Led Zeppelin's long awaited Return

[FLICKOFLASH]

It may have been a long time since they rock and rolled, but it sure didn't feel that way Monday night in London at Led Zeppelin's long awaited, wildly anticipated reunion concert. Headlining a show paying tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, the late co-founder of Atlantic Records, the three surviving members of one of rock's biggest bands - singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards - joined Jason Bonham, the son of their legendary drummer, John Bonham, for their first full-length performance since the elder Bonham's death in 1980.

There were numerous questions hanging over this show: Could Plant still hit those signature high notes? Could Page still pull off his magnificent, complex parts, especially after a finger injury that delayed this appearance by two weeks? Could Bonham possibly fill the chair of his larger-than-life and endlessly inventive father? Over the course of a two hour-and-ten minute set, the 21st Century Zeppelin answered all of those doubts - and then went further.



Following a motley, uninspired hour of music by other British acts on Atlantic (including Foreigner, former Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman, and a prog-rock all-star team with members of Yes, Bad Company, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer), Zeppelin opened its show with "Good Times Bad Times," the first track on its 1969 debut album. The 15 songs that followed read like the playlist of every classic rock radio station: "Black Dog," "Whole Lotta Love," "Misty Mountain Hop," and, of course, the band's magnum opus, "Stairway to Heaven," which Plant gave a surprisingly intimate and heartfelt treatment.

It took a few songs for Zeppelin to fully find its feet, and to find the right sound mix. By the fourth number, though, a thunderous version of "In My Time of Dying," the foursome reminded everyone in the O2 Arena (who had reportedly traveled from 50 countries for this night) that no other band ever sounded like this one, merging blues, rock, and folk into a noise that was purely their own. Other than a torridly funky "Trampled Underfoot," the faster songs generally felt like they could have used another week of rehearsal - without the full access to his upper register, Plant sometimes struggled to be heard about the glorious din.

But the heart of the show stayed firmly in a slow-to-medium sweet spot, demonstrating once again that it was Led Zeppelin that truly put the "heavy" in heavy metal. Page was in command of his full arsenal, from swooping slides to slashing, angular flurries, and Bonham more than held his own propelling this mammoth sound, confidently navigating the precise stops-and-starts and shifting tempos that define Zeppelin's attack. It climaxed in a majestic, thrilling version of the Middle Eastern-tinged epic "Kashmir," which closed the main set.



For a band once known as rock's holiest terrors, this reunion created a full-on case of Zep-mania in London: Newspapers were blanketed with coverage, buskers in tube stations were playing Zeppelin songs. The band members have been carefully noncommittal about whether a tour will follow this show, saying they needed to see how the O2 date went before making any decisions. From the grins on their faces, don't be surprised if we see them again soon. But regardless, fans should rejoice - at least for this one night, Led Zeppelin was truly back. Like the song says, dancing days are here again.


MSN Music: How does it feel to be playing together again?
Jimmy Page: Well, earlier this year we had this clandestine get-together. There had been a bit of a rift between us, so we had to find out if it could work, or was there too much water under the bridge? And that session felt absolutely fantastic -- it was urgent, vibrant, everything you might have hoped for and then even a bit extra, a bit more than that.

When the Ahmet thing came up, it was a call to arms. It gave us the opportunity to come together.

John Paul, I saw you this past June at the Bonnaroo festival, and you were having a blast sitting in and jamming with everyone. Have you been able to bring that spirit and enthusiasm into these rehearsals?
John Paul Jones: To be honest, though, it went the other way as well.

We had done this few days' rehearsal with Jason Bonham just before then, to see how it went. It felt really, really great playing with Jason, and with the others, really satisfying. It clicked immediately, it sounded tight -- I was surprised how many of the keys we remembered! So I was there at Bonnaroo fresh from the excitement of that.

How did the timing come together? Was it planned that the "Song Remains the Same" reissue, the "Mothership" collection and the digital catalog announcement would all happen leading up to the show? Jones: The timing just kind of fell into place. We'd been working on the "Song Remains the Same" 5.1 mix for quite a long time, and we'd gotten lots of requests from the record company for a good compilation. We were never really happy with (the 1999-2000 collections) "Early Days" and "Latter Days," and this will replace those. It's really kind of a chronological sampler -- there are songs from every one of the studio albums, so that's kind of cool.

The online stuff we started talking about not so long ago, and the O2 show was just decided on, quite late -- and that's part of it, we were having so many meetings about everything else, this just got on the agenda and then started to receive more serious talk. The time seemed right to do it.

But why was this the right time?
Jones: I don't know why! It seemed sort of organic. These things appear at the right time. The last time it came up was quite some time ago, and then it didn't seem right. This time it came up and everyone said, "Well, why not?" That's kind of how it's always been with Led Zeppelin. There never has been any great strategy or great planning.

How is it being under so much media scrutiny for this show? When Led Zeppelin was actually making records, you never really received that much attention or mainstream exposure.

Page: I don't really want to give the media the benefit of the doubt, but each of our albums is so radically different, I just think that the reviewers didn't have a clue as to what we were doing. They were totally perplexed and bewildered. The passage of time, though, has shown what it was that the fans could connect and relate to.

In the late '60s and early '70s, there were other bands that had virtuoso players within them, but to have four virtuosos who could truly play as a band -- that was the important thing. So we had four guys on top of their game, straightaway, and then those four combined to make a fifth element, which took them even further.

The level of playing is so fine, it travels across so many musical landscapes. Anyone who wants to play an instrument inevitably comes to Led Zeppelin because it is such a remarkable textbook, it's a diamond with so many facets. And the spirit and the honesty of the playing translates across generations.

Jones: It's very nice that everybody is so interested. It's astonishing, overwhelming, to get 125 million hits or whatever for the tickets. But the music is what it's all about, and we have to just get to that.

Do you think that the media's lack of interest worked to the band's advantage in the end? Certainly no one could ever say that Led Zeppelin was overexposed.

Page: We were always underplayed in press, to the point of annihilation, really negative press. But each tour, we couldn't meet the demand for people in each city. If we sold as many tickets as we could, we could have kept touring forever. So because of being so underplayed, it really relied on people's spirit coming to it, to access Led Zeppelin through the records. And like anything that's any good, it spread by word of mouth.

Is that why there's still such reverence for the music? Why do you think the allure is still so strong for younger listeners?
Jones: I'm not entirely sure. We made the records in the '70s, but they're not really of the '70s. It was a pretty unique band, it didn't really fit into any categories. Which is part of why the press didn't really get what we were doing, which was really their problem -- it certainly wasn't a problem for the fans who were buying the records or coming to the shows. So I think the records aren't dated because they weren't of their time in the first place.

Young kids, especially young musicians, really recognize the truth and the integrity of the music. So many people tell me, "My son or daughter has taken up an instrument and they want to play like you." It's nice to be an inspiration. I was certainly inspired by my heroes, and it's nice to pass that along.

"The Song Remains the Same" isn't generally considered to be an example of Zeppelin at its live peak. What do you think of that reputation -- do you think it gets a bad rap?
Page: Listen to (the 2003 live album) "How the West Was Won" -- that was done a year earlier and we were really firing on all cylinders, but, you know, I could be critical of those performances, too. ("Song") is taken from across a couple of nights, at the end of a long tour. It was pretty happening, really happening. It wasn't the best shows we did on that tour, but I don't know which ones were.

Jones: I never thought it had a bad reputation. I always thought it was a good gig, but now it sounds bloody good as well. I think the record companies, as they will do, when they put the film on VHS and on DVD, they just did the transfer directly, straight to video, with no consultation with us.

Everything we've ever done was a statement of where the band was at the time. It was the end of a tour, the New York crowds were always very responsive. I'm sure I saw the same faces in the first rows from night to night. I think we played well -- I don't know how it came across, but I have no hesitation saying that.

Was there anything that surprised you in the performances while you were doing the remixing and remastering?

Page: The remix was related to having up-to-the-minute 5.1 surround mix on the film. But we couldn't change a frame on the film once it was copyrighted. So unlike the (2003 live retrospective) DVD, where we could overlay visuals to the sound, the exercise was that the film was out of sync and we had to actually adjust the music. We couldn't just go slow motion on the film. With the aid of ProTools, (engineer) Kevin Shirley did a fantastic job with that. And everything just sounds so much better. You have techniques today that weren't dreamt of back then.

Also, the whole of the set is included now. It goes in the way we envisioned it, how we would really pace a show. The only addition was "The Ocean" -- that was the encore, but we put it into the set.

John Paul, what stands out to you when you go back and listen?

Jones: How good it all was. I hadn't played the records much since those days -- or even in those days. As soon as one was finished, we would start work on the next record or the next tour or whatever. Now I hear them and think, "Oh, I forgot -- that was really good!"

What is it like to watch the movie's famous "fantasy sequences" now?
Jones: Well, we did look young! It was supposed to be a concert film, but when we went through it, there were these holes in the film, when they were changing reels or something. So then there was a bit of panic. I don't know whose idea it was to do the fantasy sequences -- but Jimmy and I were just talking about it, and we realized that Bonzo's wasn't actually a fantasy sequence, it was a reality sequence!

It was all fun, but in the end, not to sound like a broken record, it still comes down to the music. There were some embarrassing moments, but some good fun, too.

Page: We all went off our own merry ways, but Bonham just carried on in his usual way while we did these weird depictions of whatever. It was very much for the time and of the time. It was courageous, on one hand -- on the other hand, we managed to be Spinal Tap (laughs). But we did it first!

What is the biggest misconception about Led Zeppelin?
Jones: A lot is made of the salacious reputation of the band, which always detracted from the music. That was always disappointing -- especially newspapers, they would always start talking about sharks or whatever, and I would always think, "Oh, God, why does nobody mention how good the band was?"

Page: The biggest misunderstanding (long pause) ... I could be trite and say that people think the robbery in the movie was a fake, that we did that to add drama to the film. But now, by including the local coverage from the New York news (in the "Song" DVD's bonus footage), you can see that it was very real.

I don't know -- I don't care what they think about the band, or about me, or whatever. That will all be eradicated by listening to the music. If you really listen closely and hear what it was that we were doing, all the rest goes away.

[BOBBO]

Any ???

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

Any ???

working on it
YouTube - Jimmy Page interview on the BBC 19.11.07 - Part 1/2

YouTube - Jimmy Page interview on the BBC 19.11.07 - Part 2/2

[BOBBO]

[BOBBO]

[FLICKOFLASH]

YouTube - Robert Plant interview UK tv news 20th November 2007

YouTube - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

[BOBBO]

I wonder if Jimmy used his vintage guitars or his custom shop's ?

[BCRGreg]

That's as real as real gets.

[Swordscythe]

Tour! Tour! Tour!

[Big_dawg]

here you go...

p_a_h's slideshow on Flickr

Would love to have seen foreigner...

[Big_dawg]

and since when were foreigner british...???

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by Big_dawg

here you go...

p_a_h's slideshow on Flickr

Would love to have seen foreigner...

Excellent pic slideshow Dawg !!

[Big_dawg]

not mine im afraid...

The venues only about 40 minutes drive away and I know some guys that went down there as when we were there for the foos you could here the concert round the back, but apparently security was so tight they werent letting people into parts of the main building that are usually open to the general public.

They also didnt turn on the huge screen outside for the few hundred people who had turned up...

Oh well wait for the dvd and tour...

[Mike60]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

I wonder if Jimmy used his vintage guitars or his custom shop's ?

????... did Jimmy stump you...

[Led Zep Fan]

Led Zeppelin Photographs, Pictures, Pics, Photos and more...

There's a ton of pics here, one of my faves:

[Led Zep Fan]

[Led Zep Fan]

Whole Buncha' Vids:
BLABBERMOUTH.NET - LED ZEPPELIN: More Video Footage From Reunion Concert Posted Online

[Spicoli]

Bootlegged! Enjoy boys!

YouTube - Led Zeppelin 2007

YouTube - Led Zeppelin

YouTube - Led Zeppelin 2007

[waynesmith]

They look good and the clips sound killer...The boys are back and this is what rock and roll is.....Page is the reason why I wanted a Les Paul. Seeing these pics and hearing the clips gives me the same feeling I had when they last toured the US some 30 years ago... I will pay what it takes to see them again.. Just watching Page's swagger with that low slung Les Paul makes me feel like I'm a kid again......Like little Robert Anthony said, "Play it one time for Elvis" and "Let that boy boogie woogie"....

[BOBBO]

Some pics from the Zeppelin Gig !!

LED ZEPPELIN AHMET TRIBUTE PHOTOS


LED ZEPPELIN AHMET TRIBUTE PHOTOS

[NewtoyLPVM]

I'll probably be flamed for this, but Plant SOUNDS WORSE than Mick Jagger. He and Mick should not even try "SINGING"!~

[61LPSG]

R O C K and R O L L !!!

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by NewtoyLPVM

I'll probably be flamed for this, but Plant SOUNDS WORSE than Mick Jagger. He and Mick should not even try "SINGING"!~

I have to say after listening to a few live tunes .. It's not MSG 1977 ... But Hell these guys are over 50 !! Let's hear your pipes at 50 years old !!! Give Rob & Jimmy a break !! They need retirement $$$ !!!!

[NewtoyLPVM]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

I have to say after listening to a few live tunes .. It's not MSG 1977 ... But Hell these guys are over 50 !! Let's hear your pipes at 50 years old !!! Give Rob & Jimmy a break !! They need retirement $$$ !!!!

You missed the point again, Mr. Bobbo. People are not spending thousands of $$ to see me. If I have to pay that kind of money to see them, he can at least "try singing" instead of reciting the lyrics. The Eagles are over 50 too, and they (Joe, Glenn, Don, etc) can still sing. ETA: Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan and I have all their albums but seeing those videos at Youtube, I am sorry to say that Plant Sucks big time.

[lp59aholicDon]

Originally Posted by NewtoyLPVM

You missed the point again, Mr. Bobbo. People are not spending thousands of $$ to see me. If I have to pay that kind of money to see them, he can at least "try singing" instead of reciting the lyrics. The Eagles are over 50 too, and they (Joe, Glenn, Don, etc) can still sing. ETA: Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan and I have all their albums but seeing those videos at Youtube, I am sorry to say that Plant Sucks big time.

Ahh Don is no longer with the Eagles, Joe and Glenn have the electric guitar duties

[NewtoyLPVM]

Originally Posted by lp59aholicDon

Ahh Don is no longer with the Eagles, Joe and Glenn have the electric guitar duties

Yup, but they can still sing the high (read: correct) notes instead of reciting them.

[single cut 54]

Originally Posted by NewtoyLPVM

Yup, but they can still sing the high (read: correct) notes instead of reciting them.

We saw The Eagles this year at the NEC Birmingham and I've got to say they were the best live band i've ever seen, musically and vocally.Everything was spot on, they did have a replacement for Don Felder but I never found out who he was.Anybody Know?

[NewtoyLPVM]

Originally Posted by lp59aholicDon

Ahh Don is no longer with the Eagles, Joe and Glenn have the electric guitar duties

I was talking about Don Henley.

[NewtoyLPVM]

Originally Posted by single cut 54

We saw The Eagles this year at the NEC Birmingham and I've got to say they were the best live band i've ever seen, musically and vocally.Everything was spot on, they did have a replacement for Don Felder but I never found out who he was.Anybody Know?

Not sure who that guy is. I guess he was OK, based on their Australian Farewell Tour video. I still think Don Felder is better.

[lp59aholicDon]

Originally Posted by NewtoyLPVM

I was talking about Don Henley.

Too Many Don's dosent happen often