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EVENINGS WITH LED ZEPPELIN BOOK FESTIVAL OF SOUND LAUNCH/PLANET ROCK/JOHN BONHAM CELEBRATION FESTIVAL /LZ NEWS/ THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME REMASTERED REVIEWS/ LZ LIVE REVIEWS/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE

13 September 2018 3,250 views 11 Comments

Led Zeppelin Concert ChronicleEvenings With Led Zeppelin – The Complete Concert Chronicle – Official Omnibus Press Launch at the Festival Of Sound Event:

The forthcoming Evenings With Led Zeppelin book will be officially launched by Omnibus Press at the Festival of Sound event in Hammersmith London on Friday September 28.

Mike Tremaglio and myself will be staging an hour long presentation of the book from 11am to 12.

Copies of the book will be available at the event and we will be on hand to sign them throughout the day.

We look forward to seeing all that can make it along.

Here’s all the info:

The ‘Festival of Sound: the Music and Audio Show’, it is still set to be a celebration of hi-fi, headphones and portable audio under one roof – with some e 150-plus exhibitorsand brands showcased.

Exhibitors from musical instrument and other music-related sectors could also appear, and music-oriented seminars will return, with this year seeing world-renowned producers and recording engineers Chris Kimsey (producer of The Rolling Stones’ Undercover), Gary Langan (who has worked with Queen, Yes and ABC) and Liam Nolan (a recording engineer behind Adele’s 25).

Friday September, 28:

Festival of Sound – The Music And Audio Show:

Novotel London West
1 Shortlands,
Hammersmith,
London,
W6 8DR

“When Led Zeppelin played a concert, it wasn’t just a concert – it was an event.” – Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin’s manager, 1993

Authors Dave Lewis and Mike Tremaglio explain how they researched in detail the 500 plus concerts Led Zeppelin performed to produce the book Evenings With Led Zeppelin – The Complete Concert Chronicle (Omnibus Press)

Including:

The evolution of the group in 1968

The intensive touring schedule in their early years

How Led Zeppelin and manager Peter Grant changed the art of rock presentation in the late 60s/early70s

The group’s speedy elevation to being the world’s greatest live attraction of the rock era

The importance of the visual element of the book

Why this book is much more than a log of concerts

Led Zeppelin’s importance in rock history

Fifty years on from their formation, Led Zeppelin’s potency as a live band remains unsurpassed – Evenings With Led Zeppelin vividly explains why.

Presentation followed by Question and Answer session

Dave Lewis

Dave Lewis first heard the music of Led Zeppelin in 1969 at the age of 13. The effect has been a lasting one. He is acknowledged and respected throughout the world as a leading chronicler of the group and its individual members.      Dave is the editor and founder of the acclaimed magazine, Tight But Loose,which is currently in its 40th year and reaches out to over 30 countires worldwide.

Mike Tremaglio

Mike Tremaglio is one of the foremost Led Zeppelin researchers and has chronicled their work over many years in print and on the web. For many years, he wrote popular tour retrospectives for the highly regarded Tight But Loose magazine. He has also contributed significantly to several of co-author Dave Lewis’s books and magazine features.

The full Friday line up reads as follow:

Special Event (Evenings With Led Zeppelin: Dave Lewis & Mike Tremaglio)

Special Event (Peter Aylett: The Future Of Technology)

Special Event (Chris Difford)

Special Event (Russ Andrews: Discovering Better Sound)

Special Event (Meet The Editor: Noel Keywood)

Special Event (Let The Good Times Roll: Kenney Jones & Chris Kimsey)

Special Event (Dre, King Kofi, Margin Kings, Peaky)

Special Event (Jeczalic/Langan (Art Of Noise): Deconstructed For Your Listening Pleasure)

Entry to the event in advance is £10 and £15 on the day

More details at:

https://festivalofsound.co.uk/

https://festivalofsound.co.uk/sessions/tony-cousins-2-2-2-2/

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Evenings With Led Zeppelin – The Complete Concert Chronicle Update:

 

On Tuesday I was able to view the only copy of the book currently in the UK at the Omnibus office in London. I am very pleased with the end result. At 576 pages it’s a substantial volume and all the hard work co- author Mike Tremaglio and I put in over the past four years has finally come to fruition – to remind you, this is what it’s all about:

576 pages

260,000 word text

2,500+ images

170 rarely seen colour and black and white photos

Large hardback size 267 x 204mm

Price: £40

Written by Dave Lewis and Mike Tremaglio

Edited by Chris Charlesworth

Designed by Mick Lowe at StudioMix Bedford

Foreword by former Led Zeppelin Tour Manager Richard Cole

Publication Date: September 27, 2018

 

“When Led Zeppelin played a concert, it wasn’t just a concert – it was an event.” – Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin’s manager, 1993

Evenings With Led Zeppelin chronicles in consummate detail the 500-plus concerts that Led Zeppelin performed throughout their career.

From their earliest gig in a Denmark school gymnasium on September 7, 1968, through to the last gig that Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones ever performed with John Bonham, in Berlin on July 7, 1980, this is the Led Zeppelin story told from where their legend was forged – live on stage.

Deploying impeccable research spread over many years, Dave Lewis and Mike Tremaglio bring clarity, authority and perspective to their unique story.

Evenings With Led Zeppelin is a show-by-show narrative of every known Led Zeppelin performance that portrays with pinpoint accuracy the group’s rapid ascent from playing to a few hundred at London’s Marquee Club to selling out the 20,000 capacity Madison Square Garden in New York – all in a mere eighteen months.

Supplemented by historical reviews, facts and figures and expert commentary that capture the spirit of the times, Evenings With Led Zeppelin is illustrated throughout with rarely seen concert adverts, posters, venue images, ticket stubs and photos, all of which offer matchless insight into each and every concert. This is the on-stage heritage of Led Zeppelin as never before chronicled in one volume.

Fifty years on from their formation, Led Zeppelin’s potency as a live band remains unsurpassed – Evenings With Led Zeppelin vividly explains why.

Ordering details:

In the UK the book can be pre ordered via Amazon at this link:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evenings-Led-Zeppelin-Chronicle-1968-1980/dp/1783057017/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536760790&sr=8-1&keywords=evenings+with+led+zeppelin

Overseas orders:

A US Amazon link for US orders will follow shortly  

I will not be selling the book via the TBL site – however, I am aiming to produce a special TBL limited edition insert signed by the authors which will be available separately – more details on this to follow. Evenings With Led Zeppelin is on the way  – get ready to soak up the story from the place they functioned best – live on stage…

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Planet Rock Zep-tember Top Ten Led Zeppelin Gigs:

 

On Tuesday I recorded an interview for Planet Rock with DJ Ian Danter ( see pic) in which we discussed the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book and ten of the greatest Led Zeppelin gigs. This will air as a special programme as part of Planet Rock’s Zep-tember series – it airs on Wednesday September 26 at 7pm

See more at https://www.planetrock.com/

 

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Just a reminder of the details of the John Bonham Celebration Festival set for Redditch on September 22:  

JOHN BONHAM A CELEBRATION FESTIVAL IS READY TO ROCK REDDITCH

Following the installation of a permanent bronze memorial statue in his hometown of Redditch, Worcestershire, a very special music event has been organised to celebrate the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer’s 70th Birthday, life and legacy.

Organised by The John Bonham Memorial Friends and in partnership with Heart of Worcestershire College, the celebration festival will take place at Peakman Street, Redditch on Saturday 22nd September 2018.

A stellar line-up of Rock/Blues artists and Special Guests, all with a connection to John and the Bonham family, will take to the stage as part of a full day of live music, commencing at 13.00 until 23.00. Some acts will be revealed via www.johnbonhammemorial.com but others will be saved and revealed on the day.

This memorable event will host a mix of well-known stars and upcoming musicians, all donating their time to remember John Bonham and to raise vital funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and their outreach nurse programme across the West Midlands.

Tickets are priced at £25 each (plus £1.50 booking fee) and will go on sale at 12 noon on Friday 29th June 2018 via www.johnbonhammemorial.com.

Proceeds in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust West Midlands to support vital services in memory of John. Ticket numbers are strictly limited to just 1000 on a first come first served basis. Over 18s only.

Latest Update: Tickets have been selling very well and this is shaping up to be some event. I worked on some notes for the official programme this week. I am aiming to be there and look forward to seeing all that can make it along.

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Led Zeppelin News Update:

In conjunction with the Led Zep news site, each week I will be re- producing highlights from their weekly email update news summary. This goes out every Sunday. Sign up details are below. Many thanks to James Cook

Led Zeppelin

  • A new box set celebrates the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of the Bath Festivals. The set is being released by Rock Music Memorabilia, and includes T-shirts, reproduction posters and photographs, amongst other items. Find out more about the box set here.

Jimmy Page

Robert Plant

  • Robert Plant was scheduled to appear at the LouFest music festival in St. Louis, Missouri today. However, the festival was cancelled and Plant rearranged his performance to be at a local venue. Find out more about the change here.

Upcoming events:

September 9 – Robert Plant will perform in St. Louis, Missouri.
September 10 – Robert Plant will perform in Kansas City, Missouri.
September 13 – Robert Plant will perform in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
September 15 – Pre-orders of Led Zeppelin’s photo book will no longer include the limited edition poster after this date and Robert Plant will perform at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Colorado.
September 16 – Robert Plant will perform at the KAABOO festival in California.
September 18 – “Scream For Help,” which features a soundtrack by John Paul Jones, will be released on Blu-ray.
September 19 – Robert Plant will perform in Tucson, Arizona.
September 21 – Robert Plant will perform in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
September 22 – The John Bonham Celebration Festival will take place in Redditch.
September 23 – Robert Plant will perform at the Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
September 25 – Robert Plant will perform in Irving, Texas.
September 27 – The “Evenings With Led Zeppelin” book will be released and Robert Plant will perform in Lubbock, Texas.
September 29 – Empress Valley will release the soundboard recording of Led Zeppelin’s September 29, 1971 show and Robert Plant will perform in Austin, Texas.
September 30 – The TBL 50th Anniversary Celebration Day event will take place at The Atlas Pub in Fulham, London and Robert Plant will perform in Austin, Texas.
October 1 – Robert Plant will perform in Austin, Texas.
October 9 – The official Led Zeppelin photo book will be released.
October 16 – “Bring it on Home,” a new biography of Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant, will be released.
October 25 – Robert Plant will perform in Cardiff, Wales.
October 26 – Robert Plant will perform in London, UK.
October 28 – Robert Plant will perform in Dublin, Ireland.
November 20 – The Japanese edition of the official Led Zeppelin photo book will be released.
November 29 – “Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass”, which features an interview with John Paul Jones, will be released.

Many thanks to James Cook.

The complete Led Zeppelin News email goes out every weekend. To receive it each week sign up here:http://tinyletter.com/LedZepNews

Led Zeppelin News Website: Check out the Led Zeppelin news website at

http://ledzepnews.com/

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My thoughts on…

The Soundtrack From The Film The Song Remains The Same Remastered:

So it’s back in a multitude of formats and for all the comments on what it’s not….what it is has much to commend it.

When it was first released back in October 1976, The Song Remains The Same it wasn’t by any means the first live album of Led Zeppelin music I’d heard – by then I had a fair stack of bootleg LPs – and it wasn’t the first live recordings of the fabled 1973 tour that I had heard- Bonzo’s Birthday Party and Three Days After had been on my playlist for over two years.

However, it was the first official live recording of the band and back then I remember being amazed at the uniqueness of the sound – the original still holds a certain resonance and for many people it remains the go to album for their Song Remains The Same film soundtrack fix.

The 2007 mix handled by Kevin Shirley added six new previously unreleased recordings. It came in for a fair amount of criticism for a few untidy edits that for some spoiled the party.

Essentially this new version superbly packed over four LPs is the Kevin Shirley mix and sequencing remastered by Jimmy Page with John Davis also mastering. The best way to approach it all again is to play though the eight sides non stop – just as I did the four sides some 42 years ago on a cold Friday on the evening of October 22 1976…and yes then as now, it still holds the magic.

Now I am no audiophile but I know what I like. This is an incredibly sprightly mix that leaps out the speakers.

Whilst the on stage experimentation of their 1972 US tour had levelled out, these New York ‘73 concerts a year later capture all the swagger and verve of a band in the throes of conquering the world.

Side One ramps up the excitement from the off with that breathless Rock And Roll into Celebration Day into Black Dog sequence. I had forgotten how impressive Over The Hills And Far Away is from these shows and here it just oozes inventiveness and class.

Side Two kicks off with a fluent Misty Mountain Hop that as was the norm at the time, dovetails seamlessly into Since I’ve Been Loving You. This, as we all now know was a glaring omission in the original 1976 package – there’s something quite magical about this version. It’s one of those tight but loose moments when everything ebbs and flows with unbridled passion. ”Jimmy Page guitar” proclaims Robert at the close to mass crowd hysteria. It’s a wonderful moment. From there it’s straight into The Ocean. Out of sequence to the actual concert as it was an encore but hey what’s not to like? Brilliant dynamics between Page, Bonzo and Jonesy and Robert at his preening best – and the do wop ending is a pure delight.

Side Three: It’s a shame Robert’s spoken introduction is missing but there’s absolutely no complaints about the performance here. The Song Remains The Same /The Rain Song – performed side by side as they were on the studio album and as they were on every concert from late 1972 up to 1975. Another glorious amalgamation of controlled dynamics and yes, the chemistry remains the same.

Side Four: No Quarter – this is the often maligned 2007 version – call me a fool but I find much to admire here – the drama of the opening, Jonesy’s immaculate solo and the prominent wah wah effect back into the final verse. The fact is, any version of No Quarter from 1973 is absolutely fine by me.

Side Five: Dazed And Confused – the big one now presented in full over one side as opposed to the jarring part one and two line up on the  2007 vinyl set. This is a  familiar marathon and before getting to the finish line, Jimmy unveils a veritable  box of tricks. ”Jimmy Page – electric guitar.” Oh yes…

Side Six:  Moby Dick – across a complete side the John Henry Bonham stickfest – and that closing sequence is such a riot. ”John Bonham!”

Side Seven: Stairway To Heaven – let’s dock a point for the no show of the ”This is a song of hope” introduction – however the rest is pretty much perfection.

Side Eight: Heartbreaker/Whole Lotta Love – a crunching Heartbreaker ticks all the boxes but the Whole Lotta Love has always sounded a bit laboured.

Then there’s the film…

It‘s fair to say this film was a major part of my life circa 1976-78.

I ventured out to see it in cinemas across the home counties over 30 times in all, from the opening night premiere with the entire band a few rows behind,s even nights in succession when it came to Bedford – through to a snowbound journey to see it in a tiny cinema in Western Favell near Northampton one early January night in 1978.

I bought it on a dreadful quality VHS bootleg copy in 1981 -all colour drop out but hey any time I wanted I could rewind to Jimmy climbing that mountian so who cared!

I haven’t watched it for a good few years – overall I think it stands up very well. The fantasy sequences now carry a real ‘we did it because we could’ 1970’s quaintness, the live footage is often better than I remembered – even if 1973 isn’t my fave live period – as for me the bigger stage setting and song repertoire of 75/77/79 captured Zep in real splendour. That said, Since I’ve Been L oving You, The Song Remains the Same and Dazed And Confused really stand out in terms of sheer musical thrust.

Yes Jimmy’s trousers look faintly ridiculous (but it was 1973!) and that JPJ ‘’Tour dates ….this is tomorow’’ line is no Gone With The Wind in Oscar winning acting performance but all in all, The Song Remains The Same movie has a real warm glow about it throughout.

The DVD second disc extras are most welcome – and I’d forgotten how good they are. The Tampa and Drake Hotel news footage is much longer than I remember. The Peter Grant and Robert Plant TV interview on the River Thames screened on The Old Grey Whistle Test is an absolute timepiece. Note Robert’s very flamboyant earring and his humorous rapport with the G man says much about the affinity they had for each other. As for the live cuts – Over The Hills And Far Away and The Ocean are as good as it gets as live representations of what this band was all about.

In Summary:

The Super Deluxe box set is  a beautiful thing for sure though as Graeme Hutchinson noted, I am surprised it does not include the Blue- ray version of the film. This is a very expensive set and will not be for everyone.

The Four album box set is also superbly packaged and I would recommend it highly – the clarity of sound on this is quite striking.

The two CD version is superb value and a great package and provides the opportunity  anyone to join the party.

Like countless other fans, the Soundtrack To the Film The Song Remains The Same is ingrained on my brain – it’s a nostalgic throwback to an innocent era.

Any version is therefore very welcome around these parts, and in something of a crazy week, these new arrivals of an old favourite have been an absolute inspiration.

The song really does remain the same…and it stills sounds brilliant…

Dave Lewis – September 12,2018.

And there’s more…

The Song Remains The Same Remastered Reissue:

Reviews from Ken Winovitch:

15 Tracks on 2CD’s remastered
The jacket is embossed just like the original release back in ’76
The lettering is a nice bright silver
with the exception of the spine and back cover which are hard to read
The Swan Song logo on the back cover can barely be seen

Middle pocket=24 page booklet
mixed at Metropolis by Kevin shirley
2018 Mastering by John Davis at Metropolis
& my booklet was not wrinkled having been shoved in the wrong way!

Coolest thing is the birds-eye view of the Shepperton Stage
showing Jonesey’s keyboard layout

Booklet exactly the same as the 2007 one with 2 exceptions:
Page 23 which includes to remaster info
The typing is smaller, this two sentences are carried over to next page

* Standout tracks

CD1
Rock And Roll (03:56)
Celebration Day (03:37)
Black Dog (03:46)
*Over The Hills And Far Away (06:11)
Misty Mountain Hop (04:43)
*Since I’ve Been Loving You (08:23)
*No Quarter (10:38)
The Song Remains The Same (05:39)
*The Rain Song (08:20)
The Ocean (05:16)

CD2
*Dazed And Confused (29:18)
*Stairway To Heaven (10:53)
*Moby Dick (11:02)
*Heartbreaker (06:19)
*Whole Lotta Love (13:52)

Wow! Great kick drum bottom end and Bonham’s cymbals sound awesome as does the snare drum.
Clarity is awesome and you pick up the crispness also in Plant’s voice
Listen to the opening riff of Black Dog!
Bonham’s hi-hat really stands out on OTHAFA
There’s a few extra seconds in there during the guitar solo
This new remaster makes it an absolute joy to listen to Jones and Bonham’s interplay instrumentally
No Quarter is accented even better with this release. Listen to the theramin come in & Plant’s echoed voice just before “They hold No Quarter”
Listen to “Talk! Talk! Talk!” by Plant during the middle of ‘The Rain Song’
The opening bass notes and violin bow swipes to ‘Dazed And Confused’ never sounded better! No sound difference at 16:09 mark. Warning! 17:50 mark is HOT as hell!
The Hendrix-style chording during ‘Dazed’ sounds better with Bonham’s tapping overlayering it.
My favorite part starts at the 23:00 mark and gets an ass-kick from Jones’s bass! Just listen to Jones and Bonham top the frenzy off!
You owe it to yourself to spend an entire half hour listening to this monster in all it’s remastered glory!
Guitarists who love good tone will enjoy this release
Jimmy Page is the tone master of the guitar and it’s what separates him from all the rest
Page had to have spent close to a year very early-on during his Yardbirds days experimenting with tone
The secret lies in some of the electrical components of the guitar
Combine that with the fact that the Gibson craftsmen hand carved the top surface of those late 50’s Les Paul’s and it’s that extra top layer of wood that gives owners of a late 50’s Les Paul that edge
You can see that top layer of carved wood on the inside of the cutaway
Throw in a wah-wah pedal to boost these tones even further and all controlled by Jimmy’s right foot and you just can’t believe the sound!
‘Stairway To Heaven’s opening notes really distinguish a picked note from a finger-picked one. This remastered version is that crisp and clear!
If pressed for time, play the Zep top hits but then most of this set includes them anyway!
The buildup from soft opening to pick-up in pace with more rhythmic chording till Bonham comes in and you can see why this one is a classic!
As Jimmy peels off chord after chord before his solo begins and he hoists that doubleneck up for the split-screen overlays, listen to Bonham’s taps. What a timekeeper!
The ending with Bonham lightly tapping those Paiste cymbals is just awesome!
I liked the Plant echoed voice at the beginning of ‘Moby Dick’.
The 4:54 front door hammering sounds awesome and then it’s time for the phased tympani! Nice! Jimmy pans it a little left and right but not overdone!
The phasing at the 6:50 mark makes the drums sound as if they are cascading around in the stratosphere! And the effect is fantastic! Same as the 17:40 mark
Wow! Listen around the 9:13 to 9:24 mark!
The 2:33 mark of Heartbreaker during the guitar one-handed hammer-ons shows the edit and splicing from different shows
The flurry of guitar notes around the 3:40 mark is awesome complete with warts and all! When the band comes in at 5:13 it’s awesome!
Just listen to the rhythm section from hell and it’s all there as Page rips off millions of crisp notes!
All of CD#2 is awesome! The scratchy guitar pick/string sound is so unique over Jones’s riffing on the beginning of the ‘Whole Lotta Love’ riff.
Page’s James Brown guitar licks sound so good.
But here comes the theramin complete with eerie swoosh sounds. With accented Bonham snare and cymbal taps, it’s just awesome. A sonic palette of sounds!
Listen to the 3:38 mark! Sounds like a UFO just dropped down behind Bonzo’s drum kit and Jones’s bass notes just KILL!
A solid 5.0 for this release! It is THE BEST you will ever hear ‘The Song Remains The Same’!

Review of ‘The Song Remains The Same’ – Remastered on Blu-Ray (Product code BD2-567649) by Ken Winovich

As a teenager back in the 70’s, I can remember back to many a time when I staggered out of my bedroom in a daze after getting pummeled for 2.5+ hours by a great Led Zeppelin live bootleg and I have just experienced the same thing again all these years later. Led Zeppelin’s 1976 concert film ‘The Song Remains The Same’ still remains for me the first time I “saw” Led Zeppelin live and that’s after trying unsuccessfully several times to see them. But fate had other ideas. “What would they be like?” I wondered. “How would they appear as performers?” aside from all the great music. When the lights came up from above drummer John Bonham’s kit and the band kicked off with ‘Rock And Roll’, it was evident from the very start that this was going to be something. This was the only band to knock The Beatles off the top of the charts and I knew immediately that I was in for a real treat. But now, all these years later, Jimmy Page has remastered the live soundtrack thanks to new technological advancements and it’s just awesome. I am so grateful that Page took the time to remaster this soundtrack which I was beginning to think was treated like an orphaned step child because it is one of Led Zeppelin’s ten official albums that were released during their career and it’s worth every effort.

The new 5.1 Surround sound Blu-Ray has been mixed with Bonham far left, Jones middle left, Plant middle right and Page far right. As you play each track, a rare photo snapped from Madison Square Garden ’73 appears on the screen. You’ve got three sound options from the Menu to choose from. The package has all 15 songs and also to fill up the disc, Page has included the video to four tracks that were left off the original film in ‘Celebration Day’, ‘Over The Hills And Far Away’, ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and ‘The Ocean’. Because of this, the running order unfortunately has to place ‘The Ocean’, which was an encore, after ‘Rain Song’ (apparently it’s a double-sided disc with time constraints) but I’ll get over it. It’s all here. The power behind every track and the magic that these four musicians serve up in all it’s remastered glory finally captures Led Zeppelin live at the top of their 12 year reign. The ’75 U S Tour was hampered by Page’s broken finger and Plant’s influenza and the ’77 tour was Zeppelin struggling to rebound after Robert’s car accident on the Greek Island of Rhodes back in August of ’75. But here they are, at the end of the sell-out ’73 U S Tour which shattered box office tallies previously held by The Beatles, finishing it all up with three shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden.

Standout tracks are ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘No Quarter’ with Plant singing “Oh, what mis-er-y without quarter”, ‘The Song Remains The Same’, ‘Rain Song’, ‘Dazed And Confused’…heck, the whole bloody disc! You can truly hear the ambience of the concert hall and this remastered release really makes it feel like you are there. It’s easy to get lost in every track when one hears the intricate fills drummer John Bonham does which sets him aside from all other rock drummers who just have that ‘boom’ / ‘bash’ style. It will take a decade for all the Bonham drum enthusiasts out there to disect all that he’s doing at this show. John Paul Jones is outstanding on ‘No Quarter’ and I really liked the sonic vocals bouncing off the roof of the Garden during the Scott McKenzie’s ‘San Francisco’ snippet the band do during ‘Dazed And Confused’. ‘Dazed And Confused’ is the blockbuster on here, clocking in at 29 minutes with Page playing over a million guitar notes and so blindingly fast that band friend Roy Harper had to come out on stage to make sure Page’s fingers weren’t on fire requiring a fire extinguisher!

Just listen to John Paul Jones’s mellotron during the opening of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ and it just about brings a tear. Bonham’s hi-hat, cymbals and floor toms are all very crisp and clear and the beauty of the clarity with all the remasters is you can now focus solely on any one instrument. From the violin bow swathes across the guitar strings by Page during ‘Dazed And Confused’ to the theramin battle
between Page and Plant during ‘Whole Lotta Love’, this Blu-Ray captures the majesty and power of Led Zeppelin live and in concert at the top of their game. The only thing missing is a new remastered Blu-Ray of the video coupled with audio and I suspect that it will be released in a 50th Anniversary edition. I’ve yet to get the Super Deluxe Box Set which only includes a DVD so I hope a Blu-Ray comes out with newly remastered sound coupled with the video as well and of course the real gem in that package is the HD-downloads. A 5.0 out of 5 for sure to this Blu-Ray audio release! Fantastic!

Many thanks to Ken.

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Chris Charlesworth Just Backdated review of Led Zeppelin Live 1975 – 1977:

Here’s Chris Charlesworth’s review of the recently published photo book I edited.

Joining the shelfload of books published to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the birth of Led Zeppelin is this upmarket coffee-table photo book featuring the work of Terry O’Neill, who has the lion’s share of pictures within its pages, Michael Brennan and my pal Baron Wolman who, by the way, was actually christened Baron and is not a member of the feudal aristocracy. Accompanying the best part of 200 pages of pictures, all but Wolman’s black and white, are text and captions written by Dave Lewis, founder, proprietor, editor, principal contributor and energetic promoter of Tight But Loose, the fanzine and website that stimulates interest in Led Zeppelin with the same kind of zeal that fired the group when they launched into ‘Rock And Roll’ at the start of many of the concerts covered herein.

O’Neill’s shots are from concerts in May 1975 and June 1977, Brennan’s from January 1975, and Wolman’s from July 1977, the latter the two concerts in Oakland, California, that brought down the curtain on Led Zeppelin’s record breaking and occasionally lubricious love affair with America. And pretty much every picture in the book is a fine example of the photographer’s art, so much so that it becomes clear that so long as your camera was in focus it was pretty hard not to take a decent photograph of this group when they were strutting their stuff, as reflected in the occasional spreads of contact sheets where all that separates the great shots from the good is the exposure, from which we can deduce that stage lighting impacted on the finished product, as perhaps did adjustments to the exposure and aperture of the cameras used.

Here are the highlights:

O’Neill: Jones so clear you can count the hairs on his head on page 24, Page the same on 25, and the Plant spread across 28-29, the latter leaving no doubt as to the singer’s masculinity; Page on 43, scraping his violin bow in the mist, Plant on 51, beckoning with his index finger in that peculiarly idiosyncratic way of his; Plant and Page together on 55, singing the chorus of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (the only point in their shows during this period when it was possible for photographers to snap their heads together); Page on 67, on one leg, his body shifting in the opposite direction to his twin-necked guitar, which must surely have strained his skinny hips; Plant across 68 & 69, close up, giving his all, and over the page on 71, as handsome as handsome gets; a group shot across 83 & 84 during the acoustic interlude, Plant grinning across at Bonham, probably urging him not to sing; Jones on 89, a study in concentration on his peculiar triple-necked instrument; Bonham a blur on 92& 93, maximum effort albeit perhaps a tad overweight; and 105, Plant all smiles, confidence abounding.

Brennan: Bonham on page 117, in the dressing room, contemplating, perhaps – as he occasionally admitted – suffering a touch of stage-fright before the show; the crowd shots from the stage on 122, 123 and across 124 & 125, so close they could reach out and touch whatever Page and Plant wore on their feet; the spread on 131, Page arching backwards as if performing the limbo; and leaving the stage on 146, another triumph; Bonham, head down, eyes shut, keen to get away, Plant a bit lost behind him, and, over the page, Page, grinning, still carrying his guitar, giving a thumbs up to the faithful, yet no sign of Jones who as likely as not was already on way his back to their hotel. (Brennan’s shots also include a few taken on the Starship, their private pane, which brings back a few memories, all of which can be found on other posts here.)

Wolman: Plant on 153, another warm and smiley shot; Page’s eight guitar arsenal awaiting its master stageside on 154 & 155; Page on 167, crouching like the phantom snakes on his black and gold suit; Page and Plant on 183, the former reaching up for a note somewhere in the Gods; and, finally, the view from the audience on 186 & 187, the strange, slightly absurd Stonehenge stage, constructed no doubt by Bill Graham, that reminded me rather too much of the absurdities in Spinal Tap.

Those familiar with the look of Led Zeppelin will recognise many of these photographs from other books and magazines but O’Neill’s in particular have been largely under wraps for 30 years or more, so it’s nice to finally see them again. We are perhaps fortunate that Zep worked in an era when photographers were not as restricted as they are today, nor managements – even Peter Grant! – so eager to control what would become known as image rights, with the result that 45 or so years down the line we can observe Led Zeppelin in their pomp on so many wonderful photographs like those in this book. O’Neill, Brennan and Wolman are part of an honourable platoon of photographers who captured Led Zeppelin for eternity, among several others that include Neal Preston, Bob Gruen, Barrie Wentzell, Michael Putland and Barry Plummer. Bearing in mind the ‘security’ – and I use in the word without my tongue in my cheek – that surrounded Led Zeppelin, they all deserve medals for extreme courage in the face of the Hammer of the Gods.

Check out:

LZ News Review and interview:

Here’s the links of the Led Zeppelin live 1975 – 1977  book review via LZ News and an interview with me about the book:

http://ledzepnews.com/2018/09/04/reviewed-new-led-zeppelin-photo-book-led-zeppelin-live-1975-1977/

http://ledzepnews.com/2018/09/10/dave-lewis-on-his-new-photo-book-led-zeppelin-live-1975-1977/

Led Zeppelin Live 1975 – 1977 TBL Limited Edition:

Many thanks to all those who have ordered the above TBL limited edition package of the book. I am just awaiting fresh stock and all ongoing orders will be fulfilled in the next ten to fourteen days. The order link to obtain one of the 150 only TBL limited edition signed by the author books is below:

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/led-zeppelin-live-1975-1977-the-photographs-of-terry-oneill-michael-brennan-and-baron-wolman-edited-by-dave-lewis-special-tbl-limited-edtion-in-a-run-of-just-150-signed-by-the-editor-plus/

………………………

DL Diary Blog Update:

To say it’s full on here at the moment is an understatement -and it’s all getting a bit exciting.

Firstly, may I offer a sincere thanks for all the many Birthday wishes and comments I received last week. I had a fantastic day which ended in a bit of a gathering at my local The Fox And Hounds – it was great to see so many friends – notably Dec over form Ireland – and a full compliment of the Lewis clan -the good lady Janet, Sam and Adam. Here we all are in a group photo.

On Saturday it was great to hook up with a few more familiar faces at the VIP Record Fair in Victoria – here’s the TBL gang Ian,Tom, Cliff ”the ticket man”, Dec, Phil, me and James  doing one of the things we do best…buying records…

There were a couple of whirlwind visits to London – on Friday I was in town to pick up The Song Remains The Same remaster edition -which of course prompted a toast in the always excellent Spice Of Life. As mentioned above, I was back on Tuesday to record an interview with Planet Rock and for a few hours via the Omnibus Press office, take receipt of the only copy in the UK of the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book (it was tough handing it back!) This of course called for another toast in the Spice Of Life…and it was also an opportunity to have a final meet with Dec before his return to Ireland.

It’s now very full on for the rest of the month with the planning of the It’s been a Long Time TBL event at the Atlas in Fulham, the forthcoming John Bonham Celebration Festival in Redditch for which I have just completed some programme notes for and the Omnibus Press official launch of the book at the Festival of Sound event in Hammersmith.

In fact, as Lemmy and co once astutely observed – there’s no sleep ’til Hammersmith….

Dave Lewis – September 13, 2018

Until next time, have a great weekend

Website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis

with thanks to Gary Foy, Mike Tremaglio and James Cook

Follow TBL/DL on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/tightbutloose.loose

The TBL/DL Facebook page has regular updates and photos – be sure to check it out

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11 Comments »

  • Jeff said:

    So looking forward to this chronicle

    I pre-ordered the book a month or so back from the Amazon.ca site. I just received a notification today that the order was cancelled as per this message:

    “We’re writing because an unexpected issue prevents us from delivering your pre-ordered Kindle book listed below:

    Title: Evenings with Led Zeppelin: The Complete Concert Chronicle
    Author: Lewis, Dave

    We are unable to provide an estimated release date at this time and have canceled your order. We will continue pursuing this Kindle book and hope to be able to offer it to customers in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.”

    I cannot find the book on the Amazon site. Has there been a publication delay?

    Cheers
    Jeff

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Thanks Chris!

  • Chris Serratella said:

    Dave,

    Wow, the Evenings book looks massive and definitive. Glad that such a book has yours and Mike’s names on it, as its a guaranteed Trademark of Quality. Can’t wait to get my hands on one. A long journey from The Final Acclaim, and I’ve been along for the whole ride, brother.

  • Ed-Washington DC said:

    I have pre-ordered Evenings from Amazon. It looks spectacular. Having read your chronicles of its composition, my excitement for its arrival is palpable. Congratulating you in advance, before the levees of acclamation break over you.

  • Mike Wilkinson said:

    Like Andy J above, I finally gave in and ordered the Super Deluxe one after all, thus completing my full set.
    Not had the chance to listen in yet (been away), so really looking forward to it now – and even though I ordered it so late I still managed to get a numbered print one, so I only missed IV for that particular aspect.

  • Andy J said:

    OK. If I could post a photo of me eating my hat, I would. Just listened to the 2 CD release and the remastering is awesome; the best I’ve ever heard this concert. Superb work Mr. Page. Just hope that there might be a certain ’75 release in the works next…

  • Michael said:

    Thanks for your work with tbl your doing a great job.didn’t think I would agree about the remastering of tsrts but it is superb. Now Mr. Page how about recording some new stuff and getting out on the road.

  • Larry said:

    TSRTS reissue…it sounds great, no worries there. I enjoyed listening to it and I will do so from time to time. But it’s a polish on the 2007 Shirley debacle. Seems like a missed opportunity to this fan. To me it doesn’t stand as well with the reissues of the studio album catalog that Jimmy did such an outstanding job on. Maybe there are contractual realities that came into play here whereby there was no other option but to reissue the Shirley version? If so, that leaves it as a box being ticked…

    A couple of nitpicks…the horrible “movie edit” in Black Dog remains galling. The second solo on Celebration Day that gloriously graced the original LP remains missing in action here as it was in 2007. That’s only one of the most smoking solos Jimmy ever played…

    One of the good decisions on the Shirley version was the inclusion of the film version of Since I’ve Been Loving You. One of the great performances. On the other hand we are left with the horrific Shirley decisions to add effects to Bonzo’s drums where there were none on the night (the awful “airplane noise”), and eliminating effects where Bonzo had applied them. All I can think every time I hear that (which haven’t been many) is WTF?!

    Jimmy’s guitar on TSRTS here might burn a little too hot (at least for these aging ears), but damn it’s nice to listen to! Love Dazed which iirc is basically the one from the film.

    Not really liking the added reverb in Robert’s voice in various spots. The phony crowd noise. The Presence of John Paul Jones sounds pretty nice throughout most of the set.

    I still love the nasty aggressive STING that Page gets on the a capella section of Heartbreaker, especially the way he was delivering it on this tour. Beautifully captured here, and still, after all these years, what great rock guitar should sound like.

    The much maligned original LP still sounds pretty good to these ears, but unlike Shirley 2007, I will give this new upgrade an occasional spin. Yet even this set seems a compromise, much like the entire checkered history of this project. That said, of course I’m very happy it’s there.

    I assume all 3 nights at MSG 73 were multi-tracked? Now, pulling all that together in one package would make one helluva box set!

  • Albert Borg said:

    The Evenings book looks like it’s even better than I thought it would be. I should have known that though… Can’t wait to receive my copy. Congratulations and Thank You all for your hard work in getting it out to us.

  • Andy J said:

    The “evenings with Led Zeppelin” book looks awesome. Pre-order suitably submitted. Also, (and I knew this would happen), after my earlier negative comments on TSRTS remaster I read the reviews here and weakened immediately and have ordered the CD. Thanks one again for the weekly Zep fix Dave!

  • Ron Negri said:

    Brilliant summary and observations. I always thought TSRTS was great! And it is!

    Ron

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