Ep. 244 – The Heart of Markness Led Zeppelin Podcast
This is a lovely low gen recording from November 25, 1988 at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, in support of Jimmy Page’s Outrider album. This tour is incredible and should not be overlooked by Zep fans.
Jimmy Page, John Miles, Durban LaVerde, and Jason Bonham make a tight little unit cranking out Zeppelin tunes (for the first time since 1980), Firm tunes, Death Wish 2 tunes, and even a Yardbirds tune. Best of all Jimmy was playing like it was 1973 again, with fluidity and dexterity unseen for at least a decade.
I posted this video on Youtube years ago, after downloading off of Dimeadozen. I attended the Outrider concert the following night in Worcedeter, MA, but that’s a story for another day.
The Outrider album is… ok. The playing is great which the big thing. After two Firm albums, and a bunch of shaky performances, I was delighted that Jimmy got his chops back and came out swinging.
The Outrider tour was fucking incredible. For the first time since 1980, he was playing Led Zeppelin, along with a couple Firm songs, some Death Wish 2 stuff, and and Yardbirds tune (Train Kept A Rollin). It’s interesting to note that Robert Plant was also touring at this time, and he too was playing Zep tunes for the first time since the breakup.
This is a home shot video with matching audio. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, at all. This is totally something you can listen to in your car as you’re going to work, or at your desk. It’s really really great.
If you’re one of the people who teeth because I do not think the Firm was impressive, watch and listen to this show, and see what impresses me, Jimmy Page-wise.
His touring band was Jason Bonham on drums, Durban Laverde on bass, and John Miles on vocals. John Miles had sung for the Alan Parsons Project (Stereotomy), and he sang ably.
I will do a podcast about the Outrider tour fairly soon, in which I will spend time talking about the whole post Firm timeline, and how Jimmy got his groove back. For now enjoy the amazing document from one of rock’s greatest guitarists.
