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THE DAY I WAS THERE REVISED EDITION BOOK CALL OUT/ROBERT & ALISON LEVEE BREAKS/LZ NEWS/ KEZAR 73/DVD AND HOW THE WEST WAS WON 2003/JIMMY AND DONOVAN 2011/ FIRS THREE REISSUES TEN YEARS GONE/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE

6 June 2024 874 views No Comment
Led Zeppelin – The Day I Was There revised edition call out:
Later this year, Richard Houghton is publishing a revised edition of his book Led Zeppelin – The Day I Was There.
Telling the Zeppelin story through eyewitness accounts from fans, the first edition of the book contained more than 400 Zep memories. Richard is now looking for further memories from Zeppelin fans.
Richard has been in touch and is on the look out for new contributions:
‘I’m interested in hearing how people got into Zeppelin and what they remember of seeing them live. That might be a detailed recollection of seeing the band in action, or it could (after all these years) be just a few mental snapshots. But every memory, however slight, helps to tell the story.”
Richard can be reached at the email address below:
iwasatthatgig@gmail.com.
I will be contributing a Foreword to this new revised edition of Led Zeppelin The Day I Was which will be  published by Spenwood Books this autumn. More details to follow soon.
Dave Lewis – June 2 2024
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STOP PRESS:

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – When The Levee Breaks…

Here’s the superb new single by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – their version of  “When The Levee Breaks” – note the subtle violin reference to Zep’s Friends – there’s lot’s of echoes from the past here combined with a very haunting contemporary feel – most impressive…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDfwE0iDHYo

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LZ News:

Led Zeppelin News Update:

Here’s the latest round up from LZ News:

On April 29, LedZepNews appeared on KSL TV 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah appealing for fans who attended Led Zeppelin’s May 26, 1973 show in the city to come forward with their photographs. At the time, it was the most recent Led Zeppelin performance without any circulating photos.

This was an experiment designed to figure out whether public appeals for material about Led Zeppelin using local media could convince people to dig around and share things.

Last month, we published the first photos of that Salt Lake City show after we stumbled upon images that were up for sale online.

Happily, we now have even more photos of the show after attendee Charles Todd got in touch with LedZepNews this week and shared 10 colour photographs that he took. You can see all of the photos in this article.

Many thanks to James Cook

For all the latest Zep and related news check out the Led Zeppelin news website at:

http://ledzepnews.com/

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Above and below, the brilliant cover photos for TBL issue 35 (a duel cover issue) taken on June 2 1973 by Dan Cuny…fantastic images of an epic outdoor show…

It was all happening in the Kezar Stadium 51 years ago on June 2 – so here’s Mike Tremaglio’s tour log for that day …

TBL Archive Special 1 – June 2, 1973 – Kezar Stadium – San Francisco, California, USA

Setlist:

Rock And Roll, Celebration Day, Bring It On Home (Intro)/Black Dog, Over The Hills And Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song, Dazed And Confused (inc. San Francisco), Stairway To Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love Medley (inc. Ain’t It Funky Now, The Crunge, Just A Little Bit, Boogie Chillun’), Communication Breakdown (inc. It’s Your Thing), The Ocean

Background Info:

Another massive stadium gig – this time at the old home of the San Francisco 49ers football team – Kezar Stadium. The band performed before 49,304, breaking the previous Kezar Stadium attendance record of 45,000 set by Grand Funk Railroad in 1971.

An Atlantic Records press release issued on April 4, 1973 had this show scheduled for either June 1 or 2, while the “Welcome Back” blimp ad had listed it for June 1. It was ultimately performed on June 2, 1973.

The concert has achieved legendary status through the years, no doubt partially due to the dozens of incredible photographs that had visually documented this historic show. In particular, photos of Robert Plant holding a dove in one hand and a bottle of beer and a lit cigarette in the other are among the most iconic images in rock and roll history.

Press Reaction:

Todd Tolces filed a report from San Francisco in a Melody Maker (June 16, 1973) review titled “Led Zeppelin – a limp blimp”. He mentioned that he never thought he’d see anyone outdraw the Grateful Dead in their hometown as the Dead “ARE San Francisco”, but noted that Zeppelin almost tripled their 20,000 attendance of the week before.

Tolces explained that Lee Michaels had left the stage at 1:50 p.m. with Led Zeppelin billed for a 2:00 p.m. start. Unfortunately, as Michaels was leaving the stage, Led Zeppelin were just boarding a jet in Los Angeles!

When Zeppelin finally did get onstage 90 minutes later, Tolces was hardly impressed: “Bonham did a terribly boring solo for 25 minutes with the guy at the mixer doing most of the work. And Page got his share of feedback garbage in during his solo in every song they did. The mix as a whole was lousy. I couldn’t hear Jones at all and Bonham wasn’t nearly as clear as he is on record.

                “But for all their faults there were sparks of life in the limp blimp. Plant’s voice is still amazing. That terrific scream he did near the end of ‘How Many More Times’ kept popping up again and again as he pranced fiercely around the stage.”

Charles Shaar Murray of the New Musical Express (June 16, 1973) also attended the Kezar show and had a vastly different take on the proceedings: “Led Zeppelin and 50,000 San Francisco people got together to provide one of the finest musical events I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. There may be bands who play better, and there may be bands who perform better, and there may be bands who write better songs, but when it comes to welding themselves and an audience together into one unit of total joy, Zeppelin yield to nobody.

                “Whether they’re punching out riffs of ‘Black Dog’, or stealing people’s hearts from inside them with ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (as far as I’m concerned Zeppelin’s all-time masterpiece) or tripping the audience out with those unbelievable Plant-Page guitar/vocal call-and-response set pieces, they just transmit magic to anybody within hearing range. Quite unselfconsciously, quite unobtrusively any place they play becomes a House of the Holy, a place to straighten tangled brain cells. Simultaneously, they take you right back to your rock ‘n’ roll home, and send you to some new places that already feel like home when you arrive. A very spiritual occasion indeed, and also a very physical moment.

                “For me, one of the most amazing moments of the whole show was, strangely enough, the part I expected to enjoy least. All my musical life I’ve had a strong antipathy towards drum solos. Thus, it came as a shock to find myself really getting off on Bonzo’s ‘Moby Dick’. Watching him from a few feet away, totally absorbed in what he was doing, it came back to the craftsmanship thing again. He didn’t look, as so many endlessly soloing drummers do, as if they’re playing to the gallery. He resembled nothing so much as a sculptor or a painter or anybody who’s doing anything which involves concentration, effort, and skill. John Bonham was plying his trade, doing his gig, exercising his own particular skills, doing what any gifted and committed craftsman does. It’s always nice to break through a prejudice and dig something that you couldn’t dig before.

                “Altogether, a magical concert. I suppose legions of diehard Zep freaks have known this all along, but for me it was a revelation… All hail Led Zep.”

Betty Golden of the San Francisco Phoenix underground newspaper had a different opinion in her review titled “Led Zeppelin fails to take off at giant Kezar show”. She certainly had no shortage of criticisms for the band’s performance: “One of the best of these new songs was ‘No Quarter’, powered by a slowly rolling bass and guitar bottom. As John Paul Jones opened the song on the organ, white fog surrounded him, visually reinforcing an eerie feel. Generally, though, most of the new songs dragged and did not come off smoothly. They seemed to lack direction or meaning musically, introducing one called ‘The Song Remains The Same’, Plant dedicated it to the well-known West Coast music journalists who panned their new music and told them to remain a blues band (ed. note: Plant’s thinly veiled rant at the band’s old nemesis, Rolling Stone). Offered up as a rebuttal by the band, the song jumped off at a frantic pace. Page played like lightning on a two-necked guitar but went nowhere… examples of the group’s evolution into news areas, mostly they were mindless excursions into realms of boredom and it certainly was not exciting or creative music. I don’t know if the group should necessarily remain a blues band, but their new direction is not a change for the better.

                “A nice ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ was the only bright spot in the midst of the new numbers. They then offered up an ‘oldie but goodie’, ‘Dazed And Confused’, and this was made up largely of many meaningless minutes of pyrotechnics by Page – playing electric guitar with a bow – producing a sort of outer-space, electronic sound fantasy. The stadium was filled with thunderous sounds and roaring airplanes. Page has done this sort of thing for years now, each time becoming more self-indulgent. He and the group are technically skillful, but their attempts at the ultimate in heaviness become non-musical noise very quickly during these endless solos.

“The crowd was thankful for ‘Stairway To Heaven’ which came up next, and they were held spellbound as its soft and lyrical beginning was gradually overtaken by hard, chugging rock. Led Zeppelin was clearly at their best when they did their older material. On the very next number, ‘Moby Dick’, the stage was turned over to drummer John Bonham for another excessively long and uninteresting drum solo.

                “At the end, Plant said the vibes were the best the group has experienced in S.F. since they first played the Fillmore West five years ago. The vibes may have been there, but having seen all of their performances in the Bay Area over the past five years, I found this Zeppelin concert to be musically the least satisfying of them all. This time around, they generated a lot of power, but produced little of their usually shattering, shaking rock and roll.”

Another harsh review was published in The Daily Review, Hayward, California (June 8, 1973). Written by Kathie Staska and George Mangrum, the article’s title, “Led Zeppelin disappoints crowd”, reflected their opinion of the gig: “As a whole, the gig was a real downer… With the audience warmed for Zepplin (sic), another dapper was thrown by a two-hour wait. With the band’s lateness and slowness in putting up their instruments, enthusiasm sunk even lower.

“A first class band would not pull that type of garbage, no matter how much stuff a group has to set up. Then when the famed rock ‘n’ roll stars did get into their act, there was a real phoniness in the air. It took even longer for the crowd to get into it.

                “Once the four English guys got into it, things did go smoothly. But, no way was Zeppelin close to the performance they put on two years ago at the Berkeley Community Theatre. They came on the stage this time and acted like rock ‘n roll slops, instead of the superstars they are.

                “There were many high points in their performance like a fantastic version of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and a classy version of ‘No Quarter’ which featured a super effort by lead guitarist Jimmy Page. Robert Plant’s voice was unique, mixing well with Page’s guitar. John Bonham did a very long drum solo which was also a very boring and tasteless one. In Berkeley his solo was one of the great ones, which makes us wonder what happened to him.

                “The last time in they played in front of a small crowd and (it) worked out for them. This time, the whole affair looked like it was take the money and run time.”

Philip Elwood of the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle (June 3, 1973), who had written a very positive review of their first San Francisco visit in 1969, also piled on, despite a somewhat contradictory headline, “Led Zeppelin Zooms High at Kezar”: “The quartet’s performance lacked the dynamic spark of earlier local presentations. Plant’s vocals and bodily gyrations seemed tired and routine, and drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones had trouble solidifying their back-up sounds in the early going.”

To some degree, this concert was the genesis of the bad blood between promoter Bill Graham and the band which culminated with the ugly brawl in Oakland 1977. In his autobiography, Bill Graham Presents – My Life Inside Rock And Out, Graham explained: “One of my guys had a phone on stage and he said, ‘Bill, you won’t believe this’. Then he told me that nearly everyone in the group was on the (private) plane and the plane was about to land. But at the last minute, Jimmy Page had decided that he had gotten bored with flying on the private plane. He wanted to be with just regular people. So he was coming in separately on United Airlines. They all came in one car, Peter Grant and all the bodyguards. They were about two hours late. No Jimmy Page… I was livid all day long. But I did not raise my voice once. Not that day.”

Two minutes of very distant amateur 8mm color footage and 40 seconds of 16mm color footage of ‘Rock And Roll’ from this show have been released on bootleg DVDs.

Bootleg Recordings (2 sources – 141 minute audience & 62 minute soundboard sources):

The historic outdoor gig is represented by an excellent sounding audience tape and an hour-plus soundboard of the last portion of the show (beginning with an epic thirty minute ‘Moby Dick’).

Robert Plant took a not so thinly veiled shot at San Francisco based Rolling Stone – though not by name – that “always seems to criticize poor old English groups” and dedicated ‘The Song Remains the Same’ “to the musical papers who think we should remain a blues band.”

The end of ‘The Rain Song’ is unfortunately ruined by a loud, buzzing feedback coming from the speakers. Plant ended the concert by telling the masses that “this is the best vibes since the first time we played the Fillmore (West) five years ago – so vibes are real!”

Extract from the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book

Many thanks Mike…

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TBL ARCHIVE SPECIAL 2 – THE LED ZEPPELIN 2003 DVD AND HOW THE WEST WAS WON RELEASES –  21 YEARS GONE:

It’s now some 21 years ago that Jimmy Page unlocked the Led Zeppelin film archive to present the five hour double DVD set simply titled DVD. Also released simultaneously was the triple live album How The West Was Won.

Looking back, it was in incredibly exciting outpouring of material.

On the TBL website at the time, we asked for fans to feedback on their initial response to hearing the DVD and How The West Was Won album. Some of them are reproduced below – reading through them again captures the pure excitement that these releases generated back in 2003.

DVD/HOW THE WEST WAS WON FEEDBACK WATCH:

Here’s how the month of June 2003 shaped up for me…

A Celebration. A Revelation. A Sensation…

Led Zeppelin bring it on home.. What a couple of months…

A very hectic couple of months what with all the highs of the press playbacks -.organising the TBL ticket competition for the premeires (boy I put some hours in to get that one on track), attending the London premier (another memorable occasion in their presence)…not to mention starting a new job at the Virgin megastore in Milton Keynes and trying to fit work in on Celebration 2 in between it all.

Finally it was time to see it all in the comfort of my own living room. Saturday May 24 – always a special date in my calander…Mr Foy and family descended on Totnes Towers and we enjoyed the first playback in glorious 5.1 surround..(I’d purchased the Pioneer DVD set up on the Thursday – despite Janet’s ”where an earth are we going to put all that speaker wire!” outburst!).

In The Evening and Achilles were the immediate stand outs that early summer afternoon..

Moments to saviour: Plant walking up to the mic to hollar the opening lines of the former…Page’s arm flicking out the feedback on the latter. Knebworth relived. A few pints in the Fox and in the evening (as it were) Mr Tom Locke lifelong TBL crew member came over to view I’d warned the neighbours it was going to be loud. So 28 years to the very day that we’d both sat in Block AA row B in Earls Court …here we were watching a virtual re run of the some of our greatest times of our lives.It was an incredible experience to see and hear Led Zeppelin at Earls Court in such sonic splendour. Going To California- pure intensity. In My Time – pure bottleneck banshee. Stairway -pure emotion..

Next day was work and for me that meant late on the Sunday racking out the DVD and live album to ensure maximum impact on May 26 for customers of the Virgin Megastore Milton Keynes. Seeing all those copies of the DVD and album stacking up reminded me of other great retail Zep associations I’ve enjoyed over the years..ripping open boxes and being faced with the stunning covers of Physical Graffiti, Presence, In Through, Remasters etc. etc. The phenomenal sales experienced in stores across the world confirmed my long held belief that this was going to be a monster monster seller.

Over the next few days… well it was a case of non stop Zep Talk. I did two local radio interviews to plug the revamped A Celebration (and of course the DVD and live album) for Humberside and Stoke (accompanied on the journey by the trusty CD walkman blaring out How The West Was Won).

Then a meeting in Leicester to interview Priory drummer Andy Edwards for the next TBL (and would you know it we met outside HMV where the huge screens were playing the Earls Court segment; “This is bizarre”‘ said Andy ”I’ve played nearly a hundred gigs with that guy on the screen!”)…another interview for Radio Newcastle… more memorable playbacks to familyand friends continued unabated throughout the month. To cap it all they even made it on the Six O Clock News! A Celebration?..it really has been and a revelation… and a sensation.

The best Zep related period since Over Europe and Knebworth without question. Their inspiration is infinite and the DVD and live set is the conclusive long awaited proof. I feel proud to call myself a fan…. Dave Lewis – June 2003

…………….

This might go on a bit but here goes.In 1979 I spent a night outside a shop in Bournemouth called setchfields waiting to get my hands on the holly grail(a ticket to a blind date with ZEPP) and it was with the same excitement and anticipation that I arrived at HMV in the same town an hour before it opened(on account of the fact I could,nt sleep) this morning

I had arranged for some friends to come round for a barbie this afternoon watch the mighty Wolves and then the DVD, I also said I would,nt have any sneak previews but as soon as I had it in my hands at 9.30 am I knew that was never gonna happen.Having always been a 1975 fan I went straight to the Earls court segment,2 minuets later I had tears streaming down my face I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing this is F****** awesome

I then preceded to flick through the Knebworth set in utter disbelief, my video of said gig never looked like this

I haven’t felt this happy since 4/8/79.

 Derek

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So, here I am, 46 years old, a sober, middle aged middle class guy who thought that his memory just played tricks – or until today.

I’d just thought it was my long lost innocence coupled to a naive teenage obsessions that had kept my one experience of a Led Zep gig (Coventry Locarno, December ’72) so high in my ‘best things in my life’ poll. But seeing the Albert Hall gig (twice now and its till only lunchtime!) has blown me away.

Firstly, the shere quality of picture and sound is a real tribute to Jimmy’s professionalism and perfectionism as a produce. Secondly,…well, what can one possibly say – but it was an absolutely phenomenal performance for such a young band. Only 4 guys? It’s always been the most powerful image and memory for me that three instrumentalists and a singer, using next to no electronic effects, could produce such an orchestrally magnificent performance of electric blues rock and acoustic folk/blues.

A reunion tour might be plausible, but to be honest, what could better this permanent record of THE truly great band?

Dr Simon Croom

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Finally the day is upon us – Bank Holiday Monday – The Kid (6 year old) still has school so I volunteer freely for the early start.

Straight across to the shopping mall nearby. Yes… good old Woolies has the stuff on the rack. Sales assistant stifles a laugh at an enthaused 44 year old with 2 special new toys. Home…I cant lie – to view & listen means that the grass has to be cut first – well it is a Bank Holiday! Grass done .. quickly!.. her indoors has stirred and goes shopping (she’s not a fan). Yamaha DTS amp fired up and …blimey the sound stuns me!! A fantasic job on the main events – drums awesome and loads of rear speaker activity- i would urge all fans to hear it on full 5.1 or DTS surround – super job Jimmy

Now back to reality – DVD i cant fault at all – content lives up to all expectation …and hype! …. packaging is good -;I like the 2 individual booklets and the general concept of the whole package…….However… the How The West CD whilst content wise;its a fantastic job;- great performances spliced to make a great ‘show’ I kinda felt underwelmed with the packaging; – this should have been the ‘official’ live release warranting a typical Zep ‘fancy wrap’ – smacks of cheap and cheerful. I’ve just bought Blighty – poor CDs but great packaging – perhaps a lesson should have been learned from the Japanese bootleg industry with regard to ‘wrapping the goods’. Anyway – i will NOT end on a negative note – i’m still taking it all in – i will submit a top 10 entry when can finally decide but there is a lot of fantastic material to get to

grips with. Its bloody good to look everywhere and see ads for Zepp and articles all over the magazines. The Kid is getting a good education believe me

 Paul Beattie

…………………

I think the artwork for the DVD cover is really nice, but I do not personally like the CD Cover very much.

For such a classic show, I think the CD cover could have been better. This is only my personal opinion, but it would be interesting to hear other Fans opinions on this.

When I first watched the DVD, it was immediately obvious that the visual quality seemed far better than that seen at the recent Birmingham screening that I attended. The Colours seemed more vivid, and clearer.

I found the RAH material especially far more enjoyable on DVD, but feel that the Earls Court and Knebworth was the most amazing Zeppelin footage I have seen.

The 5.1 Surround Sound also sounded absolutely fantastic coming from every corner of the room.

I just hope that one day we get to see official releases of these complete shows in the same quality.

My only minor criticism would be some of the parts that were cut, which would have been nice to have had in the same quality (eg Denmark fades slightly early, Paris 1969 Rehearsal omitted, Australia 1972 Edited). It was nice to see the complete performance of ‘Dazed’ from Supershow though without the familiar edit.

Overall, I am ecstatic with the content of both the DVD and CD, and they will be played regularly for the forseeable future!.

Ian Avey

………………..

I was initially disappointed that there was no booklet in the CD, but that feeling gave way soon enough. I have my fair share of Zeppelin bootlegs (although nothing from 72), and the band’s performance blew me away. Led Zeppelin has never sounded so amazing to me. I found myself skipping around a lot, being so impatient to hear the arrangement’s of different songs that I would jump to the next before the finish. When I finally did listen to the disc all the way through I was even more impressed.

As everyone has stated, I was blown away by Bonham’s playing throughout the album. But also I was very impressed with Jimmy’s solos, they sounded more inspired than other recordings I have heard of him. For all the credit heaped on Bonzo, Jimmy really deserves some accolades too for his contributions and innovations. I think this release will prove that.

Ted McCoy

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On the release day I bought it on the way to work;then had to wait through a shift of nine hours, an hour bus trip home and a walk of the dog before I saw it. I sat through the whole thing until the dawn chorus and drank a load of beer and constantly had to pull my jaw off

the floor. I’m still spending every spare moment watching it or thinking about it, unhealthy as that might be

The outstanding moment is the start. They walk on stage and Bonzo does that little roll, Robert Plant puts his fag out and says

“Good Evening” and then they begin. You feel relieved about the picture quality and the sound quality, you think it looks like it was filmed yesterday and then you’re there in the middle of it for five hours plus. From that high at thestart it never lets you down.

My only gripe is the MSG footage with the “hole-filling” to plug the gaps. Having seen TSRTS to death you can place where it all comes from. But its worth it for The Ocean and Misty Mountain Hop.

I’m thirty-six and never saw them live. I knew some who did and reverred them as special. A friend lent me an album in late 1981 and through reading and listening I got to learn about the Albert Hall film and the

Earl’s Court/Knebworth video -I’ve dreamed of seeing it for twenty years

plus (not able to afford to buy it on bootleg, but starting to get tempted to break the bank). And now this.

I hope this DVD puts the re-union demands to bed because, as they said when Bonzo died, you can’t have it without him. Part of the magic is the dignity with which the remaining members have resisted temptations to flog it to death on the road like most of their contemporaries. I’d rather they made new music and only played the old stuff as an aside when they felt like it.

I’ve got my DVD and I’m happy as a pig in shit. It’s back to when I was young and telling everyone I knew they were the best

band ever – I’m doing it all over again

David Seare

………………

Well, I waited until Friday night to watch the DVD. I went down to Tower records on Mercer St. in Seattle at 4 PM. I walked around looking for the DVD. I picked up a copy (on sale for and headed to the check out line. The young kid at the counter (maybe 20-22) said “wow, were sure selling a lot of these, they must be pretty good.” I said my generation has been waiting for decades for this. He said “no wonder! Said they were selling one DVD or CD about every 5 minutes!! I told him I saw Zeppelin in Seattle in 1977 (I’m 42.) He looked confused like “that was a long time ago! At that point a couple other people asked me for my memories of that show. I gave them as I remembered. Didn’t get the feeling these kids knew much about Zeppelin. Anyway, I got home and decided I wanted to watch this alone; feeling like

I need the memories and time to take it all in without others around.

I have a 52” windscreen with a decent Surround Sound System. I relaxed and listened to some blues while sipping on a few Crown Royals. After relaxed and ready around 9 I cranked it up. I didn’t know what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed!

WOW WOW WOW. This just blew me away. The sound came through MUCH louder than expected. Were gonna groove was a fuckin killer opener for this DVD! I mean I wanted loud, but I was startled!

Overall, I just enjoyed every moment. I watched the entire DVD and after Robert said “thanks for the 11 years” I felt like crying! Wow. What a DVD.

This is going to be a monster seller and will put those critics to rest for good! Well, worth the price!!

Mike W

…………………..

Many of us reading this have dedicated entire bookcases stocked to the rafters with various and sundry illicit recordings of all sizes and shapes (and video for that matter) in the hopes capturing something remotely close to the gem we all knew would spring forth if Jimmy was to tackle this project and do it right. Did we after so long a wait ever doubt that the ‘ol wizard himself did not understand what held us under his spell, that he could not deliver?? Well folks , he nailed it to perfection. No point in even going into the CD which we all know in the first 7 songs alone is head and shoulders better than anything any band could deliver, any day, any era…..and there’s still 2/3 of the show to go! Go ahead and try to make me a liar. With due respect to ‘Trane’s nickname, they are The Undisputed Heavyweight Champions.

As to the DVD, I’m going to comment on just 3 songs from the Knebworth set and that’s enough. I sat in front of my TV, drinking it all in, and I literally choked up at the sheer majesty of it all. I’m a grown man of 36 for crissakes, I’m not supposed to get choked up by watching some band’s DVD! Well, Led Zeppelin does that, they move ya. We are still enthralled for a reason. In this one segment, given the best treatment we could expect from Jimmy and his team, we have before us the closest recreation of parts of that show short of being there. Folks, is this the sight and sound of a band trying to “recapture” the glory days???

This is a lumbering dinosaur??? Yeah, some dinosaur. How’s about a teeth-gnashing lean and mean velociraptor laying waste to all in its path? Go ahead, take a look again and bear witness to the supreme power and glory that is Rock and Roll, Achilles, or Kashmir. Zeppelin have the ability to enter the very fibre of your being, to elicit the highest highs and the lowest lows of the emotional spectrum….to, “take you there”. This IS sweet evidence. Go ahead and gloat, beat your chest, and show ‘em if there are any doubters left. Show them why that even today, 23 damn years after they last tread the boards, no one even comes close. Show ’em why we carry the torch just a little hgher than the other several million who also rate this bunch. This is the type of stuff that plays to 300,000 just as easily as it does 3,000 and Knebworth is the proof. No band ever could envelop a crowd with the ir sheer ability to transport and connect with it’s audience. It does that because they were simply huge. Their music, their skill (my god…Bonzo), and their stage presence is just HUGE. This is the power of Led Zeppelin Live and is the perfect yin to the perfect yang that are the studio works. Folks, if this is the sound and visual dynamic of a band that in the words of their own lead singer were trying to get their legs back, then god help the bands who had to contend with this beast in their alleged prime (ample proof thusly provided on the DVD’s remainder)! To paraphraise Jonsey’s words, this DVD doesn’t do anything to prove Zeppelin were the top of the heap, we already knew that. It just simply demonstrates how far ahead they were to whomever was supposedly number 2.

Chris Serratella

………………………

The concert footage is absolutely superb, the sound quality is unbelievable; especially like the Earl’s Court material and the Albert Hall set.The amount of features, extras and ‘goodies’ is also excellent; you can spend hours going through these; the only thing perhaps missing is interviews with the band today to reflect on the release;

However, now the down points:- Although I thought that the cover art was good in both cases, the liner notes and photography was a major let down! I feel that the music has been compromised by a lack of detail in notes. For example, we have very little text to set all the clips, concerts, etc in context.I am also a big Deep Purple fan and rejoice in the sheer attention to detail their archive releases get with input from the DPAS – the Led Zep stuff looks like it has been rushed…

Karl Simpson

…………………………

The DVD is simply a dream come true. I am stunned, mesmerized, blown away, proud, awed and humbled all at the same time. I can now say that I have almost seen a Led Zeppelin concert. Bootlegs do not compare.

Thank you Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Dick Carruthers, Kevin Shirley, Bill Curbishley and especially John Henry Bonham (the undisputed star of the show).

Upon viewing DVD Disc 1, I love all of the menus as well as the actual Royal Albert Hall footage. It is so great to see Clive Coulson unloading the equipment off the plane in Iceland, and to see Jimmy greeted with a bouquet of flowers. I also loved Richard Cole running alongside the limousine like a Secret Service agent! Robert takes the time to shake a young boy’s hand getting out. Nice. I just wish that Robert’s

interview segment could have been included. I like seeing Jeff Beck backstage at the Royal Albert Hall, and the boys getting ready, along with that shot of Jonesy on the organ.

The Royal Albert Hall footage is absolutely stunning. This really is a Holy Grail. Like many, my central channel experiences crackling noises set in Dolby 5.1 from “Dazed” ’til the end, but it is pristine when set to DTS. I’m fine with that! Is that Henry “The Horse” Smith sitting behind Bonzo’s drum kit!?! I even love seeing/recognizing the roadies!

Speaking of Bonzo.that first unaccompanied drum roll hits you like a ton of bricks, and it makes you realize what type of sonic/visual treat is in store. Bonzo drops a stick & picks up a spare without missing a beat. There are so many great moments in this footage: Robert’s earnest delivery, everybody facing Bonzo before dynamic changes, Jimmy & Jonesy smiling & interacting during “How Many More Times,” Jimmy’s Black Beauty up close, seeing the youthful audience just eating it up.I could go on & on.

It’s great to finally have a crystal clear version of Danish TV on DVD, as well as Supershow & Tous En Scene. Although I love the “Communication Breakdown” mime from Swedish TV, I just wish it could have been a lower gen. It just doesn’t look like it’s from a master tape. It’s still great to watch on a big television screen!

The menus on DVD 2 are even more interesting. So many surprises. I love it all: the Iceland “Dazed” footage, the backstage at MSG, the boys crossing the street in 1970, the vault/editing footage, the home movie footage and day footage of the crowd at Knebworth, the assorted Starship clips, the 1977 gift from Jimmy, and especially the “Heartbreaker” credits montage. There is so much cool stuff there: Bonzo dancing in a hotel lobby, the fire dancer lighting the gong at MSG, the extras from Earls Court, and, most intriguing, two brief clips of another pro-shot ’73

show (maybe the Pittsburgh screen test?). Finally, it warms my heart to see all of the home movie footage used to such great effect throughout the entire disc. Thanks to the original filmers who avoided Peter Grant’s watchful eye.

What a way to start off DVD disc 2: Vibrant color footage from Australia! It adds a new dimension to the old black and white footage of “Rock and Roll” we see later. Using “Immigrant Song” from the live CD was a great decision. The editing is dynamic and it really is a good bridge between the early years and the superstar years. What stage presence!

On to New York. I can say without hesitation that “The Ocean” is my favorite clip on the entire DVD. Jimmy looks & plays like the guitar shaman he is, and Bonzo just blows it all out. I like the other MSG clips, but it’s a bit frustrating to see visuals not matched up to the soundtrack. I know that they did the best they could with what they had, but it’s hard to watch “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and know that they are using clips of Page from “Whole Lotta Love/Boogie Chillun”, for instance.

Enough complaining. The Earls Court footage is so crystal clear! Jonesy finally gets his due as Led Zeppelin’s secret weapon. The Earls Court segment shows him as a master of mandolin, stand up bass, fretless bass, clavinet and electric piano. Personally, this was the most anticipated part of the DVD, and it does not disappoint. Everything I love about Earls Court is represented: the Light & Shade of this incredible band.

Like just about everybody who wasn’t actually at that meadow north of London, I am most blown away by Knebworth. It warms my heart to finally see for myself how magical it really was. Robert is in great voice, and is in fine command of what’s going on behind him. We see a more mature band that is still proving how potent their chemistry is. They all shine here. My two favorites are “Achilles Last Stand” and a “Whole Lotta Love” with that awesome Knebworth riff. They still had it!

The interview footage is a nice counterpoint to all the frenzy of the live performances. They picked good bits; of course, I wish they were more complete! The 2 promos look great on DVD, but I wish the 1997 “Whole Lotta Love” video could be on there. I am a collector; therefore, I am a completist.I cannot help it!

In closing, I just want to write that Jimmy Page is my favorite rock musician of all time, and that these projects make me more in awe of the man than ever. Thanks to him for finally giving the fans what they want. I wish I had time to review “How the West Was Won.” In a nutshell.stunning and extremely satisfying. What a great time to be a fan of this band.

Tommy Gamard

……………………………

Was lucky enough to have my first view of the DVD in a detached house in rural Norfolk with few/no close by neighbours. Why so lucky? My colleague’s son had rigged up his state-of-the-art four foot Mission speakers to the

TV, complete with all manner of extra sound boxes, to give the loudest and most chilling 3+ hours of surround-sound viewing imaginable.

I’m now 29 years old, a Zepp-head for the last 14, so never saw them as a 4-piece, but last night was as close to sitting in a third row seat for ‘an evening with Zeppelin’ as I’m ever likely to get. At one point during the RAH 1970 set I turned to my friend on my right and said “can you just imagine being in the audience right now? – I’d be doing my absolute nut!!”

This footage HAS to be seen on DVD for the best effect, as without the amazing sound it just cannot be the same. Most of us always thought they were the best, but this release takes us all to a new level and really drives it home that they truly are they best live band of all time.

You just run out of superlatives and none really do justice.

Many people regard the Beatles as being No.1, but for complete, pure dynamite, live-on-stage musical cohesion between four musicians, producing a sound that rocks you to your core, they are way out on their own. This

DVD is the ultimate rubber stamp, leaving its mark – “The No.1 Greatest Band in the World – Confirmed”.

Let the good times roll, again and again…

Greg Purling

……………………….

I wandered through a deserted Preston city centre at 9am this morning and I was first in to HMV – it felt like I had gone back thirty years to those days when a new Zeppelin album was released and I rushed off to the record store with my mates to be the first to grab the thing off the shelf. I`ve only had time to watch the first DVD and it has truly lived up to expectations — GOD they were a hot band!

I hadn’t expected it to be as good as this – and an excellent job seems to have been done with all the production and restoration. This really brings it all back – it really does ! !

Steve Wilde

……………………………..

A stunning 2DVD set, it’s not really worth going into detail much – the quality of the material speaks for itself.

Two minor niggles are:-

Why is the MSG footage letterboxed (within a 4:3 frame) and not available as anamorphic 16:9 like TSRTS DVD is? The increased resolution of 16:9 Anamorphic would have made this section amazing.

The other is that the DVD defaults to 2.0 as opposed to 5.1 audio. It has to be manually selected.

These niggles are nothing really as the quality of both picture and the sound are really astonishing. Speaking of image quality I was suprised how well the EC footage has held up, in fact better than the Knebworth footage. Did you notice there are many colour flaws in the Knebworth footage? Try pausing it on a PC DVD player and looking for the coloured bands across.

Anyway, a superb DVD and well overdue. I love the menu footage and my favorite so far today is the Immigrant Song footage with it’s chaotic high-speed editing!. They should release that as a single, it sounds so powerful on my DTS amp.

Jim Sloane

………………………..

Can’t say exactly where in Connecticut I bought the DVD and new CD package, as they sold it to me on Saturday (three days before the “official” release date). They were selling like hotcakes around dinnertime and the store had a laptop playing one of the ‘extras,’ : a Dazed and Confused TV performance. I got the last “How The West Was Won’ from the place. No doubt they’ll be reordering…

Here goes:

After watching and listening for a couple of days, I’m much more impressed with the DVDs. The sound, particularly using the surround sound option, is really impressive. I always liked the look and sound of the 1978-80 band (more on that in my CD comments), so the Knebworth footage is a particular fave. We MTV viewers were teased back in ’90 when they aired Kashmir and Ten Years Gone from Knebworth and

since then have wondered “Why haven’t they put that concert film out?” Bonham’s drums and JPJ’s eight-string bass sound phenomenal on my stereo. I really wish they’d included such selections as “Ten Years Gone” and “Hot Dog” from Knebworth.

Knowing that Earl’s Court footage was nearly all close-ups, I was wary of what it could look like. To my surprise, the close-ups are good and the band sounds great.

Madison Square Garden in ’73/Song Remains the Same outtakes? My mind is boggled by the repeated statements that these are outtakes from the SRTS movie when it seems to have the same Black Dog as the movie and Since I’ve Been Loving You is also included (Is

this just another version from the same three nights they filmed the movie?). I AM glad they included The Ocean as I’ve never seen that one live and Misty Mountain Hop.

The band is in good form in the Albert Hall performance. I’ve heard so much bootleg audio from this period, that it’s cool to see it performed. Page and Plant hadn’t fully blossomed into the stage showmen they’d later become but musically, everyone’s playing well.

The “extras” are also worth watching. Though I’ve had bootleg versions of two of the TV performances for a long time, the DVD versions & sound are far superior. One other performance (Tous En Scene) is particularly amusing for the lack of audience reaction. Everyone is simply sitting and staring at the sonic assault before them, a far cry from what the band had seen in the states.

Bottom line on the DVD: It’s a must-own for any hard-core Zep fan. It adds credence to the long-standing claims that the band was not in top form in Song Remains the Same. I will be driving my wife crazy for weeks watching these things.

How the West Was won:

There is no doubt in listening that Page and Kevin Shirley put a tremendous effort into restoring these performances. The audio is top notch. The performances are among the better ones I’ve heard from this period too. I only wish that what is being billed as the ultimate live CD set from the band came from more than two performances in 1972. How the West Was Won has some excellent performances, I’m really fond of Bron Yr- Stomp in particular. Maybe I’m jaded but I’ve heard much of the rest of the songs in bootleg form for so long that I’m not blown away by the new CDs. But I will compare the sound quality difference to the official ‘BBC Sessions’ from the bootlegs of the same stuff I had, which is to say it’s a much better listen after Page and Co get their hands on them for mass release. Go buy ’em

JD

…………………..

When I arrived in the office this morning I had DVD and HTWWW (thank you Amazon) sitting on my desk and I just can’t wait to give it the full outing on my stereo/DVD at home. In the meantime I am listening to HTWWW on my PC and despite the lack of quality of my PC’s soundcard the thing is mind blowing. I am nearly finished with the whole set but probably keep it on a continuous loop until the day is gone. Highlights amongst the 18 highlights for me are Stairway to Heaven (never sounded better), Rock and Roll (just kicks arse), Dazed and Confused (already loved it on the bootlegs, but this is just wow) and The Ocean (just great from the entire band). The only negative points if you could call them so, are

the lack of a little booklet – would have been nice

  1. the two-second gaps – I find them a bit irritating.
  2. the title – HTWWW does not do it justice. Should more be like The best album in the world ever….:)

For a Zephead, who never had the chance to see them live this is probably as good as it gets. I will always love and listen to my bootlegs, but finally we Zepheads have an official release which shows the best band in the world at it’s peak.

Thank you Jimmy, Jonesey, Robert for making this possible and I am sure if we all turn it up to full volume even Bonzo can hear it tonight. I am definitely going to do so….

Cant’ wait to get home to see the DVD….

Andreas Stocker

…………………….

I went to see the screening at the cinema in Oxford on Sunday night, so I got to hear how it should sound – properly loud! The first bomb strikes of Bonzo’s bass drum were enough to tell me that things were going to be excellent and indeed they were! I’ve got my own copy too, now, and my favourite bits at the moment are; We’re Gonna Groove (Bonham IS Animal from the Muppets!), Misty Mountain Hop & The Ocean (incredibly sharp guitar sound and Plant’s voice sounds great), the Communication Breakdown promo from 1969 (no wonder they didn’t do much telly!), In My Time Of Dying (Page drew a couple of good-natured laughs at the Oxford screening as he appears to be, er, ‘compensating’ for something with his slide work!!) and Whole Lotta Love from Knebworth.

I think the 1970 RAH Moby Dick deserves a special mention – words fail me to describe how awesome a drummer Bonham was, and being that close to him (albeit on screen) while he goes all-out is an amazing experience. How long did each drum kit last, I wonder? I mean, the Who were renowned for trashing their equipment but Bonham seemed hell-bent on destroying his drums just from the force of his playing! An awesome spectacle – there’s just something about seeing him whack that cow bell round on its stand!

Mark Herdman

…………………

I couldn’t sleep much last night, I was looking forward to today so much. I’d been lucky enough to go to the London “DVD” premiere, so I had seen half of it already. However, this made me me even more restless to see the rest!!

At 10.55am today I was standing outside Virgin Megastore in Camden Town, looking through the window at the copies of “DVD” on the shelves. After what seemed like 5 hours (it was actually 5 minutes!), I ran in, bought it, and ran home again in a state of feverish excitement!

Five-and-a-half-hours later, I am trying to sum up what I feel about the footage I’ve just seen. It’s so difficult… a hundred highlights, so many incredible moments… but here goes, after first viewing.

Firstly, “DVD” offers conclusive proof as to why Led Zeppelin can never reform. John Bonham was, is, and always shall be the most inventive and powerful rock drummer of all time. His sticksmanship in “Trampled Underfoot”, to use just one example, is simply breathtaking…

“The Ocean”- from Bonzo’s thunderous “We’ve done four already, but now we’re steady…” onwards, this is essential viewing for anyone not familiar with the legend of Led Zeppelin… the song really motors and swings, and Page looks like a man who knows he’s in the best band in the world playing at the peak of its powers…

“White Summer” – I feel like shoving all those Satriani-worshiping knuckleheads who say Page was overrated in front of the TV and telling them “WATCH THIS AND LEARN!”. Pagey is in blistering form and plays so fluently… the master at work.

“C’mon Everybody” – Maybe a surprising choice as a highlight, but I think it rocks!! What with the current fashion for garage rock bands, it shows that Zeppelin could play punk rock better than most of the bands that came after them and said they were dinosaurs… raw, ragged and brilliant!

“That’s The Way”- It’s quite some feat to make Earls Court sound intimate, but Zep managed it on this number. It’s always been in my top 10 Zep tunes, and their performance is superb. I loved the smiles between Page and Plant as they were playing it… they were obviously so in love with what they were doing.

“Trampled Underfoot” – Possibly my absolute highlight so far. What a staggering performance… it sums up everything that is great about Led Zeppelin. Bonham and Jones shifting into gear like a well-oiled machine, Page pushing and pulling the song into new directions with almost telepathic speed, Plant careering over the top… “PUUUSSH!! PUUUSSHH!”

“Rock And Roll” – Whew, slow down lads!! Whether it was Knebworth-nerves, or something else, the band speeds through the song like they were Motorhead! Unbelievable energy… I was literally hanging off the edge of my seat watching it!

“Kashmir” – Whoa!! OK, this footage has been on MTV, so is relatively familiar, but seen in this edit… even more magnificent. Bonzo is so fired up on this… he really is the cornerstone of what makes it possibly THE all-time Zep classic. I loved Pagey’s grin as the audience goes ballistic at the opening riff… “Oh, so you like this one, do you?!!”

“Whole Lotta Love” (Knebworth) – Brilliant idea to include the song twice… it really helps to bookend the band’s career. The Knebworth version proves why Zep will always be the greatest… Pagey includes two new riffs in the song that would have kept most bands going for an album or two!! Robert’s interaction with the crowd was brilliant… I just wish I could have been there!

Well, all in all, I really don’t think “DVD” could have been much improved upon. I would have loved “Over The Hills And Far Away” (onstage footage) and “Ten Years Gone” to have been included, but what is on there is well-nigh perfect. The presentation of the set is top notch, the attention to detail excellent (the menus are beautifully done) and the sound and visuals absolutely magnificent. Jimmy Page and Dick Carruthers should give themselves a pat on the back, as they’ve done the Led Zeppelin legend proud, and then some.

Better sign off now… that PLAY button on the DVD player is begging to be pressed again….

Patrick Crowther

………………………..

The DVD has taken over my life. After purchasing it we got home and the DVD was on, the second disk first and I watched it

with increasing astonishment. I got to Knebworth, I was there as a sixteen year old, who’s musical outlook and appriciation of what was possible was changed on that day in a field in Hertfordshire. For me seeing Zeppelin was a religous thing and I don’t mean that in a small way. I talk about it as a defining moment in my development like the first time you fall in love or the birth of your children. That important. Well Knebworth did not disappoint, this is how I remember them, power, light and shade, having fun if a little nervously. But who else could transmit an emotion like that nervousness to 210,000 other souls.

The Earls court stuff is brilliant the contrast between the acoustic stuff and the electric, sensational.

Finally last night got to RAH. what a band, my eldest daughter sat up trying to get what it was about this that had excited me so much. She watched and was amazed by the looseness, something nobody does now, wandering about into and out of songs at will, and how tight they were whilst doing that. The RAH footage is awesome a band who know they are the best in the world and are not afraid to show it.

Overall my conclusions are that while it is a band display Bonzo does the things that make you go “wow” most often. If there was ever an arguement why Zeppelin could never reform this is it. It is a shame that we can never see them again live but nobody today can play that well.

Would anyone really argue after seeing this that Zeppelin were not the greatest rock and roll band in the world ever? I think not. Thank need to go to Jimmy, Robert and JPJ, and in the words of Robert (well almost) thanks for 35 years.

 Oceanbridge

Postscript:

So there it was…an incredible outpouring of Led Zeppelin material. Re -reading that has certainly inspired me to dig out the DVD and the How The West Was Won album and immerse myself in it all again…I won’t be the only one I am sure…

Dave Lewis, June  2023

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TBL Archive 3:
It was 13 years ago today…
June 3 2011 – Royal Albert Hall…
Jimmy Page on stage with Donovan –and I was lucky enough to be there..
Here’s the TBL report back in 2011
Jimmy Page made his first live UK appearance in three years last night when he joined 60’s folk rock legend Donovan at his Sunshine Superman performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Dave Lewis files this exclusive on the spot report for TBL.
At very short notice yesterday afternoon I zipped in to London to attend Donovans’ Sunshine Superman performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
The first half of the show saw the 1960’s folk rock legend running through some of his greatest hits. He commenced proceedings with acoustic performances of Catch The Wind, Colours and Buffy St Marie’s Universal Soldier. He was then joined by the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by John Cameron and soon had the receptive crowd with him every step of the way as he ran through Jennifer Juniper, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Goo Goo Barabajagal,There Is A Mountain and Mellow Yellow.
The second half featured the complete performance of his 1966 album Sunshine Superman. Early in this part of the set he explained how he began recording the record in 1965 in Abbey Road Studios with a young session guitarist – ‘and it’s great to have him here tonight- please welcome Jimmy Page’’
Jimmy entered stage right dressed in black shirt to a rapturous reception. Strapping on a Gibson Black Les Paul Custom with Bigsby arm (possibly the one he used on For Your Life at the 02 reunion), he accompanied Donovan on the track Sunshine Superman.
Strumming along on the descending chord sequence he then opened up with a neat solo as the chorus came in. Smiling and waving to the crowd he then left the stage. Donovan went on to perform the entire album accompanied by the orchestra and guests including Shawn Phillips on sitar and his son Donovan jr.
Before performing the uplifting finale of Atlantis, Donovan acknowledged the band and guests and Jimmy briefly came on to take the applause. That appeared to be the end of the evening but as the crowd gave Donovan a standing ovation he remained on stage and announced they were going to reprise the title track and once again Jimmy entered proceedings strapping on the Gibson as they once again ran through the jaunty Sunshine Superman with all and sundry on stage.
This was the cue for the TBL editor to make something of a Who/Kids Are Alright leap of faith from the stalls area down to the front and very soon I found myself directly in front of Donovan and Jimmy at the front of the stage. It was a tremendous thrill to be in such close proximity to the guitarist – not unlike the view I had in Cologne on the Over Europe tour all of 31 years ago this month.
I was able to take a few photos as seen here…
After a triumphant Sunshine Superman, they all remained on stage for a rousing reprise of Mellow Yellow – this had Jimmy running through the strutting rhythm of the song smiling at Donovan and leading into a solo. Finally at the close of it all, Donovan and Jimmy embraced and they ambled off stage right as the crowd cheered for yet more.
This time it was all over.
To summarise:
It was an absolute joy to see Jimmy Page once again adorn a stage with guitar in hand. He looked relaxed and full of smiles throughout. It was a real privilege to be in attendance at this celebration of the music of Donovan – a legendary folk/rock artist who in acknowledging his heritage, inspired a unique reunion with the guitarist who first lit up his Sunshine Superman album back in the mid 1960s.
‘’They call me mellow yellow – quite rightly”.
It’s that refrain that will be ringing in my ears all weekend as I recall the memorable events of the night Jimmy Page returned to a UK stage.
Dave Lewis – June 4th, 2011
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TBL Archive 4– It was ten years ago this week….
The first of the Led Zeppelin reissues appeared…
Led Zeppelin Reissues :Some thoughts on it all so far…
It started back in the middle of March and finally here we are in early June ready for this incredible outpouring of Led Zeppelin music…
Countless fans across the globe will be in receipt of the first three Led Zeppelin reissues and will be experiencing, as I have been lucky enough to do, the thrill of assessing the contents of these amazing initial three Led Zeppelin reissues.
Today It’s been incredibly exciting to see the delight of fans in America soaking up these incredible releases…
I myself am in the process of wading through the Paris Olympia show and then it will be on to Led Zeppelin II…
That process will then be repeated Led Zeppelin III. These things can’t be rushed…I want to devour every nook and cranny of these releases and the way to do it is thoroughly and carefully album by album – I advise you do the same as like me, I am sure you will want to savour every moment of this unique listening experience….
And in the end…
This unique listening experience has been created by one man…
Whilst of course Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham were collectively responsible for creating this catalogue of timeless music.. it has been Jimmy Page’s vision and diligence that has brought this reissue project to fruition. As we have heard explained in the many interviews he has conducted, Jimmy has painstakingly remastered (with John Davis’ invaluable assistance) and searched out the additional material that will tell us so much more about the creative process that went into making these albums what they are.
The interviews…has any musician worked so tirelessly hard, given so freely of his time and conducted himself with such grace and dignity as Jimmy Page has during the lead up to these releases as Jimmy Page…I think not.
These interviews have been an absolute joy, as Jimmy has relayed his thoughts and enlightened us all on the working process that has enabled us to enjoy this incredible outpouring – the latest examples being the Kerrang and Planet Rock radio interviews aired at the weekend (see below).
Hearing him talk with such enthusiasm and passion only enhances our understanding of why we as fans, invest so much of our own time in this wonderful band…
His pride is our pride…
Listening to him on Planet Rock last night talking with such warmth and reverence in just what Led Zeppelin and these reissues mean to him (and incidentally I had a tears well up lump in the throat moment when Thank You was played – it won’t be the only one this week), I was reminded of something the journalist Tony Palmer wrote in the The Observer that was reproduced in the original Earls Court programme back in May 1975
”If we need heroes”, wrote Tony Palmer, ”then rather Jimmy Page than political buffoons or sporting apes, rather the shy nervous steely youth whose songs are inspiring a generation”
Nigh on 40 years on from that statement – Jimmy Page and the songs of Led Zeppelin are still inspiring my generation, your generation – and a few more besides…
And in the end – a new beginning..?
Amongst all the recent interviews, Jimmy has stated on a fair few occasions his intention to get back out playing -this quote in the Telegraph from Friday being one such example:
”It’s time for me to be out there playing again. I’ve got music, various different sorts of constructions and colours. But it doesn’t matter what I’ve done at home. I’ve been involved in all the Led Zeppelin stuff, and its whetted my appetite. I’ve got be seen and heard. I’m looking forward to it”
So as much as we look back, what a prospect there is to look forward to fresh music and live appearances from Jimmy Page – here’s hoping that will
not be too far ahead.
Meanwhile…..get ready to renew your Zeppelin vows and stay forever young in mind by the unique eternal quality to be heard on these three initial Led Zeppelin reissues…
And give thanks to the founder, guitarist, producer and visionary of the musical phenomenon that is, was and always will be Led Zeppelin….
Dave Lewis – Tuesday June 3rd, 2014.
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DL Diary Blog Update:

Friday May 31:

Remembering John Bonham on the occasion of his 76th Birthday so on the player the brilliant Led Zeppelin Bonzo’s Birthday Party double album bootleg as recorded on his 25th Birthday at the LA Forum on May 31 1973…all of 51 years ago.
This is the original pressing on the Trademark of Quality label I got in early 1974…it still sounds fantastic…Happy Birthday John…

Friday May 31:

A great opening night at The Copa Rooms – Bedford’s latest music venue in the High Street.
Generation 5pan performed two crowd pleasing sets and amongst many highlights, there were excellent versions of Black Magic Woman, Whiskey In The Jar, Stray Cat Strut, I Love To Boogie, All or Nothing, I Feel Fine, Shakin’ All Over and Roy Head’s Treat Her Right (quick aside –earlier in the day when I was working on the Robert Plant photo book here I was looking at a pic of Jimmy Page performing that number with Robert Plant back in 1983.).
All in all, a very entertaining start to the Copa Rooms music presentations – hats off to the Copa main man Michael Harris for bringing it all together. More acts are lined up for the coming weeks.

Saturday June 1:

Saturday is platterday – it was 57 years ago today that Sgt Pepper told the band to play so on the player The Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – released on this day in 1967.
What an album…this copy the superb Giles Martin 50th anniversary remaster…

Friday June 2:

It was 51 years ago today …Led Zeppelin Kezar Stadium – June 2,1973…

I first heard Led Zeppelin’s awesome performance on June 2 1973 at Kezar Stadium on a couple of cassettes sent to me by Russ Rees in 1974. I’ve loved this performance ever since – there’s a real swagger and verve about this afternoon open air show – so on the player the double album bootleg Persistence on Roon Dog Records
The cover is a bizarre parody of the Presence sleeve – the music – an atmospheric audience recording that brings it all alive…a milestone performance for sure…what a band…

Sunday June 2:

Another album that sounds even better when the sun shines…

Monday  June 3:

On the player marking Ian Hunter’s Birthday today the excellent Mott The Hoople early years compilation Rock and Roll Queen –this one a US pressing on the Atlantic label…

Monday June 3:

It was 51 years ago today…
On the player –Led Zeppelin Three Days After bootleg double album on the Trade Mark Of Quality label – the title refers to the fact it was recorded at the Los Angeles Forum on June 3, 1973 three days after the bootleg known as Bonzo’s Birthday party.
These LA Forum gigs were a highlight of their 1973 US tour. The Three Days After package also added two performances That’s The Way and the then unreleased acoustic instrumental Bron- Y- Aur taken from the September 4 1970 LA show famously known as Live On Blueberry Hill.
However, it was the 1973 US tour material that was the real attraction. I got this double album in 1974 via a mail order from a company called Flamingo Records based in Earls Court. Side four is an absolute tour de force with encore performances of The Ocean, Communication Breakdown and an amazing extended delivery of Thank You. I played that side constantly.
It was first hand evidence of their incredible prowess on that tour and did much to extend my all-encompassing Led Zep passion – a passion that
would soon lead to the first of many peaks when I attended the five shows at Earls Court the next year.
Back in my bedroom in 1974 as an obsessed 17 year old fan, Three Days After (along with the aforementioned Bonzo’s Birthday Party) provided me with a thrilling insight to how good Led Zeppelin were live on stage on that US tour and boy did I want to hear more…much more…
It sounds wonderfully nostalgic today…

Thursday June 6:

Loading up to listen again to the brilliant Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Paris ’95 2 CD bootleg set on the Silver Rarities label – as recorded 29 years ago on June 6, 1995..

I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the Omnisports Bercy venue in Paris that night – as was the late much missed Andy Adams and Howard Mylett  and a fair few UK fans.

What a night it was – Jimmy Page was on blistering form.

A couple of highlights that stand out for me from this performance:

Zep’s ‘Dancing Days’ had been included in the set in an all electric arrangement early on the US tour and then in an alternate arrangement with the Egyptians from mid May. It’s the latter version that Plant introduced in both French and English on this opening night in Europe. A wonderfully relaxed affair with the shrill Egyptian violins merging with Jimmy’s powerful riffing.

‘Down By The Seaside’ was a regular insert into the ‘Calling To You’ medley. It was presented in the new slower arrangement Plant had used to record the version with Tori Amos that appeared on the then just released Encomium tribute album. Plant’s vocal delivery in Paris was sheer perfection, adding all the original nuances (“Yes she will, yes she will”) to a song that was enjoying renewed recognition during this period.

All in all one of the truly great Page & Plant performances of the era and it happened all of 29 years ago today…

Update here:

The Portraits of Robert Plant – Through the Eighties Portraits photo book project I am editing and collating for Rufus Publishing has reached the stage of the checking process with typos, captions and other details to check and that’s been taking up a lot of time in the past week – more updates as it move on…

Thanks for listening…   

Until next time…

Dave  Lewis –  June 6 2024

TBL website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis

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