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NEAL PRESTON SOUND AND FURY/JIMMY PAGE ON JOE MEEK/ROBERT PLANT DOWN UNDER/ WITH PATTY ON OHIO/RECORD STORE DAY COUNTDOWN

17 April 2013 1,944 views 4 Comments

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Led Zeppelin: Sound And Fury: Photo by Neal Preston

Renowned rock photographer Neal Preston was granted unprecedented access to Led Zeppelin during the band’s touring heyday, grants similar access to fans in Led Zeppelin: Sound and Fury, a digital book released this week (iBookstore, $9.99). Here’s a preview you tube clip:

Neal Preston Led Zeppelin

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Jimmy on Joe Meek:

Here’s a clip of Jimmy talking about Joe Meek for a forthcoming documentary on the 1960s studio wizard…

 

Robert Plant down under…this review from Duncan Watson

Wellington TSB Bank Arena, April 9 2013

This was the first time Robert Plant performed in New Zealand since I saw him in Auckland in 1984.  A cool and slightly drizzly autumn Tuesday night, but Plant was in great form.  The TSB Bank Arena doesn’t hold more than 4000 people, and seemed to be nearly full. The crowd were first entertained by the Blind Boys of Alabama, and they went down very well.  Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters came on stage at 9 pm sharp and played for about 90 minutes.  Robert looked in great spirits, healthy and energetic on stage. The setlist was similar to previous nights of the Australasian tour: Friends – Tin Pan Valley – Another Tribe – Spoonful – Black Dog – Going to California – Bron-yr-Aur Stomp – The Enchanter – Four Sticks – Ramble On – Fixin to Die – Whole Lotta Love/Who Do You Love – encore – What is and what should never be – Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll was introduced as an English folk song.  There were a lot of Zeppelin numbers in the set list.  I would have liked more from Plant’s solo catalog but the crowd loved it. Plantation:  “One thing you can be sure of when you come to see us …it’s never the same … and it’s … wonderful.”

Here’s a you tube clip from the Auckland April 11 gig….

 

Robert Plant with Patty Griffin -here’s a clip of Robert and patty performing Ohio for KUTX Austin:

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DL Diary Update:

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Busy here with Knebworth book and on-going TBL 35 text – look out for more news on the new TBL issue in the next few days. Elsewhere Janet’s mum is awaiting her pacemaker in hospital –the good lady Janet and I did get  away on Sunday when we spent the day in Camden and Primrose Hill –there was a bit of vinyl buying to be done in Camden Market and I picked up a very nice copy of David Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name.  I was back in London on Monday for a TBL meeting with Gary Foy.  On the way from the meeting we stopped off at a couple of record emporiums in Berwick Street  – it was good to see various shops gearing up for Record Store day. Talking of which here’s the latest Record Store day countdown selections…

Record Store Day Countdown:

April 12 –Day 12 in the DL/TBL countdown to Record Store Day with 8 days to go – today’s choice is Led Zeppelin – Going To California ,the bootleg original vinyl double album on Trade Mark of Quality. I ordered this in December 1972 from a mail order company based in Kent after seeing an advert for ‘’Live albums for sale’’ in Sounds music paper. A superb audience recording of a brilliant vibrant performance from Berkeley Community Centre September 14 1971. I played the hell out of this back then and I can quote Plant’s between song comments on this with no prob such as ‘’Last night there were several bowler hated beatnicks’’ and ‘’there was a pollution alert today and I lost my voice’’. It still sounded fantastic today.  One of THE classic bootlegs….and one of the standard bearers for what Led Zeppelin is and will always be…

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April 13 –Day 13 in the DL/TBL countdown to Record Store Day with 7 days to go. Today’s choice is –

Led Zeppelin Live At Earls Court 1975  –this is pressing on  the Hindenburg label –I got this in 1976 from Sounds Ahead, a small shop off Carnaby Street and a bootleg haven back then. This is the same track line up as on the colour cover Earls Court Vol 1. Saturday May 24th 1975 – for which I was lucky enough to be in the second row. Atmospheric audience recording and come on what is not to like: No Quarter with Jimmy emerging out of the dry ice to layer on that solo, the four part harmony of  Tangerine ‘’For our families and friends and the people who’ve been with us though the lot’’ , Kashmir –how keen were they to play that every night back then – the acoustic interlude of Going To California and That’s The Way ..Woodstock segment of Dazed…some of Jimmy’s most lyrical playing ever and when Robert gets to the echoed refrain of ‘’Back to the garden…it still sends shivers.  All  this from one 12 inch LP –Living, breathing Led Zeppelin at their peak.. does it for me in every time.

April 14 –Day 14 in the DL/TBL countdown to Record Store Day with 6 days to go. Today’s choice is

is Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake.  I have this on the Simply Vinyl/Island re issue 180 gram vinyl edition which I got in the sale in Virgin in 2008. The first pressing on the short lived second Island label design commands a £300+ price. I first got into Nick Drake in 1987 via the Time of No Reply/An Exploration Of album – I also have the Complete Works vinyl box set and all the CDs. He is right up there with my all-time favourite artists –his catalogue is much played as it always captures that reflective mood. I wrote a lengthy feature about this album for Record Collector in the December 2009 issue and it’s without doubt one of my all-time top ten albums. Nick’s timeless songs remain elegant, observational and wonderfully fragile. Walking around  a bright and breezy Camden and Primrose Hill today the likes of Time Has Told Me, River Man reverberated in my head – his songs effortlessly carry that London vibe they were constructed within all those years ago…(DL)

April 15 –Day 15 in the DL/TBL countdown to World Record Store Day with 5 days to go –Today’s choice is Life Is A long Song by Jethro Tull. This is a splendid five track EP originally released in August 1971. The title track is a semi acoustic whimsical lament sung beautifully by Ian Anderson backed by a subtle string arrangement. I’ve loved this since it came out and I got the EP in the pic sleeve about five years back.  Absolute 7 inch vinyl beauty.  Going across London form the TBL meet today, there was ample evidence that London is gearing up for Record Store Day…as the previous  pic clearly shows…(DL)

April 16 –Day 16 in the DL/TBL countdown to Record Store Day with 4 days to go. Today’s choice is

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Destroyer by Led Zeppelin – this is the 4 LP bootleg soundboard source of the April 27 1977 Cleveland show on DRGM Records. I brought this on mail order in 1981. There are various versions of this fabled bootleg including a carry case edition. There are some amazing recordings from their 1977 tour (Listen To This Eddie/Badgeholders etc) but this one is right up there for me – the soundboard quality is crystal clear and back when I first heard it, well it was an absolute revelation. The 1977 Zep set list was an expansive journey through their catalogue and there’s so much to marvel at here –Nobody’ Fault But Mine is a killer version, No Quarter rambles meanderingly on and on, Ten Years Gone is an emotional peak, the stereo effects on Jimmy’s guitar solo are awesome (shades of Lucifer Rising can be found here), Achilles is a Zep speedfest and Stairway is suitably regal. It’s Led Zeppelin live in 1977 captured across 4 LP records –and it’s brilliant. Simple as…(DL)

And finally: A bit of Record Store Day countdown fun…

Record Store Day Countdown: Video Special 1: The Stonk Pistols live in Our Price Bedford…

Just to illustrate the great fun to be had in record shops…when I was manager of the Our Price store in Bedford, for Comic Relief day in 1989 and 1991 we formed a band amongst the staff to perform in the shop to raise money for the charity. In 1991 our performance was filmed by one of the staff Gary Scott.

We called ourselves The Stonk Pistols as the Comic Relief charity hit of the time was The Stonk by Hale and Pace. We had one meet beforehand to decide which songs we were going to perform and hoped it would be alright on the night (or afternoon). A guest guitarist came on board to help and add the grunge factor. So like Zep at Live Aid , it was a bit out of tune, there was no rehearsal as such – but boy we had some fun. The staff  band members –  Colin Stonebridge got into Johnny Rotten character, Andy Perry did a need line in acid house dancing, Mark O Dell and Jason Foster added suitable bass and guitar accompaniment.-and yes that’s a younger DL on drums attempting a few John Bonham like hammerings across the kit. As can be seen, all this went on as the store traded to bemused Bedford customers… we raised a fair bit of cash too. This VHS video has been in my loft for a good few year’s unseen…thanks to GD for transferring it. So here we are back in 1991 on Friday March 15th…clip one is a spirited dash though The Clash’s only number one…..so clock the fanfare For The Common man intro (if it was good enough for the Stones!) a 1,2,3,4 and cue grunge guitar….yes it’s a bit painful on the ears but  have a laugh at this and remember how record shops looked in the early 1990s…..

Until next time…

Keep listening, keep reading…

Dave Lewis/Gary Foy

April 17th, 2013.

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4 Comments »

  • Colin Sheil said:

    Finally got to view my download of Neal Preston’s Sound and Fury and have to say it is a must have for all Zeppelin fans – really enjoyed the format and the interviews were great with nice new insights from Daniel Markus and Janine Safer – really looking forward to the interview in the next TBL Dave !

  • MALC SHONE said:

    Totally agree with what you say about GTC bootleg. I probably bought it from the same mail order firm after seeing an ad in Sounds or MM as there were no boot stores in small towns in North Wales in 1972 ( or ever ). Just an awesome capture of them at or near to their peak and a good representation of the set list at Manchester Belle Vue the following November, which was my first actual live LZ gig.

    Plantation ” I think we shall call this …errrrr….Black Dog ..! ”

    Keep up the good work.

    Cheers.

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Thanks Greg!

  • Greg Purling said:

    Some hidden talents on the skins there Dave ! Rounded off with a storming finish . . . . great viewing, and great times had I’m sure.

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