Achilles Last Stand 4/23

The Playlist:

- The Firm, "Spirit Of Love", Mean Business
- Led Zeppelin, "Poor Tom", Coda
- Led Zeppelin, "Black Dog", The Song Remains The Same (2007)
- Heart, "Rock And Roll"
- Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, "Freedom Fries", Mighty Rearranger
- Robert Plant, "Red Dress", Dreamland
- Led Zeppelin, "Down By The Seaside", Physical Graffiti
- Led Zeppelin, "In The Evening", In Through The Out Door
- Led Zeppelin, "The Rain Song", Houses Of The Holy
- Elvis, "That's All Right", The Essential Elvis
- Robert Plant, "Little By Little", Shaken N' Stirred
- Jimmy Rodgers, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton, "Gonna Shoot You Right Down (Boom Boom)", Jimmy Rodgers All-Stars
- Led Zeppelin, "Going to California", How the West Was Won
- Led Zeppelin, "Caroselambra", In Through The Out Door
- Led Zeppelin, "D'Yer Maker", Houses of the Holy
- The Doors, "Peace Frog"
- Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, "Mighty Rearranger", Mighty Rearranger
- Led Zeppelin, "Friends", Led Zeppelin III
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Please Read The Letter", Raising Sand
- Jimmy Page, "Big Band, Sax, And Violence", Death Wish II

So we're heading closer to the end of the semester here at WECB and I only have one more show left. I know you're certainly disappointed that you won't get your Led Zeppelin fix but never fear, there's still that final show that will be the grand blowout. It will be a mish-mash of the best from Zeppelin and maybe a few Plant/Page/Jones tracks tossed in. If you really want to understand the world of Zeppelin, next week's the time to listen.

Of course if there's a track you'd like played let me know by leaving a comment or call 617-824-8852 during the show.

Missed Some Great Info On Achilles Last Stand?

Well, now you can listen to it!!! I can now load my breaks onto the site so you can go back and listen to anything you missed. It's also great if you can't hear the show when it's on.

Have any ideas for other features to add? Let me know and I'll see what I can do to get it on.

The Stange Sensation Making a Comeback?

Robert has just announced that he will be part of the WOMAD Abu Dhabi Festival this Saturday and he will be performing with a familiar face. Justin Adams will be on guitar as Robert goes on stage with him and West African musician Juldeh Camera. Recently Robert has remained a tad distant from his Afro Blues inspiriations since he joined Alison Krauss for Raising Sand. He most likely misses those good old days with the Strange Sensation which were some of his most creative since Led Zeppelin and most successful albums since the 80's. He still likes doing the covers with Krauss but I'm not sure he will be willing to stick with that much longer. He's a big fan of moving forward and creating new work that doesn't exactly link with his previous work (he's the reason Zeppelin still hasn't reunited and probably never will).

My guess is that the current album Plant is working on with Krauss will be his last with her. They made an extraordinary album but Robert never dwells on the past for long. Expect him either to get his old bandmates back together (the Strange Sensation that is) or look for a new opportunity to record some newer music.

Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation on Jools Holland:

Achilles Last Stand 4/16

Playlist:

- Led Zeppelin, "Whole Lotta Love", Led Zeppelin DVD
- Jeff Beck Group, "Beck's Bolero", Truth
- Led Zeppelin, "Nobody's Fault But Mine", Presence
- Robert Plant, "Ship of Fools", Now And Zen
- Led Zeppelin, "Houses of the Holy", Physical Graffiti
- Joni Mitchell, "Free Man in Paris", Hits
- Robert Plant, "Shine It All Around", Mighty Rearranger
- Led Zeppelin, "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You", Led Zeppelin I
- Led Zeppelin, "The Ocean", How the West Was Won
- Foo Fighters, "The Pretender", Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace
- Led Zeppelin, "Fool in the Rain", In Through The Out Door
- Them, "Gloria"
- Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation, "The Enchanter", Mighty Rearranger
- Robert Plant, "Other Arms", Principle of Moments
- Led Zeppelin, "Bring It On Home", Led Zeppelin II
- The Allman Brothers Band, "One Way Out", Eat a Peach
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)", Raising Sand
- Led Zeppelin, "In The Light", Physical Graffiti
- Led Zeppelin, "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp", How The West Was Won
- Crosby, Stills, and Nash, "Southern Cross"

Time on this semester is running short. Only two more shows left before WECB is off the air for the summer. Today's show included some info on Mr. Jeff Beck, close childhood friend of Jimmy Page who was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They've had their problems (mainly when Jimmy started up a band to rival Beck's and played the same cover of "You Shook Me" except better) but their relationship is as strong as ever.

Any suggestions for a big blowout show? Leave a comment and I'll think about that idea. A greatest hits show might be in order. You can also comment if you have any requests.

We're Back...

Hello folks. Sorry I wasn't around last week but some last minute business came up. The show's been gone for far too long so it's time to bring you a fresh new one on Thursday. I'll have news on John Paul Jones latest distraction from making another album and some big WECB news as well.

Until then, enjoy Jimmy Page playing with Jeff Beck at the Hall of Fame Induction:

Those two songs were "Beck's Bolero" (written by Jimmy) and "Immigrant Song". Jimmy not only played with Beck, he introduced his old friend to be inducted. Talk to you again Thursday!

Album of the Month for April: Mighty Rearranger

I can still remember the day I went out to buy a copy of Robert Plant's latest album in 2005. I was a Junior in high school at the time and my Led Zeppelin fandom only started two years prior. This was the first release from a Zeppelin member I could get the day it came out. I excitedly drove from school during my lunch break and immediately popped in the album to give it a listen. From the start I fell in love with Robert Plant's work with the Strange Sensation. He brought back the blues but added the fury of the Middle Eastern music that Robert delved into heavily during the 80s and 90s. The new band rocked out with the help of their experienced guitarist Justin Adams, best known for his producing work with Saharan band Tinariwen and French act Lo'jo. Each track fits wonderfully and is quite possibly the best solo work Robert Plant has ever done.

Release Date: May 10, 2005
Highest Billboard Chart Position: 22
Other Distinctions: Nominated for Two Grammys

Track Listing
1. Another Tribe
Robert starts his assault on the Iraq war and the Bush Administration from the first word he speaks. The song lyrics focus on men going off to war as their mothers wait worried at home. It also discusses propaganda and how the governments involved are trying to make an unjust war seem just. This is one of Robert's most blatant protests songs and he delivers the punches for the rest of the album.

2. Shine It All Around
Lyrically it is a typical Robert Plant song and he delves more towards his spiritual side. John Baggott creates spectacular layers of synths and keyboards while Clive Deamer's slightly electronic drum beats give the song some added attitude. Robert did a great job creating an acoustic space and had his first single from the album with this track.

3. Freedom Fries
This song is muddy, dark, and starts with a filthy drum beat and bass line. Robert blasts into his protest of America's involvement around the world and brings the anger he feels about their dominance. It's a scathing critique and proves to be one of the more powerful songs Robert released since his Zeppelin days.

4. Tin Pan Valley
Another dark song, Robert goes back to his Zeppelin days and brings back memories of "Immigrant Song". He starts slow with almost a whisper, then explodes with a fury of action from the Strange Sensation behind him with his yells of "like this!!!". Baggott brings the great electronic backing sound and the sonic space is extraordinary. The mood is consistently dreary and he really moves the listener's emotions.

5. All the Kings Horses
This song signals a change in the album where Robert starts moving towards more positive subjects and a folkier sound. He also references his epic love and sings a romantic song like his Zeppelin days once again. Baggott's contributions cannot be understated as he pulls back on his heavy synth use and lets the guitars breath a little more. It's a solid song that fits right in with the rest of the album.

6. The Enchanter
Robert explores spirituality once again and begins to make this one of the more prominent themes for the second half of the album. The guitar at the beginning sounds like nothing else out there and Deamer keeps a smooth electronic beat that doesn't overshadow the song. It captures the mood that Robert wants to create of a mystic force being present in the music.

7. Takamba
At shows, Robert would dedicate this to "a guy you may know over in England who's made some very bad decisions Tony Blair". Robert throws out one more protest song, this time against his native UK. He talks about how they blindly go along with every policy the US wants the UK to help out with. The polyrhythms of the band and sudden changes of tempo really exemplify Robert's feelings of his current government.

8. Dancing in Heaven
This track returns to Robert's folky side with a little acoustic guitar opening and nice drum beat underneath. This is also a return to the spiritual subjects that continue through the rest of tha album.

9. Somebody Knocking
The Strange Sensation bring out more of their Saharan instrumentals for this one and Robert fuses some standard blues lyrics with a Middle Eastern flair.

10. Let The Four Winds Blow
This song has a similar idea: it's mostly a blues lyric and song structure mixed with the Saharan music that influenced Robert at the time.

11. Mighty Rearranger
One of the more straightforward blues-rock songs on the album, Robert explores some more spirituality and uses some vivid imagery in his lyrics. Justin Adams guides the song along with a standard blues like while the drums give the Middle Eastern flair. This is about as biblical as Robert gets and it's interesting to hear his interpretations on religion.

12. Brother Ray
This song acts as a tribute to Ray Charles, who died shortly before recording began for the album. It brings to mind the end of Led Zeppelin III, when they made a track for Roy Harper. It's very raw and the vocals are just dirty as can be. There's nothing to special to say about this other than it is a very appropriate end to the album.

But wait, there's still more! Robert included a bonus track on the album (a remixed Shine It All Around) and recorded two other originals that ended up on Nine Lives.

Red, White, and Blue
Very similar to "Freedom Fries" in terms of how the song is structured, Robert continues his barrage against the US and their involvement in world affairs. It's relatively standard and probably just missed the cut in favor of "Freedom Fries".

All the Money in the World
Another very rock standard type of track, this song just simply doesn't fit the album. There's nothing wrong with the song, it just falls outside of every single theme that every song covers regularly. He probably would have put it on any of his other solo efforts, but this time the album's overall strength kept it off.

The Remixes
The remixes are fairly good and focus on creating a particular space with each song. "Shine It All Around" was right after "Brother Ray" on the original release as a hidden bonus track and seemed like a suitable ending. It mainly gave Robert lots of reverb and added an electronic drum line. "Tin Pan Valley" is very similar and just gives the song an electronic edge. The best of the remixes by far is The Enchanter". It captures the mood of the song almost as well as the original. It gives the song a little more movement and really seems to add value to it. The remix also avoids messing with Robert's vocals too much when the other two seemed to play around with his singing to the point where the song didn't have the same vibe.

Achilles Last Stand 4/2

Playlist:

- Led Zeppelin, "Dazed and Confused", Led Zeppelin I
- Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, "All the Money in the World", Nine Lives (Mighty Rearranger)
- Robert Plant, "Network News", Fate of Nations
- The Yardbirds, "Boom Boom", Ultimate!
- Bob Dylan, "The Levee's Gonna Break", Modern Times
- Robert Plant, "Big Log", Principle of Moments
- Led Zeppelin, "I Can't Quit You", Led Zeppelin I
- Led Zeppelin, "That's The Way", Led Zeppelin III
- Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, "Most High", Walking Into Clarksdale
- Led Zeppelin, "Hot Dog", In Through The Out Door
- Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven", How The West Was Won
- Heart, "Crazy On You"
- Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, "Red, White, and Blue", Nine Lives (Mighty Rearranger)
- John Paul Jones, "Daphne", The Thundertheif
- Robert Plant, "29 Palms", Fate of Nations
- The Rolling Stones, "She's A Rainbow"
- Robert Plant, "Tall Cool One", Now And Zen
- Led Zeppelin, "You Shook Me", Led Zeppelin I
- Led Zeppelin, "Misty Mountain Hop", IV
- Stevie Wonder, "Higher Ground"

A new month is upon us so you know what that means: a new album of the month. It's Mighty Rearranger, Robert Plant's solo album from 2005. The info for that will be up tomorrow and it's one of my favorites from him. I think he should have continued with that project instead of going off to the States with Krauss for Raising Sand. Don't get me wrong, it's a great album. I just liked his band at the time The Strange Sensation. Oh well.

The days left in the semester are dwindling so very few shows are left. I still have that idea for a completely connected show with not one true Led Zeppelin tune. That will take some work so I'd say I won't have it for at least a couple more weeks. If you want anything for next week leave a comment.

This Month in Zeppelin for April

Every month I have a monthly update on what happened in Zeppelin history. The first show of the month will include a This Month in Zeppelin feature where all of the important events of the month are announced. If there's an extremely important date (i.e. big album releases, deaths, births, ect.), I will talk about it as close to the date as possible. So, without further ado, this month in Led Zeppelin...

• April 26, 1969: "Whole Lotta Love" is played for the first time on-stage.
• April 6, 1970: Led Zeppelin are made Honorary Citzens of Memphis, TN followed by police action at their concert that night.
• April 19, 1975: The remaining 51,000 tickets for the two added Earls Court concerts sell in 2 hours.
  
• April 5, 1976: The band's 7th album Presence is released after only being recorded in a little more than two weeks.
• April 30, 1977: Led Zeppelin sets the record for the highest attendance at a concert when 76,229 fans show up at the Silverdome in Detroit
• April 13, 1981: Plant performs with the original version of the Honeydrippers that would release an album in 1984.
• April 28, 1990: Plant, Page, Jones, and Bonzo Jr. play at Bonzo Jr.'s wedding.
• April 20, 1992: Plant sings at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. He performed "Friends", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and "Innuendo" with the remaining members of Queen.
• April 21, 1998: Plant and Page release their first album of originals together since Led Zeppelin Walking Into Clarksdale.