song. I feel this is much better than any they performed pre-1980. And such a grand ending. The orchestral version from Page and Plant is also phenomenal, however I prefer the original arrangement. In The Light - Literally the only Option is a bonus track on the Japanese release of “Live at The Greek”. Plant allegedly was extremely enthusiastic about playing this live, however Jones simply could not reproduce the sound on stage. A very underrated song. As a side note, Mike Kerr, singer of Royal Blood, lists Zeppelin as a heavy influence. I can hear his singing style most clearly and directly in this song. Bron-Yr-Aur - Sept 9th ‘70. If you must have a live version. The studio release is far more atmospheric due to quality and effects - this is Basically the only option we have. He does add an interesting harmonic section, very briefly, but other than that I’d stick with the album cut. Down By the Seaside - It was often performed as part of a medley within “Calling To You” by Page and Plant, however in its entirety it was never performed, neither by the band or any of its members to my knowledge. Ten Years Gone - August 4th ‘79 at Knebworth. The aforementioned Copenhagen warmup show is also phenomenal for this song. They are tied. Night Flight - Again, this was never performed live by the band or any of its members. The Wanton Song - January 12th ‘75. I personally prefer the Page and Plant versions where they blast the Immigrant Song intro then 10 seconds in just switch smooth as hell into The Wanton Song. Sick. Boogie With Stu - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. “Stu” is Ian Stewart of The Rolling Stones for anyone who doesn’t know. They were using the Stones’ recording equipment at Headley Grange. Black Country Woman - June 19th 1972 Sick Again - June 21st ‘77 (Listen to This Eddie) Presence Achilles Last Stand - Knebworth ‘79. I’m not sure which of the two nights is featured on the filmed and presumably edited video on YouTube, I think taken from the Led Zeppelin DVD, but that version is powerful as hell and I’ll take it. For Your Life - To my knowledge, the only option for this is “Celebration Day” 2007. Other than the opening riff, this is not my favourite song. Royal Orleans - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members, thank God. Nobody’s Fault but Mine - Knebworth ‘79. Candy Store Rock - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Hots on For Nowhere - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Tea For One - February 13th 1996. Whilst never performed live by the band as a whole, Page and Plant performed it in the 90s and this version from Tokyo in ‘96 is killer. Joe Bonamassa has also done great covers of it. In Through The Out Door In The Evening - Knebworth ‘79. Page and Plant’s performance in Detroit, ‘95 also has a great version. South Bound Suarez - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Fool in The Rain - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Hot Dog - July 24th ‘79. I actually can’t believe they did this live but there you go - Copenhagen ‘79. Carouselambra - Pretty certain it was performed briefly within “In The Evening” by Page and Plant on occasion, however never in its entirety or with synths. I think this song is vastly underrated and I’m not even a fan of “In Through The Out Door”. I do sometimes prefer “The Epic (Rough Mix)” from the deluxe edition of the album as the vocals and guitars are more pronounced. It was probably going to be on the set lists for the 1980 American Tour apparently, but we all know what happened there… All My Love - June 30th ‘80. I’m Gonna Crawl - This was never performed live by the band or any of its members. Another underrated song. Pages best solo on the album. Plant give an emotional performance, a highlight since Houses of the Holy In My Opinion. Since I’ve Been Loving You and Tea For One are both in C Minor, and so were performed together in ‘77 to my memory. It’s possible this would have replaced that lengthy jam in future tours as I think it’s a decent enough song, though not as good, as they were veering away from longer jams. The ‘80 tour did not feature lengthy Dazed and Confused and No Quarter renditions and they may have wanted to include more tracks from the new album. Coda Hey, Hey What Can I Do - There are multiple Page and Plant versions of this but I much prefer the Album cut over any performance I’ve heard. We’re Gonna Groove - Royal Albert Hall. Legendary. Bonzo’s Montreux - I believe he played it in ‘77 versions of Moby Dick - and as much as I love Bonham and his solos, I do not think listening to half an hour of Moby Dick is worth it so I honestly couldn’t tell you which one is better. Wearing and Tearing - Knebworth ‘90. Page and Plant performed it at the reunion at Knebworth in 1990. It is to my knowledge the only option. Non-Album/Covers Train Kept a Rollin - January 26th ‘69. Some 1980 versions aren’t bad too. As Long as I Have You - April 27th 1969 C’mon Everybody - Royal Albert Hall Long Tall Sally - June 28th 1970 Louie Louie - June 25th 1972 (Same concert as “How The West Was Won”, however cut) “Burn Like a Candle” Bootleg. Weekend - August 21st 1971 Money (That’s What I Want) - June 30th 1980 Blueberry Hill - At Blueberry Hill It’ll Be Me - May 22nd 1977. They only did it twice. This is much better quality than the other one and even features Mick Ralphs himself. I Gotta Move - March 16 1969. Soundboard in Excellent Quality. Mystery Train - June 19th 1977. An Elvis Cover. Please Please Me - Sept 28th 1971 From Me to You - Sept 28th 1971 Georgia (On My Mind) - Unknown Date but was improvised once in 1973 when Jimmy had a Guitar Restrung after a string snapped. Happy Birthday - May 31st 1973 High Heeled Sneakers - Sept 28th 1971 I Can’t Be Satisfied - Sometime in ‘77 Sittin and Thinkin - April 27th 1969 at the Fillmore. Stand By Me - October 9th 1972 The Girl Can’t Help it - September 19th 1970 Twenty Flight Rock - September 19th 1970 (Second Show) Walk Don’t Run - August 22 1971 We Shall Overcome - September 28th 1971 When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) - June 19th 1972 Apologies for any mistakes or typos, I’ve been awake for about 30 odd hours at this point. Awesome! I really don’t have a problem with any of these choices. As a life long fan, as a person who purchased 100’s of Bootlegs and was lucky enough to see Page and Plant, Plant solo several times I am pumped to be able to go back over this list and check out your favorite versions and be able to create my own list. I will say, I appreciate your opinion and choice of songs and their versions, Thanks for the list. Great job, have a great weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 13 hours ago, Plant77 said: Awesome! I really don’t have a problem with any of these choices. As a life long fan, as a person who purchased 100’s of Bootlegs and was lucky enough to see Page and Plant, Plant solo several times I am pumped to be able to go back over this list and check out your favorite versions and be able to create my own list. I will say, I appreciate your opinion and choice of songs and their versions, Thanks for the list. Great job, have a great weekend. Ah I wasn’t born early enough. I came very close to meeting plant recently. Annoyingly so. It was all over the news that he’d popped up in a bar near me, I walked straight past that bar not only that night but at the time he was reportedly there. I walked straight past him :((( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 16 hours ago, Dog-of-Doom said: Thanks! Sounded great. Definitely gonna add that to the playlist. Cheers! No problem. It's a great version. I love Jimmy's extended guitar intro on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 On 4/7/2023 at 7:00 PM, SuperDave said: Here you go! Oh I love Plant's voice on that one. He was pushing himself for sure. Missed a few notes but that adds to his greatness. Love that they played these rare gems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 On 4/6/2023 at 8:08 PM, Xolo1974 said: 3. How Many More Times - Surely has to be the 1969 Denmark TV performance? YES indeed. Every dimension is at its peak. The bass, the drums, the vocals, the guitar solo is out of this world. He even tosses in a glimpse of Over Under Sideways Down. Then we have the unique bow segment with a very psychedelic bass line behind it. I like this bow segment better than the ones in Dazed. Special mention must be given to Jones' bass tone. Fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 A few other versions to consider. Kashmir - 6/21/77. Plant is over the top and the band is on fire. Perhaps the peak of Zeppelin mania in the US. No Quarter- so different from tour to tour. If I had to choose one it might be LA 3/27/75. Another strong contender for me is LA 6/23/77. Finally, Celebration Day. Yes 1973 is great but check out the many fine soundboard versions from 1971. Toronto, Osaka, Hampton, etc. A very different experience from the 1973 versions. Definitely more energetic and exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMH Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 ^ Yeah, I am on the fence with 71 & 73 Celebration Day. A huge list. Hope I find some time to go through it with proper care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted April 10, 2023 Share Posted April 10, 2023 10 hours ago, Ian Smith said: Oh I love Plant's voice on that one. He was pushing himself for sure. Missed a few notes but that adds to his greatness. Love that they played these rare gems. Very cool! The real gems were played on the Japan 1996 tour. Sets were very different each night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 11, 2023 Author Share Posted April 11, 2023 23 hours ago, John M said: A few other versions to consider. Kashmir - 6/21/77. Plant is over the top and the band is on fire. Perhaps the peak of Zeppelin mania in the US. No Quarter- so different from tour to tour. If I had to choose one it might be LA 3/27/75. Another strong contender for me is LA 6/23/77. Finally, Celebration Day. Yes 1973 is great but check out the many fine soundboard versions from 1971. Toronto, Osaka, Hampton, etc. A very different experience from the 1973 versions. Definitely more energetic and exciting. I do love the Kashmir caught on June 21st and it would be a second, I just love the tone and plants voice in 2007. I also think Jones’ keys came across much better on this track than others from the album. I think his tone was slightly too shallow sounding on No Quarter from that show, but jimmy’s solo makes up for it. Pretty much any LA version from ‘77 is at least good for NQ. There is a great merge on YouTube of two of them that’s pretty seamless. I will check out those celebration day performances. I do admit I don’t know much about the song so will check these out :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog-of-Doom Posted April 11, 2023 Author Share Posted April 11, 2023 23 hours ago, JMH said: ^ Yeah, I am on the fence with 71 & 73 Celebration Day. A huge list. Hope I find some time to go through it with proper care. It took many hours and many a beer :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xolo1974 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 On 4/6/2023 at 7:38 PM, Dog-of-Doom said: Train Kept a Rollin - January 26th ‘69. Some 1980 versions aren’t bad too. Oh I forgot - my favourite is 31/8/69….”Ladies and Gentlemen….the Led Zeppelin”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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