Review Week - Day 1: Celebration Day CD

Driving to work last week and I had Celebration Day in the CD player. My buddy I drive with is napping in the passenger seat and as we get to work he says, “what are we listening to?”



When I tell him what it is, he says, “man that is good.” We finished the drive with a discussion on just how tight Led Zeppelin was on that night of Dec 10, 2007.

I’ve had the CD for a week and-a-half now and I can’t seem to stop listening to it. In the car, at home, walking the dog I listen from start to finish, skipping nothing, over and over. It is simply that good.

Yes, the band is tight, surprising for a one off gig, their first full one in almost 30 years. But anybody with any of the various bootlegs of that night already knew that. But the quality of the sound, the flawless mix make this set so much better.

Celebration Day is Led Zeppelin at their best, and the CD makes for a must listen, a must have for any Led Zeppelin fan.

Celebration Day Premier

The Led Zeppelin's, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, held a preview press screening of Celebration Day in London yesterday, and afterwards held a 34 minute presser. As well, they released information on the various formats that Celebration Day will be available when it's released in November.

Here's the press conference:



Celebration Day will be released in DVD/Bluray, CD and digital download on November 19th. The formats are:

2 CD Softpak
Deluxe Edition 2CD + 2 DVD
2 CD + 1 DVD
2 CD + 1 Blu-Ray
2 Cd + 1 DVD + 1 Blu-Ray
Blu-Ray Audio
Digital audio download

As well, a 3 LP Vinyl Packagewill be released on February 5th.

All items can be pre-ordered through Led Zeppelin.com, or, of course, you can click on the links above.

O2 DVD Announcement Coming

The countdown is on. With a '5' in the traditional Houses of the Holy font appearing on their Facebook page Saturday, Led Zeppelin announced something was up. Sunday was 'four', Led Zeppelin 4 style, and yesterday a 'III', ala the third album. So what of today? You guessed it, brown bomber style:



What can it all mean? Jeff Strawman has a good accounting of the possible theories, only one of which makes any sense whatsoever: the O2 DVD/Bluray will see commercial release.

There is no surprise here as it was talked about heavily last year, and then died suddenly on the vine. Rumours of it being issued this year  began a few months ago, and last week was seemingly confirmed by a Belgium radio station. That post was taken down after a day, suggesting not necessarily inaccuracy, but that the original post was premature. And so it seems it is.

Early this morning, the Sun newspaper in the UK reported that the O2 DVD/Bluray is being released on November 22nd.

As well, over the last 2 days, video has been appearing on the Facebook page and the band's official YouTube page. Here's today's:



As for the countdown, know that five years ago on day zero, September 13, the band announced the reunion show. Seriously, it's a CD/DVD/Bluray and nothing else.

Gentleman (and ladies), start your Christmas list.

Heart Zeppish

Heart is releasing a box set of demos and live versions of their materials over the course of their career. Included in the box set, Strange Euphoria, will be a 5 song bonus disc of Led Zeppelin material.

Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been very upfront about the Zeppelin influence in their music, and have covered a number of Zeppelin songs during their live sets through the years.



The "Zeppish" disc will include Going to California, Battle Of Evermore, What Is And What Should Never Be, Immigrant Song, Misty Mountain Hop.

Heart's Strange Euphoria will be available June 5th.

Black Country Communion Live Over Europe: CD Review

If you have the Black Country Communion DVD Live Over Europe, released four months ago, there's no surprises in the CD. The song list is exactly the same and, as far as I could tell, it is an exact soundtrack of the video performance of BCC's European tour from last summer. From first to last, the 15-song set is identical.

If you haven't seen the DVD, or prefer to listen instead of watch your music, Black Country Communion is a tight, loud and top notch live act, who's songs translate well and, often, improve in the live setting.

The disc consists of songs from BCC's first two albums, plus Guitarist Joe Bonamassa's Ballad of John Henry and bassist/singer Glenn Hughes era Deep Purple classic, Burn. The two CD set is an hour and a half of blue based rock, performed at the highest level.

If your jumping in the car this summer, and taking off for a driving holiday, I can't imagine not having BCC's live over Europe CD in the glovebox: it is the perfect rock and roll accompaniment.




Track Listing

1. Revolutions of the Machine


2. Black Country


3. One Last Soul


4. Crossfire


5. Save Me


6. The Battle for Hadrian's Wall


7. Beggarman


8. Faithless


9. Song of Yesterday


10. I can See Your Spirit


11. Cold


12. The Ballad of John Henry


13. The Outsider


14. The Great Divide


15. Sista Jane


16. Man in the Middle


17. Burn

The CD is in stores Tuesday, or can be ordered through BCCommunion.com or Amazon.com

BCC Live Over Europe CD Release

When Black Country Communion first announced the DVD release for Live Over Europe, it simultaneously announced a CD release (I seem to recall a LP release as well, but can't find that I reported on it). However, when the DVD/bluray was released in the fall, there was no sign of an audio release.

Today, Black Country Communion announced the CD of Live Over Europe will be released on February 28th. It can be pre-ordered now from the BCC website for $19.99 or Amazon.com: