ZEPPELIN`S JIMMY PAGE SOARS IN SOLO TOUR

[Cat]

As a member of the ever-growing ranks of middle-aged rock legends,

guitarist Jimmy Page gave a performance Monday night that belied his age and

longevity, while thoroughly satisfying an audience of hard and heavy-metal

rock fans at the UIC Pavilion.

Page, 44, is the guitarist who reshaped rock during the late 1960s with

the Yardbirds and most notably during the 1970s reign of Led Zeppelin. Along

with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, Page combined a warped mix of blues, raw rock and guitar effects that was the birth of heavy-metal music. Page went back to the roots of Zeppelin for this first solo tour of his career. While most of Monday`s concert was taken from his latest nine-cut album ``Outrider,`` Page did oblige with a medley of riffs from a range of

Zeppelin songs.

But without Plant`s vocals and the unique Zeppelin sound, it was a hollow reminiscence. At times, Page seemed too alone on stage, working through material that appeared as distant to him as the band`s past. The result was a cold reminder that what once was Zeppelin is now distant history.

What was left was a good look at the latest work from Page. Undoubtedly it was this new solo material that provided the punch for the concert. With songs that ranged from the raucous, fuzzed guitar of ``Emerald Eyes`` to the earthy acoustic of ``Blues Anthem`` and an instrumental called ``Liquid Mercury,`` Page carried the show`s pace on his fingertips.

Although those hands have slowed some, Page`s ability to expand the music through improvisation has never stopped. On ``Prison Blues,`` Page`s growing patience with his music was clear.

After drifting through two choruses with the rest of the band, Page was left

alone on stage hunched over his guitar. For nearly 15 minutes he spoke through his guitar deliberately, angrily and with enough raunch to electrify the crowd.

The sentimental addition of drummer Jason Bonham, son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, was the only bright spot in a band that did little else to back Page`s solo work. The heir to his father`s drum seat, Jason filled it well, displaying his father`s rampaging drum style and penchant for flash. In a show-stealing solo, Bonham ripped through cuts and rhythms that shattered two drums and nearly the Pavilion.

But the merging of old Page and new Bonham was the only bit of magic that could be squeezed from the show. As a two-man operation, the evening was a success. But taken as a whole, the show suffered from the vocals of the band`s lead singer, John Miles, and the band`s inability to show any strength as a unit. Miles, who also appears on ``Outrider,`` seems cut from the same heavy-

metal mold from which Bon Jovi, Guns `n` Roses or any other of a dozen other metal bands have been fashioned from. Rough like broken glass, but not nearly as sharp, Miles plugged his way through the set with little emotion or enthusiasm.

The result was an evening that was successful for Page as a solo artist and for Bonham`s excellent drum work. But the attempt to build a band around Page`s immense and unique talent came up short one.

[Stargroves Tangie]

As a member of the ever-growing ranks of middle-aged rock legends,

guitarist Jimmy Page gave a performance Monday night that belied his age and

longevity, while thoroughly satisfying an audience of hard and heavy-metal

rock fans at the UIC Pavilion.

Page, 44, is the guitarist who reshaped rock during the late 1960s with

the Yardbirds and most notably during the 1970s reign of Led Zeppelin. Along

with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, Page combined a warped mix of blues, raw rock and guitar effects that was the birth of heavy-metal music. Page went back to the roots of Zeppelin for this first solo tour of his career. While most of Monday`s concert was taken from his latest nine-cut album ``Outrider,`` Page did oblige with a medley of riffs from a range of

Zeppelin songs.

But without Plant`s vocals and the unique Zeppelin sound, it was a hollow reminiscence. At times, Page seemed too alone on stage, working through material that appeared as distant to him as the band`s past. The result was a cold reminder that what once was Zeppelin is now distant history.

What was left was a good look at the latest work from Page. Undoubtedly it was this new solo material that provided the punch for the concert. With songs that ranged from the raucous, fuzzed guitar of ``Emerald Eyes`` to the earthy acoustic of ``Blues Anthem`` and an instrumental called ``Liquid Mercury,`` Page carried the show`s pace on his fingertips.

Although those hands have slowed some, Page`s ability to expand the music through improvisation has never stopped. On ``Prison Blues,`` Page`s growing patience with his music was clear.

Was the writer of this article the same one who reviewed Outrider for the Chicago Tribune in July? If it was, he sure changed his mind about the album- he panned it in July & seemed to like it here.

[SteveAJones]

Was the writer of this article the same one who reviewed Outrider for the Chicago Tribune in July? If it was, he sure changed his mind about the album- he panned it in July & seemed to like it here.

No. Chris Heim panned the album in July.

David Silverman favorably reviewed the October concert, as seen here.