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No Quarter appreciation


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A long time fan of this song. To this day I am mesmerized by it's sheer elegance and raw power. As a stoned teenager I used to lay in bed at night with this song swirling through my head as I drifted off to sleep... ahhh the trappings of youth. :P

Some 23 years later I am still hooked. In my opinion it's one of Zep's finest achievements. Both in the studio as well as live.

Favorite live versions:

1973-05-26: Probably my favorite version ever. Very tight, precise, excellent. JPJ's solo is just other worldly. Perfect interplay between Bonzo and Jimmy towards the end. Clocks in just under 12 minutes.

1975-02-16: Another excellent offering. Very focused improvisation. Bonzo is just spot on and Jimmy is as well. Great version. Just under 20 minutes.

1977-06-21: What can you say about this entire show that hasn't already been said? This version shows how much the song evolved from it's inception through four years of playing. Robert's voice is perfect. The playing on this version is tight. Excellent JPJ solo which flows effortlessly into a boogie woogie rocker and then melts right back into itself. A monstrosity at 30 minutes long (which some might say is a bit indulgent). It never loses it's focus though. A rare thing during 1977. An epic journey through the mind of the collective Zeppelin. Open skull... scramble brains... pour out... done.

I know there are many other great versions out there that I haven't heard yet. So I leave it up to you folks.

Share your thoughts regarding this masterpiece. Favorite live versions?

Let's hear it! B)

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I love this song too. The guitar is my fav but the whole song just leaves me in awe. I haven't seen the 30 min version. I will have to check that out sometime.

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A long time fan of this song. To this day I am mesmerized by it's sheer elegance and raw power. As a stoned teenager I used to lay in bed at night with this song swirling through my head as I drifted off to sleep... ahhh the trappings of youth. :P

Some 23 years later I am still hooked. In my opinion it's one of Zep's finest achievements. Both in the studio as well as live.

Favorite live versions:

1973-05-26: Probably my favorite version ever. Very tight, precise, excellent. JPJ's solo is just other worldly. Perfect interplay between Bonzo and Jimmy towards the end. Clocks in just under 12 minutes.

1975-02-16: Another excellent offering. Very focused improvisation. Bonzo is just spot on and Jimmy is as well. Great version. Just under 20 minutes.

1977-06-21: What can you say about this entire show that hasn't already been said? This version shows how much the song evolved from it's inception through four years of playing. Robert's voice is perfect. The playing on this version is tight. Excellent JPJ solo which flows effortlessly into a boogie woogie rocker and then melts right back into itself. A monstrosity at 30 minutes long (which some might say is a bit indulgent). It never loses it's focus though. A rare thing during 1977. An epic journey through the mind of the collective Zeppelin. Open skull... scramble brains... pour out... done.

I know there are many other great versions out there that I haven't heard yet. So I leave it up to you folks.

Share your thoughts regarding this masterpiece. Favorite live versions?

Let's hear it! B)

I think we've had a thread on this before...but I don't mind another.

For my money it's the LA 23rd June 77 version.

Mo other fave is Earls Court 18th May 75.

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I love No Quarter, it's one of my favorite songs ever.

And I just couldn't help it as the boys started to play it during the O2 concert...the song brought tears to my eyes. One of the highlights of one of the greatest moments of my life.

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No Quarter is the song that got me hooked to Led Zeppelin. It's the first song I heard of them, the live 73 version, 3 decades ago, and I thought it was very acid and mysterious and sounded like no other. It was on vinyl and it just engulfed me. It's number 3 on the top most-played of my ITunes (after 2 other Zep songs). I love all versions of it but I keep the one I heard first. :)

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I love No Quarter but I have to admit that, when I first heard the song on Zep's HOTH album, I really didn't like or appreciate it as much as many of the other songs on that album. It wasn't until I saw Zep perform it live - with the sound of the theremin and Jimmy's guitar solo - that I began to view and listen to the song in a different way. After that, I really came to appreciate and love the song.

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Well if there has been one I wouldn't know... I'm a bit new here. :blush:

..and you are very welcome!

Hope you didn't take my reply the wrong way. I could talk about No Quarter all day and night. Love it!

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One of my favorites also, but my preference is the live version. I rarely listen to the studio version, but listen to live versions constantly. It takes on a completely different form live to me. The effects on the vocals especially, are awesome. My favorite is 6/21/77 and I really liked the way they did it at the 02.

Babybabybabybabybabybabybaby :)

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..and you are very welcome!

Hope you didn't take my reply the wrong way. I could talk about No Quarter all day and night. Love it!

Not at all dave. I may be new here but I've been online for damn near 13 years so I try to blend in even if I'm a newbie to a forum. I didn't even know this place was here until recently.

I'm currently giving a listen to the 6/23/77 version and it's just pounding my speakers. I think I may have underestimated this version before. I have to admit I haven't listened to this show as much as 6/21 but I think I may have to add this to my favs as well. Blistering!

Ironically, June 23rd is my birthday. And Zep was playing about 45 miles from my house that night. Damn! If I had just been born 10 years earlier. :lol:

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I think that the studio version while understated, has a distinct vibe that is chilling!

The live versions are mind blowing in their own way, I think Jimmy's solo from the original TSRTS version is nothing short of genius.

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Not at all dave. I may be new here but I've been online for damn near 13 years so I try to blend in even if I'm a newbie to a forum. I didn't even know this place was here until recently.

I'm currently giving a listen to the 6/23/77 version and it's just pounding my speakers. I think I may have underestimated this version before. I have to admit I haven't listened to this show as much as 6/21 but I think I may have to add this to my favs as well. Blistering!

Ironically, June 23rd is my birthday. And Zep was playing about 45 miles from my house that night. Damn! If I had just been born 10 years earlier. :lol:

Hey that is also my Birthday. Happy soon to be birthday!!!1

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I think that the studio version while understated, has a distinct vibe that is chilling!

Exactly. That's the first version I ever heard. It carried me away from the opening notes right to the end. Not long after that I bought my first version of TSRTS on vhs which was my first time hearing, or seeing it, live.

Hey that is also my Birthday. Happy soon to be birthday!!!1

Happy birthday to you too ZOSO1...!!! :thumbsup:

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I love No Quarter, it's one of my favorite songs ever.

And I just couldn't help it as the boys started to play it during the O2 concert...the song brought tears to my eyes. One of the highlights of one of the greatest moments of my life.

Ditto. That was the moment I became a teenager again and the reality of the concert hit home.

I've always loved the '75 Earl's Court version of the song. The exact date escapes me.

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I LOVE the live versions of No Quarter..... some really fine LZ listening ! ! !

REAL Rock radio, would play the love version instead of the studio.

But, with all there pussified hype, Rock radio today is neither "real" nor relevant.

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these different versions that you are all mentioning, where do you get them? are they on bootlegs? this song live is just pure class, because it is a bit different, dark, mystical, etc. it takes you somewhere else and grabs you by the balls. you can't get much better than on TSRTS, but i would love to hear a 20min and 30min version!!!!

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these different versions that you are all mentioning, where do you get them? are they on bootlegs? this song live is just pure class, because it is a bit different, dark, mystical, etc. it takes you somewhere else and grabs you by the balls. you can't get much better than on TSRTS, but i would love to hear a 20min and 30min version!!!!

The only official live version(s) is The Song Remains the Same, which is a shame because this is one of their better songs live. I really hope more live performances of the song will be released officially. 'Till then, I have my LTTE bootleg to keep me satisfied.

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Great thread - anytime that No Quarter is discussed, I'm in :D

First song that I fell in love with when I heard the TSRTS for the first time on tape in 1986. Then the internet came along and I think I have every recorded version of No Quarter.

I don't have any specific show but I tend to prefer 1975, then 1973, then 1977 (not a fan of the Knebworth version).

Just hearing Jonesy, Bonzo, and Jimmy jamming together in the middle portions is always amazing to me.

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