So I finally saw “It Might Get Loud” at the one theater in LA still playing it, and it has plenty of lovely moments in it. Not the least of them was Jimmy Page playing a quiet solo rendition of “Ramble On”, explaining that the acoustic parts served as “whispers” to the “thunder” of the chorus. Really beautiful. And when you hear that it was muzak that drove Page to quit being a session man, you can’t help but be grateful for muzak.

The other day I came across this online, a set of about four early Zeppelin songs performed live in Copenhagen about six months after the band formed to complete a tour of Yardbirds tourdates. Seeing them at this early stage is mind-blowing, an act seemingly sui generis, springing fully formed into the world. Can you imagine catching this set? Led Zeppelin the six-month-old toddler? For all the live shows, I can think of a handful of bands that made me think, “omg”. But I can’t think of anything that has the effect of this shoddy YouTube video, four decades out:

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