Led Zeppelin: The Full Report From David Fricke (Rolling Stone article about yesterday's show)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Led Zeppelin: The Full Report From David Fricke

Posted Dec 11, 2007 9:19 AM



http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601364/led_zeppelin_the_full_report_from_david_fricke

You could see the pleasure — in the way Plant kicked at the base of his mike stand in "Ramble On," sending it in an arc over his head '72-style, and in the big grin on Page's face, blown up on the screen, as Bonham flew into the climactic drum thunder of "Black Dog." For much of the show, even with a full, wide stage to themselves, Page, Plant and Jones stood in tight formation at the foot of the drum riser, often facing Jason, as if they were still in rehearsal. "I just want to have fun!" Plant barked at one point, as the band swerved from the extended, frenzied mid-section of "In My Time of Dying" back into the song's blues-march backbone.

Zeppelin did not walk or waltz through any of tonight's sixteen songs. You could hear the care, the weeks of practice that started back in June, in the live debut of "For Your Life" from Presence, a song which, according to Plant in our recent cover story, the band tried in the first rehearsals but dropped after two days. Obviously, there was no staying away from its eccentric oceanic chop. There was no getting away from the warhorses either. "No Quarter" came with the obligatory dry ice. "There are certain things we had to do — this is one of them," Plant said, almost in apology, introducing "Dazed and Confused." Page was soon back in ancient ritual — pulling long wah-wah groans from his Gibson Les Paul with a violin bow under a rotating steeple of green-laser beams.

Any doubts about Plant's ability to still hit the high notes, his willingness to go stratospheric, was obliterated at the right, dramatic points in "Since I've Been Loving You" and "Kashmir." Jones and Bonham locked in like family. And Page was a continual shock on guitar, mostly because he has played so little in public for the past decade. At sixty-three, Page is undiminished in his sorcerer's mix of reckless ferocity — stammering runs, strangled howls, granite-block chords — and guitar-army wow. He recreated the harmonized-lick break in "Ramble On" with a sly blend of phasing and natural glide, and evoked the riff-orchestra swoop of "The Song Remains the Same" with a sustained rain of twelve-string harmonics. It was also clear why Page's solo career has been one of fits and starts. In Led Zeppelin, Page built the perfect beast for his fury and ambitions. Last night, he cut and slashed against Jones' percolating clavinet in "Trampled Underfoot" like an enraged butcher, and matched Plant's hairpin cries in the field-holler passages of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" with a devils' choir of distortion.

At times, Zeppelin seemed to amaze themselves. "Spectacular!" crowed Plant, turning to Bonham with pride at the end of "Rock and Roll." As the words "Led Zeppelin" filled the back screen, before the band left the stage for good, Bonham dropped to his knees and bowed, as if to say "I'm not worthy," In fact, he was, in spades, pushing his elders — hard — in the circle dance "Misty Mountain Hop" and the steady, exotic ascension of "Kashmir."

[TrogL]

1. I just came

...and I don't even like Zeppelin.

...OK, except for Led Zep III...

...and the bass riff on Whole Lotta Love...

...and Stairway even though I can only play it on keyboards

[TrogL]

3. ELP shoutout

It is only fair to point out that there were other performers on the bill, including Foreigner, Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings and members of Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer

[MrCoffee]

2. of course Rolling Stone spewed all over it

i'm surprised the article didn't come wrapped in a condom.

[no name no slogan]

4. It did come with a cigarette

Q: Do you smoke after sex?

A: I don't know, I've never checked.