Stairway to Heaven

["Mark Brown" <markbrow@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It is undeniably a great song, and one that in my opinion where the live 
versions never have been quite as good as the studio version (I put bob 
dylan's Like a Rolling Stone and Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run in this 
same catagory).

I've listened to plenty of boot copies and think the solo in the TSRTS 
soundtrack is some of Page's best guitar work. But that studio version 
is never touched. Before you disagree, go back and listen to the 
remastered version on a good stereo, loud and uninterrupted. It's a 
great song but also a great recording. They've simply never matched it 
live.

A question for the musicians out there: To my untrained ears, it sounds 
like Jimmy plays it in a different key or something in the live versions 
(I'm referring in particular to the TSRTS version; can't remember how it 
is on the BBC sessions). Is he playing it in a different key - the 
opening intro in particular -- or does it just sound different because 
it's on electric rather than acoustic guitar?