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Led Zeppelin Flying High with New Concert Discs
Reuters (via Yahoo) ^ | 05/28/03 | Dean Goodman

Posted on 05/28/2003 1:00:57 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: jimmypage; johnbonham; johnpauljones; ledzeppelin; natasteewsym; roacandroll; robertplant
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
"Same thing happened to me. My kid's 27 and has all my old vinyl."


Some jerkwad broke into my car in 73 and jacked all my 8 tracks. Man what I'd give to have them back. But, I'd have to find a player too. They also got my Pioneer 4+4 player as well.
41 posted on 05/28/2003 1:41:12 PM PDT by showme_the_Glory (No more rhyming, and I mean it! ..Anybody got a peanut.....)
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To: John Frum
50 years from now, noone will remember Nirvana, Pearl Jam or for that matter any bands from the 80's on. But the Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd will still be played on radio.
42 posted on 05/28/2003 1:41:26 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: GodBlessRonaldReagan
now that live DVD of Deep Puple with the London Philarmonic from 1969 that just came out...I'm there, dude!

Clapton is great. Hendrix is great, SRV is great.

But Blackmore is truly the King of the Stratocaster.

43 posted on 05/28/2003 1:43:01 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: dfwgator
"Nowadays everything is just a rehash of stuff that has all been done before. Imagine back when an album like "Dark Side of the Moon" came out, how sonically advanced it was compared to anything else out there"

I miss those days of anticipating a new album coming out and heading over to the house of whoever bought it first to listen to both sides back to back.
44 posted on 05/28/2003 1:43:06 PM PDT by Rebelbase (........The bartender yells, "hey get out of here, we don't serve breakfast!")
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To: Helms
Long live Jurassic Rock.

Ah yes, give me those glorious days of double-LP concept albums.

45 posted on 05/28/2003 1:43:48 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
The thing is, that back then bands like Led Zeppelin were innovators, charting new ground.

Boy that statement is totally spot on!

My favorite band is RUSH and they still surprise me even today, but something is missing and I think you nailed a word here that says it all.

Innovative...I would just add tastefully infront of that.

46 posted on 05/28/2003 1:44:07 PM PDT by sirchtruth
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To: showme_the_Glory
Some jerkwad broke into my car in 73 and jacked all my 8 tracks. Man what I'd give to have them back. But, I'd have to find a player too. They also got my Pioneer 4+4 player as well.

Sorry dude! I hate to laugh at your personal misfortune from many moons ago but THAT is the funniest post I've read all day!

47 posted on 05/28/2003 1:44:55 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68
If you like watching The Song Remains the Same, yer probably going to love this!

LED ZEPPELIN ROCKS!

48 posted on 05/28/2003 1:45:27 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (There be no shelter here; the front line is everywhere!)
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To: Drew68
I wish I had back all the hours I wasted trying to figure out "The Rain Song" in standard tuning as a kid, until someone told me it was D-G-D-G-C-D.

Very cool sounding...

49 posted on 05/28/2003 1:46:16 PM PDT by Senator Pardek
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To: Drew68
My favorite pastime now is going to the local "Half Price Books" and looking at all the old LPs, man does that bring back memories.
50 posted on 05/28/2003 1:46:27 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Senator Pardek
I wish I had back all the hours I wasted trying to figure out "The Rain Song" in standard tuning as a kid, until someone told me it was D-G-D-G-C-D.

"When the Levee Breaks" is either FCFFCF or CFCCFC with a bottle-neck slide (pardons as my Telecaster is not currently next to me).

Once one has figured out that Page was to "God Of Alternate Tunings" Zep's songs aren't too hard to figure out.

51 posted on 05/28/2003 1:49:49 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Petronski
I actually like a lot of those 80's bands(mostly because almost everything in the 90's sucked outside of Black Crowes, Kid Rock, or newer stuff from old groups) but it doesn't hold a candle to the 70's, outside of Van Halen, Scorpions, and AC/DC(although their best stuff was in the 70s).
52 posted on 05/28/2003 1:51:16 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan ("It's the same ole story, same ole song and dance, my friend")
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To: Senator Pardek
I wish I had back all the hours I wasted trying to figure out "The Rain Song" in standard tuning as a kid, until someone told me it was D-G-D-G-C-D.

Ok excuse my ignorance here, (I'm a drummer so that makes my question legit) but is that a drop D tunning?

53 posted on 05/28/2003 1:51:37 PM PDT by sirchtruth
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To: dfwgator
50 years from now, noone will remember Nirvana, Pearl Jam or for that matter any bands from the 80's on. But the Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd will still be played on radio.

Not to burst your bubble, but there has been plenty of great music and great bands since the 1980's that people will remember. The Clash, the Ramones, Talking Heads, Van Halen, U2, Metallica, and the Beastie Boys to name a few.

54 posted on 05/28/2003 1:52:41 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Grando Calrissian
The Ramones are a 70s band. Talking Heads don't seem to be keping very much fame after breakup. The Beastie Boys couldn't even restart, they were a true one hit wonder.

Other than that you're spot on.
55 posted on 05/28/2003 1:55:44 PM PDT by discostu (If he really thinks we're the devil, then lets send him to hell)
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To: sirchtruth
but is that a drop D tuning?

No. A dropped D tuning is what the former guitar player for Soundgarden used. Page's tunings are what are known as Open Tunings --when an entire chord is played when strumming the guitar with no fingers on the frets.

56 posted on 05/28/2003 1:56:12 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68
"That's The Way" is so beautiful sounding and easy to play. A standard tuning guitar just does not have that effect. I think half of LZ III is alternate tuning.
57 posted on 05/28/2003 1:57:20 PM PDT by Senator Pardek
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To: showme_the_Glory
I remember 8-tracks : (

My kids listen to Pink Floyd, Jimmy Hendrix, Black Sabbath, but don't seen too interested in Zep.
58 posted on 05/28/2003 1:57:32 PM PDT by TheSpottedOwl (America...love it or leave it. Canada is due north-Mexico is directly south...start walking.)
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To: Grando Calrissian
Not to burst your bubble, but there has been plenty of great music and great bands since the 1980's that people will remember.

You are also correct. U2's music will stand the test of time.

59 posted on 05/28/2003 1:57:47 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: sirchtruth; Drew68
However, Page used "dropped D" on "Kashmir" and "Moby Dick".
60 posted on 05/28/2003 1:58:47 PM PDT by Senator Pardek
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