Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters , The Flaming Lips and more announced for Wilderness’ 2016 line-up

The effervescent and ethereal Wilderness Festival returns to Cornbury Park this summer for a sixth season. Bringing with it an inimitable cocktail of eclectic musical talent, sumptuous communal dining, theatrical performances, thought-provoking debate, the tranquility of the Lakeside Spa and so much more, Wilderness Festival 2016 boasts a programme that continues in their tradition of pushing the boundaries of what you imagined possible at festivals, cementing their reputation as pioneers. Wilderness Festival’s diverse and eclectic music line-up continues to impress, with legendary musician, singer and songwriter Robert Plant taking to the stage. An awesome talent whose career has spanned more than 40 years, former Led Zeppelin frontmanPlant brings The Sensational Space Shifters to Cornbury Park on the only UK stop of his 2016 tour. American rock bank The Flaming Lips need no introduction: their music, celebrating a lush, intricate and psychedelic sound, is unmistakably their own. The Flaming Lips, who’ll perform seminal album The Soft Bulletin only at Wilderness, are widely considered one of the most important bands to see live, their stage shows hailed as some of the most enthralling in history. Further acts to join the line-up are Crystal Fighters, Parov Stellar, Lianne La Havas, Goldie & Heritage Orchestra, Glass Animals, Matt Corby http://view.mailings.ticketmaster.co.uk/?j=fec61d777764017f&m=fea015737460007f75&ls=

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Robert Plant appearance on Stella:

Plenty of coverage for this one – and what a great cameo it was…see YouTube clip below…

This via NME.com:

http://Robert Plant appearance on Stella:

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Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – 41 years Gone:

It’s that time of year again – whenever late February swings around, thoughts of that monumental release of this week in 1975 spring to mind. It’s the opportunity to be immersed in the world of Physical Graffiti and all that goes with it.

On that note, here is a TBL retro special  – it rounds up material from last year’s Physical Graffiti 4oth anniversary reissue

I am sure it will inspire you to bring out the vinyl or CD and wallow in the expansive delights of a double album that remains at the very core of the whole recorded Led Zeppelin experience..

TBL Archive Retro – one year ago…

The Physical Graffiti reissue  – some DL thoughts:

The Reissued Graffiti: Physical Sequencing with no cherry picking required……

So this is it…the big one – an embarrassment of riches –

I played the vinyl version yesterday all in one sitting – as it should be and I have to say I was totally overwhelmed..… totally beyond expectation …so many moments of unparalleled greatness now heard in more clarity than ever before…absolutely incredible…they are, were and always be the best – this reissue of Physical Graffiti is yet further proof.

To backtrack 41 years: My Physical Graffiti:

Physical Graffiti. The very title indicated something mysterious and special when I first saw it announced in the NME in late ’74. Then there was the waiting. Ah yes the waiting. Initially it was set for November 29th 1974. That date passed and nothing. Then it was going to be January 10th 1975 and so it went on until finally on a grey February morning, I took receipt of the record boxes delivered that day at WH Smith where I worked. And there in a parcel marked WEA/CBS Distribution was a box full of that beautiful double album. Had it out of the box immediately –took it down the pub lunchtime to show Dec, Phil, Tom and co…oh yes this was the big one – a massive outpouring of new Zeppelin music.

It ushered in a memorable year that would peak with those five glorious days in May. Since then Physical Graffiti has been a constant in my life. Not long after its release, the WEA rep kindly gave me the original sleeve artwork mock up which still takes pride of place in my collection. On holiday in Spain that year I could not resist handing over a pocket full of pesetas for the Spanish pressing. I have it on cassette and 8 track cartridge. When I first got a CD player in 1988 it was the first CD I purchased.  The emergence of the Tangible Vandalism rehearsals bootleg in the early 80’s was a shot in the arm in a less than vibrant Zep period, and the first time I heard the 33 minutes of outtakes that surfaced in 1997 remains one of my most memorable listening experiences.

Then there have been the numerous live Graffiti moments -selections from Physical Graffiti played live over the years have also provided some of my all time fave gig going moments.

Ten Years Gone and Sick Again at Knebworth, Trampled Underfoot at Leicester University in ’88, Kashmir at MTV Unledded, The Wanton Song at Later With Jools, Night Flight at the ULU in ’98 , In My Time of Dying at the 02 Reunion.

Last Saturday was the same sort of cold sunny afternoon to that of 40 years – for back on Saturday February 22nd 1975  Alan Freeman previewed five tracks from the album. The previous night I’d had the Old Grey Whistle Test taped on a cassette to hear the previews of Houses Of The Holy and Trampled Underfoot. I was out at the Rainbow grooving to Black Oak Arkansas at the time.

On that Saturday Alan aired Custard Pie, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Down By The Seaside and Sick Again in that sequence with no break. As Robert uttered the opening line ‘’I received a message from my brother across the water he sat laughin’ as he wrote the ends in sight’’ I remember exclaiming ‘’Oh that voice!’’ in excited wonderment.

In today’s internet driven world of instantly accessible everything, it’s easy to forget the impact a mere record could have.

A mere record? Physical Graffiti was and could never be a mere anything.

It’s a living breathing, masterpiece.

So happy 41st birthday Custard Pie, The Rover, In My Time Of Dying, Houses Of The Holy, Trampled  Underfoot, Kashmir, In The Light, Bron Yr Aur, Down By The Seaside, Ten Years Gone, Night Flight, The Wanton Song, Boogie With Stu, Black Country Woman and Sick Again.

These 15 performances continue to enrich my life and thousands of others across the globe. Even more so in this new reissue…

To backtrack 41 years: Their Physical Graffiti:

In the scheme of things the timing on the recording of this album was just so right.

There was nothing like the pressure they had in following Zep IV with Houses Of The Holy. The lukewarm press reaction to Houses would only spur the four  to greater on stage heights. The touring period from March in Europe through to the lengthy US jaunt in the summer of ’73 saw Led Zeppelin perform to overflowing audiences with increasing confidence.

There may have been a period of burn out following the US tour – the initial sixth album sessions were scrapped due to John Paul Jones illness/reticence – but it can be clear that the vigour and vitality they displayed during that US tour was more than in evidence when they came to park Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio outside Headley Grange in early 1974.

The decision to work at their own space with no pressure of a tour to prepare was a crucial one. Jimmy’s wry comment that ‘’1974 didn’t really happen’’ was a something of a smokescreen – as creatively it very much did happen and it would set the seal on a six month period in 1975 that would see them conquer America yet again and present five shows at London’s Earls Court that really did capture them at the peak of their powers.

All this and Physical Graffiti too. A double album idea that Page had been eying for some time  as he commented recently:‘’ I hoped it was going to be a double album because other people had put out double albums and I thought it would be good to do that. I knew that we already had material left over the material was coming out and it was clear that we were working towards a double. I did want to do a double album that would really show a working band at a really creative process”.

The eight recordings honed at Headley Grange were merged within seven older tracks held over from previous albums. We now know that had been the clear intention with Houses Of The Holy as Page recently revealed ‘’ It was left off the Houses Of The Holy album on purpose. It was saved for whatever the next album was going to be which turned out to be Physical Graffiti’’. The rest…they were never mere leftovers as such a thing did not exist. These were quality ideas ready to be unleashed

All that was required was a final mix and a song selection and sequencing. This is where Physical Graffiti really triumphs

You could just never envisage Physical Graffiti not being played in the sequence that Jimmy Page prepared back in 1974. .

It’s akin to a whole symphony greater than the sum of its parts – take any song away and it loses its thread.

So let’s be under no illusion, the arrival of this new remastered reissue is principally all about those 15 tracks – the Companion Disc is of course a very  welcomed dessert but the main course kicks right off with track one side with a chew of the Custard Pie and closes with the brutal last gasp salute of Sick Again.

And that my friends, is the way to listen to Physical Graffiti – there’s no cherry picking required. It’s the whole first course in one sitting and no messing. That is the way it should be.

This is no mere 41 year nostalgia trip. Physical Graffiti could be no mere anything. It’s a living breathing beautiful sounding testament to the sheer greatness of Led Zeppelin.

Every facet of the spectrum beautifully detailed – every moment wonderfully sequenced.

Now sounding better than ever via the dutiful care taken to represent this landmark album by Jimmy with John Davis at the helm. Weather you are listening to a top of the range Hi Fi lounge unit or on something a little more basic…the effect will be shattering…

Moments to marvel at on this new reissue:

Custard Pie

Just so much raunch to the riff and John Bonham’s jigging hi hat driving it all the way through… and the solo cuts in across the speakers with so much verve and swagger.

The Rover

Utterly fucking sensational. The drum sound – on first play it took my breath away simple as that.

In My Time Of Dying

The forcefulness of that opening drum part…it has to be heard to be believed. The clarity of the bottleneck parts – we are right there in that hall in Headley. The echo on the first solo…glorious.

Houses Of The Holy

So much brightness and colour in the lyrics and performance.

Trampled Under Foot

Jones’s clavinet all the way through – pure musical arranging brilliance.

Kashmir

The moment they come out of the middle sequence and that elongated Plant howl…oh yes!

In The Light

We now know how much work went itto n this with varying tempo changes. The closing two minutes with Page’s multi overdubbing cascading around Bonzo’s drumming might be the best two minutes of their recorded career – here it sounds utterly sensational. As does the opening drone.

Bron Yr Aur

Acoustic perfection…

 Down By The Seaside

Love the keyboard sound from JPJ, now even more accented.

 Ten Years Gone

The intro – totally stunning…

 Night Flight

”Oh mama well it must be time….”  what a vocal.

 The Wanton Song

The way they come back from the Leslied guitar effect solo back into the riff.. masterful.

 Boogie With Stu

The percussion at the beginning now more powerful than ever.

 Black Country Woman

The mandolin so precise.

Sick Again

The final onslaught from John Bonham ..oh yes!

The Companion Audio Disc:  

Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot – Initial Rough Mix) 5.39:

To me this has the feel of of a radio friendly single mix – and hearing Brandy & Coke aka Trampled Underfoot in this way makes  Zep sound like the greatest singles band ever. Imperious funk meets revved up riffing with refreshing clarity…

Sick Again (Early Version) 2.22:

There’s a also a delightful ‘’wooshing’’ effect on the riff at 0.55. Overall this flexing of the riff foundation brings out the melodic tendencies of Page’s plangent riffing. You really want this to go on for another ten minues. Wonderful work in progress riff exercise for a sometimes underrated part of the Graffiti wall..not anymore..

In My Time Of Dying (Initial Rough Mix) 10.48:

A cleaner intro – the vocal coming in with added clarity to the version we know. Double tracked at times. The delicacy of the bottleneck parts are more evident. Jonesy’s bass accentuated behind the bottleneck riff parts is also high in the mix. As it moves into it’s stride, Robert’s vocal are striking clear and crisper providing a real live in the studio atmosphere. Mesmerisingly spacey mix of a towering performance…

Houses Of The Holy (Rough Mix With Overdubs) 3.51:

What we have here is a rough mix with overdubs and it’s a fascinating listen – Robert’s initial vocals have less echo and are pleasingly upfront and clear. Bonzo’s cowbell is much more pronounced in this mix.  The backing vocal ”oooh oooh” is also higher in the mix and you can clearly hear a tambourine as additional percussion towards the close. Jimmy had yet to layer on his solo and it fades at 3.51. Bright and breezy mix of one of their most commercial outings…

Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light Early Version/In Transit) 6.29:

The complete alternate version that was previously bootlegged on the Physical Graffiti outtakes that surfaced in 1997.

A totally different work in progress arrangement with John Paul Jones’ Elizabethan harpsichord keyboard sequence being later replaced by the drone links.  The closing moments from 5.42 to 6.29  with John Bonham’s relentless drum fills are some of the very best applied to any Led Zeppelin track. Those that have heard it before already will know this is a phenomenal piece – those that haven’t… well the pleasure will be all yours -it’s just sensational. An unabashed joy from start to finish – this pleasingly inventive initial arrangement adds new colour to the canvas of one of their finest achievements …

Boogie With Stu (Sunset Sound Mix) 3.39:

The mandolin is well to the fore in this mix – you can hear the precise plucking right from the off while the piano and vocals are both further back in the mix. A barrelhouse of mandolin and piano led fun…

Driving Through Kashmir (Kashmir Rough Orchestra Mix) 8.41:

That intro is immediately grandiose -the vocal remains in the centre of the mix while in the riff parts and the  strings are more prominent. From 4.06 to .25 it sounds altogether crisper and chunkier and all beautifully dramatic and the closing orchestral overdubs are clearer going into the fade. Progressive rock in the true sense of the word and this mix is further confirmation of the fact that this composition remains the pride of Led Zeppelin…

Summary:

Put simply -the paintwork on this particular piece of graffiti remains as fresh as ever… now it’s been recoated to give it an even brighter sheen the end result is simply magnificent…

Dave Lewis 

TBL ’75 Snapshot Retro Review One:

NO OTHER top band in the world gets as much stick as Led Zeppelin.

Every time they bring out an album there’s six months of carping because it’s not full of re-makes of ” Whole Lotta Love “; followed by an¬other six months of moaning because they haven’t played any live dates; finishing up with a final six months of complaints about the time it’s taken them to make the new album. Then, of course, it all starts over again.

Not this time, though, I suspect. By allowing themselves the luxury of a double album, they’ve managed to cram in a bit of everything and in enough quantity to keep that vocal minority of moan¬ers at bay.

For once they will have to admit that the wait since ” Houses Of The Holy ” has been worthwhile; some may even be moved enough to recognise “Physical Graffiti ” for what it is; a work of genius, a superbly performed mixture of styles and influences that encompasses not only all aspects of Led Zep’s record-ing career so far but also much of rock as a whole.

This is not just a collection of great tracks, but a perfectly balanced selection of music that weighs heavy rock with acoustic, ballad with out-and-out rocker in such a way that you can play the album non-stop day and night without ever needing to pause for a bit of peace.

And for one of the world’s heaviest bands, that’s some achievement.

“Physical Graffiti” has not just been “worth the wait”, it had to take a long time to produce music of this calibre.

Unlike so many bands today, who hurl out albums like they were frisbees in Hyde Park, Led Zep can be bothered to take the time and trouble to make this one even better than the last one.

They are, if you like, one of the few “progressive” bands left — you remember them, the groups who were always going to move for¬ward and keep exploring new

Zeppelin have, and still are doing just that. They established their base with heavy blues/rock on “Led Zeppelin 1″, and have constantly sought to build on that, investigating new fields; from the folky “Battle Of Ever¬more” to the reggae in¬fluenced “The Crunge”.

Now they’ve taken electronic space rock for “In The Light”, one of the two most immediately striking cuts on “Physical Graffiti”.

It opens with eerie keyboards that sound like they belong to the Pink Floyd’s “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”, before moving on to more familiar Zeppelin riffing.

What marks it as the work of true musical craftsmen, though, is the linking: those space sounds are not just a frill tagged on for the hell of it, but .properly joined to the core of the song, first led in by Robert Plant’s voice, then led out for a reprise in the middle by Jimmy Page’s acoustic guitar.

“Kashmir”, hits you just as immediately. It’s in a Completely different vein: heavily orchestrated, with a chopping string riff which builds up to a crescendo at the end of each verse. The nearest equivalent is the work of the classical composer Moondog, who uses the same richly- descriptive style.

So effectively is it used though on “Kashmir” that it actually sounds like you’re travelling on a caravanserai through the East.

And Plant is at his magnificent best, letting his voice be gradually enveloped in the rich orchestral text¬ures and then suddenly soaring through,, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

Certainly this is one of the most imaginative and out¬standing numbers Led Zeppelin have ever cut.

But the band’s strength does not always rest on the new. They take that old, old theme of the blues on “In My Time Of Dying” and came up with a fresh approach, by constantly changing the pace, veering from the breakneck to the dead slow.

The song is never fractured: Plant holds a note here, John Bonham continues a drum pattern there, and it joins together as tight as a clam.

And if it’s heavy rock you want, Zeppelin can drive a number along like no other band on earth. Listen to them roar through ” Custard Pie”, “Night Flight” and “Sick Again”, always giving that little bit extra that’s the sign of class — a bubbling keyboard here, a nifty riff there, an intricate pattern elsewhere.

They can be wistful (“Down By The Seaside”), fun (“Boogie With Stu”), acoustic (“Bron-Yr-Aur”), me¬lodic (“The Rover”) — just about anything in fact. They can take as long as they, like with the next album: “Physical Graffiti” will last 18 months or 18 years. And then some.

MICHAEL OLDFIELD MELODY MAKER FEBRUARY  1975

 Postscript  2016…..or 41 years. And then some.

TBL ’75 Snapshot Retro Review 2:

Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

John Tobler, ZigZag magazine March 1975.

NOW I SHOULD make clear in this context that I’m not by nature a fan of this band in the same way that I like Van Morrison or Love. My position is one of deep respect, mind you, and while I was heard to say some harsh things about Beck copyists, etc, when the first album came out, such notions no longer seem to apply. I feel that I would have to perform a masterpiece of justification if I wanted to put L.Z. down, and in all honesty, there’s no fuel for that particular fire.

I suspect that someone somewhere will go into that old thing about making one great album out of two flawed same, as used with the Beatles’ White Album and so on, but again, I can’t subscribe, and this is where the review really starts. There are fifteen tracks on display here, and three of them, accounting for about a third of the playing time, appeal to me so much that were they on one side of the record, I would find it difficult to play anything else until I knew them from every direction. Specifically, these are ‘In My Time Of Dying’, ‘Houses Of The Holy’, and best of all, in a class shared with only a dozen or so tracks in my entire musical existence, ‘In The Light’.

That’s not to write the rest off in a terse few words but for my part, the record would be breaking down fresh barriers if it was all as good. It’s a question of stand-outs, and if you can imagine putting ‘She Loves You’ on the first Beatles album, you’ll see what I mean. Without my three choice cuts, the album would be of very good quality. Perhaps a little routine, but certainly to be among the critics’ choices at the end of the year. With the tracks included, it gets a distinct lift off, and while it’s just as certain to figure similarly in critical and public polls, we’re all getting a bonus for which we should be grateful. I would say with certainty that prolonged playing will produce several more tracks which will become highly pleasing, but it all comes down to what makes the biggest initial impact. And that’s not to say that the three I’ve mentioned have a singalong chorus.

Beyond saying “Get it if you’re even vaguely into this type of confection,” there’s not much to add. Jimmy Page as producer has to be one of the most tasteful people there is, and he continually rejects the temptation to fall into Black Sabbath traps, He also plays the guitar with consummate brilliance, and perhaps that’s part of the key to Led Zeppelin. They are all musicians of the highest calibre, and the length of time taken to produce this package is a testimony to the fact that second best for them is as bad as nowhere. One for your lists.

© John Tobler via rocksbackpages.com

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Led Zeppelin News Weekly 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.

Jimmy Page:

• A new video interview with Jimmy Page has been released from the MPG Awards in London on February 3. Watch it here.

Upcoming events:

March 4 – The charity album “The Long Road” (which contains a new Robert Plant song) is released.
March 4/5/6 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform at the Okeechobee music festival in Florida.
March 6 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in St. Augustine, Florida.
March 7 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Mobile, Alabama.
March 9 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Jackson, Mississippi.
March 10 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
March 11 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Shreveport, Louisiana.
March 13 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
March 15 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Dallas, Texas.
March 17 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in San Antonio, Texas.
March 18 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Midland, Texas.
March 20 – Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters will perform in Austin, Texas

The Led Zeppelin News email goes out every weekend. To receive it each week sign up here: https://t.co/yp9fGJMSGH

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Vinyl HBO series:

Some thoughts from Larry Bergmann

Re. Vinyl…got around to watching it over a couple of evenings this weekend…the Zeppelin scenes were truly horrible (although the guitarist who aped Jimmy’s solo on You Shook Me – heard, but not much seen – did a credible job), and indeed it was very nice to see that rare 73 performance of Something Else!  Or was it 74?  Or 75?  Looked like 73 but as Alastair pointed out, the timeline seemed confusing.  Anyway…

While the Zep scenes were horribly botched, they nailed the New York Dolls as Mr. Charlesworth alluded.  Hopefully the job will be to that level of competence with the round of 70s bands that will almost certainly pop up in future episodes.

HBO is quite good at these types of series.  I thought the show was enjoyable, but it really got its feet under it after the Zep and Polygram sequences (although some of the Polygram stuff was funny).  In the end, it’s a show about wise guys…the creative team surrounding Vinyl feature some of the key folks that brought The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire to life.  Boardwalk was very good, Sopranos might be the best thing that’s ever been seen on US TV. In other words, it’s probably worth sticking with Vinyl, despite the likelihood of the obvious grim ending in the offing for the main character(s).

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Boot Led Zeppelin at The Horn St Albans Saturday:

The excellent Zep tribute band Boot Led Zeppelin are in action this Saturday February 27 at the popular The Horn venue in St.Albans. The TBL crew are aiming to pitch up for this one.

Ticket details via:

http://thehorn.co.uk/content/boot-led-zeppelin

http://www.boot-led-zeppelin.com/

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DL Diary Blog Update:

So there I was in London last week in a newsagent near Charing Cross Road searching for the new issue of Rolling Stone which has David Bowie on the cover. Eagerly I zipped along the racks hoping it would jump out at me amongst the copies of Mojo, Uncut, Q, Guitar Player etc…alas there was nothing to be seen..

A youngish guy behind the counter who I never set eyes on before, looked over and said to me ”Are you looking for the new Rolling Stone issue?”

”Er yes” I replied slightly taken aback that he could read my mind – and wondering how an earth he could know I was looking for that said item…

”We have had few looking for that – it’s not come in as yet’. Thanking him I left the shop still surprised and bemused that he had known what I was after.

Then it dawned on me – he must have clocked the David Bowie button badge I had on my jacket and presumed quite correctly what I might be after. The power of positive Bowie thinking…

Friday vinyl treats at the Vinyl Barn in Bedford last Friday: After posting a pic of Robert Plant backstage with Little Feat last night, it was rather fitting that a copy of As Time Goes By – The Best Of Little Feat was awaiting me in the Vinyl Barn racks  –that one, plus Hits 70 another 1970s covers album featuring Elton John on vocals on various tracks and a Joe Cocker compilation on MFP made for a nice little crop …thanks Darren!

Last Saturday afternoon It was fantastic to have a visit from my nephew Simon. I have not seen him for some years and we had been meaning to get together for ages. Simon is the son of my late sister Margaret who suffered from MS and sadly died far too young in 2003 aged 55.

It was heart-warming and not a little cathartic to remember her with so many fond memories. One that Janet and I smile about is when Margaret came with us to see Queen at Knebworth in 1986 – for what would turn out to be Queens last ever gig. During the day we somehow lost Margaret in the crowd and as Freddie and the boys did their thing, we were at the top of the arena worried that we could not find her and huddled around a fire that had been lit as alas Margaret was wearing Janet’s jacket!

She eventually found our car in the car park at around 1 am in the morning – ”Where did you get to? Margaret casually informed us ”I had a great time near the front watching the show!”. We need not have worried that much and of course nowadays a mobile phone call or text would have sorted it.

It was great catching up with Simon and remembering many happy memories of a much missed mum and sister. Here’s a pic of the now not so little nephew taken in the TBL vinyl sanction. Simon kindly added to that racking by bringing a gift over of the John Lennon Live in New York City album on UK Parlophone – a white label copy at that! Result!

Given that it’s seven years ago this past week that the doors of the Zavvi/Virgin Megastores closed for the final time – bringing our respective retail careers to and end – it was also good to meet up with Rob Jones on Tuesday – I worked with Rob at the Our Price Bedford store during the 1990s.

Workload wise, there’s been a wrap on the freelance feature I’ve been slaving away at – all 5,000 words plus of it.

Another quick job for Classic Rock has also been rattled off. Add in a skype session with Mike Tremaglio on the latest work on the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book project – plus there’s more  layout and design on TBL 41 to be done with TBL designer Mick Lowe – it’s been a busy old week.

On the player – Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti naturally plus Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water and Paul Simon Still crazy After All these years – the latter two choices have been inspired by my nephew’s visit and talk of my late sister as Simon & Garfunkel were amongst here favourite artists.

Last night’s absolutely superb David Bowie tribute at The Brits had me started off again – profoundly moving with Lorde’s incredibly emotional delivery of Life On Mars. The Starman waiting in the sky would have been very proud…

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/24/brit-awards-2016-david-bowie-best-ever-tribute-leaves-viewers-moved-to-tears-5716521/

The good lady Janet is getting back to form, though unfortunately Janet’s mum Bet has been poorly again.

All being well and illness’s permitting, we are looking forward to catching up with Raff and the boys and anyone who can make it along. It will be a much welcome respite after what continues to be a rather tricky month. March now beckons and as usual there’s a lot to do.

Dave Lewis – February 24, 2016

YouTube clips:

Robert Plant Stella cameo:

Jimmy Page talks to Planet Rock’s Liz Barnes about the Physical Graffiti reissue: 

Until next time…

Have a great weekend..

Dave Lewis/Gary Foy – February 24, 2016.

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