Review of Led Zeppelin’s IV

Timeless. That is the only word that best describes this album. All eight of the songs are classic. This band built quite a reputation with “Yardbirds” founder Jimmy Page on guitar, Robert Plant’s undeniable rock persona and vocals, John Paul Jones on bass and Mr. John Bonham, one of the most respected and talented drummers of all time.

Little did they know back then that not only would IV stand the test of time but they would be regarded in many circles as the greatest rock band of all time; and having the greatest rock album of all time.

Folksy is another word that comes to mind. It definitely makes every song stand out when it’s played. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t start singing along when “Black Dog” comes on and you hear Hey hey mama said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gon’ make you groove, or It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled from “Rock and Roll“. If you deny this you are lying!

“Stairway to Heaven” no matter how many times it’s played you listen. It’s just too beautiful to turn off! “Misty Mountain Top” picks up the pace nicely and gives me an awesome visual of embarking on a nomadic journey. “Going to California” is one of those songs anyone can relate with. If you have ever moved from somewhere you’ve lived for a long time you definitely will have an aching in your heart.

Let’s face it, when most people think of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant comes to mind with his powerful voice and lyrics but if you really take the time to listen you will hear some of the best musicianship ever put out on any album.

Check out John Paul Jones on bass during “Rock and Roll“, some beautiful mandolin played on “The Battle of Evermore” by none other than guitarist Jimmy Page and John Bonham’s drumming on “Four Sticks” because he played with four sticks at the same time!

There is no doubt in my mind that this is regarded as the number one album by many people. Put your’s back in the CD player and give it a listen. I’m sure you won’t have any doubts either. One thing is for certain, there is no dust on my copy!

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First off, I would like to say Don Dokken’s current lineup of musicians did a great job! Jon Levin on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass and I’m not familiar with the drummer. Mick Brown, the original drummer, performed with Montrose Sunday at the RibFest instead of with Dokken on Saturday. My wife spoke to him Sunday night and he said he was supposed to tour with Ted Nugent over the summer but it was cancelled and Don Dokken had already gotten someone else to replace him.

The various Dokken hits such as “Alone Again”, “Just Got Lucky”, “It’s Not Love” and “Breaking The Chains” were played perfectly and there was a great stage presence making the show entertaining. My favorite part of the show was early on, they played “Dream Warriors” signifying the 25th anniversary of the Nightmare on Elm Street soundtrack. Once the music started I was really pumped until Don Dokken (one of my favorite 80’s rockers) opened his mouth.

I couldn’t hardly believe what came next. Not only did Don not hit any of the high notes, he didn’t even try. I was talking to a gentleman next to me that saw Dokken a couple of weeks earlier that said Dokken wouldn’t try to hit any high notes at that show either and if you notice they have his microphone turned way down. Sure enough he was right. Don’t get me wrong, I know everyone can’t be great forever but putting on a lackluster performance just didn’t cut it for me. Musically the show was great and it was great to hear the classics again. Don Dokken fans were disappointed on this particular evening though.

To start the show off, “Welcome to The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses was playing at full volume over the PA system to get the crowd fired up.  Then Bret and his band proceeded to please the masses with many of his 80’s Poison hits such as: “Talk Dirty to Me”, “Unskinny Bop”, “Fallen Angel” and “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” as well as others.  Throwing in a couple other tunes like “Go That Far” and his rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama” sure gave the crowd a nice mixture of songs to rock the night away! 

Being a huge Poison fan and seeing them a few times, I was hoping that Bret and his band wouldn’t let us down without playing the classics and they didn’t!  Speaking of his band, I have to say that the Bret Michaels band rivals any show that I’ve seen Poison put on.  These guys are top notch musicians.  Fans don’t worry about Bret Michaels putting on a lackluster performance.  He doesn’t look like he’s lost a step at all.  It will be a night you won’t soon forget.

Bret Michaels and his band have dates scheduled through October, 2010. Check the schedule here.

Jackyl fans were in for a treat as RibFest St Louis was rocked early Saturday afternoon by Jackyl. Lead singer Jesse James Dupree was in rare form gyrating to the music, promoting sing-a-longs with the crowd and his ever present sexual connotations made for a very entertaining show.

Throw in all the hits such as “Down on Me“, When Will It Rain“, “Dirtee Little Mind“, “Redneck Punk” and some tracks from the new album “When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide” and you have plenty of rock to satisfy even the hard to please rock critics.

I spoke with a gentlemen in the crowd who told me that Jesse Dupree personally called him on the phone and thanked him for purchasing the new album from the Jackyl website. How cool is that!

The highlight of the show of course was “The Lumberjack” encore when Jesse used the chainsaw to cut through the bar stool sitting on the stage. He then proceeded to smash it and threw the pieces into the crowd. Hey what can I say, it’s fun to watch!

The band announced at the beginning of the show that they were off to Nashville that same evening to close another show. Now that’s impressive. We really appreciate the extra effort to come out and fit us into the schedule.

Go check out Jackyl at a show near you. You will be entertained!

To see more RibFest St Louis pictures, visit our Facebook page.

The arrests happened when hundreds of fans without tickets tried to force their way into the concert. Police had to control the crowd with water cannons. People were arrested for charges such as disorderly conduct, drug possession and drinking in public.