Aslecs, TOTALLY wrong as usual. Best ZEPPELIN TOURS - 1972/1975/1977. You forget to mention the acoustic set during the 77 tour that just kicked ass: TEN YEARS GONE (half acoustic - sliding in) / GOING TO CALIFORNIA / BATTLE OF EVERMORE / MYSTERY TRAIN (Elvis) / BLACK COUNTRY WOMAN / DANCING DAYS (last Forum Show only)/ BRON - YUR - STOMP. Come on Dude, it ROCKED big Time. Also got a fresh NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE and a massively powerful KASHMIR. Get the Seattle 77 Pro Shot Double DVD off of AMAZON, the Forum shows were 10 times as good. 73 was the weak tour, NO ACOUSTIC, No IN MY TIME OF DYING, Plants Blouses were too much... you missed the boat dude (but I expect that from you so all is well)

also please let's don't forget the way early tours too...they ROARED into this country in 69 thru '71, (and beyond) and they arrived fully formed, totally realized and absolutely brilliant; and then did like two YEARS of pretty much constant consecutive touring, building that greatly deserved rep. i once saw a full listing of all their gigs and was amazed how totally busy they were as live band from the start, for consecutive years...

Yeah, very true Beely, the boots from 69 to 71 show how tight yet improvizational they were - yeah, they played their asses off probably more than any other band at that time (leaving the Stones out of the discussion). My problem is with Bonham leaving us too soon the whole second half (from PG on) of the catalogue was somewhat underplayed. Both PG and PRESENCE have great songs, never played live. IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR was a kinda weak album IMO so don't mind the lack of attention on that one. The next Zep probably would have kicked ass had BONHAM lived and the band reavalulated itself. There were a couple songs on Plant's first solo that were very LZ sounding.They would either have sank or swam had they carried on since IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR was no way to finish up a brilliant career, one will ever know.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-11-30 05:11 by HelterSkelter.

Good posting Helter..
Unfortunately, the Seattle and Earl's Court DVD's are no longer avaliable on Amazon...I wanted to order them! But can't:-(

Well, the guy who handled them got a bad batch of EARLS COURT so when I got mine the 2nd disc of EARLS COURT was actually SEATTLE 77. Luckily alot of that 2nd disc is on the official Zep Box DVD and the guy was super sorry, told me just to keep the whole thing and still gave me a refund. He was so upset about the mix up that I never complained to Amazon or anything. Whoever he got it from must have been high as a kite to F up that bad (he said he had 23 defective ones or some number like that - the DVD disc says EARLS COURT Disc 2 but no go. Either too many people complained to Amazon or he had a bad batch of Seattle 77 also. Shame cause the packaging is A1 and the quality was way up there. Keep checking, he might return.....

Yeah, I also wonder if Amazon had cracked down on allowing the sale of boots on it's sites.

None of you have tickets to the renion show, is that correct? I detect a strong sense of jealousy and bitterness (which are no strangers to this forum), in some of these postings. Get over it. You'll get a bootleg of it in due time.

The tour will create massive hype and huge expectations. Zep were a mighty band in their day although their earlier shows were better to my ears. TSRTS was for me a big disappointment. I was surprised they released it. IMHO it comes up lame in comparison to the Stones releases of GS and Ladies and Gents. That said Zep studio work was terrific and still sounds wonderfully fresh. I have enjoyed the double dvd they put out a few years ago, especially some of the material from Albert Hall. When they weren't bogged down in self indulgent soloing they could lay it down with the best of em, when they just went balls out and played full speed ahead. If they go that route this time out it should be a fun night for all who attend. They just need to keep it simple.

My favorite Zeppelin tours
1. 1972
2. 1970 (Spring)
3. 1977
4. 1975
5. 1970 (fall)
6. 1971
7. 1973

Mind you, I felt none of these shows were bad, it's just that in 1973 is when Plant's voice drastically changed (yes there were signs in '72, but listen to OTHAFA from How the West was Won and TSRTS. Plant struggled with loosing the range in '73 and learned to cope with it as the years went on. The re-issue of TSRTS doesn't count because his voice has been re-mastered about 30,000 times. Those who have boots or the original version of the record know what I mean.

Led Zeppelin was one of the few bands that could play the exact same setlist, yet the music would be much different.

Yeah, I put 1973 pretty low too. It was a few steps down from 1972 for sure. 72 was special for some reason, I think the band was still TRYING, still CLIMBING (maybe the STONES '72 tour made them work harder, I don't know)

I can't help it, but it's worth another laugh

We often moan about the technical level of the Stones' performances today.
We might however, be forgetting just how bad Zeppelin could be when they weren't being wonderful ;^)

Beelyboy Wrote:
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> Lukester Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

> > you had me until "Asia"
>
> heh heh
> lol haaawww (sorry majesty; it tickled me
> funnybone)

Woah, I ain't saying I like them!!! :-() Just that punk didn't really harm those types of 'dinosoaur' bands like Yes etc.

Spud Wrote:
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> We might however, be forgetting just how bad
> Zeppelin could be when they weren't being
> wonderful ;^)

I remember when I saw their embarrassing performance on Live Aid in 1985. I had waited for hours for Zeppelin, and then I hear Page´s first guitar riff and realize that he´s completely shit-faced. Then comes Plant and sings Rock and Roll hilariously bad. I taped it on video and watch it sometimes just for fun. Stairway is particularly bad, Jimmy Page stumbles and drooles through the whole song. Priceless stuff.
Whenever Jimmy Page has tried to explain what went wrong that gig, he always blame the drummers and the "circumstances". Not a word about his own disastrous appearance.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-11-30 11:55 by Svartmer.

What people often forget is that nearly HALF (7 of 15 tracks) of the magnificent Physical Graffiti album was material recorded between 2 to 4 years earlier - for earlier albums. Within the double-album package there was only really about one album`s worth of "new" material, and that was mostly recorded in early 1974 - one year before Graffiti's official release. This is a barely mentioned fact. The point being that between Spring of 1973 (when their 5th album - "Houses Of The Holy" - was released) and early Autumn 1979 (In Through The Out Door) they released barely 3 single albums worth of new material in 6 and one-half years...after releasing 5 blistering albums in the span of their first 5 years.

In other words, during the "second half" of Led Zeppelin's career their energy and creativity was obviously diminishing.

When I saw them in concert in the mid- and late 1970's it was an experience that defied words. Some songs would stretch to interminable lengths...Plant's voice could no longer reach many of the necessary notes and often broke in the middle of phrases...the endless soloing on several songs was utterly masturbatory (not to mention boring)...the entire experience would veer from the sublime (when they decided to blast ahead, keep to the structure of the song, and Plant sang in a lower register) to the absurd (when they would noddle and doodle and solo for what seemed ages, oblivious to their almost parody-like self-absorption, destroying whatever momentum they had built up, or when Plant would try to reach notes that he KILLED in earlier tours and now were impossible for him to attain) within moments.

The inescapable fact is that when Plant lost his upper-range Zep lost their upper gear. And yes...it needs to be mentioned...Page's heroin addiction also took a noticeable toll.

They could still create an occasional monster track in the studio during this phase (Nobody's Fault But Mine, In The Evening, I'm Gonna Crawl) but there was also quite a bit of filler in their albums and the live performances could get really ragged.

Having said that, I am excited to hear what the new Zep with Bonzo Jr. can come up with after a nearly 20 year respite. And if new material is indeed in the offing...God bless them...so much the better. Whatever comes out of this I am grateful that they are making the effort...after all they have given us...what a thrill.

Kind of agree Turd but COME ON, they weren't EXACTLY taking care of themselves or their health in the 70's. Look how much "better" (correct/proper/etc) Jagger's singing has gotten in the 21st century..... with that said you can't beat The Stones 70's shows I don't care how out of tune/off key Jagger was singing/yelling, the magic was there - now it has more to do with technical perfection. Father Time's a bitch and especially when you're burning the candle at both ends 24/7 ask Mick, ask Plant....You want TECHNICAL PERFECTION there was always EMERSON, LAKE, AND PALMER/THE MOODY BLUES/and YES - you want Raw Rock and Roll or you want THX certified?? I'll take the Raw Rock anyday, broken voices and all.......

TECHNICAL PERFECTION - THE MOODY BLUES

Back up there, the MB's just do not fit that description. The crap flute playing being just one example.

His Majesty Wrote:
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> It's a myth that punk killed of the 'dinosuars',
> many of those bands kept on going and/or started
> up newer and even bigger bands, Asia for example,
> or launched hugely successful solo careers.

Killed is a relative term. Many of the dinosaurs continued to record and tour, but they because increasingly less relevant or impactful. Punk caused a huge change in the musical landscape that I think is still apparent today, whereas I'm not aware of any next generation bands citing ELP or Yes as an influence (doesn't mean they aren't out there though).

spikey Wrote:
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> Killed is a relative term. Many of the dinosaurs
> continued to record and tour, but they because
> increasingly less relevant or impactful. Punk
> caused a huge change in the musical landscape that
> I think is still apparent today, whereas I'm not
> aware of any next generation bands citing ELP or
> Yes as an influence (doesn't mean they aren't out
> there though).

There was the horrible neo-prog revival in the 80's, bands like Marillion, Pallas etc. Yuk!!!