How The West Was Won (Led Zep live)

[chessparov]

Very impressed by their performances at these two concerts.
Some of the live song versions I prefer over the studio ones.

So...

Any Slutz ever see them in person in their heyday?

Also any opinions on sound quality/type of gear used by Eddie Kramer to record it/etc.?

IMHO the Shure Unidyne works great for Plant's vocals. Seems to vindicate his present use of a SM57 over a Neumann currently in the studio.

Bonzo's drum tone is incredible to me!

Thanks
Chris

[Oldone]

I saw them on their 2nd US tour. They were incredible.

[Jay Kahrs]

Who knows, but really...anyone with a clue could've captured those tones. At least 80% of it was coming right from Led Zep. Last year I cut a record to 2-track and I got some similar tones, but that was really more about the musicians then anything I did.

If you really look at the Zep video there's so many different mic setups on everything and probably different preamps and tape and blah and blee, yet...it all sounds similar and sounds like Zep.

[cfjis]

love those discs... listening to Bonham still amazes me. I love when he's doing harmonies during the acoustic tunes. killer.

[Zeppelin4Life]

hell yeah. That whole mix friggen rocks. its all stereo enhanced and you can tell, but it sounds huge. the bass rumbles my walls.

[beechstudio]

Hats must go off for Kevin Shirleys mixing for the DVD under the close guidance of Mr. Page himself! Nice job Kevin!

More info at: www.cavemanproductions.com

[eligit]

great stuff....

but

and i know i'll get slammed for this, i think it's a little over compressed....

i always liked the weird and extreme dynamics of live zep and it feels a little too squashed for my taste. i guess i grew up on too many zep boots so i miss some of the mistakes and banter etc. and the less slammed to the wall (compared to actual live). but i guess considering the other records coming out the same year (2002-3?) they didn't have much choice in that department.

bonham sounds amazing on this stuff. page is perhaps a LITTLE more wild in '71 and '73 than he was on this tour but still rocks hard. since i've been lovin you is killer.

either way, to hear immigrant song blasting out of my speakers when i first got this a couple years back was just a freakin rush.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by chessparov

Any Slutz ever see them in person in their heyday?

I saw them at Madison Square Garden in February 1977 ...certainly a memorable and life-shaping event for me, but I'm hesitant to claim that was them "in their heyday". I would like to have seen them *before* all the success, when they were maybe even a bit hungry.

[eligit]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

I saw them at Madison Square Garden in February 1977 ...certainly a memorable and life-shaping event for me, but I'm hesitant to claim that was them "in their heyday". I would like to have seen them *before* all the success, when they were maybe even a bit hungry.

'77? ouch! still legendary but page was....well.....less than at his peak i guess you could say. by about 4 years. obviously physical graffiti and presence are absolutely great studio records but his live work from 75 forward was...problematic.

i still would have killed to see one of those msg '77 shows tho. the boots from that period are chaotic and messy and even pathetic in spots but also powerful and dark. the end of "no quarter" and "achilles last stand" are exciting among other moments.

[rlnyc]

Originally Posted by chessparov

Very impressed by their performances at these two concerts.
Some of the live song versions I prefer over the studio ones.

So...

Any Slutz ever see them in person in their heyday?

Also any opinions on sound quality/type of gear used by Eddie Kramer to record it/etc.?

IMHO the Shure Unidyne works great for Plant's vocals. Seems to vindicate his present use of a SM57 over a Neumann currently in the studio.

Bonzo's drum tone is incredible to me!

Thanks
Chris

i saw them several times. interestingly, the bbc sessions reveal that they sounded exactly like their records live. in fact thier first record was done in a couple of days.

the most fun i had watching them was from the side of the stage somewhere in ny. there was a roadie behind jimmy page's amp pushing the buttons and changing the tape length on a watkins copycat during the songs, when jimmy would do the massive violin bow delay and point to the audience thing. incredible. i thought "i have to get one of those" (a stage butler, i mean).

and bonham, well, after you saw him play his drumsolo for 20 minutes WITH HIS FOREARMS, you usually began thinking that it couldn't be real - that it must be one of those mass hypnotic trances, like the rope trick in india. i mean, they really had something beyond beyond going on.

but i have also walked out before the end. dazed and confused could go on and on seemingly forever and be exactly that. but they were a real band. human beings with chemistry between them.

best,
rlnyc

[retropete]

I saw them in September of 1971 at Madison Square Garden. It was just prior to the 4th album being released and they played "Stairway to Heaven" which hadn't been released yet. I remember being awestruck by the performance, and the atmosphere of the concert was pretty frenzied. It was definitely a tribal experience. Yet the sound back then wasn't the greatest in the big arenas -- things have come a long way on that score.

[Pohaku]

I saw them in Honolulu the summer they were debuting Stairway to Heaven. Can't remember the year -- probably 72 or so -- of course there are a lot of things I can't remember from that period of my life. They got off the plane late and came straight to the concert in a relatively small concert hall. Had to ask everyone to be quiet when they started the song. My, admittedly hazy, recollection is that it was a great show. Saw them later in Honolulu again at the "larger" Blaisdell arena (still only seats 8000). Page was great -- theramin and all. I've actually been fortunate enough to have seen a number of the great acts of that time - Joplin, Hendrix, etc. since they all seemed to swing through Hawaii for a show. I remember camping out for tickets for the Stones with Stevie Wonder opening (of course we had no real clue who Stevie Wonder was at that point) in 1971. Tickets were $4, 5 and 6 if I remember right.

[kats]

Missed them live but I really loved the performance in 1970 at the Royal Albert on their DVD.

4 guys totally into their music. That IMO is the key. In that performance they wore their hearts on their shoulders - it was all passion. One of my favorite studio tracks is Since I've Been Loving You. I've never thought about why I like it so much, but the other day I was listening to it and realized that it was one of their most passionate performances. The song is nothing without it, but the performance takes it to another level, truely great.

[eligit]

you lucky mofos! i was only born in '75.....no zep shows for ME

[ekimeno]

Originally Posted by kats

One of my favorite studio tracks is Since I've Been Loving You. I've never thought about why I like it so much, but the other day I was listening to it and realized that it was one of their most passionate performances. The song is nothing without it, but the performance takes it to another level, truely great.

Since I've Been Loving You is also my favourite track of their's. I really treasure Jimmy Page & Robert Plant's No Quarter: Unledded album done in '93 or '94 - probably the best version of this song I've heard - proper emotion - incredible...

[eligit]

Originally Posted by ekimeno

Since I've Been Loving You is also my favourite track of their's. I really treasure Jimmy Page & Robert Plant's No Quarter: Unledded album done in '93 or '94 - probably the best version of this song I've heard - proper emotion - incredible...

since i've been loving you is amazing on the DVD as well. there are some edits but the drama is huge. pump that one through the good speaks.

[suicide shift]

4th row Chicago Stadium mid 70s. Had binnocs on Page's fingers.

[Oldone]

Even on the DVD you can sense the change from their passionate years to the "less than interested, going through the motion" phase of the mid 70s. They almost became a parody of themselves towards the end. Yet, they still stand in my mind as the epitome of rock n roll.

[ekimeno]

Originally Posted by eligit

since i've been loving you is amazing on the DVD as well. there are some edits but the drama is huge. pump that one through the good speaks.

There's a DVD of this album? Have to get it if there is!

[eligit]

Originally Posted by ekimeno

There's a DVD of this album? Have to get it if there is!

no.

sorry to dissapoint.

the DVD i was referring to was the one you probably already know about. it has no footage from the How the West Was Won CDs. it has one show from 1970 (freakin incredible!), some hilarious stuff from '69, some stuff from the same shows that their concert movie was from ('73) and some less intense stuff from '75 and '79.

the since i've been loving you i was referring to is from msg '73. it is incredible. '73 was the last truly great live year for zep. after that it was hit and miss....

the DVD is worth it JUST for the '70 show.

[ekimeno]

Cool. I have a DVD of the Madison Square Gardens gig they did in 1973 that changes between the gig and little home movies on some tracks. A movie for each member of the band....Jon Bohnam had a movie of him driving some vintage cars, Page had a trippy one of him aging into a wizard, JP Jones' one involved him playing a huge organ and Plants was a celtic fantasy.

The concert itself was truly mid blowing too... Page's theramin and cello-bow work, Bonham's Moby Dick solo - wow!

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by ekimeno

Cool. I have a DVD of the Madison Square Gardens gig they did in 1973 that changes between the gig and little home movies on some tracks. A movie for each member of the band....Jon Bohnam had a movie of him driving some vintage cars, Page had a trippy one of him aging into a wizard, JP Jones' one involved him playing a huge organ and Plants was a celtic fantasy.

That's "The Song Remains the Same". I think most of us are talking about the newer 2 DVD set that was released a few years ago.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...v=glance&s=dvd

The BBC footage from the early days on disc 1 is great...Zep is lettin' it all hang out and sounding great and these kids all sitting on the ground around them lol

[eligit]

Originally Posted by ekimeno

Cool. I have a DVD of the Madison Square Gardens gig they did in 1973 that changes between the gig and little home movies on some tracks. A movie for each member of the band....Jon Bohnam had a movie of him driving some vintage cars, Page had a trippy one of him aging into a wizard, JP Jones' one involved him playing a huge organ and Plants was a celtic fantasy.

The concert itself was truly mid blowing too... Page's theramin and cello-bow work, Bonham's Moby Dick solo - wow!

get the latest zep DVD. you are talking about "the song remains the same". cool, but this double DVD is better. there are a couple tunes from the one you have and then misty mountain hop and the ocean from that same gig (or series of gigs anyway). and a whole lot of other stuff as well.

[kats]

I agree ^^^^^

The new one is simply called "Led Zepplin DVD". And thank God for it. I was always a Zep fan, but "Song Remains The Same" never did it for me - I'd hate for that to be the only testament of their live performance. I think the new DVD captures the boys at some of their greatest moments. And yes, 1970 is just pure.

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by kats

One of my favorite studio tracks is Since I've Been Loving You. I've never thought about why I like it so much, but the other day I was listening to it and realized that it was one of their most passionate performances.

I love that on the re-mastered CDs that Page did, you can hear the kick drum pedal squeeking on that track.

[ekimeno]

Looks like I'll have to grab this one soon - cheers guys!

[Jules]

I saw all 6 nights.. Earls court, London in 77 (or wuz that 76?). Had tickets for 3 nights but only used one.. (learned how to break in the other nights.... so we sold our tickets to touts / scalpers for a small profit) Giant aircraft hanger style venue.. so grim sound..but it seemed to suit songs like Rock N Roll and Trampled underfoot.

Good times...

One day I hope to get Eddie Kramer to guest moderate (CAN YOO HEER MEE EDDIE?) .... I am working on it..

Honk if you want Eddie!

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by eligit

'77? ouch! still legendary but page was....well.....less than at his peak i guess you could say. by about 4 years. obviously physical graffiti and presence are absolutely great studio records but his live work from 75 forward was...problematic.

Exactly. I figured I'd be charitible and not elaborate, but as long as you bring it up...

I can only imagine that the Jimmy Page who recorded the first 5 Zeppelin albums was kidnapped by aliens and replaced by an identical clone who knew how all the tunes went but was UNBELIEVABLY SLOPPY... or else maybe trashing hotel rooms does take its toll.

[rlnyc]

Originally Posted by Jules

One day I hope to get Eddie Kramer to guest moderate (CAN YOO HEER MEE EDDIE?) .... I am working on it..

Honk if you want Eddie!

HONK.

best,
rlnyc

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by rlnyc

the most fun i had watching them was from the side of the stage somewhere in ny. there was a roadie behind jimmy page's amp pushing the buttons and changing the tape length on a watkins copycat during the songs, when jimmy would do the massive violin bow delay and point to the audience thing. incredible. i thought "i have to get one of those" (a stage butler, i mean).

Aha, so *that's* why you hired Howard Harrison!