Led Zeppelin

[211poundsofpork]

I thought his hands and wrists were pretty much shot from arthritis. I know from the O2 show he didn't have his chops under full command - the riffs were solid, but the solos were a bit lacking in fireworks. Can't imagine what it's like 5 years later - remember, he's knocking on 70. About the only guys from that era that can still rip it like the "old days" are probably Billy Gibbons and Carlos Santana.

I still think Jeff Beck and David Gilmour sound pretty good.
(This is in response to Tyler's post concerning a lack of Jimmy Page in recent years which we were discussing in the New Album Releases thread. I could not find a Zeppelin thread. Kudzo could not find a Zeppelin thread. So, I figured I'd transfer the discussion over here to it's proper home - and about time!)

[Kudzu Guillotine]

If there's already a Zeppelin thread in existence, please feel free to delete this one.

Transferring this discussion over from the 2012 new album releases thread...

Hey Kudzu, how was this show and for that matter: how did their reunion turn out? I don't remember hearing much hoopla about this. I'm a huge Zep head and take advantage of these too rare Zep releases, when they do occur (ie. How the West was Won, The DVD box set, etc.) and I am ready to splurge - especially since JPJ is involved.

I didn't personally attend (though I did enter the lottery for tix). Even though there are evidently plenty of unofficial live recordings and DVD's of the concert out there, I haven't done much more than watch a few shitty YouTube clips that were shot on people's cellphones. From all accounts, it turned out very well. That's according to firsthand accounts as well as reviews. I'd say it got more than a fair amount of attention via music magazine covers worldwide and the press in general. The night of the concert you couldn't even sign on to the official Zeppelin board because the servers were overloaded. The demand for tickets was also very overwhelming which got about as much publicity as the concert itself. I'm not sure how I would have gotten to England if I had won (snowball's chance in hell) but I would have figured out a way. The concert was so successful it was followed by rumors of a worldwide tour. At that time Plant already had plans in place to tour with Alison Krauss in support of Raising Sand so such a massive undertaking was out of the question. His refusal take part resulted in lots of vitriol being directed his way. In the months following the reunion, Page, Jones and Jason Bonham attempted to find another singer (everyone from Myles Kennedy [Alter Bridge] to Steven Tyler tried out) but there's just no replacing Plant. They had hoped to record a new album with Plant and to tour under another name besides Led Zeppelin but that obviously never came to be. Other than an appearance in It Might Get Loud and the release of the Death Wish II and the Lucifer's Rising soundtracks on vinyl, Page has remained largely in seclusion.

I'm not sure if you've heard but Page, Plant and Jones have been selected to receive the Kennedy Center Awards as Led Zeppelin on December 1st in Washington, DC. From what I've read, in order to receive the award, you have to be in attendance. I'm sure this, coupled with the release of the 02 DVD/CD, is only going to cause Led Zeppelin reunion rumors to ramp up again. The last I read, Plant has no less than two albums under his belt (one for the Band of Joy, the other for the Sensational Space Shifters) so I can only guess that he's going to remain adamant against touring. He's made that point time and time again since the 02 show and I certainly understand but it's sad to see Page so inactive musically, unless it's something Zeppelin related.

Exactly. 1988's Outrider doesn't really satisfy the Page fans, if you catch my drift. He did do the touring with the Crowes 12 or so years ago, but what gives? He is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. My guess is he has always been very reclusive and he also likes being in the background musically as well, except as you just said- if it is Zep related. (My apologies for going a bit off the new album release topic everyone, but I don't know how to transport a quote to a new thread that is well, Zeppelin related! )

I've heard everything from "he's retired" (from his official photographer Ross Halfin) to "he has arthritis" (well informed internut scuttlebutt) but I imagine if someone approached them with a cause they were all behind (such as the Ahmet Ertegun tribute at the 02 in 2007), the mighty Led Zeppelin would rise from the ashes once again. However, I just don't see that happening and even it were to happen, it more than likely would be another one-off and not a full fledged tour (not that there's anything the matter with that). Page is also one, if not my very favorite guitarist, so it's frustrating to see him remain so inactive. Obviously he's played some role in the release of the upcoming 02 DVD/CD but beyond that it's been sporadic appearances with everyone from Donovan to Roy Harper to selling overpriced vintage prints via JimmyPage.com. Even that website itself is mostly an exercise in nostalgia because of the On This Day feature (which is already deep into repeats from last year when it was originally launched). Meanwhile, Plant forges ahead into uncharted waters (at least for him) whether it be Appalachian folk tunes or the North African tribal textures of the Sensational Space Shifters. Same for John Paul Jones, who seems to have an insatiable desire to try anything, no matter how avant garde or rooted in tradition; or even hard rock when working with Them Crooked Vultures. Meanwhile, one of the world's greatest guitarists (at least in my opinion) appears to be wasting away. He's been promising a new album for years but for whatever reason, it never seems to materialize. On the other hand, Page is approaching 70 so he most definitely has done everything to deserve his retirement. I would just love to hear some new music out of him at least one more time.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Ramble On
3. Black Dog
4. In My Time Of Dying
5. For Your Life
6. Trampled Under Foot
7. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
8. No Quarter
9. Since I’ve Been Loving You
10. Dazed And Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven
12. The Song Remains The Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock And Roll

Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day
September 13, 2012

Audio And Video From Legendary 2007 Concert
To Be Available In Multiple Configurations On November 19

Concert Slated For Global Theatrical Release On October 17

(Los Angeles, Sept. 13, 2012) – On December 10, 2007, Led Zeppelin took the stage at London’s O2 Arena to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. What followed was a two-hour-plus tour de force of the band’s signature blues-infused rock ’n’ roll that instantly became part of the legend of Led Zeppelin. Founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalog including landmark tracks “Whole Lotta Love,” “Rock And Roll,” “Kashmir,” and “Stairway To Heaven.”

Although 20 million people applied for tickets, the band’s first headline show in 27 years was seen only by the 18,000 ticket holders who were fortunate enough to have secured seats through the worldwide lottery.

The film of Celebration Day will see a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in over 40 territories on October 17. The theatrical screenings will follow premieres in London, Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities. Tickets for the public screenings will be available on September 13 via ledzeppelin.com.

Celebration Day will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19 from Swan Song/Atlantic Records. Specific product details will be announced soon.

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/news

[LuthierJustin]

I haven't really listened to Zeppelin in about 10 or so years, but this will be fun!

[Kudzu Guillotine]

It wasn't something I did consciously but I had kind of relegated them to the backburner until they released Led Zeppelin DVD and How the West Was Won in 2003. That opened up the floodgates to rediscovering their back catalog.

[211poundsofpork]

...which (at least from my standpoint) is relatively easy to do, since they aren't together anymore for one. Secondly, the archival releases have been very sparse. I love just about everything they have ever played, but after awhile I tend to put them to the side at times and listen to other stuff, mainly because their limited catalog. I mean, compare that output to something like The Beatles or even the Dead. A different animal but I think you get my point - both of those bands seem to have a bottomless pit of archival stuff.

Anyway, the long awaited box set (with the crop circles) in '90, got it. The BBC Sessions in '97? - got it. How the West Was Won - got it. The self titled DVD box set after that - got it. The Song Remains the Same deluxe edition of both dvd and cd - got it. Heck, I even got that Led Zeppelin tribute album called Encomium from the early 90's (awful cover of Custard Pie by David Yow if I remember that correctly!) You better believe, even though it's not 60's or 70's era Zep, I'm all over this Celebration Day release when it comes out. Really psyched, thanks to Kudzu.

On a side note, what does anybody think of Robert Plant's recent Band of Joy stuff? I've heard some of it at work on Last.FM and I was really impressed.

It wasn't something I did consciously but I had kind of relegated them to the backburner until they released Led Zeppelin DVD and How the West Was Won in 2003. That opened up the floodgates to rediscovering their back catalog.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

There may not be much out there in the way of officially released stuff from the archives but as one of the most heavily bootlegged bands in history there's tons of unofficial recordings. So much so that it can be a bit intimidating as to where to start which would explain why I have very few of their unofficial live recordings. Also, growing up in the boonies as I did in the 70's, it wasn't like those albums were readily available. Thankfully, I knew at least one Zeppelin fanatic who had procured copies of Blueberry Hill and Live In Europe '75 on vinyl.

On a side note, what does anybody think of Robert Plant's recent Band of Joy stuff? I've heard some of it at work on Last.FM and I was really impressed.

I like it and have seen him on tour with both the Raising Sand Revue and the Band of Joy. I also really like the albums he did leading up to his more recent work, Dreamland and The Mighty Rearranger. It sounds to me like the Sensational Space Shifters (his latest project) is sort of a mix of what he was doing on The Mighty Rearranger and the Band of Joy material.

[211poundsofpork]

There may not be much out there in the way of officially released stuff from the archives but as one of the most heavily bootlegged bands in history there's tons of unofficial recordings. So much so that it can be a bit intimidating as to where to start which would explain why I have very few of their unofficial live recordings. Also, growing up in the boonies as I did in the 70's, it wasn't like those albums were readily available. Thankfully, I knew at least one Zeppelin fanatic who had procured copies of Blueberry Hill and Live In Europe '75 on vinyl.

That is just about the same way I it's happened to me over the years when it comes to their unofficial recordings. I have a bunch, including the Blueberry Hill show that you mentioned. I'd have to say when it comes to sound quality, half of mine are not so good, but the ones that are great - well, uh you know- AWESOME!

My first unofficial recording of theirs, I got in the 8th grade in junior high. A classmate gave me two tapes. One was a '69 show and the other was a '70 show entitled Silver Coated Rails and the first time I ever heard Black Mountain Side with the White Summer part at the beginning - and that blew me away. I also have some cool bootlegs I've picked up from record stores over the years including one from Dallas in '75 and another which is a decent representation of '77 Zep called Destroyer. My favorite unofficial recording is a show on 3 discs from '75 which a friend burnt for me and gave to me as a birthday gift one year. (To me, it was my favorite birthday gift that year!) Not only is the music great on it, but Robert Plant's banter and ramblings about Cardiff, the English countryside, JPJ's piano, etc. Funny stuff.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Speaking of Plant's banter, there's an entire YouTube channel devoted to his "Plantations".

[Flea]

"Presence" is an overlooked masterpiece that everyone needs to revisit.

[oilpiers]

"Presence" is an overlooked masterpiece that everyone needs to revisit.

It is a tough listen. Achilles is one of the BEST songs they ever did, kind of a revamp of Song Remains the Same, but the rest is harsh and not too melodic, unlike PG and HOH.(Nobody's Fault, does kick major ass).

[LuthierJustin]

One thing that really turned me off to Zeppelin...



That's just a few of the contemporary songs at the time, not to mention all the old blues stuff they "borrowed"

[Kudzu Guillotine]

It's going to be next to impossible to have a discussion about Zeppelin without the plagiarism aspect coming up. I'm not saying it should be swept under the rug but sadly, it's come to overshadow their legacy in a lot of ways which I think is very unfortunate. They've tried to do the right thing over the years by crediting the proper songwriters so they'll see some royalty checks so I'm not sure what else they can do about it at this point. There's also the fact that lots of their contemporaries did the exact same thing but for whatever reason they haven't fallen under the microscope like Led Zeppelin has. I'm not sure if you've read it but Duke Silver recently posted an excerpt from the new Dylan interview from Rolling Stone in the Misc Shit thread where he addresses the whole plagiarism thing head on. Here it is again:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylan-strikes-back-at-critics-20120912

I want to ask about the controversy over your quotations in your songs from the works of other writers, such as Japanese author Junichi Saga's Confessions of a Yakuza, and the Civil War poetry of Henry Timrod. In folk and jazz, quotation is a rich and enriching tradition, but some critics say that you didn't cite your sources clearly. What's your response to those kinds of charges?

Oh, yeah, in folk and jazz, quotation is a rich and enriching tradition. That certainly is true. It's true for everybody, but me. There are different rules for me. And as far as Henry Timrod is concerned, have you even heard of him? Who's been reading him lately? And who's pushed him to the forefront? Who's been making you read him? And ask his descendants what they think of the hoopla. And if you think it's so easy to quote him and it can help your work, do it yourself and see how far you can get. Wussies and pussies complain about that stuff. It's an old thing – it's part of the tradition. It goes way back. These are the same people that tried to pin the name Judas on me. Judas, the most hated name in human history! If you think you've been called a bad name, try to work your way out from under that. Yeah, and for what? For playing an electric guitar? As if that is in some kind of way equitable to betraying our Lord and delivering him up to be crucified. All those evil motherfuckers can rot in hell.

Seriously?

I'm working within my art form. It's that simple. I work within the rules and limitations of it. There are authoritarian figures that can explain that kind of art form better to you than I can. It's called songwriting. It has to do with melody and rhythm, and then after that, anything goes. You make everything yours. We all do it.

[LuthierJustin]

They didn't plagiarize what I feel is their best song

[scotto]

Though I'm not a huge fan, I like Led Zeppelin a lot; however, Robert Plant's singing is (for me) a major liability.
But I'll forever be indebted to Led Zeppelin for turning me on to Sandy Denny.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Though I'm not a huge fan, I like Led Zeppelin a lot; however, Robert Plant's singing is (for me) a major liability.
But I'll forever be indebted to Led Zeppelin for turning me on to Sandy Denny.

Led Zeppelin are responsible for turning me onto lots of stuff, especially the blues. Truth be told, it wasn't just them though, I could also cite Skynyrd for directing me towards Son House and others but hearing that first Zep record is what made me really want to seek out the works of Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. Years later the Honeydrippers were the impetus for me really getting into rockabilly and 50's rock n' roll in general. Even further down the line, it was Plant's Mighty Rearranger album that sent me in search of Tinariwen.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Growing up, I thought 1977 was a pretty fucked up year to be a music fan because of Skynyrd's plane crash. I know Elvis also died that year but his passing didn't register with me on the same scale. That's not meant to sound disrespectful, it's just that Skynyrd's music resonated with me in an entirely different way, especially since I was all of 15 years old at the time. As the years passed, I'd come to appreciate Elvis' music a whole lot more. I also lost my sister in 1977 which obviously had a much deeper effect on me than the Skynyrd plane crash. There was a lot of great music and times I had that year but it's also not a time I look back on so fondly. 1980 was also a pretty fucked up year, first, with the death of John Bonham on September 25th and then with the assassination of John Lennon on December 8th.

I was recently watching a preview clip from an upcoming NC music documentary called Bring It On Home where Jon Wurster (drummer for Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, Whiskeytown and others) was interviewed. In it, he talks about being asked about John Bonham in an interview for a potential opening in a local band called the Right Profile. In his response, he downplays Bonham but talks up Levon Helm while also openly admitting he's never been a huge Zeppelin fan. Maybe that's part of the divide I have with others that don't share my passion for Zeppelin. In my musical world, there's room enough for Zeppelin and The Band without feeling like one plays more of an important role than the other.


John Henry Bonham aka "Bonzo" (May 31 1948 – September 25 1980)

[211poundsofpork]

In my musical world, there's room enough for Zeppelin and The Band without feeling like one plays more of an important role than the other.

From one huge Zeppelin/The Band fan to another, I totally agree with that statement.

[Rocky]

The anniversary of Bonzo's death was yesterday. But you probabaly already knew that. 40 shots of vodka and choking on his own vomit I believe.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

The anniversary of Bonzo's death was yesterday. But you probabaly already knew that. 40 shots of vodka and choking on his own vomit I believe.

Yep. That's kindly what I posted about above.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I saw this last night at an IMAX theatre in Durham and all I can say is, if you're on the fence about going, by all means go. Unless you have a super sized screen and state of the art audio in your home, there's really no way to recreate the IMAX experience. Only thing is, in most places it was only playing on the 17th. In a few rare cases it's also playing tonight but after that it's gone from theatres for good. You can search for local theatres and showtimes here. For anyone that may be interested in reading it, I posted a review in the Last Movie Watched thread.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Good news, particularly on the bonus material front but haven't all of the Zeppelin albums already been remastered? At least that's how I thought the first two box sets were marketed.

Jimmy Page Remastering All of Led Zeppelin's LPs



Jimmy Page has taken on one ambitious project. According to Blabbermouth, Page has been working in a West London studio remastering every single Led Zeppelin LP.

Peter Mensch, who is Page’s manager, released the news of his project during an interview with the United Kingdom newspaper Sunday Times. It is believed that all the remasters will be available sometime next year and might include alternative takes as well as unreleased material.

Blabbermouth also pointed out that in a recent interview with Mojo magazine, Page talked about plans to release each Zeppelin album as a special box set with bonus material. It is rumored that artist Shepard Fairey has been tapped to re-design the artwork for the rereleased albums.

[Rocky]

You're right. Jimmy Page already remastered the Led Zeppelin discs back in 1992.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

You're right. Jimmy Page already remastered the Led Zeppelin discs back in 1992.

That's what I was thinking. The Mothership compilation also included new remasters of some of their songs. Since I already have everything that's on that I never purchased it but from what I understand, it's another victim of the "loudness wars" and suffers from too much compression. From what I've been reading, the Zep catalog is long overdue for a massive overhaul. Considering the strides that have been made in audio technology since 1992, I can't say that I disagree. I just hope Page sees fit to do them justice and that the tracks don't receive the same treatment as so many other remasters these days as far as the compression aspect. I also hope that the bonus material is something truly revelatory. They've said for years that there's nothing left in the vaults but I think we all know that is never true of any band. Hendrix has been dead since 1970 and I'm sure his estate will still be releasing stuff from the vaults long after we're all gone. I'm just thankful that Page is still around so that he can actually oversee this project. With his ear for perfection, I have a feeling we won't be disappointed.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

The first official full length video to be released from Celebration Day which drops on DVD, vinyl, CD, Blu-Ray, etc. next month.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Be on the lookout for this, it should be hitting newsstands any day now.



I also understand that Celebration Day is getting a second run in theatres on Tuesday, November 13th. Search for theatres in your area here.

[Steve French]

Growing up, I thought 1977 was a pretty fucked up year to be a music fan because of Skynyrd's plane crash. I know Elvis also died that year but his passing didn't register with me on the same scale.

John Henry Bonham aka "Bonzo" (May 31 1948 – September 25 1980)

that bike is fabulous. Some sort of Triumph parallel twin I guess. Look at the rad 70's styling cues like the looooong forks and sissy bar and the two rectangular lights. It also references the Captain America bike Peter Fonda's character rode in EASY RIDER. SO COOL!

Oh yeah, 1977: For me its all about the punk rock though that really didnt start for me till the next year .... that year would have been bowie, Black Sabbath and Zeppelin.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Another full length preview from Celebration Day:

[novisad]

i love this

[Steve French]

I bought Celebration Day purely on the basis that it was playing at a record store I was in and it was my favourite LZ track (Rock N Roll). Havent listened to it properly yet.

The only comment I have so far is JPJ is doing a terrible duckface in a photo of him and Plant on the inner cover. Jason Bonham is a great drummer too. And theres a dude playing kbs.

Great packaging and promo stuff. Gonna give it a day at work then a spin with headphones tonight.