Legend ~ The Magic of Page and Plant
under construction !

Thank you for your patience !

continued from Part One

 


No Quarter tour in Mountain View, California - Shoreline Amphitheatre October 1995

  

     April 17, 1994 was the first publicized appearance of Page and Plant in their current incarnation at The Alexis Korner Blues Show at Buxton, England. By August 1994 they were taping performances in London (8/25 & 26), Wales and Morocco in preparation for a TV special, MTV UNLEDDED (scheduled for October airdate). From this project evolved the CD treasure, NO QUARTER, leading in turn to their first true reunion tour in February, 1995.

     NO QUARTER composition consisted of Page and Plant, joined by Charlie Jones (bass/percussion), Michael Lee (drums/percussion), Porl Thompson (guitar/banjo), Najma Akhtar (vocals), Jim Sutherland (mandolin/bodbran), Nigel Eaton (hurdy gurdy), and Ed Shearmur (Hammond organ & orchestral arrangements).

     Robert Plant cites various recording conditions of the reunion album, No Quarter, as an example of creative freedom: "When we were out in the desert in Morocco playing with those (indigenous) musicians, it was something we'd never dreamed of doing even though we'd driven down dusty tracks for 20 years together - peering into the dusty desert half-light listening to that kind of music. And then suddenly we're with these people.

     We can go back any time and be a part of that again. Or, we can make a very commercial Led Zeppelin-oriented record in time to come. Or we can do whatever the hell we want to do. And that's basically an extension of what we've always done, and it hasn't done us so badly."

Tours in '95 and '98 were like Zeppelin touring the Global Village with a New World spin. These musicians are challenged to consistently provide better than 99 44/100% pure perfection. It is stunning to hear The Dynamic Duo is still up for fresh production projects more than 30 years after their initial flight out of the barn. John Paul Jones, at long last ready to unveil his own independent project in 1999, is a Capricorn used to being placed securely on a pedestal by the rest of the music industry, and the Zeppelin circle of admirers. His early recollections of formative years reveal something of the pressures felt. "I've rated Jimmy Page for years and years. We both came from South London, and even in 1962, I can remember people saying, 'You've got to go and listen to Neil Christian and The Crusaders - they've got this unbelievable young guitarist.' I'd heard of Pagey before I'd heard of Clapton or Beck." JPJ (The Black Mountain Side website - History)
 

The 1998 progressions to both nativities once again usher in newer, more provocative musical samples from the smorgasbord of sound Page and Plant enjoy. Plant's "gourmet" Virgo Mercury (intellect, how he thinks) is joined this year in a waxing conjunction formed with progressed Venus and Saturn, within 2 degrees of perfect. Virgo is the critic of the zodiac and proud of it! The January 3 '98 radio interview with Plant, on the British All Classical Music station, reviewed his really long hair selections. Atop list of 'emotional classics', his favorite is Nesson Dorma by Pavarotti. Asked which composer he would have most liked to have been, he chose Mahler ("I don't know how much fun he had when he was alive, but he was inspiring"). Phil Lesh [Grateful Dead] also names Mahler on his short list of personal favorites. Music which made Plant feel creative was illustrated by an Om Kalsoom Indian piece enjoyed frequently as opening music for Page and Plant on tour during '95 & '96 (Says Plant: "Its a good way to start the day and say "Thank god I'm alive").

     ON THE SIDE: Scanning a FAQ assemblage from a fan's website, a couple of curious propositions from the peanut gallery popped up that I thought could use some clarification, although I make no claims to be an authority on these subjects. There is a recurrent inquiry about "backwards messages" dubbed backmasking, from a California group who claim to be hearing messages from the devil implanted in, or superimposed over, Zeppelin performances of "Stairway To Heaven". Applying the noted Capricorn classic: "Silence Is Golden", with the appropriate diplomatic balm, we hear from Jimmy Page: "Well, I don't pass any comments on them..."     

     The "stock" response to them has always been something in the vicinity of, "Our turntables only turn forward." To these well meaning collectors I direct a suggestion. Pick up a copy of Raudive's book, BREAKTHROUGH, and read it. I believe it was first published in Europe but is now available in the USA. You may also find, "VOICES FROM THE TAPES", by Peter Bander, somewhat illuminating. He was recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and given the highest honors and awards by the Vatican (short of sainthood) for proving beyond a shadow of a doubt there are other dimensions and it is possible for anyone to communicate with entities there by means of a simple tape recorder and diode. Since these scientific experiments were validated by everybody at the global level during the 1970s, during the same decade that Stairway To Heaven was introduced, it is beyond me what these people could have been doing with their time.


     Going To California? May began the first of the two leg WALKING INTO EVERYWHERE Tour through America, that eventually reached a couple of Northern California venues. Tickets for both shows were hot, and both huge outdoor amphitheaters filled to capacity. During the first appearance in Concord on Sept 11, it looked as though Page and Plant taping their own "home movie version of WALKING INTO EVERYWHERE"? The encore "curtain calls" from the crowd were so long and loud, I lost count of how many there were. The first time I caught them live, I assumed Page and Plant taped their shows as a matter of form until Shoreline, the following night when no sign of filming or equipment could be detected. Makes you wonder. December 3, 1998 Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany closed the WALKING INTO EVERYWHERE European leg of the tour, so maybe I'll never know. But Page and Plant might be cooking up something new for us that is still unseen!

     During 1998 Page's notable Earthless chart channeled for Mercury at the first stage of his sojourn through the sign of opalescent light, Pisces. The earthen vessel holds water for spiritual more than intellectual and even physical thirsts. Plant's current Grand Earth Trine features advantageous business auguries for success with anything he touches. Teamwork enabled both to rack up some very impressive numbers of play time in '98 and we can expect even more from them in '99. First, reports straight from UK publication for Zeppelin enthusiasts, Tight But Loose #13: "Now officially confirmed: Led Zeppelin are the second best selling act of all time in the US. Cumulative sales of 68.8 million albums takes them above Garth Brooks (66 million) and behind The Beatles (100 million). Three Zeppelin albums (Zep 2/4/'Physical Graffiti') showed in the Channel 4 Music For The Millennium Top 100 - the accompanying TV program showed footage of 'Whole Lotta Love' from the Albert Hall 1970 show and some perceptive comments from Lloyd Grossman." (rumors have it there is a new video of the entire Albert Hall show for the year ahead, to make sure we'll all party like its 1999!)
 

     The balance between the powerful Sun to Mercury conjunction in Pisces (new) for Page in 1999 and Plant's Grand Earth Trine promises that this team will be prolific during the final year of this century and well into the next one! We'll probably see more soundtrack work from both, although I personally wish they would dust off, 'Train Kept A Rollin', The Yardbirds repertoire, and rework it with John Paul Jones. It seems the European audiences took to the GODZILLA theme, 'Come With Me', from the movie soundtrack faster though not necessarily more enthusiastically than US. 'Come With Me', entered the UK music charts at #2 - Bigger than life - a dynamite variation from Puff-Daddy and Jimmy Page on the exotic Zeppelin original 'Kashmir'. Reviews of the Saturday Night Live performance that brought the house down were appropriately generous (all the TV VJs loved it), and the video version, taped with Page in London and Puffy in USA makes you wish more Hollywood suits had their phone number.           

Reunion - Led Zeppelin Reunion Concert - Rock and Roll Tour & various clips on You Tube
Sorry, the Robert Plant & Jimmy Page - Most High video was withdrawn

     The blend of Pisces imaginative caravansary fantasy (Page) and Virgo's husbandman goal to press the wine from all the varied experiences of life (Plant), the accomplishments at the end of a Page and Plant day is always an extraordinary elixir. VH1 LEGENDS aired their Led Zeppelin documentary featuring rare film from live performances during the 70s era; this mini-movie was well researched, with high entertainment value, excellently narrated by Aerosmith's Stephen Tyler. The September 30, 1998 debut of THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME in its widescreen/letterbox edition for laserdisc raises the hope for a VHS and DVD coming attraction.

     MTV Network added a new show during June '98, with online surveys "looking for diehard fans of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant". FANatic aired shortly thereafter with a brief interview of Page and Plant by one of their fans. There are numerous websites, tributes, and The Ring Of Zeppelin online, as we take on the millennium. Its our guarantee that the Pisces and Virgo sides of the big picture Page and Plant projected onto the 'reely big' screen for us all, will be properly told.

     Closing on the topic, one more peculiar notion that seems to hound Zeppelin, mentioned more than once in various documentary specials during 1998 (and probably generally misread) should be addressed. The points are raised with some degree of regularity on FAQ lists as well. Although there might naturally be confusion because Jimmy Page is an avid collector of occult books and paraphernalia, so are several high ranking religious leaders from every known religion. The problem is not so much with Jimmy Page or his activities per se, as with the incredible problem for anyone even remotely linked with the writings of Aleister Crowley, considered by most 'too hot to handle'.

     Although most people have heard of Crowley, few know the way he acquired such bad press. Neophytes are unaware that anyone who investigates or studies black, white, and transcendental magic, doubles as a bibliophile, reviews Wagner and Freud, translates Yi King and other sacred scriptures, etc., etc., etc., is not properly called a Black Arts Practitioner, in [non-European] philosophic and metaphysical circles. Since Crowley contributed to all these libraries with great regularity, such classification is considered inaccurate. I will omit references to his poetry, since there is some degree of doubt as to proper classification there. Crowley was, however, a master mathematician, first solving complex problems for centuries regarded as unsolvable (for which he receives 0 credit). The best way to review Crowley in view of his peculiar public image, is via his own biographical "Confessions" and by carefully investigating Mark Twain's translation of Louis de Comptes, "Jean d'Arc, By Her Page And Secretary".

     On the surface, both appear to arise from different quarters, yet actually target the same terrible truth. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for communing with an entity borne of a French monk's transcription error. There is no such entity or force in nature with the name 'Baphomet' for Joan to have communed with, although at her trial (charged with witchcraft) it was proven she had done so. Because the great game of musical Vaticans and multiple Popes ran concurrent during the period of France's war with England, some secret teachings held by Rome leaked out into public domain. Although Crowley and Twain weren't connected, both knew about the injustice to Joan. Also both men sported the same biting humor, so while both found these conditions repulsive and were unable to correct them, it wasn't beyond either man to intellectually poke at the source. You will notice Crowley had his picture taken as, Baphomet, the Supreme and Holy King of Ireland, Iona, and all the Britains that are in the Sanctuary of the Gnosis, O.T.O. - Crowley in full Masonic regalia, c. 1916. Naturally everyone took him seriously because he had provided an opportunity for them to take aim and fire. There is no record of hesitation on the part of his critics.

     If you want to penetrate to the subtle style and meaning of metaphysical writing, keep both these texts around for a while, perhaps one under each arm. It boils down to Crowley's use of titles, imagery, and symbolism that often scares the hell out of most people. Because he did this for the explicit purpose of embarrassing 'polite society' and intellectually backward clubs, he was unanimously referred to in the most derogatory way by those with the power of the press at their disposal. His consistent amusement over his ability to arouse such indignation only deepened sentiment against him. However, this does not invalidate his critique of some popular 'old boys networks' of his day. (No one seems to refer to it in the written Led Zeppelin FAQ lists.) Remember there were no less than four popes in the Christian world during the life of St. Joan! Loyalty to the Pope in Rome caused Joan and those from her village more grief than history has recorded

Congratulations at last!  Led Zeppelin delivers May Fete - big time!
How the West Was Won
Led Zeppelin

CRITIC'S CHOICE | NEW CD'S     
... "The music is divided into a three-CD package and a two-DVD set, each with completely different material. The Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who was largely responsible for compiling the set, has intimated in interviews that this is all the surviving live material he feels is satisfactory for release. Thus, the group is putting it all out at once with the indulgence that has always been its hallmark. Led Zeppelin was never a band that liked to do things in half measures (that is, with the notable exception of its half reunion as Page and Plant).

It comes on like a brick in the face. Finger-slicing guitar rave-ups, scorching castrati-esque wails, joint-popping drum rolls and one anthem after another Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog and, yes, Stairway to Heaven mark the first CD of How the West Was Won (Atlantic). This is Led Zeppelin at full throttle, culled live from two California shows in 1972. It is sweat-drenched vindication for a band that played the blues, but didn't feel the blues. It felt some other passion, entirely its own, even if it was at times just a passion for itself and its self-appointed role as carriers of the torch passed on from rock's Tennessee and Mississippi progenitors.


On the second and third discs, the band begins to bloat. Contained here is the indulgence and virtuosity that one simultaneously dreads and savors in a Zeppelin live set. Mr. Page gets experimental with his violin bow on a 25-minute Dazed and Confused, John Bonham takes more than a solo on a 19-minute Moby Dick, and Robert Plant turns Whole Lotta Love into a history lesson, taking us from swing to blues to rock 'n' roll, channeling Wanda Jackson, Ricky Nelson and Howlin' Wolf along the way.

Like any three-hour concert, How the West Was Won has its bruisers and its snoozers, but it would be hard to come up with a better representation of all four cylinders of Led Zeppelin fine-tuned and at peak performance....

 


ARTS / MUSIC | May 27, 2003    
 Led Zeppelin: Passion to Bloat
By NEIL STRAUSS   (NYT)   Review  

Abramelin and Jimmy Page,  ~  The LAB
The Black Crowes - THE ROLLING STONE
release date of July 4, 2000
During the Sun's sojourn in the Moon's tenacious sign Cancer, 'Live At The Greek' began an ascent to immortality. Emphasis focused on the tour, promo spots for the 'nothing but net' CD, and as of the above date, via many other delivery systems including television. Luna's influence associated with both the big wave 'surfer' and clan chief, held to a predictably strong message with solid backbone and rock's empathic, 'easy to love' media profile. Sun & Mars, both @ 12 degrees exact, infused the pure passion, courage and nobility of both original LA shows carried through the co-created performances. More about the Jimmy Page - Black Crowes performance at Net-Aid.
 
Take a note: Led Zeppelin is the most bootlegged act of all time [according to the British Phonographic Industry], estimating at least 384 unauthorized concert and studio recordings of Led Zep in circulation, although by Page's own count that number would be a conservative estimate. Page said he went to Japan to promote the four-CD box set in 1992 and, "I came back with 250 bootlegs the first time."
 
 

 

 

At 9.04pm, the O2 Arena erupted as the lights came on and the band arrived
on stage. The reaction to the band's long-awaited reunion was ecstatic.
And fans are now desperate for a full-blown tour.

 

MESSAGE FROM JIMMY PAGE

As you all know by now I was regrettably put in a situation where I had to postpone my performance at the Ahmet Ertegun Benefit show, on November 26th, due to a fractured finger. We have now rescheduled this show to take place, at the same venue, on December 10th.

In doing so I was very conscious of the fact that many people are travelling great distances to attend. I do want to let everyone know that this decision was unavoidable. My apologies to anyone who has been inconvenienced by this change.

I would also like to thank everyone else involved for their help with making this change. Harvey Goldsmith, the trustees of the Ahmet Ertegun Foundation and, of course, the other artists who so willingly agreed to join us on the show.

I look forward to the 10th December!

Jimmy Page

 

Please refer to www.ahmettribute.com for information on how to obtain a refund and for further information.
 

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - click for a sample of excellent bluegrass

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 5:25 AM
From:      LedZeppelinHistory@yahoogroups.com - Steve "The Lemon" Sauer www.stevepsauer.com
RE:      On This Day In Led Zeppelin History:  Tribute to Arthur Lee
Comments:
"I feel like I've seen just about a million sunsets
She said if you're with me I'll never go away
That's when I stopped and I took another look at my baby
She said if you're with me I'll never go away
Because everybody's gotta live
And everybody's gonna die
Everybody's gotta live
Before you know the reason why"

So wrote Arthur Lee in the song "Everybody's Gotta Live," which is
included on his 1972 solo debut, Vindicator.

Arthur died of leukemia this past Thursday. During his 61 years, he became a musical hero to many -- not the least of whom is Robert Plant. Arthur managed to inspire, to captivate and to influence the Led Zeppelin singer and lyricist, leading the band Love, for which he notably penned much of Forever Changes, the 1967 album Plant frequently calls his all-time favorite record...

Concert promoter Steve Weitzman put together a show in June to benefit Arthur Lee, who was facing not only an uncertain future but also overwhelming medical bills without any insurance coverage. Weitzman said he pitched the idea to Robert Plant that he should come to New York City to play at the concert. Weitzman said Plant readily and eagerly agreed to do it, insisting he would cover his own travel expenses and play with anyone who would be there. Saving production costs for the concert, including not flying over Plant's entire band from England, meant there would be more money for the cause, to benefit Arthur. As a result, Plant played with members of Ian Hunter's band and performed a full set combining five Love songs, four Led Zeppelin numbers, and a few other cover songs -- all on only two days' worth of rehearsals with the unfamiliar backing band. Weitzman said Plant and Hunter (formerly of Mott the Hoople) were old friends and that they enjoyed catching up and performing onstage together for the first time...

 

Contributions to the Arthur Lee Tribute Fund are welcome and should be addressed care of Wells Fargo Bank, 14855 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. The routing number for the fund is 122000247, and the account number is 6503287200.                  
 

 

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