I recently posted this in another thread but it's well worth reposting for anyone that's a fan of CSN & Y: I also can't recommend this record highly enough to anyone that's a fan of Stephen Stills:

A new Christmas song from Paul Simon:

Agreed. I don't see eye-to-eye with my friends on everything, much less music.

All of this completely sidesteps the topic I originally mentioned. A band that had never allowed their music to be used in a commercial finally caved and did so. It doesn't matter who the corporation was, the fact is, they did it.

That's what gets me. When making these lame arguments against Robert Plant one has to wonder if the ones criticizing him have actually ever listened to a Led Zeppelin album or if they are even remotely aware of their very diverse array of influences. Sure, they have every right not to like his current musical direction but are they not aware that he's drawing from the very same types of music that influenced Led Zeppelin? If someone is even going to attempt to have such a discussion, at least come to it informed with facts and not a bunch of half-baked accusations that have absolutely no basis in fact. Of course Page would be immune to the same sort of criticism especially when it comes to fanboys such as silvermedalist who go on and on about how he is the greatest guitarist ever and how the other members of the band owe him for their success. Since it doesn't fit their argument, John Paul Jones always gets left out of the equation even though he's played in a number of bluegrass bands and has even produced albums by them. It's not as though he's been hiding under a rock when he's made appearances at a number of music festivals nationwide sitting in with bluegrass bands or produced albums by the likes of Sara Watkins and Uncle Earl.

It's these sort of statements that I find bewildering. Yes, you have every right to not be fond of country music but it makes me wonder if you've actually listened to the Band of Joy album because it also employs some of the very same Middle Eastern textures that have informed not only his previous solo work but that of Led Zeppelin as well. When did anyone ever accuse you of this? A person can like Zeppelin and not necessarily be a fan of their individual solo albums and vice versa. Not a lot of catching up to do as he only has one solo album. Even if you were to add his work with The Firm, Coverdale-Page, the Death Wish III soundtrack and his short stint with the Black Crowes there's still not a lot of catching up to do. Jimmy Page may be a lot of things but prolific he is not.

When has anyone ever asked you to change your opinion? It's you stating your opinion as fact that grew old about a gazillion usernames ago.

I could never part with my CDs. I have far too much money invested in them to do that. Same for my vinyl. Both collections could probably use some weeding out but throw them away? Hell, no. That said, many people have done that exact thing, just taken them to the dump and tossed them. I'm also keeping my cassette collection. I rarely listen to them anymore (even though I have several cassette decks, including one in my vehicle) but I spent a lot of time compiling mixes so they're something I could never just throw away. The book Cassette From My Ex (which I highly recommend, by the way) has a sidebar on how to transfer all your old cassettes to iTunes (or your mp3 player of choice). That would be rather time consuming but in the end I think it would be worthwhile. Agreed about the vinyl listening experience. I also enjoy the convenience of mp3s and CDs but neither comes close to the enjoyment I get from listening to vinyl and I don't mean that just from an audio quality standpoint. Listening to music is a highly personal experience and is therefore different for each of us but nothing beats the old days of gathering around the hi-fi with all of your friends to listen to a brand new slab of plastic for the very first time. How often does that happen with CDs and mp3s? Same reason I still prefer shopping in a record store to ordering online. It's something best experienced with fellow music fans.

I have no idea what "Skoda" is but either way, a band that has prided themselves for so long on not allowing their songs to be licensed for commercial use (and I'm referring to commercials here, not movies) finally did so. Your mileage may vary but I lost a lot of respect for them that day. However, my respect for Neil (who has stuck to his guns) remains intact. If Neil and R.E.M. can do it, Zeppelin can but they chose not to.

That really doesn't make a lot of sense to me but whatever makes your boat float. I just know that if I'm given the choice I'll buy vinyl over CDs as long as it comes with a download. In some cases you're even able to purchase all three in the same package. Those are artists that really know how to look out for their fans. Unfortunately they're few and far between these days.

It's really not that far fetched. Wasn't the 02 concert held up due to a gardening accident where Page broke a finger? Sounds like it's straight out of Spinal Tap (which may be where I got it from).

Kudos to Rolling Stone and any publication that has been critical of Led Zeppelin. I may not always agree but it at least they were speaking their mind. Would you like to live in a world where everyone likes the exact same thing and finds absolutely no fault with it? I know I wouldn't. They have every right to express their opinion which is all it is. If I like something, someone else's opinion isn't going to change my thoughts on it. That goes for Led Zeppelin or any other band.

If you care to sample another taste from R.E.M.'s next record, Collapse Into Now (due 3.8.11), click on the image above.

Rather than seeing Page join the Band of Joy I'd be much more intrigued to see what he can do on his own. Plant and Jones haven't had any problem forging ahead into uncharted territory. The sooner Page gives up the Zep ghost the better off he'll be.

I'll take uncompressed files any day over MP3s and that's just the sonic difference. Then there's the artwork, some CDs don't even include the original artwork so compact discs and vinyl aren't the "exact same thing". Vinyl has been enjoying a resurgence over the past few years and it's mainly younger folks that are driving that market. Many of them realized what they were missing out on. I buy CDs and will continue to but I prefer all that comes with vinyl records, in addition to the warmness of sound you also have liner notes and artwork to enjoy while listening to the music.

Believe it or not, I've only owned a couple of receivers in my lifetime. One was one of those old console stereos from Sears, the other was an Aiwa that was handed down to me from an older brother. It still works but it's definitely time for an upgrade. I have a CD player and dual cassette deck that are still in good condition. I never got to use them much considering I used to live in hurricane country (the coast of North Carolina) and they've been in storage since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. A friend was kind enough to gift me with a set of speakers so I just need to invest in a new receiver and a turntable. Still on the fence on whether to go the USB route or not but I'm thinking so, that way I can transfer some of my old records to iTunes. I have never tried to rebuild my vinyl collection on compact disc but as the years have gone by, I have accumulated a great deal of the same music.

Click on the image below to read the interview with Hilton Valentine of The Animals, there's also a bit of Zep content in the interview in the way of a Peter Grant-Chuck Berry related story, a very worthwhile read. Q&A with Hilton Valentine An Animal Loose in Athens The Animals' original guitarist discusses opening for Chuck Berry, naming Hendrix's band and doing drugs with The Beatles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dj7cZMeaBc To quote Ed Kowalczyk, "absolutely the most beautiful song ever written by a human being". To hear the original by Vic Chesnutt click on the clip below. R.I.P., Vic.

Been buying this every year since R.E.M. contributed an alternate version of their song Why Not Smile? to the accompanying CD way back in the late 90s. Every year it has been an outstanding addition to my collection and this year is no exception. Not so long ago I read an interview with Plant where he mentioned getting turned onto one of the songs from the Oxford American CD that ended up on either his latest record or Raising Sand. In addition to the magazine and the CD, the Oxford American site has lots of stuff they couldn't fit into a single issue or onto the CD.

I have an older brother who's responsible for turning me onto the likes of Zappa, Wild Man Fischer and Beefheart. I'm not a big fan of a lot of it but I feel thankful to have been exposed to the avant garde side of rock n' roll early on. It opened my eyes and ears to a lot of things I'll forever be thankful for.

Need to invest in a new turntable myself as I still have my old vinyl and continue to acquire both new and used records. Keep an eye on craigslist, always lots to choose from there.