Ramble On Radio Episode #14

Jimmy Page is releasing Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks, Robert Plant's Sensational Space Shifter's is coming together, John Paul Jones plays avant-garde and I discuss it all in this St. Patrick's Podcast.

Also, I review Glenn Hughes book "Glenn Hughes: An Autobiography From Deep Purple to Black Country Communion."

Get Episode #14 here, or subscribe via iTunes, and never miss another episode.

Led Kittens

The Kitten Covers is one of my favourite websites, and a daily check. The Clash's London Calling and Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town are two of my personal favs

I've been wondering when the website that "re-imagines" classic album covers with cats would get around to Led Zeppelin, and today it did with Led Kittens, Houses of the Meowy.

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The Kitten Covers does it again.

Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography - from Deep Purple to Black Country Communion.

Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography, penned with the help of Joel McIver, covers his career, and life from The late 1960's through to the present day. The fact there is a present day Glenn Hughes is nothing short of a small miracle, a point which is not a minor piece of subtext running through the book.

For Led Zeppelin fans, Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography is of interest mostly because Hughes plays with Jason Bonham in Black Country Communion, but also because Hughes has a couple of run ins with Led Zeppelin, and John Bonham in particular.

In 1971, Bonham turned up at a Trapeze show, Hughes first band. He inserted himself into the drummers chair mid-song and a 15-minute version of Medusa ensued, a song Hughes would later record with Bonham's son in Black Country Communion. Post-show Hughes went back to Bonham's house where they listened to an acetate of Led Zeppelin IV "a good four months before it's global release. We must have heard the album five times. By the time the sun came up, 'When The Levee Breaks' was tattooed on my brain."

A few hours later Robert Plant showed up to take Bonham away on a European tour.

In 1975 Bonham showed up side-stage at Deep Purple show to confront Hughes about an alleged affair with Bonham's wife, which Hughes denies (then and now), and subsequently on to a party at Ron Wood's New York apartment. Later Bonham would punch Hughes and have him kicked out of a Song Remains the Same release party for the same offense.

Then there's this:

You may not believe this, but it's true. In September 1980, I was having a nap in the middle of the day, and I remember Karen coming in and saying, "You'll never guess who's dead." And I said this, out of my sleep: "I know who's dead, it's John Bonham." He'd come to me and whispered in my ear that he'd gone to heaven and told God that he was leaving Led Zeppelin and going to form a new band with Glenn Hughes. And then he said to me, "She's a rich girl now," and that's exactly the dream I had. It came to me while I was sleeping.

It may seem strange that Bonham was in heaven and planning to join a band with the still alive Hughes, but Hughes was by that time mired in addiction problems of his own, mostly cocaine. Who knows what message from beyond John Bonham was trying to tell him.

Hughes addiction problem, coming to grips with it, 20-years wasted, unable to keep a gig, unable to do much of anything but find/take cocaine. Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography is a cathartic process for Hughes, who makes no apologies and holds nothing back, pointing out secrets are deadly to addicts.
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi says of Hughes in the book:

he'd burned so many bridges over the years that he had to rebuild every one.

That's what this book is, another strut in Glenn Hughes bridge, being rebuilt one strut, one truss at a time. The focus throughout is his addiction, and the consequences thereof.

Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography is an enjoyable, if sometimes uncomfortable read. Telling the tale of great success and great waste of talent, sometimes all at once. Glenn Hughes has lived one hell of a life, is probably very lucky to be alive (and as anyone who follows Hughes on Facebook or Twitter can tell you, Hughes is very aware of the fact).

Or, to paraphrase, Hughes is the messenger, and this book is his prophesy.

Lucifer Rising and Other Soundtracks

Jimmy Page will release Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks on heavyweights vinyl LP next week. There will be three editions, Standard, Deluxe and Signed. the Deluxe Edition will be numbered and limited to 418 copies and the signed will be limited to 93.

The standard edition will be available at JimmyPage.com next Tuesday March 20th to align with the Spring Equinox, while the Deluxe and Signed editions will be available by lottery, which can be signed up for now at JimmyPage.com.

The album will contain music written for Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising, as well as other tracks recorded by Page at his home studio in the early 70's. This is the first official release of this music.

The track listing is:
Side One
1) Lucifer Rising - Main Track

Side Two
1) Incubus
2) Damask
3) Unharmonics
4) Damask - Ambient
5) Lucifer Rising - Percussive Return

As well there are liner notes and commentary on each track.

Pricing of Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks is:

Standard edition £20
Deluxe edition £30
Signed Deluxe edition

and are available at 2:00 PM Greenwhich mean time on Tuesday March 20.

Ramble On Radio Episode #13

For episode 13 I've taken the podcast to a new level, not just being a podcast about Led Zeppelin, but a way to embrace what Led Zeppelin did, in podcasting creating a kind of cultural understanding through my muse that is part of the zeitgeist that isn't motivated by vanity or magazine covers or awards.

All the while dressed in Stella McCartney.

Get Ramble On Radio #13 for a chance to receive a set of the Led Zeppelin II Multitrack CDs. Or, subscribe through iTunes, and never miss Ramble On Radio.

Here's a short clip of my Led Zeppelin II remix.

John Paul Jones Meet and Greet

Nothing happening this weekend? Hanging around old London town without much in the way of entertainment to amuse yourself? Here's something.

On Sunday, John Paul Jones will make an appearance at the Manson Guitars stand at the London Bass Guitar show. He will be there to promote his John Paul Jones signature bass, which will be available for purchase at the show, and will be doing a meet and greet with fans between 12:00 and 1:00

The London Bass Guitar Show is at the Olympia Conference Centre in the Earls Court area of London.

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