Knowing that Robert had the flu and Jimmy's finger was fucked up at the beginning of the 1975 tour, I have avoided getting any of the January shows since I figured these opening shows of the tour would be ragged at best. Montreal and New York MSG are the earliest 1975 shows I have had for years...until now, when I just picked up the January 22, 1975 Chicago show issued by EVSD under the title "Blues Brothers". And I have to say, all matters of sound quality(it's far from Mike Millard quality) aside, the show has proven to be a revelation to me. Maybe it is because of Jimmy's injury, but he seems really focused in this show, as if the injury has forced him to concentrate even more than normal. The solos in Sick Again, OTHAFA, NQ are all tight and clean...NQ comes in at an economical 13 minutes or so. And how refreshing to get Wanton Song and HMMT instead of Dazed, which in 1975 sounded weary and bloated for the most part. I think the band made a huge error not keeping Wanton song in the setlist, as it adds a bit of pep to the evening. Jimmy does his D & C bow segment during HMMT, which is fine. Now, if only they would have tried harder to keep When the Levee Breaks in the set, instead of wasting 30-40 minutes of the night slogging through D & C, they could have played Wanton Song, Levee, HMMT and maybe even Ten Years Gone in its place. Or how about the Rover? Dancing Days? The Ocean? Anyway, I am really enjoying this Chicago show and want to hear from anyone who was at this show. Was Jimmy in any noticable pain from his finger? When I saw him at the LA Forum June 3, 1973, he kept soaking his hand in cold water to numb the pain; did he do something similar in 1975? Did you mind getting Wanton Song and HMMT instead of D & C? Now that I've heard how good they still were even with Robert and Jimmy's health issues, I'll be looking to score more January shows...Minneapolis, the other Chicago shows. When exactly did D & C replace HMMT in the setlist...was it the 2-6-75 MSG show? Lastly, given the flood of 1975 soundboards that have surfaced recently, any chance we get some Chicago soundboards?

Thanks for the advice...I'll get around to downloading as soon as I figure out this new-fangled telegraph thing, hehe. Seriously, downloading is not for me. For one thing, my computer crashed. For another, it has been my experience, and I've heard tons of horror stories from my friends and family that downloading leads to viruses infiltrating your computer. Besides, it's only $5 a disc. When you consider what I would have to spend on blank cds and printing out artwork, and everything else that comes with downloading, I just prefer doing it the old-fashioned person-to-person way of going to a record swap and meeting other like-minded music fans. It's more friendly and social than just downloading from some anonymous website. So my most recent haul this past weekend included "Riot House"(12-22-72 London), Empress Valley's "Blues Brothers"(1-22-75 Chicago), two Black Crowes shows from their amazing 2005 tour, the Rolling Stones(Essen and Koln, Germany 1970), and two Pink Floyd shows from 1970(Berlin and Fillmore West).

If you think the Classic Vinyl re-issues sound good, you should hear the 45 rpm collection Classic Records put out, which is ASTOUNDING! I knew someone who worked at Classic, so I was able to get my hands on one of these monster sets(weighing a whopping 48 POUNDS!)...good luck finding one now. Way better than any previous vinyl or cd issue...with the exception of Led Zeppelin II; my original 1969 "RL" vinyl copy of LZ II still sounds the best.

Really? I'm not gonna get any help from y'all? Thanks a bunch.

Hey all! Been a long time since I've posted(almost a year) and I see the board has changed again. Anyhow, the swap meet is tomorrow and I need some help regarding a couple of bootlegs and since I don't have time to research them myself online, I was hoping I could get some advice from those of you in the know, and tomorrow morning before I leave for the swapmeet I'll check here to see if any sort of consensus has formed. Okay, so here's my question: Of the two boots by Wendy of the 2 shows at the Alexandra Palace in London on December 22 and 23, 1972, which one is the best: "Riot House 12-22-72" or "Disturbance House 12-23-72"? I can only afford one, otherwise I would get both...so if you can tell me which is best, performance- and sound quality-wise, I'd be grateful for everyone's input. Thanks!

Actually Sharon, I saw both the Roxy and Wiltern shows before having a chance to hear the album. Got the cd the day after the Wiltern gig. Badgeholder, no wonder the sound was muffled to your ears...you were sitting in one of the worst spots, by the bar where the stools are. The problem sitting there is that the ceiling overhang from the balcony prevents the full spectrum of sound from reaching you. Anyway, here's a taste of the Roxy show...some guy to my right video'd Daffodils and put it on youtube. No good ones from the Wiltern yet...only Wiltern clip of Daffodils I found was only a minute long.

A brief note about Them Crooked Vultures show at the Wiltern Tuesday November 17, 2009...I've gotta get to work soon so don't have time for a lengthy spiel. Besides, no sense rubbing it in that I was lucky to see 2 TCV shows back-to-back. While the Wiltern wasn't as intimate a show as the Roxy, to my ears it sounded better and LOUDER and the set pacing was better. Grohl and Jones, especially, sounded clearer in the mix than they did at the Roxy show. And it's not like the Wiltern Theatre is an enormo-dome, so from where I was on the floor, while I wasn't just a few feet away, I was still only about 20 feet away with a great view of the entire stage and all the band members. According to Josh they also played their first encore...although in reality they played the same songs as the night before; they just added a encore break between "Spinning in Daffodils" and whatever the encore song was..."Warsaw" I think? About "Daffodils"...hearing it again last night just only reenforced my first impression that this song is the gem of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, "Elephants", "Reptiles", and a couple others all sounded good and had a great meaty, greasy rock vibe. But "Spinning in Daffodils" was worth the price of admission alone...it is the one song that achieves that weird combo of epic pummeling intensity and deranged desert-atmospheric soundscapes that the best of Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age had. If you think it sounds good on record, to see "Daffodils" live with Grohl and Jones pounding the rhythm into your gut while Josh and Alain sear your brain with a dual-guitar assault of mind-melting notes...you never wanted it to fucking end. But end it does, with Jones winding the song down gracefully on his electric piano(I detected some patterns he used to play in live versions of "No Quarter" back in the Zep daze). If you've been on the fence about going to one of their shows, whether for financial- or time- or geography-related reasons...fuck it, JUST GO and damn the consequences! I guarantee you it is worth whatever the cost just to see them play "Daffodils" live! Happy to hear you made it in Badgeholder...where were you standing/sitting? I was near the rail, dead center, in the second floor section, right behind the pit. I promise a more thorough write-up later...my mind is still sifting through the events of the last two nights and there's lots more I want to say about it.

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".