All at TBL are very sad to hear the passing of Storm Thorgerson age 69.
As a part of the Hipgnosis design team working with Aubrey Powell aka Po, Storm was responsible for many iconic album sleeve designs notably of course for Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
Storm and Po were responsible for the sleeve designs of Houses Of The Holy, Presence, The Song Remains The Same Soundtrack, In Through The Out Door and Coda. They also designed Robert Plant’s Principal Of Moments album sleeve.
When I interviewed Aubrey Powell a few weeks …

Led Zeppelin: Sound And Fury: Photo by Neal Preston
Renowned rock photographer Neal Preston was granted unprecedented access to Led Zeppelin during the band’s touring heyday, grants similar access to fans in Led Zeppelin: Sound and Fury, a digital book released this week (iBookstore, $9.99). Here’s a preview you tube clip:
Neal Preston Led Zeppelin

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Jimmy on Joe Meek:
Here’s a clip of Jimmy talking about Joe Meek for a forthcoming documentary on the 1960s studio wizard…

 
Robert Plant down under…this review from Duncan Watson
Wellington TSB Bank Arena, April 9 2013
This was the first time …

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters TSB Bank Arena, Tuesday, April 9 – Reviewed by Simon Sweetman
Above photo Phil Reid Fairfax NZ
In the 30 years since Led Zeppelin called it a day nobody has worked harder at honouring the legacy whilst creating distance from it – and attempting new runs on the board – than the voice of the band, Mr Robert Plant. 
And if it is hard for some audience members to fathom that Plant had a career pre- and post-Zep then it seems the erstwhile Golden God, …

Deborah Bonham Band at Milton Keynes Stables:
Following their hugely successful charity show with Paul Rodgers in Chichester, The Deborah Bonham band tour reaches The Stables in Milton Keynes on Thursday night. Support comes from the excellent Steve Rodgers. See http://www.steverodgersmusic.com/index.html
Deb’s new album Spirit is available on the tour as a pre release digi-pack  CD limited edition. The album features Band of Joy drummer Marco Giovano and Robert Plant makes a guest contribution on the track What it Feels.
In an interview featured in the last TBL issue Deborah told me how pleased she …

Robert Plant at Rod Laver Arena Melbourne – this report for TBL from Michael Rae who attended with his son
As this photo of my 13 year old, Adam, shows, we weren’t in a great spot for photos tonight!
Never mind, we were there!
Robert was in fine voice and in a very cheerful mood. The band was spectacular.
LZ songs included Friends, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Black Dog, Going to California, Ramble On, Four Sticks, Whole Lotta Love and encores of What Is And What Should Never Be and Rock and Roll. Spoonful, Fixin’ to …

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters Down Under:
This round up by Bill McGlynn:

Just returned from my third Robert Plant & SSS concert, in Newcastle. It’s been three wonderful nights, to say the least! All three setlists have been the same and the orders have varied. In Newcastle, it started with a very powerful version of Friends.
The venues and audiences have been quite different over the three nights.
Robert and band really fed off the crowd excitement at the festival in Byron Bay. Robert was breaking out many of the old …

TBL Celebrates Houses Of The Holy at 40:
A lot of work went into collating and writing the Houses Of The Holy feature earlier in the year – I was as usual spinning a few other plates, so it’s most gratifying to receive the kind of feedback below that makes it all worthwhile…inspiring a return to the music with a fresh perspective is always my mission on everything that comes out of here…judging by these comments it’s job done with Houses…
This one from Paul Humbley:
This is the least played Zeppelin vinyl in …

Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy  TBL 40th Anniverary Special:
40 years ago today Led Zeppelin released their long awaited fifth album, Houses Of The Holy.
We have been counting down to this milestone anniversary and the TBL website and Facebook page will be celebrating the album’s release over the next few days.
I myself have been getting intensely re acquainted with the Houses Of The Holy album since January, as over the past three months I’ve been collating a major feature  for the new issue of Record Collector – that issue is now …

I know I’ve run this before, but the posting on Jimmy’s site today – and the fact it’s 15 years ago today that they performed the Shepherds Bush Empire gig, prompted me to dig out the Mad Month of March text from TBL 13 that chronicles this intensive period that saw them stage the showpiece Shepherds Bush gig plus appearances of Top of The Pops and TFI Friday.
1998 really was a fantastic year for Page and Plant activity – for some of  us in the TBL crew perhaps the last carefree period before we got …

Robert Plant presents Sensational Spaceshifters – West Coast Blues and Roots Festival – Fremantle: Western Australia, Perth –
This report by Mick Judd for TBL
Just got home. It was a great day with some great acts preceding Robert and the Strange Sensation, such as Chris Issak, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Status Quo. Robert and band came on about 7.30 pm and brought the house down with mostly Dreamland and Might Re-arranger materials. He looked quite fit and the band were well geared up for the gig. At one stage he made …