Of course I've probably mentioned a time or two (thousand) how much I'd like to see Led Zeppelin get back together. But be that as it may the closest we're getting to any of them touring these days is when Robert Plant heads out on the rock n roll road. Although scratch that, blues road, last weekend he headlined the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in Clarksdale. Yes that's the same Clarksdale that he named his 1998 album with Jimmy Page, WALKING INTO CLARKSDALE. Plant also took this opportunity to express his love of Delta Blues. Blues is becoming the fall back genre for many a rock n roller and in fact if you want to get a feel for why that is check out our blues show "Strickly Blues" every Sunday morning at 10:00 am on 107.9 The Bear.
I've always found Jimmy Page extremely intriguing he has always seemed silently powerful. Belting out searing guitar licks with an understated elegance. Yet he also embodied the phrase " Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll", in fact at one time he could of been it's poster boy. Through it all though there was always this mysterious quality about him. The latest to venture to unravel those hidden characteristics, is 'Guitar World's Brad Tolinski. A long standing friend of Page his new book LIGHT & SHADE: CONVERSATIONS WITH JIMMY PAGE will be out October 23rd and boast two decades of interviews to draw on. Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) says "Jimmy Page...the one and only! From mild to wild, Jimmy says Jimmy sez it all. This fine work will rock you!" I'm sold and looking forward to checking it out.
One thing I always found interesting was his fascination with the occult even going so far as to buy occultist Aleister Crowley's home. Did you know that the appearance of the four symbols on the jacket of Led Zeppelin's fourth album has been linked to Page's interest in the occult? It's my favorite album of theirs......
There was "Hullabaloo"..."Shindig"....and a few other variety shows that brought you your first view of your favorite Rock n Roll stars. But in the beginning it was The Ed Sullivan Show that brought us our first 'reel' first viewing of those newbee superstars like The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and others. Well get ready for a memory whiplash because PBS' My Music series has resurrected The Ed Sullivan Show with TJL Productions and they've even put out a box set for those who can't get enough of those early days of rock.
Ok maybe I'm a little biased, but come on how can any other genre of music logos compare with the Rock Icon logos represented in Rock? You've seen them on car bumpers, brick walls, high school notebooks and the backs of jean jackets, not to mention a little ink on an arm or leg or two. Can you imagine how bare our world would be without the iconic designs representing legendary bands like AC/DC, LED ZEPPELIN and the lip smacking logo of THE ROLLING STONES.
