To me, this show gives a good glimpse into the beh...

2011-05-05T16:44:06.529-04:00

To me, this show gives a good glimpse into the behind the scenes difficulties faced by the group members toward the end. Jimmy's heroin addiction and Bonzo's alcoholism set an even sadder scene for a very wounded Robert Plant, who was still suffering greatly from the death of his son, Karac, in 1977.

What stands out for me in this show is Robert Plant's performance. Many lyrics are sung with reflection, mourning, and grief. The last half of Kashmir, in particular, is outstanding. He ad libs lyrics toward the end that I cannot completely decipher except for, "Stop the pain, stop the pain, stop the pain". It is very powerful and ominous. Robert sings about where he has been in the last few years: "I can take... you there", if we dare to go. When you then hear, "Let me take, let me take" without the "there" added, you know what he is talking about... This is amongst the rawest and most powerful deliveries that I have heard him give.

On the other hand, I also get a gut feeling that Jimmy wasn't that sympathetic for whatever reasons. If you listen to the guitar solos on All My Love from the early shows of this tour, they sound kind of pathetic-- almost as if he didn't care about the song, which, of course, is Robert's tribute to Karac.

Comments on The Year of Led Zeppelin: Day 256: 6/21/1980 Rotterdam, Holland

To me, this show gives a good glimpse into the beh...