Is John Paul Jones in the Studio?

The blog Plastic Pizza Party is reporting that:

Joshua Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones have been holed up in a Los Angeles recording studio working on a new record. The new band name and record release date are currently TBA … keep your ears peeled kiddos

Obviously I can't verify this report, but an old interview in Mojo of Dave Grohl, that seems to be from around 2005-2006, reports the same thing:

The next project that I'm [Grohl] trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That's the next album. That wouldn't suck.

So the question:, is this finally happening, or just a re-hash of old information?

Reunion in Australia?

Led Zeppelin's relationship with Australia go back to the early days when the band had a hugely successful Australian tour in 1972. Gold coast.com is today reporting that Zeppelin is rumoured to be returning to Australia with a show at the Gold Coast Parklands. While this is one rumour in one town, the report, and common sense, suggests that if Led Zeppelin were to play the Gold Coast it would be as part of a larger tour:

THE Gold Coast could be climbing a stairway to heaven with rumours rife that British rockers Led Zeppelin are heading our way.

It is believed Parklands has been approached to host the concert that would be one of the biggest and best the city has ever seen.

"I know there's been inquiries about it," said Parklands trustee John Howe.

"But you'll have to speak with (Parklands Trust CEO) Richard Murphy.

"I don't know what the latest is but I know there has been an inquiry about it."

However, Mr Murphy was not so forthcoming.

He simply said 'no' to every question put to him by The Bulletin.

When asked if 'no' meant that Led Zeppelin weren't coming or that he could not talk about it, he simple replied: 'No.'

"If I knew anymore I would tell you," he eventually said.

Last year false rumours emerged of a Toronto show, and there's been long standing rumours of something in New York, none of which have come to be. Frankly any reunion hope has died recently as the three members interested in the project seem to be going their own way.

None the less, if your in Australia, as false as this rumour likely is, at least you have a rumour.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win Five Grammys

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, in a night that will crush Zeppelin fans hoping this whole "Robert Plant as a mediocre crooner" thing will go away, won five Grammys including album of the year.

Sixty-year-old Led Zeppelin belter Robert Plant and 37-year-old bluegrass star Alison Krauss led the way with five Grammy Award wins, including album and record of the year, thanks to their collaborative CD.

Plant and Krauss won two Grammys for Raising Sand -- album of the year and contemporary folk/Americana album -- and three more for songs from that album: Killing The Blues won for country collaboration with vocals, Rich Woman for pop collaboration with vocals, and Please Read The Letter for record of the year.

Ironic that they call him a belter, now that he no longer is belting them out.

Plant and Krauss are currently in pre-production for a follow up to Raising Sand.

Zeppelin Without John Bonham "Incomplete."

In an interview with absolute radio Ben Jones Robert Plant says Led Zeppelin is incomplete with John Bonham:

The reason that it stopped was because we were incomplete, and we've been incomplete now for 29 years...

And the reunion gets farther and farther away.

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Moved

Ramble On can now be found at www.BrianGardiner.ca/RambleOn.

Please change your bookmarks.

Fourty Years Ago

The ball was already rolling on January 12, 1969. Led Zeppelin had performed a small Scandinavian tour the previous September,. before recording the first album. They landed in America on Christmas Eve, 1968, and gave their first American performance in Denver two days later.

Many of those early performances are legendary, including four nights at Bill Graham's Fillmore  West, ending on this night. But a rock band may be conceived on stage, it is born with it's recordings. On that last night at Bill Graham's Fillmore West, Led Zeppelin was a band with an album. Their first, self titled Led Zeppelin, was released earlier in the day.  In Frank Reddon's Sonic Boom, it is recounted how the record hit the streets and took the rock world by storm.

Forty years later what's surprising is how many of the elements that would make Led Zeppelin the biggest band for the next ten years were already there: Hard driving in Communication Breakdown, Bonham's superior stand out drumming in Good Times Bad Times; the acoustic side of Babe I'm Going To Leave You, the Indian influence and Kashmir tuning of Black Mountain Side; the blues in You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Baby; and reminiscent of their live shows, in Your Time is Gonna Come and How Many More Times, the band catches a groove and rides it straight through.  Led Zeppelin would grow, develop and mature, but Led Zeppelin, the album, showcased what they were, and what they would always be. The production is startling as well with Led Zeppelin is an album that sounds fresh even today.

Led Zeppelin is the album that started it all, not an album that changed music, but an album that signalled the birth of the band that would do so. However, throwing on the LP and listening to it after forty years, it's an album that deserves to be celebrated on it's own merit alone.

Happy 65th Birthday...

Jimmy Page.

For us Zeppelin fanatics, 65 years ago today was a magical one, in which the greatest guitarist of the rock 'n' roll generation was born.

Happy Birthday Dr. Jimmy Page, OBE. May you enjoy your pensionable years by travelling the world, preferably with an entourage, three good friends and a Les Paul.