Page/Plant Music in the 1990s

[Knebby]

I have to agree! Neither No Quarter or Walking into Clarksdale hit the spot for me - very uninspired and lacklustre. Live the rhythm section was missing some serious wallop and Jimmy was in poor shape physically. The whole project just seemed a bit half-arsed to me IMO.

Wow. Well I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the No Quarter recording, and lacklustre and uninspired were the LAST words that would have come into my mind.

[Knebby]

You can't even hear Jimmy on this album, seems like another Plant solo album. I'll take C/P any day of the week.

Hey Wolfman We'll never agree on this one, but that's no crime. I guess one thing for me was seeing how fired up, inspired and happy Jimmy was during the WIC project. He never seemed happy in C/P to me, I remember him saying how unhappy he was in Vancouver during the recording. I guess that is part of what makes Jimmy still come through to me so strongly from the WIC album, though I fully agree that the production was disappointing.

[Melcórë]

Hey Wolfman We'll never agree on this one, but that's no crime. I guess one thing for me was seeing how fired up, inspired and happy Jimmy was during the WIC project. He never seemed happy in C/P to me, I remember him saying how unhappy he was in Vancouver during the recording. I guess that is part of what makes Jimmy still come through to me so strongly from the WIC album, though I fully agree that the production was disappointing.

Has anyone ever suggested that the "Shake My Tree" opening riff was taken from a Tragically Hip song?

[Wolfman]

Actually, I think Jimmy tinkered with it back in the 70's so no I don't think it was.

[Melcórë]

Actually, I think Jimmy tinkered with it back in the 70's so no I don't think it was.

I'm not talking about the song's main riff, but the very beginning. It sounds suspiciously like a guitar part in the Hip's "

" (listen to the left channel from 0:24-0:30).

[mielazul]

Wow. Well I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the No Quarter recording, and lacklustre and uninspired were the LAST words that would have come into my mind.

You are so very lucky....

If you ever want to write like, 500 pages about it, you have at least one avid reader here. That Kashmir performance in particular means a lot to me.

[LedZebedee]

Wow. Well I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the No Quarter recording, and lacklustre and uninspired were the LAST words that would have come into my mind.

I was referring to the new material on No Quarter and WIC. Unledded was ok but just illustrated how important JPJ was to zep - he was sorely missed and it was a big mistake not to include him.

[LedZebedee]

He never seemed happy in C/P to me, I remember him saying how unhappy he was in Vancouver during the recording.

If Jimmy was so miserable during the recording of Coverdale-Page it certainly did'nt show in his playing which seriously kicked arse for the first time since Presence back in 76 nor in the subsequent interviews with Coverdale to promote it. Of course I'm sure the album sales put a smile on his face - top 10 in the UK and the US while i seem to remember WIC stiffed rather badly?

[Knebby]

Sales mean nothing - look what is in the top 10 most weeks.

[LedZebedee]

Sales mean nothing - look what is in the top 10 most weeks.

That may be true today but i'm talking about 20 years ago when the charts still meant something and there was a much higher standard of competition. The Coverdale-Page album is still the best selling post-zep release by an ex-member. It may be cliched to you but i'll take this balls out riff-fest over bland-ville WIC with hardly any guitar on it anyday!

[Knebby]

Thankfully we can politely agree to disagree

[LedZebedee]

Thankfully we can politely agree to disagree

Of course! These forum boards would be very boring if we all agreed about everything.

[Pagesbow]

My only gripe with the album is the production should have been done by Jimmy.

Jimmy should have done the production on the album

I'd just like to mention that the album was indeed produced by Jimmy Page according to my CD booklet for the album, which states "produced by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant" it was "Recorded and Mixed by Steve Albini" Now, regardless of who did what, the end result is the same: it's an underwhelming sound, the mix is too "low" and "muddy" to my ears - I've never liked the sound. However, if you have any other Albums that are "Recorded and Mixed by Steve Albini" it doesn't come as that much of a surprise, for example "Pod" by The Breeders and "Rid of Me" by PJ Harvey, despite being recorded in 1990 and 1992 respectively, sound like albums from the 70's that were arbitrarily transferred over to CD in the early 80's when people didn't understand the new technology and how to mix albums for the CD format, i'e the albums sound as if they need remastering because they are about three times lower in volume to albums released in a similar time period.

Albini's most famous recording is "In Utero" by Nirvana which doesn't suffer from the problems mentioned above (in fact it sounds very loud and powerful) although before the album was originally released some controversy surfaced that Nirvana's record label felt the album was "unfit for release" and pressure was put on the band to bring in R.E.M's producer Scott Litt to re-mix some of the tracks, which he eventually did. Therefore I'm not really sure how much of the final sound is down to Albini.

Anyway, I just though I'd add a little bit of context to Walking In To Clarksdale's disappointing sound. Yet despite its production problems It is an album that has grown on me; for a long time it sat on the shelf gathering dust as I just "couldn't get into it" a sentiment echoed by others on this thread.

Shining in the Light is probably my favourite cut on the album (I love the way the strings float in) closely followed by the title track, and while there aren't many solos, there is some beautiful guitar work from Page on tracks like Blue Train. I'd say the album is a grower; it only took me about 13 years to appreciate it.

[ally]

I'd just like to mention that the album was indeed produced by Jimmy Page according to my CD booklet for the album, which states "produced by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant" it was "Recorded and Mixed by Steve Albini" Now, regardless of who did what, the end result is the same: it's an underwhelming sound, the mix is too "low" and "muddy" to my ears - I've never liked the sound. However, if you have any other Albums that are "Recorded and Mixed by Steve Albini" it doesn't come as that much of a surprise, for example "Pod" by The Breeders and "Rid of Me" by PJ Harvey, despite being recorded in 1990 and 1992 respectively, sound like albums from the 70's that were arbitrarily transferred over to CD in the early 80's when people didn't understand the new technology and how to mix albums for the CD format, i'e the albums sound as if they need remastering because they are about three times lower in volume to albums released in a similar time period.

Albini's most famous recording is "In Utero" by Nirvana which doesn't suffer from the problems mentioned above (in fact it sounds very loud and powerful) although before the album was originally released some controversy surfaced that Nirvana's record label felt the album was "unfit for release" and pressure was put on the band to bring in R.E.M's producer Scott Litt to re-mix some of the tracks, which he eventually did. Therefore I'm not really sure how much of the final sound is down to Albini.

Anyway, I just though I'd add a little bit of context to Walking In To Clarksdale's disappointing sound. Yet despite its production problems It is an album that has grown on me; for a long time it sat on the shelf gathering dust as I just "couldn't get into it" a sentiment echoed by others on this thread.

Shining in the Light is probably my favourite cut on the album (I love the way the strings float in) closely followed by the title track, and while there aren't many solos, there is some beautiful guitar work from Page on tracks like Blue Train. I'd say the album is a grower; it only took me about 13 years to appreciate it.

Thanks for that

It took a while for the album to grow on me too and I totally agree with your opinion of Jimmy's guitar work.

[Knebby]

I love tracks like "Heart In Your Hand" where Jimmy's playing has a Link Wray feel to it, IMHO. I did see them at the studios when they were recording this album and totally accept that that makes it extra special to me.

[ally]

I love tracks like "Heart In Your Hand" where Jimmy's playing has a Link Wray feel to it, IMHO. I did see them at the studios when they were recording this album and totally accept that that makes it extra special to me.

Jimmy's guitar work so diverse and he knows how to compliment a song where as other's, feel the need to steal the show on every song they play on

[dave2007]

That may be true today but i'm talking about 20 years ago when the charts still meant something and there was a much higher standard of competition. The Coverdale-Page album is still the best selling post-zep release by an ex-member. It may be cliched to you but i'll take this balls out riff-fest over bland-ville WIC with hardly any guitar on it anyday!

Have to disagree....Now and Zen sold far more

[Melcórë]

I love tracks like "Heart In Your Hand" where Jimmy's playing has a Link Wray feel to it, IMHO. I did see them at the studios when they were recording this album and totally accept that that makes it extra special to me.

Knebby...what is your connection to the band? You always post elliptical things like this.

[Knebby]

Knebby...what is your connection to the band? You always post elliptical things like this.

Just a friendship. If I'm economical with my stories on the forum I really do have my reasons! Peace.

[Melcórë]

Just a friendship. If I'm economical with my stories on the forum I really do have my reasons! Peace.

Hmm. Well, I guess you do have your reasons. The whole cloak and dagger deal must be wearisome, though...

[Knebby]

I don't feel like any cloak and dagger is involved at all.

[Melcórë]

Maybe not.

[Disco Duck]

Hmm. Well, I guess you do have your reasons. The whole cloak and dagger deal must be wearisome, though...

Cut Knebby some slack. If he/she divulged more information about his/her connection to Zep then people could figure out his/her identity. That could lead to nutjobs stalking him/her on the Internet or in real life in order to spy on Zep's surviving members. For his/her safety and their's its better to be discreet.

[Melcórë]

Cut Knebby some slack. If he/she divulged more information about his/her connection to Zep then people could figure out his/her identity. That could lead to nutjobs stalking him/her on the Internet or in real life in order to spy on Zep's surviving members. For his/her safety and their's its better to be discreet.

...That could happen anyway, what with the nature of their posts. If anyone is that worried, it would surely be best not to post at all.

It's easy enough to "spy" on members of the inner circle, considering they do a whackload of stuff within the scope of the public's eye.

I do prefer Knebby's response to the way that Tony treated me, though.

[ally]

Cut Knebby some slack. If he/she divulged more information about his/her connection to Zep then people could figure out his/her identity. That could lead to nutjobs stalking him/her on the Internet or in real life in order to spy on Zep's surviving members. For his/her safety and their's its better to be discreet.

It's also totally unnecessary to divulge or reveal. People do have a right to privacy and, as you've mentioned, protect themselves from the internet nutjobs of the world .