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Plants voice 75 and 77 - when was it better


achilleslaststand76

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OK let me fess up here - I only have three 77 boots including LA badge holders, all the stuff released by the band, and Live At Blue Berry hill and a 73 boot as well.

In my opinion Plants voice defintely changed between 68-75 but stabilised after that.

The three boots I have from 77 are excellent although I understand not all others are and that the band was up and down at times that year. I loved Plants voice in 1977 - it was different but it is so powerful it knocks me over.

I have no 75 boots and have only the Earls Court stuff to go on.

So, at last , my question is - how well did he sing in 1975 in the USA?????

I read references to 'croaky' - was it for the whole tour or just for periods?

My personal view as to why his voice changed so much is pretty simple - too much smoking, too much touring. If he arrived today and was managed properly he could have kept that range a lot longer, IMHO!

Having said that I actually prefer his voice in 77 for what its worth. THe 'Oh Jimmy well excuse me!' in LA during NFBM was bloody magnificent and the vocal on sick again was frightening - NQ is freakish - that concert is one of the best of all time.

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OK let me fess up here - I only have three 77 boots including LA badge holders, all the stuff released by the band, and Live At Blue Berry hill and a 73 boot as well.

In my opinion Plants voice defintely changed between 68-75 but stabilised after that.

The three boots I have from 77 are excellent although I understand not all others are and that the band was up and down at times that year. I loved Plants voice in 1977 - it was different but it is so powerful it knocks me over.

I have no 75 boots and have only the Earls Court stuff to go on.

So, at last , my question is - how well did he sing in 1975 in the USA?????

I read references to 'croaky' - was it for the whole tour or just for periods?

My personal view as to why his voice changed so much is pretty simple - too much smoking, too much touring. If he arrived today and was managed properly he could have kept that range a lot longer, IMHO!

Having said that I actually prefer his voice in 77 for what its worth. THe 'Oh Jimmy well excuse me!' in LA during NFBM was bloody magnificent and the vocal on sick again was frightening - NQ is freakish - that concert is one of the best of all time.

Early 75 tour was pretty bad because he contracted the flu either when the band got to or shortly after it arrived in the U.S. in Minneapolis in January. It got worse throughout January, culminating in a painful performance in Indianapolis. They had to cancel the St. Louis date, and the subsequent NYC gigs were also pretty "croaky" as you mentioned. By the second leg, his voice had recovered to better-than-average form -- especially by the last leg in San Diego/Vancouver/L.A.

As for 77, he didn't have the same health problems on that tour, but maybe its the quality of the soundboards that are out there but most of the shows seem really dry and uninspired by the entire band for me.

Also, after the '73 tour sometime, Plant apparently had surgery on his vocal chords to remove nodes which had developed. This is also considered to be a major factor in the change of his voice.

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As for 77, he didn't have the same health problems on that tour, but maybe its the quality of the soundboards that are out there but most of the shows seem really dry and uninspired by the entire band for me.

I'm going to agree with you on this one dude. I have two 77' boots and they sound excellent (for poor quality, hehe).

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I live in Chicago and it's freezing cold here at that time....January/Febuary. and once you get sick. and if you are a singer? you can forget about it!....how Plant was able to recover the way he did is incredible. and he deserves much credit for turning things around the way he did.

I just wished they could have started the tour in the south, and waited until March to come up north... but hind-sight is 20/20.

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From what I've heard, his voice in 77 was far better and withstanding than anywhere on the 75 tour.

Yes yes yes and yes.

1977 was a return to form, except that Percy didn't try hitting the high notes on Stairway - which I believe he could have. He just hadn't done so in a while.

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Yes yes yes and yes.

1977 was a return to form, except that Percy didn't try hitting the high notes on Stairway - which I believe he could have. He just hadn't done so in a while.

You know what though?....they really slowed that tune down a good bit in 77. and if you really think about it (well I do anyhow) the 'high note ending' might not have sounded that well because of the way they were playing it at the time . what do you think?

I am in no way calling STH an 'it' either..... :)

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Robert Plant's voice may be better in 77 then it was in 75, but the band was much better in 75. Especially Jimmy Page even with the injury he had for almost half the tour. In 77 Plant couldn't play near as good and I don't think Bonham was as good. Overall most of the 77 shows I've heard are very poor shows for Zeppelin.

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Plant's voice was better in '77, much more consistent.

Page wasnt great overall in '77 he had some great nights and some forgettable ones as well. I have trouble listening to some of the SIBLY's from '77 he seems to struggle a little bit.

Bonham was better in '77 IMO. But the worst Bonham show I've heard was the San Deigo show 6/19. I dont know if he was sick or something but he wasnt himself thats for sure.

Jonesy was rock solid no matter what year.

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Yes Bonzo was sick just listen to LTTE right before NQ and Plant speaks about his food poisoning....

funny story in Coles book. he talks about Bonzos food poisoning, and how he had to hit a rest room like every 5 minutes when the were driving. so Cole went out and rented a Motorhome (with a toliet in it) and they traveled around Cali in it...lol

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Yep just went back to listened to Plant before NQ on Eddie

"We'd like to welcome back to the world John Bonham who had a terrible fit of food poisoning...welcome back John Bonham!...........he had far too many rindstones" LOL!

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There were times in 73 and 72 when he was worse.

Agree about '73 he had some bad nights.

Was he really that bad in '72? I only have about 10 or so shows from '72 and havent heard anything I would consider bad by him, only thing I noticed was after June he couldnt hit the high notes in OTHAFA anymore.

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Agree about '73 he had some bad nights.

Was he really that bad in '72? I only have about 10 or so shows from '72 and havent heard anything I would consider bad by him, only thing I noticed was after June he couldnt hit the high notes in OTHAFA anymore.

Near the end there was a night or two. There was one show in 72 where he basically had to speak the words as I recall.

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Agree about '73 he had some bad nights.

Was he really that bad in '72? I only have about 10 or so shows from '72 and havent heard anything I would consider bad by him, only thing I noticed was after June he couldnt hit the high notes in OTHAFA anymore.

I have a show from the 72 Japan tour (Oct 4th maybe? Not sure exactly, wasn't labeled when a friend gave it to me)where his voice is pretty bad, cracking everywhere. Surprised he warmed up enough at the end to give a decent Immigrant Song.

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Totally agree. The first time i heard Flying Circus (2/12/75-MSG) i was shocked by Plant's voice. (though it seemed to get a bit better as the show moved on). It was a shame because its such a strong performance. Seemed much better by May (earls court). But as you say, the band was so strong in '75, id rather listen to that tour than '77 (though i do enjoy the LA Forum shows from '77, and its nice to hear Achilles, Nobody's fault and 10 years gone).

Robert Plant's voice may be better in 77 then it was in 75, but the band was much better in 75. Especially Jimmy Page even with the injury he had for almost half the tour. In 77 Plant couldn't play near as good and I don't think Bonham was as good. Overall most of the 77 shows I've heard are very poor shows for Zeppelin.
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There were times in 73 and 72 when he was worse.

Totally agree. Case in point: "Second City Showdown." First gig of the second leg of the 73 US Tour in Chicago.

You can actually hear the phlegm in Percy's voice it was that bad. Celebration Day will make you wince in agony it is so bad.

Too bad, as the band was pretty tight (and loose) that night. The gig had several times of Plant scolding the audience for all the fights (hence the title) he saw and all the fireworks going off. Weirdest Zep boot I've heard.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Seattle 1973...Robert sounded terrible - beyond belief - due to a severe cold. He tried to sing his way thru it, but Lord, it was painful to hear. Sometimes the show shouldn't go on!

Cleveland 1977 (Destroyer) - 10 Years Gone...wow, Robert was incredible! Give it a listen, it's sublime, heart-renching.

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I saw them March, 19 and 20, 1975 in Vancouver and Plant's voice was brilliant both nights. Two very intense show's. He proved a number of people wrong those nights. 77 in Seattle was a bad show to judge. The Kingdome wouldn't have done anybody any justice. He sounded good on the recordings I've heard though

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Between Jimmy and Robert being off on certain nights, or for the most part of a whole tour in fact, I'd much rather have a ON Jimmy/ OFF Robert than an OFF Jimmy/ON Robert show. So I pick 1975 WAY over 1977.

But each year has some great shows from both, all four for that matter.

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Between Jimmy and Robert being off on certain nights, or for the most part of a whole tour in fact, I'd much rather have a ON Jimmy/ OFF Robert than an OFF Jimmy/ON Robert show. So I pick 1975 WAY over 1977.

But each year has some great shows from both, all four for that matter.

That's a good point and would have to agree. Robert was off late in the 73 NA tour and really could get away with it. I think he could get away with it now. But not Jimmy. He comes under so much more scrutiny. And of course anyone who is filling in for Bonzo

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Plant was his own worst enemy in some ways. There are not that many vocalists that can manage the quality that they achieved in the studio., let alone raise it on stage the way Plant did.

No vocl awarm ups, Plant would roar his head off on stage for well over 3 hours night after night, not surprising that eventually something had to give.

Back in 75 Zep owned the world, everything was going fantastically well. It was shortly after that that the first Zep 'tragedy ' occurred and from then until Bonzo died, they were always battling against everything that was happening to them

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