The cassette version of II had ‘Heartbreaker’ at the end of side 1 and ‘Thank You’ as the opening of side 2. As such, the transition from the echo effect at the end of ‘The Lemon Song’ into the opening riff of ‘Heartbreaker’ is virtually seamless. I still prefer that to ‘Thank You’ ending side 1.

‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’, ‘Black Mountain Side’ is obviously inferior to ‘White Summer/Black Mountain Side’ live. That’s all I can think of at the moment. There are definitely songs I like live equally to the album version, such as ‘Trampled Under Foot’ and ‘Kashmir’. Edit: now that I think of it, I prefer most live versions of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ to the album track.

How The West Was Won absolutely. As great as the Long Beach Arena show is, and oh, it's tremendous, I'd have preferred if Pagey focused entirely on the LA Forum show. Way better performance than TSRTS, much as I love it.

Offenburg '73. Right now I'm on 'Whole Lotta Love'. KILLER. Probably my favorite theremin freakout by Page that I've ever heard.

I am an artist (a pretty amateur one anyway) but I had graphic design classes in comm. college and that included a Photoshop class and there were some of my fellow students who were good, and I don't know if they were all artists, so... Really, I feel being good at drawing helps you more in Adobe Illustrator, and in that one, you still might not need it to do good. I have learned that the more you use Photoshop, the more you learn the functions and stuff, the better you get over time. I've been using it for like 18 years. There are still those who are waaaay better than me who've been using for less time than me. Try your hand at it, Rodrigo. Photoshop is expensive if you don't have it, but hell I've been using the multimedia computer (which has the entire Adobe Creative Suite on it) at my local library since I lost my demo disc for PS years ago. There are ways around the steep price. Anyway, I will be posting more very soon, working on a few things now. Edit: so I won’t double post, here is another boot cover I did, using an outtake from the Houses of the Holy cover photo shoot at Giants Causeway. I actually gave this one a title unlike Montreux ‘71 above. This is A Pocketful Of Gold, Providence, 1973:

Hey Zepheads. I have been creating my own album covers and things for different bands and artists mainly for kicks for years. Led Zeppelin is a band with great iconography, very visual bands with their album covers we love to stare at, etc. and it all compelled me to make some Zeppelin covers and desktop wallpapers of my own. Enjoy! This is the front and back cover to a compilation of my favorite Zeppelin songs I made, in the spirit of the Houses of the Holy artwork, featuring both Giants Causeway and Dunluce Castle (The ruined castle in the HOTH gatefold). I had actually made this cover from a desktop wallpaper I had made a while back and shared here years ago. Here are the covers and the wallpaper both: Front and back covers of a compilation I made of my favorite Zeppelin song I named The Ocean: Way back in 1996, when I was 16 almost 17, my mom was going on a trip to England and Wales and originally it looked like I was gonna tag along and I made a Zeppelin tape made up of some songs that would fit the mood as I was looking at the lovely English and Welsh countryside. I named the tape Bron-Yr-Aur. Unfortunately mom decided to go on her own and I was disappointed though looking back I’m glad she went. Anyway, a few years ago I decided to recreate that tape with a cover featuring a simple photograph of the cottage on the cover (I didn’t add anything, no text, Zeppelin-style) and made the back cover from a photo I found of an acoustic guitar on the green ground. Not much work done by me unlike The Ocean above but hey, here it is: Here are the front and back covers to a best of Zeppelin compilation I made just yesterday: In this thread soon I will be sharing some covers of live bootlegs I made myself. No back cover for this yet but here’s the cover first one, for Montreux 1971: And to end this long post (I apologize for the size of these images), here is a desktop wallpaper I made the other day that I also used for my banner in my signature below. I really liked how this turned out: Lemme know what you think.

One of my top five favorite Zeppelin tunes, so very killer. Yeah, the Zurich and Frankfurt ‘80 performances were good, real good. But not just listening but also watching the band at the height of their powers at Earls Court as they hit the audience up the side of their heads with some funk. Glorious, I never tire of watching that.

Here's my read on the meaning of 'Stairway to Heaven'. You ready? Robert sitting by the fire one night at Headley Grange in a bit of a bad mood listened to Jimmy play the melody and, spur of the moment, found the words to go along with it. These words sounded good and the band was pleased with them. Maybe it's a song of hope like Robert said in NYC in '73. I like to think he was right on the money when he said they are largely open to interpretation. But I guarantee you that he would stop you in your tracks if you start going on about Crowley, Satan, druids and paganism. It is sure as shit not about any of that. It's a song. A classic song actually, with poetic, beautiful lyrics. There are a number of other Zeppelin tunes like that too. You know what, the piper calling you to join him may be as simple as saying, "take up this song with me for a melody shared is infinitely better than a melody ringing out alone, unheard." And so we continue to share this song today. I remember when I first heard this song nearly 29 years ago on my headphones at night in bed. I was taken with the music and the lyrics and the journey these four extraordinary individuals were taking me on. I still am nearly three decades later. Maybe that's what this song is ultimately about: the journey. Like all journeys, like the journey Led Zeppelin took, like a melody rising and falling, it had to end. And yet the journey begins again like opening an old familiar book, whenever the song is listened to or played. That's what I think, anyway.

It certainly is a mysterious symbol even after finding where it came from. One thing's for sure, though it may seem to say Zoso, Jimmy has said before that it isn't supposed to be a word at all. There are so many fans who call the fourth album Zoso to which I want to reply, then what about Jonesy, Bonzo and Plant's symbols? Are they supposed to be O's extending Zoso into Zosoooooo? 🤔

Yes, I imagine it was not only the California sunshine but also the California girls and the high times they had at the Riot House. All this would be paradise for a p*ssy-hungry, young and virile rock and roll band, rampaging across America like the four horsemen, wielding the mighty Thor's hammer of rock and roll. No wonder they always killed at the Forum. I'll never not love those shows. It's like getting off on thunder. God, I wish I was born 20 years earlier so I could have seen them just once.

What I meant by 'saving' is that apparently when the band were recording the song, it wasn't quite working out right until Bonham suggested playing it with four drumsticks. The track came together after that. It is indeed, like everything else on the fourth album, quintessential Zeppelin.

Just what was it about the LA Forum for Zeppelin to play some of the very best shows in their career? Was it the audience? I know the band members loved LA. I don't know, but listening to them at the Forum in '70, '72 and '77 especially is to listen to a band on fire. '71 might be the weakest of their Forum shows only because this is when Plant's voice started to decline a little bit (even he gives one of his best performances of 'Immigrant Song' ever at this show). Still a damn good show. '73 and '75 were great too. What was it about the Forum?

Are there really Zeppelin fans who diss 'Four Sticks'? It's a killer! I mean, imagine if 'Down By the Seaside' was in its place. I really like that song but comparatively that would be the nadir of the fourth album. And cheers to Bonzo for suggesting to play it with four sticks thereby saving the track.

Does anybody know what day in 1968 that Pagey, Percy, Jonesy and Bonzo first performed in a room together, playing 'Train Kept A-Rollin''? Some time in late August/early September. I would consider that day as the exact moment Led Zeppelin was born.

That's what I'm listening to right now! What a show! Bonzo is on fire! 40 years ago yesterday.