TBL Plug - Thanks, Dave Lewis!

Dave Lewis will be guest blogger for MAGE MUSIC for Sunday, May 27, 2012.  Thank you Dave!

Tight But Loose issue 32 –once again taking you closer to the world of Led Zeppelin…

The new issue of the Tight But Loose magazine is simply one of the best issues ever with a host of news, views and features, all guaranteed to take you closer to the world of Led Zeppelin.

If you are new to TBL – this is the ideal issue to step on board!

If you a past subscriber - don’t miss out –re-subscribe now!

TBL 32 kicks off the three issue TBL 2012 subscription. By subscribing  to the magazine you will never miss out (past sold out back issues are in regular demand on eBay) and each issue will be sent to you as published (TBL 32 May –TBL 33 September and TBL 34 January 2013).  

Tight But Loose – The essential Led Zeppelin Magazine 32 page all colour content. Beyond mere websites – this is the tangible printed word you will want to collect and read again and again…

Here’s the expansive line-up for the new issue:

TBL Investigates: Exactly when and where did Led Zeppelin stage their first band rehearsal? Mike Tremaglio gathers the facts in an extensive research feature that offers the most accurate timeline ever published of The Yardbirds transistor into Led Zeppelin. Plus the TBL Two step out onto the streets of Chinatown in search of more proof of when history was made in August 1968.  The end result is one of the most insightful features in this magazine’s long history.

Warren Grant: ‘’My father was the man who Led Zeppelin - these are my memories’’: Warren Grant relays his memories of being right in the centre of the world of Led Zeppelin as the son of the man who just happened to be their manager and one of the most powerful figures in the music industry. In the first part of the interview, Warren recalls his early years at their Horselunges manor house in East Sussex as his family reaped the rewards of their father’s many years of hard work plus his experiences of being at the curtailed Tampa show and Oakland Coliseum show in 1977 –all illustrated with photos from warren’s personal collection.

Led Zeppelin 1972: Thunder Down Under: Mike Tremaglio tracks Zep on tour in Australia and New Zealand 40 years on – every show of the tour analysed and illustrated with rare photos and images.  Plus Gerard Sparaco highlights the unofficial CD releases that capture key Zep live on the road moments during their Australian and New Zealand tour dates.

The Taping of The Thunder Down Under - The Live in Sydney TBL interviews: A revealing insight into how the Led Zeppelin February 27th 1972 Sydney Showgrounds concert was recorded by a member of the audience on a National Panasonic tape deck – and how the tape was  subsequently restored nearly 30 years later.

John Paul Jones: The TBL Interview: Talking Led Zep, bass guitars, opera and guest appearances and the Kettle’s Yard Composer Portrait event in an exclusive TBL interview.

John Paul Jones News Reports: At  the London Bass Guitar Fair, Floating in Warwick with Robyn Hitchcock, down under with Seasick Steve, at the John Cage Musicircus and the Kettle’s Yard Cambridge Composer Portrait event.

JimmyPage.com Website Watch: Simon Cadman reports on the Jimmy Page web site activity of the past three months.

Jimmy Page Lucifer Rising and other Soundtracks: Dave Lewis steps in through the soundscapes to dissect the recently released great lost Page soundtrack album of the 1970s.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters in Gloucester: The live debut of Robert Plant new ad hoc line up caused the biggest Zep related ticket rush since the 02 reunion. Dave Lewis reports from down the front on the  welcome returned of the old witchdoctor.

Plus Justin Adams in another exclusive TBL interview relays his thoughts on the Gloucester Guildhall gig, Ju Ju summer festival dates & a decade of working with Robert Plant.

Multi-tracking Led Zeppelin 11: Ian Avey dissects the recently surfaced multi-track recordings of four songs from the Led Zeppelin II album.

Jeff Strawman’s Instrument Watch: The first of a regular TBL series focusing on the instruments and gear deployed by the members of Led Zeppelin. In this issue, Jeff chronicles Jimmy Page’s Gibson EDS 1275 double neck guitar.

Underground Uprising: Gerard Sparaco rounds up the latest underground CD releases including Berkeley Daze First Night, LZ Riders in AZ and The Calm & the Storm.

From A Whisper To A Scream –the Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin: Details of the new book by Dave Lewis via Omnibus Press, This is an extensive album by album track by track analysis of every Led Zeppelin recording. The book is guaranteed to take you make to the music with fresh perspective and there is –with news of the exclusive TBL edition due for publication in July – signed by the author and only available via the TBL website.

Plus News Round Up: Jimmy Page in attendance at Genesis David Bowie book launch and comments on his plans ahead to BBC 6 Music, : Ross Halfin Jimmy Page photo the 100,00 digitised shot in National Gallery, Neal Preston’s Gods And Rockers London Exhibition, BCC Live In Europe CD and Bonzo’s Birthday Bash all star rock drumming event, Mica Ertegun Oxford Scholarship, Peter Grant memorial Scholarship and latest Robert Plant news roundup -  Plus Loose Talk – a quick snapshot of latest Zep related happenings

Here is just one of many satisfied subscriber feedback comments:

‘’I’m an avid reader of Mojo, Q, Uncut, Record Collector and Rolling Stone but my subscription to TBL is far and away the best value for money.’’ Michael Rae, Australia


To order the TBL 2012 Subscription which commences with TBL 32 - go to the TBL 2012 Subscription link here and follow the instructions to pay via paypal.
http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/tblweb09/?page_id=1469

You can also order TBL 32 as a single issue on its own at this link

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/tblweb09/?page_id=14475

Get on board for the Zep Fix you can rely on!

The Music and The Magic

Mage Music: The Music and The Magic
What I’m listening to as I write: Ten Years Gone

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin Atlanta 1977
Led Zeppelin Seattle 1977
Led Zeppelin California 1977
Led Zeppelin MSG New York 1977
Led Zeppelin Knebworth 1979
Led Zeppelin Cleveland 1979
Page & Plant Rehearsal 1996
Page & Plant Japan 1996
The Black Crowes with Jimmy Page New York 2000

Jimmy Page is often referred to as a Mage or Magus. A mage is a person who performs a paranormal kind of magic as opposed to magical tricks like a stage illusionist in Las Vegas. It's likely the label originally reflected Mr. Page's interest in the occult teachings of Aleister Crowley, although today it holds true for a different reason: Jimmy Page's uncanny musical ability.

A mage can also be referred to as an enchanter, wizard, magus, thaumaturgist, or simply magician. Each term has a subtly different meaning - some more negative than others - but all terms that refer to the occult kind of magic revolve around the manipulation of reality through supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws.

Magic is similar to religion in many ways. Although magic is generally more result-oriented and religion more worship-oriented, both (ideally) are about spiritual growth. And, as with religion, magic may take different approaches: That of the holographic or sympathetic universe (the practitioner's actions cause a parallel effect elsewhere), or that of collaboration (the practitioner gets supernatural beings to cause the effect).

In some ways all meanings apply to Jimmy Page as magus, especially since he, himself, described his life as “a fusion of magick and music” (Guitar World, January 2008). (Note the alternate spelling: magick. Crowley chose the spelling with “k” at the end to differentiate between occult vs. stage illusionist practice).

Rituals are sets of symbolic actions, performed in a certain order. Almost all religions and magic use rituals in their practice, however those more "purely" spiritual are seen as being able to practice without need of ritual. For most practitioners, pure or otherwise, ritual is a tool that serves as a means of settling the mind into the right frame to achieve the transformation desired.

The specific ritual used in magic depends on the type of magician and his/her approach to the practice, but the purpose for using ritual for all practitioners is the same: To create a focus of the will (focused desire) of the mage in order to bring about the desired transformations and to focus and unify the other participants in the ceremony (ceremonial participants are generally a source of power for the magician).

It would be easy to simply say that Jimmy Page’s musical work is magical because it is so very good, but that says nothing much at all.

It would be more accurate to say that Jimmy Page’s musical work is magical because it is about manipulation of reality through music and, in my opinion, because it is also for purposes of spiritual growth.
In his own words and actions, Mr. Page shows that his music speaks for him in a magical way. In a 1973 interview he stated that “We're all still seeking for truth - the search goes on", and “…at those times when I've hit it [when performing], it's just like I'm a vehicle for some greater force."

Of course, people grow, people change. The beliefs of the young are tempered by age. The Jimmy Page of 1973 is not the Jimmy Page of today, yet in 2010 Mr. Page still believed in the power of music: “ I think it’s got to be all part of our DNA, this mass communication through music” (The Scotsman interview).

Pure magic, the transformation of the world, is achieved almost every time that Jimmy Page performs. Mr. Page has been dismissed by critics for his sloppy playing, for not always staying in tune – basically for lack of perfection - but even on his worst, most tuneless, sloppy days, his music conveys an extra layer of meaning, a communication that makes the manner in which it is performed almost irrelevant. It is magic coming through, as Jimmy Page says about Embryo, a work in progress that he plays in the movie It Might Get Loud.

It is what we, the participants in the ritualistic ceremony of the music of Jimmy Page, understand is the guitar alchemy of a powerful mage.

New Resources Tab

I've added a Resources tab to MAGE MUSIC on the navigation bar, above.  I invite you to add useful resources about Jimmy Page that you've discovered in the comment section.

Have you seen Jimmy Page?

I'm doing a little survey at https://www.facebook.com/MageMusicTheMusicOfJimmyPage.  If you've ever seen Jimmy Page perform live at any time in his career, please click on the link above and post the date and location of the concert - and please Like my Facebook page.  Thanks!

Light and Shade: Domino

Painters and other visual artists will, in the process of creation, discover something – a technique, an image detail, color combinations, shapes – that intrigue them and lead them into exploration in their next works. All creative artists look at other artists’ work, at life around them or deep inside themselves and discover something that intrigues them. They will absorb it, play with it and reinterpret it, make it their own and let it come out in their subsequent work. Thus the artistic products evolve. It has ever been so with all artwork, and students of the various artistic mediums can follow the evolution of the inspiration from artist to artist, and within one artist’s work.

Once Led Zeppelin was formed and Jimmy Page was able to become fully creative with his own music we can more clearly hear his exploration of themes and pushing of the musical envelope that is so characteristic of his musical genius. Expression of “light and shade” has always been a fundamental part of Mr. Page’s music. He may have picked up the term during his time at art school, although the use of light and shade to provide contrast is a concept used in all forms of art. Unlike in life when things may be much the same for long periods of time, an artist has control over the use of contrast to bring focus to and highlight certain areas of the work.

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette,1885–1886, oil on canvas, Van Gogh Museum

In music, the technique of light and shade may be brought about through changes in volume, tone, rhythm and speed, the use of different instruments, of melody versus chorus, and various other techniques. Jimmy Page uses every means in his considerable arsenal to achieve contrast with just one musical instrument - his guitar - intensifying the depth of his music to an incredible degree. Part of the magic of his music is in his use of light and shade, which draws us in and delivers us to the heights and depths of Mr. Page’s inner vision.

One of the light and shade areas that Jimmy Page appears to be drawn to is that of allowing his music to rise from a version of drone. In music, drone is a note or chord that is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. We know that Middle Eastern tuning is one of the techniques Page uses (Kashmir, discussed last week, being a great example); drone originated in instrumental music of southwestern Asia and spread to Europe, India and Africa.  It can be used to evoke an emotional atmosphere, which we see Mr. Page do to great effect, such as can be heard in in Domino (1999), where sometimes the extended low growl of the guitar’s chords is used as a drone and other places it is the memory of the drone and the return to it that gives the impression of drone.

Domino YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-W-G5txkbw

Page’s melodies rise out of the drone effect throughout Domino, and using light/shade, he returns to the drone again and again to give the mind rest before the contrast of the notes that rise like a fiery phoenix from the dark.

Links to BBC Documentary on Jimmy Page (1983)

1983 BBC documentary on Jimmy Page (YouTube)

Part 1 (of 4)
Part 2 (of 4)
Part 3 (of 4)
Part 4 (of 4)

Kashmir

Kashmir: The best ever song anywhere, anytime. Yet the music (melody) is simple and the lyrics not all that important (Plant's voice, in my opinion, is what it's about - not what the words mean but how they sound).

What the heck is it about that song that makes it better than Staircase to Heaven (which shares the mystery, but doesn't tap into the magic as strongly)?

Kashmir on YouTube (from Led Zeppelin's album, Physical Graffiti) Almost 10.5 million views now.

Moroccan influence: In 1994 Kashmir was recorded for No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded  and was performed with a Moroccan ensemble. Robert Plant said of Jimmy Page and No Quarter, "His riffs were spectacular. To take it as far as we did... it's one of the most ambitious and mind altering experiences."

People have described Kashmir as "spiritual". Plant says "mind altering". I would agree - this is incredibly uplifting music - but what makes it that way?  And do you find, as I do, that when Kashmir is performed by others it doesn't carry that extra something, that magic?