DewieCox

RSD had jumped the shark by the time the second year rolled around, not to mention RSD Black Friday. A few nice releases mixed with a boatload of pic/colored discs and material that shouldnt be released. Lotta false demand comes from that little RSD sticker.

Vinyl prices in general are all over the map. Doesn't seem any better or worse on RSD, from what I've seen. Not much rhyme or reason to it, ime. You can get a nicely packaged 2xlp for $30 or pay the same for bootleg quality packaging and flimsy vinyl.

The story goes that alot of the soundboard tapes were stolen out of his library. Not sure if many were multitracks or what, but that didn't stop him from putting the radio show with the Zep I reissue and making it sound really good. I know he's about the biggest Zep bootleg collector and that at least started as a way to track down people profiting from the shows.

For some reason the extras on the ones released already and these two, don't appeal to me --- at least enough for me to purchase. Am I missing out?

As a monster Zep fan, I'd say you're missing out. The live show with Zep I is really good and one of the few artifacts of early Zeppelin. The stuff from II and III is a little more hit or miss, but the alt takes of Immigrant Song and Since I've Been Loving You, the stuff like Gallows Pole that's been stripped back to just the basic tracks, and the previously unreleased songs....Jennings Farm Blues and LaLa are pretty cool.

For el84's I'd go JJ's every time.

I think saying that Wilco is a lock is pretty far off. They might make it in after several years of eligibility, but no way are they the "no brainer" category, that some bands that have yet to be inducted are in.

Rich's new album is really good. As good as his last, and he's really came into his own as a vocalist. Grown by leaps and bounds.

I have four turntables and all reject when then get to the end of the album. I guess I will spend some time looking at the angels and play the one song and maybe run into someone with a manual turntable someday. Also not all turntables have 78 any more. I have one that only plays 78s, but my others don't.

 

 

My turntable turns off automatically, but the last Smashing Pumpkins album has a side where the music goes right up to the label. I was concerned that it would kick the needle off before the music ended, but it trucked right on through til the music ended. Now I'm baffeled as to how the tt knows when the album side is finished.

 I have a very different opinion of CRB than many.  I saw CRB when they first started out and was not that impressed.  I didn't go see them again until this past weekend in Joshua Tree, CA at Pappy and Harriets because there were two good bands opening (Howlin' Rain and Buffalo Killers, whom i thought were both very good) and a bunch of friends were going and Joshua Tree and Pappy's are such cool spots.  My friends loved the show, I absolutely hated it.  I find CRB to be a very weak version of the Dead and/or Garcia Band.  Neal and Adam are not good soloists to me.  There are no real crescendos in their solos nor in the band's ensemble playing.  Muddy and George are adequate at best on their instruments.  Chris' songwriting has really deteriorated with Before The Frost and on (last great songs he released, IMO, are on Warpaint, Oh Josephine, Locust Street, Movin' On Down The Line, Goodbye Daughters).  His new songs seem to deal in cliched 19th century American imagery and to me they have no gravitas or serious emotion or substance.  Its a lot like his New Age-y hippie speak babble to me, it just doesn't ring true like his songwriting and lyrics have for so many years.  It baffles me how and why he's changed in this way.

 

There were some songs I liked pretty well, mostly the 50s and 60s rock 'n' roll covers (Let's Go, Shake Rattle and Roll, Never Been To Spain) and Tumbleweed in Eden was not too bad.  Rosallee, out of his newer songs, is the one I like best.  My friends thought I'd be stoked on Bertha, but it just didn't go anywhere, no crescendo.

 

I had a friend go see Rich Robinson on the opening night of his tour in Mill Valley (on the same night) and he told me he'd take CRB anyday over Rich Robinson live.  I find that so shocking because I hear so much brilliance in Rich's music and so much mediocrity in Chris' current music.  I guess some people like the mellow laid back vibe of CRB.  I don't get it myself.  Rich's music is, to me, in on an entirely higher level than CRB, but CRB has way more fans, clearly.  Some of them are Deadheads who've found a new band to follow (I saw some people used to go to Dead shows with that I hadn't seen or talked to since 1992, what a trip), Crowes fans who think CR can do no wrong, and even some folks who didn't like either band but are getting into this trip.

 

I don't begrudge anyone their musical pleasure and it was fun to watch my friends and strangers getting so into it, but it sure is puzzling to me.

I'm with you on most of what you say, but I don't really know if it's a decline in CR's ability or the route he's chosen to take. I'll give him credit for buying into whatever image he's into selling at a given moment, as he's always done, but I don't think there's anything exciting at all about what he's doing. The jams just meander and totally lack the technical skill to pull off well.

Give me RR any day.

Am I the only one who noticed how totally fucking bored Robert Plant sounds on the O2 concert record? HE DOESN'T WANT TO SING THOSE SONGS ANYMORE. And no one can make him. And no one should, because as opposed to Mr. Page, he has showed infinitely more musical growth in the past 30 years.

Yes

He sings quite a few of those songs when he tours now. I don't blame him for not wanting the pressure a huge arena tour would put on him, but he's always had been wishy washy over the whole thing, or at the very least, a tease.

I think it's past the point of being a possibility. They should've marked out a month each for LA, Chicago, and NYC in 2008 and done a show every few nights.

Far as the musical growth thing...Page has always longed for his band back and made protecting and enhancing the Zeppelin legacy priority #1 and Plant is still basically playing music inspired by the same stuff. I wouldn't say that either has left the other in the dust as far as that.

Got my Iron Bell last saturday.Pro Guitar Shop is so badass. Ordered wednesday morning and made it from Portland to IL on Saturday.

The pedal sounds great. Alot more manageable than my EH Muff, which always seemed full on. Iron Bell is clearly Muff-y, but can be every bit as saturated and sustain-y, without being so in your face. Seems alot more flexible with the Colour knob. 

Probably keep all the dirt on my board til I can add some more modulation based stuff. Want a good tremolo pedal and a pedal or two that's kinda out there.

Next on the list is unload some gear to fund an amp purchase.

Seriously? You've listened to the two albums, right?

I honestly haven't listened to the second album much, since the first is so boring.

all the gear boards are a-flutter about the EHX Soul Food.  Have you seen this thing?  $62 Klon clone with an adapter.

 

LINK

Definitely heard about it, but haven't checked any demoes yet. Definitely check it out at some point. Not sure how close mine is to an actual Klon, but it sounds sweet. If any of the copy cats come close, they're all great sounding pedal in my book, Klon included.

There's also been a ton of buzz for a fresh run of Klon KTR's ready to hit the shelves. Definitely be a good investment, if one was the flippin type.

Cool stuff.

That FUCK is nasty. Sounds like some borderline ring mod sounds.

My Brit Bender is my fuzz that tends to get the sputter going on, but that one above is a whole different level.

My board has gotten ridiculous with the dirt too, but it's nice to have options. I'm running a Brit Bender, Skreddy Lunar Module clone, OCD, Klon clon, C'bread RAH and Dirty Little Secret mk3 and soon the Iron Bell.

I'm thinking of dumping the DLS mk3 soon, b/c I plan on raising funds for a couple doses of Dr Z goodness. Some gear and records are gonna need to hit the road.

Pro Guitar Shop had a 20% sale, so I splurged on a Mojo Hand Iron Bell. It's a take on a Gilmour-ish sounding Muff. I'll report back early next week, hopefully.

I'm a Rich man, but I think the CR solo albums from the first hiatus are the best thing either has issued outside of the Crowes. Crowes have always been a song first, then worry about the jam band. CRB's stuff is just full of mindless repetetive noodling. Probably comes off better in a live situation, but when it's the same, song after song, it would get old there too. The few times they actually write a song, it's nice, but still doesn't hold up when compared to Rich ability to craft a song.

My favorite jammy moments have always the jams that unfold like songs. The Crowes excel at seamlessly blending in really great progressions and moments in a spontaneous fashion, without overdoing it.

I figure they'll be similar to the most recent Floyd releases. There was some pretty revelatory stuff on there. Particularly the different takes on The Wall material.

Who knows what Page has. He's a big Zeppelin bootleg collector, I think mostly in an effort to get back what was stolen from him during his drug haze. He's probably pieced together a pretty substantial outtakes collection through the years.

extremely happy with the Euphoria

 

When I first plugged it in, I was not a happy camper.  Took awhile to dial in the right tones, it's a sensitive pedal.  But after tweaking it for awhile I'm sold.  

 

This is an overdrive that definitely gets distortion as well.  the gain know goes from a true bypass/clean boost to pretty distorted.  Fat knob doesn't just add low end tone, it also muddies the signal.  I've got it at about 9 o'clock.

 

By wednesday of this week this little fella should arrive, very excited:

 

Did this show up? Love to hear your thoughts. What family of fuzz is it? Been looking for either a fuzz that covers alot of ground or a good Muff. I have my Fuzzface and Bender tones covered, but the dirt section may be getting a little out of control.

Wamplers good stuff, but I've already filled the voids that he could fill. Really like about all his pedals I've heard. For me Catalinbread offer fierce, almost direct competition for the stuff I'd want from his line. I dig the RAH and DLS mk3 for amp model-y type OD's.

Velvet Fuzz is high on the list of future aquisitions, though. Might be the be all end all fuzz for me.

This is pretty good. Took a few listens to grow on me, but it's cool. Little more diverse than I've grown accustomed to with them.

Not diggin the tune as much as most stuff off the last 3 albums, but I'm pretty stoked for this. Should be good and they'll kill it live.

Grohl seems like a nice enough guy and it's cool how much he loves music, but his persona just wears on me. Both the movies he made were thinly veiled fronts for album advertisements. I thought he came off like a schmuck with the Foo's movie and the first half of Sound City was excellent, til he went on to long about how he saved that mixing board.

By far and away, the best thing he's been involved in is Them Crooked Vultures.

I definitely don't see him collaborating with Wilco...Just a whole different class of musician, imo.

I don't really know what Neil Peart does, but their concerts are among the most visually oriented shows you could ever see.   Synching up all their videos, lasers, etc., without some control over the tempo of the music would be almost impossible.

True, but after reading that Tool doesn't use click tracks, I think about anybody could get by without them.

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Top: Dr. Z Maz 18 NR into AlNiCo Blue loaded Avatar cubes - 08 Standard Strat, 07 Les Paul Custom, 95 Les Paul Standard, all stock besides the top hat knobs instead of speed knobs on the LP's

Bottom: Pedaltrain Pro with TU2>Clyde Deluxe>MJM 60s Vibe>MJM Britbender>self built Gilmour-based fuzz face clone>Catalinbread Ottava Magus>OCD>Klon clones>Catalinbread RAH(Page Hiwatt in a box)>Ibanez FL9>Analogman ARDX20>Boss DD20>Earthquaker Devices Ghost Echo(reverb) - power by 2 Voodoo Labs PP2

I don't mind the offstage augmenting, but I'd definitely prefer the performer be on stage to get his due.

From years of reading guitar magazines, I was always shocked at how many guitarist would have their techs do their switching for them. I'd say most would have the major changes done offstage and have a smaller board out front that they could mess around with if they chose, along with the wah. I can kinda understand it with a setup like The Edge, but very few have sytems as complex as his, and I think he's trying to get as close to the studio sound as possible.

Not sure how I feel about another person playing backup. On one hand I'd rather see a band in their classic form, on the other I want good sounding performances. It does feel like a copout, but I'd probably feel different on a case to case basis.

Lip syncing is whack, though I can see why certain people do it. The best solution to keep from it is changing the key of the song. But just as many people will bitch about that,which I'll never understand, if it's done well.

I've only ever heard of Neil Peart using a click track where it's necessary, like when samples come into play.

if there ever was another Zep reunion show, I'd love to see him sit in.

 

 

Gotta be Bonham and if not him and we can dream...Steve Gorman. Grohl is pretty great(especially with QOTSA and Them Crooked Vultures) but has been kinda embarrassing with his recent takes on Zeppelin.

Bonham

Peart

Carey

Kotche

Steve Gorman(Black Crowes)

Jimmy Chamberlain

Patrick Hallahan

Jimmy Page & Black Crowes - live at the Greek

Love that one. For all the great guitar playing on there, Steve Gorman absolutely owns this one.