The Heart of Markness Led Zeppelin Podcast Mark Donahue

1996 was a great year for the Jimmy Page/Robert Plant partnership. After their tremendously successful 1995 Unledded tour, they both loosened and tightened up, and headed South (of the Equator) with a smaller coterie of musicians. They played Central and South America, Japan, and finally, Australia.

This recording is from their February 24, 1996 in Sydney. The recording is fantastic as is the performance. I play a super chill yet elegant Since I've Been Loving You (Robert hit's that note perfectly), a raucous and percussively gorgeous Four Sticks, and we finish off the night with a brilliant and lively In The Evening, before we all drop from exhaustion. Enjoy

This is an incredible recording from Saint Mike Millard on his blessed Nakamichi, of Led Zeppelin at the LA Forum on March 27, 1975. This is one of the legendary marathon shows, running more than 3 hours, in gorgeous full stereo. This is a fresh transfer made by JEMS and lightly mastered by DADGAD. It's a keeper for sure.

I play a funky Over The Hills and Far Away and glorious improvisational No Quarter for us, as a taster for the full show, which is available below. Jonesy and Bonzo are perfectly synced in this amazing recording. You'll dig it.

We hear Led Zeppelin playing the Rockpile in Toronto, on Feb. 2, 1969, on their first tour through North America. They conquer like Mongols as they tear across the continent, and this show is no different.
I play the initial Train Kept A-Rollin' into I Can't You run, and finishes up with a cool as ice How Many More Times. This band is way better on their first big tour than many bands at their peak.

This show is a monster. Not only is it a 1971 show, making it great by default, it is also the first show with songs from Zep 4 (still 8 months from release), and it's also one of Robert Plant's strongest shows ever. So, it's a winner.

I featured this show on Episode 127 where I played all the debut performances of Stairway, Rock and Roll, and Going to California. This time I'm playing the opening of the show with an incendiary Immigrant Song-->Heartbreaker, and the finale with a viking raid of a performance of Bring It on Home. Robert's harmonica work is brilliant on top of everything.

On August 23, 1998 Jimmy Page & Robert Plant played on a "wet, miserable field" in the rain at the Bizzare Festival, in Cologne/Koln Germany. They were touring in support of Walking Into Clarksdale, which was produced/engineered by the late Steve Albini (RIP).

This is a fantastic, professionally broadcast, performance and all systems are go with Jimmy on fire,and Robert's voice strong and in control. It's brilliant. I play two songs off Clarksdale and then a very cool performance of Spoonful into a frenetic Whole Lotta Love.

I wrap it all up with a clip of Steve Albini talking about working with Jimmy and Robert, in an insightful, if irreverent, interview. Good stuff.

Them Crooked Vultures is a band with John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme and they rock. Hard. This show is from April 17, 2010 in Las Vegas, and it rocks. Hard.
I play Mind Eraser, No Chaser, New Fang, and Warsaw. These men are from Led Zeppelin(!), Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Queens of the Stone Age. Legends all. It's a great one.