Westward Ho!

[Josh Mooney <jdmooney@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gosh, friends, sorry to have inadvertently created a tiny firestorm over my
recent post regarding the (IMO) less than stellar packaging of HTWWW. I even
felt a twinge of guilt, realizing that posts hitting back at my comments
took away a bit from a true Celebration Day. But, for the record: OF COURSE
the music is what matters. Nobody ever suggested otherwise, least of all me.
For that matter, I keep my many CDs in folder-books, as I don¹t have enough
room in my cramped NY apartment for 3000 CD cases. I only meant my mild (to
my mind) critique of the packaging to be of perhaps some interest to those
people who may have graphic arts experience, as I do. (That¹s why I used the
word "esoteric" in the subject line.) Such people do tend to have a
professional/occasionally obsessional interest in the relatively obscure
realm of packaging, as a matter of course. I think I was called a "whiner"
for that post of mine. I can take that, but I wasn¹t whining. Just
expressing an opinion. I guess I'm a tad bit saddened by the fact that ANY
opinion that seems to criticize Zep in any way is immediately, angrily
lashed out at by some people.  Hell, it¹s only because Zep means so much to
me in the first place that I bothered to sit down and give such a close look
at something as (relatively) unimportant as the packaging in the first
place, and then write about it. Anyway, say what you will about me. If you
think I'm wrong, an ass, whatever, hey, maybe you¹re right.

Well I got some good news. I'm actually writing to say how much HTWWW
continues to grow on me, day by day, as I listen to it at different times
and places, thanks to my trusty CD Walkman. I¹ve always loved these two
shows. And I was blown away during the very first listen. But repeated
hearings allow the subtleties to creep in, thanks to this great recording.
(I listened to the whole thing one time through totally focusing on Jonesy's
bass. Great to hear it so clearly.)  Yesterday, I was out jogging in
Manhattan, and as I hit the walkway along the Hudson River, "Stairway"
began, and it mingled with the warm spring breezes and the setting sun, the
evocative pre-twilight clouds, and my general feelings of minor (very minor)
spirituality, and as Robert sang, "There¹s a feeling I get when I look to
the West," I stopped and gazed over the river in the general direction of
California (my former home) and watched seagulls giddily dancing on the wind
that comes up at sundown, and I felt good, really really good. Corny? Sure.
But I take my moments of peace where I can find them. I guess my point is
that while this maybe isn't the best-ever "STH", it's a very very good
one---powerful and fresh. I feel real passion in Plant's voice as he's
singing it here. 

Also, Immigrant¹s Song kicks mother-f¹in' ass! As a completist, I miss the
songs that weren¹t included, and I wish the "LA Drone" were longer (as long
as on Heartbreak Hotel or Burn. . .), but that¹s a minor quibble.

Has anyone compared "WIAWSNB" and "Dancing Days" from HTWWW to the
soundboard versions from "Studio Daze"? I haven¹t yet. Curious to know what
you real audio experts think are the differences there.

The acoustic stuff from Earl¹s Court DVD is so much more brilliant and
moving than I anticipated---and I knew it was going to be stunning. Man, I
love these guys, I really do.

Peace and love (no more firecrackers!),

Josh