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MonkeyOnMyBack

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Everything posted by MonkeyOnMyBack

  1. I wish Robert and Jimmy hadn't been so disrespectful to JPJ for the entire decade of the 90s, and frankly I wish the band members were more appreciative of each other today. From the outside, it just seems like they really don't care for each other, and that Bonzo was the only one each of them mutually liked and fully appreciated as an artist. I think that has a lot to do with the lack of collaborative work of any sort in the past 18 years. Watching all of the awkward tension between the three of them during the 2012 interviews after the release of Celebration Day was sad. In reading this thread, I have to absolutely disagree on the bashing of You Shook Me. I love that track. The vocals are ridiculously powerful, and the three part solo (organ to harmonica to guitar (With ridiculous drum fills from Bonzo) ) are incredible. I love the tone of JImmy's guitar in that solo. It is one of my favorite all-time tracks. Keep in mind, that album was recorded in 30 total hours, a mere three months after their first rehearsal, when Jimmy was 24, JPJ was 22, and Robert and Bonzo were just 20 years old. Mindboggling how good they were at such a young age.
  2. Picked up the vinyl for May 24, 1975 @ Earl's Court today. In this digital age, nothing beats the thrill of walking into a Used Record shop you have never visited and walking out with something new to enjoy.
  3. as noted above, the official published version (at least in the LZ Songbook) of the song says "blow".
  4. I have watched videos and listened to John Bonham most of the day. As great as Robert, Jimmy, and JPJ all are, I really think it was Bonzo's drumming that was by relative comparison, so much better than anything else in comparison to the bands of their era, or any other. How many other bands do you find yourself routinely stopping to focus on specifically the drumming.. and yet, with Led Zeppelin, there are very few songs where the drums aren't just there to hold the rhythm, they are literally defining the sound of the song. Aside from the amazing versions of Moby Dick I have relived today, can you imagine Dazed and Confused, Good Times Bad Times, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker, Rock and Roll, Misty Mountain Hop, Four Sticks, When The Levee Breaks, Kashmir, The Song Remains The Same, Achilles Last Stand, Nobody's Fault But MIne, Fool In the Rain, or dozens of other tracks without his drumming? Even less obvious choices like Your Time is Gonna Come, You Shook Me, Ramble On, Bring It On Home, Out On the Tiles, Bron Yr-Aur Stomp, Stairway to Heaven, Dancing Days, D'Yer Maker, Black Country Woman, Ten Years Gone, Hots on For Nowhere, and All of My Love are made so much more unique, imaginative and impactful with John's drumbeat. One of my favorite Bonham memories was the first time I listened to Swan Song. It sounded OK when it started, but I was mildly skeptical about whether this was a legit "lost" LZ song. This skepticism increased when the bass came in, for to me, it sounded a bit unlike a typical Jones bass line, mainly in tone. However, when Bonzo kicked on drums, I got chills and a really warm feeling all at once, like he had come back to play just one more song for us. His music means more to me than I can say. Happy Birthday John Henry Bonham, you are so very sorely missed around the entire world.
  5. After reading this thread, I had to go back and watch TSRTS-RS sequence... and for as many cheap shots this movie took from the critics, I think that sequence in particular is a really beautiful ~ 15 minute short story. The scenery is breathtaking, the castle (like all old castles) is incredible, Robert plays the valiant warrior and explorer quite well, and of course Ms. Parker is absolutely stunning. To top it off, I think those 2 songs rate as 2 of the very best tracks in the film and create a perfect backing track. Both TSRTS and the Rain Song are so well played and heavenly to listen to, especially considering how many hundreds of times I have listened to and/or watched this film. So great to revisit...
  6. Wow, what a truly fascinating thread. Ms. Parker, it is a privilege to read and learn all about your life and impressive talents. Thanks for being such a wonderful presence here.. and all around.
  7. clw you are killing it. I'm going Communication Breakdown from Blueberry Hill. The intro there just melts my mind.
  8. Why? Why? Why? Some guys have all the luck
  9. This performance was all about unrealized potential. The arrangement and orchestra were phenomenal, but overall it underachieved greatly due to a weak vocal night for RP. He was WAY better on O2.
  10. Awesome thanks, always looking to meet other local Zep fans!
  11. I don't know if I saw the best show of that tour, but I DEFINITEY saw it in the best location of that tour. 4th of July, in Red Rocks Ampitheater in Denver, CO. I was in the summer preceding my senior year of college, we had 7th row seats, and it was one of those nights when every single one of my tight circle of friends from high school and college reconnected for one last night together before we soon scattered across the country. Such a great night.. and such a great memory. In the distance, you could see the fireworks shows across the Denver metro area as Robert and company gave an amazing show. For the record, Joan Jett was the opening act, and didn't get the best reception. People were at that show for one reason... and all she represented was an obstacle to the prize.
  12. Moonlight In Samosa Killing The Blues Tie Dye on the Highway Ship of Fools Young Boy Blues So many more... but if I had to take 5 to an island with me, those would be the ones.
  13. I love it overall, recognizing like any concert it has its peaks. For me, my four favorites were NFBM, NQ, Kashmir (The Top Performance of the Night), and Rock and Roll. None were perfect, but I thought they came together the best on those tracks. Rock and Roll... probably the last song those guys ever played together as LZ, so an emotional moment for sure. I'm grateful for the entire project and it is a great study to go from BBC Sessions to RAH to HTWTW to TSRTS to Earl to Knebworth to this. What a journey of live releases. If they stay true to it, and I believe they will, what other band or artist has ever gone out with a performance of this magnitude? Cheers.
  14. Agree, I thought it was great, especially the finale, which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it yet... but WOW.
  15. Born in 1967, I was just coming of age musically when we lost Bonzo. It was the fall of 1980 when I really started listening to LZ, and didn't fully appreciate at the time the signficance when he died. Two memories from that time.. I remember going back to my junior high school library over and over to re-read the little blurb in Rolling Stone about his death. For some strange reason, I also remember that we had a subscription to People Magaine (ha ha) and I wondered who these guys were when that issue arrived. Anyway, as I moved into the early 80s, my obsession fully developed. I started with LZ4, then LZ1, then LZ2, and soon acquired the entire catalogue. I remember the magical moments of CODA being released, Robert Plant coming in concert so I could actually see him, followed by Jimmy Page and the Firm. Of course, when the 3 of them played Live Aid in 1985, I remember dancing around in my front yard afterward in celebration and re-watching the VHS until I wore it out. Even then, I started hoping for a reunion... and of course, regardless of ANY concert I have attended since, I watch as it starts, just imagining how much better it would be if Bonzo and the boys were starting the show with Rock and Roll, a la The Song Remains The Same. I have seen Robert again (at Red Rocks, which was awesome) and Robert/Jimmy together, and have followed every move since religiously. I remember leaving work early during the O2 concert so I could go home and follow online blogs as each song was played. You could say I'm pretty hooked. I have many other bands that I love and enjoy from multiple genres, but nothing will ever surpass my obsession with, and affection for, Led Zeppelin. They are a part of my life and always will be.
  16. I'd love to... any recommendations on how to find these types of performances? Aside from my local used record stores and what I see/hear on Youtube, i'm pretty much a novice in tracking down recorded shows like the one you mention here.
  17. Wow, really? I loved the creativity of the reunion... and the alternate arrangements, but Robert's voice was not in good shape whatsoever for that 1994 No Quarter album. When I saw them in on tour, it was much stronger, but when I listen to No Quarter, I found Robert's voice (or lack thereof) to be a really distraction.
  18. I haven't seen or heard every show.. but from all that I have heard, nothing matches the power and near-perfection of Royal Albert Hall, 1970. Robert's voice was at its peak, before he started taking some shortcuts with key changes.. and Jimmy, JPJ and Bonzo are just so raw and fierce and energetic. If I had to show a new fan one show that demonstrated their greatness, this would be it.
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