Is it just me or Led Zeppelin (or rather half of the band) were simply bad too many times LIVE? *

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DLeet, Jun 9, 2014.

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  1. goat65cars

    goat65cars Jerry A Great Dog We Miss You RIP 2002 To 2020

    Location:
    GARDEN GROVE CA
    +THE WHO.great live show
     
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  2. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    A third of the forum front page is Zeppelin related and you decide to post this? Like stepping into the lion's den.
     
  3. 1970

    1970 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon USA
    I got my money's worth in '77. Atlanta. No complaints.

    .
     
  4. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    I agree. I only saw them once in 73 and it was one hell of an experience.
     
  5. Timmy84

    Timmy84 Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I think 1968-1970 LZ were great live, afterwards, it was hit or miss. They were obviously greater in the studio though. John Bonham was a genius on them drums...
     
  6. Judge Judy

    Judge Judy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    Based on a wide range of bootlegs that I've heard, Led Zeppelin live could range anywhere from fantastic to crappy. This applies in particular to Mr. Jimmy Page, who on some later recordings was shockingly, jarringly bad. Bonham and Jones, however, I never heard play a single bum note, ever.
     
  7. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Led Zeppelin live, especially in the later years, was "bad" enough times that people could notice and remember it many years later, but there's no way they were "bad 90% of the time." They had a adventurous, fearless live form and they took chances, stretching songs out to a half hour and cramming in any snippet of a song that they wanted to play at the time. When you improvise a lot, not just in taking solos in the context of a song but even in choosing what song you will play in the middle of another song, occasionally it's gonna appear sloppy. I'll take Zeppelin's mad pagan orgy of rock'n'roll over many other bands' predictable live shows any day. When they were on, they just killed. Good enough for me. They were never my favorite band, but I'll never call 'em "bad."
     
  8. Carserguev

    Carserguev Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Definitely not just you.

    I agree with the OP.

    IMHO!! Don't shoot me!! :hide:
     
  9. SpinningInfinity

    SpinningInfinity Forum Resident

    Everyone is being very civil. no need to hide.

    :)
     
  10. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Going off what I've heard live, I'd say "yes", they were pretty terrible live. The stuff on The Song Remains the Same is a wretched mess. I like How the West Was Won only slightly better as I find it mostly boring and overwrought.

    I never saw the band live, though, so I'm only going off what I've heard in terms of recorded output (and, granted, that isn't much).
     
  11. malco49

    malco49 Forum Resident

    not a big LZ fan.i only have the first 4cd box set and a 45 of the immigrant song.did see them live in 1975 spectrum in philly must have caught them on an "off" night and i was about 1o rows center from the stage.the recording just fatigue my ears after 20 minutes or so.......
     
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  12. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    From 1969 thru 1973, they were good most of the time. During 1975, there were still a lot of good nights. During 1977, the wheels came off. The first night of Knebworth in '79 was good, the second show a week or so later was mediocre (the warm-up gigs in Copenhagen were good). The 1980 tour was mostly above average, but with wildly inconsistent guitar playing. All that said, most of the band's live work came from the 1969-1973 time period, so they had more good nights on stage than substandard nights on stage.
     
  13. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    I saw Led Zeppelin (3) times between 1969-70. Hollywood, Santa Barbara, & Los Angeles which would eventually be released as a bootleg "Live on Blueberry Hill" or something similar. The 1969 shows were massive. They were tight and hungry as a band. I never saw them play live again after that.

    Success and money eventually infests a lot of great bands. That's why its good to catch them early in their careers before adulation and ego get in the way.
     
  14. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    Perfect summation. I will say that from early 1970 until the end of the US tour in 1973, they were pretty incredible, and '71 to early '73 has to be their absolute peak...they were frighteningly good at that time...only the Who and the Stones were on the same level as a live band during those years.
     
  15. DLeet

    DLeet Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chernigov, Ukraine
    Thanks for contributing to the discussion... I guess.
     
  16. zbir

    zbir Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cluj-Napoca, RO
    What do you mean by "90% of the time?" "Time" time or "sum of the shows time"?
    Because I had the impression that approx. 80% of their shows were in the first 3-4 years (a.k.a. the "good" years) [they had approx. 150 shows in 1969 only ! impressive !]
     
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  17. DLeet

    DLeet Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chernigov, Ukraine
    oh yeah! I saw only videos Leeds and Texas, but those guys just BUUUURN. In a good way ))) to add to that so many stage movements. I don't know how Pete managed to jump around like crazy and to actually play the way he did. It's only the backing vocals that he did not deliver too well. But that's a minor quibble.
     
  18. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    You're welcome.
     
  19. DLeet

    DLeet Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chernigov, Ukraine
    I decided to honestly voice my opinion as a fan of the band, mind you. Their catalogue was the first one I got fully acquainted with, still as a kid. So far, I think, it brings up an interesting discussion.

    Guys, those of you, who do not agree with me and think they were mostly good live - could you set me up with some examples, please?
     
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  20. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    There must be something wrong with me. I actually like Led Zeppelin better live than in the studio. I always thought LZ sounded like they were holding back on a lot of their records, but I especially think the 1969-72 era was very hot. I was listening to Montreux 1970 last night at full volume and it was great!
     
  21. PageLesPaul

    PageLesPaul To be a rock and not to roll...

    Location:
    Lithia, FL USA
  22. jay.dee

    jay.dee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Barcelona, Spain
    Well, pointing at Yes as an exemplary live band casts a bit of light on your position in the discussion. Good that at least you avoid talking about their recent live incarnations.

    You probably prefer bands that (try to) faithfully reproduce their studio albums on stage. I can understand your preference, but then Led Zeppelin live incarnation is simply not for you. Just a different type of live act.

    The music you find sloppy others may find exciting, the music you perceive as sublime others may perceive as stiff.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2014
  23. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    As far as studio trickery, I think Plant's voice was sped up a little during some really high parts (and double or triple tracked). What great records they made though :)
     
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  24. Picca

    Picca Forum Resident

    Location:
    Modena, Italy
    That's the reason why I love them. They've never become 'competent'. They play the blues. The blues is imprecise and inaccurate. And spontaneous.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2014
  25. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    I've heard some great live Zeppelin stuff, but most of the time I prefer their studio records.

    I actually think the best representation of Zeppelin onstage was the Page/Crowes tour, where there was an army of musicians to really recreate the sound of those records.

    And while I like some jam bands and love good improvisation, I rarely dig into any live Zep track that goes on more than 8-9 minutes. I would've enjoyed it in person, getting to watch the interplay and wondering where it was going to go, but listening to a 20 minute "Dazed And Confused" on record just makes me want to skip to the next track.
     
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