A podcast featuring the considered views of Mark Henry Ellen will be with you as soon as humanly.

..he'll say that they sounded MUCH better than they did in their prime, as he inexplicably did re; Cream.

it'll be a musical review or a happening of cultural significance one?

On BBC news last night the entertainment reviewer - Brit-asian woman, dunno name - had what looked like a very new one on in that double-breasted style favoured by the Ramones; Richard Hammond had a similarly shiny one, the likes of which you see in Harvey Nichs and go "HOW much?!"; refreshing to see Noel Gallagher had his usual one on that he wore on The Word's cover about 3 years ago...

Kashmir:

More here:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=led+zeppelin+o2&search=Searc...

you can't really argue with that can you!

Indeed, Planty's voice sounds better there than in either of the last two 'reunions'. One thing puzzles, though: Jason Bonham. He's known his dad's drum parts since birth and presumably his kit is exactly the same spec, right down to the heavy sticks. So how come he doesn't quite sound right. I wonder whether today's sound is actually too good? Wouldn't it benefit from being less clearly defined and more sludgy like on the records?

and he's a different drummer. I wouldn't be so hard on him, in all the interviews i've seen and read about this gig the others all say he's brought a great deal of enthusiasm and good vibes to the table that has made the experience a good one for everyone involved. I just think its funny that Jason is the one with no hair!

I wouldn't diss him as a drummer (or as a bloke). I just find it funny that they've got the most faithful Bonzo replacement available to man and it still sounds different. On account of being a human being, I guess.

These camera phones aren't much good at capturing onstage detail, but they're great on male pattern baldness. Love the finger-pointing chap on the left in the maroon shirt. (Sorry if you're reading this...)

The amount of Youtube mobile footage of the concert posted today is amazing.

is exactly why these reunion things are, ultimately, a bad idea and why some of us are born to be rock stars and others aren't!

They sound just as bloody awful as they did first time round.

but quite the opposite I'm afraid. Their ham-fisted noodlings and dumb unsubtle thumpings have always tended to send me swooning rather effortlessly into the welcoming arms of Morpheus.

the mighty arms of Atlas, then?

Wasn't Atlas the Gods-threatening grunt who was forced to carry the world on his shoulders? I suppose his modern day equivalent would be a mouthy roadie at a Zep gig who said something sarcastic to the increasingly Zeus-like Page and, as a result, was ordered to bear the burden of that twin-necked SG throughout the Gods' forthcoming tour.

..while I respect your opinion, and defend to the death your right to voice it, a decription of Zeppelin as "hamfisted" could only come from someone who has not tried to untangle the dropped and added beats of "Black Dog," or "Kashmir" or the digit twisting fingerpicking of "Bron-yr-Aur Stomp" and "Over The Hills And Far Away"
Call them derivative, or overblown if you will, but as hard rock bands go they were nimble and imaginative.
You'd have to go to Sabbath or Grand Funk if you really wanted hamfisted.

sorry Shane. We're going to have to shake and disagree on this one I'm afraid. I would still argue that their music lacks subtlety and that Page- for all his violin-bow harrumpphing ( and despite those fine apprentice years spent sessioning in the sixties )- is, essentially, a careless and heavy-handed player with poor technique. If you want proper finger-picking then I'd hunt down some Doc Watson and then compare that guy's effortless and lyrical musicality with the ploddy 12-string soupy clump that is 'Bron yr Aur'. Zep, I would argue, always mistook volume for power and that- if we absolutely have to have white-boy pseudo-blues with a cacophonous meringue of noodling and cat-like squeals then it seems to me that Deep Purple at their prime did that sort of thing with far more style and gusto. I'd also compare Led Zeppelin unfavourably with Free- the latter always seemed to have more of a real instinct for the blues and for black music in general and, of course, both Rodgers and Kossoff could sing and play Plant and Page off any stage. The Led Zeppelin songbook is a tad weak too I reckon. 'Ramble On' is Tolkien by numbers, 'Stairway To Heaven' is meaningless twaddle, 'Rock And Roll' is fun but lumpen and their best stuff- the first two albums- were, as we know, mainly written by Willie Dixon. They also pinched liberally from the West Coast bands- the first verse of 'Since I've Been Loving You' is lifted directly off 'Never' the first track from Moby Grape 'Grape Jam' ( recorded in 1968 )- check it out. If I was in Moby Grape I'd sue.
Hey, otherwise, they're great.

...never really had any great depth I concur but they did have a certain swagger and flair which was deeply impressive for any thirteen year old hearing 'Made In Japan' for the first time. And whilst agreeing that Blackmore is not in Kossoff's class, as a rock screamer he was, and is, damned flash- his solo on 'Highway Star' is still incredible even today.
I actually quite like bubblegum as a genre you know. Seriously. Middle Of The Road and Pickettywitch released some purty darn catchy singles in the early seventies. And please don't get me talking about The Archies...I recently spent a small fortune on vinyl copies of their early albums! Well worth it too....love that dog's rhythm work....

..were the Linda McCartney and Yoko of cartoon pop groups.

I must admit I'm mystified by the glowing references to Paul Kossoff in here, comparing his abilitites to those of Mr Page. While he had a nice line in basic blues licks, and could pull out a humdinger from time to time, he was never consistently inventive, and as time went by, sadly, got less and less adventurous.

His playing always struck me as hesitant; almost as if he didn't want to overstretch his technical ability in case he showed himself up as lacking. In terms of feel and expression, he had it in his bones, but compared to Page for the generation of visceral excitement, he simply never had it in him.

Richie Blackmore is another player who misses notes, goes off on dead end improvisational meanderings, gets lost and stumbles clumsily back onto the path yet STILL generates electrical excitement by the megawatt. I heartily recommend the indulgent soloing during "You Fool No One" from the famous Kilburn gig; your jaw will drop, you'll think, "You flash bastard!" and laugh at his cheek, and chuckle at the quick snatch of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", but I bet you'll be nodding along like a good 'un by the time the rest of the band storm back in.