In all the mayhem this week, I overlooked our usual Friday Night Jazz session. Such are the casualties of market corrections.
No matter, I have been listening to tunes a bit less mellow this week. With the recent death of my iPod (where I seek out my blood pressure lowering respites), I have no "special place" to go. Instead, I’ve been rockin out to How The West Was Won [LIVE]. This album is an astonishing display of Rock and Roll mastery by
(arguably) the finest Rock and Roll combo ever to take any stage
anywhere: Led Zeppelin.
One of the few great bands I have never seen live, to my eternal disappointment. Hence, why this recording is so great: This is a triple-disc live set (culled from 1972 Long Beach/LA shows in advance of Houses of the Holy), showcasing the band at the peak of its creative and performing powers. Rumor has it the band released this to capitalize on the cult status of these recording in the bootleg
market. (I love the comment "Whole careers have since been built on the musical ideas Jimmy Page and company toss off here as decorative filler"). That Stairway to Heaven shows up early in the show gives you an idea of how powerful everything else in this package is . . .
If you are a fan, or have seen The Song Remains the Same an ungodly number of times, this is a must own.
Here’s the review that should put fans over the top: "This collection of performances from 2 shows in 1972 (June 25th at LA
Forum, June 27th at Long Beach Arena) represent Led Zeppelin at their
live best. Listening to it makes me wish I had been born early enough
to witness Led Zeppelin in concert, and I envy those who were there at
those shows, witnessing a night of history. The versions of "Whole
Lotta Love," "Dazed & Confused," and "Bring It On Home" are all at
least 10 minutes and are sure to please every Zeppelin fan out there.
"Whole Lotta Love" is here in all its live glory, containing the medley
of covers that extended it to 23+ minutes, pure Zeppelin bliss."
Oh, and I paid $11 for a "new" used version.
“This album is an astonishing display of Rock and Roll mastery by (arguably) the finest Rock and Roll combo ever to take any stage anywhere: Led Zeppelin.”
No argument here. :)
I was on the floor, 16 rows back on Page’s side, for their Physical Grafitti tour, one of my top 5 concert experiences. Had even better seats for their next show, but the tour was cancelled when Plant’s son died.
Zep, Who, Floyd. Those were the days.
I was ten when “Led Zeppelin” came out, thanks to my buddy’s older brothers I was very into it. Thanks Barry for the memories
Here’s some music to recapture that feeling. I’ve got three tunes for you. A couple of Mid-Western bands. And a New Orleans combo.
I’m a big 1) Bob Pollard fan, we’ve got a 2) Wilco soon-to-be classic and something no jazz fan should be without 3) Rebirth Blues Band:
1) Here’s a Guided by Voices tune you should grab for your iPod:
I am a Tree
I am a tree – I show my age when I don’t cry
I have the leaves that will fall off when wind blows by
Don’t strip off my bark – I have been stripped of it before
Yesterdays gone and tomorrow has so much more in store
You are a bird – you’re taking off in every way
Say the last word until there is nothing more to say
Don’t interrupt – you know the squirrels are my friends
Get off my limb – for I will break before I bend
I’m planning to see
I’m planning to feel you all over me
So climb up my trunk and build on your nest
Come and get the sap out if me
I am a tree!
Fruitless and free!
No symmetry!
Touch me and see!
I am a tree – counting my rings will do no good
I wont live long but I would be with you if I could
When you take flight, remember me to one who lives there
Since you have flown, there’s something special in the air
(re-zoom/busy signals from the home front)
2) Here’s a great Wilco tune – not about ‘drugs’ but about white collar lifestyles – that they’ve played the last couple of times I’ve seen them. A fabulous live tune.
Handshake Drugs
I was chewin’ gum for something to do
The blinds were being pulled down on the dew
Inside, out of love, what a laugh
I was looking for you
Saxophones started blowing me down
I was buried in sound
Taxicabs were driving me around
To the handshake drugs I bought downtown
To the handshake drugs I bought downtown
They were translated poorly, I felt like a clown
I looked like someone I used to know
I felt alright
And if I ever was myself
I wasn’t that night
Oh it’s okay for you to say
What you want from me
I believe that’s the only
Way for me to be, exactly
What you want me to be
Oh it’s okay for you to say
What you want from me
I believe that’s the only
Way for me to be
Exactly what you want me to be
Oh I was chewin’ gum for something to do
The blinds were being pulled down on the dew
Inside, out of love, what a laugh
I was looking for you
Saxophones started blowin’ me down
I was buried in sound
The taxicabs were driving me around
To the handshake drugs I bought downtown
To the handshake drugs I bought downtown
Oh it’s okay for you to say
What you want from me
I believe that’s the only
Way for me to be
Exactly what do you want me to be?
Exactly what do you want me to be?
Felt like a clown
They were translating poorly
I looked like someone
I used to know
And if I ever was myself,
I wasn’t that night
Exactly what do you want me to be?
Exactly what do you want me to be?
3) From ‘fruitless and free’ to ‘they were translating poorly’ I think Indie rock is the true sound of American Music today. I’m a huge jazz fan – three jazz clubs within a two block radius of my place –
The Rebirth Blues Band’s ‘Roll With It’ is art.
(no lyrics)
Download ‘em all. And get those limit orders in low this week.
I have mentioned the great jazz guitarist Pat Metheny to you a few times (OK, I’m a HUGE fan). If you get a chance, you should listen to his 1998 CD “Imaginary Day,” for which he won a grammy for best ROCK guitar solo. It is reminiscent of Zeppelin and Jimmy Hendrix.
Barry… Have you seen the 2 disc DVD set that came out at the same time that “How the West Was Won” came out? It’s a must own for any Zeppelin fan.
~~~
BR: Already got it: Led Zeppelin 2003
Gold Creek Rock Festival, summer 1969, along with Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After and others. Now that was a concert…
I was at that LB Arena show and it was my second LZ concert. The first was their first west coast concert at University of California at Irvine in the basketball gym! They played Train Kept a Rollin (only time I ever heard them play it and I’ve seen them play at least 10 times). Page and company were simply the best rock n roll band ever.
Seattle Pop Festival held in Woodinville on July 25, 1969.
http://216.254.10.116/essays/output.cfm?file_id=1259
concert flyers of the day….
“pyzeppelin.free.fr/affiches_concert.htm”
Here’s some Live zep from that era…(R&R)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boZLA5F1oYE
Oh and Barry i’ve got something for your next time-suck.
It’s a little app called Tubesock which allows you to Download Youtube videos to your computer/ipod
I was just thinking of music this morning at the gym. I was listening to a bunch of oldies but goodies and had a thought that somehow wound its way into my brain.
Do recessions produce better music?
I was listing to all that older angry punk stuff and thinking about how the bleaker times inspired such cool hardbiting socially relevant stuff stuff whereas today’s music seems so narcisstic and casual.
Maybe there is some way of testing the hypothesis by looking at the “best” songs and comparing them with the economic situations at the time. One of the problems may be that during recesisons it seems logical that people would buy less music. But maybe there is a way to control for that.
Kids today, and most of their parents for that matter, have no concept of what it’s like to grow up wondering if a lottery is going to send you off to a war that had already taken tens or thousands of lives.
That reality, not the economy, was what most affected the music and events of the time.
Thanks for last weeks recommendation, I’ve had that Steely Dan box set (cassette) for years and forgot it was on the shelf.
I agree on Vietnam as a catalyst for the Golden awakening in Rock. And those artists grew into the 80’s wanting even more intellect and dance. Then the golden dreams began to evaporate in the 90’s to headbutt stuff. 00’s back to despair.
The problem we are suffering now is the couch potatoe age and bountiful recordings discouraged training and need.
I also purchased this DVD for my collection.Played the side with The Immigrant Song which was recorded in Sydney and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted me in the audience, full hesd of hair as well, stoned off my face. Ahh! those were the days.