Led Zeppelin Savage 1975 Concert Review - Was Zep "Numbing" Live?

[@anthonyromeo4600]

Zeppelin was awesome and still is

[@marciashiraishi5891]

I have never cared about the opinions of the media. I care about what my ears and my feelings tell me, that's why I listen to Led Zeppelin.

[@lucasoheyze4597]

I'm not in the media, but I find their live shows absolutely tedious.

[@jeper1969]

I like the fact that Zeppelin was a group of great musicians that played live with a chance of failure. They tried to make it great and were fallible . That somehow made the great moments greater . 75 on was a different band , their best live days were up to 73

[@attilathehun0]

Some of Led Zep studios albums sound great, but live they subpar at best. Great Studio Musicians sometimes are a sucky band live. Some bands are great live, but suck in the studio.

[@petermacmillan6756]

As Duke Ellington said, "If it sounds good, it is good."

[@evetsnitram8866]

For a minute I thought the review was by Robert Hilburn. I saw them on that tour in San Diego and Page was wearing black Elvis shoes with the white tops not platforms. For $7 I thought I got a pretty good deal. Their best tunes were the encores of Black Dog and Heartbreaker. Page was just standing on the edge of the stage by then wiped out but playing well.

[@alexhoffam4170]

Zeppelin were probably one of the most critised bands of the 70s by the media, the strange thing was they smashed all ticket sales for live performances and record sales, and that was the pattern for the rest of their career's. No one needs to be reminded of the 25 million online ticket Demand in 2007 for the one off 02 concert, then who has ever created musical material like zeppelin.

[@Darrell-xj2gp]

Jealousy is a helluva drug.

[@DaleMoore-z9n]

I saw Zeppelin in Atlanta in 1977. People didn't applause much after a song, particularly after the first few songs, because we were amazed and stunned at what we were seeing and hearing! They were awesome, beyond description!! By far, the most amazing show I have ever seen, and I've seen almost all the great bands and singers.

[@Carnegiered52]

Dear Readers, The author’s review of Zeppelin was spot on. I couldn’t have said it better. Yours truly, Pete Townsend

[@sawman3364]

I get it!!😂😂

[@attilathehun0]

🤣🤣👍👍

[@andthensome512]

😂

[@tomstegall1346]

Your jealousy is abound

[@antithug7942]

It's Townshend.

[@upyours574]

I saw them February 13th 75’ at the Nassau Coliseum Long Island NY. I don’t remember much as it was a long time ago and even at 15 years old I was under the influence of many different kinds of chemicals. I’m not bragging btw, it’s just how it was back then. What I do remember is the power that came off of that stage. Only The Who, Queen, and Deep Purple ever matched that power and drama in the 70s, that LZ had ,in my experience. For a 15 yr old kid, they were phenomenal. 3 1/2 hours of glorious hard rock and blues. So for the critics, f ‘em’! Zeppelin were an event, not just your average rock show. They mesmerized a coliseum full of rock fans for over 3 hours none stop. That’s all that matters to me.

[@attilathehun0]

You speak of the 1970's the real live bands were Ted Nugent, KISS, Rush, Leonard Skynyrd, The Eagles, AC/DC and the Scorpions.

[@broeheemed32]

​@@attilathehun0 - "The Eagles". LOL Their live shows were note-for-note reproductions of the studio arrangements. ANY deviation at all brought the wrath of the sniveling Don Henley and Glenn Frey. That isn't a concert, it's pantomime. Might as well have been watching Milli Vanilli.

[@attilathehun0]

@@broeheemed32 When you nail it live like the studio that makes a great band. Led Zep was one dimensional great studio band but live not very good. Black Sabbath Mob Rules and OZfest 97 sound just like the album too.

[@Philip_LasVegas]

Ditto!!!

[@dancrowley488]

Zep had what nobody else had: Power, mystery, and the Hammer of the Gods.

[@nancyconyers5802]

I have many years of listening pleasure. I remember purchasing the Physical Graffiti album. I'm now 67 years old/young. I saw them perform live in person at The Landover Capitol Center in Largo, Maryland in 1977. They were there for 4 shows/concerts. I saw the 1st and 4th show, imagine a young black woman having the best experience of my life. Led Zeppelin forever in my heart. It's now 12/09/2024.

[@robertcollin1947]

@@nancyconyers5802 you are so lucky. I had tickets for a buffalo show the year Robert Plant's son passed. The Concert was cancelled obviously. That is the only time I had a chance to see them. I live in Ottawa Canada. Our city was not enough of a big venue for Zeppelin. I am your age and back then I know you remember we had to queue for tickets for hours and sometimes days. No internet. Hat's off to you

[@caramanico1]

I'm with you - it's fun! I've been a Zeppelih fan since 1974. Keep it coming! As far as this review, it makes me wonder if he's listening to the same band.

[@billlashure2008]

In '71, Led Zeppelin 1V tour-- the best live show, I've ever seen.

[@Frip36]

One of their best sounding bootlegs is from this show. And Zeppelin experts consider this night's performance among the top 5 of their 1975 tour. Though Robert IS struggling. May have been recovering from a cold. One quick way to hear the state of Robert's voice on a given night is to listen toward the end of No Quarter. After "The dogs of doom are howling more". Lot's of demanding vocals after that. KZbin: Led Zeppelin - Live in Vancouver, Canada (March 19th, 1975)

[@robertcollin1947]

This guy obviously not a Zeppelin fan from the get go. Funny that he had nothing to say about John Paul Jones

[@LedSteelers]

he clearly hated the band and went to the show on behalf of his newspaper to write a column on it..... It was a mistake from the very beginning. As far as integrity, this writer has none !!

[@robertcollin1947]

@LedSteelers I agree 💯👍

[@JosephCasadonte]

This 1975 Review Is About As Much Useful To My Taste As Yodling Into Conch Shell. Screw The Critics

[@stonehobson2487]

Here's my feedback - I saw them live in Seattle in 1974(75?) at the Seattle Center Coliseum. It was not a good concert. They got lost in a couple of songs. Except for John Paul Jones we could tell they were drunk as hell. Just small time Seattle back then so not a big show for them. I'll never forget the look on JPJ's face as he struggled to put on a good show. He was glaring at Page and looked impatient with Plant. I've bought their albums from the day they came out. Their studio work is unparalleled except by the Beatles. I love them still. They didn't tour well in the 70's in my opinion. ELO, Santana, Earth, Wind and Fire, these bands put on great and professional shows back then. Thanks for asking.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

There is a good soundboard recording of the 17.03.75 concert in Seattle and a lesser one of 21.03.75. Both can be found on KZbin.

[@stonehobson2487]

@@Leo_ofRedKeep Thanks. I'll check them out if I can handle the memories.

[@MegaSting1981]

It's funny because the 21st show is considered one of the best of the year from the recording we have. Do wish I could have been alive to witness one!

[@mjp96]

who asked you?

[@stonehobson2487]

@@MegaSting1981 I'll check it out sometime. The Coliseum had notoriously bad sound. All concrete, steel and glass.

[@r.uthere.6201]

My old pot dealer and friend saw Zeppelin in 1969,1970, 71, 72. 73. 75 and 77' he would always tell me that force behind the band live was the improvised music they did which sounded spontaneously. though he was highly disappointed that Zeppelin in 1977 did huge stadium show in a brand new Kingdome in Seattle and not the Seattle Center where the sound was much better for the 75' show. in his opinion Led Zeppelin best tour was 1971-72 tours. not a heavy light show, just raw power of Zeppelin.

[@EdwardKovach-v7y]

Yeah, I read the Hammer of the Gods and I’ve been to Seattle and thought it was amazing. The band had a lot of fun staying at some hotel where they could rent fishing poles and fish out the window, Bonham & Plant loved it ✊

[@r.uthere.6201]

That hotel you’re talking about is called Edgewater Inn and it’s still there and I wouldn’t eat the fish that swim in that Puget sound but yeah I could see why Led Zeppelin would enjoy staying there . And not flying back to Chicago after a concert

[@ronnociar1216]

I was at that show and remember that article when it came out. Most of us just had a big laugh. As I recall almost all of Don Stanley's criticisms where as you see. Surprisingly not only his when it came to Zep. It seemed to be the thing to do in those days, at least in Vancouver anyway. Just as well because as we've all learned bad whatever spreads far and wide compared to good whatever.

[@alexshkoditch4593]

FWIW - the start of the Physical Graffiti tour was a disaster. Plant caught a bad cold and had no voice for the first few weeks and Jimmy Page broke his finger and had trouble playing. During the first few shows they added When the Levee Breaks to the set because it was easier to play the slide with a bad finger. Those first five or six shows on that tour were the only shows that Levee was ever played live.

[@mattmckeon1688]

The 1975 shows were very hit or miss. The bad shows were sloppy and Robert's voice wasn't in great shape. They were also the longest shows that Zep played on any tour - well over three hours with the acoustic set. It's entirely possible this reviewer caught one of the bad shows. The band were much more together on the 1977 tour.

[@mattmckeon1688]

That's not to say that there weren't 'critics' determined to fault the show no matter what.

[@alexshkoditch4593]

​@@mattmckeon1688 I agree that there were critics who would write negative things simply due to their personal disdain, but I think it's important to educate the fans who were not around when the group was active that there were several times when Zep concerts were NOT stellar. There seems to be a legend created around this band that they never had an off night perpetuated by fans too young to have ever seen a show. Even this video seems to come from the premise that it is both unbelievable and unique that Zeppelin ever had a bad show. Not only did they have some bad shows, but they also often had significant runs of consecutive bad shows. To be historically accurate, not every show was the ultimate musical experience of a lifetime.

[@mattmckeon1688]

@alexshkoditch4593 Totally agree, and in my opinion the 1975 tour was the most guilty of the gap between myth and reality. When I first got into Zep and read various live chronicles, the 1975 tour was spoken of with reverence as the peak of Zep's live prowess. Years later, when the concert DVD was released with the Earl's Court shows, I found the performance quite underwhelming. It looked great visually with the lighting and video screens, but had none of the raw power of shows from 1970-71, or the musical adventure of MSG 1973. The acoustic set was nice, and maybe the only part of the show that Robert could sing without his voice cracking. Even with his limited range due to voice damage, the 1977 tour was much stronger vocally, and it was really only Jimmy at that point that was all over the place, but the rest of the band held it together.

[@carlsaganlives5112]

@@alexshkoditch4593 People also don't wanna admit their heroes stunk once they got a chance to see them...I went to my one and only Stones show that same year - '75 - and was very disappointed. Around that same time Clapton and Santana did a tour together, sounded great on paper, everyone wanted a ticket, but friends had a hard time admitting it sucked til a couple years later, lol.

[@nilshenrikteigen9215]

😂 That journalist didn’t know what he was watching. The 2 Vancouver and 2 Seattle shows in the spring of 75 is legendary as some of the best shows they ever did. With the Seattle 3/21 as the pinnacle. It’s anyway always fun to hear what the music press thought back in the day.

[@petermacmillan6756]

You can hear the March 19, 1975 Vancouver show for yourself. It's not the best night of the '75 tour, but it's not bad unless you hate Led Zeppelin.

[@planreview]

I saw them at the Chicago Stadium in 1973 and 1975. They were spectacular in ‘73. In ‘75, they weren’t the same live band. I have always loved them, but I listen to pre-75 Zep. I saved the Chicago Tribune concert review and it was very similar to the one that he read in this video. The ‘73 review was glowing. (Not that the reviews really matter)

[@remnantsofasoundblast]

Most Zep fans who have followed and read the history of the band and witnessed their tours,.or heard the bootlegs know that Plantbwas suffering bug time with the flu during this segment of 75 and almost every Bootleg you hear suffers from the same. However, this review didn't seem to care for them to begin with

[@dansandoval6969]

Deep Purple live. Different experience. Sonic bliss.

[@patm5086]

Deep Purple blow LZ away as does The Who

[@joedanzo20]

They didn't have many bad shows, but a bad Zeppelin show is still better than most bands best shows. Facts.

[@aussieboy77]

I just listened to the audio for this Vancouver 1975 concert and LZ sounded pretty good that night. As to why this critic why so harsh is anyone's guess but after reading his column, you can understand why LZ rarely gave interviews since most critics had a similar attitude towards them back in the day.

[@SH-fm5eu]

Caught them at MSA in Indianapolis back in the late 70's, very disappointing! The whole show lasted about 75 minutes with 30 being solos. Page mashed his hand in a L train accident in Chicago was was medicating with Jack Daniel's (in the coffee table book), Plant was sick and Bonham was, you guessed it drunk! After years of rhapsodic Cream and Circus concert reports it was pretty bad!

[@bloozedaddy]

I didn't know Rolling Stone let their writers freelance for newspapers 🤔😂

[@DG-sf9ei]

Lmao, sounds more like a beatles flatliner though. If it isn't bubble gum polished 60s pop , then it's trash to this flaker

[@williamweber8573]

Jimmy Page wants a band of virtuosos meaning each member is worth listening to and watching individually…you are gonna get solos with that! Zeppelin songs are well crafted and more exciting than most of their peers! They are not kids anymore so don’t expect back flips! You were extremely fortunate to see Zep warts and all. I don’t care if Robert Plant sings some parts an octave lower to preserve his voice because when he does go for it u r still amazed at his gift! Cheers 🍻

[@interstellar618]

Lets face it. No of us wouldve ever hung out with said critic. He's a geek

[@georgemichael9106]

Saw Led Zeppelin on the 75 tour 3/5/75 in Dallas I think 1975 is when the hit their peak I also saw them in 1971,1972,1973 all great shows but 1975 is when they were fine tuned the audio of the the three shows in a row are on KZbin 3/3/75 Fort Worth 3/4/75 and 3/5/75 in Dallas.

[@นีย่านี่-ธ2ณ]

No two ways, the music is innovative and well made, and a milestone in the history of rock n'roll. But then looking and listening I feel something is missing. What, I don't know.

[@arielmyers8053]

Me: An authentic Led Zeppelin fan. Zeppelin, the band of my Kashmir ringtone. When they are on, they are on! And, when you can hear Jimmy’s bad mistakes…..Well, they are on! They are human! And Jimmy said, “I never called us the best band in the world, I just said that no one is better than us!

[@charlesbronson4282]

Yes...Zeppelin WAS numbing. How LOUD they were at certain points in their touring career. Especially in the early EARLY days. It was almost like Zeppelin and Deep Purple were trying to one up eachother back in the day volume wise

[@BISSEYSZ]

I'm thinking you never saw AC/DC

[@charlesbronson4282]

@BISSEYSZ I'm sure they were loud too back in the Bon days...but even Ray Charles was loud as f*** when i saw him in the early 90's. But Deep Purple was in the Guinness Book for the loudest band. Maybe it had something to do with having an organist run his keys through a distortion pedal

[@BISSEYSZ]

@@charlesbronson4282 Both times I saw Deep Purple it was in outdoor venues; could be why AC/DC seemed so exceptionally loud to me and they didn't.

[@chiefmouser7]

​@@charlesbronson4282Hi there, one time they say Purple were the loudest, another time it' s The Who or Manowar, I think it's hard to compare when you don't know exactly by which technical standards these results were achieved. I've seen many of these great bands,and the loudest by far were Slade, it wasn't fun anymore. Purple were quite loud, even louder than Zep in 80 as I remember. But even acts like Simple Minds and Roxy Music I found unreasonably loud.

[@deansusec8745]

@@BISSEYSZ Actually, because the music is clean and the chords and notes are good you don't notice the loudness, it isn't noise. But when there is a shit band just hitting random chords it comes out as noise. DP were very in sync since they were all amazing. Guitar and keyboards complemented each other.

[@youtoo2233]

I love Zeppelin but they're just not for everybody it's all really comes down to, and that could be with any group , do agree that Zeppelin did play extremely long versions of songs and they could have cut it much more and added many more songs to the concert

[@alexhamilton4084]

I love the Zeppelin albums but I can’t watch them live. I find the absolute abandonment of the song structure grating on my nerves. I’m blessed or cursed with perfect pitch and an eidetic memory which makes every minute deviation torture to my ears.

[@PhillipAvatarblack]

This interview made me agree with myself about quite a few things.

[@clairebarwick2869]

As they say "opinons are like ass's, everyone has one". Zep Rules the Rock world of music.

[@36karpatoruski]

I was at Nassau Coliseum for their 75 concert. I love Zep and was very primed (!) for the show. It was mostly awful. Plant was recovering from a cold or flu, had virtually no range or quality to his voice, and basically shouted the whole night, and not very musically. Page had a broken finger on his right hand, and it showed. Bonham and Jones carried the show and were fine. The experience was still memorable though.

[@thayerjohnson5654]

I believe the broken finger was on his fret hand. But I could be mistaken.

[@drewnelson3149]

LOl, I've 100% caught Zeppelin on off nights, especially in 77 and 80.

[@user-eh3bb2iv1o]

In order to understand the sheer power and awesomeness of a Led Zeppelin live concert, just see the movie, “The Song Remains the Same.” If that doesn’t do it for you, just go back to listening to dance muzak.

[@marksmith334]

Except most of the sound is from multiple sources and doctored plus a lot of the footage isn’t from the shows

[@paulpower2680]

Always remember, "a Critic is someone who watches a Battle from up on top of a Hill, and when it is over, comes down and kills the wounded."

[@darryllandry9904]

From what I understand by 75 the coc train was rolling and that didn't help voice or performance, except maybe if you can burn a 20 minute drum solo while blasted.

[@PaulFormentos]

Also horse riding for Page and Bonzo

[@dalemcmillen5065]

Thank you for these lil insights, poor dude who wrote that review just reminds us of how high the bar was set back then. We expected so much outta these bands .wonder where that critic is today

[@gabevachon326]

Robert Plant could never duplicate live what they did on record. Roger Daltrey was much more durable. The band had alot of subpar nights. This appears to be one of them.

[@Incomudro1963]

Yes, part of the problem was that Plant damaged his voice around late '71 early '72. Once that happened, he could no longer perform the songs from IV back the way they should sound. He could sometimes deliver the Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti, and Presence songs ok ass they were originally recorded with his damaged voice. But the old stuff? Never again.

[@MGuitarZ77]

Not never. Just from 1973 and beyond

[@ScreaminNighthog]

I attended 2 Led Zappelin Concert's both of which were very disapointing. The reason was Jimmy appeared so drunk he could barely play. I was fortunate enough to meet Jimmy n 2 other occasion's. The last to set up his guitar as he joined the ARM's tour for Ronnie Lane. Again he was so anebriated he could barely stand. I was so disapointed!

[@jasonpizzo2897]

Back in the 80's, Santana played in Burlington VT. The next day The Burlington Free Press ran a review with the headline "LENGTHY SOLOS MAR SANTANA CONCERT". Not sure what the reviewer was expecting...

[@Jmr-o5e]

I worshipped zep, easily 10,000+ hours listening to their studio albums. They were not strong as a live act. Robert plant never evrr sang live the way he did in the studio. And jimmy page overdubbed - to great effect! - a lot in the studio, which couldnt be replicated live. I’ll listen to Led Zep III a million more times, but i wouldnt cross the street to see them live if they were playing free just for me.

[@threeballedtomcat9380]

I saw Zeppelin in 1974 at the Atlanta Stadium ,I was 18 then and I can only say this: It was one of the best shows in my life, great musically and showmanship wise. Every one of the band members did a great job. The idiot that wrote that review must be a fan of the old country and western music scene. Or maybe he was too damn old to relate? I don't know, but I do know that Zeppelin was one of the greatest rock bands of all time, bar none.

[@tuglingtontugster9848]

You didn’t. It was 1973.

[@threeballedtomcat9380]

@@tuglingtontugster9848 Oh well, so much for my memory now....(thanks for the correction)

[@We-Just-Elected-A-Dictator]

This is how Fox News describes Democrats; like somehow, we're awful. It sounds like this person had never been to a rock concert, but in fairness, having seen Zep twice in concert, they're shows really weren't that great when compared to their recorded material (I saw Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Eagles in the same arena and they all sounded perfect). For one thing, Jimmy recorded multiple guitar parts on almost every song in the studio and then tried to replicate that on stage with one guitar. Sometimes it worked, but mostly it sounded noisy. Bonham and JPJ's sounded great. Robert's voice was, understandably, hoarse. But Stanley also attacked Zep's recordings, which really shows his true colors: he just didn't like Led Zeppelin. Ok, he was allowed, but why send him to the show? I would gladly enter a time machine this afternoon to go back and see one of those shows again. They were Led Effing Zeppelin FFS. Greatest Band Ever.

[@Mst-bh9ti]

The fact that you felt the need to come on a site about a review of a Led Zeppelin concert to make some hair brained analogy is pathetic. Maybe Fox isn't so far off the mark, if you are representative of wokeism.

[@We-Just-Elected-A-Dictator]

@Mst-bh9ti Clown. It was a spontaneous reaction.

[@Mst-bh9ti]

@We-Just-Elected-A-Dictator yeah, we can tell by your tag name. Seek help for TDS. Pathetic.

[@whiz2393]

I saw that tour in Los Angeles and they were awful. I was mortified.

[@johnminshull6309]

I think critics panning bands in the 70,s was a sport. Queen received similar treatment. I remember buying the NME one week and they absolutely loved a band called the Rezillos. It didn,t take them long to start to absolutely pan them.

[@adamwatson6916]

1975 Zeppelelin was a substantially degraded beast . They were absolutely killer live from 1969 to Mid 1972 . Beginning in October 1972 they start to drop off and gradually decilne steadily from there . Not only were their skills degrades by 75 they also hit the Road Very Rusty after 18 months off and were very under rehearsed. Page Broke his finger tip on his left hand ring finger right before the start of the Tour . Plants voice was wrecked by then and he got the flu after the first gig . Jimmy Page also started using Heroin on the 75 tour so the whole tour is a wash . Listen to 70 and 71 live zeppelin if you want to hear how great they were in their prime . 75 77 and 80 are for thw Hard cores .great moments can be found on those tours but the shows are often very uneven and inconsistent . The Vancouver and Seattle shows are as good as it gets on the 75 tour .

[@slappy1956]

"the reason most critics prefer Elvis Costello to Van Halen is because most critics look like Elvis Costello" David Lee Roth

[@zeppearl]

No need to apologize for too much Led Zeppelin content...no complaints here :) .....so do you have this Don Stanley's address ? or his descendants? ... I need to pay a visit, good grief this guy wasted a good ticket and a real fan was sitting home because of this malaka taking the ticket.

[@sicotshit7068]

Critics were always putting them down, thankfully their millions & millions of fans didn’t listen to them. Funny how their music has outlasted all those stupid critics, & as popular in 2024, as they were back in late 60’s through the 70’s. Yes at times Plants vocals weren’t perfect, constant touring took a toll on them. Plant had two surgeries on his vocals, but more often he still sounded amazing, & in my opinion the greatest singer.

[@goodguy5595]

Say what you will. Led Zeppelin sucked live

[@sicotshit7068]

@ while many many many say different, maybe you needed to clean the shit out of your ears.

[@jmoountfort5204]

He had a point about Page's transitions, but more as a soloist than composer/arranger, except that Stairway should have been the counterexample.

[@joedudz]

Saw them later in 1975 in Earls Court London. I am reluctant to report that I was underwhelmed. Earls Court is a big venue (by UK standards) and it was pre-big screens. Started well but lost momentum with slow and long drawn out songs. Never quite gained pace again. Was pleased to have been there but as for atmosphere? Not really. Saw the Who on their "The Who Put the Boot In" tour the next year. Oh boy.

[@aussieboy77]

The Who's music is less complex and easier to play and sing than Zep's.

[@joedudz]

@@aussieboy77 The point I was trying to make is that the Who's performances in the day were electric from start to finish and the crowd went mad. At the Led Zep gig everyone just sat there. Good music yes but it was more like a classical concert.

[@keitha.563]

​@@joedudzmakes zero sense.... The English thought Zep were a American band not all but some did the English were a boring crowd to play too. Zep rules America and everyone knew it included is The Who.

[@Turquiose67]

Sadly, having heard this show, I wouldn't be as hard on the review of this show, but Zeppelin in 75, it was a very " Hit And Miss show experience " The best they sounded were the 5 Earls Court Shows in May.

[@BrianFalarski]

Dude was just having a real bad day...btw...page plant.st Petersburg fla. Ice palace 1998. Straight zep set

[@scifiwriter98]

I can't find any information about Don Stanley online but my guess is that he was hired years earlier to cover entertainment news and classical music was his specialty. He obviously understood nothing about rock music and only reacted to it as our parents did in those years. That is, by focusing on the volume and outward appearance of the groups.

[@jessehaskell1397]

I listened to Zeppelin almost exclusively in the mid to late 70’s. I completely burned out on them. As the years go by their god-like reputation has faded.

[@maxpower92]

Perhaps the journalist was more of a disco fan

[@LennyCarlo]

Saw zeppelin on that tour at msg from the 20th row. Don’t know what this critic saw or heard but it was the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen. And FYI Bonham was anything but mediocre

[@audio-video-stereo]

I worked for bill Graham from 1976-1980 and saw just about every act that came through the SF Bay Area during that time. The most disappointing act was Led Zeppelin. Drunk, late, endless tuning up and noodling about. They could get away with being horrible because they were idolized. In the 90’s I saw Page / Plant and they were sober, rehearsed, on time and had very well mixed sound. They were great.

[@audiomover]

Wow! What a cool experience!

[@landguitar]

Writing reminded me of Greg Kinnear’s character in You’ve Got Mail! Clearly the paper sent an Opera fan to a Rock concert. A clear example of why LZ avoided the media. No apologies for their excesses, however…

[@joelombrdo]

I don't agree with the comment about Stairway to Heaven. I'm not a big fan of Plant's live singing but Jimmy's guitar playing is excellent.

[@trajan6927]

Zep had great and highly polished studio albums that did not transfer well to the stage. Not a great live band. Very sloppy. Not tight. Great studio musicians.

[@erickaplan711]

Brilliant, untouchable studio recordings (with a little help from Eddie Kramer : ) And the 1970 Royal Albert Hall video footage, from the box set (e.g., Bring It On Home), speaks for itself: they could be & often were scary good live. Probably better the earlier one goes back, in terms of live quality. I love Led Zeppelin: Genius English Boy Studio Rat Player-Songwriters Par Excellence, bar none save the Beatles. Woe to all who doth not have the Zep-monster permanently etched into their brainwaves, for they misseth out. Total groove, uncanny intervallic & time signature shifts. Lovely crescendoes, haunting melodies. One could go on and on about their strong points. The prototype for the modern era. Accept no imitations : )

[@johnnyd63]

After listening to many soundboard recordings from the 1975 tour, I agree with the review.

[@vermontbred]

Bron-Yr-Aur pronounced "Bron Rawr." Thanks for the content. Respect.

[@audiomover]

Thanks!

[@Frip36]

I've heard from Robert Plant's own lips in an old interview pronounce it "Bron ya-da". But with fancy tongue clicks. He was going for exotic-authentic. But in early '70's concerts he says: bron-RAH. Also, bron-RAWR. The English ad an "R" to the ends of many words that don't have an "R" ending. So who knows what the f**k he's doing. As just one example: Instead of China, many Brits will say "Chiner". They probably call Alaska, Alasker. The actual Welsh pronunciation is difficult. So Robert himself is getting it wrong, but doing his best as a non-Welshman. Welsh pronunciation: bron-urd-ahyesh. That's as close as English spelling of it can get. It's got a bunch of slang-ish slurry sounds. Just go, "bron AH-RIDE". Slur through it on the down low. I hate when bands name songs awkwardly. Zeppelin did the same thing with D’yer Mak’er. Bron-Yr-AUR and D’yer Mak’er making everyone sound stupid, fight among friends, and question themselves, going on 50 years now. Bron-Yr-Aur means golden hills in Welsh. Or golden breast. Breast being Welsh slang for hill. D’yer Mak’er is an British in joke for trips to Jamaica. Friend comes back from Jamaica and his friend says, "Jah maker?" I.e. Did you make her? Did you get laid? Not very funny. Bron-Yr-Aur should have been named something like Golden Dawn. Amber Peaks. Amber Dawn. Rolling Embers. Hillside Terrace. D’yer Mak’er should have been named something like Darlin' Please. The Letter. Sad, Sad, Mad. Can't Let You Go. Ohio.

[@benedictdonald4338]

I’d always heard it pronounced as “BroM-rahr”, but suspect you’re correct.

[@Frip36]

@@benedictdonald4338 Look man. I didn't spend all that time educating so you could just toss it all away with freakin "BroM-rahr".

[@vermontbred]

@@Frip36 D'yer Mak'er? No, she went voluntarily.

[@MrOctober44]

As much as a fan as I am, I really don't want to see a song extended to 20-30, minutes, much less doing that to multiple songs. I'm sure most will disagree, but they got way too self indulgent with their live performances.

[@goodguy5595]

Do you mean they sucked? Because that's what I mean they sucked live

[@MrOctober44]

​@@goodguy5595I've never been impressed by them live. They had a lot of stage presence/charisma

[@DG-sf9ei]

Numbingly direct, loud enough to rattle the brain pan, and mysterious........ sounds like a compliment from a soy who hates Rock n Roll. Yes, mission complete for Led Zeppelin against this flake critic

[@jdbrown371]

The awkward transitions part is very understandable for someone unaccustomed to certain musical vocabulary, schema and stock phrases adopted by Led Zeppelin. I happen to think the transitions in Stairway are rather brilliant, such as a drum roll into a slightly faster and more upbeat tempo. To many of us, it sounds normal and logical. To others, it sounds as strange and disjointed as Eastern European folk music to someone without any familiarity or context. It all comes down to familiarity and taste. Not even the great classical composers escaped criticism, which was based largely on the same reasons. Then there's the simple reality that people have unique tastes and perceptions. I'm a classical pianist, have a very broad repertoire and experience but I will always misjudge some music (rarely perhaps) because of my tastes and prejudices. We're all in the same situation because music is among many things an art form and too big for any one of us. Lastly, everyone sooner or later has bad performances. It's an unfortunate truth. Some worse than others. Mine kind of upset me but fortunately others don't really care too much. Did Led Zeppelin have unquestionably shitty and subpar days? Yes, frequently. When the stars aligned, their music making was legendary. It didn't always happen and some of their live performances were downright scandalous. That was the price to be paid for playing a risky music with that music energy. Sometimes, it was too much to contain and get under control.

[@audiomover]

Thank you for the insightful comment.

[@thetruthhurts6652]

I always thought Zep was much better in the studio than live.

[@CharlesWalsh-r7p]

The transition thing is crazy I always thought Led Zeppelin was great at smoothing transitions and not making the next part of the song have erupted unpleasant entrances.

[@fredbrooks2939]

Seeing Zeppelin was much closer to a God than the church I was forced to every Sunday 🤌💯

[@m600blu]

from what i recall jimmy always wore the same black and white shoes and they were not platform.

[@harveydilworth7140]

Been to 1,000 concerts sing Led Zeppelin twice in Detroit Michigan 75 and 76 Cobo Hall they sounded terrible my wife love them and when she seen them live she says wow they're a great Studio band but they do not sound good live deep purple and Jethro Tull sounded better live than their Studios Zeppelin will always be known as a studio band in my heart

[@MJEvermore853]

Page, short? He was 5-feet, 11.5 inches tall back at this time. Platform shoes? He wore the same old black and white patent leather shoes he always wore -they were flat as pancakes! The only thing short is the writer's intellect. 😅 I think this reviewer was chomping some bad mushrooms before ever entering this particular gig. Plant (throughout the entirety of 1975) was sick as a dog with severe flu beginning from the 1st or 2nd night of that tour until it's end on March 27th. And beyond, even during the Earls Court shows. He messed up his throat by singing while ill.

[@mjp96]

"Subscribe"??? To a guy reading an old newspaper article!? Sign me up lol

[@clete3977]

Page was sloppy live. And Plant was pitchy at times. And 20 minute drum solos are time to hit the bathroom.

[@CraigGriffin-h6m]

Better than your shit band 😂

[@clete3977]

@@CraigGriffin-h6m My band was tight! Granted, we didn't do heroin, so...

[@MatthewMcgrath-l2c]

Loved the first album but never a big Zep fan .

[@Jmr-o5e]

Oh and plant sang off pitch occassionally too. Face it: he is not a good love performer, but a top voice in the studio.

[@BenOSickey]

On Stairway I think he might be talking about the area between DA DA DAHHHH... DA DA DAHHH and where the solo rhythm begins. Pretty crazy timing there--could almost sound disjointed. I think it sounds uncanny and cool. Who knows what this guy was thinking!

[@shuntguy]

In the later years Zep could be a bit boring live. I don't care who you are but a 20 minute drum solo does sound like torture. 40 minutes of No Quarter is about 30 minutes too long. Plant could also ramble in talking to the audience. Sometimes Bonzo would snap his snare just to get him moving again. The best I have ever heard them play live is on the '71 tour in Japan. Tight, to the point and lightning fast. By the time they did their '80 tour in Europe they had started to turn things around and had a more condensed set and were playing much better. But then...

[@jonjackson5372]

From what the reviewer wrote, it’s obvious he was not a fan of LZ to begin with. While it’s quite possible that the night he attended was not a great performance, he presented a very biased assessment and expressed himself quite poorly. I wonder what the fans thought about this particular concert.

[@dwandersgaming]

What does the critic have to say about the albums? I would say 2 and 4 rank highly in terms of all time rock albums. I can understand sometimes live shows aren't up to snuff. I wasn't quite old enough to see Zeppelin but i saw the Firm in 85 and Jimmy was on that night. Very few guitarists are the sight and sound to see .I thought the 95 Page /Plant show was an awesome concert but the 98 show I saw lacked the same energy. Even though 98 was the same venue as 95 the sound was awful(not the bands fault). The sound techs had to make adjustments because it was hard to tell what song they were opening with because it was so muffled.

[@georgeSeifIII]

Lets face it. The hippies hated Led Zeppelin. The ultimate payback is that of all those wonderful bands from Zeppelins era; it's Zeppelin who holds the test of time and they'll be listened to and discussed for at least the next century while the critics and Pete Townsend are forgetten. I've been in the Zeppelin rabbit hole ever since Kevin Doyle from the 7th grade in 1980 turned me on to Zeppelin.

[@grahamblack1961]

By this time Zeppelin had survived 6 years of being critically panned yet loved by the public. I would imagine they were past caring by this point.

[@michaelmclaughlin6376]

Well, just listen to a Zeppelin bootleg from their 1975 tour - Robert DID have difficulty singing the whole tour. He'd just had surgery to remove vocal nodes and his voice was essentially fried.

[@jimred5700]

As Gene Simmons said; "The press don`t matter".

[@rupowell2821]

I get this review 100% and I’m a life long Zep fan..it’s a strange thing, but Zeppelin just didn’t fit neatly into 1975..or 77 for that matter. They were marginally ok for 79, as there was other bands of that style that were acceptable in 79 eg., Rainbow etc. but as far as 75 was concerned they were a pastiche of themselves..ABBA dominated the airwaves and it just wasn’t their time. Zep in my opinion had their day from 1968 to 73..anything after that was self aggrandised, overblown overplayed garbage. And yes I am a huge fan, but bands should recognize their natural life span, their ‘time’ as it were..this man’s review sums up my sentiment perfectly..he is spot on, their time was up by 1975, and sadly they kept going..they were naturally beautiful and unforced in 1973 and before that, it felt natural..but in 75 it was a huge bag of over the top corporate rock bullshit..once they put Bonham on that riser, it was game over, and yes they also turned on that crap sound on his snare! To really experience my point, just listen to the No Quarter jams from 75 with the piano..what were they thinking!!??..long live Zeppelin (up to 1973!)

[@toddmiller8413]

To say Led Zeppelin were washed up after 1973 is false. Physical Graffiti, and Presence came after '73! Hail Zep😊

[@scifiwriter98]

@rupowell2821 I don't entirely agree with your assessment but can understand your sentiment. My favorite Zep albums were the first 5 and I'm not a huge fan of Graffiti. I don't like Presence at all and their final album leaned heavily on JPJ as Page had become a shadow of his former self. I blame the decline on Page's drug habit. Heroin is one hell of a drug. But in retrospect, most groups had already peaked by the late 70s. The last great albums came out between 71 and 73 for the Who, Stones, Humble Pie, Tull, Allman Bros, etc. It's a strange phenomenon that rock groups all peaked during the same five years and then never regained their ability to make great albums. Only Yes and Genesis kept it going past 1975, but lost it completely by 1979.

[@daisywrabbit]

wow, i didn’t realize Plant was 6’1”. he really does appear shorter onstage.

[@daisywrabbit]

ok, now im really buggin, cuz jimmy page is only 5’11”, and i thought he was taller than plant for some reason.

[@jeremywanner4526]

@@daisywrabbitplatform shoes

[@Jmr-o5e]

He’s nearly 6”3 and has been since 1967. Wake up. Go find him and stand next to him some time. Its not rocket science.

[@daisywrabbit]

@ he was sitting down when i saw him

[@davidankrom1247]

I’ve always wondered about that. I met him in a washroom in Winnipeg, Canada about 10 years ago, and he was shorter than me. I’m 5’8”. He is older now, so that might account for it. He did look tall in most of the live pictures, mostly taken looking up at him. And yes, he was hard to listen as time went on. He did have a stronger voice, without the girlish whine when he was younger.

[@Incomudro1963]

I'm a huge Zeppelin fan, they are in many ways my favorite band. Yet, I don't disagree with much of that article. As a four piece, they were often incapable of reproducing on stage what they recorded on vinyl. Live, they were often terrible - and yes - there always were and still are fans who deny that and think every performance of the band was the best live performance of any band ever. Plant's voice was often shot on tour. And Plant is one of my favorite singers - but honesty is important. Page did indeed play overly long endless solos that took you out of the song and ruined all of the nuance that the studio version of the song had. Bonham - one of rock's greatest drummers also played the most boring drum solo known to man.

[@asmundukkelberg8741]

I am also a HUGE Zeppelin fan, and I do agree with you. They got gradually worse towards 1980. Plant's voice and Page's playing deteriorated, and the shows got pretentious and bloated. I understand why many fans switched to Van Halen and AC/DC.

[@scramblesish]

@@asmundukkelberg8741 I have to agree …they were an unsurpassed studio band , but were never as good live. Still my favourite band ever though

[@jeff8117]

Led Zep deserves most of the high praise they receive for their album output despite they're borrowing nature. As live band, they had their moments, but they always seemed to be far and few in between. I understand the ifirst nstinct of the Zeppelin fan is to protect, but every great pioneering rock band has something you could critique about them, and live shows were not an LZ strength. Any Led Zeppelin fan who says different is more than entitled to feel that way of they like.

[@gummiesrule88]

Not a big drum solo guy, myself, especially in a mosh pit that typified a Zeppelin gig. But Bonham made that band, and they all knew it. Plant's voice in the '75 tour was rougher than it had been. It actually improved for '77, overall. But this review being read is pompous bs, overall. When you start talking about a musician's height, or lack thereof, it's a telling sign of your motives..

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

That review is fair. Really crap live.

[@lanemeyer9350]

My dad is THE biggest Zep fan and saw them on this 1975 tour. He’s told me my entire life that they were incredibly boring that night.

[@willstacey5847]

Your dad was unfortunately right and I love Zeppelin too.

[@goodguy5595]

Yes led Zeppelin sucked live.

[@davidwheeler9810]

For people who showed up to hear note for note renditions of the album versions (BORING IMHO) I can see why people might be disappointed. If you enjoy seeing great musicians following their muse on stage, it was quite exhilarating, and yes, occasionally off the rails.

[@davidadams5280]

When your musical taste is hearing Simon and Garfunkel singing about feeling groovy you're not gonna like Zeppelin.

[@bobbyd4400]

Some people just dont understand rock and roll😊

[@bryankirchwehm8864]

I think Don Stanley must have been a Pete Townshend lover!

[@leescheeler1503]

Saw them in 73' never liked them after that.....they sounded nothing like their record.....Robert grinds on my chalkboard too high pitched for me ..,.oh well they did have some good songs that rocked out