• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Best Led Zeppellin live album?

the bbc sessions are great. so is how the west won. but plants voice is pure gold on the bbc sesssions.

+1

Great stuff on the BBC sessions. IIRC, that stuff was recorded between 1969 and 1971. For me, that's Zeppelin in their prime. And that's pre-1973 which is significant, since many think that's when Robert Plant damaged his voice. And the quality of the BBC recordings is very good.

I definitely dig 'How The West Was Won'. Again, those recordings are pre-1973. And the songs on that record are definitely notable.

As for 'The Song Remains The Same'? The other two official live records have diminished it's place in the Zeppelin catalog. At least for me, they have. Plant's vocals have a lot to do with that. Listening to him sing "Rock and Roll" is almost cringe worthy. As a result I can't even remember the last time I listened to 'The Song Remains The Same'.
 
+1

Great stuff on the BBC sessions. IIRC, that stuff was recorded between 1969 and 1971. For me, that's Zeppelin in their prime. And that's pre-1973 which is significant, since many think that's when Robert Plant damaged his voice. And the quality of the BBC recordings is very good.

I definitely dig 'How The West Was Won'. Again, those recordings are pre-1973. And the songs on that record are definitely notable.

As for 'The Song Remains The Same'? The other two official live records have diminished it's place in the Zeppelin catalog. At least for me, they have. Plant's vocals have a lot to do with that. Listening to him sing "Rock and Roll" is almost cringe worthy. As a result I can't even remember the last time I listened to 'The Song Remains The Same'.

For me, the version of "Since I've Been Lovin' You" on that soundtrack album is the definitive version of that song.

I also really enjoy that "Whole Lotta Love."

I don't need to ever hear "Rock and Roll" again.

Also, the "No Quarter" on that album is perhaps Page's best guitar solo of all time.
 
They are all (equally?) good in my opinion.

How The West Was One - Brilliant performances. Astonishing sound quality. Plant sings the high notes in Over the Hills and Far Away. Shame it is spread across three CDs...

BBC Sessions - Captures two different Zeppelins. The 1969, band going for broke, still fighting to be the first properly heavy band at a time that the Jeff Beck Group and Vanilla Fudge et al were still experimenting with 'heavy psychedelia'. The 1971 Zeppelin band were starting to shed the heavy blues trappings, and beginning to look much further.

The Song Remains the Same - Captures a tired Zeppelin at the end of their tether. Bonham's "right lets go" shouted before the intro of Rock and Roll could be seen as the shout of a man wanting the gig over and done. Plant's voice is worn thin, Jimmy is not at his sharpest. However when I bought my copy it was the only Zeppelin live album around, so I am fond of it for this reason. I can still play along to whole sections of the strung-out version of Dazed and Confused on guitar. I prefer the first CD to the second generally.
 

Latest posts