Your Top Tens…

1:  Think About It – Little Games – The best Yardbirds example of Page’s winning formula of strident riff followed by incendiary solo, later to be perfected post-Birds in some little band he wound up forming

2.  White Summer (all acoustic version) – Little Games – bonus track on the deluxe release from some years back.  Beautiful.

3.  You’re A Better Man Than I/Heart Full Of Soul – Live Yardbirds – A stunning tour de force by Mr. Page.

4.  Avron Knows – Cumular Limit – in my opinion, one of the more underrated gems of the man’s career…his playing on this is outstanding from start to finish

5.  Little Games – Little Games – one could also go with the version on the BBC Sessions set…tight little song with a good groove

6.  White Summer – Live Yardbirds – the phony cheering in the middle is wince-inducing, but otherwise this is very nice, clean and concise

7.  I’m A Man (live) – Cumular Limit – Some nimble playing and you also get the violin bow…what’s not to love

8.  Smile On Me – Little Games – a nice little shuffle and some tasty soloing in the middle and end of the piece

9.  Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (live) – Cumular Limit – another nice workout by Jimmy

10.  Drinking Muddy Water – Little Games – A little – ahem – muddy, but some nice slide work by James Patrick

Larry Bergmann Jnr

Here are my suggestions regarding Jimmy’s Yardbirds work. I’ve put in a couple of tv versions of songs -Just had a great night listening to all this wonderful music. First time in a while I’ve listened to so much of it in one sitting. Still stands the test of time – no problem.

Dazed and Confused – Bouton Rouge TV Programme – Everything’s in place arrangement wise and the ‘bow-to-lead solo’ link, the glissando and power chord, always thrills!!

White Summer – Little Games LP – Still sounds great today

Think About It – BBC Session/On Air CD – powered by Jim M’s drumming, Mr. Page plays beautifully. I love this version.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor – Little Games – As with a lot of the tracks on ‘Little Games’, the arrangements do feature the ideas that were to be developed over the next 12 months. Great rhythmic work from JP.

Happenings Ten Years Time Ago – A psychedelic masterpiece

Psycho Daisies – Simple but effective

Little Games

Drinking Muddy Water – The Yardbirds still Blueswailing, Very nice guitar work on this.

Glimpses – Very ‘of its time’ but experimental and captures the essence of some aspects of the stage shows of the time.

Train Kept-Rollin’- Bouton Rouge TV. Not only a great version of this track but we also have Jimmy in all his finery. Superb!

Dennis McDonnell

Jimmy Page at 70 TBL Poll:

Top 25 Studio Performances with Led Zeppelin

(Note –I’ve extended this listing to a 25 such was the response)

25: Black Dog (Led Zeppelin IV)

24: Ramble On (Led Zeppelin II)

23: Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Presence)

22: Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin I)

21: When The Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin IV)

20: In The Evening  (In Through The Out Door)

19: The Lemon Song/Killing Floor (Led Zeppelin II)

18: I’m Gonna Crawl (In Through The Out Door)

17: Dazed And Confused (Led Zeppelin I)

16: Over The Hills And Far Away (Houses Of The Holy)

15: Tea For One (Presence)

14: In The Light  (Physical Graffiti)

13: Whole Lotta Love (Led Zepplin II)

12: For Your Life (Presence)

11: The Rover (Physical Graffiti)

10: The Song Remains The Same (Houses Of The Holy)

9: Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin II)

8: In My Time Of Dying (Physical Graffiti)

7: Bron –Yr- Aur (Physical Graffiti)

6: The Rain Song (Houses Of The Holy)

5: Kashmir (Physical Graffiti)

4: Ten Years Gone (Physical Graffiti)

3: Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin IV)

2: Since I’ve Been Loving You (Led Zeppelin III)

And the winner is…..

1: Achilles Last Stand (Presence)

Your Top Tens:

1.Since I’ve Been Loving You – there’s blues songs and then there is this. Nothing quite like it in my opinion. The feeling from Jimmy’s playing on the original is just exquisite throughout and when it comes together with the rest… well.

2. Achilles Last Stand – no surprise really

3. Down by The Seaside – from my favourite side of an album. So different and so gentle with Jimmy stepping it up to provide such a fitting contrast and then it all comes back down again.

4.Bron-Yr-Aur – what an acoustic player. He’s so good at it and it’s throughout so many songs but often augmenting other parts. This being the only one with only him needs to be recognised for its qualities that take you off somewhere for a short while and so that this talent doesn’t get lost in the wealth of his riffs and tricks on the electric.

5. Bron-Y-Aur – From my equally favourite album. Just feel good with his picking leading you into a smashing song. I could have chosen any of the acoustic on III as they are all so good.

6. Over the Hills and Far Away – was there ever a song that steps up so well: from melodic six string acoustic to twelve string to then hit you with such a raw bang of electric guitar. The sonic contrast he obtains at that point with the electric is just immense. Then it gets into the strangest solo that goes off on its own somewhere before realising it has to some back but is not sure how to. Don’t know how a drummer could create a rhythm to match – well obviously we do.

7.  When the Levee Breaks – renowned for the drumming but the slide guitar, the effects and playing are just as important and equally make this a masterpiece.

8. Hots on For Nowhere – never hear this mentioned, underrated. A song where the riffs and drumming work so well together.

9. Ten Years Gone – multi layered magic.

10. Trampled Underfoot – funked up genius with guitar and keyboards competing and matching all the way

Ray Barlow

…………

1.  Bron-Yr-Aur

2.  Dazed and Confused

3.  That’s the Way

4.  TSRTS

5.  In the Light

6.  When the Levee Breaks

7.  Kashmir

8.  Stairway

9.  How Many More Times

10. Whole Lotta Love

Chris Hager

………………

10.  Fool In The Rain – obviously ITTOD was not his finest moment overall, but on this track he shows once again his imagination and creativity with the wonderful synthesized guitar solo, one of the most interesting of his career

9.  The Song Remains The Same – aka The Overture, and what a great piece of music and playing it is

8.  Kashmir – not a “guitar track” in the classic sense, but it has to be on the list since it is one of the truly great songs

7.  Over The Hills And Far Away – a brilliantly constructed song and one of his finest solos on record

6.  Heartbreaker – now here is the ultimate guitar track!

5.  Since I’ve Been Loving You – pure genius from the entire band (as usual), and Jimmy’s playing is a great match for Plant’s finest moment on record

4.  Whole Lotta Love – The Riff That Ate The World

3.  The Rain Song – the LP that was considered a “disappointment” at the time contributes 3 songs to this list, but the songwriting on the album is simply Page at his peak, and his playing here, particularly on the coda, was never more elegant.  And someone I hold in very high esteem tells me this is the greatest Zeppelin track ever, so there it is.

2.  Achilles Last Stand – another brilliantly constructed epic, and Page’s greatest solo on an LP

1.  Stairway To Heaven – Page’s masterpiece

Larry Bergmann Jnr

…………………

Here are my selections for the all time top 10 studio performances with Led Zeppelin…an almost impossible task to undertake but here we go…

1. Kashmir – Didn’t ‘someone’ once call this the pride of Led Zeppelin? Can’t argue with that can you? A creative pinnacle.

2. Stairway to Heaven – As a song growing from a basic idea built around an A minor arpeggio  to the finished arrangement – the 12 strings, the pedal steel ‘weeping’ refrains etc – I think this shows the full scope and range of J.P.’s musical vision as writer, arranger and producer. Peerless.

3. The Rain Song – The interwoven mix of acoustic guitars, 12-string guitar and strings makes this a true highlight of ‘Houses of the Holy’.

4. In the Light – One of the most adventurous tracks on ‘Physical Graffiti’. Still sounds great today.

5. Since I’ve Been Loving You – Classic Blues, classic performance and classic solo.

6. Ten Years Gone – The ‘Guitar Army’ in full flight.

7. When the Levee Breaks – One of Rock’s monolithic tracks – the drums, the slide guitar, the build-up.

8. Achilles Last Stand – Stand-out track from ‘Presence’. Visceral intensity and a solo packed with emotion. A mid-career highlight. Who else would have thought of this?

9. Tangerine – Simply a beautiful song with a wonderful arrangement. Clearly, a forerunner of ‘Stairway’ and has all the same elements in the mix.

10. In My Time Of Dying – Probably my most played track – and side one of this album probably rates as the most played – by any artist over the last 38 years. This is more of a ‘captured-live-in-the moment’ track as opposed to a studio ‘creation’ but it shows the band at it’s best.

It’s live, it’s exciting, it’s dynamic it has one of the most powerful drum tracks ever committed to tape and Jimmy’s slide playing is off the cuff, wild yet structured…dare I say ‘Tight But Loose?’ (Sorry, couldn’t resist that).

Dennis Mcdonnell

…………………

1. Achilles Last Stand – layer upon layer upon layer of ascending scales and that aching solo, unbeatable

2. Stairway To Heaven – still the perfect guitar solo, those first two or three notes do it for me everytime

3. The Rover – my favourite JPP solo, perfectly understated and perfect for the song

4. I’m Gonna Crawl – it’s almost what he doesn’t play that makes this song so special

5. Since I’ve Been Loving You – had to be there really, it’s blues, but not constrained by any normal rules

6. In My Time Of Dying – another blues transformation that they made their own, the whole band are on fire on this one, with Jimmy’s slide taking things into the stratosphere

7. Tea For One – hard to have both SIBLY and TFO in this list as they are cut from a similar cloth, but Tea is the quiet gem that closes my favourite Zep album so I can’t choose between them!

8. The Rain Song – Complex but never overplayed, with the light and shade that was their trademark, my standout from Houses of the Holy

9. Ten Years Gone – Achingly beautiful, with that laid back, easy west coast solo that is lyrical in itself – more perfection

10. Black Dog – pure filth! ’nuff said!

Richard Grubb

…………………

Since I’ve Been Loving You

2. Dazed and Confused

3. Kashmir

4. Ten Years Gone

5. In the Evening

6. Achilles Last Stand

7. Heartbreaker

8. I’m Gonna Crawl

9. Bron A Yur

10. Stairway to Heaven

Alexandra  Nolletti

…………………..

Wearing and Tearing

Ramble On

Custard Pie

Nobody’ Fault But Mine

Heartbreaker

Since I’ve Been Loving You

For Your Life

Going To California

The Song Remains The Same

Andrew Ricci

…………………..

1.       Heartbreaker

2.       The Ocean

3.       I Can’t Quit You babe

4.       The Rover

5.       In my time of dying

6.       Since I’ve Been Loving You

7.       Communication Breakdown

8.       Whole Lotta Love

9.       Babe I’m Gonna Leave You

10.   Tea For One

Richard Ingram

………………..

First of all I must say I think your own selection is great – actually pretty close to my own, and it certainly includes his best solos, apart from perhaps Tea For One.

ITTOD was inspired and led by Jimmy less than the earlier albums, and while it’s still a good album, I don’t think it would be unfair to say that it was noticeably weaker on the whole. That may be why people often don’t remember I’m Gonna Crawl. But even if Jimmy’s role was different on that album, his work there is often brilliant, and the solo on I’m Gonna Crawl is one of these moments where his unique imagination really comes through. Astonishingly beautiful.

Again, while Ramble On isn’t a personal favorite and I wouldn’t rate For Your Life quite this high on a list of this type (I’d still rank it pretty high), my selections are pretty similar to yours. However, I feel the list understates his acoustic work a little. The simplicity and beauty of Bron Yr Aur seems worth including to me – the live Blueberry Hill version is great, but doesn’t better the exquisite studio version. As for Black Mountain Side, although the studio version has a quality of its own, it just seems more interesting within the context of the live combination with White Summer, where it sounded less Indian and took on a bit of a frantic aspect.

So, I came up with something like this:

1: Achilles Last Stand

2: The Song Remains The Same

3: Ten Years Gone

4: In The Light

5: I’m Gonna Crawl

6: Kashmir

7: Since I’ve Been Loving You

8: Bron Yr Aur

9: The Rover

10: Stairway To Heaven

Otto Masson

………

1) Achilles Last Stand

A masterpiece in guitar orchestration

2) Stairway to Heaven

A quite obvious choice, but a great performance

3) Ten Years Gone

Another  masterpiece in guitar orchestration (and dynamics)

4) In the light

Another highlight from Physical Graffiti

5) Since I’ve been Loving you

His best blues performance

6) Ramble on

Great work on electric and acoustic

7) Rain Song

No solo, but great chord voicings

8) When the levee breaks

Great slide work

9) The Ocean

One of the greatest riffs ever, although it is in 15/8, great stuff at the end

10) Hots on for nowhere

An overlooked gem from Presence, very powerful

Wolfgang Seidel.

………

Whole Lotta Love – The first Zep song I ever heard and life has never been the same since somewhere around the early 70’s. Peerless riff.

Gallows Pole – Maybe a less than obvious choice, but seriously, seriously original. The guitar army is out in force on this one.

In The Evening – The revelation of August 4th 1979. Has continually grown in stature ever since. The intro is as uniquely Page as it is remarkable. No question one of his finest moments.

In My Time of Dying – For me, this was the big highlight of 02, along with Kashmir, but for this exercise we are looking at the absolutely blistering Physical Graffiti original. I seem to play this more and more as the years roll by. It has everything and, like so much of Jimmy’s material, is unlike anything you’ve ever heard.

Communication Breakdown – Riffmeistership at its most economical and devastating. The blueprint for so much that followed in the rock genre.

Since I’ve Been Loving You – His bluesiest outing and some of his very best playing.

Kashmir – Perhaps more original, inventive and devastating than any other guitar performance in history.

Stairway to Heaven – The Lionel Messi of this list – the first player on the sheet.

I’m Gonna Crawl – What a way to finish their last studio album. His playing on this track is right at the summit.

Achilles Last Stand – It doesn’t get better, because it can’t.

Chris Wright

Jimmy Page at 70: The TBL Poll

Top Ten Jimmy Page Live Performances with Led Zeppelin

10: Thank You (Three Days After bootleg LA Forum June 3 1973)

9: Whole Lotta Love (Knebworth August 1979 from the official DVD)

8: The Ocean (Madison Sqaure Garden July 1973 from the official DVD)

7: As Long As I Have You (Winterland April 26 1969)

6: Dazed And Confused (Earls Court May 24 1975)

5:Achilles Last Stand (Cleveland April 28  1977 from The Destroyer bootleg)

4: No Quarter (Madison Square Garden July 1973 from the original Song Remains The Same soundtrack album)

3: In My Time of Dying (Earls Court May 1975 from the official DVD)

2:Since I’ve Been Loving You  (Madison Square Garden July 1973 from the original Song Remains The Same soundtrack album)

And the winner is….

1: Stairway To Heaven (Earls Court May 1975 from the official DVD)

……………

Your Top Tens:

10.  For Your Life – Celebration Day – the perfect example of why I wish he were still out on the tiles doing his thing…his heavy and bold delivery of this piece, never before played live, at the O2 show with all of the attendant pressure, just illustrates how he has always sought to push the boundaries of his playing…and his flourishes on the coda are absolutely mind-boggling

9.  Whole Lotta Love – Knebworth, Led Zeppelin DVD – another instance of always moving forward…in another high-pressure setting, Page revamps the old war horse with a thrilling mid-song riffathon…one of the great moments

8.  Since I’ve Been Loving You – The Song Remains The Same film – several of the most perfect minutes of Led Zeppelin ever.  Period.

7.  Dazed and Confused – How The West Was Won – stunning and expertly delivered…the Walter’s Walk bit is a personal fave…a close runner-up would be the epic rendering at the Seattle Center Coliseum, March 21, 1975

6.  C’Mon Everybody/Something Else – Royal Albert Hall, Led Zeppelin DVD – a bit of a cheat, yes, and it won’t be the last!  Thrilling encores, and with the muscle and crunch of the sadly lost Les Paul Black Beauty

5.  Communication Breakdown – Osaka, September 29, 1971 – rarely did a Zeppelin concert feature more incredible improvisation than this one, and Jimmy leads the band into a long, careening roller coaster ride as the song barrels out of control toward the finish.  Incredible!

4.  Killing Floor – Winterland, San Francisco, April 26, 1969 – one can only imagine the shock and devastation of the pulverized Deadhead hippies in the crowd at the end of THIS!!!!

3.  Over The Hills And Far Away – The Forum, Los Angeles, June 22, 1977 – not as celebrated as the versions from 6/21 and 6/23 (also both outstanding) only because, in my opinion, the recording isn’t as good…but this version is the real mind-bender!  Tossed in off the cuff late in the set (the lucky audience also got the wildest ever In My Time of Dying that night!), Page simply blasts off during the solo and soars into the stratosphere, demolishing the audience with spectacular, thrilling runs up and down the fretboard at brain-searing volume in what to these ears is the highlight of the entire 1977 tour.  Superb

2.  Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker – Berkeley, September 14, 1971 – another cheat, but I can’t help it, this is one and the same…Page at the peak of his powers from possibly the greatest Zeppelin bootleg LP…and it always sounds fresh!

1  Stairway To Heaven – The Song Remains The Same, original 1976 LP – I realize this is patched together from all 3 nights at MSG 1973, but the beautiful solo is all from the first show on July 27, 1973, and this may well be the most beautiful thing Page ever played

Honorable mentions:  They are numerous, but two in particular that almost made the cut were No Quarter from LA 6/21/77 (Page is unbelievably heavy on the main riff and the jam is unreal), and the wild version of Trampled Underfoot from Earl’s Court 5/24/75 (best ever Trampled by a mile and why it wasn’t on the official DVD I will never know)

Larry Bergman Jnr

………………

1. Dazed and confused incl. Woodstock (Earls Court May 24 1975)

2. Immigrant song (Long Beach Arena June 27 1972)

3. Since I’ve been loving you (Long Beach Arena June 27 1972)

4. Over the hills and far away (Madison Square Garden July 1973)

5. Trampled underfoot (Earls Court

May 1975 – DVD)

6. Stairway to heaven (Madison Square Garden July 1973)

7. Achilles last stand (Knebworth 1979 – DVD)

8. I can’t quit you baby (Royal Albert Hall Jan 9 1970 – DVD)

9. In my time of dying (Earls Court

May 1975 – DVD)

10. Whole lotta love (LA Forum June 25 1972).

Tziana Lancia

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Here’s my choice for ten great live performances from Jimmy with Zeppelin. So many others missed off but I think this is a pretty good overall selection.

1. No Quarter – From the original vinyl album ‘ The Song Remains the Same’. Perfect. The build-up from nothing to solo climax linked to the wonderful drumming of John Bonham is a great example of JP at his live best.

2. Thank You – L.A. Forum 3rd June 1973 from ‘Three Days After’ cd. Magnificent. The power and Glory of 1973.

3. Dazed and Confused – Earl’s Court, May 24th 1975. It never got better than this. Compare this to the next night’s version. This is slower in tempo, darker, more ominous and menacing…the Sunday night version was the opposite – more vibrant, full of energy ‘lighter’ as was the whole gig – but equally as good. I could have chosen either but this version has it all.

4. As Long as I Have You – Filmore West April 27th 1969. Perfect embodiment of the improvisational Zeppelin in their early days. Page’s playing is ferocious.

5. Nobody’s Fault But Mine – Knebworth, August 4th 1979. Back on form. To me, this is one of the first peaks of this show. It was a stunning version and JP’s guitar sound is vicious!!! Great energy from all of them but the rhythm guitar is magnificent. Great solo too.

6. Whole Lotta Love – Berlin July 7th 1980. Proof, if it were ever to be needed, that this band still had places to go. The instrumental work out in this is fantastic. Reminds me of May 25th 1975 in that it seems they didn’t want to stop playing at this point. Fresh, vibrant and clearly, great fun for the band.

7. In My Time of Dying – Earl’s Court, May 24th 1975. DVD. Hard to choose any specific version of this song – Madison Square Garden, June 7th 1977 or Vancouver 19th March 1975 have to be contenders but Earl’s Court wins out.

8. White Summer/Black Mountain Side/Kashmir –  Knebworth Festival August 4th 1979. Memory, Audio/visual bootleg(s) Probably my personal highlight from this gig. To be actually a part of the audience listening to this being played was – and still is – amazing. I always loved ‘White Summer’ but this was the first time I saw and heard it played live and when the band kicked-in with Kashmir it was a moment to remember.

9. Over the Hills and Far Away – Earl’s Court, Sunday May 26th 1975. What a guitar solo!

10. Whole Lotta Love and full Rock’n’Roll medley – BBC Paris Theatre 1971. I’d have to acknowledge the Rock’n’Roll medleys that were so great to hear at this time. This one is a firm favourite – Honey Bee, Mess of Blues, For What it’s Worth, Fixin’ to Die, etc. Wonderful.

Dennis McDonnell

………………..

1.- Stairway to Heaven (Earls Court – DVD)

2.- Heartbreaker ( How The West Was Won)

3.- How Many More Times (Danish TV – DVD)

4.- Achilles Last Stand (Cleveland 1977)

5.- In My Time of Dying (Earls Court – DVD)

6.- The Ocean (How The West Was Won)

7.- Whole Lotta Love (Knebworth – DVD)

8.- The Song Remains The Same (Eddie June 21st 1977)

9.- Sick Again (Knebworth – DVD)

10.- Bring It On Home (Blueberry Hill)

Jose Manuel Parada

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Here are my votes for the best moments of Jimmy Page’s live legacy with Zep

1) Heartbreaker Vienna 73

Probably their greatest live performance ever

2) Stairway to Heaven  Earls Court 75 from the official DVD

Absolutely marvellous

3) Dazed & Confused Earls Court 75

A list without D&C? No way, this is absolutely brilliant

4) As long as I have you Early 69

It’s a shame that it is not available in any official way

5) No Quarter  NYC 73 TSRTS

The highlight from that CD

6) Black Dog BBC Sessions

Another powerful performance

7) Whole Lotta Love HTWWW

I like those WLL performances with the medley, although I also enjoy the later ones

8) Bring it on Home Blueberry Hill 70

Great interplay between Page and the other guys in the band

9) How many more times from the official DVD

The highlight from that concert

10) Achilles last stand LA 77

Achilles must be included

Wolfgang  Seidal

Jimmy Page At 70 –The TBL Poll

Top Ten Jimmy Page Post Led Zeppelin Performances

10:  Take Me For A Little While (Coverdale –Page)

9:  Thank You (Unledded)

8: Wonderful One (Unledded)

7: Midnight Moonlight (The Firm)

6: Blue Train (Walking Into Clarksdale)

5: Hummingbird (Outrider)

4: Blue Train  (Walking Into Clarksdale)

3: Who’s To Blame (Death Wish 2 soundtrack)

2: Wasting My Time (Outrider)

And the winner is…

1: Shake My Tree (Coverdale – Page)

……….

Your Top Tens

1. Who’s to Blame (DW II soundtrack)

2. Prelude (Madison Square Garden Arms Concert 12/3/83)

3. Wasting My Time (Outrider)

4. Same Old Rock (Stormcock 1971 with Roy Harper)

5. Absolution Blues (Coverdale/Page)

6. Stairway to Heaven (Raving Arizona Mesa 9/17/88)

7. Walking into Clarksdale (Walking Into Clarksdale)

8. Elizabeth (Whatever Happened to Jugula – w/Roy Harper 1984)

9. Pride and Joy (Coverdale Page)

10. Wonderful One (No Quarter Unledded)

Alexandra Nolletti

………………….

1.Shake My Tree  (Coverdale / Page)

2.Emerald Eyes  (Outrider)

3.Blue Train  (Walking Into Clarksdale)

4.Satisfaction Guaranteed (Firm)

5.Midnight Moonlight  (Firm)

6.Yallah  (Unledded)

7.Damask (Lucifer Rising)

8.Stairway To Heaven  (“live” Worcester 29th October 1988)

9.Celebration Day (Black Crowes – Live at The Greek)

10.Burning Up (Walking Into Clarksdale)

……………….

Alessandro Borri

…………..

* I tried to refrain from selecting Zep tunes in their post-Zep incarnations, but one can only resist for so long!

1. Hummingbird (from Outrider):  Simply amazing to me. When Jimmy’s second lead passage launches — deep, full and rich — it is such a fulfilling antithesis to the earlier sharp, treble, cutting phrasing as to resonate deep down in one’s soul!

2. Tulsa Time (Live at the ARMS Concert 1983, Royal Albert Hall, London, with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and entire crew):  Far outshining the obligatory “Layla”, Tulsa Time lets the three guitar greats swap improv solos. Jimmy is afforded a huge circle on the stage as he swaggers and staggers about, wrenching amazing, edge of the precipice leads. After one of his passes, Claptin seems to look on in amazement, and just shakes his head at Page. It’s clear Jimmy is pouring all he has into this performance.

3. Wonderful One (No Quarter/Unledded): We were all hungry for new music from Page and Plant in the 1990s, and this song is every but as worthy as some of the finest Zeppelin moments. Shimmering, ethereal, haunting guitar work…

4. When I Was A Child (Walking Into Clarksdale): an amazingly subtle electric performance from Jimmy; spare, nuanced, opened up in the chord phrasings to allow the spirit b.ow through this eloquent song.

5 Who’s to Blame (DW2): A hint of where Zeppelin’s sound might have gone in the 1990s: driving, synthesized guitar riff

6. Jam Sandwich (DW2): Loved this rock-jazz number and the classic Page lead.

7. Prelude (DW2): A heart-rending electric adaptation of Chopin by Jimmy. Often overlooked, but really quite effective. Very dramatically done at the ARMS Concert 1983.

8. Wanton Song (from the Page-Plant tours): Much quicker tempo than the Physical Graffiti version, and really muscled up for the tours. Always amazing on all the YouTube versions and TV appearances I’ve seen.

9. Ramble On (Foo Fighters Live at Wembley, with Jimmy & JPJ): Wow.

10. Ramble On (from It Might Get Loud documentary film): The surprising intimacy and gentleness of the opening chords in this extemporaneous rendition, seem to convey better perhaps than any of the previous forty years’ versions Jimmy’s approach of chiaroscuro, balancing light and shade, bright and heavy. The whole film is a marvel, but this stood out to me as the chords happily washed over us.

Hunt Sidway, Louisville KY, USA

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Here are my choices for 10 of my favourite tracks across the range of work Jimmy has undertaken since 1980.

Once again, this proves almost impossible to choose so little from so much. An example of this is the ‘Coverdale Page’ album. I’ve chosen three tracks from that but still missed-off ‘Whisper a Prayer for the Dying’. What a great track that is and with Jimmy’s Acoustic/electric dynamics at full pelt too…ho-hum…never mind, here we go…

1. Wasting My Time – Outrider; Strident, powerful and loud. Love the mix of guitars on this. Maybe a bit ‘under produced’ but has a great raw quality to it.

2. Who’s To Blame – Death Wish 2 Soundtrack; Great opener for the film and the album. Nice twists and turns in this. Love the live versions too – ARMS gigs etc.

3. Burning Up – Walking into Clarksdale; I think it was Nick Kent who once used the description ‘…a full throttle rocker…’ and I’d say that’s a fitting description. Great version of this on ‘Later’ too – with you bopping away on Jimmy’s left as I recall.

4. Midnight Moonlight – The Firm; I’m sure we’d all have loved this had it been completed and released in its original form with Zeppelin but I still love this version and the subsequent live performances from 1984 onwards.

5. Take Me For a Little While – Coverdale Page; A great album with both of them back on form. I think this shows Jimmy’s influence in the superb arrangement.

6. Shake My Tree -Coverdale Page; Great opener from the same album. What a riff.

7. Prelude – Death Wish 2 Soundtrack – Short but sweet. I think I first heard this on Tommy Vance’s ‘Friday Night Rock Show’. Again, loved this live on the ’88 solo tour. Haunting.

8. Absolution Blues – Great use of the Transperformance guitar on the opening of this. Loved the way it was incorporated into the live ‘Shake My Tree/theremin solos’ on subsequent tours. Really great.

9. Prison Blues –  Outrider; Great Blues, great playing, great solo. Again, a bit raw but suits Chris Farlowe’s vocal approach perfectly.

10. Thank You – Unledded and subsequent tours. This song, to me, became one of the great highlights of the live tours with Page and Plant. Special mention must be made for Milwaukee and Albuquerque versions – unbelievable solos. Could have chosen anything from Unledded as it was – and remains – a magnificent testament to the legacy of Led Zeppelin in all its forms.

Dennis Mcdonnell

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1. Hummingbird – Outrider – That jump off into the short solo at 1:53 – that’s pure Jimmy and a highlight in a song filled with highlights.

2. Thank You – No Quarter – The new solo at the end gives the song a whole new personality which even manages to enhance the original.

3. Cadillac – The Firm Mean Business – The guitar sound is absolutely filthy and shouldn’t work with a voice as pure as Paul Rodgers’, but it does!

4. Walking Into Clarksdale – Walking Into Clarksdale – Superb riffing – an under appreciated record I think and this was my favourite track from it.

5. Live In Peace – The Firm Mean Business – A bit predictable in song structure, but I’m a sucker for tracks that start with a solo piano and end with a massive guitar solo!

6. Since I’ve Been Loving You – No Quarter – True to the original, whilst adding something that acknowledges the past but refuses to be confined by it.

7. Writes of Winter – Outrider – Another standout from Outrider, clever, inventive and enough twists and turns to constantly surprise.

8. When The World Was Young – Walking Into Clarksdale – Similar to Blue Train from the same album but just edges that one out for me.  Jimmy’s laid back filling around the main melody has his signature all over it and is something no-one else can pull off in the same way.  Instantly recognisable Page – brilliant!

9. Take Me For A Little While – Coverdale Page – A rare moment of reflection on an album filled with bombastic “rawk” numbers (it’s not my favourite, can you tell??!)

10. Damask – Lucifer Rising – Proper scary stuff!  Listen to this as a soundtrack to some of the biblical weather we’ve been having in the UK recently and it’ll feel like the end of the world is nigh!

Richard Grubb

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And finally – to further mark Jimmy’s birthday, below is a round up of 25 examples of his genius that have emerged on the Companion Discs that have accompanied the Led Zeppelin reissues.

25 key Jimmy Page Performances from the Led Zeppelin Companion Disc Reissues:

Play them today and all week!

Sugar Mama (Alternate mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 2 minutes and 23 seconds to the close at 2.50 as Jimmy chugs his way on off down the highway.

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I Cant Quit You Baby (From the Live In Paris Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin 1)

Clock the genius at: 3 minutes 12 and that amazingly fluid solo run.

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How Many More Times (From the Live In Paris Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin 1)

Clock the genius at: 6 mins 40 as he goes into the Whole Lotta Love riff behind the Oh Rosie section, then adds some slashing chords into The Hunter.

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La La (Intro/outro rough mix – from Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin II)

Clock the genius at: 0.52 and the arrival of the acoustic motif and then into a scintillating riff part behind Bonzo’s drum fill.

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Livin Lovin Maid  (Backing track from the Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin II)

Clock the genius at: 1.07 as he comes out of the pause and then slams into the chorus.

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Bring It On Home (Rough mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 00 – 0.35 and that chaotic opening as Jimmy battles with the riff against Robert’s harmonica wailings.

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Were Gonna Groove (Alternate mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 1.16 through to 1.50 as he applies all manner of slashing chord effects.

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Since I’ve Been Loving You (Rough mix of first recording from the Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin III)

Clock the genius at: from 00.1 to 1.11 -marvel at the sheer subtlety of this intro.

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Jennings Farm Blues (Rough mix from the Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin III)

Clock the genius at: 3.22 as the overdubs and riffs take it all off into another tangent within a framework (as the late Howard Mylett would describe it….)

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Poor Tom (instrumental mix form the companion disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 0.14 through to 0.36 as the acoustic guitar overtones kick in.

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St Tristens Sword (rough mix from the companion disc to Coda) 

Clock the genius at: From 3.12 to the close at 5.41 where he overlays a very James Burtonesque solo.

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Going To California (Mandolin/guitar mix from the Companion Disc Led Zeppelin IV)

Clock the genius at: 2.57 as acoustic guitars and mandolin merge for the outro.

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If It keeps On Raining/When The Levee Breaks (rough mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 3.10 to 3.50 as he scrubs out what will later be a chiming fanfare.

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When the Levee Breaks (Alternate UK mix from the Companion Disc to Led Zeppelin IV)

Clock the genius at: And talking of which – at 2.06 the arrival of a fanfare crescendo of guitars.

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The Song Remains The Same (Guitar overdub reference mix from the Companion Disc to Houses Of The Holy)

Clock the genius at:0.57 as the multi overdubbing shines through brightly – dazzlingly so.

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Over The Hills And Far Away (Guitar mix backing track from the Companion Disc to Houses Of The Holy)

Clock the genius at: 3.55 as the acoustic coda adds an alternate spin on a familiar ending.

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Walters Walk (Rough mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: That riff as it kicks in for the final time from 2.17 to the fade at 3.19

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Desire/The Wanton Song (Rough mix from the Companion Disc to Coda)

Clock the genius at: 2.29 to 3.01 as he lays down the rhythmic base for which he will later overdub the solo.

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Sick Again (Early version from the Companion Disc to Physical Graffiti)

Clock the genius at: from 0.48 though to 0.56 as that descending chord sequence merges with a zip across the speakers.

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Brandy and Coke/Trampled Underfoot (Initial rough mix from the Companion Disc to Physical Graffiti)

Clock the genius at: 2.13 to 3.00 as he holds down an incessant riff for JPJ to build his clavinet solo around – further guitar embellishments would follow for the released version.

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Everybody Makes It Through/In the Light (early version/in transit from the Companion Disc to Physical Graffiti)

Clock the genius at: 5.14 to the close at 6.27 – more foundations for the guitar army to be constructed around.

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Two Ones Are One/Achilles Last Stand (Reference mix of work in progress from the Companion Disc to Presence)

Clock the genius at: The entry of that first string bending solo that stretches 3.44 through to 6.15 – utterly magnificent.

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10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod) (Reference mix of work in progress from the Companion Disc to Presence)

Clock the genius at:1.27 when he delicately enters proceedings with John Bonham. Poignant…

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In The Evening (Rough mix of work in progress from the Companion Disc to In Through The Out Door)

Clock the genius at:The crunch of the solo at 3.46 and on into the pastoral JPJ led keyboard sequence. Just glorious.

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Blot/I’m Gonna Crawl (Rough mix of work in progress from the companion disc to In Through The Out Door)

Clock the genius at: At 2.40 where Robert’s cry of ”hit me” leads into a solo that winds up at 3.02 having twisted and turned in all the right places.

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More moments of guitar artistry to marvel at and yet more reasons why for me, and countless thousands of fans the world over, Jimmy Page remains (as that flag out in that field near Stevenage once proclaimed) the true Lord of the strings….

Long may he reign…

Happy Birthday Jimmy from all of us to you…

Dave Lewis, January 6,2021

LZ News:

From my Facebook page Saturday January 2:

Happy Birthday Richard Cole:

It’s a Happy Birthday to Mr Richard Cole – pictured here with the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book in 2018 and with me at the after show at the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion in 2007 and at the Celebration Day film premiere in 2012.

As their tour manager, the man responsible for getting Led Zeppelin from A to B and onto the stage on over 500 occasions, writer of the simply brilliant Foreword to the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book I co- authored with Mike Tremaglio and a personal support and inspiration to me over many years – particularly to Janet and I in the last 12 months…

Richard has had some health issues recently and has been in hospital -we wish him a speedy recovery.

Happy Birthday Richard with much love from us here

Led Zeppelin Immigrant Song/Hey Hey What Can I Do official single:

Quick update  -Amazon were advising the official commemorative single as being released on December 31 -though nothing has surfaced yet. The official Led Zeppelin website has it as January 15. More on this as it unfolds…

Update: the UK Amazon site is now saying ”This title will now be released on December 31 2021.”

David Bowie – Five Years Gone: 

It was 50 years ago – the Bedford & Bucks Reporter Scene pop Column by Steve Peacock

50 years ago the Bedford & Bucks Reporter newspaper carried a weekly pop column titled Scene compiled by by journalist Steve Peacock – Steve was a Bedford based writer who had recently graduated to working on the staff of Sounds music paper which had launched the previous October. He would go on to conduct a very good interview with Robert Plant for Sounds in June of  1971.

Though now living in London, he continued to write the column which centered on national pop and rock topics. It also carried adverts for local gigs mainly at the Addison Centre in Kempston staged by Friars promoters – as can be seen Atomic Rooster were kicking off things in 1971. As will be revealed, Steve proved to be quite an outspoken observer and very keen to promote the more progressive end of the music scene –opening the eyes of the Bedford public to all manner of esoteric sounds with Captain Beefheart the subject in this one. Local archivist Paul Cox has been sending me these Scene columns scanned from bound copies of the newspaper he has logged. So with thanks to Paul, here’s the column that was filed for January 6 1971 – more to follow…they are a fascinating snapshot of one man’s view of the contemporary music scene all of 50 years ago…

Friday January 1 2021:

On the player…

Kicking off as I mean to go on with plenty of albums to dig out and play from the year 1971 which I will be doing regularly ahead.

I’m with author David Hepworth that it’s one of rocks finest years for quality releases (though 1970,1972,1973,1974 and 1975 are pretty good too!)

This one will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in November but it’s never too early to celebrate the glory of Led Zeppelin IV…a very fine start to the year indeed…

Saturday January 2:

Saturday is platterday -on the player the rather splendid brilliant Jack Bruce Songs For A Tailor album sounding even better as the Spurs score is coming through… 3-0 up against Leeds oh yes …

Sunday January 3:

It’s a Happy 75th Birthday today to Mr John Paul Jones…

Bassist, keyboard player, arranger and just about everything else in a career that has spanned nigh on 60 years including 12 years with Led Zeppelin…

I have been lucky enough to be in his company and interviewed him at length for the TBL magazine on a fair few occasions. He has always been so supportive of my work – long may he continue to bring his unique musicality to us all…

Sunday January 3:

Sunday CD sounds –in celebration of his Birthday, loading up the brilliant 2001 John Paul Jones solo album The Thunderthief on CD, John kindly personally signed for the cover for me…

Happy Birthday John

Sunday January 3:

Sunday evening CD sounds – celebrating his Birthday with the brilliant career spanning Stephen Still 4 CD set Carry On and much of it matching a melancholy mood here…

Sunday January 3:

So very sad to hear the passing of Gerry Marsden aged 78 – I went to see the Ferry Cross The Mersey film at the Bedford Granada cinema in 1965…such a vibrant voice of the UK 60s sound.

The sheer wonderful exuberance of a song such as I Like It by Gerry and The Pacemakers can still be felt some 58 years on ….

When we were around 7 years old, my life long friend Dave Corp and I used to bash this out in my garden in Dents Road with me on a tin can home made drum kit.

We are both very saddened today to hear of Gerry’s passing – another part of our childhood fades away but never to be forgotten – RIP Gerry…

Winterlude Playlist:

Thanks for listening – stay safe and well you very lovely people…

Dave  Lewis – January 6, 2021

Until next time, stay safe and stay well…