Jimmy Page & Robert Plant – Back in the USA – 31 years gone…

31 years ago this spring , Jimmy Page & Robert Plant were on the first leg of their Unledded No Quarter tour. The tour opened in Pensacola and ran through until Vancouver on May 26 before moving into Europe, going back to America and eventually ending in Australia and Japan in early 1996

Given all that has happened since, not least the 02 reunion, the Celebration Day film and the Zep reissues, it’s easy to forget the impact this reunion had at the time. 15 years on from their last tour together, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant recaptured the imagination of Zep fans around the world. On stage they extended the creative edge of the MTV Unledded shows and combined it with the dynamic rock foundation that Led Zeppelin built their reputation on. The deployment of the Egyptian ensemble and orchestra added a unique exotic edge. I was lucky enough to see two shows at the Brendan Byrne Arena Meadowlands on April 6th and 7th. Along with thousands of other fans, it was massively exciting to be given the opportunity to see and hear the Zeppelin catalogue re interpreted with such  panache and viguor by the principal songwriters of much of the original material.

To mark the 31st anniversary here’s my on the spot report from Meadowlands Arena that first appeared in a TBL Newsletter in May 1995..and some posts from my Facebook page:

It was 31 years ago today…

31 years ago today on April 6 ,1995, I was lucky enough to be in New York to attend the April 6 and 7 1995 performances by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant at the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey. Gary Foy and I travelled on a group trip from a company in Rotherham – it was all very well organised.

We also hooked up with a fair few fans including Dardo Simone and photographer Larry Ratner who published the Led Zeppelin Live Dreams photo book.

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Here’s my review that appeared in Mojo…

31 years ago today I was lucky enough to be in New York for the second performance by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant at the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey.

During the day Gary Foy and I were taken around the Greenwich Village area by our very gracious hosts Larry Ratner and Kim.

And more Page & Plant…

TBL Archive :Jimmy Page & Robert Plant: US Tour 1995.

Here is a piece that originally ran in TBL 11:

With the MTV film in the can, the next logical move was to take the show out on the road.,

The pair decided to extend the formula used for the MTV shows, employing the Egyptian string and percussion ensemble led by Hossam Ramzy and dubbed The Egyptian Pharaohs. Under the direction of Ed Shearmur they enlisted the assistance of local orchestras in each area they performed, thus enabling them to repeat the successful formula used for the Unledded filming which allowed fresh interpretations of the Zeppelin catalogue.

Just prior to the tour opening in February, Page and Plant reunited with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham for an appearance at New York’s Waldorf hotel to accept Led Zeppelin’s induction into the Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Fame. Jonesy’s comment – “Thanks for my friends for remembering my phone number” – during his speech was a curt acknowledgement of his displeasure at being ignored.

Rehearsals for the Page Plant tour took place in London, and a preview of what was in store occurred when the pair did a live link up for the American TV Awards, performing ‘Black Dog’.

In early April I was lucky enough to catch their two day stint at the Meadowlands Arena in America (see my review for Mojo below). The second night where they strolled on to the stage and moved into ‘Thank You’ remains a defining memory. Further shows in Paris, Glasgow, Sheffield, St Austell, Poole, Birmingham and London proved conclusively that despite their advancing years the duo’s ability to recreate the power and grace of Zeppelin was without question.

It was a glorious period as long time fans and those too young to have seen Zep in their prime revelled in what was all in name the Zeppelin reunion we had all hoped for. By the tour’s end it was evident that Jimmy Page was playing better than at any time during the previous fifteen years. Indeed for a project that began as a request to strum a few Zep tunes unledded style for MTV’s acoustic showcase, when played live night after night this reappraisal of the Zeppelin catalogue developed into a fully ledded experience. A trend that would continue when they returned to the live action in 1998.

With so many tapes at our disposal, there is ample scope to take a retrospective view of the tour. Having listened to hours of material drawn from the many tapes of the tour, I have compiled an imaginary four-CD compilation that takes in all the major developments along the way. It includes the one-off gems slotted in, the stand-out performances, the offbeat sequences and all the historic moments building into a true overview of the entire tour. It features 53 extracts drawn from 26 different locations spread over 28 shows; nearly five hours of musical Page and Plant highlights that capture the often barely believable events that thousands of fans were privileged to enjoy during those 370 days.

So this is Page and Plant on tour together at last in 1995 and 1996. Proving conclusively that the evolution of Led Zeppelin continues…

Part One

CD1: US Tour First Leg:

Intro: Tales of Bron – Robin Williamson poem

‘Immigrant Song’ intro/’The Wanton Song’

(Thompson Bowling Arena, Knoxville, Tenessee, March 3 1995)

The previous date in Atlanta had seen the amalgamation of ‘Immigrant Song’into ‘Wanton Song’ as the set opener. On that occasion they had some trouble sorting out the ending (it was after all the first live airing of ‘Wanton Song’ in 20 years!). In Knoxville it all came together with Page leading the way with some dexterous runs. The atmospheric opening introduction poem that proceeded became a familiar opening ritual to a majority of the US first leg and some European dates. The choice of the little known Incredible String Band album extract recalled Plant’s fondness for this Sixties outfit, and by the time Robin Williamson had got to the line “There is the flavoured haunt of pleasure, no haunt or threat or malediction, but sweet of music strikes the air” the fans knew what was coming next as the silhouettes on stage burst into life.

‘Wanton Song’ went on to become the favoured set opener, clocking over 80 performances during the tour.

‘Achilles Last Stand’

(The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia, February 28 1995)

‘Achilles’ was always a prime contender for reworking on this tour so it was no real surprise when it turned up in the set lists of the two opening dates in Pensacola and Atlanta. More baffling was the fact it was never played again. On the evidence of the passion they brought to this performance there appears no logical reason why. It was a more than competent display that kicked along with all the verve of the best Zep deliveries circa 1977.  Robert introduced it as “One of the first songs Jimmy and I wrote relating to travel” – a similar spiel would be given over to introducing The Song Remains The Same which effectively took over the Achilles slot the next night.

Watching the video shot from the show, it’s clear they were enjoying reliving this crucial Zep track – the pair could be seen clustered together in a classic pose during the “Aha… Aha” refrain.

At times the February 28 delivery of ‘Achilles Last Stand’ recreated the spirit of Led  Zeppelin better than any other single performance on the tour. Maybe that’s why they decided to drop it. Perhaps they both felt it was just a little too close to what went before…

‘House Of The Rising Son’/‘Good times Bad Times’

( UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisanna, March 11 1995)

From the moment Plant casually walked up to the mic and oozed into the traditional local blues standard ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, this second night in New Orleans was destined to be special.

They then switched straight into ‘Good Times Bad Times’, the only performance of the rarely played Led Zep I opener. And it was a joy to hear them rumble through the familiar stops and starts of the track with Michael Lee on drums proving his worth.

‘Lullaby’

(UNO Lakefront Arena New Orleans Louisanna March 11 1995)

When the first set lists were posted on the Internet many presumed this was a new song and listed it as ‘Spiderman’. In actual fact  it was a revivial from Porl Thompson’s Cure days. It worked as an offbeat interlude amongst the Zep numbers with Plant immersed in the lyric and Page cutting fine precise lines against Porl’s rhythm work. ‘Lullaby’ survived in the set until the early part of the Europran dates before being deleted.

‘The Song Remains The Same’

(UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Lousinna, March 11 1995)

“There’s a ….”

At the beginning of this mid-period Zep classic, Plant twice taunted the crowd with the opening line from the well known Rolf Harris cover. Instead Page led them into a powerful rendition of the Houses Of The Holy opener. This was a definite highlight of the US leg with Page and Porl Thompson trading licks most effectively, with the latter’s speed on the Gibson jumbo guitar really pushing the song along. Plant reached the high notes with ease as it led it into a glorious finale. “Can you feel it?” asked the singer afterwards. Absolutely.

‘Tangerine’/’Hey Hey What Can I Do’

(US Air Arena, Landover, Washington, March 23 1995)

Two superb performances lined up back to back during this show. ‘Tangerine’ made its only appearance on this leg performed in a full band arrangement. The crowd reaction as Page hit the familiar notes was nothing less than euphoric. Porl played some suitably laid back electric parts against Page’s Ovation acoustic strumming. A nostalgic first outing for the Zep III standard that was last performed live twenty years back at Earls Court.

The underrated Zep III leftover (and subsequent US B side to ‘Immigrant Song’) ‘Hey Hey What Can I Do’ was another revelation with the crowd egarly joining in the chorus. Videos from the tour of this track show Page beaming with pride and duck walking along the stage.

‘Boogie Chillun’ sequence

(Skydome Arena, Toronto, March 27 1995)

“One night I was laying down”… The John Lee Hooker standard was an integral part of the ‘Whole Lotta Love’ medley in the Zeppelin era. This was its only appearance on the tour, emerging during the ‘Calling To You’ medley. The way it developed out of a lengthy Page solo was invigorating and for those in attendance a rare revival for another part of the Zep live canon.

‘Calling To You’ including ‘Break On Through’/’As Long As I Have You’/

‘Dazed And Confused’ inserts

(Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey, April 6 1995)

‘Calling To You’ had previously been a highlight of Plant’s Fate Of Nations tour. With Jimmy on board it quickly developed into an extended piece that included a compelling guitar battle with Porl, a seminal riff exercise and then into an anything-could-happen medley sequence in the grand Zep tradition. This night in Meadowlands was exceptional for the inclusion of Garnett Mimms ‘As Long As I Have You’, a staple of the first two Zeppelin American tours but not performed by Page or Plant since. It followed the now customary delivery of The Doors’ ‘Break On Through’ and then merged with a few lines from ‘Dazed And Confused’. Another  memorable sequence.

‘Shake My Tree’

(Great Western Forum, Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, May 17 1995)

On the face of it this was a rather bizarre choice for inclusion on the tour. A highlight of the 1993 Coverdale Page album, it says much of Plant’s compatibility with Page at the time that he agreed to sing the Coverdale lyrics, albeit in a slightly amended form. ‘Shake’ was actually a great riff exercise which allegedly was first conceived during the Zep In Through The Out Door sessions. On stage it gave Plant the chance to pull out the old “Suck it!” refrain at appropriate moments and for Page to weave those weird sounds from the theremin.

‘Kashmir’

(Great Western Forum, Inglewood Los Angeles, California, May 17 1995)

When Page and Plant breezed back into the Forum some 17 years after the night of Listen To This Eddie, a tradition of spontaneity was upheld. During ‘Kashmir’ they were joined by guest violinist Lili Hayden who brought a impulsive virtuoso feel to the end section as she pitted her talents against the Egyptian Pharaohs. “Ladies and gentlemen Lili Hayden appears at the Viper Room in Holly wood every Sunday night,” Plant informed the audience at the close.

Dave Lewis – April 9 2014

Part 2 to follow

My thoughts on Saving Grace featuring Robert Plant & Suzi Dian

Other highlights and there were many, included the hybrid version of Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down/In My Time Of Dying – Robert echoing out that ‘’Meet me Jesus meet me” refrain with all the mastery that he bought to the Led Zeppelin studio version back in their glorious day.

They signed off with a jaunty encore stroll through the Los Lobos cover Angel Dance and then an all around the mic harmony led And We Bid You Goodnight

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Lucifer rises from the underground to offer key insight into Jimmy Page’s ‘extreme and alternative’ 1970s artistic vision – as it takes the listener on a journey in through the soundscapes…

Jimmy Page – Lucifer Rising And other Sound Tracks: The TBL Review

Well it isn’t Outrider 2, but then again it was never intended to be. What we have here is something of a previously unheard missing link in the compositional history of Jimmy Page.

As he explains in the excellent sleeve notes, the guitarist has long since had a penchant for creating unorthodox soundscapes –going right back to the Yardbirds era with Glimpses on their Little Games album. This would subsequently manifested itself on stage with Led Zeppelin during the extensional improvisation of Dazed And Confused and it’s various offshoots –latterly the guitar solo extravaganzas on the 1977 tour.

So what is exactly on offer inside the sizeable package sent via Jimmypage com.?

The package:  Effective sleeve design based on Gustav Dore’s The Eagle.Thick outer cardboard sleeve, heavyweight vinyl inside. For LP enthusiasts such as myself, this is pretty much collector heaven. Informative and deep thinking sleeve notes on the inner sleeve. Each deluxe copy is hand numbered.

The music: Here’s how it unfolds over the two sides of vinyl.

The Lucifer Rising soundtrack has long since been a much maligned lost project. Page came up with the piece as a soundtrack for Kenneth Anger’s controversial movie but it was only ever aired on early cuts of the film – journalist Nick Kent reported in the NME he had attended an informal screening in Los Angeles in early 1975 where Page had shown a rough cut with his soundtrack on. Anger was allegedly disappointed with Page for only coming up with some 23 minutes of music. Page refuted such claims – the pair had a falling out and Anger brought in Bobby Beausoleil to score it instead –a young musician who went on to be convicted of murder under the influence of Charles Manson’s notorious ‘’Family’’. A poor quality bootleg of Page’s version surfaced in the 1980s.

Fast forward some 35 years: On this freshly mixed version, the basic theme of the Lucifer Rising Main Track is undercut by a drone that is similar to the In The Evening intro (particularly the live arrangement opening loop used on the Over Europe 1980 tour). It’s then further embellished by chants and mellotron and ARP Odyssey synthesiser effects. A typically bleak eerie sound texture that would have also perfectly fitted as the soundtrack to The Hermit hill climb sequence in The Song Remains The Same movie.

Side two opens with Incubus which continues the unsettling drone effects theme. Damask contains six string bowed guitar effects that hark back to the onstage exotic experiments he was applying on the guitar solo segment that preceded the performances of Achilles Last Stand on Zep’s 1977 US tour.

Unharmonics has the clipped effect that can be hard on Shadow in the City on the Death Wish 2 soundtrack (Page explains two of his ideas here would later surface on Death Wish 2 ). There’s also some precise guitar overdubs with a hint of the revolving style of the live arrangements of Over The Hills And Far Away.

Damaks (Ambient) is a dense swirling affair that nods towards the bowing techniques of the live Dazed And Confused , while the final track Lucifer Rising Percussive Return features additional white noise percussive effects and overall is reminiscent of the 1970s work of the German outfits Can and Tangerine Dream.

These sonic soundscapes were originally prepared to be matched to film visuals and they make for decidedly uneasy listening when heard in isolation. However, there is little doubt of their value as key reference recordings in the development of Page’s career.

What these avant- garde experiments starkly reveal is the expansiveness of Page’s compositional vision. It was this vision, when applied in a more conventional setting, that would light up the like of Ten Years Gone, In The Light, Achilles Last Stand and In the Evening. Indeed the back cover photo of him working alone in his home studio in Plumpton circa late 1973 (as seen in clips in the Travelling Riverside Blues promo video and on the official DVD) offers a captivating image of his often solitary quest to open up new horizons and avenues for his music.

It could also be argued that without this process of experimentation in, as he puts it ‘the extreme and alternative’, Page may not have achieved the depth of compositional brilliance attained on the aforementioned Zep epics.

Lucifer Rising And Other Soundtracks therefore offers key insight into the mind of a musician who has constantly expanded the barriers of electric and acoustic guitar playing. As he states it in the sleeve notes – ‘’I had an interest in underground everything’’.  Lucifer has duly risen from the underground to tell us a little more about Jimmy Page than we already knew…

And of course that thirst to hear and know more remains unquenchable. Now that the Death Wish 2 and Lucifer Rising soundtracks have emerged from the Jimmy Page.com archives, the question is of course – what might be served up next?  Well….over the past few months Jimmy has aired tantalising extracts on his web site of work in progress home demos of Sick Again, The Wanton Song and Ten Years Gone . There’s also been clips from sessions such as the 1999 Depot rehearsal recordings with the late great drummer Michael Lee. There could be scope to gather such work in progress demos and sketches into an album that again presents a portrait of the artist at play.

Also on my wish list would be a career expanding box set that chronicles the 1960s sessions he often logs and goes through The Yardbirds into Zeppelin and beyond – in effect a 50 year career overview with rarities and outtakes. Now that would be something special.

Ultimately I am sure we all also crave new music from the man and it would be fantastic for that to happen. There is little doubt though, the establishing of Jimmy page.com has offered a unique platform for the once reticent and private musician to re- connect with his vast fan base.

The release of the Lucifer Rising And Other Sound Tracks LP is another significant milestone in the recent reaffirmation of Jimmy Page, musician and composer. Long may his underground archives rise up to enlighten and inform.

Dave Lewis  – April 12 2012