Okay I'm on disc 2 now of the Stoke show: Dazed and Confused. I had forgotten how discombobulated the first disc ends. For some crazy reason, after The Song Remains the Same, instead of going into the Rain Song, the next track is Whole Lotta Love(missing the opening moments). Then comes Rain Song, again missing the opening minute, and then Stairway to Heaven. Dazed and Confused opens disc 2, and the other two tracks on the disc(Moby Dick and Heartbreaker/WLL) are from the July 13, 1973 Detroit show. I can understand Dazed being too long to fit on disc 1 after Rain Song, but why put WLL BETWEEN The Song Remains the Same and Rain Song? Just tack it on after Stairway. This is typical of the sloppiness you used to get with bootlegs in the old days...songs out of order, mismatched shows, etc. It's gotten much better lately, so thankfully, "A Stroke in Stoke" is more an anomaly now than the norm. By the way, the Stoke Whole Lotta Love features one of those awesome funky breaks they would throw in during this period...better than any I've heard from the 1973 German shows. It was so good it made me forget how angry I was that the songs were out of order.

^^^You two are so cute...such good friends, so simpatico that you even listen to the same show at the same time. Congrats on finally getting to hear this great concert, john. Might I ask which version you're listening to? Some versions are incomplete, missing Plant's comment, "I'm just beginning to cook", and is the gap in Ten Years Gone filled with the second source, or not? Shoot, I forgot to post the show I'm listening to now: "A Stroke in Stoke" January 15, 1973, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent, U.K. Haven't listen to this in ages...probably not in 10 years since I first got it. It's a curious show, a soundboard with Jimmy's guitar slighty in the background, overwhelmed by Bonham's drums, and the audience nearly non-existent. But what a pleasure to hear Bonzo bash away on his drums with such force, such ultra-violence, that you swear he wants to murder them! OTHAFA, Misty Mountain Hop, and the song I'm on at the moment, The Song Remains the Same are just incredible.

Change the plain M&Ms to peanut butter M&Ms and I'll be trick-or-treating at your house.

I'm happy so many people are happy. Temperature at the beach today in the 80s...tomorrow's high supposed to be 88° F. YES!!!

I am sorry to hear this...it sucks that you're having all this happen to you, especially being a newlywed and all. I hope these antibiotics you're on eventually do the trick and you're in the full bloom of health again. Get well soon.

The CORN Exchange? That sounds like an unusual venue. Was he playing at a farmer's co-op?

What about the trip to the post office...was the package there?

Absolutely get the deluxe edition. It's only a few bucks more, around $15, and besides the bonus disc, which has some nifty tunes, you get a nice booklet with artwork and the lyrics. The vinyl edition has the 12 songs on the original album, as well as a bonus song, "Sometimes It Happens", which I also believe comes as a bonus track if you get the album on iTunes. Regarding "One Sunday Morning", it's the kind of song that you don't realize you want to hear until you hear it...a song where time literally stops and you feel yourself floating, drifting on the song's vibe. It reminds me of when I was anticipating the release of Led Zeppelin III...I loved the first two Zeppelin albums and couldn't wait to hear what they would come up with for the next one. I expected more heavy guitar rock and atmospherics like "Whole Lotta Love", "Heartbreaker" and "How Many More Times"...and that is what I THOUGHT I wanted. But when Led Zeppelin III finally was released, while at first I was confused by the lack of heavy riffage, by the third listen, I was thinking THIS was the kind of music I wanted to hear...I just didn't know it was what I wanted to hear until I actually heard it. I still remember being brought to tears by the sheer beauty and melancholy of "That's the Way". Damn, too bad...I could use an extra one of me for those nights when there's two events happening at the same time in different locales. Actually, two Striders walking around is a scary thought. So Jahfin, since you and I have basically kept this Wilco thread afloat, and I presume you've read my piece about it, what are your thoughts on the new album?

^^^I'll second that...both Volumes 1 & 2 are worth getting. So it's been nearly two weeks I've been listening to the new Wilco album, "The Whole Love", but thanks to my peripatetic life, it's only now I can post my thoughts about said album. So far this year, the albums that have impressed me the most and occupied a place on my stereo almost continuously have been PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake", Lucinda Williams "Blessed", Radiohead's "King of Limbs", Low's "C'mon", Erin Corday's "Where the Body Is", Moon Duo's "Mazes", Bon Iver's "Bon Iver", Explosions in the Sky's "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care", Moonface's "Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped" and a few others that I'll have to dig through the stacks of 2011 releases to remember. Add Wilco's new album to that list...in fact, I feel fairly confident that it will make my Top 10 of the year. The Nonesuch era is over, and now the band has their own label dBpm. Not counting the two Billy Bragg collaborations, this is Wilco's 8th studio album. They also have a live album...so album-wise, they are in the same place Led Zeppelin was when they ended: 8 studio records and 1 live album. In a sign of how things are different in the music biz, Led Zeppelin accomplished their output in 10 years, while Wilco is nearing their 18th year together. And Zeppelin was considered lethargic in their day, haha. But enough small talk, what about the music? Well, after the slight disappointment in 2009's "Wilco(The Album)", I can say that "The Whole Love" is a return to form of sorts. It wasn't that the last album was bad, but it felt sort of automatic...the kind of record they could do in their sleep. "Bull Black Nova" is the only song from that album that proved memorable to me. Right from the get-go, the new album grabs me with the opening track, "Art of Almost". I'm sure the band is tired of hearing the Radiohead comparisons, and I agree it's a too-easy simplification to hang around their necks by calling them the "American Radiohead". They're a great band, period, that is carving their own niche in rock and roll. But I couldn't help but notice the similarities between "Art of Almost" and the opening song, "15 Steps", on Radiohead's "In Rainbows"...both have this skitterish rhythm track coupled with washes of programmed keyboard sounds. Additionally, just as "In Rainbows" was considered a return to glory for Radiohead(apparently I was in the minority of liking "Hail to the Thief"), so much of the early word on "The Whole Love" suggested the same for Wilco. I can't say firsthand, as I tend to avoid reading too much about an album before I have a chance to hear it, but Jahfin, who is well-connected to the music-radio and music-journalism worlds, said that the word was that this album would bring back the old Wilco fans. That remains to be seen, but there are a few songs on here that could fit on either "Being There" or "Summerteeth". As a whole though, while this album is an improvement over the last album, it neither marks a great leap forward in sound nor a retreat to the past. It's simply a well-made album with just enough of that and a little of this to make it a "Wilco" record. It also features some of Jeff Tweedy's best lyrics, some truly touching songs. If you're a Wilco fan, you'll love it...if you've been resistant to Wilco in the past, I don't know if this album will change your mind. Although "One Sunday Morning" might do the trick...more on this little miracle later. One difference between Wilco and Radiohead is that while Radiohead's approach might be called "the art of playing guitar by not playing guitar", Wilco ain't afraid to play guitar solos. And "Art of Almost" has one of those Nels Cline flourishes. The second song "I Might" is the first single off the album, and like most first singles these days, it's probably the least interesting song on the album...which makes it perfect for radio. I didn't even realize until I read the album credits(these are things you don't get with mp3's and iTunes, kids) that they use a sample of The Stooges "TV Eye" in the song...it's barely noticeable. Let's move on to song 3: "Sunloathe", a nice John Lennon/Beatle-esque number that would sound perfectly at home on "Summerteeth". Lovely as the tune is, it features some bleak lyrics by Jeff. "I kill my memories with a cheap disease" "Dawned on Me" is a crunchy uptempo number...it'll probably be played live so the band can just have a little fun. Now we get to the crux of the album, and where the new album really begins to shine and lift itself up to the level of the best Wilco has done...the 3-song span from track 5 to track 7. 5. "Black Moon"...shimmery acoustic song with Nels adding evocative lap steel guitar. I suppose this might be one of those tracks that brings back the old Wilco fans. If it doesn't, it's their loss. 6. "Born Alone"...I cannot wait to hear this in concert! It better be in the setlist. More lovely yet depressing lyrics from Jeff, but instead of somber music to accompany them, Jeff, Nels and Patrick crank their guitars up and send the song off in a wall of guitar crunch. In an interview, Jeff mentioned that the band used some musical concept called "the Shephard tone"...which I'm sure one of the musicians on here can describe better than me. All I know is that the end of the song fades out too soon for me, and I am hoping that in concert they extend it longer with maybe Nels going crazy. 7. "Open Mind"...after the previous guitar assault, we downshift into this beautiful love song...fabulous imagery in the lyrics, beginning with the first verse: "I would throw myself underneath The wheels of any train of thought Running off the rails or sail you through The rogue waves of your brain" After the greatness of this three-song center of the album, it's no sin that the next tune is a generic uptempo number, "Capitol City", with anachronistic lines about pay phones(does anybody still use those...do they even still exist? LA has gotten rid of most of theirs). A little catchy, it's no "Heavy Metal Drummer" though. Track 9 is another short, sharp guitar rocker, "Standing O", that segues right into song #10: a slow evocative piece called "Rising Red Lung", with some of the stranger lyrics Jeff's ever sung. The song grows on you with each listen. The penultimate track, "The Whole Love", is a pleasant enough ditty...a "Wilco love song", but in the context of the album, it's just the pause before the gorgeous climax of the record... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the closing song, track 12: "One Sunday Morning(Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)"...12+ minutes of gobsmackingly beautiful awesomeness. You know the cliché about how it's worth buying an album just for one song? Well, this is THAT song!!! Just the title alone sets off expectations. I don't know about you, but when I bought the cd and saw the song title, I immediately thought of the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning", Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra's "Some Velvet Morning". This song is in that class...an epic closer to the album, to be sure, and rumoured to actually have been inspired by a conversation Jeff had with the boyfriend of noted author Jane Smiley(hence the parenthetical song title). The lyrics are moving enough...especially if you had a parent who disapproved of your life, and felt relieved, then guilt, upon their passing. But the lyrics are married to music of such sublime hauntingness that...oh, hell, I am just going to shut up because there are no words I can say to adequately describe the miracle of this song. All I know is that "One Sunday Morning" should immediately be a permanent part of Wilco's set list. Bravo Wilco...standing O from this listener for this song alone. And there you have it...12 tracks, just over 56 minutes. If I were rating it on a 5-star scale, I'd say 4, maybe 4-and-a-half stars. This is the 3rd album with this lineup intact...and while Jeff, Nels and everyone are great, it is obvious from the production credits that Patrick Sansone was the secret weapon on this album. Way to go Patrick. As for Nels Cline, he's a little more subtle and subdued here than originally led to believe...apart from a couple solos, as on "Art of Almost". It will be interesting to see how these songs are translated live...if Nels adds a little more in concert. Can't wait for the tour to hit L.A. Oh yes, I got the deluxe edition, which comes with a bonus disc...4 songs at around 18 minutes total time. 1. "I Love My Label"...a cover of the old Nick Lowe song; another entry in the "band singing about the music industry" category. Not as great as the Sex Pistols' "EMI", but on a par with, and maybe slightly better than Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Working for MCA". 2. "Message from Mid-Bar"...with a catchy acoustic hook similar to "One Sunday Morning", this isn't bad...in fact, I think I like it better than a song like "Capitol City". 3. "Speak Into the Rose"...instrumental, with Wilco channeling a little Sonic Youth...sounds like it was born from a concert or in-studio jam. 4. "Black Moon"(alternate version)...tell you the truth, the difference between this and the album version is slight. But hey, the song is so luminous, I don't mind having two versions to listen to. All in all, a great Wilco record...the best songs(tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12) are up there with the great Wilco albums: Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Being There, A Ghost Is Born.

No harm intended...it's Sunday and I've made all my calls to family/relatives and Miss Melanie is ignoring me today.

I'll have some more S'mores please! You should try the S'mores pancakes at The Griddle in Hollywood. Yes, Virginia, I'm following/stalking you.

I have it...I'll return it later, hehe.

So they were playing disc 1 of the "Mothership" compilation. Which has been certified Triple-platinum in New Zealand...hooray New Zealand!

And if planted's happy, I'm happy.

Being out of work and still of questionable health, I should be slowing down, but next week brings two concerts back-to-back that I'll be attending: Thursday, Oct. 13...Foo Fighters @ LA Forum Friday, Oct. 14...Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience @ The Greek Theatre

Counting up all the times I've seen Led Zeppelin and Robert, Jimmy and JPJ individually or in tandem, it comes close to 60. So just about every couple of days seems to bring about another anniversary of some show. But I'm not always available to mark it with a few words of tribute. Today however marks a crucial event, in my opinion, in my ever-evolving regard for one Mister James Patrick Page. You see, the 80s for fans of Jimmy Page was a virtual rollercoaster of a decade. Good moments would be followed by atrocious ones, so that no real momentum could be built up. You never knew which Jimmy would show up...guitar-hero Jimmy or train-wreck Jimmy. 1988 was almost the straw that broke this Jimmy Page fan's back. Specifically the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert. I literally spent most of that performance watching with my mouth agape...not in awe, but in horror. What the hell was going on? Where was the power and fury of the Zeppelin of my youth? Did I dream those long-ago concerts? Was it all a mirage? I had spent a good part of the 80s telling my younger friends about how great Led Zeppelin was, and the amazing concerts they performed. Now, for the second time in the 80s, I had to cringe as my friends would stare at me in disbelief and immediately pronounce Zeppelin as overrated. Forget about trying to convince them about Zeppelin's superiority to Black Sabbath, Metallica and the Who...after the Atlantic 40th, one would have trouble convincing anyone Zeppelin was heavier than Madonna. I was discouraged beyond belief, and despaired of Jimmy ever getting his shit together again. Live Aid I could excuse, I could rationalize...no rehearsal time, unfamiliar drummers, one who flew across an ocean and was probably jet-lagged. But the Atlantic 40th...sheesh. So when the Outrider album and tour was announced, I swore that this would be it...I would give Jimmy one last shot to prove me wrong. Admittedly, tthe album was hit-and-miss with me. I find that, with the exception of Mr. Plant, the vocals are exceedingly dull and derivative. There's a couple cliched blues-rock clunkers, but the good stuff was tantalizing enough to have hope for Jimmy's future. Still, the true test would be in concert, so it was equal mix of trepidation and guarded optimism that I bought tickets for the Oct. 7, 1988 LA Forum show when they went on sale Sunday August 28, 1988. My seats sucked...in the colonnade section, but I was in the building. I cannot remember if there was an opening act or not. All I know is that all my worries, all the butterflies I had in my gut, disappeared once Jimmy came on stage and the concert got underway. It wasn't perfect...John Miles, yuck! But the main question I wanted answered- could Jimmy still play guitar?-was answered in the affirmative. The Chopin Prelude and Over the Hills and Far Away and Emerald Eyes were all great, but the true highlight for me...the point of the show where I got goosebumps was the back-to-back Midnight Moonlight/ In My Time of Dying section. That's when Jimmy really showed some of the old fire, the "hammer of the gods". Stairway was done as an instrumental...thank god, as I didn't want John Miles anywhere near that song. Bics were lit in tribute...just like in the old days. Best of all, the concert erased the bitter taste of the Atlantic 40th, and I could have high hopes again for the future Jimmy Page. Which the 90s would reward, to varying degrees. Oh, one other note about the Oct. 7 concert...from my colonnade seats high up, I could see the beginnings of Jimmy's bald spot.

No Michael Bay movie is worth watching...Matt and Trey nailed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gPBytlBKIE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

^^^That sounds like you're stuck in a difficult situation, Kiwi. Not that it helps you any, but your professor is not the only one who plays favourites...it's a scourge on many campuses, so you're not alone. Might there be a way for you and your friends to gather evidence to corroborate your charges, so it's not just a "he said-she said" situation? Someone like that shouldn't be teaching and it would be a shame if he's allowed to continue unimpeded. I didn't graduate from college, so I'm afraid I can't be much help to you...and I am not versed in your school's protocols in bringing charges against professors, but I wish you luck. I will say this: in the long run, it will be those 5 girls who are hurt by this. For there will come a time when they won't have that professor around to coddle and protect them. They will have to sink or swim on their own ability. You, having the experience of having to do the hard work yourself, will always have that knowledge and self-confidence to rely on in any tough situation you find yourself. Go get 'em, girl!

Res is too sexy for his shirt...too sexy for this forum. Hehehe.

Charlie. You're too sweet and well-mannered to be any of the others.