Led Zeppelin Flying High with New Concert Discs

Reuters (via Yahoo) ^ | 05/28/03 | Dean Goodman

[Drew68]

Led Zeppelin Flying High with New Concert Discs

Wed May 28, 2003

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In the words of one of their songs, Dancing Days are here again for fans of Led Zeppelin.

Defunct for almost 23 years, the pioneering English band behind such hard rock classics as "Stairway to Heaven" and "Kashmir (news - web sites)" has cleaned out its vaults to issue eight hours of previously unreleased live material on DVD and CD.

The "Led Zeppelin DVD" contains footage from four tours spanning 1970 to 1979; the CD "How The West Was Won" combines two Los Angeles shows from 1972 to replicate a single concert.

Remarkably, the band's leader and guitarist, Jimmy Page (news), who compiled the releases, says he remembers all the concerts as if they were yesterday.

"To actually go through it bit by bit and hear sections of it, you go, 'Yeah, yeah, that's really good' or 'I played really well there' or 'My God, that's embarrassing, that bit I played then,"' Page, 58, said in an interview.

Both the DVD and CD were released this week with Page, singer Robert Plant (news), 53, and keyboardist/bassist John Paul Jones (news), 56, embarking on a publicity blitz. Ironically, Led Zeppelin shunned such chores during its 12-year reign, preferring to let the music speak for itself.

But rumors that the trio would play together came to naught. The band has reunited only twice since breaking up after the 1980 alcohol-related death of drummer John Bonham (news). Page and Plant toured and recorded together in the 1990s, to Jones' initial chagrin. These days, the threesome's relationship is more business than social, Page says.

"MAGICAL ELEMENT"

"There were four very different personalities anyway in Led Zeppelin, very different personalities," Page said. "But when they bonded musically, the four elements joined together, took on a fifth element -- a thing which is totally intangible and it can't be charted, which was that magical element."

Led Zeppelin's members fused folk and blues influences to create a genre known as heavy metal. The group's catalog, highlighted by their untitled 1971 album and 1975's "Physical Graffiti" has sold about 200 million copies worldwide.

But their strength was arguably live performances. They toured incessantly, setting new standards for ticket sales. Songs from the albums were radically reworked on stage.

The new CD boasts a 25-minute version of "Dazed and Confused," while Bonham drums relentlessly during the 19-minute "Moby Dick." Spontaneity was the key, which is why the band decided to call it a day rather than try to feign improvisation with a new drummer.

"You had to be totally, totally involved. It's like a sacrifice you were there for," Page said.

The DVD features songs from London's Royal Albert Hall (1970) and Earl's Court (1975), New York's Madison Square Garden (1973) and England's Knebworth Festival (1979). And that's it as far as live footage is concerned, Page says.

"We didn't have a documentary crew going round with us all the time. What would we do it for? We weren't a television band," Page said.

"A BIT OF A LAUGH"

Similarly, the only other audio footage in the vaults was from a university gig, which was done "for a bit of a laugh." Page vows it will never see the light of day because the band made so many mistakes. (Page did use some computer tricks to fix a few wrong chords on the newly released material.)

These days, Page divides his time between a historic London townhouse and a mansion in nearby Windsor. His post-Zeppelin career has been patchy, with highlights including a tour with the Black Crowes and recording a rap version of "Kashmir" with rapper Sean Combs. He says he's working on something "quite surprising" but declined to go into detail.

[WRhine]

My equipment, 78 Les Paul, Strats, Kramer, Dean Flying Z..Mesa Boogie for clean, Marshall for distortion. Best of luck on your playing, and turn it up. Check out Line 6 equipment, awesome for studio work (direct box).

Very nice set up there. I used to like that ultra clean deep Fender reverb sound but Marshall Amps, especially on distortion, are just flat out awesome. If sounds are colors, Fender is silver, Marshall is gold. Ever try to get a Fender Twin to go natural distortion?

[Aquinasfan]

"There were four very different personalities anyway in Led Zeppelin, very different personalities," Page said. "But when they bonded musically, the four elements joined together, took on a fifth element -- a thing which is totally intangible and it can't be charted, which was that magical element."

Yup. The Zep was lightning in a bottle. The hype was justified.

[Delbert]

My first thoughts were ...off to Best Buy right after work.
Zepplin....There hasnt been another band even remotely close them. Damn they were good ...I just bought a new CD copy of Physical Graffitti about a month ago. That was my favorite Zepplin album. WANTON SONG rocks!

[Delbert]

Actually the thing that Page did with Sean Combs wasnt too bad, especially when they performed it live at an awards show a couple of years back.

[NYC Republican]

"It's a testament to how much today's music sucks compared to the stuff back then."

I'm with you 100%! How frustrating to buy a CD and discover that there's only one good tune on it- and that tune was played to death on the radio!

I remember the days where you'd buy a Boston (1st) and Cars (also their initial stab) and you'd hear one awesome song after another. No more...

There are still a few good rock bands around (i.e.- Matchbox 20, Three Doors Down), but very few and far in between.

To get a good idea of what kind of music is selling well these days, take a look at Billboard's top 100 albums- http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/bb200.jsp

It's good to see bands like Staind hit the top of the charts in the first week, but they'll get so little airplay, it'll fall like a rock.

[NYC Republican]

"Hopefully it's not a "Firm" reunion"

What a fiasco that was! You'd think that Jimmy Paige and Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) would be a good combo, but it was a disaster.

[dfwgator]

That was truly a great band. Billy Gibbons and his patented pick/thumb harmonics (he wrote the book on it) was just riveting.

What do you mean "was"? The little 'ol band from Texas is playing the AAC here in June.

[wardaddy]

Well said...I always like your musical opining.

I had forgotten all about Cactus....wow...I can still remember that orangish colored album that was live I think.

Yes Blow by Blow beats Wired by a mile.

Tommy Bolin was sure fun to listen to. I think the first time I noticed him might have been on James Gang Bang. Too bad....another one bit the dust.

I think Hendrix sort of upstaged everybody...his playing and his presence (when he was on).

I have always thought of Beck as perhaps the most versatile,effortless and cleanest of the big early Brit axemen....aside from a few live appearances with pals on TV...the last I've seen of him was that vid with Rod....which had a few sweet Beck riffs...just a little taste.

Floyd is one of the few artrock bands I ever liked and mainly because of Gilmour and his understated playing and at times empathetic voice.

I will always been partial to blues based rock although as I've said I have a fondness as well for that Olde English balladeer sound to be found on LZ III, IV, and HOTH....but that's just me.

I loved the Moody Blues as well but I confess it was drug induced at the time. Days of Future Passed sounds a bit different now..lol....you remember that really catchy little riff that jumps out a few times on "Ride my See-Saw"(?)...one of rocks best little hidden guitar bursts ever and it only lasts a few seconds...funny...the original Moody Blues album....they looked like the Dave Clark Five and sounded way different...and then bam!!...they turned on literally.

Regards.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

BumPing!!!

[lugsoul]

Matchbox 20? If you think this is a good rock band, there's plenty of other mediocre bands out there for you.

There is no shortage of good music. There is a shortage of good popular music. But good music is everywhere - it just has to be found.

Give a listen to the Drive-By Truckers, if you want some hardcore rock. Or give the Waco Brothers a shot. Wilco? Yep, Jeff Tweedy is a genius. A little southwestern flair? The Gourds - second coming of the Band.

Yes, there is plenty of great music, if you don't rely on the music industry to find it for you.

[lugsoul]

Matchbox 20? If you think this is a good rock band, there's plenty of other mediocre bands out there for you.

There is no shortage of good music. There is a shortage of good popular music. But good music is everywhere - it just has to be found.

Give a listen to the Drive-By Truckers, if you want some hardcore rock. Or give the Waco Brothers a shot. Wilco? Yep, Jeff Tweedy is a genius. A little southwestern flair? The Gourds - second coming of the Band.

Yes, there is plenty of great music, if you don't rely on the music industry to find it for you.

[WRhine]

I loved the Moody Blues as well but I confess it was drug induced at the time. Days of Future Passed sounds a bit different now..lol....you remember that really catchy little riff that jumps out a few times on "Ride my See-Saw"(?)...one of rocks best little hidden guitar bursts ever and it only lasts a few seconds...funny...the original Moody Blues album....they looked like the Dave Clark Five and sounded way different...and then bam!!...they turned on literally.

wardaddy you really know music. I have to say I don't really remember that riff on "ride my see-saw" though I had the album way back when. Now that you peaked my curiosity I'll have to go out and buy the album again. Regrettably, my original collection of 200 some odd LPs was completely destroyed by my younger brothers when I was off to college. It still angers me to this day. They put my valuable collection of records on some rickety dull needle player of theirs and re-grooved my records to pieces. Aghhh!

Yeah, what was it about the Moody Blues and Grass? Their often-heavenly sounding vocals seemed to feed into that.

[WRhine]

What do you mean "was"? The little 'ol band from Texas is playing the AAC here in June.

Glad to hear they are still touring.

[VOA]

It's a testament to how much today's music sucks compared to the stuff back then.

dfwgator, you've nailed it.

What I'd die for would be a copy of the "video" that Led Zepplin did just as
they were assembled...it was shot in some London nightclub.
Oh my Alzheimers...I think it was "The Hunter" that they did...

[dfwgator]

Another 70s band(at least for me, they will always be a 70s band) that was great was Genesis with Peter Gabriel. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is still one of my faves, and say what you will about the guy, but Phil Collins is an incredible drummer (they just should have kept him there, and banned the friggin' drum machines he used later). Genesis really went downhill not so much after Gabriel left, but when Steve Hackett left a few years later.

What's funny is that nowadays, despite all their pop success in the 80s-90s, the only people that identify themselves as Genesis fans are the fans from the Gabriel era, even though during that time their record sales paled in comparison to the Collins era.

[wardaddy]

That song was from "In Search of the Lost Chord"...I looked it up. They were pretty drug influenced...particularly the philosophical exploration of LSD...you can sure see thru all their 1966 onwards works till they sort of "quit" in the early 70s. I think they hung with Leary and all that sort of stuff which seems a bit naive and misguided now but did produce interesting music for the time. They were a relaxing yet at times thought provoking band...sort of like Floyd but much smoother and far less angst....and little or no wandering.

I was born in 57 and can timeline my lifeby music pretty well from say the 3rd grade to about age 20. After that my timeline is structured by the women in my life or where I lived.

My wife who's 8 years my junior and sort of came of age with punk and new wave is much better at contemporary music than me. She likes stuff like The Hives and alternative country like Whiskey Town.

I am more apt to like older music...which is funny because in the early 80s when classic rock really took off, I hated it..lol...I used to think "been there done that"...plus they played way too much Supertramp, Styx, Queen, and Yes type stuff for my taste. Somebody wants that stuff...aside from May's great occasional guitar stuff....one ought to go back to King Crimson.

You'll have to forgive me but I was a Deadhead too...not a tie-dyed swirling dervish who liked chicks with hair under their arms but more of a Southern longhair with faded jeans and old flannel shirt dirt freak. I still like their stuff up to Terrapin Station. It grew on me with the years....American Beauty is one of the best ...not a bad song on it...if one likes that sort of stuff.

I know...most musicians hate them..lol

[BansheeBill]

Is "Randy California" another name for Randy Hanson? The latter was the famous Hendrix imitator, and although he couldn't come close to actually duplicating the original, he pulled it off better than anyone I've ever seen.

Same guy, great player, his speciality was more the best stage impersonation of Hendrix. I like Frank Marino doing Hendrix tunes, particularly the live album (Mahogany Rush). He didn't do a note for note deal, he had that overdose insanity sound/feel when he played, also ridiculously fast.

Sorry, Randy California and Randy Hanson are two completely different people. Randy California died in a drowning accident in Hawaii a few years ago. I believe Randy Hanson still performs his Hendrix tribute show from time to time.
Randy California was in Hendrix's pre Experience band: Jimmy James and the Flames, when he was only 16 years old (Hendrix had met him at a guitar store, heard him play and asked him to join his band), and Randy played with that band at the Cafe Wha in New York City for about a month in the mid 60's. Hendrix was the one who gave him the name Randy California. There was another guy in the band named Randy, who was from Oklahoma, and when Hendrix introduced the band on stage he called them Randy California and Randy Oklahoma.

By the way, most of the melody for the Zep song "Stairway to Heaven", was stolen note for note from an instrumental song by Spirit called Taurus. Zeppelin performed a few shows with Spirit in the early 70's and Page was said to have been a big fan of the band.

[Grando Calrissian]

...Anthony Kedis discovers ballads that all sound alike ..

Perfect. That also coincided with the time he stopped using heroin.

If the Chili Peppers performed the music they record nowadays at one of their shows in the 80's, they'd literally be killed on stage.

[Grando Calrissian]

Good observation about Hackett. "Wind and Wuthering" is probably their peak as performers. I remember watching a Genesis documentary during the Abacab tour, and all Phil Collins could talk about was his beloved drum machine. That single contraption had just as much to do with the death of Genesis as the departure of Steve Hackett.

[Missouri]

That was truly a great band.

Don't bury them yet. They're touring with Ted Nugent as we speak.

I'm no music expert but I just thought ZZ Top played as one unit. They were tight. Also their music sounded like it was right out of the studio. Another band I saw live that sounded like it was right out of the studio was Aerosmith. Same for Nugent.

Some other bands I thought sounded a whole lot different outside the studio were the Moody Blues and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

One of my favorite concerts had to be the Alice Cooper Show (1977). He had the T.V., the snake, the web, the guillotine, and had some dancers dressed up as teeth. It was quite entertaining.