Email This Post Email This Post
Home » Dave Lewis Diary, Featured, TBL News

HIFI LOUNGE -TBL CLASSIC ROCK SATURDAY/ PHYSICAL GRAFFITI REISSUE FEEDBACK/ TBL 1975 LED ZEP SNAPSHOT/DL DIARY UPDATE

12 March 2015 2,634 views No Comment

classic rock saturday

HiFi Lounge/TBL Classic Rock Saturday – Dunton, Bedfordshire – March 21, 2015:

Once again we are teaming up with The Hi Fi Lounge dealership to stage a special HiFi Lounge/TBL Classic Rock Saturday.

The HiFi Lounge is a highly reputable hi- fi dealership situated in an out of town spot in Bedfordshire. It’s situated in a converted granary building in the village of Dunton –just off the A1M –appropriately enough the road to Knebworth and with good links to London and the north.

Following on from the success of last year’s event, TBL will be staging another special Led Zep/Classic Rock Saturday Open Day in conjunction with HiFi Lounge at their showroom on Saturday March 21.

This time we are extending the playlist during the day to take in other classic rock acts and bands such as Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Yes, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, etc etc..

I will be in attendance with the TBL crew and there will also be a variety of TBL products on offer including TBL magazines, books and T-shirts. We will also be staging a fun /Classic Rock quiz.

I also plan to have some exclusive previews of the forthcoming Five Glorious Nights – Led Zeppelin at Earls Court May 1975 book on display.

There will also be ample opportunity to view the HiFi Lounge extensive selection of high quality hi fi with main man Paul Clark.

hi fi 1

This is of course also a great opportunity to hear the Led Zep reissues and many other blasts of classic rock on vinyl on top quality kit – as Paul explains:
‘’We will be using fantastic PMC MB2 SE speakers with a full Bryston rig comprising of their awesome 1000 watt 28B SST2 Monoblocks, if anything can rock then this system is it smile emoticon We will use a mix of CD and vinyl, for vinyl we will be using our new Well Tempered Versalex Turntable with the amazing Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua MC Cartridge fitted and accompanying DVD footage will be shown on the the JVC X500 projector on our 120” screen’’.

All this plus records for sale!

The Cherished Music Store will be bringing along a collection of used vinyl and CD’s for sale on the day.
Barry from Grade1 Records – the Cherished Music Store will also be on hand to clean any records that you’d like to get the best from, either give your old favourites a new lease of life or even if you have got any brand new pressings they really do benefit from a clean as it will remove the releasing agent used when pressing the album, this really does greatly improve dynamics and is well recommended.

This has all the makings of a great day out for Zep/Classic Rock and vinyl/hi- fi enthusiasts alike.

The event from 10.00am to around 6pm. Admission is free.

Refreshments will be available and there is a nearby pub for further refreshments and meals.

If you are planning on attending, to get an idea of numbers, it would be a great help if you could let me know via email at davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com

We look forward to seeing all that can make it along.
Dave Lewis – March 12, 2015.

Check out the Hi Fi Lounge website at:
http://www.hifilounge.co.uk/

Keep an eye on the HiFi Lounge site and TBL Facebook for further Classic Rock Saturday updates and timetable.

……………………………………………….

More Physical Graffiti Feedback:

Here are some more assessments of the reissue -this one from long time TBL contributor Ian Avey:

Some thoughts on the new Physical Graffiti release:

PG screen 3

Physical Graffiti was always going to be the big one. The first Led Zeppelin album that I bought in 1975 and a bit of a slow starter for me until I discovered the band with a passion in 1978, and there has been no looking back since!

I bought the deluxe box set from Amazon, and the other editions from Spin.
The Amazon delivery arrived on the day of release, and the Spin versions took almost 2 weeks!
I swiftly downloaded the 24 bit versions and listened and was mildly disappointed as it did not seem to have the sound quality that I was expecting after having listened to the other albums in 24 bit quality.
It became apparent though after a few days that the official files I had downloaded that had been on the site for the first 2 days had been posted as 16 bit instead of 24 bit files.  I re-downloaded the new files after a few days and listened to the album this weekend for the first time in it’s entirety.

The new re-master sounds so crisp and clear, and it is hard to believe that you are listening to music that was recorded over 40 years ago!. This is overall my favourite Led Zeppelin album, and side 3 in my opinion rates as about the best side of music ever committed to vinyl.

The alternate mixes give a great insight into the workings of these amazing songs.

Trampled Underfoot
I love the crisper vocals. This sounds much funkier than the released version.

Sick Again
This sounds so raw. I love the live sound of it, and it gives a great insight into what makes the song work.

In My Time Of Dying
Wonderfully clear vocals and the bass and drums also sound crystal clear. I think I prefer this version to the official release, which is saying something.

Houses Of The Holy
Another song where the vocals benefit. Also the embellishments that have been brought out on the drums in certain places is really nice.

Everybody Makes It Through The Light
Great to hear one of the songs from the ‘Oh My God’ 1997 tapes receive an official release. Although it is edited, it is great to hear it in this quality.

Boogie With Stu
A nice alternative mix and it sounds really strange to hear a fade at the end instead of the conventional ending.

Kashmir
This does not sound dissimilar from the released version we all know. The phased drums at the end sound different.

There have been various comments about what could have been on this release.  The extras album if expanded further though would have probably suffered in the sound quality department on Vinyl, and I personally would prefer 40 minutes of amazing sounding Led Zeppelin rather than a golden hour of Led Zeppelin at a lesser quality.
It would have been nice of course to have heard other material such as the alternate Custard Pie / Wanton song versions etc that we all know, and I’d have been more that happy to have paid extra to have had a double album of extras.

Hopefully Jimmy is saving all of these for a mammoth box set containing the contents of the deluxe releases and everything else that us hard core fans would love to see.  We can but dream…

Ian Avey

…………………………….

Review of the new Led Zeppelin ‘Physical Graffiti’ Companion Disc by Ken Winovich

Well this ‘Physical Graffiti’ companion disc starts us off on the final half of the entire Led Zeppelin remastered catalog.I can remember back when I got my Sony Walkman and heading off on another all-day or two-day fishing trip that I would grab ‘Zep IV’, ‘Physical Graffiti’ cassettes plus ‘Yessongs’ and maybe some Rush and I tell you I couldn’t have been happier! Out there on Pymatuning Lake (border of Ohio and Pennsylvania) in the middle of nature with my favorite jams……it was the most! Enjoying “Woh let the sun beat down upon my face” during the day and “Stars to fill my dreams” late at night out on the lake looking up at the stars…..it doesn’t get any better. Catching fish was actually the bonus as my packed food and beverages along with the beauty of nature were all I needed coupled with my favorite music!

PG screen 5

Now on to the companion music:

1. “Brandy & Coke” – (“Trampled Under Foot” – Initial Rough Mix) The first thing one notices is that the vocals are very clear in both the left and right channels. The “Eeewww” at 00:23 is cool from Plant. When the band would gather to record a new album, it’s been stated that they would start by playing rock and roll classics. I suspect Plant was belting those out because by the time they start working and recording on this album, his voice was nice and raspy and it’s a thrill to hear. The “ooooh’s” on this song really hit home. The fuzzy guitar riff in the right channel makes the track all the more appreciable. You can hear all the vocals superbly! John Paul Jones’s clavinet is in the left ear channel and sounds awesome. The newest revelation is the clearer lyrics. Listen to Bonham’s sexy beat as Jones is starting his clavinet solo in the middle. It is so fine! Just after he hit’s his snare drum each time during the beats, you hear these three laid back hi-hat taps and they are so indicative of his style. It’s a laid-back drum beat that few can achieve but it’s so important a back-drop to Led Zeppelin’s beat. As he strikes the snare drum he also hits the first of three hi-hat taps simultaneously with the last two by themselves with no snare strike. It sounds like two beats but it’s actually three. Somehow on the third hi-hat tap, he let’s it rattle and that must mean he’s took his foot off the hi-hat pedal which separates the two pieces of metal. It’s snare with first hi-hat strike simultaneously then tap-tap. The beat is a constant 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc. with the snare drum strike also thrown in on count one. This really stands out after Plant sings “Oooooooooh yeah-ee-yes…I….drive on” at 02:14! In summary, this cut’s got new crystal clear lyric pieces that were not as clear before. John Paul’s jivey piano doodling in the mid-section is great to hear as it’s brought out front more. And finally, listen to the last word in the lyrics at the end of “(Push) aaarrrooouuunnnddd”. It’s a real treat!

2. “Sick Again” (Early Version) – This is a very short, embryonic version. A lovely track without vocals. This track shows how well Bonham works off of Page’s guitar playing even so close to the songs first run through. Probably close to the first run through or very near it. Before Plant and Jones showed up to record more of the album that day, Page and Bonham worked on it and they got the drums added in with Page’s guitar and bass parts so it was ready to present to the rest of the band.

3. “In My Time Of Dying” (Initial Rough Mix) – This one is the big treat off this companion disc and if it’s as good as I expect it to be, it may overshadow the remastered music. It’s great to hear. See if you can hear Plant clear his throat at 02:36. Listen to Page’s guitar buzz at 03:02. The familiar “Ahhh” at 06:42 can barely be heard in this mix. After the latest release came out, I literally had to stop listening to the rest of the remastered music after I played “In My Time Of Dying” original remastered. But this companion version is an excellent compliment to that and it just shows how on top of everything John Bonham was. The frenzy. The build-up. The “cutting loose”. It’s all here. As Page picks up his frenzied slide playing, Bonham kicks it up as well. Bonham……at his finest!

4. “Houses Of The Holy” – (Rough Mix With Overdubs) This version has a fuller sound to the guitar. The lyrics are very clear! It is a guitar and vocal showpiece for Led Zeppelin fans! You can very easily hear a tambourine with the cowbell as Plant sings “There’z a ange(l) on ma shoulder”. Page’s flurry of guitar notes at 02:14 sound better here. A lyric verse has been cutoff at 01:37. The band backup vocal “Hoo hoo’s” are weaker sounding. What also is a treat is Plant’s “Oyyy’s” at 02:26! There is no guitar outtro solo on the fade out. This song was a real treat and I enjoyed it very much. Led Zeppelin fans are lucky as it was revealed there wasn’t much outtake material in existence from this album and that’s a shock given what we’re hearing on this companion disc! In summary, we can also add this song to that list of tracks with that squeaky hi-hat which shows up early near the start of the track! The cowbell sounds odd….almost like it’s one that was run over by a truck and is deformed! No matter. It’s very different. Listen to Plant’s “Let the music be your master” overdub which adds more depth. “Said let me take ya take ya to the moovee” stands out more as are Plant’s “huy’s” (pronounced like buoy’s found at a boating dock) at 03:02. The guitar tone Page has chosen on this track is especially superb. Listen to Plant’s vocal vibrato on the word “love” on the verse “And the seeds of lo-uuuv I sew”. He is one of the few singers I ever hear doing vocal vibrato (shaking his body, tensing up his body in a rapid shake while singing a sustained note. Watch “In My Time Of Dying” from Earl’s Court off the ‘How The West Was Won’ DVD).

5. “Everybody Makes It Through” (“In The Light” Early Version/In Transit) – They’re not kidding when they say ‘early version’. This version is so different from the finished track and is an absolute joy to hear. It’s got an odd piano beginning and alternate lyrics of Plant talking about adverse weather with his woman. This one may go back to the first recording sessions in the late Fall of 1973 just before John Paul Jones wanted to bow out. By the time of his return in early 1974, he must have got the new Moog synthesizer and the track metamorphosized into the masterpiece we know of today. This track is so special and to hear it in it’s embryonic form really makes this Deluxe Box Set worth it’s weight in gold. Never mind the lack of a new unreleased track at this point. After hearing this, it’s forgotten! Whew!

6. “Boogie With Stu” (Sunset Sound Mix) – Hard to believe this sounds so good as they said that the piano Ian Stewart (of the Rolling Stones) was playing on was in poor condition! You’d never know it! But Stewart is the best at boogie woogie piano other than Little Richard himself. Because it was so hard for me to believe this track was actually from the ‘Zeppelin IV’ sessions as revealed back in the 70’s, it’s giveaway is the boogie woogie piano on this track and it sounds almost exact to the piano on ‘Rock And Roll’. The track starts off with that lovely drum stick beat and Bonham’s Ching Ring (like a tambourine placed on top of his hi-hat which you can see very prominently during his ‘Moby Dick’ solo from the movie). The mandolin is brought out so clear as is Stewart’s piano solo when it starts. Did you notice the master tape box has the spelling “Stew” instead of “Stu” in the book? Nice! Threw us all off! “Who’s Stu?” I would have got it had it been spelled “Stew”!

7. “Driving Through Kashmir” (“Kashmir” Rough Orchestra Mix) – This one is going to be sheer delight as I get ready to play it. Page makes the dusty blues sounding Danelectro guitar sound soooo good! I am hoping the church bells stand out well on the main orchestrated cascading riff played along in sync with the double-neck guitar. Excellent job on the recording of the drums. Great keyboard buzz starting at 04:46. Jones is definitely using the sustain pedal on that buzzing keyboard note! This song is a Plant showcase in this version.

So in Summary: The stickler for me is the absence of both ‘The Wanton Song’ and ‘The Rover’ both of which have appeared on bootleg anyway and Page did say he checked with some fans before he chose all the companion tracks for each release. So I can for now get over that. This is where a second companion disc would have been great to have with say ‘Custard Pie’, ‘Ten Years Gone’, ‘Lost In space’ and take your pick for the last few tracks from what’s left. When coupled with the remastered music, I like this package very much and only see my review ratings drop two points in the content sector. This release has got me thinking it’s the best so far. Unlike the ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ and the ‘Houses Of the Holy’ Deluxe Box Sets who’s companion tracks were too close to the finished official tracks, these companion tracks to ‘Physical Graffiti’ were very good peeks into the songs early creative states and are a must-have for any Led Zeppelin fan. They do not sound identical to the finished officially released songs. Since the band held the line on the price, what else are you waiting for?

Scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best:

Content: 4.8
Audio: 4.9
Satisfaction: 4.9

Ken Winovich

……………………….

TBL 1975 Led Zep Snapshot:

long beach

 TUESDAY MARCH 11 1975

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

LONG BEACH ARENA

Set: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/In My Time Of Dying/The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song/Kashmir/No Quarter/Trampled Underfoot/Moby Dick/Dazed And Confused (inc. Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – The Crunge – Black Dog.

 Snapshot Listen – how it sounded today: Another steller 1975 performance – they were now on top of their game and set for some incredible performances over the next two weeks.

………………

DL Diary Update:

After a week of health issue and stuff here, it was good to get out to the VIP London Record Fair at the Horticultural Hall in Victoria last Saturday. This was the venue for many a 1990s record fair in the CD boom – It was therefore great to hook up and reunite with the class of the 1990s Zep/TBL crew namely Underground Uprising webmaster Julian Walker, legendary Zep author Luis Rey, the Garden Tapes compiler and more Eddie Edwards, Phil Tattershall and his cousin Mimi, and TBL website founder Dave Linwood – alongside TBL contributors Ian Avey and Cliff the ticket man Hilliard. Here we all are at the excellent Royal Oak pub near the record fair venue.

victoria one

As usual Cliff was on a quest to search out more vintage singles that featured Jimmy Page as a session player -one of Cliff’s prime acquisitions was a fantastic Champion Jack Dupree EP from 1964 which mentions Jimmy’s contribution in the sleeve notes.
Amongst my finds was a very nice Canadian pressing of Physical Graffiti, the Detective album on US Swan Song and a single on the UNI label You Were On My Mind by Amory Kane produced by John Paul Jones.
Meanwhile, back here it’s been the first of what will be a fair few intensive weeks working on the Earls Court photo book. We are at that tentative early stage of the collation and design where many things have yet to come together. There will be light at the end of the tunnel but it seems a way off yet. However, the potential to produce something very special that really does justice to the subject matter is more than enough inspiration to keep it all on track. The pic here taken this afternoon at Studio Mix Bedford today looking at proofs and planning initial design with Mick Lowe for the Five Glorious Nights –Led Zeppelin at Earls Court book project I am compiling

micks one

We are aiming at a late May publication – this is going to be a lavish deluxe large format book published by Rufus Stone publications at around £100 in a strict limited edition of around 1,000. You can sign up to receive further info and pre- release ordering details at www.fivegloriousnights.co.uk

Spring has sprung as it does and with it some early spring nice sun (and the first signs of hay fever for me) – it’s a good time to bring in some spring like positivity on to the player -so without further ado…

DL Spring Playlist:

Music to reflect the welcomed  brightness of the early evening nights as the spring emerges…

Terry Reid – The River

Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy

David Bowie – Young Americans

Sandy Denny – Rendezvous

Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark

John Martyn – Solid Air

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

Creedence Clearwater Revial – Willie & The Poorboys

Those are  some of the sounds that will see us into the spring here…

Just seen the Record Store Day release list and there will be one or two items to search out and get in line for – not least the Robert Plant offering. The countdown for that one is on with 36 days to go and counting…

DL

YouTube Clip:
Jimmy Page interviewed by Liz Barnes for Planet Rock:

Until next time…

Have a great weekend –

Keep listening, keep reading…

Dave Lewis/Gary Foy –  March 12, 2015 

If you are reading this and have yet to link with the Tight But Loose Facebook page be sure to request/add us.

The TBL Facebook is another key part of the TBL set up with updated stories/additional pics etc to keep you on top of the world of TBL.

To view additional photos and TBL info be sure to hook up with the Tight But Loose Facebook page (add us as a friend) at

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1611296783

Also follow Dave Lewis/TBL on Twitter – LedzeppelinTBL

 

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...

Leave your response!

Add your comment below, or trackback from your own site. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS.

Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.

This is a Gravatar-enabled weblog. To get your own globally-recognized-avatar, please register at Gravatar.