The clips and media coverage of the ‘It Might Get Loud’ film blazed out a simple message in my view.

Jimmy Page has still got it. In spades.

He looked well at ease at the press conference and ever articulate. Even on the few short clips released, this film is sure to be essential viewing. The jam on In My Time Of Dying with Jimmy playing the Gibson Custom looks amazing. Amongst his peers The Edge and Jack White, Jimmy is every bit the regal statesmen of the guitar. With new music from the man (Embryo 1 and 2), and a glimpse of him running down Ramble On and more, ‘It Might Get Loud’ shapes up to be a celluloid treat. No UK release details as yet, but I’m sure I wont be the only one (that includes you Mark Harrison!) gearing up to exalt excited whoops of ‘’Oh Jimmy!’’ as the esteemed guitar hero appears on the big screen. It might well be brilliant.

Bit of a tiring week on projects here – a last round up of Knebworth text (84,000 words and that’s it now) proved somewhat intensive (thanks Graeme H. for your help), a hand over to Martyn and it’s now in design. Nice to see the book mentioned on the Planet Rock ( www.planetrock.com) Lemon Squeezings (www.lemonsqueezings.blogspot.com) and Achilles Last Stand (www.led-zeppelin.org) sites. Also had word from legendary UK Planet Rock DJ Nicky Horne in support of the cause.

Watch the site for an announcement of how to pre order the book in the next few days.

Also busy on other bits including contributing to Neil Daniels new book ‘All Pens Blazing – A Heavy Metal Writers’ guide’, a compilation of rock writer profiles (www.neildaniels.com) plus working on a Record Collector feature and planning TBL 24 which will soon beckon.

Spotify wise there’s been plenty of it – extensive Plant, Dylan, The Who playlists and more – it’s also a good little devise to test out former lost minor vinyl glories of old to see how they stand the test of time. Some pass with flying colours (Roxy Music ‘Siren’, The Groundhogs ‘Split’, Kiki Dee’s ‘Loving And Free’), others fare less well. I sold both Jefferson Airplane’s ‘Long John Silver’ and a live album by Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles to our (long gone) local second hand shop in about 1974. I quickly regretted it, but locating them on the old Spotty this week I need not have worried. They both sounded utter crap. Just another Spotify service.

Get well Gerard: I was concerned to hear from Gerard Sparaco TBL CD contributor and CD web reviewer (www.collectorsmusicreviews.com) who told me he was recovering from a heart attack. All here wish him a speedy recovery.

The lead up to Fathers Day prompted a bit of a ‘‘’The way we were’’ syndrome here –there was a deluge of TV ads for ‘CD’s perfect for Father’s Day’, everything from the new George Harrison Best Of to those inane Dad Rocks compilations. Normally this would have had me ensuring maximum rack out of such fodder in the shop and it was strange not to be a part of all the Fathers Day retail frenzy last Saturday.

But that was then…

The actual day was very nice here: the boy Adam came up trumps with an interesting little prezzie – A Led Zep documentary DVD called ‘On The Rock Trail’ that I’ve never even heard of – he tells me he picked it up in town at the local exchange shop for 75p- Bargain!. Sam came up with the latest Simon Kernick novel Target -a gritty London thriller from a writer not far behind Peter Robinson in my view now.

Later we all trooped down to the Fox And Hounds where Sunday roast and a pint was just £4.95. Terry Boud had his own barbeque cooking so he shared a beer but missed out on the beef- His good lady Marian catches up with him to reach the milestone age of 50 today so happy birthday Mazza! A night of karaoke beckons on Saturday to celebrate – Terry informs me they don’t have Ramble On in the book so I’ll be in a strictly non singing role.

I have to confess I’ve paid a few visits to the Fox lately but not, I hasten to add to indulge in their Fosters. This has been in my new role as late night escort home to Sam who is doing some evening shifts behind the bar now she’s back for the next few weeks. Good job it wasn’t in the old halcyon days when my presence was felt in the pub on a more regular basis. It would have cost me a fortune in bribes to ask Sam to tell her Mum she hadn’t seen me…