Readers overwhelmingly positive on new Led Zeppelin DVD, live album

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Led Zeppelin's live album How the West Was Won and chronological live visual set DVD, now out in most of the world, will be released June 11 in Japan and Friday in Australia and New Zealand.

Man, I can't wait. I'm getting home Friday night with my DVD in my hot little hand, locking the gate, bolting the door, putting the phone in the toilet and sitting in front of the tele for the weekend. "Wayyyyyyy down inside!" I hope the neighbours don't wanna sleep this weekend.

Andrew
Christchurch, New Zealand

In the meantime, Lemon Squeezings presents comments from some readers who are infatuated with their new toys. Thanks to all who wrote in.

I was the first one in the Virgin Megastore on 45th & Broadway at 9 a.m. on May 27, and I paid the great price of $22.99 for the DVDs and $20.99 for the CDs. OH BABY BABY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard
New York, N.Y.

I arrived home at 3:30 p.m. (Don't mention speed limits, will you?) toput the DVD on first; the thing that strikes me immediately is the flood of memories from actually being at the concerts first time around. I remember I was working at the Hardrock Concert Theatre in Manchester when Zeppelin performed two consecutive nights there, Dec. 7-8, 1972. I was lucky enough to meet Robert Plant for the first time then, a thoroughly nice guy. Next, the thing that (literally) hit me is the phenomenal power and intricacy of the drumming of John Bonham; he must be the only drummer who really did have arms like Popeye and sticks like telegraph poles. Unbelievable.

Mark
Liverpool, England

I bought the DVD and CD from HMV shop in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. I was there at 10 a.m. when it opened. I rushed back home and spent the next six hours or so in heaven.

Ashley
Crewe, England

I picked up the CD this morning at a music store in Grand Central Station, the only one I could find open at 7:30 a.m. on my way to work. Even on my Compaq M700 laptop, they sound unreal. I can't wait to listen on a real system tonight, but the laptop will do for now as I will be listening over and over all day.

Dave
New York, N.Y.

You should've seen me picking them up at Borders. I met a saleswoman who loves LZ too, and we were practically jumping up and down!

Lisa
St. Louis, Mo.

I picked up the DVDs and CDs about five hours ago and am about to check out the DVD before I go to sleep. What'll you bet that I'll be up watching until 10:30 a.m.?

Mark
Long Beach, Calif.

They should've included a concert poster of the L.A. Forum 1972 in the How the West Was Won CD package. In my opinion, they should've really went all out for it in this release.

Joe
Margate City, N.J.

I would have loved a CD booklet, but at least the DVD booklet is good. You know Zeppelin and album covers...

Lynn
West Palm Beach, Fla.

The entire CD set has given a breath of fresh air to all who can breathe again after this great revival of a great era, great music and a great band.

John "They Call Me The Hunter"
Cincinnati, Ohio

The rendition of "Dazed and Confused" at the beginning of Disc Two on
How the West Was Won is by far the best ever. It is crazy how well they change
the beats in a song and then fall right back into it. It is totally apparent
that they are all very talented musicians and the best band ever to grace our
world's stages.

Amity
Memphis, Tenn.

I first heard Led Zeppelin when I was about 13 at a local disco. They blew me away then, and they're still doing it to me. They encapsulate the mystery and magic of my teenage years and are still my favourite band. No one else comes close.

Unfortunately, I never saw them live (if only I'd been born in '55 instead of '65!). The live performances featured on the CD are enough to make me weep at having missed them (as was Dave Lewis's recollections of Earl's Court in the May 24 edition). What will I be like when I watch the DVD?

Marie
Dundee, Scotland

I've just returned from the DVD screening in New York and am recovering from the sonic attack my body just witnessed. The DVD kills! Jimmy, Robert and John Paul were all in attendance, and each made a very brief speech, thanking everyone for coming out and for their support. A fan yelled, "You guys rock!" Robert replied, "We don't use that expression back home." Additionally, Plant then went on to dedicate the night's screening to the group's fourth member and my personal favorite (guess which instrument I play!), John Bonham.

Mark
New York, N.Y.

The Los Angeles theatrical premiere was f***ing awesome. Forgive the bad language, but it was that good! People were cheering after every song as if it were a real concert. There were a lot of cool people there, and I had a great time. Seeing Bonzo play was sublime; he was an animal! Robert was amazing and amazingly hot. Jimmy was out of this world, and John Paul Jones was fantastic.

I have been a fan for four years. I fell in love with Led Zeppelin without seeing them. The first time I saw them was watching The Song Remains the Same and bootleg stuff on the Internet. But this DVD is Led Zeppelin live, it is them. I am only 17, but I know that you can't make music like that anymore.

Stephanie
Los Angeles, Calif.

I traveled 30 miles north to gather with a couple of buddies just to see the Led Zeppelin DVD on a huge, high-definition screen with a complete surround sound system. Both of my buddies experienced Zeppelin live in their earlier days: One of them attended the Fillmore East in 1969, and the other one saw Zep in Pittsburgh in 1970. The latter one remembers being very impressed with the opening song; it was "We're Gonna Groove," as he finally learned 12 years later when it was released on Coda. The Royal Albert Hall show starts with precisely this song, and, according to him, it is exactly as he remembers it.

Footage of that concert gave me the opportunity to see John Paul Jones from a different angle; he is actually rocking and dancing to the rhythm of "Dazed and Confused" during the middle section and during "How Many More Times."

Sergio
San Diego, Calif.

I was amazed when Jimmy played "White Summer," and Bonzo's "Moby Dick" was killer. The "What is and Should Never Be" performance was totally rocking and had to be my favorite of the show.

Amity
Memphis, Tenn.

Jimmy really knows his way around a guitar. Watching him play like that during "White Summer" is intimidating.

Jan
Washington, D.C.

I especially enjoyed watching a young Bonzo thrash away to "Moby Dick." This is priceless. His talent was surreal.

Dennis
Jupiter, Fla.

"How Many More Times": just simply unbelievable. I was honestly standing and cheering in my own living room by myself. "White Summer" too -- I do believe that is why Jimmy is the best. Simply unmatched. That was just a few of the many highlights.

Jeremy
Canada

Don't you just love that version of "The Ocean" from Madison Square Garden 1973! That bit just KNOCKS ME OUT! So cool!!!

Joe
Margate City, N.J.

I was wondering why that version of "The Ocean" didn't make the movie cut of The Song Remains the Same. What an incredible version of that song!

Jeremy
Canada

As far as I am concerned, there will never again be any need whatsoever to play The Song Remains the Same or its soundtrack; they are so inferior now compared to these new releases.

Dennis
Jupiter, Fla.

How cool is the Earl's Court 1975 footage?!!!

Jane
Greenwich, Conn.

Knebworth: much maligned, but a favorite of mine. I found the bootleg video a good 10 years ago. Watching the bootleg was like needing corrective lenses for 10 years. Watching the DVD is like suddenly having 20-20 vision. The "Rock and Roll" encore from August 4 comes on like a five-alarm fire. Where's Fireman Joe when you need him? The band is roaring away during "Nobody's Fault but Mine." Even young rovers have to appreciate the musicianship and enthusiasm demonstrated here. You can see John Paul Jones gettin' down. During "Sick Again," Jimmy may be dueling with demons, but he can still do his daffy duckwalk! Plant knows he is still the Tall Cool Abe of rock 'n' roll.

"Achilles Last Stand": Now with fantastic clarity, we can see how Plant is emotionally embroiled with the song, how his life has changed since those vacation plans were made. "In the Evening" proves that Zeppelin was alive and well in 1979. It's timeless music that influenced the flannel-wearing, 240 Z drivers in Seattle and keeps young groupies interested even today, as the band members are nearing the big 6-0.

As we make the journey to "Kashmir" via Bonzo's famous beats, we feel much like a man I know named Dave, who has seemingly been everywhere and back. Robert looks truly happy at the end of "Whole Lotta Love." It's as if he finally found the girl with "flowers in her hair."

You can truly hear the "ocean" roar at Knebworth. Somewhere at this very moment, Luis Rey must be re-writing a passage in his book, and the "ocean" wants a copy.

Todd
Evansville, Wis.

I was so agitated by the people who were allowed to watch them perform for those extra 1969 clips from Denmark and France. They were obviously not enjoying themselves. I can't believe they would get just anyone when there were people that did want to hear Zeppelin play. One boy even had his fingers in his ears, and people were talking to each other on the French clip. The one with all the teens sitting around was sad. I don't think I have ever seen so many teenagers in one place so utterly bored -- except maybe in math class.

Kim
Alabama, U.S.A.

I haven't seen or heard anything yet as mine are on order from Amazon.com. I'll have to wait till Tuesday -- yeah, right!! As soon as I get paid on Friday, I'm headed to Target! I can't wait the whole weekend!

Chris
Tucson, Ariz.

My boyfriend Ray said what he remembers best about seeing them in 1977 -- in addition to Page's incredible performance -- was Bonham's "thunder." And that's precisely what comes into crystal clarity, especially in the DVD.

Jane
Greenwich, Conn.

Thank you, Jimmy Page. You did a fantastic job!

Kim
Alabama, U.S.A.

I always believed Zeppelin was the greatest band ever, and this DVD totally backs it up. Jimmy totally wails on the guitar, Bonzo drums like a madman, Jonesy's many talents are portrayed, and Robert's empowering voice and sexual image make my whole body quiver. Not to mention the chemistry between the band is just unbelievable. You can see their confidence and can tell that they love what they are doing.

Amity
Memphis, Tenn.

If you don't yet have these two new releases, then head without delay
directly to your nearest retailer.

Steve "The Lemon"
Washington, D.C.

Led Zeppelin DVD, live album released in U.S.

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

The new Led Zeppelin live album How the West Was Won and chronological live set DVD are now out in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Australia is next, with a proposed release date of May 30.

Click here for a write-up about their contents.

Hey, how are the new Zep releases? Let me know what you think.

As reported two days later, readers were overwhelmingly positive about the request.

Led Zeppelin releases DVD, live album in U.K., Europe

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Led Zeppelin's chronological live set, DVD, and live album, How the West Was Won, are released today in Europe and the United Kingdom and tomorrow in the United States!

Click here for a write-up about their contents.

Pocket-size 'Celebration' by Dave Lewis appears

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Led Zeppelin: A Celebration. By Dave Lewis. London: Omnibus Press. Originally published in 1991. A new 2003 pressing of the book in CD size is now available. Signed copies available from www.tblweb.com.

This new version of the book can really be described using the words of one of the chapter names: "The Same Picture With A Different Frame." Paging through the book, I don't really see much of anything that's been revised or added. The first exception is a new two-page introduction with the author's opinions on reaction to his book and the legacy of Led Zeppelin to this day. Another exception is a brief update in the two-page biography of manager Peter Grant.

Possibly the only other exception is the six-page "What Happened Next," an addendum to the possibility of a Page-Plant-Jones reunion covering the careers of Page, Plant and Jones since the book's original publication. In this section, Dave Lewis makes use of some of the best quotes from the boys available, describing such emotions as why Plant wanted to include Page for the MTV appearance that led to their reunion, how Jones felt about not being included, and why Plant eventually wanted out.

Here, Dave Lewis mentions specific rumors of a Led Zeppelin reunion and even the name of another drummer other than Jason Bonham. (No, not Dave Grohl either! You'll have to read the book to find out who it was!) It's just about right that in the final paragraph of this section, Lewis says "the 'will they or won't they' saga drags on and on" today just as much as in 1991.

Plant's post-Zep biography also ends with another nod to "the 'will he or won't he' saga." Even though here Lewis was referring to this saga going on in 1991, it's as pertinent then as it is now. (Note to self: You can't go wrong ending any story on Led Zeppelin with an allusion to a possible reunion...)

That being said, the sections detailing the post-Zep careers of Page and Jones feel jarringly incomplete when they leave off at 1991. Dave Lewis's conclusion that Page is "sure to make new music in the future" turned out to be correct; some of his best recorded work was only a few years away on a Coverdale/Page album. The bio of Jones ends with Lewis' recommendation: "Should [Page and Plant] decide to play together at any point in the future, when it comes to the role of keyboards and bass ... [Jones'] contribution, as it was during the years 1968 to 1980, would be irreplaceable." Of course, it didn't exactly turn out this way.

Since the book hasn't changed much since 1991, it remains the ultimate Led Zeppelin resource, including information on Zep's studio output, including not just the official releases but some very great descriptions of some unreleased studio reels, a chronology, and lots of exhaustive info like the serial number of Jimmy's Gibson ES 1275 6/12-string double-neck (You'll have to buy the book to look up the serial number!).

This is in fact the first book I ever bought on Led Zeppelin. It's the one book on which I relied most heavily during the first few years of publishing my daily newsletter, "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History." I loved it then, and I love it now in its newer, more convenient size and shape. I'm sure the pages will soon be just as bent on this copy as they are on the old one.

Sadly, a few things in the book accepted as fact in 1991 have proven to be incorrect over the years, such as the date of Zep's April 1, 1971, Paris Theatre performance for the BBC (thought to have been March 25) and the dates of the subsequent shows in Copenhagen (actually May 3, not in June) and Milan (July 5, not July 3). Lewis' concert itinerary in an appendix has apparently not been touched since it appeared in 1991, which is why the first concert date listed as Sept. 14, 1968; research in recent years has turned up evidence that the opening night of the Scandinavian tour was actually Sept. 7. Be forewarned that not every detail in the book is actually true.

Dave Lewis concludes his introduction on a promising note, stating that everything that has happened since the original publication of A Celebration constitutes "more than enough for me to begin work collating a second volume." Elsewhere, Dave Lewis has announced he is compiling a followup, tentatively called A Celebration II. Hopefully, he will collaborate with some of his peers in the Led Zeppelin community to present the most accurate information available when the sequel is written.

Thrilling online clips preview Led Zeppelin's official DVD compilation

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Ten days remain until the U.S. release of Led Zeppelin's chronological live set, DVD, and live album, How the West Was Won. (Click here for a description of their contents.)

Here's a quote that makes me hope the next 10 days go quickly. Dave Lewis and Dave Linwood at TBL/Web write:

"The Earl's Court footage captures Zeppelin at their most extravagant and thrilling, totally on top of their game and performing with supreme confidence. It's just sensational viewing."

Earlier comments from Dave Lewis are available here.

Also, in the last few days before we're offered supreme footage from concerts like the Earl's Court show described above, we can sit back and enjoy Led Zeppelin's newly improved official site, which now offers a sneak preview of five songs from the CD set. Visit www.ledzeppelin.com today! And for a sneak preview of "What Is and What Should Never Be" from the DVD's 1970 Royal Albert Hall performance, try the news page of Electric Magic's Web site at http://www.led-zeppelin.com/news/ and look for "AOL DVD preview." High-speed Internet connection recommended.

Update: None of the Web content described in the preceding paragraph is available any longer.

Letter-writing campaign: We should really spell 'Led Zeppelin' correctly

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

If you have a minute or two to spare, do the following to get a message out about Led Zeppelin. Click here for a Motor Trend article on the new look of Cadillac. All I read was the first paragraph, where Led Zeppelin's name is misspelled. Click on the author's name, Thomas Voehringer, and you'll be taken to a page featuring his biography. At the bottom of that page, click on "Contact Us," and you'll be taken to a feedback form. At the top, choose "Truck Trend Editors" as the destination, fill in as much or as little of your contact information as you want below, and for the comments enter some text like the following:

"Art Director Thomas Voehringer made a comment on 'Led Zepplin's back catalogue' in a May 15 article on the new look of Cadillac. If Thomas were really familiar with this rock group's back catalogue, he would know that the correct spelling of the band's name is 'Led Zeppelin.'"

You might also want to mention that new CD and DVD releases that will blow him away are just 11 days away. Click "Send Mail," and you've done your service to the band's name!

Q magazine's special edition quotes yours truly

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

The 148-page special issue of Q dedicated to Led Zeppelin is still available for purchase at www.q4music.com -- Go there and click on "Special Issues" at the left. And guess who's mentioned on page 129?

Let's have a party; DVD to receive premiere screening treatment

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Get ready for the ultimate rock experience: the chance to hang out with the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin and celebrate the band's landmark live DVD and CD sets.

On May 27, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones will premiere these long-awaited releases at New York's Loews 34th Street Theatre. The red carpet screening will feature two hours of rare and spectacular Led Zeppelin live concert footage taken from their upcoming five-hour DVD set. The screening will be followed by an exclusive, invitation-only VIP party with members of Led Zeppelin.

And you could be there! One lucky winner plus three of his or her friends will get to attend that VIP screening and exclusive VIP party. The contest, which ends May 18, is airing at radio stations and Web sites in more than 125 cities, so check local listings for dates and times. One additional screen at the theater will be reserved for second-prize winners, who can win tickets by listening to New York's Q 104.3 FM. Click here for contest rules and to enter.

Loews will also present premiere screenings in selected cities in the United States. In the words of David Letterman, "Just pray to God your city has been selected."

• San Francisco, Calif.: Metreon Theatre, 101 Fourth St.
• Universal City, Calif.: Universal City, 100 Universal City Plaza
• Schaumburg, Ill.: Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Rd.
• Gaithersburg, Md.: Rio, 9811 Washingtonian Blvd.
• Boston, Mass.: Boston Common Theatre, 175 Tremont St.
• Detroit, Mich.: Star Southfield Center, 25333 West 12 Mile Rd.
• Garden City, N.Y.: Roosevelt Field, 630 Old Country Rd.

These are tied to the local radio station affiliates in each city. Listen to local radio in each city for info, hit up Enjoytheshow.com, or visit participating FYE retailers for more information.

The following tentatively scheduled release dates for the DVD and CD sets are accurate as of the best information received:

• May 26 - United Kingdom & Europe
• May 27 - United States
• May 30 - Australia
• June 11 - Japan

Madison Square Garden '73 shows to be reissued by 30th anniversary

This news originally appeared at the end of the edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History" published on the 30th anniversary of the start of Led Zeppelin's ninth North American tour, in 1973.

That's the beginning of the 1973 tour, 30 years ago today. The end of the tour, three nights at Madison Square Garden, was captured in the 1976 film The Song Remains The Same and its accompanying soundtrack. With the release of Led Zeppelin DVD in about three weeks, we'll see even more of those final shows than ever before!

Be sure to read the latest update on Led Zeppelin DVD at Tight But Loose's Web page. Visit http://www.linwood.demon.co.uk/dvdpreview.html (link no longer active) for information on the 1973 performance captured on the DVD and much more!

Finally, a five-song promo sampler for How the West Was Won has been hitting the airwaves. Listen to your favorite radio stations to find out whether the 1972 live versions of "Immigrant Song," "Heartbreaker," "Black Dog," "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Ocean" are currently in rotation.

TBL/Web also has a preview of the full 3-CD set. Read the comments from Dave Linwood at http://www.linwood.demon.co.uk/howthewestwaswon.html (link no longer active) and you might be singing the same thing I am, which is: "If I keep on drooling, the levee's going to break!"