Page and Plant were amazing in 1998. Jimmy Page was playing with virtuosity and fire, and the band was tighter than I’ve ever heard. So, of course Robert Plant bails and leaves. In December of 1998 P/P performed in Paris for an Amnesty International benefit, and their performance was amazing. I love Babe I’m Gonna Leave You from this tour (here’s another one), because it’s one of the songs that is actually better played live by Page and Plant, than by Led Zeppelin. The reason is mainly because Zep didn’t really play it much, only in 1969 I believe. There’s a nice discussion about it here, if you’d care to read/participate.

Nonetheless Jimmy Page always played an amazing solo with Page/Plant, and this version is no different. What I love about this one are the little thing. The pinky flourishes, the sustained notes. Moving from minor to mode, and swtich pickups on the fly. It’s great music, and the Coolest Shit Ever.

This song is really cool, Youdopia. It’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant performing a neato song, called Rude World.  It sounds pretty lousy on pc speakers, but it sounds really good in headphones (despite the YouTube compression). It is, in fact, the Coolest Shit Ever.

They didn’t write it. It was originally done by Rainer Ptacek, an amazing guitarist (deceased). Ptackek played guitar like Robert Johnson. Crazy stuff. He did some B-sides with Robert Plant for the Fate Of Nations, including an insanely good version of Great Spirit. Ok. w00t. Night night.  Enjoy the music. Have fun storming the castle.

From my island home I feel a chance
To kiss the tired ghosts of time and circumstance
So give me peace of mind and let me dance
Bury all my pain of years beneath the sand

Youdopia, This song moves me in its simplicity, vulnerability, and tiny shimmers of hermetic insight that the boys used to provide before Kashmir went south. It’s beautiful, and it speaks to me at this time in my life.