I feel like Al Pacino in GF III... OK, so I know I vowed never to post in this thread again. But sometimes a post appears that truly beggars belief... WTF?!? Look, I realize in any discussion with a group of people you're going to have many divergent viewpoints. But it helps if you know going in that everyone has a basic knowledge of the topic at hand. With the above quote...well, it all makes perfect sense that this thread has gone off the rails from time to time. For it's hard to have a rational discussion in the face of such nonsense. And no, Gospel, your subsequent attempts to explain do not convince. Hell, I'm willing to give spidersandsnakes a pass on his disco misinformation (but NOT his use of the phrase "old coloured guy"), but to lump "Brown Sugar" and the Stones with "bubblegum" is sheer lunacy. Yeah...the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Co. should have opened for the Stones instead of those "darkies"(there's another golden oldie for you spiders) Ike & Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder. As to the latest topic of discussion: Rap/Hip-Hop...it needs no defending. Just as classical, bluegrass, jazz, metal nor any other musical form needs defending. Music, whatever form it takes, is a form of self-expression...be it emotionally, intellectually, politically, sexually, whatever. That's the beauty of music; it allows for many modes for expression and gives voice to the voiceless. And if you don't like one form of music you can simply find another you DO like...or even better, CREATE a new form that suits you and your social circle. And that's how music has evolved from its simple beginnings to the multifaceted kaleidoscope it is today. You don't like rap...or disco...fine, don't listen to it! Nobody's got a gun to your head forcing you, do they? But to suggest that rap has ruined music is just as pointless as blaming disco or soft rock. Led Zeppelin flourished as Bread and Carol King ruled the charts. I can't remember if it was Electrophile or Aquamarine or maybe both...but the gist of what the post said was how amazing it was that some fans of Led Zeppelin, a band known for its wide-ranging influences, appear to have extremely narrow tastes themselves. I have often wondered about that myself. The hatred towards rap is especially ironic, as the rise of rap coincided with the rise in Led Zeppelin's standing with the critical community. You think it's an accident that Led Zeppelin has appeared on more Rolling Stone covers post-1980 than they did in their heyday? Go back to 1980...the critical consensus was pretty much goodbye and good riddance. Punk and new wave was supposed to sweep out the old dinosaurs anyway...the fact that it didn't made some critics more bitter towards Zeppelin. So when Bonham died and the band called it a day, some critics of the time treated it as a victory for the punk generation...now if we could just get those geezers Pink Floyd, Yes and the Stones to join them, oh happy day! Admittedly this view was more prevalent in the UK press than the US. But if you read Rolling Stone's reviews of Knebworth and ITTOD, you knew their feelings towards the band hadn't changed since their first review of the band in 1969. As the 80's dawned, it was the opinion of many that the Zeppelin era was over and that as the years passed their influence and hold on a generation of kids would wane until their records collected dust in cut-out bins and radio moved on to newer and shinier bands, making Zeppelin sound old and obsolete. Of course, THAT never happened. By the 90's, Led Zeppelin's reputation and mystique had, seemingly against odds, not been diminished but actually increased. It had to gall Rolling Stone magazine when they were printing their special issues celebrating each decade, that they realized that they couldn't put their beloved Rolling Stones on the 70's cover...that Led Zeppelin was the proper choice for the cover. So what happened? How did the critical consensus shift so dramatically to the point that How the West Was Won was one of the best-reviewed releases of the past decade? Or that no one now bats an eye if someone suggests Led Zeppelin is better than the Stones and the Who(the Beatles remain sacrosanct)? Well, of course first and foremost is the quality of the music itself. And being that Zeppelin was always a "people's band", it helped that the people never abandoned them. They still requested them on radio to the point that stations had to create Get the Led Out programs to satiate the fans. So even as we embraced new bands and genres we never left Zeppelin behind. I was a huge punk fan from the beginning...loved the Ramones, Clash, Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, X, Black Flag and all that...but there was no way I was getting rid of my Zeppelin records. But fans are one thing, critics another. And there were two developments of the 80's that I believe helped with the resuscitation of Zeppelin's reputation in the eyes of the critics: "hair metal" and rap. Hair Metal was a boon to Led Zeppelin because in the wake of all those atrocious bands, critics realized how good Zeppelin sounded in comparison. Even with the NWOHM and thrash metal bands like Metallica and Slayer, the limited variety in their music served to highlight Zeppelin's eclecticism and many critics came to realize that dismissing Led Zeppelin as just a heavy metal band was wrong. Zeppelin was just as all-encompassing in their music as the Beatles and the Stones and Dylan. The second, and in some ways most important, thing that happened was the development of rap and hip-hop. You see, as hard as it may be for you kids to believe, but one of the most common complaints directed towards Zeppelin in the 70's was Bonzo's drumming. They complained he was too loud...he didn't swing like Charlie Watts...you couldn't dance to the band. Don't believe me? Look it up...the reviews from back then are rife with slurs against Bonham's drumming. Then rap comes along...and rappers need beats. Since they couldn't keep using the same Chic groove over and over, they looked elsewhere for some slamming and RHYTHMIC beats. And guess what...they found a whole repository of them on Led Zeppelin records. It is said that Bonham is the second-most sampled drummer after Bernard Purdie, the drummer for James Brown. So after a decade of critics harping about Led Zeppelin's supposed lack of rhythmic sense and clumsy beats, here we were in the 80's and Zeppelin was supplying a large chunk of the beats to a new genre that people were DANCING to...and a genre that was developed primarily by African-Americans. Led Zeppelin had taken from the blues and transcended the form...now blacks were taking from Led Zeppelin, a band primarily thought of as the music of working-class white kids, and used their beats to fuel a decidedly urban and ethnocentric music revolution. You could hear critics heads explode all over the country. Not only had the punk (and post-punk) scene fail in destroying Led Zeppelin, "classic rock" radio popping up all over the nation, but now Zeppelin was seeping its way to the younger and hipper generations by infiltrating the cool new rap scene. And since rap and hip-hop had been embraced almost immediately by the hip crowd and critics, the way rappers and/or their producers repurposed Led Zeppelin's music practically forced critics to re-examine their stance on Zeppelin. By the late 80's you could sense the beginning of a critical shift. Of course it helped that some of the old guard haters like John Mendelsson no longer were around, replaced by younger writers...writers who perhaps were fans of the band. By the time the first Zeppelin box set was released in 1990, reviews were almost universal in their praise...even from sources that previously were antagonistic, ie. Robert Hilburn of the LA Times and Rolling Stone. So hate rap if you want. Just know that it played a part in Led Zeppelin enjoying more critical cachet today than it did in its 70's heyday. Meanwhile, as to the question of what's happened to music? I don't know about you, but music is HAPPENING RIGHT NOW on my stereo as I listen to the latest releases by PJ Harvey, Lucinda Williams, Radiohead, the Strokes, and Deerhunter.

The Women's Championship game was better than that snooze-a-thon between Butler and UCONN. Worst men's championship game in recent memory and further proof against expanding the field. Now...Tex A & M's victory over Notre Dame was SWEET! Thrilling and high-scoring to boot. Way to go Ladies!

Like Led Zeppelin, Radiohead is another English band that seems to have taken to the Los Angeles sun, making the city a near-second home lately. Thom Yorke made a surprise appearance recently...NO, I was not there, sadly. But here's a report from someone who did... Thom Yorke Performs Last-Minute DJ Set By Matt Diehl March 10, 2011 10:50 AM ET The Twitter rumors about Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's DJ set at Los Angeles club The Airliner began early Wednesday afternoon. Radiohead hasn't played any solo shows or announced any tour plans as of yet to promote their new album The King of Limbs, but Yorke's been playing surreptitious solo DJ sets around L.A. in past weeks, and so by 9:00 p.m. a line literally snaked around the block to get in — even though no one had confirmed that Yorke would actually show up. But around 11 p.m., show up he did, taking to the turntables at the stage's far left corner and commencing an eclectic mix aimed equally at both dance floor and brain. He began with an acidic minimal techno track that spawned the first of many hands-in-the-air moments for the crowd rammed into Low End's sweaty, 350-person capacity main room. In terms of genre, Yorke's hour-plus set was a moving target. He moved from 4/4 thump to Burial's skippy dubstep to Aloe Blacc's earthy funk and beyond; in particular, he reiterated his love for the Stones Throw label's eccentric hip-hop, with tracks from Jaylib and Madvillain proving audience sing-along favorites. (Unsurprisingly, he didn’t play any Radiohead or solo songs; the crowd didn’t seem to mind.) Watching him spin, it was clear Yorke takes his DJing as seriously as his main gig: He worked the mixer with abandon, favoring clean, smooth blends at times, rough transitions at others; he started very seriously, concentrating on his song choice and mixing, but as the set progressed he began to loosen, displaying the trademark dance moves from his live performances as well as videos like "Lotus Flower”; he even pogo-danced like a nutter during Major Lazer's raucous "Pon De Floordrop.” Other highlights on his set list: Squarepusher's deconstructed two-step classic "My Red Hot Car," and two odd Eighties New Wave jams, Kraftwerk's "Pocket Calculator" and "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)" by Fun Boy Three.

By Matt Diehl, Special to the Los Angeles Times April 9, 2011 "The wonderful thing about making records is something comes out you never expected," explains Ray Davies, who knows of what he speaks. In nearly five decades as leader of one of rock's great bands, the Kinks, and as a solo artist, Davies has been involved with more than 30 LPs, helped innovate the concept album and created classic-rock staples such as "You Really Got Me" and "Lola." "Ray's one of the greatest pop rock songwriters of all time," says Britt Daniel of acclaimed indie-rockers Spoon. "He's a legend," Metallica drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich says. Metallica and Spoon contributed to the most unexpected record of Davies' career, "See My Friends," a new solo effort featuring Davies collaborating on his most distinctive songs with Bruce Springsteen, Mumford & Sons, and Jon Bon Jovi, among others. The album moves from obscure gems such as "This Is Where I Belong," a beloved B-side performed by Pixies frontman Black Francis; to well-known Kinks classics such as "All Day and All of the Night," a duet with Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Davies crisscrossed the globe for the unique project. He traveled to Oslo to record a storming version of "You Really Got Me" with Metallica backstage during one of the band's arena shows. "When Ray asked if we'd contribute to his record," Ulrich says, "that was what we call a 'Metallica no-brainer.'" Metallica first played with Davies during 2009's 25th anniversary celebration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; at the same event, he also bonded with Bruce Springsteen, venturing soon after to Springsteen's New Jersey studio for a jovial crack at the Kinks' 1981 hit, "Better Things." "We ended up talking forever about our influences," Davies says. "We discussed how we both love Buddy Holly, and Bruce knew so much about the Kinks." Davies has made an art of turning snapshots of English life into classic songs and concept albums, like 1968's "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society," and his way with narrative and character has drawn the attention of not only musicians but respected writers. Notable fiction authors Zadie Smith, Bobbie Ann Mason, Salman Rushdie and Audrey Niffenegger have made numerous homages to Davies' work in their books. His mark can be heard in U.K. acts Madness, Elbow, the Jam, Oasis, Suede, the Smiths and Pulp; in fact, Davies could arguably be considered the father of the '90s Britpop revolution. "The bands that influenced me to start songwriting, like Blur, were influenced by the Kinks," says Ted Dwane of Mumford & Sons. "Ray stays true to his roots: He's heralded as the great British songwriter because his songs come from that genuine experience. Someone from Nebraska can still relate to "Till the End of the Day," but if you're British, it's a treat to really understand the references." "See My Friends" began during a trip Davies took to Los Angeles to write songs with Garbage chanteuse Shirley Manson. "The experience made me feel I could work with other people in a collaborative manner," he says, so in the summer 2009, the album's first recording session took place in London with Alex Chilton. There, the iconoclastic solo artist and singer for the Box Tops and Big Star turned "Till the End of the Day" into a blazing rave-up. (Chilton died eight months later.) Such collaborations gave Davies new insights about his own material. "Lucinda Williams picked 'Long Way From Home,' which I wouldn't have thought of, and turned it into her own song," he says. "Jackson Browne wanted to do 'Waterloo Sunset,' which I wasn't sure would work; it's such an English song, but he was great. Likewise, Jon Bon Jovi made 'Celluloid Heroes' more dynamic: The way I sing it, the chorus withdraws, but Jon's voice makes it jump at you." For some "See My Friends" collaborators, their song choice proved deeply personal, as was Francis' selection of "This Is Where I Belong." "I learned it to sing at a friend's wedding," says Francis. "I had the lyrics taped to the back of my guitar for years after, leaving the title phrase on there as a kind of mantra. It always relates to what's going on in my life, like a little passage from my holy book." "The Kinks mixed intellectual bravado with primal rock 'n' roll, and that dichotomy appealed to me," Daniel explains. "It was liberating to hear Ray make even the smallest details into a song." "A song doesn't have to be about a big event," Davies says. "What I do is like a musical camera, taking snapshots of life. The listener then visualizes who would be cast in those roles." Davies' songwriting also receives praise for its sophisticated literary quality, inspiring artists even outside of music. "Ray Davies is an extraordinary storyteller; his lyrics have the compression and power of poetry," Niffenegger says. "The song I imagined playing in 'The Time Traveler's Wife' was 'You Really Got Me' — I was looking for a group that would make the reader think '1964,' and the Kinks debuted that year. My second book, 'Her Fearful Symmetry,' is set in London. Whenever I am crossing Waterloo Bridge, my favorite Kinks song, 'Waterloo Sunset,' plays in my mind." His song craft also exudes a cinematic scope that's influenced directors, including Wes Anderson, who has prominently featured Kinks' songs in films "Rushmore" and "The Darjeeling Limited." "Ray Davies' music is one of the greatest inspirations in any medium for my own work — as much as any book or movie, ever," says Anderson. A Kinks reunion, meanwhile, remains elusive. The group's 66-year-old frontman has been famously estranged for years from his younger brother, Kinks' guitarist Dave Davies (who also hasn't performed since suffering a stroke in 2004). "I would be happy to do a reunion if the intention was to do some new music, and not just revisit the past," says the elder Davies, who is keeping busy regardless. This year, he will serve as curator for London's prestigious Meltdown Festival (previous curators include David Bowie, Massive Attack and Richard Thompson). There's also the possibility of a "See My Friends 2." Additional songs from the Alex Chilton session remain unreleased, and Davies maintains a list of potential collaborators, including the Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, Paul Weller, Nick Lowe, Ron Sexsmith and Blur/Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn. "Like all sequels, it will have a different curve," Davies says. "It's a blessed thing to be able to create an image in one's mind. I still haven't worked out how it's done, but it's always very rewarding when I finally make it happen." calendar@latimes.com

I was having the same problem...couldn't access the board all day and I thought it was either the board had crashed or I was banned. I even sent an email to the webmaster. Then around 6pm PST the board appeared but when I signed in to post it wrnt right back to the server error screen. I was going to a film noir double-bill at the Egyptian theatre and it just ended so I checked my phone and voila! The board is back.

CAN'T WAIT!!!

Nice piece...thanks Sam for bringing it to our attention. I assume this was years before Raymond...or did their eras as Jimmy's guitar tech overlap?

As it's long past April fools I was hoping to erase this thread but it doesn't give me access to the edit button anymore. So Sam...or any other moderator...can you please erase this thread now?

Well CONGRATS to India! Not that anyone cares. Yes, the Aussies usually rule the cricket world, so it's refreshing to have a new Cup champion cor a change. But alas, apparently no love for cricket here. All I need to do to create the least popular thread is combine cricket and radiohead in one post.

Hmmm...only 1 response? Did I miss something...was King of Limbs discussed in an earlier thread? If so I didn't see it. Or is Radiohead even less popular than cricket with this board? Considering some of the other band threads that garner multiple responses and juicy discussion, the lack of response to a Radiohead thread makes me wonder. Maybe I should have put "80's suck" in the thread title.

Well losing to the Beatles is no disgrace. Rather surprised that Led Zeppelin beat the sacred Rolling Stones to even get to the final. In the media it always seems to be the Beatles and the Stones. This, and other poll results similar to this, as well as sales figures, etc. suggest that to the people at large, it is really the Beatles and Zeppelin that are #1 & 2. And technically no, r n r ain't a competition. But you can't tell me the Beatles and Stones (and even the Beach Boys) didn't feel competitive with each other. Or to pick a more recent vintage, Oasis and Blur in the 90's had at it a few times, as did Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. Lastly, like I said, it's all silly and doesn't matter...except for this: this poll was put on by ESPN and it's possible the executives in charge could see the results and change what music is played during highlights and ad bumpers accordingly. If that means less Journey then this poll will have already proved useful. I read the other day that Don't Stop Believing is the #1 song on itunes for the past few years...I blame the Sopranos. But given how early Journey was voted out maybe they'll think twice about playing them so much.

Truly one of the most underrated songs in the LZ catalogue and as a consequence of it being the least played track on LZ IV by far, the song still sounds fresh to many whenever it does receive the rare airing on radio. That being said, I kind of get your meaning about the mix...compared to the rest of the album it...and to some extent Rock n Roll...sounds flat in places, particularly the guitars. When you compare it to the alternate mix that's out there, the difference is striking. Now, I am posting this from my phone from a bar where I am watching the NCAA game, so I don't have access to my books, but I seem to recall reading that there was some trouble with the recording that may explain the mix. One problem if I recall correctly is that the guitar tracks were lost by Ron Nevison. Then, after recording in LA they got to England and found the tapes sounded like shit. I can't remember if they were able to rerecord or if they tried to go with what they had, but this may explain the sound of the song on record. I have to say I don't agree with those who thought the live version they did in 1971 was a disaster. I like it...and I think if they hadn't given up on the song so quickly they could've turned it into a monster in concert. I have no problems with Plant's vocals either...find them spine-tingling.

GO BUTLER!

You're right Electrophile, and immediately after I posted the thread I wanted to rewrite it and change the Thread heading to something less obvious. Then again I didn't want it to be TOO believable. If it was so good that someone might have asked someone in Abba's or Plant's circle about it and the finger of blame points to me, I was afraid the mods would ban me from the board. And for those that I pissed off, sorry...it was just an April Fool's gag. I was bored at work and just wanted to have a little fun during my break. I had never done one of these April Fools things before and judging from the reaction, I won't be doing one again soon.

With all the Europeans/Asians/Aussies & UK'ers on this board I would have thought someone would have started a Cricket World Cup thread but I guess not too many cricket fans here. Due to my friendships with a few Indians I am pulling for India and was very happy they got past Pakistan in the semis. Today is the Cup Final with India taking on Sri Lanka. Make no mistake...I haven't a clue about the rules and regulations of the sport and haven't yet been able make sense of crickets scoring system and the lingo. But I find the sport fascinating to watch and when I was in England I was taken to a couple Test Matches and was enthralled by the entire ritual of the sport...the uniforms, the customs, the sheer epic length of the matches. Of course, my first fascination with cricket began in the 70's when I saw that photo of Jimmy Page in the cricket gear weilding his guitar like a bat.

It is in LA.

From the Louisville MacGuffin... Robert Plant Springs Led Zep Shocker! Reported by George Kaplan DATELINE-April 1, 2011 Louisville, KY "Abba, the gauntlet has been thrown down. For years now, Robert Plant, former lead singer of Led Zeppelin and reigning "Golden God" of the 1970's, has parried away all requests for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour. Requests that only got more demanding and desperate after the success of their one-off reunion gig for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, December 10, 2007. Today, in a brief telephone interview with this reporter to talk about the upcoming Band of Joy concert here in town, April 8, the singer revealed a thaw in his previous stance regarding any Led Zeppelin reunion. Here's Robert Plant after I asked him if he could ever see playing with Led Zeppelin again: "I'll tell you what; you tell Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus to get Abba back together and then I'll get the lads back together for a tour. In fact, we could tour together and show these kids Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga what world domination really looks like." Led Zeppelin and Abba? The mind reels at the thought of the heavy-metal titans and the squeaky-clean Swedes in satin together on a tour. But Mr. Plant thought it perfectly natural. "We always got on well with those guys, and had a grand time recording in their studio(Polar Studios) for the "In Through the Out Door" album. And who knows, if we're in the right mood, we could even pop in on each other's sets. It's a little-known secret, but Jimmy(Jimmy Page, guitarist for Led Zeppelin) actually played the guitar overdubs on "Dancing Queen". It was just before we all met up in Malibu to commence working on the "Presence" record. In fact, some of the lyrics were inspired by Jimmy's old flame, Lori Maddox. The line "feel the beat of the tambourine" was suggested by Jimmy and came from how at our concerts, Lori used to shimmy in time to me tambourine-banging during "Stairway to Heaven". And really, if you think about it, the whole aura of the song brings to mind all those girls with dreams in their eyes dancing the night away at Rodney's English Disco." The golden-tressed singer, long a beacon of sexual desire for women of all ages, then suggested a sartorial common-link with Abba. "Well, if you go back and look at old photos, Björn and I seemed to share a propensity for male camel-toe." Mr. Plant also revealed an ulterior motive for wanting to tour with Abba. "After the O2 gig, I was talking football with Liam Gallagher and, as is his wont, he started shooting his mouth off. So what I would like to do is join forces with Abba and challenge the Oasis boys to a match. They can name the pitch. Maybe even get together with Blur. It'll be 70's vs. 90's." When I suggested that with both Abba and Zeppelin having four members their side might be a little short-handed, the singer revealed his well-known impish sense of humor, suggesting that "we'll put Jimmy's wallet in goal. Nobody gets in Jimmy's wallet" he cackles devilishly. Asked if he ever thought about playing soccer before becoming a singer, he replies, "I think every English boy dreams at one time or another of scoring the winning goal for his side, whether it be for England in the World Cup, or in my case, winning the FA Cup for the Wolves." The Wolves are Mr. Plant's beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, of which Mr. Plant is currently one of the team's Vice-Presidents. Our allotted time having come to an end, Robert had to go, but he had a parting shot for Abba before he left. "Just tell them to get in shape. I don't want to be on the road with a bunch of Swedish Meatballs, ha-ha-ha-ha". Robert Plant will be appearing with his Band of Joy at the Louisville Palace, Friday April 8, 8pm."

Thanks guys...ah yes, good ole Raymond from Scotland...I might have guessed he was in charge...even if he did have a tendency to tune Jimmy's guitars in Scottish You know, I was so young then, 15 for the 77 tour, that I was so caught up in the actual experience and "WOW" of the concerts that it was hard enough for me to keep a list of what songs the band played. It is only now, years later, that I wished I had been more attentive to which guitar was plugged into which amp and how and at what time he used his effects(aside from the more obvious times like in No Quarter when he used his wahwah pedal or the laser pyramid during the bow solo). Now that I think of it...during the "noise solo", there was quite a bit of high-pitched buzzing similar to NFBM...and thanks to you guys I now know it was the Eventide. I assume those units are relative antiques by now...does anybody still use them? Do they fetch a fancy price like some of those old crybaby wahwahs?

But if that is so...wouldn't it affect the sound on all his guitars? I don't recall the Les Paul sounding all that different from before, whereas the difference in sound on his double-neck was very noticeable. Did he use a different amp and speaker cab for the Gibson double-neck than he did for his Les Pauls?

The best Led Zeppelin albums I've ever heard are Classic's 45rpm vinyl box set(now out-of-print) of all the studio albums...simply stunning to hear, especially on a crackin' good system.

I second the motion that this is not Rain Song. Besides the fingering, the giveaway that this is STH is Jimmy's body language...that is CLASSIC Jimmy laying back into the Stairway solo. In Rain Song, Jimmy didn't move much except for the middle rocking part and you can definitely tell by the fingering in the photo that he's not playing chords. It's Stairway for sure.

Two shows at the Wiltern June 4 & 5 Hotplant! But get ready for sticker-shock...tix are $250-90. And that is before any service fees are added. The shows come just over a week after Plant's show at the Greek so the old guard will be in clover that week.

Yeah, Xorq you are right about the b-sides...Radiohead's always had amazing b-sides. Remember the b-sides for the Bends that were collected on the MY IRON LUNG EP? Songs like "The Trickster" and "Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong" were better than some on the Bends. Or how about the OK Computer era b's? I remember thinking how could they not put "Pearly" or "A Reminder" on the album? Another thing about Radiohead that is similar to Led Zeppelin is that it's hard for me to pick a favourite album...just as I can't decide btween Physical Graffiti. LZ III & LZ IV as my favourite, OK Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows and even The Bends all take turns as my fave Radiohead, depending on my moon. That's when u know a band is good...when they have so many good records it's hard to choose a favourite. Oh and thanks for reminding me about the newspaper thingy...I guess you heard about the snafu in Washington DC the other day? I didn't get the new one until the cd came out Tuesday...I'm not a downloader and I've got enough other music to get through that I can be patient and wait for the record to come out in physical form. Hell, I've got a stack of 20 cds still in the shrinkwrap waiting to be listened to.

When "Presence" came out, I think I was not alone in highly anticipating the chance to see the band do "NFBM" in concert. In particular, one wondered how Jimmy would handle that massed army of guitars during the buzz-saw intro. Of course, by 1977 guitar effects had progressed to the point that Brian May could make it sound as if he were playing several guitars at once, so I figured Jimmy would have something up his sleeve. Sure enough, come the 1977 tour and as Jimmy launches into the riff of NFBM, you could hear some kind of effect that he used that made it sound as if he were playing two guitars: one, a low grindy tone and another with a higher, buzzy tone. Unfortunately, at some of those 77 shows, I didn't have a clear view of what Jimmy was doing; was he using his wahwah or did he hit a switch? I am guessing that maybe he was splitting his signal or something, kind of like what they would do with Plant's vocals to make it sound as if he was backing himself up. Also, on some nights the effect worked better than others to the point that on some bootlegs you can't hear it at all. So just what effect was Jimmy using to get that high/low grindy tone? And was there an alternate way Jimmy could have played that intro that would have achieved the same massed buzz-saw effect but been more reliable? Was the effect created from the stage? Or was it the responsibility of the soundguy at the mixing desk? Why did he abandon the effect after the 77 tour? From what I can tell on the 2003 DVD, Jimmy didn't use the effect at Knebworth and I haven't heard it on the few 80 shows I've listened to. As usual, thanks in advance to anyone who can provide answers.