What's up my fellow Zeppelin droogies?!? Well, guess who was at Them Crooked Vultures gig at the Roxy last night(Monday November 16, 2009)? Yes, me, your ever-faithful Zephead Strider....bwaaahahahahahahahaha! YESSSSSS!!!!!! This is why I live in Los Angeles! Where one minute you are sitting around with your pal watching Monday Night Football and the next you're standing mere feet away from John Paul Jones in a tiny club! First off, I have to give SUPER-DUPER-ULTRA-MEGA-THANKS to my friend Trixie who tipped me off to the whole thing. It started Sunday when I was trying to figure out who amongst my friends was going to the Wiltern show on tuesday and if anyone had extra tickets. Trixie got back to me and said she couldn't go to the Wiltern show but that there was going to be a surprise Roxy show on monday night and she was gonna try for that one. Drats, I had to work monday and by the time I got off work, it was highly unlikely that there would be any chance of getting in to a show that I figured would mostly be filled with industry VIPs, with very little of the actual fans getting in...maybe 50 or so. So I resigned myself with focusing on tuesday's Wiltern show. Monday night, after work, it's around 8:30pm or so and I'm over at my friends watching the futile Browns(Brady Quinn is a joke LOL!) get spanked by the Ravens on MNF, when I get a text from Trixie that she is in line and that they are going to sell 500 tix for $50 and there are only about 250 people in line and she thinks I could probably still get in if I get down there and that the band wasn't going on til 10:30. Well, I tell my friend and we sit there wondering if there really is a chance. I am thinking 2 things...1) 500 tix seems like a lot for such a small venue, especially considering the band's guest list would take up at least 100 of the club's capacity, which I think is less than 500; and 2) Even if there are 500 tix available, if there are 250 people in line already and each gets 2 that's 500 right there. Rationalizing, I said it's unlikely by the time we made it to the Roxy that there would be any tix left as we were about a 30 minute drive away, and since we had the Wiltern show to fall back on, no sense driving out there for nothing. So we sat put, watching the rest of the game and then an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, when at 9:14pm Trixie texts me again saying that the line hasn't grown much since last time she texted and she really thinks I'll get in if I come down. Again I look at my friend and relay the message...this time we say hell ya let's go! In fact, my friend is in such haste that he conks himself on the head as he's getting ready. Of course, we had to make a couple of stops along the way to the Roxy...one so I could get some cash and another to put some gas in the car as the gauge was on "E". Now as we make the drive towards the Roxy, I start cursing my blase-ness...man if we had just left when Trixie first texted me we'd definitely be in. How could I be so nochalant about the chance to see the band in a small club such as the Roxy? The place where I saw Bruce Springsteen in 1975, Bob Marley and the Ramones in 1976, Jane's Addiction in 1987, Foo Fighters in 1995, and Queens of the Stone Age in 1999, among many many more great shows! Then I start thinking how is it possible that there wasn't a mass of hundreds, if not thousands, lining up at the Roxy for a chance to see this gig? Usually for a band of this pedigree, with all the fans that each member has, to play a show at a place like the Roxy in an industry-town like Hollywood; for the average fan to have a chance to get in would entail a whole days worth of waiting in line. Is it truly possible that I could just roll up to the Roxy at this late hour and still get in to one of the most anticipated shows of the year? To be mere feet away from John Paul Jones. I had seen both Josh and Dave in small, sweaty clubs when they were in their previous bands Kyuss, QotSA, Nirvana and Foo Fighters, but the smallest venues I had seen JPJ was at the House of Blues on the Zooma tour and the Wadsworth Theatre in Westwood when he toured with Diamanda Galas. All the Zep shows I saw were either at the Forum or the Long Beach Sports Arena. About 10pm we pull up to the Roxy and I see the line...shit, it looks pretty long. I get out to suss out the situation while my friend parks the car in the $5 lot down the block. Trixie texts that she has just made it into the Roxy and that it is nearly empty. I do a rough estimate of the line and guess that there's maybe 70-80 people in front of us. Nothing more to do than just cross our fingers and hope the guest list isn't too large. At 5 to 10 minute intervals the line moves forward and we creep ever so tantalizingly closer to the Roxy box office. Oh man, PLEASE don't cut us off just as we get to the box office window! But then, it would serve me right for not high-tailing it to the Roxy immediately after work. Some firemen show up and now I am really worried. With them looking on it would prevent the Roxy from trying to pack more people than capacity allows, maybe they would even undersell the joint as a precautionary measure to keep the fire marshall from closing them down. But the line still keeps moving and finally at about 10:30pm on the dot, me and my friend get to the box office window and pay our $49.50 and with our wristband and stamp to but drinks, WE ARE IN THE ROXY!!!! WOOHOO!!!! I can't believe we actually got in...my karma must be awesome, hahaha! A short wait at the bar and wow, beers and margaritas are only $5...we get our drinks just as the band takes the stage! As the band launches into the first song, I thread my way through the floor towards the left side of the stage where Jonesy is...end up stationed between Josh and John with also a good view of Dave, whose drums are not on a riser. The Roxy doesn't have the best sound sytem...the Wiltern will sound better...but except for a couple of moments, it's not as muddy as it has been in the past. I don't have the album yet, so I don't know much of their songs apart from New Fang, which they play. But there were at least 4 or 5 songs that immediately made an impression on me...the highlight being one they did about 2/3rds of the way into their set. It was a killer jam, with Jones playing an 8-string bass and then ending the song playing electric paino solo. It fucking ROCKED! For this Joy Division fan, the Warsaw cover was a treat...and I recall liking the song Reptiles very much. Interlude with Ludes(at first I thought Josh said Lutes, haha) was hilarious with Josh affecting a lounge-lizard style and Jones on one of those keytard things. As a matter of fact, Jones played all sorts of things...4-string bass, 8-string bass, slide guitar, organ/electric piano, electric mandolin, slide bass. Like I said, I don't have the album yet, but after last night's(and hopefully tonight's) blazing gig, I look forward to hearing the album and getting more familiar with the tunes. And for those of you who had a chance to go to the Roxy but passed it up because, like me, you thought there was no chance of you getting in because it was late; well, all I can say is that YOU SHOULD HAVE CAME! You missed the show of a lifetime! Muchas gracias to the band for making this show possible and for making it accessible for the average punter and not just the industry schmoozers. And muchas muchas gracias to Trixie...I am your slave for life girl!

What's up my fellow Zeppelin droogies?!? Well, guess who was at Them Crooked Vultures gig at the Roxy last night? Yes, me, your ever-faithful Zephead Strider....bwaaahahahahahahahaha! While most of you were asleep or shivering in mid-November cold, I happened to luck into the show of the year. YESSSSSS!!!!!! This is why I live in Los Angeles! Where one minute you are sitting around with your pal watching Monday Night Football and the next you're standing mere feet away from John Paul Jones in a tiny club! First off, I have to give SUPER-DUPER-ULTRA-MEGA-THANKS to my friend Trixie who tipped me off to the whole thing. It started Sunday when I was trying to figure out who amongst my friends was going to the Wiltern show on tuesday and if anyone had extra tickets. Trixie got back to me and said she couldn't go to the Wiltern show but that there was going to be a surprise Roxy show on monday night and she was gonna try for that one. Drats, I had to work monday and by the time I got off work, it was highly unlikely that there would be any chance of getting in to a show that I figured would mostly be filled with industry VIPs, with very little of the actual fans getting in...maybe 50 or so. So I resigned myself with focusing on tuesday's Wiltern show. Monday night, after work, it's around 8:30pm or so and I'm over at my friends watching the futile Browns(Brady Quinn is a joke LOL!) get spanked by the Ravens on MNF, when I get a text from Trixie that she is in line and that they are going to sell 500 tix for $50 and there are only about 250 people in line and she thinks I could probably still get in if I get down there and that the band wasn't going on til 10:30. Well, I tell my friend and we sit there wondering if there really is a chance. I am thinking 2 things...1) 500 tix seems like a lot for such a small venue, especially considering the band's guest list would take up at least 100 of the club's capacity, which I think is less than 500; and 2) Even if there are 500 tix available, if there are 250 people in line already and each gets 2 that's 500 right there. Rationalizing, I said it's unlikely by the time we made it to the Roxy that there would be any tix left as we were about a 30 minute drive away, and since we had the Wiltern show to fall back on, no sense driving out there for nothing. So we sat put, watching the rest of the game and then an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, when at 9:14pm Trixie texts me again saying that the line hasn't grown much since last time she texted and she really thinks I'll get in if I come down. Again I look at my friend and relay the message...this time we say hell ya let's go! In fact, my friend is in such haste that he conks himself on the head as he's getting ready. Of course, we had to make a couple of stops along the way to the Roxy...one so I could get some cash and another to put some gas in the car as the gauge was on "E". Now as we make the drive towards the Roxy, I start cursing my blase-ness...man if we had just left when Trixie first texted me we'd definitely be in. How could I be so nochalant about the chance to see the band in a small club such as the Roxy? The place where I saw Bruce Springsteen in 1975, Bob Marley and the Ramones in 1976, Jane's Addiction in 1987, Foo Fighters in 1995, and Queens of the Stone Age in 1999, among many many more great shows! Then I start thinking how is it possible that there wasn't a mass of hundreds, if not thousands, lining up at the Roxy for a chance to see this gig? Usually for a band of this pedigree, with all the fans that each member has, to play a show at a place like the Roxy in an industry-town like Hollywood; for the average fan to have a chance to get in would entail a whole days worth of waiting in line. Is it truly possible that I could just roll up to the Roxy at this late hour and still get in to one of the most anticipated shows of the year? To be mere feet away from John Paul Jones. I had seen both Josh and Dave in small, sweaty clubs when they were in their previous bands Kyuss, QotSA, Nirvana and Foo Fighters, but the smallest venues I had seen JPJ was at the House of Blues on the Zooma tour and the Wadsworth Theatre in Westwood when he toured with Diamanda Galas. All the Zep shows I saw were either at the Forum or the Long Beach Sports Arena. About 10pm we pull up to the Roxy and I see the line...shit, it looks pretty long. I get out to suss out the situation while my friend parks the car in the $5 lot down the block. Trixie texts that she has just made it into the Roxy and that it is nearly empty. I do a rough estimate of the line and guess that there's maybe 70-80 people in front of us. Nothing more to do than just cross our fingers and hope the guest list isn't too large. At 5 to 10 minute intervals the line moves forward and we creep ever so tantalizingly closer to the Roxy box office. Oh man, PLEASE don't cut us off just as we get to the box office window! But then, it would serve me right for not high-tailing it to the Roxy immediately after work. Some firemen show up and now I am really worried. With them looking on it would prevent the Roxy from trying to pack more people than capacity allows, maybe they would even undersell the joint as a precautionary measure to keep the fire marshall from closing them down. But the line still keeps moving and finally at about 10:30pm on the dot, me and my friend get to the box office window and pay our $49.50 and with our wristband and stamp to but drinks, WE ARE IN THE ROXY!!!! WOOHOO!!!! I can't believe we actually got in...my karma must be awesome, hahaha! A short wait at the bar and wow, beers and margaritas are only $5...we get our drinks just as the band takes the stage! As the band launches into the first song, I thread my way through the floor towards the left side of the stage where Jonesy is...end up stationed between Josh and John with also a good view of Dave, whose drums are not on a riser. The Roxy doesn't have the best sound sytem...the Wiltern will sound better...but except for a couple of moments, it's not as muddy as it has been in the past. I don't have the album yet, so I don't know much of their songs apart from New Fang, which they play. But there were at least 4 or 5 songs that immediately made an impression on me...the highlight being one they did about 2/3rds of the way into their set. It was a killer jam, with Jones playing an 8-string bass and then ending the song playing electric paino solo. It fucking ROCKED! For this Joy Division fan, the Warsaw cover was a treat...and I recall liking the song Reptiles very much. Interlude with Ludes(at first I thought Josh said Lutes, haha) was hilarious with Josh affecting a lounge-lizard style and Jones on one of those keytard things. As a matter of fact, Jones played all sorts of things...4-string bass, 8-string bass, slide guitar, organ/electric piano, electric mandolin, slide bass. Like I said, I don't have the album yet, but after last night's(and hopefully tonight's) blazing gig, I look forward to hearing the album and getting more familiar with the tunes. And for those of you who had a chance to go to the Roxy but passed it up because, like me, you thought there was no chance of you getting in because it was late; well, all I can say is that YOU SHOULD HAVE CAME! You missed the show of a lifetime! Can't wait for the Wiltern show tonight! Muchas gracias to the band for making this show possible and for making it accessible for the average punter and not just the industry schmoozers. And muchas muchas gracias to Trixie...I am your slave for life girl!

What's up my fellow Zeppelin droogies?!? Well, guess who was at Them Crooked Vultures gig at the Roxy last night? Yes, me, your ever-faithful Zephead Strider....bwaaahahahahahahahaha! YESSSSSS!!!!!! This is why I live in Los Angeles! Where one minute you are sitting around with your pal watching Monday Night Football and the next you're standing mere feet away from John Paul Jones in a tiny club! First off, I have to give SUPER-DUPER-ULTRA-MEGA-THANKS to my friend Trixie who tipped me off to the whole thing. It started Sunday when I was trying to figure out who amongst my friends was going to the Wiltern show on tuesday and if anyone had extra tickets. Trixie got back to me and said she couldn't go to the Wiltern show but that there was going to be a surprise Roxy show on monday night and she was gonna try for that one. Drats, I had to work monday and by the time I got off work, it was highly unlikely that there would be any chance of getting in to a show that I figured would mostly be filled with industry VIPs, with very little of the actual fans getting in...maybe 50 or so. So I resigned myself with focusing on tuesday's Wiltern show. Monday night, after work, it's around 8:30pm or so and I'm over at my friends watching the futile Browns(Brady Quinn is a joke LOL!) get spanked by the Ravens on MNF, when I get a text from Trixie that she is in line and that they are going to sell 500 tix for $50 and there are only about 250 people in line and she thinks I could probably still get in if I get down there and that the band wasn't going on til 10:30. Well, I tell my friend and we sit there wondering if there really is a chance. I am thinking 2 things...1) 500 tix seems like a lot for such a small venue, especially considering the band's guest list would take up at least 100 of the club's capacity, which I think is less than 500; and 2) Even if there are 500 tix available, if there are 250 people in line already and each gets 2 that's 500 right there. Rationalizing, I said it's unlikely by the time we made it to the Roxy that there would be any tix left as we were about a 30 minute drive away, and since we had the Wiltern show to fall back on, no sense driving out there for nothing. So we sat put, watching the rest of the game and then an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, when at 9:14pm Trixie texts me again saying that the line hasn't grown much since last time she texted and she really thinks I'll get in if I come down. Again I look at my friend and relay the message...this time we say hell ya let's go! In fact, my friend is in such haste that he conks himself on the head as he's getting ready. Of course, we had to make a couple of stops along the way to the Roxy...one so I could get some cash and another to put some gas in the car as the gauge was on "E". Now as we make the drive towards the Roxy, I start cursing my blase-ness...man if we had just left when Trixie first texted me we'd definitely be in. How could I be so nochalant about the chance to see the band in a small club such as the Roxy? The place where I saw Bruce Springsteen in 1975, Bob Marley and the Ramones in 1976, Jane's Addiction in 1987, Foo Fighters in 1995, and Queens of the Stone Age in 1999, among many many more great shows! Then I start thinking how is it possible that there wasn't a mass of hundreds, if not thousands, lining up at the Roxy for a chance to see this gig? Usually for a band of this pedigree, with all the fans that each member has, to play a show at a place like the Roxy in an industry-town like Hollywood; for the average fan to have a chance to get in would entail a whole days worth of waiting in line. Is it truly possible that I could just roll up to the Roxy at this late hour and still get in to one of the most anticipated shows of the year? To be mere feet away from John Paul Jones. I had seen both Josh and Dave in small, sweaty clubs when they were in their previous bands Kyuss, QotSA, Nirvana and Foo Fighters, but the smallest venues I had seen JPJ was at the House of Blues on the Zooma tour and the Wadsworth Theatre in Westwood when he toured with Diamanda Galas. All the Zep shows I saw were either at the Forum or the Long Beach Sports Arena. About 10pm we pull up to the Roxy and I see the line...shit, it looks pretty long. I get out to suss out the situation while my friend parks the car in the $5 lot down the block. Trixie texts that she has just made it into the Roxy and that it is nearly empty. I do a rough estimate of the line and guess that there's maybe 70-80 people in front of us. Nothing more to do than just cross our fingers and hope the guest list isn't too large. At 5 to 10 minute intervals the line moves forward and we creep ever so tantalizingly closer to the Roxy box office. Oh man, PLEASE don't cut us off just as we get to the box office window! But then, it would serve me right for not high-tailing it to the Roxy immediately after work. Some firemen show up and now I am really worried. With them looking on it would prevent the Roxy from trying to pack more people than capacity allows, maybe they would even undersell the joint as a precautionary measure to keep the fire marshall from closing them down. But the line still keeps moving and finally at about 10:30pm on the dot, me and my friend get to the box office window and pay our $49.50 and with our wristband and stamp to but drinks, WE ARE IN THE ROXY!!!! WOOHOO!!!! I can't believe we actually got in...my karma must be awesome, hahaha! A short wait at the bar and wow, beers and margaritas are only $5...we get our drinks just as the band takes the stage! As the band launches into the first song, I thread my way through the floor towards the left side of the stage where Jonesy is...end up stationed between Josh and John with also a good view of Dave, whose drums are not on a riser. The Roxy doesn't have the best sound sytem...the Wiltern will sound better...but except for a couple of moments, it's not as muddy as it has been in the past. I don't have the album yet, so I don't know much of their songs apart from New Fang, which they play. But there were at least 4 or 5 songs that immediately made an impression on me...the highlight being one they did about 2/3rds of the way into their set. It was a killer jam, with Jones playing an 8-string bass and then ending the song playing electric paino solo. It fucking ROCKED! For this Joy Division fan, the Warsaw cover was a treat...and I recall liking the song Reptiles very much. Interlude with Ludes(at first I thought Josh said Lutes, haha) was hilarious with Josh affecting a lounge-lizard style and Jones on one of those keytard things. As a matter of fact, Jones played all sorts of things...4-string bass, 8-string bass, slide guitar, organ/electric piano, electric mandolin, slide bass. Like I said, I don't have the album yet, but after last night's(and hopefully tonight's) blazing gig, I look forward to hearing the album and getting more familiar with the tunes. And for those of you who had a chance to go to the Roxy but passed it up because, like me, you thought there was no chance of you getting in because it was late; well, all I can say is that YOU SHOULD HAVE CAME! You missed the show of a lifetime! Muchas gracias to the band for making this show possible and for making it accessible for the average punter and not just the industry schmoozers. And muchas muchas gracias to Trixie...I am your slave for life girl!

There is no 24th from LA in 1977...June 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 were the LA Forum dates in 1977. It's a shame that Mike Millard screwed up the March 12, 1975 Long Beach show, as I believe that was one of the finest NQ's I ever witnessed! If that show was available in good quality, it would be ranked among the best Zep shows ever, especially the version of NQ. But the great thing about No Quarter live is that it is almost impossible to choose one over another. The 73 US tour had those great concise versions with Jonesy working the Fender Rhodes exclusively and Page building up his solo. The 75 tour was split between the Fender Rhodes in the early part of the tour and then around March Jones moving from the Rhodes to Grand Piano during the solo, but still keeping a dark ghostly vibe. Then the 1977 tour added the "nutrocker" segment, which lightened the mood a bit with its rock n roll honky-tonk sensibility. BUT I LOVE THEM ALL! Laugh if you must, but I really can't pick a "best" NQ. Just when I think it's June 21 or 23 from the Forum in 1977, I will put on some 75 shows and fall in love with the continuous gloomy mood the band sustains...like "space-jazz". Ahhhh, but which 75 then, the early ones like Feb. 12 MSG or Feb. 14 Nassau? Or the later ones where Jones introduced the piano into the piece, ala Dallas and all points after? Then, there's so many things to consider...how the band enters into the jam and how they exit...all the different ways and beats that Bonzo uses to kick things off. Just when I think I've found a NQ where Bonzo and Page and Jones are grooving at their peak, I will hear another version that just as good. Consider the Feb. 14 and March 27 NQ's from 1975. Both are choice of course, but what is fascinating is how they approach the jam intro in similar but yet still intriguingly different fashion. On the Feb. 14 version, it is Bonzo that enters with that huge thump-thump of his kick drum while Jones sets up the jam on his Fender Rhodes. It's a sick, heavy beat. But on the March 27 version, a fascinating thing happens...this time it is Jones that pounds that beat with his left hand on the piano, while Bonzo lays back. I don't have the discs with me so I can't give you the exact time in the song to listen for this, but if you have these shows and listen to the NQ's back-to-back, you should be able to tell the part I am talking about as it is a recognizable "bam bam" riff, played by Bonzo on the 2.14 one and then Jonesy uses the same theme on the 3.27 one. And you know what? Both are extremely cool ways to set up the jam section so it is nigh impossible to favour one over the other! Which is one of many reasons why Zeppelin, even after all these years(40!) still has a vise-grip on my heart and soul. You can listen to dozens and dozens, nay, hundreds of Zep shows and always find something that they didn't do before. "Since I've Been Loving You", "No Quarter", "As Long As I Have You", "Dazed and Confused", "How Many More Times", "Stairway"...these songs constantly mutated in various ways and to try to pick one version over another is(with a few exceptions) nigh impossible. It is like trying to pick a favourite child...or, if you're childless, a favourite ice-cream flavour. My stock answer whenever someone asks for my favourite version of NQ, SIBLY or whatever, is the one I happen to be listening to at the time. Look, I love Radiohead...I think Radiohead is one of the greatest bands around and they put on amazing concerts. But a "Fake Plastic Trees" from 1998 is gonna sound pretty much like one from 2008; you don't get a lot of variation within the songs. Oh you might get something different like Jonny using a bow in the beginning of "Pyramid Song" during the 2008 tour...but the sounds and arrangement of the song are still basically the same as earlier versions. Which is why you only need a few shows from each Radiohead tour, just enough to cover the changes in the setlist, to satiate your fix. Whereas with Zeppelin boots, it's like a drug..the more you get, the more you want, the more you NEED! I have about 100 shows, and around 30-35 have NQ in the setlist. And it ain't enough, I tell you! I want more NQ's...more SIBLY's...because each one I listen to has something new to discover. It's like Plant always used to say when introducing No Quarter...it's a journey. And each one is unique.

Just to add a couple things... Davis also said that there will not be a soundtrack release due to musical legal clearance issues. Regarding Jimmy's scenes at Headley Grange: That was the first time Jimmy had been back to Headley since he took young Jason Bonham there shortly after Bonzo died. The place has changed since they recorded, as the new owners have added bookshelves and stuff to the stairwell hall that weren't there before. As Les Paul had just passed away earlier that day, when I went to the midnight show last Thursday I stopped by Les Paul & Mary Ford's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as it is on Vine St. between Selma and Sunset Blvd., on the way to the Arclight Hollywood Cinemas. Someone had already set up a big floral wreath and there were a couple of other tokens left on the star. Paid my respects and continued on to the movie. Afterwards, heading back up Vine, I noticed that someone had left a bottle of Wild Turkey on the star in honour of Les; very cool!

Happy Birthday to the Golden God!

I would have posted earlier but I vowed to stay away from all tv and the internet over the weekend so as to avoid the whole Woodstock anniversary hype that I grew sick of long ago. So anyway, I have now seen "It Might Get Loud" three times...the first being the LA Film Fest premiere; the second the advance midnight screening last thursday night at the Arclight; and finally again at the Arclight Saturday afternoon with Davis Guggenheim in person for a Q & A afterwards. First, you HAVE to see this on a big screen, as there are things you just won't pick up on by seeing it at home. If it is playing anywhere near you, go see it....or keep calling your local theatre and demand they book the movie! The first time I saw the film, I was just so excited getting to see it...and with Jimmy, Jack and Davis in the house, no less...that it all went by in a blur. But now after seeing it twice in less than a week, there's certain things I noticed that slipped by me the first time. For instance, during the by-now much-discussed scene where Jimmy plays Link Wray's "Rumble", with a big smile creasing his beaming face, what at first I thought was an armful of 33rpm records that Jimmy was riffling through, is in fact, a bunch of 45rpm singles! Hmmmm, Jimmy with 45 vinyl singles? EAT SHIT "michaeltw"! You will also notice that, as Jimmy is air-guitaring along to "Rumble", you can see various Led Zeppelin bootleg sets on the wall behind Jimmy! Oh, and that Jimmy has quite a collection of vinyl...and that is probably just a small part of his entire collection. This is a detail that would be harder to pick up on watching it on dvd, but on a giant screen it just leaps out at you. For instance, on the top shelf is a giant silver circular tin, about the size of a vinyl record, with the band photo from Led Zeppelin III on the front. It's something I have never seen before, and I can't tell if it is an offical package or a bootleg set. It's some vinyl set from the looks of it. But I digress...back to the film. As it is only playing in two cities, LA & NY, there is still a limited number of people with the chance to see it, so again, I don't want to give away everything before the majority of you see the film. It is good, maybe even near-great, although as with most music documentaries, there's always little things you might change...certain times you want the performance clips to go longer or certain ideas are expressed that you want illuminated further. Some inconsistancies(Jack and the Edge get cute animated sequences but not Jimmy) and even some factual descrepancies(Jack is STILL trying to pull that Meg is my sister ruse!) pop up and "The Summit" is somehow almost anticlimactic...although it ends with a nice unexpected touch with the three jamming acoustically to The Band's "The Weight". Don't leave during the closing credits or you'll miss it, along with Jimmy showing Jack and the Edge his theramin! The Headley Grange moments are PRICELESS! Especially the vintage(1971?) stuff of Jimmy playing his mandolin outside while a dog scampers along and Robert is shimmying his hips...I am assuming they are listening to the playback to some song(Going to California? Battle of Evermore?) from the Rolling Stones Mobile Truck parked outside the house. This is footage I have NEVER seen before and to see it on a big screen sent shivers down my spine! Oh, the early U2 footage is also priceless...you'll howl with glee at the Edge's guitar face and Bono's shiny pants and everyone's hair! My favourite clip of Jack White is the gig where he is literally bleeding all over his guitar...him listening to Son House's "Grinnin' in your face" is quietly powerful, too. Fascinating vintage clips of Link Wray, Lonnie Donegan and best of all, Reverend Gary Davis performing "Death Don't Have No Mercy In This Land"....breathtaking! I'll be back with more comments, but I just want to leave you with some things that the director Davis Guggenheim said at the Q & A this past saturday: "The Summit" actually started very slow and boring, with them just exchanging pleasantries(How's the wife? How many kids you got? etc, etc.)...then Jimmy picked up his Les Paul and cranked out the riff to "Whole Lotta Love", as if to say to the others, THIS is what I do! Jimmy did talk about Les Paul, but that part was edited out of the final cut. In fact, look for lots of bonus footage on the dvd, including all three jamming on "Kashmir" and "Bullet the Blue Sky". The "Summit" was filmed late January 2008, so I asked Davis if he went to the Ahmet Tribute concert at the O2. He said it was the same day as the Nobel Prize ceremony and so he had to miss it; he said he thinks he made the wrong choice, lol! Also in the audeince at that saturday screening was Lonn Friend, who started Rip magazine in the 80's. As Creem was self-destructing by the mid-80's, Rip came along just in time...they put Guns N Roses and Metallica on the cover long before Rolling Stone. Maynard Ferguson's daughter Lisa was there as well as Vicky Hamilton, the woman who first discovered/managed Guns n Roses then got screwed by the band and the record company weasels. Lastly, and most importantly, "It Might Get Loud" is NOT getting the promotional muscle and release that "An Inconvenient Truth" received from the studios and media. Which means that this film will need to rely more on word-of-mouth and as many people need to go see it now in the theatres and NOT wait for the dvd release. The better it does in theatres the more Davis can get the studio to put out more prints and expand the release pattern and spend more money on publicity; radio & tv ads, etc. So if you have seen it and like it, tell as many people as you can...fire an e-mail blast to all your facebook friends, etc. GET THE WORD OUT NOW!!!! Call your local theatres and ask if they are going to run the movie, and if not, demand an answer why! Get your friends to sign a petition requesting the theatre show "It Might Get Loud". It might sound silly, but every little bit helps. SPREAD THE WORD fellow Zepheads!

Pointless comparison...it's like apples and oranges and adds nothing relevant to the conversation. Why pit them AGAINST each other? Most of us think BOTH are great drummers! As are Gene Krupa, Rashied Ali, Elvin Jones, Keith Moon, among others. This whole "drummer X" vs. "drummer Y" or "guitarist A" vs. "guitarist B" is wearisome. And yes, Bonzo would probably have said Buddy was better...and Krupa, too.

Yes, I am sure Jack was joking...but the context of the remarks wasn't about Jimmy playing at Dead Weather's recent June gig at the Roxy before the LA Film Fest screening of "It Might Get Loud". I know Jimmy politely declined the offer to join them on stage. Here's the text of the remarks made at the LA Film Fest press conference: When asked if the experience of performing together in a session for the movie will result in Page, White or The Edge appearing on each other’s solo albums, the conversation turned less serious. “I think Jimmy needs to practice a little more,” said White. “Well, there, you’ve gone and said it!” said Page. “I’m feeling uncomfortable,” said Loud director Davis Guggenheim. Here was the NME's take on it as posted on their website June 19: White, who is currently involved in three bands -- The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather -- is also rumoured to be working on a solo album. When asked if Page might make a guest appearance on the album, White quipped, "Jimmy needs to practice a little more first"

I am just relieved that the Raiders didn't sign him...we've got enough to worry about!

Aye LedZeppe75, that's the spirit! Good one! March was definitely tough...between the '73 and '75 Marches I spent hours weighing the merits of both years. And I wanted, WANTED to have 1977 or beyond represented, if only to have the likes of Ten Years Gone and Nobody's Fault But Mine and Achilles represented, but I just could not pull the trigger on putting June 1972 over 1977...and anybody who has heard lots of shows from these two respective months would, I think, agree that I chose the better of the two. I was pondering whether to pick May 1977 over May 1973; but I just haven't heard any shows from May 77 other than the Landover ones and I think those stink...so as erratic as May 73 could be(although the show I saw May 31 was fantastic), it seems it was still better than May 77.

See someone beat me to it...but here's the L.A. Times Obituary:Les Paul obit L.A. Times Too weird that on the very day that I am going to see "It Might Get Loud", one of the biggest pioneers in guitar history and a significant influence to Jimmy Page passes away. At least he lived a rich, full and LONG life...which is more than some(Jimi Hendrix) get. Rest in Peace Les Paul. Now you and Mary will be together again.

Congrats to the happy couple! Gotta say it's kind of strange having all this family info out there now with the internet and everyone blogging, etc. For most of the band's lifetime in the 70's I, and I reckon most other Zep fans, had no clue about the band's family and what they looked like, etc. Oh sure, we knew Plant and Jones and Bonzo were married and had families, but that was one of the BIG revelations to me when "The Song Remains the Same" film came out: we could AT LAST see what their families looked like. All except for Jimmy of course. He was a bit more secretive. I don't think I found out he even had a daughter until the interview Creem ran around the time of Knebworth...it was probably also published in the NME the same time. Different times we live in indeed.

I am going to be front row and center tonight at midnight...well, technically 12:01 as that's the time the ticket says...at the Arclight Hollywood Theatre #13...if any other Zep board members are going feel free to stop by and say hello...maybe we can get drinks after and trade Zep stories? Here are LA area theatres that are showing "It Might Get Loud" Hollywood: Arclight Cinemas at Sunset & Vine Thurs 8/13: 12:01am Daily: 11:45am 2:15pm 5:35 8:15 10:45 Q & A with Director Davis Guggenheim Saturday 8/15 @ the Arclight after the 5:35pm show and introducing the 8:15pm show. West Los Angeles: The Landmark at Pico & Westwood Blvds. Fri: 12:25pm 2:50 5:15 7:40 10:30 Sat-Thurs: 12:25 2:50 5:15 7:40 10:00 Q & A with Davis Guggenheim Friday 8/14 @ The Landmark after the 7:40pm show and introducing the 10:30pm show. Pasadena: Laemmle's Playhouse 7 Encino: Laemmle's Town Center 5 Irvine: Edwards University Town Center 6

Jack White was asked if he might have Jimmy play with one of his bands, and Jack said Jimmy needed to practice more, which I toook to mean he was implying that Jimmy wasn't quite in road-ready shape.

See someone beat me to it...but here's the L.A. Times Obituary:Les Paul obit L.A. Times Too weird that on the very day that I am going to see "It Might Get Loud", one of the biggest pioneers in guitar history and a significant influence to Jimmy Page passes away. At least he lived a rich, full and LONG life...which is more than some(Jimi Hendrix) get. Rest in Peace Les Paul. Now you and Mary will be together again.

Don't know if this is "news" per se...I mean, it was known that Page played some new music(to call them "songs" is not quite accurate...frameworks for songs maybe) in the film when it premiered last year in Toronta and even discussed here I believe. The problem is these types of stories have been bandied about for a couple of years now...ever since the news about the O2 reunion was announced. I think it instructive to note that in just a short time since the White Stripes went on hiatus, Jack White has put together not just one, but TWO bands and released albums of material from each band; The Racantours and Dead Weather. Maybe Jimmy should get together with some young turks with fire in their belly...maybe that will give him the kick needed to get him going. Better that than getting together with the same old boring farts I see people list on this board: Paul Rodgers, Steve Tyler, and the like.

Like I said, no repeating months...you can only have one "April". And try to make up one calendar year...you know, Jan-Feb-March, etc., etc. And to the other guy, yeah, I saw 5 of the LA Forum shows in 1977, and while they were good, I don't think the whole month of June 77(San Diego and MSG sound erratic from what I have heard) can compete with the month of June 72. But that's only me...it's all subjective...so let's see some more lists; surely there's more of you out there that have an opinion on this? Still waiting to see if anyone has the chutzpah to list June 1980 in their "Year".

Those appear close Evster, except they have some silver thing on the black strip that Jimmy's shoes don't have. And yes, I DO remember that nude photo of the Unknown Comic with just the paper bags over his two heads.

Had some time and an idea came to me that I don't think I've seen anyone do before, so what the hell... There have been plenty of topics about what was Zeppelin's high point for touring; some like 1972, others 1973, a scant few say 1975 or 1977 was Zeppelin's live peak, but most seem to think 1971 was their best year for concerts. What I aim to do in this post is compile a "Greatest Year" by listing what I think were Led Zeppelin's best months in their touring history, taking into account the number, quality and historical importance of the shows in that given month. Some months, like July and November, were easy, but some, like March, May, and June, proved very difficult to narrow down to one. In the end it just comes down to one's subjective opinion. Which is why I encourage everyone not only to comment on mine, but make and submit their own list. No duplicating months allowed, it has to be a year made up of each of the twelve months. Otherwise people would just list multiple "March's", ie. March '70, March '73, March '75. Ok, I'll start it off with my "Year": January 1969: 17 total concerts...First US tour(continued from Dec. 1968)...includes important stands at the Whisky in LA, Fillmore West in SF, Detroit's Grande Ballroom, Boston Tea Party and the Fillmore East in NY...the great raw, savage Zeppelin, with Jimmy playing the "Dragon" Telecaster and Rickenbacker Transonic amps...my favourite thing to listen to from these shows are the "As Long As I Have You/Fresh Garbage" medleys...wished they would have kept it in the set longer...January 1973 was another good Jan., but in the end it just has to be 1969. February 1972: 6 concerts...1972 Australian/New Zealand tour...not a lot of shows but what the month lacks in quantity it makes up in quality...barnstorming gigs from this tour and also the end of Jimmy's beard, as he shaves it sometime between the Feb. 20 Melbourne show and the Feb. 25 Auckland, New Zealand gig. March 1973: 13 concerts...1973 European tour...I can already hear the howls of disgust: What about March 75? March 70? And of course, March 71, the "Back to the Clubs" tour?...hey, I am with you, those are all fantastic months in Zeppelin's touring history and one reason why march was a bitch to pick...but every time I listen to those Euro 73 shows I am plain knocked out by how "EN FUEGO!" the band sounds, and this, THIS right here, March 1973 is the PEAK of Jimmy's fast and fluid guitar playing..."Dazed and Confused" was never better after this tour...the interplay between Bonzo and Jimmy also reaches demonic intensity on this tour. Hamburg...Munich...Vienna...Offenburg...it's hard to pick an absolute favourite from this tour. April 1970: 15 concerts + 1 BBC TV date...1970 North American tour...from a tough month to choose to a pretty easy one...only April 1969 gives any competition(April 77? Please!)...but 1970 has better setlists. May 1975: 5 concerts...The Earl's Court gigs...another tough one to choose...May 1969 and May 1973 both had far more concerts(20 & 16 respectively) and historic moments(that May 1973 being the month when the world finally took notice of how big Zeppelin had become when they broke the Beatles' attendance record)...but in the end, I chose May 75 for it being the only month on my list that has such late-period concert epics as "No Quarter" and "Kashmir"...and unlike the 1975 US tour, Earl's Court 75 reintroduced the "acoustic set'...and finally, more than any gigs in May 1969(just an extension of their many 1969 tours, with no real changes to the setlists) or May 1973(some, like Bonzo's Birthday at the LA Forum, great, others not so), the 1975 Earl's Court shows have such an iconic status in the band's history that makes them impossible to ignore. June 1972: 17 concerts...1972 North American tour...aha, you might have thought I would pick June 1977...but "Listen to this, Eddie" and "Badgeholders" aside, June 1972 offers more consistently incendiary playing than June 1977...and June 1972 also holds a soft spot for me as it is when I first saw Led Zeppelin in concert(of course, June 77 is also memorable for me as it was the last time I would see Zeppelin)...1972 would be the last US tour to feature those wild and crazy "Whole Lotta Love" marathon medleys...and feature Plant singing "Over the Hills and Far Away" using the original vocal melody as on the album...oh, and say goodbye to longtime one-two punch set-openers "Immigrant Song"/"Heartbreaker" after this tour. July 1969: 13 concerts...Their 1969 Summer tour, with lots of outdoor festival type shows...not a lot to choose from this month...only other "July" with a substantial amount of shows was July 1973, which was not nearly as good as March 73, or even May 73...so I am going with July 69 as this was when Zeppelin started to play in front of larger and larger crowds, thanks to the Summer Festivals they played, as the impact of the band and its first album deepened and grew ever wider. August 1971: 12 concerts...1971 Montreux and North American tour...Pretty much self-explanatory...it's 1971! That says it all right there as 1971 was a touring peak for the band, as they just got better and better as the year progressed...any other August pales in comparison...yes, even August 70 and August 69...by August 1971 they had integrated the upcoming Led Zeppelin IV songs seemlessly into the set...this would be the first time Swiss and American audiences would be hearing "Stairway" and "Black Dog" and "Going to California"...another high point of these shows is the explosive "Celebration Day" with Jones and Bonzo playing a vastly more propulsive and wild rhythm pattern in 1971 than they did any other time. September 1971: 17 concerts...1971 North American and Japanese tours...the peak of 1971 continues...only September 1970 comes close...and if it was just the North American tour then I might have gone with Sept. 70, as that month has the only two occasions of "Out on the Tiles" being played(9.4.70 and 9.19.70) along with some other cool bits...BUT when you add in the LANDMARK first tour of Japan, then Sept. 1971 becomes a NO-BRAINER choice...you simply can't live without these shows...hell, just look at all the great boots that have come from this month of shows!!! October 1972: 8 concerts...1972 Japan and Montreux...another great tour of Japan followed by the band's seemingly annual jaunt to Montreux, Switzerland...apparently Claude Nobs knows how to throw a party...this month features the debut of the linkage of "Misty Mountain Hop" to "SIBLY", which I always thought was a marvelous, dramatic transition...also, this tour introduces "The Song Remains the Same" and "Rain Song", played back-to-back, just as they would be on the album, "Houses of the Holy", which was still months away from being released...it is this tour that damaged Plant's voice and his concert vocals were never really the same afterwards. November 1971: 13 concerts...UK tour...did I mention 1971 was a great year for the band?...this month marks one of my favourite periods in the evolution of "Dazed and Confused" as they improv on the "Theme from Shaft" during the solo and really get funky...wicked fun!...this tour also includes the iconic "Electric Magic" shows at Wembley's Empire Pool. December 1972: 12 concerts...UK tour...another year, another year-ending tour of the UK...the Winter 72/73 tour being the last real "proper tour" Led Zeppelin would do in the UK as Earl's Court 75 and Knebworth 79 were just shows in one location...the band continues working in the Houses of the Holy tunes that they didn't do in the US earlier that summer of 72...songs like "The Song Remains the Same" and "Rain Song"...you can see the frame-work of the standard 1973 setlist forming...one touch I wished they would have kept for the 73 US tour was the "Dancing Days" and "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" combo. And so there you have it...my take on Zep's best months that make up their "best year".

Oh c'mon people, not even a little giggle? Or maybe everyone has forgotten the Unknown Comic?

WOOHOO! Less than a week to go and, even though I saw it back in June at the LA Film Fest, I can't wait to see it again...this time without the distraction of Jimmy Page being in the audience, haha! Got my ticket for the midnight screening Thursday at the Arclight in Hollywood. I especially want to see that part where....NO! I am not going to spoil it for those who haven't seen it...this is the kind of movie where it is BEST not knowing in advance what you are going to see, so that the element of surprise and joy is all the more sweet! Try not to watch the trailer or go on youtube...go into this fresh and not knowing a thing...it will be all the more fun to watch that way for you!

The new issue of Q is out and seeing Jimmy Page and the head line "The Last Days" on the cover I thought, finally, an in-depth article on the final tour, Euro 1980! Alas, after picking it up and finding the article, what we get is a look back at Knebworth; not bad, but not what was implied by the cover tag. The picture of Page on the cover is even from the Euro 80 tour, not Knebworth, implying that it would be about that last tour. Then, get this...I go online to post the cover here, and for some reason they have Kasabian on the cover; I guess Jimmy Page is on the cover of the US edition and Kasabian the UK/Euro editions. Q magazine link The new Record Collector magazine also has an anniversary article about the Knebworth shows...look for it at your newstand/Barnes & Nobles/Borders. Led Zeppelin at Knebworth

Hoky smokes! 30 years gone already?!? Well, the thing I remember most about that August 4, 1979 is being depressed that I didn't win the tickets to Knebworth that LA radio station KMET 94.7 FM was giving away to any lucky callers. So I listened to the radio that weekend on pins and needles, just hoping to hear any reports come in from Knebworth and more news about the upcoming album, "In Through the Out Door". I didn't actually get to see or hear any of the Knebworth footage until 1989 when I purchased a VHS copy of the August 11th show...let's just say I was slightly disappointed, especially since I had for years counted the 3-record set "Copenhagen Warm-ups" of the July 24, 1979 gig, bought at an Austin, TX record store in 1981, among my favourite Zeppelin bootlegs. How could they sound so good in Copenhagen and so lousy at Knebworth? My interest in acquiring any more Knebworth boots waned after getting that video. But then, in 2003, when the DVD came out, I was fascinated by how great the Knebworth stuff was...and that is when I saw that it was mostly taken from the August 4th performance. That's when I started looking out for the August 4th Knebworth on DVD...and found one on the Boogie Mama label entitled "The First Night". This definitely was an improvement over the August 11 VHS I suffered with all those years. In fact, I traded my Aug. 11 Knebworth video in, since I knew I would never want to watch it again. Now that we can see how good the band actually was(ok, they weren't in 1970-73 peak form), I am again bummed I didn't win those Knebby tix. Just like I didn't win the O2 reunion lotto. But hey, to all those that were at Knebworth 30 years ago, whether the 4th or 11th or both, I'll raise a glass to you and say "Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! Cheers!

Yeah, she was a nutter all right...one of many in those strange daze of the late-60's-70's: The Manson Family, the Zodiac Killer, Boston Strangler, Son of Sam, the SLA-Patty Hearst debacle, the list of goes on-and-on. Squeaky was one of those who carved a swastika in her forehead during the Manson trial. I guess because she failed in her attempt is the only reason why she isn't locked up for life...can't believe she won't be monitored in some way, though. Somebody(FBI, police) will be keeping tabs on her, especially to see if she tries to contact crazy Charlie.