Best live song, year-to-year

[pujols05]

As good as Zeppelin was, some nights were better than others, and a great song on one night might be mediocre the next.

IMHO, these are the 10 Zepp songs that were consistently performed at a superb level night after night, tour after tour (in order, best first):

1. Since I've Been Loving You (I especially like those from the '77 tour)

2. No Quarter (prefer '75 versions, longer and "sinister, as RP would say, without the "fun" of the '77 versions)

3. Over the Hills

4. Dazed and Confused

5. Black Dog

6. Rain Song

7. Kashmir (would be higher, but got lost sometimes, and I recently heard the 5-28-77 version that just about put me to sleep)

8. Stairway

9. In My Time of Dying

10. Heartbreaker

(I should probably also say that I don't really care for Trampled Underfoot, nor do I go for the marathon versions of Moby Dick or Whole Lotta Love. Sacrilege, I know).

Thoughts?

[Jiri]

1. Since I've Been Loving You (I especially like those from the '77 tour)

2. No Quarter (prefer '75 versions, longer and "sinister, as RP would say, without the "fun" of the '77 versions)

3. Over the Hills

4. Dazed and Confused

5. Black Dog

6. Rain Song

7. Kashmir (would be higher, but got lost sometimes, and I recently heard the 5-28-77 version that just about put me to sleep)

8. Stairway

9. In My Time of Dying

10. Heartbreaker

(I should probably also say that I don't really care for Trampled Underfoot, nor do I go for the marathon versions of Moby Dick or Whole Lotta Love. Sacrilege, I know).

Thoughts?

SIBLY - there are a few recordings from ´80 that sound reasonable (to put it nicely). But IMHO most of the ´77 versions just suck. Best, almost magical ones: ´70-´73.

NQ - you are right, actually.

OTHAFA - listen to the EC-versions - just uninspired rubbish compared to Page being on fire in Offenburg or MSG in ´73.

D&C - Just no. Sometimes off, sometimes on.

BD - Bonzo ruled and kept it together, so yes.

RS - yes.

KSR - besides some false starts - yes. But you can´t really screw up this number, can you?

STH - Too many crap versions out there. Jimmy´s guitar playing got worse by the years and Robert didn´t seem quite keen on singing it later on.

IMTOD - yes. Quite true.

HB - the most definite NOOOOO! After ´73 it became almost embarrasing. Before: well, I always wonder why Jimmy was able to hypnotize people with his playing in songs like SIBLY but bore people to death with Heartbreaker.

[Dirigible]

I always wonder why Jimmy was able to hypnotize people with his playing in songs like SIBLY but bore people to death with Heartbreaker.

One man's ceiling is another man's floor in the gamut of personal taste. I respect your opinion, Jiri, but I'll take Heartbreaker over Since I Been Loving You anyday for no other reason than I prefer to hear LZ rock than play the blues. The blues bores me. Along with rap, the blues is a cul-de-sac of a musical genre.

[ZepDomi]

Was there ever a bad live version of No Quarter? All the one I've heard were good, including the ones from the Page & Plant shows.

[andyk]

SIBLY - there are a few recordings from ´80 that sound reasonable (to put it nicely). But IMHO most of the ´77 versions just suck. Best, almost magical ones: ´70-´73.

NQ - you are right, actually.

OTHAFA - listen to the EC-versions - just uninspired rubbish compared to Page being on fire in Offenburg or MSG in ´73.

D&C - Just no. Sometimes off, sometimes on.

BD - Bonzo ruled and kept it together, so yes.

RS - yes.

KSR - besides some false starts - yes. But you can´t really screw up this number, can you?

STH - Too many crap versions out there. Jimmy´s guitar playing got worse by the years and Robert didn´t seem quite keen on singing it later on.

IMTOD - yes. Quite true.

HB - the most definite NOOOOO! After ´73 it became almost embarrasing. Before: well, I always wonder why Jimmy was able to hypnotize people with his playing in songs like SIBLY but bore people to death with Heartbreaker.

Can't argue with most of this, but Heartbreaker on some of the 1980 tour was pretty good especially the Zurich version, but I agree from after 73 and before this it was of variable quality, but then we all have our off days. Also a couple of nice versions of STH from the 1980 tour at least in my opinion.

Andy

[ally]

Alway's felt that they dropped "WIAWSNB" way to early. They should have dropped "SIBLY" in favour of Tea For One and "Trampled Underfoot" in favour of "For Your Life"

"Heartbreaker" "Moby Dick" should have been left behind after 72. "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Rain Song" after 73. Shorter more compact versions of "Dazed And Confused" and "Whole Lotta Love" ie O2 and Knebworth would have been suffice. Maybe even a reworked " How Many More Times" could have replaced both. It would've also been nice to have heard a live version of "I'm Gonna Crawl". That's just a few. But, "No Quarter" and "Kashmir" sounded great and fresh anytime they played them.

[Jimmy's A Legend]

For me:

No Quarter

Dazed and Confused

Stairway To Heaven

Black Dog-but not the version where they have used "out on the tiles" intro instead.

Moby Dick-espically the 73 version.

[Killing Floor Blues]

For me:

No Quarter

Dazed and Confused

Stairway To Heaven

Black Dog-but not the version where they have used "out on the tiles" intro instead.Moby Dick-espically the 73 version.

So you don't like any of the 71, 72 live versions?

[greenman]

Maybe not quite as importance since they were from the early days when almost every show was great but I'd mention...

Thank You

Communication Breakdown

Bring It On Home

Always seemed to be tracks that the band put a bit extra into.

No Quarter is I'd agree #1 though, however dull some of the lesser 75 or 77 shows get I know it will deliver.

[pujols05]

SIBLY - there are a few recordings from ´80 that sound reasonable (to put it nicely). But IMHO most of the ´77 versions just suck. Best, almost magical ones: ´70-´73.

NQ - you are right, actually.

OTHAFA - listen to the EC-versions - just uninspired rubbish compared to Page being on fire in Offenburg or MSG in ´73.

D&C - Just no. Sometimes off, sometimes on.

BD - Bonzo ruled and kept it together, so yes.

RS - yes.

KSR - besides some false starts - yes. But you can´t really screw up this number, can you?

STH - Too many crap versions out there. Jimmy´s guitar playing got worse by the years and Robert didn´t seem quite keen on singing it later on.

IMTOD - yes. Quite true.

HB - the most definite NOOOOO! After ´73 it became almost embarrasing. Before: well, I always wonder why Jimmy was able to hypnotize people with his playing in songs like SIBLY but bore people to death with Heartbreaker.

I didn't mean critique my opinion...I meant, "What songs do you think were always great live?"

[Fresh Garbage]

Whenever I get a 77 show I listen to SIBLY and NQ. those two songs are my favorites from that tour followed up by TU.

1975 it's NQ and D&C and third again it's TU

1973 D&C SIBLY and STH

1972 same as 73

1971 D&C SIBLY WLL (medley)

1970 D&C SIBLY TY HMMT and WLL (medley)

1969 the entire show for the most part but these are the more special ones....D&C ALAIHY KF HMMT (medley)

looks like my winners are D&C SIBLY

[cowbell666]

One man's ceiling is another man's floor in the gamut of personal taste. I respect your opinion, Jiri, but I'll take Heartbreaker over Since I Been Loving You anyday for no other reason than I prefer to hear LZ rock than play the blues. The blues bores me. Along with rap, the blues is a cul-de-sac of a musical genre.

let me get this straight, you are a Zep fan but you HATE the blues??? and then you compare blues with RAP??????????????????????? was that post a joke?

i've never seen so much Zeppelin hate in a single thread on this forum.

and besides dummy, Heartbreaker is almost all blues. the beginning riff is just a straight up blues scale. without the blues Zeppelin wouldn't exist, and the term "rock" wouldn't even exist. jimmy page would never have picked up a guitar, robert plant never would have started singing... the list goes on!

[pujols05]

let me get this straight, you are a Zep fan but you HATE the blues??? and then you compare blues with RAP??????????????????????? was that post a joke?

i've never seen so much Zeppelin hate in a single thread on this forum.

and besides dummy, Heartbreaker is almost all blues. the beginning riff is just a straight up blues scale. without the blues Zeppelin wouldn't exist, and the term "rock" wouldn't even exist. jimmy page would never have picked up a guitar, robert plant never would have started singing... the list goes on!

Couldn't have said it better myself.