7 posts tagged “led zeppelin”
I am so looking forward to this lady's debut album release in April, I have posted already a couple of fan filmed live clips but below you can now listen to her official recording of "Nobody's Fault But Mine".
Album Of The Year (2008)
Along with every other editor of a music-related publication, I've been busy compiling my albums of the year recently. Bizarrely, I think I've just discovered a dead cert for next year's list. Little Dreamer by Beth Rowley isn't due out until the end of April 2008 but I got hold of an advance copy at an industry showcase last week.
I really enjoyed her live but only got to hear a handful of songs on that occasion and, because I recognised two of them as covers, I wasn't sure if she wrote her own material. There are lots of nice-looking girls with good voices after all.
The album has banished any doubts I might have had. The covers, which make up about half the record, are blues, gospel, and country standards (plus a reggae version of I Shall Be Released by Bob Dylan) but they're far from obvious choices and are all beautifully arranged and performed.
Even more impressively, the original stuff is every bit as good. So Sublime, for example, is the best song Burt Bacharach never wrote for Dionne Warwick (and she'd be pretty happy with the vocal too), while Oh My Life could be 1960s Diana Ross.
The overall effect is like listening to a compilation of lost American roots classics, despite the fact that Beth is a 26 year-old from Bristol. Yes, it's retro but bloody hell it's good.
Source http://msnukmusic.com
Nobody's Fault but Mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Nobody's Fault but Mine" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in 1976 on their album Presence. The track features a compelling, phase-treated, delta blues-based riff in E minor (and later E major) from Jimmy Page which is complemented by unison wails from vocalist Robert Plant. Jimmy Page triple-tracked his guitar intro; playing one guitar an octave higher than the others.
In an example of their tight rhythmic interplay, drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones maintain the driving rhythm of the song, adding some very complex and syncopated accents during repetitions of the introductory phrase. The song also features a fine harmonica solo by Plant. many of the lyrics in the song were taken from American blues singer Blind Willie Johnson, who recorded it in 1927. Johnson never applied for a copyright for the song and so the band was free to apply their own. In contrast to Led Zeppelin, Johnson was given credit in passing by The 77s when they covered the song by adding the phrase "apologies to Blind Willie Johnson" [1].
When the album Presence was released, the lyrics of "Nobody's Fault but Mine" invited speculation as to what the song was actually about. Some thought it concerned Jimmy Page's blossoming heroin addiction. Others thought it was comparable to Robert Johnson's "Hellhound On My Trail" in that it was Plant lamenting Led Zeppelin's supposed deal with the devil.
From 1977 onwards, "Nobody's Fault but Mine" became a vital component of Led Zeppelin concerts, and was played at virtually every show until the group's final tour of Europe in 1980. One live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Knebworth in 1979, is featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD. During live performances, Plant often exclaimed, "Oh Jimmy!" right before Page went into his guitar solo.
Page and Plant would also record a version in 1994, released on their album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded. This version of the song is performed similarly to acoustic virtuoso John Renbourn's version as heard on his 1967 release "Another Monday". Page and Plant played an acoustic version on their subsequent 1995 No Quarter tour, sometimes swapping it with "When the Levee Breaks".
Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999. A version of "Nobody's Fault but Mine" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
"Nobody's Fault but Mine" was performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on December 10, 2007.
Led Zeppelin parody cover band Dread Zeppelin recorded a version of this song on their album 5,000,000.
Sources
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
The band played for just over two hours, to just under 20, 000 fans, the audience including former Beatle Paul McCartney, Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys, Kate Moss, Kevin Shields, Neil Finn, Richard Ashcroft and Marilyn Manson.
The band finished at ten past eleven after going on stage promptly at nine, treating the baying air-guitaring crowd with as many classics as time would allow.
Any previous concerns from Jimmy Page and Robert Plant about whether or not they would they would enjoy playing a full live show together after all these years proved unfounded by the time they were through with the first two tracks of 'Good Times Bad Times' and 'Ramble On'.
Full of calm confidence, Plant, Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were all beaming grins as they ploughed through their inimmitable and iconic back catalogue.
Hit followed hit, all sounding as great as you would imagine live, if you just squinted slightly, you'd not notice their now advancing years.
Plant paused to talk to the audience briefly about five times throughout the set, giving the fans introductions to tracks like 'Trampled Underfoot' and 'Nobody's Fault But Mine'.
Led Zeppelin played the Presence album track 'For Your Life' for the first time ever in public, calling it an "adventure" and it fitted in seamlessly.
'Kashmir', with it's thunderous riffs, and huge hippy patterned images behind the screen took the concert into it's run of classics' finale.
The track that readers of uncut.co.uk and nme.com today voted song 'most wanted' tonight, turned out to be the most energetic, crunchy ten minutes of the night.
'Whole Lotta Love' in all it's glorious trippy power came next, compounding on the electric buzz in the O2 Arena.
Quite a sight watching colour-washed 50ft tall projections of Led Zeppelin playing out behind the figures clad in black on the stage.
Plant then thanked the audience "for the amazing experience, and for supporting Ahmet Ertegun" before the band left the stage to raptuous applause.
Led Zeppelin closed the show with 'Rock And Roll', the song that prior to the show, was rumoured most likely to be their opening track.
The lyrics from that track were, in the end, the most fitting act of closure to this historic show.
"Rock And Roll Its been a long time since I rock and rolled,
Its been a long time since I did the stroll.
Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back,
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from.
Its been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
Yes it has."
You can read Uncut's first review of the show by clicking here now for John Mulvey's Wild Mercury Sound blog.
Led Zeppelin played:
Good Times Bad Times
Ramble On
Black Dog
In My Time Of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Underfoot
Nobodys Fault But Mine
No Quarter
Since I've Been Loving You
Dazed and Confused
Stairway To Heaven
The Song Remains The Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir
*
Whole Lotta Love
*
Rock And Roll
Pic credit: Getty Images
Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir' has been voted as the song fans most want to hear when the group perfrom their first full show in 27 years at London's O2 Arena tonight (December 10).
In conjunction with sister title nme.com Uncut have been running an online vote to find out which tracks you want to hear at the one-off concert tonight.
'Kashmir' from the band's sixth studio album 'Physical Graffiti' has been voted the your favorite track.
'Stairway To Heaven' comes in at number 2, and 'Whole Lotta Love' which used to be part of the Top of The Pops intro riff comes in at number three.
The Top 20 songs list also includes 'when The Leevee Breaks', 'Dazed And Confused' and 'Heartbreaker.'
The vote is still open - so if you've not already scored your favourite Led Zeppelin tracks out of ten - head to the special vote page here: Rate The Song.
The Top 20 songs for Led Zeppelin's fan-voted setlist are:
1. 'Kashmir'
2. 'Stairway To Heaven'
3. 'Whole Lotta Love'
4. 'Rock And Roll'
5. 'Black Dog'
6. 'Immigrant Song
7. 'When The Levee Breaks'
8. 'Dazed And Confused'
9. 'Since I've Been Loving You'
10. 'Heartbreaker'
11. 'Communication Breakdown'
12. 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You'
13. 'Ramble On'
14. 'Over The Hills And Far Away'
15. 'Good Times Bad Times'
16. 'Achilles Last Stand'
17. 'No Quarter'
18. 'The Song Remains The Same'
19. 'Going To California'
20. 'In My Time Of Dying'
Source
Page fractured his finger last weekend, but the injury is only likely to prevent the star from playing for the next three weeks.
The legendary guitarist has been told to rest by his medical specialist, so the hyped-up reunion show is now set to take place at London's 02 Arena on December 10, fourteen days after the original planned concert on November 26.
In a press statement this evening, Jimmy Page explained his dismay at the delay, but added: "I am disappointed that we are forced to postpone the concert by two weeks.
However, Led Zeppelin have always set very high standards for ourselves, and we feel that this postponement will enable my injury to properly heal, and permit us to perform at the level that both the band and our fans have always been accustomed to."
All tickets for the original show will be honoured at the rescheduled date.
Those who are unable to attend are able to request a refund at their point of purchase prior to noon (GMT) on November 14. Any tickets returned will then be offered to ballot winners selected at random from the original registrations.
The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert is also set to feature Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini is being held to raise money to pay for education scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey.
To read the full new press release or for more details about the concert or the Ertegun education fund - click here for the Led Zeppelin's official website:www.ledzeppelin.com
Pic credit: Rex Features
Last week, The Daily Swarm broke the news that Shepard Fairey had been tapped by Led Zeppelin to design the cover for their latest greatest hits collection, Mothership. Some were confused by our mock-up, which was a 5-minute mash-up of Led Zep’s debut album cover and Fairey’s work for Smashing Pumpkins’ Zeitgeist. As you can see above, we got our hands on the actual album artwork, and, well, it seems as if Fairey spent about as much time on his as we did on ours. Check out his latest “War is Over” poster from the Obey Giant website and a 2006 South by Southwest poster. Hmmm…
UPDATE: Did Fairey’s Mothership make a stop in New Zealand in 1986?
Founder members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones will be joined by the late John Bonham’s son Jason on drums for the hugely anticipated 20,000 capacity show on November 26.
The band, who are rehearsing at a secret location just outside London, plan a crowdpleasing two-hour set.
The show will be a tribute to their former boss, Atlantic Records founder www.ahmettribute.com, who died in December last year.
It was revealed today at the press call at 02’s Vue Cinema, that the band’s set will form part of a charity fundraising concert for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund to provide four students with college scholarships in the UK, USA and Turkey.
Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman And The Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini will also be appearing at the concert on November 26. Nutini was the final British artist to be mentored by Ertegun.
Tickets for the one-night only concert are priced at £125.
Due to the anticipated overwhelming demand for this concert, tickets will be available by ballot only. Names will then be chosen at random. You can register for the ballot at www.ahmettribute.com. Tickets are limited to one pair per applicant, and the ballot closes on Monday lunchtime (September 17).
This is only the third time Led Zeppelin have reformed to play since original drummer John Bonham died in 1980. They previously reunited for Live Aid in 1985 and for a show celebrating Atlantic Records 40th anniversary in 1988.
Concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith, who is organising the night, excitedly said: “Led Zeppelin are the last great band that haven't played in recent years.“
The confirmed news of the reunion is likely to spark a huge stampede to register for the tickets ballot - Led Zeppelin fans across the world have been excitedly talking about the reunion since news leaked in June from news network WENN about its possibility.
Earlier speculation that Page, Plant and Jones would reunite for a full world tour appears to have been a little optimistic. Goldsmith said: "it has been stressful enough for them seeing if they could deliver one show after all these years. It would be very hard for them to do a tour. It's been a very long time. They all have separate paths now."
Du to the predicted phenomenal demand a special website has been set up for fans to register for the lottery style tickets at www.ahmettribute.com - however within minutes of the announcement yesterday - the site crashed under the weight of internet traffic.
An estimated 20 million fans from round the world have already tried to log on - crashing the 02 Arena's website in the process.
Service provider Pipex report that there are around 80,000 fans a minute attempting to register their ticket applications at the site.
They are working around the clock to keep the website moving and may struggle to find a server large enough to handle capacity.
The message is to be patient. The website will be open until midday Monday (September 17, 2007) for anyone wanting register. It is NOT 'first come first served' and all successful applicants will be entered into the ballot for tickets to be drawn at random.
Led Zeppelin will headline a spectacular concert bill with Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini in honour of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records and the man who had a guiding hand in all of their careers. Ertegun sadly died last year at the age of 83.
Well, it looks like the rumours are going to turn out to be true.
I was just about to shut down my computer on Friday evening when I got an email that last as it was, I thought I’d quickly check.
It was from the PR company who are working on the Led Zeppelin two-CD best of, Mothership, which is released in November and it hinted that I should maybe clear some space in my diary for Wednesday afternoon for a special press conference.
From the information I have, the press call will be to officially announce a Led Zep reunion, possibly at London’s O2 Arena, on a date yet to be confirmed.
By all accounts, Robert Plant somewhat let the proverbial cat out of the proverbial bag last week when he turned up at the Gibson Guitartown London charity exhibition, where he signed a special 10-foot hand-painted Gibson Les Paul.
Asked by a fan if he was looking forward to the show at the O2, Plant replied: “How did you know about that?” He then added that there was a band meeting that very afternoon to discuss the show.
This is news, of course, that will throw half the planet into an excited panic, but you have to hope the reunion if it indeed goes ahead doesn’t overshadow the release next month of the new album, Raising Sand, that Robert Plant has recorded with bluegrass singer and fiddle virtuoso Alison Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett that John Mulvey wrote about last week on his Wild Mercury Sound blog on uncut.co.uk.
It seems to me that Raising Sand is by some distance the best work he’s done in the long years since Zep disbanded, an unexpected but wholly satisfying excursion into American roots music, with haunting covers of great songs by Tom Waits, Gene Clark and Townes Van Zandt, among others. It’s a great record – better, you’d have to imagine, than anything a reformed Zeppelin might manufacture in 2007 – and it’d be criminal if it got lost in the hysteria a reunion if bound to inspire.
Anyway, more on this soon and keep an eye out for a special report from the press conference on Wednesday afternoon on uncut.co.uk.
Allan Jones
Editor, Uncut
