Dave Lewis offers holistic, balanced view on Knebworth in upcoming book

"The lights bathed the band in clear vision and the audience went crazy," writes Stuart Whitehead about seeing Led Zeppelin during their last U.K. concert series, the Knebworth Festival 30 years ago this summer. "When things settled down you could sense a newfound confidence. They knew at this point they were still the biggest and best band in the world, and here were a hundred thousand fans agreeing, and at the same [time] giving punk and the U.K. music press an almighty one-fingered salute."

Whitehead is one of over 30 festival attendees whose firsthand accounts are carried as the centerpiece of the forthcoming book compiled by Tight But Loose fanzine writer Dave Lewis. "Then as It Was: Led Zeppelin at Knebworth -- 30 Years Gone" is soon to be released as a 270-page hardcover book in a limited edition, with a launch party taking place near the festival site next month. Lewis has announced ordering information for the book and provided a preview of some of the contents.

He reproduces his original review of the gigs published in Tight But Loose plus the transcript of an interview recorded by future MTV veejay J.J. Jackson, who was then an on-air radio personality for KLOS in Los Angeles, with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones after Knebworth. Along with the firsthand accounts, the new content in this book includes, the author says, "an engrossing view of the whole Knebworth episode from the perspective of an American fan, Larry Bergmann."

Lewis explains, "Zep was still a massive deal over there in the late 1970s -- there was no punk rock explosion to harm them and 'In Through the Out Door was a massive seller and No. 1 for weeks. It was cited as being something of a savior to the flagging U.S. music industry at the time. So it's good to gain a view of how it all appeared from across the water."

But of course, for Americans, most of the book is from the point of view of those on the other side of the Atlantic, including the introductory material. Jimmy Page's photographer of choice, Ross Halfin, contributed the foreword, which details what it was like shooting the Aug. 11 show. Former Melody Maker editor Chris Charlesworth has also lent his words to the project, penning what Lewis describes as "a very perceptive opening preface overview."

As a journalist, Charlesworth enjoyed close access to Led Zeppelin and published his interviews with the various band members in the '70s, but he held off for nearly three decades in reporting the full stories of everything he experienced and witnessed in the band's midst. He has written with a new level of unbridled frankness since the turn of the century when recounting, for instance, Zep manager Peter Grant's dealings with some limo drivers in Greensboro, N.C., and an eventful flight aboard the Starship from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1975. Charlesworth no doubt brings the same welcome candor in his preface to "Then as It Was," a lot of which centers on the press coverage afforded Led Zeppelin in their home country at the end of their four-year absence from the British concert stage.

"This was a period of big upheaval," says Lewis. "Punk rock had arrived, and out of it grew the new wave. This movement was set to render dinosaur bands such as Zeppelin redundant. So what you have is the situation of Zeppelin attempting to reconnect with their audience again, in the face of much derision from the press and media. How they coped with that is an interesting story in itself."

Lewis acknowledges the band's awareness of the pressure on them to present a worthy show. "I think they found it hard to ignore, particularly Robert Plant," he says. "In the book I summarize both the press reaction to the Knebworth shows and the 'In Through the Out Door' album. They did suffer some highly critical reaction -- Plant himself made comment to that onstage during their second appearance. They were very sensitive to it all.

"Taken as a whole though, there were some very balanced views. To quote Phil Sutcliffe in his review in Sounds at the time, 'How would you feel if you saw a dinosaur coming down the street? Surprise, fear, fascination, awe. All of these things. It's by no means all bad to be a living fossil.'

"The fact is, Zeppelin was still a very powerful musical force, and I think journalists seemed to have a job admitting that without losing face. In his foreword in the book, Ross Halfin makes a good point that the press didn't really dislike Zep that much -- not in the same way they derided, say, ELP or Yes."

Lewis doesn't gloss over the controversies the Knebworth Festival portends. As to the disputed number of attendees present, the quality of the performances particularly on week two, the less than stellar supporting lineup assembled for both weeks, or even the suitability of a two-show stint on such a large platform, Lewis addresses it all.

And he does so in a much more objective manner than he did writing for his fanzine at the time. As for his original review, published in full in the book, Lewis admits, "There's no denying it's a rose tinted view, but maybe that's not too surprising. Back then I was 22 years old and my whole world revolved around Led Zeppelin. I lived and breathed it, so Knebworth was in its infancy, and obviously I wanted to offer extensive coverage in the next issue."

Thirty years of retrospect have allowed Lewis to take a more reasoned reflect on the circumstances of the time. He now believes the Knebworth setting made Zeppelin "quite remote from their audience." By comparison, he points out that the Who in 1979 combined smaller shows at the Rainbow Theatre and the Hammersmith Odeon with a larger performance at Wembley Stadium. The Who, Lewis opines, "seemed more in touch with the musical climate of the time."

Despite any flaws in either the conception or the undertaking of the concert series, Lewis says that overall, "Knebworth was a triumph, and it put Zep right back in the spotlight." This is evidenced in some of the photographs from the shows, including ones taken both weeks by Alan Perry, which are used extensively in the book. In all, the book includes over 100 black-and-white illustrations and 16 color pages.

The shows certainly have also inspired collectors of both bootlegs and memorabilia alike, as some appendices in the book attest. One, a detailed Zep Knebworth bootleg appendix, is the work of contributor Graeme Hutchinson, who Lewis says "logs over 80 different vinyl, CD and DVD unofficial releases." In another appendix, U.K. collector Nick Anderson "offers a comprehensive and fully illustrated worldwide 'In Through the Out Door' discography" that "includes details of the differing promo pressings that came out and the singles that were issued from the album." An appendix on Knebworth Festival memorabilia draws mostly from the Brian Knapp collection, including a handwritten set list, various backstage passes, the shirt off of Page's back, the violin bow he used, a prototype bow he discarded in rehearsal, and fiberoptic cables that were used in conjunction with the laser sequence, to name a few items.

Lewis says he hopes the book will appeal to new fans and old. "On a nostalgic level, it's an affectionate reminder of the way things were in that field all of 30 years ago," he says. "For Zep fans that have come on board since, or were elsewhere at the time, it provides the opportunity to find out what it was all about." He says it "all adds up to what I hope is an engaging read that chronicles the final days of Led Zeppelin and the simpler times of the last great festival gatherings of the 1970s.

The first run is strictly limited, and each book will be individually signed and numbered by the author. Books will be available to those registering ahead of time at www.tblweb.com to attend the Aug. 8 gathering at the Lytton Arms. Books may also be ordered online via PayPal (see www.tblweb.com for details) or from the Wymer UK book site.

Lewis is scheduled to appear on the Nicky Horne Show on Planet Rock Radio on Sunday, July 19, after 8 p.m. GMT (4 p.m. Eastern).

Two worthwhile blog posts elsewhere

I found two things online today that deserve to be promoted here:

1. http://thornleyfans.blogspot.com/2008/11/led-zeppelin-and-myles-kennedy-thornley.html
   Some reverent thoughts about what makes Led Zeppelin so unique and timeless appear on this blog dedicated to Canadian musician Ian Thornley. The piece relates to what Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones ought to do musically after forming their new band featuring Jason Bonham and a yet-unnamed singer. The author also asks some good questions about what influence Page and Jones might glean from collaborating with bandmates who are decades younger.
2. http://davelewistbl.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/michael-lee%e2%80%99s-legacy-christmas-coda-and-the-gift-of-zep/
   The consistently good Tight But Loose author Dave Lewis drums up another round of eloquence in his lastest Diary entry, which opens with his reaction to the unexpected death of drummer Michael Lee just days after his 39th birthday. Lewis then segues to his thoughts on the holiday shopping season (which will be very much underway in the United States in just a few hours) and the early Christmas gift in 1982 that was Led Zeppelin's first posthumous album, Coda.

Both of these are worth reading, I think.

TBL in the mail

Issue 18 of the fan magazine Tight But Loose (tblweb.com) has arrived in my mail hot off the presses in the United Kingdom. There's a whole slew of news on Robert Plant activity in 2007, including discussion of some recent and upcoming concert appearances (a new Strange Sensation song is said to have debuted live!), some previously reported info on his album with Alison Krauss to be released in October (pre-orders onsale now), and something that was new to me.

Namely, Plant contributed two tracks that will be included on a compilation to be out in September that will benefit Fats Domino's foundation, established to help rebuild some portions of New Orleans that are still in poor shape from Hurricane Katrina two years ago. TBL details the track names plus where and when they were recorded and with whom. Also, Plant performed a set including both songs and some Elvis Presley songs as well as some Zep material onstage just after recording the album. I'll leave it to Dave Lewis to provide those details rather than repeating them here.

The Plant-Krauss coverage in TBL, while mostly stuff I'd seen elsewhere and even reported myself in the Aug. 20 edition of my newsletter, does reveal one detail that was new to me, although precise details are still pretty sketchy. There is talk of a single to be released from the Raising Sand album, probably prior to its release. Again, I won't reveal here which track Dave Lewis cites as most likely. TBL promises the next issue will go behind the scenes with the making of Raising Sand, and personally, I can't wait!

I did get some song samples from rounder.com and also on the album listing at amazon.com. From what I've heard, I'm particularly excited about the Everly Brothers track, "Gone, Gone, Gone."

Something Plant said in an interview for Rounder's electronic press kit struck me as particularly cool: that it was with this project that he was first paired with a singer of equal talent who could follow him. Look back through his history: Who all else has dared to sing harmony with Robert Plant? It's a short list. But probably nobody has done it as well as Alison Krauss did. Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself here. I haven't heard the full album yet! Thirty-second song clips and testaments from those who have heard the album, however, tend to support this statement.

Somebody just politely prodded on John Paul Jones' official discussion group that he's overdue for another update. They are pretty infrequent at that site; the last was in December 2006. Jonesy told me in December 2001, in a four-hour interview conducted in Philadelphia during the "budget tour" with King Crimson that preceded the release of his album The Thunderthief, that he wanted to interact with fans much more often than he was doing at the time. Jonesy soon handed off his Web design and maintenance to Canadian fan Sam Rapallo, the guy behind the Electric Magic site at led-zeppelin.com (yes, I was jealous, but he had a better résumé, and I still no nothing about making Web sites). They launched a new site, and JPJ's resolve to post more often quickly waned. Granted, maybe it's partially because he updates readers almost entirely on his solo activities, like progress on a new studio album that's been in the works for a long time but keeps getting shelved for other projects.

Jonesy has had his hands full, though, no doubt. There was producing Uncle Earl's album, there are bluegrass festivals, there's improving his skills on a mandolin and other assorted string instruments. But he did show up at Bonnaroo, the jam band festival in Tennessee earlier this year. A former coworker of mine texted me from Bonnaroo and told me he was watching JPJ play "Dazed and Confused" onstage. I thought my buddy was just messing with me! But I checked it out, and it's all over Youtube (in two parts). JPJ looked young -- way younger than he should, by comparison to Page and Plant anyway -- and he really appeared to be enjoying himself while revisiting this song he might not have played in front of a crowd since 1975 (verification/corrections, anybody?). Full coverage of this and his other Bonnaroo onstage guest spots in TBL.

The magazine also has a nice rundown of what to expect from the Mothership and TSRTS releases in November. As far as Mothership, I will go out on a limb and agree with Dave Lewis that the real prizes will be on the limited edition versions, especially the collector's edition. I might just happen to have a little inside information on this project myself. Stay tuned to my newsletter for anything I can reveal about that.

While there was nothing particular in this TBL about the ever-elusive Page other than a brief at-press-time mention of his role in testifying in trial against a man in Scotland who subsequently pled guilty to a charge of profiting from the sale of unauthorized live recordings of Led Zeppelin and other bands, TBL promises the next issue will have an interview with Page and info on a biography. Very ambiguous. Do they mean autobiography? It would be very interesting to read Page's own words on himself.

Finally, Dave Lewis discusses those Led Zeppelin reunion rumors and even points to the seemingly errant one-off rumor of a reunited Beck/Page Yardbirds. As for Zep, Lewis feels -- as do I -- that getting together for a once-only tribute show for Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegün is not far-fetched; anything further than that, on the other hand, is unlikely. For one thing, Plant will be touring with Alison Krauss to support Raising Sand! This much is sure.

Led Zepland, you got the chops

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

One of Jimmy Page's first actions after turning 60 years old last month was to sit in an audience to see a replica of his younger self in action. The news that Page went to see a Led Zeppelin tribute band came to me during a recent visit to TBL/Web.

A link from that site took me to a group photo with their special guest. At right, the group's drummer has the look to play John Bonham. At left, the group's John Paul Jones reminds me more of Mick Fleetwood. And in the center, the real Page wraps his arms around the two others -- the singer, an accurate Robert Plant look-alike from Ireland, and the guitarist. Aside from the black dragon outfit that clearly screams out Page, I'd say this guy resembles the offspring of Queen guitarist Brian May and saxophonist Kenny G. Led Zepagain is a hodgepodge from a visual standpoint, but Jimmy was reportedly impressed with the music in their backstage meet that night.

Upon learning of Page's guilty pleasures, I thought to myself: If a man of Jimmy's wise, old age is "Going to California" (pardon the pun) to watch a Led Zeppelin tribute band, then why shouldn't Steve "The Lemon" Sauer have a similar experience? I was flying to Orange County on business in a few days, and I'd heard of another tribute band in the area that had a buzz following it, Led Zepland. I decided that while I was in the area, I'd check out the tribute action to see what the hubbub was all about.

A few days in advance, I told guitarist Gary "London" Lohre that I was on my way. Now, truly, I know I am just a news reporter and student of journalism who honed his skills early with a specialized newsletter dedicated to Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham. I'm no god. I'm not even Cameron Crowe. But for some reason, when I met Gary and the rest of the band, I received celebrity treatment. The drummer offered to be my chauffeur, just like Bonham who offered to be Led Zeppelin's official driver for a few extra quid. The tribute band took me out with them between sets to a pub down the street, and the drinks were on them.

All four guys were eager to know how I thought they measured up, and I was happy to report to each one: "You got the chops." This was especially welcome news for vocalist Shawn Kelly, a tall specimen with all of Plant's classic onstage moves in full effect. As Shawn downed a single shot of Jägermeister next to me, he said it was one of a few good treatments he knew to keep his high voice in shape for the second set. (I was quizzed as to what happened on that late January day in Led Zeppelin history; I said I didn't remember exactly but was pretty sure every day that week had something to do with Plant getting the flu, sounding awful and canceling some tour dates.) We discussed Plant's Achilles heel, so to speak, which was belting out high-intensity, high-range chestnuts night after night for years straight. Shawn assured me he knew how to save himself from the fate Plant suffered in the mid '70s when his voice could no longer match that of earlier in the decade.

Two seats from me, drummer Scott Misner was also pleased to learn I was impressed by his playing. (Or was he more relieved than pleased?) Although a veteran drummer, as the newest member of Led Zepland, he said he was just starting to gel with the band. Scott also told me it was the first time he was in a band where he'd have to specialize in playing the licks of one particular drummer. It sounded to me as if he'd been playing that way his whole life. Scott said his pre-school-aged daughter already has a mini drum set and would hopefully learn from her father. Yes, he knew that's what John Bonham did for his son Jason by bestowing upon the boy a scaled-down version of his own kit.

Out and about elsewhere, the bass and keyboards player came by the pub for a drink and then probably spent the rest of the 15- minute break scouting for another party, or for his beloved lady. How eerily it was like John Paul Jones had told me in Philadelphia back in 2001: He partied just as much as the other guys in the group, but the reason he wasn't spotted as much was because he'd be off somewhere else doing the partying. I suppose that's what the story is with John Baxter, a multi-instrumentalist who later that night showed himself versatile enough to play bass on "Thank You" for the first time ever, allowing yours truly to edge in on one of his two Kawai keyboards.

If I were limited to naming one musical highlight of the evening, doing so would be neglecting dozens of moments that, to me as a Led Zeppelin fan, were indispensable. As I said, they all have the chops. Recalling each individual, I can think of at least one personal highlight: John Baxter's nimble bass playing on "What Is and What Should Never Be," Shawn Kelly's groovy Valhalla wail and tambourine shaking on "Immigrant Song," and Scott Misner's impromptu drum solo bridge connecting "How Many More Times" into "Out on the Tiles" just before the end of the first set.

For me, the real treat was seen standing on stage left, dressed in a black shirt with yellow stars alongside the collar, and playing a guitar. Man, does Gary "London" Lohre ever have the chops! He clearly demonstrated this over and over that night, but especially during a vicious run-through of "Dazed and Confused" for which he played the second half with a broken string dangling from his ax. Gary also treated us to a markedly crowd-pleasing "Heartbreaker" solo. The guy's amazing.

After an encore, the band members disappeared and then quickly reassembled in their street clothes, without their wigs and gimmicks to make them appear the part. The only ones I could easily recognize was Shawn, who really is a smiling, tall blond guy in his natural state, and Gary, who makes no apologies for not looking like the guitar hero, standing at a monstrous height with blond hair hanging below his shoulders. John and Scott, though, would be hard to pick in a lineup.

On the way home, chauffeur Scott told me he's already ordered a custom Bonham mustache made by a former FBI employee who'd worked in making false facial hair and wardrobes for undercover agents. Plus, the band has been working on adding some new material to the set lists -- that is, "new" as in "When the Levee Breaks" and a few others from the Zeppelin catalog. After all these years, it looks like the boys truly were right: "The Song Remains the Same." Visit Led Zepland, the ultimate tribute, on the Web here.

Sources hail their advance glimpses of Led Zeppelin DVD

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

Led Zeppelin's upcoming 2-DVD set is receiving plenty of attention. I'd like to call your attention in particular to this April 14 article at RollingStone.com with interview quotes from all three surviving members of Led Zeppelin.

In the meantime, I'd like to thank readers for sharing information about their previews of the DVD! Descriptions and summaries have come in from two sources: Dave Lewis, author of the long-running fanzine Tight But Loose, and Gary Moore, host of "Whole Lotta Led" weekdays at 4 p.m. on Los Angeles' 95.5 KLOS.

From Dave Lewis:

My new issue of the Tight But Loose magazine is out now (issue 16). If you read Steve's excellent daily updates, then I'm sure you'll find much to enjoy in the new TBL. It's another mini book packed with features rare visuals, etc. Cost is £8 U.K. sterling. Visit www.tblweb.com for full subscription and ordering details.

About the forthcoming DVD: Forty days to go! Having been lucky enough to have seen a preview, let me tell you it exceeds all expectations. The integrity and sheer detail that Jimmy Page and director Dick Carruthers have brought to the project is just stunning.

For me, personally, this has been a long wait. I was lucky enough to see firsthand the extent of the Zep visual archive as far back as 1981 when I was invited to view the Earls Court, Seattle and Knebworth video masters at the London Swan Song office.

Now, finally, we are all going to see and hear in absolute full splendour the sheer magic of Led Zeppelin live. Excited? We certainly should be! And the waiting is nearly over...

Dave Lewis
April 16, 2003

From Gary Moore:

I got a sampler in over the weekend featuring three cuts on the upcoming DVD. They are as follows:

1.) What is and What Should Never Be / Royal Albert Hall, January 1970 (even though it says 1969, it's the '70 show). A very nice, tight performance of this song with everyone in great form. You notice two things right off. First, it's still a darkly shot show, but there's some welcome lightening of the show. Second, the sound quality is fantastic, especially in Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound. In fact, the sound quality on all the tracks is stellar -- absolutely tremendous.

2.) In My Time of Dying / Earl's Court, May 1975. If the rest of the show is this good, toss out all of your eighth-generation bootlegs because they'll pale in comparison. No contest. This may be the best overall live performance I've seen or heard of the song. There are some slight filtering special effects on a few moments, but overall it's a mesmerizing performance. You see the band's confidence like never before with this upgrading: Jimmy in complete musical domination, Robert selling the message with unbridled fury, John Paul and Bonzo's thrifty, seamless rhythm. Such a high point in their career!

3.) Rock and Roll / Knebworth, August 1979. Beaten down the press, the punkish times and their own personal trials, this is a revitalizing concert showing that they still had it, they never lost it, and they were so set for the 1980s and beyond. Again, terrific sound and video transfer onto DVD.

If the Zeppelin DVD won't persuade Ledheads to get 5.1 sound for their living rooms (and prices are way down now), then it's hopeless. Because this WILL be the next best thing to seeing Led Zeppelin in concert, I guaran-damn-tee you. In fact, for those of us who did see them live, it's almost better because of the proximity and crystal-clear sound.

In short, what I've seen is a joy to watch -- but bittersweet at the same time. You give thanks for what they gave us but feel sadness over how much farther they might've taken us.

Gary Moore
April 14, 2003

Well, what more is there to say than -- Led Zeppelin rocks!