October is here and more anniversaries – as you can see on the site, October is Led Zeppelin 2 month around these parts – and maybe yours too.

It’s incredible to think that album has been around our world for nearly four decades – and having just played it for what will be the first of many a Zep 2 related playback over the next month, the effect is still electric.

I’m going to search out all the variations I have and give them an airing over the next month. The original 588 198 brown bomber LP, the Spanish pressing I brought on holiday in Loret de Mar in 1975, the rather rare version I have that lists Living Loving Maid as Living Loving Wreck, the CD remaster,etc etc. Then there’s all those wondrous live versions of the nine tracks: Whole Lotta Love at Knebworth, What Is And What Should Never Be Japan ‘71, Killing Floor/Lemon Song Winterland ’69, Thank You LA Forum ‘73, Heartbreaker- where to start…Paris ’69? Ottawa ’70? Vienna 73? New York ’75?, Living Loving Maid – ah that’s a harder one as they didn’t play it live – maybe the Plant circa ‘90/’91 live version, Ramble On 02 reunion, Moby Dick Earls Court ‘75, Bring It On Home Blueberry Hill/LA ‘70 etc. Iconic album, iconic anniversary – I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all as listed on the site – email davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com.

I would have been celebrating another anniversary this month. Had circumstances not changed rather dramatically earlier this year, I would now be clocking up 35 years working in music retail as it was back in October 1974 I started working behind the record counter in WH Smith.

Rather masochistically, I read the new issue of trade magazine Music Week which had an update of all the new releases due for this year’s final sales quarter (I used to get well excited at the prospect of dealing with all that new product), plus a supplement celebrating 50 years of the magazine. One statistic it revealed was that in the mid 70s, WH Smith had a 25% share of the total UK record market. We were never that hip in old WH (the brown jacket I had to wear was rather hideous) but boy we racked up the sales.

On a similar subject, I couldn’t resist replying to a letter in our local paper a couple of weeks back bemoaning the lack of record shops in town. I can fully empathise with this dilemma as you can see in the letter I had printed.

Fact is, it’s a situation that is occurring in cities and towns all over the UK and beyond. Your own area probably suffers the same predicament. The download generation will never experience that excited buzz of buying the likes of Led Zeppelin 2 we had all those years back.

Back in the land of ‘Ever Onward’, I’ve been pretty immersed in the Nick Drake feature I’m collating and various other things this week. My back slightly improved but can’t say I’ve been feeling 100%. Did get to see the Foy boy last Saturday which was a tonic for us both. Sam may be back Saturday for a couple days and the annual Bedford Beer Festival beckons next week (Oct 8th- 10th), so hopefully I’ll be back on form ready to soak up a half of Black Dog (or more).

Here’s a last laugh – I’m on You Tube again, but fear not, there’s no singing – just a lot of shouting and screaming. I’ve mentioned before, during the Knebworth research I found the original tapes that I recorded at the time on my Phillips cassette recorder at Knebworth on the 4th and 11th . Well the opening minutes of the immense excitement the Bedford Knebworth 3 – Tom, Dec and I were feeling (and airing!) as Led Zeppelin came on stage at 9.40 on the evening of August 4 1979, have turned up on a You Tube clip : see here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBRcC-7M2U

Note the following exuberant statements as the action unfolds (timings aprrox)

1 min:20 “THE WORLDS GREATEST ROCK N’ ROLL BAND….EVER!” (Tom)
1:35 “OH MY GOD THEY’RE ON THE STAGE….THEY’RE ON THE FUCKING STAGE! ” (Tom)
2:34 ‘’‘ ROBERT! YES, YES, YES! FUCKING HELL! ‘’ (Me)

2:55 “OH, THEY’RE THE BEST!” (Me)
3:02 OH LOOK AT THAT! (Me)

3:10 ‘’MY GOD THIS IS BRILLIANT! I LOVE IT!’’ (Tom)

3:14 ‘‘ THIS IS WORTH ANYTHING! ’’ (Me)

3:22 “LOOK AT THAT BOY GO!” (Me)
3:28 “I’M SHAKING………I’M SHAKING ALL OVER! ” (Me)

3:58 ‘’ ROBERT! ROBERT! ‘’ (Me)
(I think Dec was still eating his Lincoln biscuit)
As you will hear… we were quite excited. The good lady Janet wishes I displayed such enthusiasm when I now put the washing out or empty the dishwasher…

It’s not quite the same though is it?