On Slash's solo debut, highlights come from Myles Kennedy, other guests

Slash is probably the most celebrated rock guitar hero to have hit it big just before the grunge scene of the early '90s eclipsed the hard rock of the late '80s as the music of choice for long-haired teen-age boys. In retrospect, it's funny that Nirvana had both Kurt Cobain, a tormented guitarist and singer/screamer who grew up cutting his teeth on "Immigrant Song," and drummer Dave Grohl, a John Bonham aficionado who was destined to be a future bandmate of John Paul Jones's; at the same time, in Guns n' Roses, the ability to replicate any guitar lick from "Whole Lotta Love" came as second nature to Slash, but it was a feat reserved for much more recent work -- especially whenever in the company of drummer Jason Bonham.

Events of the last few years have painted Slash as the victim of not one but two unreliable singers. First, with Guns n' Roses, it was the on-again-off-again Axl Rose, while more currently his band Velvet Revolver is on hold looking to replace the shaky Scott Weiland, himself another Led Zeppelin devotee. So in the meantime, Slash releases what is considered his first solo album. Self-titled but with the self-explanatory "R&FN'R" appearing on the album cover beneath a top-hatted skull and crossbones, this bad-ass disc has double the memorable riffs and songs of Jimmy Page's own singular venture into the full-length solo album format, 1988's Outrider, and about four times the help Page had in writing it all.

When Slash started recording his album last year, he had just come off of a summer filled with touring Europe with Jason Bonham in tow, playing almost strictly cover songs -- described once as whatever they wanted to play at the time. In a way, this studio set comes from the same school of thought, only substituted for an open book of pre-written favorites is the window of opportunity for Slash to collaborate with his in-studio guests. No cover material appears on the disc, and there's nothing that wasn't written either by Slash alone or with Slash and his Supernatural-like array of singers. In other words, there is no songwriting contribution from non-performing pop hitmakers. This is all the brainchild of Slash and his fellow musicians.

This fact makes it all the more earth-shattering when the opening tracks roll off with some made-for-radio hit potential. "Ghost," with Ian Astbury of The Cult, and "Crucify the Dead," with Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath. The first two songs speak of killing ghosts and crucifying the dead, setting an ominous tone for the album. If there's any complaint about either of these tunes, it's that Ozzy sounds like he's been autotuned to make up for some vocal shortcomings. (Also listen carefully for Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters on backing vocals, along with the track's producer and co-songwriter, Kevin Churko. Since Churko sings on the track, he gets a pass under the "non-performing hitmaker" clause; this is the sole instance a non-lead singer is co-credited on the album with songwriting.) The third track features a contribution from Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, and the only female artist on this disc puts on her best Alanis Morrisette imitation to deliver a part-sultry, part-screaming but constantly rockin' performance on the track "Beautiful Dangerous."

On track four comes Myles Kennedy, the voice of Alter Bridge, the voice of Slash's upcoming concert tour, and the voice that rocked out with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in a rehearsal studio less than two years ago. Kennedy gets to do two tracks with Slash on this album, and he outdoes himself on both. Both "Back from Cali" and "Starlight," track 12, are prime examples of the kind of song you can't help but like before the guitar introduction is even over (think "Stairway to Heaven," "Ten Years Gone" or Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge"). The track after Kennedy's first contribution is sung by Chris Cornell, the voice of both Soundgarden and Audioslave, and another one of the guys on that short list of speculated singers tapped to replace Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin a couple of years ago. There was no fuel to that fire, but the lyrics of "Promise" deal with putting out a fire.

The sixth track, "By the Sword," opens with acoustic guitar, for a change of pace, and quickly follows with a voice echoing the same riff played. The track soon evolves into one I feel certain could possibly enter the realm of classic one day. When Slash switches to electric guitar and the bass and drums enter, you get the steady John Bonham feel of "Black Dog" or "Kashmir" backing the same riff, which now appears so much more Zeppelin-like when played loud. The voice on this track comes from Andrew Stockdale, of a band called Wolfmother that endured its fair share of comparisons to Led Zeppelin, especially since his Australian band's debut song "Woman" sounded like a new take on Led Zeppelin's first two albums squeezed into a curt single of under three minutes (but with Jack White influencing the vocals and Keith Emerson influencing the organ by way of Jon Lord). Here, Stockdale's refined voice soars over Slash's heavy arrangement. If your budget allows for only one 99-cent download from this album, this is probably the one to get.

Allow me to interject here that by this point in the album, it's been mostly loud throughout. I interject that here because that's exactly what I was thinking during my first run-through of the album, and this is exactly when the desire to hear something a little more quiet is satiated. From the heavy rock of "By the Sword," the CD transitions into the sweet and soft tones of Maroon 5's Adam Levine on a sweet tune called "Gotten." Just to demonstrate Slash's ability to discern light and shade, the string-backed guitar solo represents a huge crescendo in the song, but it's only temporary as it is bookended by another quiet vocal part. The track's a sleeper. In the next song, "Doctor Alibi," Lemmy Kilmeister of Motörhead strains his way through a full-on rocker, which is also a great way to describe the ninth track, "Watch This Dave."

Nearly every song on the album features the drums of Josh Freese, but "Watch This" (or "Watch This Dave") is one of the few exceptions. Taking the kit here is the aforementioned Dave Grohl, who was already in his Them Crooked Vultures phase when approached by Slash to sing on a track. (Grohl has said he told Slash he wouldn't sing but would play drums, so that's how that came about.) This is also the only instrumental on the album. Jimmy Page's Outrider had three instrumentals on it, two of which meander into several different themes that in no way approach the dynamics John Paul Jones would achieve on the multifaceted instrumentals of his two solo albums, Zooma and The Thunderthief. It's almost as if, on Slash's only instrumental offering on this disc, he's learned how to write the ultimate instrumental in under four minutes. If your budget allows for only two 99-cent downloads from this album, make sure this is one.

It was just before this instrumental that, on my first time through the disc, I started to think back on how the presence of each individual singer somehow diverted my attention from the guitarist heard throughout, the guitarist whose solo album this is, the guitarist whose work ought to be carefully measured in any review. He's also the guitarist responsible for some amazing and unstoppable solos in "November Rain" and "Sweet Child o' Mine." Aside from the visual sway of Axl Rose in those videos, Slash's guitar sound was often the signature of any Guns n' Roses tune. Was I finding that to be the case on this album? Not so much, save for "By the Sword" and "Watch This." On those tracks, Slash's guitar work definitely shines through. (Ironically, Grohl's drumming on the instrumental track also stands out, making it sound like a full-band composition when in fact "Watch This" is the only track where the songwriting is credited entirely to Slash.)

Track 10, "I Hold On," with guest singer (and co-producer) Kid Rock gives another opportunity for an extended guitar solo from Slash, saving the song from being a veritable throwaway. Yet track 11, "Nothing to Say," is anything but a throwaway. When Guns n' Roses was at the top of their game, the only band that was comparable in attitude was Metallica. On this track, Slash channels his inner Kirk Hammet while M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold wails away about voices with nothing to say. The guitar work in here recalls the hits Metallica recently had with "Cyanide" and "The Day that Never Comes," which itself recalled Master of Puppets-era Metallica as well as Ritchie Blackmore. So here's Slash making a proper throwback to speed metal and guitar histrionics, and it comes off as genuine.

The track that follows the second contribution from Myles Kennedy is "Saint is a Sinner Too," a number with acoustic guitar throughout and a percussive/orchestral buildup the likes of which are unheard elsewhere on the album. Handling the vocals on this one is Rocco DeLuca, one of the singers who joined Slash & Friends onstage last year. In the setting of this song, DeLuca is obviously restrained somewhat. Iggy Pop, however, is the opposite of restrained on the final track, a song called "We're All Gonna Die" with some base lyrics that make public urination and misogyny expressions of careless abandon. Sure, it's a wholesome song for the kids to enjoy and a curious choice thematically to close the album.

All in all, Slash's solo debut offers a lot to enjoy, including some great guitar parts that do some justice to bolstering his reputation of old. Yet it is from the guest vocalists that much of the CD truly gains its identity. Myles Kennedy, the only singer who appears twice, is not the least of those. Because I'm a Led Zeppelin fan first and foremost, I can't help but be reminded of the way he could have paired up with Jimmy Page on some similar songs and fit right in. If all I ever get to hear of Kennedy's extracurricular activities from the era of Alter Bridge's time off are his two contributions to Slash's album, I'm very satisfied.

Their "Back from Cali" is one of those songs you'll be singing along with after a couple of listens. On it, Kennedy also coughs up one of the best lyrical hooks of the disc: "You'll have to carry me back from Cali, the angel city where the devils play." Meanwhile, the instantly catchy "Starlight" is another one with a memorable melody, but its huge melodic leaps on the chorus might preclude the tune from ever being performed on amateur karaoke night by us mere mortals. Save this track for the twice-proven songwriting team of Kennedy and Slash, which we should thankfully expect to see in concert soon as they perform songs from Slash's past and this legitimately pleasing solo debut.

Jimmy Page was engrossed in voiceless Led Zeppelin trio; speculative band lineup quashed because singer's introduction was 'premature,' Page says in interview

John Paul Jones has used his ample media opportunities in recent months to narrate his version of what ever became of that project he'd promised in 2008, a band with Jason Bonham and Jimmy Page. Ever since Jones has been showcased as a starring member of Them Crooked Vultures, his newfound podium has afforded him the luxury of pronouncing that he and the others "couldn't agree on singers" and so the band "fell by the wayside." This, in turn, leads Jones to change the topic and discuss matters at hand: namely, Them Crooked Vultures.

Bonham has also talked here and there about his participation in that band, but likewise, he is more excited to discuss his next offering, Black Country, and not focus on what was and what should never be.

Even the once-rumored singer auditioning for a spot in a Page-Jones-Bonham lineup, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, has opened up on the subject of those rehearsals together in 2008 -- to LedZeppelinNews.com, no less. Once reluctant to speak about the subject publicly, he recounted on Dec. 16, 2009, what it was like to have written new material with members of Led Zeppelin:

"There were two, a couple songs that I remember. For me, that was the biggest thrill because these were songs and pieces of music that no one had heard. And I'm standing in a room, and I'm putting my melodies and lyrics to it. For me as an artist, I don't think anything will ever compare to the feeling that I got from those moments. It felt like you were kind of a part of history for a few minutes there. It was just amazing. It's hard to even put into words, Steve, it really is."

The one voice that was missing on the subject for just as long was Page's. Now, he's given Mojo magazine the cover story for its February 2010 issue, and he's also contributed an interview for the February issue of Uncut. He's detailed his ideas for the genesis of a band with Jones and Bonham that would be missing a voice of its own.

Page admits for the first time that when he was rehearsing his three-piece band, he found it exciting to experiment with their combined sound and content to see what direction it would carry them -- even, it seems, if it meant they would remain an instrumental unit.

In his interview with Phil Alexander for Mojo, Page says he thinks Kennedy "is a really fine singer." What stopped them from proceeding beyond the rehearsal stage, the guitarist proclaims, was a nagging feeling that no vocalist should have been introduced until after the music had first developed further.

"We hadn't really had the time to bring what the three of us had to fruition," Page opines. "I felt that once we'd done that, then that would have been the time to bring in a singer." He says all they needed was "more time," even "another two weeks."

However, forcing a singer in at the stage they did was "premature," he says. "I felt it was somewhat like putting the cart before the horse, because it was bringing in an unknown into an environment of three known elements."

Page says a lot more in that interview, and a little more in the Uncut interview. But first, let's place all the recent remarks -- from him and elsewhere -- in their proper context.

Testy guitarist admits he's 'a year behind' in releasing his new music

Jimmy Page, in his first interview published in the new decade, says he's tired of his plans as an artist always being compared to those of his former bandmates in Led Zeppelin.

An Independent piece published with the Jan. 1 dateline focuses on the guitarist and his involvement in "It Might Get Loud," now in U.K. theaters.

The piece also overviews what's been reported about some of his plans for the current year, including a possible tour, a possible appearance in Beijing, a possible album -- hopefully, says reporter James McNair. It's all just possible and hopeful, though. Nothing about Page's future plans was confirmed in the article.

Just what Page says: that he has some new music to put out. Scratch that; he has "lots of new music to present."

But just don't expect him to base his decisions around Led Zeppelin reuniting anymore.

"It's unfortunate that anything that I might want to do gets linked into whatever Robert Plant and John Paul Jones are doing," Page is quoted as saying.

McNair even offers that Page says it "a little testily."

Page continues:

"I intend to be making music next year and I've got lots of new music to present, okay? The only thing to say is that I should have started it a year ago. So I'm a year behind with what I'm doing -- that's not too bad, is it? Some of these business things can get rather complicated, but I've managed to work my way through all that and see a way of getting on with it, thank God."

His last published interview of the 2000s seems to be another feature, this one in the Telegraph by Neil McCormick.

It's gotten a lot of traction in the past couple of days for one particular remark of his, likely a verbatim quote from an interview or two some decades ago when asked to comment on Led Zeppelin reunion rumors. In a manner that made it clear there was a single holdout, the following canned response would suffice:

"You'd better ask Robert Plant what the future of Led Zeppelin is."

That's precisely how Page handled the topic in the Telegraph interview published Dec. 30. It must have felt relieving to say those words and pass the buck.

Page then continued:

"Musicians can always play together, but I don't think you can go out with a band called Led Zeppelin if you haven't got the original vocalist."

True, true.

Not to beleaguer the point, but with all the John Paul Jones interviews coming out lately where he's been stating that when he and Page were last rehearsing together, we've learned through Jones that they weren't considering replacing Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin and it was only mischaracterizations by the mainstream media. Here are two such statements.

• Jones said in a French television interview filmed Dec. 4 and broadcast Dec. 17, while he was discussing how he came to become a member of Them Crooked Vultures:

  "... I was kind of up for doing something anyway because I'd been -- I'd spent a few months working with Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham after the O2 [reunion concert by Led Zeppelin]. We were gonna form another band, but everybody kept calling it Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant, so we decided -- it kind of fell apart. So... But I was ready to, like, do something and play some music ... "
  

• Similarly, Jones tells the Skinny in a piece published Dec. 10:

  "We thought we'd like to start another band -- not Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant, as was reported -- we just wanted to do another band, although obviously we realised we would have to play some Zeppelin songs if we actually went out on tour. We couldn’t agree on singers in the end."
  

There's no published confirmation from Page in either of his interviews that the Led Zeppelin reunion rumors of 2008 were a media concoction.

In fact, you get exactly the opposite from reading those two articles.

• McCormick says the music Page hopes to release in 2010 "is unlikely to be with any incarnation of Led Zeppelin, despite having spent a considerable amount of time and energy this year [sic] trying to follow up their 2008 [sic] reunion." (Just to clarify McCormick's blunder, the reunion was in 2007, and the time and energy spent doing something akin to that was in 2008.)
• McNair follows up his mention of the O2 arena concert, correctly placed as having occurred in 2007, saying that afterwards Page "had hoped for a subsequent Led Zeppelin tour, but Plant's commitment to the O2 show had largely been predicated on it being a one-off tribute to the late Ahmet Ertegun, the Atlantic Records president who was also a close friend of the band."

Again, the above is true. Nobody is suggesting it's not. There absolutely was a time in those rehearsal studios that Page, Jones and Bonham thought they might be able to get Plant to join them and consider another go at a longer Led Zeppelin reunion, perhaps either more shows or an extended tour. This has been well documented all along.

But didn't their desire to reunite Led Zeppelin ultimately give way to another desire, one that Jones said -- back in the thick of things, in October 2008 -- was all about getting out there and playing some loud music? He told us they'd been trying out the odd singer.

Trying singers out to do what? Stand in Robert Plant's place in the rehearsal room until he miraculously showed up?

One singer, Myles Kennedy, has even confirmed to LedZeppelinNews.com he'd been writing with Page and Jones. That doesn't sound like standing around and singing Led Zeppelin songs to me.

Is it possible that Jones, Kennedy and Bonham were all on board for a new band while Page wasn't? Is it possible that the only singer Page wanted to see himself working with was Robert Plant, and the only band he wanted to see himself working with was Led Zeppelin?

One thing Page does admit is that what he'll be doing this year is something he should have done a year earlier. It no longer matters to him what anybody else is doing. All he's talking about is where he wants to be and what he wants to be doing.

As for the specifics, we shall see.

Speaking of specifics, if you'd like to read more about Page's pictorial autobiography due in a few months, your best bet so far is to fetch a copy of the February 2010 issue of Mojo. You can't miss it on the newsstand because Page adorns the cover. The issue also promises:

"Cue a look back over a career that has spanned the last 45 years of rock history with unseen photos, in-depth discussion of his new movie, his new music and the truth behind those persistent Zeppelin rumours. PLUS! The Page record collection revealed! The sounds that rock his soul!"

But start saving up for a copy of the book now because Genesis Publications is involved, and what that means is this is a high-end and relatively expensive collectable photograph book that is very limited in number.

Although official word is not available outside of Mojo, it appears to LedZeppelinNews.com that the book's editor is Dave Brolan, who represents Ross Halfin and other photographers who've shot members of Led Zeppelin together and apart.

Exclusive interview: Myles Kennedy thrilled to have written with Zeppelin members

Photo credit: Albe Serra, Barcelona, Spain, June 2008

Singer Myles Kennedy has opened up to LedZeppelinNews.com in an exclusive interview about his experiences writing music a year ago with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. The interview, recorded for the producers of Carol Miller's "Get the Led Out" Led Zeppelin spotlight radio series, was conducted on Dec. 16 by LedZeppelinNews.com.

Kennedy, who sings and plays guitar with the band Alter Bridge, first confirmed in January 2009 reports that he had spent part of 2008 rehearsing for a new, unnamed band to be formed with three-fourths of the trio that had recently performed as Led Zeppelin for one night in London. By the time Kennedy spoke up, the project had only recently been called off. All he was comfortable saying about it at the time is that he was "very grateful" for having had the experience.

Now that a year has passed since the project fell by the wayside, Kennedy has thoroughly answered a set of specific questions provided exclusively by LedZeppelinNews.com, seeking details about that collaboration.

The occasion for this interview was the release of the first live DVD from Alter Bridge. While unfinished business has prevented a deluxe edition of the Live from Amsterdam set from being released in stores so far, Kennedy says the fan reaction to a version being sold online has so far been positive, as was the fan reaction during the concert.

Filmed during a concert in Amsterdam on Dec. 7, 2008, the DVD shows the audience enthusiastically singing along to Alter Bridge's tunes. In the interview with LedZeppelinNews.com, Kennedy attempts to put into words the kind of rush he gets from hearing an entire audience singing back to him lyrics and melodies that he helped to create. He also discusses the onstage experience of singing cover songs like Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" in a live setting.

As one can tell from viewing the DVD, Alter Bridge concerts provide a wide range of dynamics, from hard rock to solo acoustic material. Asked to name some of the musical influences on having such a diverse set, Kennedy signaled he and his bandmates are all influenced by Led Zeppelin, "the greatest of all time." A former session player who worked on heavy metal and hard rock in his earlier years, Kennedy said bands like Metallica, Slayer, Tesla and Journey have all impacted Alter Bridge songwriting.

A slightly earlier Alter Bridge concert date other than the Amsterdam show was originally planned to be the time and location for the DVD shoot, and that was on Nov. 8, 2008 in London. Kennedy says he recalls that show, held at the O2 Brixton Academy, as being a particularly thrilling night and one he wishes could have been documented on video. It was only after that concert that he learned Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were in attendance, obviously checking him out as their group with him was still under consideration at the time.

By the time Alter Bridge went on the tour that saw them play in England and mainland Europe last November and December, Kennedy had already been rehearsing for months with Page, Jones and plus Jason Bonham. He says he is grateful to the drummer, who was an acquaintance of his from years earlier, for calling him to England to take part in the rehearsals.

In helping to craft some new material with the trio, Kennedy contributed both lyrics and melody but not any guitar. It was his voice they wanted, and he says he wasn't even sure if they even knew at that point he could play guitar. Kennedy spoke about being in his comfort zone singing and not playing guitar while also being recognized as a guitarist, such as when his Alter Bridge bandmate Mark Tremonti asked him to contribute a guitar lesson to a DVD project of his.

Since plans for the prospective band joining Page, Jones and Bonham with him fell through by the end of 2008, Kennedy has remained positive about his experience and continued writing new material. He says he has finished work on a solo album and is considering releasing it independently next year.

Solo work is not all that's in his future. Now that the Creed reunion tour is complete and his Alter Bridge bandmates are once again freed up, they have been in Florida writing material they intend to begin recording in February. He says he was surprised whenever he hears it reported that his group had broken up, although he does believe hardcore Alter Bridge fans are aware the band has always intended to continue making new music following the Creed tour.

Early this year, Jones was secretly rehearsing and recording with a new band of his own, Them Crooked Vultures. Kennedy says he was already a fan of Dave Grohl's work with the Foo Fighters and Josh Homme's work with Queens of the Stone Age, so it made sense to him that their collaboration with Jones was going to be a good one. He says he received an e-mail from Jones inviting him to come see Them Crooked Vultures live, so he attended their Oct. 24 concert in Portland and enjoyed it immensely. Asked if Jones recycled any of the material from his rehearsal sessions with Page and Bonham, Kennedy says he doesn't recognize any of the material.

He is also highly complimentary of Page, adding that while he was at first nervous about being in the presence of such "genius," both Page and Jones were able to make him feel comfortable in their working environment.

When LedZeppelinNews.com informed Kennedy during the interview that Page had just announced his intention to release some new music and play it live next year, he said he couldn't be more pleased that both Page and Jones would be giving fans the opportunity to "continue to feed off the masters." He says he looks forward to hearing Page's new work.

At the conclusion of the LedZeppelinNews.com interview, Kennedy had kind parting words for the interviewer, Steve Sauer.

Worthwhile reading on a possible vacancy in Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin 40 years ago

Last year, Steven Tyler was rumored to be rehearsing with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. He was rumored to be one of the singers auditioning for a spot in the touring band that would have emerged, which the press insisted on incorrectly calling Led Zeppelin.

The only singer who has confirmed he was a part of rehearsals last year for this non-Led Zeppelin band is Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. Because the press insisted the resulting band would have been called Led Zeppelin, it was widely reported that either Kennedy was chief among singers being considered taking Robert Plant's place in Led Zeppelin.

Now, one blogger wants things to come full circle. Daniel Wilcox of 411mania.com says Aerosmith may be in shambles, with the band unsure whether or not Tyler has walked out on their touring commitments. Wilcox thinks Plant ought to volunteer to sing for Aerosmith. Of course, when he said that, he was kidding -- only about as serious as when he suggested Courtney Love ought to fill the same vacancy.

Wilcox finished up, though, with another suggestion, one he says he honestly means: Myles Kennedy. Check out his reasoning, among other things.

In the meantime, another blog has published a rather comprehensive look back at the album Led Zeppelin II, 40 years after its release.

Earlier this week was 40 years since a Led Zeppelin concert in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and Zeppelin fan Brian Gardiner marked the anniversary of the '69 show in his town with a trip to the library, which resulted in an informative piece on Zep's visit to the Canadian hamlet with a population of 100,000 at the time.

Myles Kennedy takes to the stage one year after his brush with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones

Throughout much of 2008, a Led Zeppelin reunion tour seemed possible. During the months that followed the band's December 2007 concert in London, encouraging words were coming from Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and even, at times, Robert Plant.

That changed about this time last year. As Robert Plant's tour with Alison Krauss was soon coming to a close, he issued a statement saying he was not going to be participating in any kind of recording or touring project involving Page, Jones and Bonham. Plant wished them well on whatever they were going to be doing.

For a time, there remained a distinct possibility that Jones, Page and Jones would still collaborate on a tour and even an album without Plant, in a new band other than Led Zeppelin. They were said to be jamming with various singers, even including Steven Tyler, but the one name that hovered around them as a distinct possibility for a singer was that of Myles Kennedy, of Alter Bridge. This year, as Alter Bridge's other band members hooked up with their former singer for a Creed tour and even a new album, Kennedy acknowledged he had been jamming with Page and Jones in 2008. While the rest of his Alter Bridge bandmates are on the road, Kennedy has been using his songwriting abilities and his guitar chops and vocals to work on a solo project this year.

This Sunday night at 6 p.m., he'll take the stage at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Md., for a one-night charity event benefiting the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Kennedy tells LedZeppelinNews.com he won't be unveiling any of his new tunes. "I would like to roll out some of my solo stuff," he says, "but with the advent of YouTube that isn't an option." He'll opt instead for a combination of cover tunes plus perhaps material from Alter Bridge and his previous band, Mayfield 4.

In addition to Kennedy, the concert lineup is to include the Johnny Hiland Band, Orianthi, the Paul Reed Smith Band, and Davy Knowles & the Back Door Slam. VIP tickets, which include an open bar, run for $50 apiece. General admission tickets are $10. They are available here.

Myles Kennedy admits he jammed with Led Zeppelin members last year; singer-guitarist says there are no plans to continue

Myles Kennedy has finally admitted he sang in rehearsal with Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham last year.

But the chance of continuing with them in some capacity is now gone, he says.

"I'm not singing in Led Zeppelin or any offshoot of Led Zeppelin, but I did have a great opportunity and it was something that [I'm] very grateful for," Kennedy says in his first interview confirming his involvement last year with members of Led Zeppelin.

The singer-guitarist has previously sidestepped the issue and deflected direct questions, also refusing to address it as recently as two weeks ago.

His first confirmation came in an interview conducted at the National Association of Music Merchants' 2009 NAMM Show. Speaking to Eric Blair for an edition of the online series called "The Blairing Out Show" posted to YouTube Jan. 19, Kennedy broke the silence.


Asked how it felt being in the rehearsal room with Led Zeppelin members, Kennedy said, "Surreal. It was great." He would not comment on whether they were rehearsing new material.

His admission comes within two weeks of the disclosure by Jimmy Page manager Peter Mensch that some singer auditions took place last year for a Led Zeppelin offshoot band involving Page, Jones and Bonham.

Last August, Bonham became the first of them to admit to the press that jam sessions had occasionally taken place earlier in 2008 with him drumming for Page and Jones.

"I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do just do some new material and some writing," he said at the time. "I don't know what it will be, but it will be something."

Kennedy, when asked to name the songs he sang with them, avoided the question. "I don't know," he said. "I'll tell that story someday, but for now it was a good experience, and I'm still pinching myself. Let's just put it that way."

Bonham's comments last August did not specify whether any singer was involved, but a disclosure to the press from an unidentified source soon said a singer was involved, at least in the placeholder capacity should Robert Plant decide to take part once his touring commitments with Alison Krauss expired. Kennedy was named shortly thereafter, and by the year's end, other names were speculated on, such as Steven Tyler's.

Kennedy is the first of those singers to admit publicly that he was involved in rehearsals.

Jones spoke last October of a project under consideration at that time that would have Page, Bonham and himself in a band fronted by a singer yet to be determined. He said he anticipated the project would include an album and a tour. He seemed to be under the impression that an announcement would be forthcoming.

Plant, meanwhile, has extended his professional relationship with Krauss beyond last year's tour, and they are said to be currently working on their second album together. Their first album, Raising Sand, is on track to pick up as many as five more Grammy awards at next month's ceremony after yielding them one Grammy last year.

Plant also issued a statement last September that said he would not be taking part in any Led Zeppelin activity.

While it was widely speculated in the press last year that Led Zeppelin was planning to tour and record under that name without Robert Plant, both Page and his management intoned that the band under consideration would never call itself Led Zeppelin. Plant, speaking in November at a time when the Page-Jones-Bonham project may have still been under consideration, also commented that his former bandmates would not be using the name Led Zeppelin in their endeavors.

Myles Kennedy announces his plans; fronting Jimmy Page's band not among them

Myles Kennedy has been working on solo material over the past month, he says in a new interview posted on his official Web site. The only other project on the Alter Bridge singer's slate, he says, is eventually developing a new album with his band.

Absent from his announced plans is any mention of the obvious. Both Kennedy and his interviewer manage to sidestep any mention of the rumors that he was under consideration for a new band featuring two of Led Zeppelin's original members -- Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones -- and Jason Bonham, the son of original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

Kennedy says he has been crafting music that would not suit his band Alter Bridge because it "isn't aggressive" enough for that outlet. His solo work, he says, is more of the "singer/songwriter" vein, and he's been spending a lot of time on it since Alter Bridge completed its tour in December.

"I basically got home from the European tour and then the next day I was in the studio," Kennedy says in the interview. He indicates he has been working on this new material alone, an approach he says is "a great way of challenging myself to learn to trust by instincts," although he "still had rather have a band."

Sources last year indicated that Kennedy had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham last year and was prepared to sing on a tour and album with them. Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider revealed in October he'd heard Kennedy would be tapped for activity in 2009 as long as a Led Zeppelin tour with Robert Plant wouldn't trump their plans.

Further, a confidential source in November told LedZeppelinNews.com that Page and Jones got a close-up look at Kennedy's band in action when they attended an Alter Bridge concert in London that was to be filmed for a DVD. Kennedy implies in his interview that the band postponed filming until toward the end of the tour because the London show was too early in on the tour for all of the band to be "firing on all cylinders." If that's the case, then perhaps Page and Jones were underwhelmed with Kennedy and just didn't have the patience.

That assumption jibes with the statement on Wednesday, by Page manager Peter Mensch, that Page, Jones and Bonham "tried out a few singers, but no one worked out."

Some fans will undoubtedly see this week as the official passing of the Gary Cherone era in Led Zeppelin's history. They breathe a sigh of relief today.

Even more sadly, since today is Page's 65th birthday -- the age currently viewed in countries including United States as the retirement age -- is the completion of that quote from Page's manager on any possibility of Page, Jones and Bonham continuing to work together in any capacity:

"That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."

Jimmy Page's manager claims singer auditions failed, 'no plans' for tour

OK, so the only thing that stands in the way of a new album and tour with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is identifying a singer. Right?

That's what one would be led to believe after being exposed to the words of Page's manager, QPrime's Peter Mensch, who just said as much when he spoke with BBC Radio, as reported today.

But now Mensch is quoted, also today, by another news site saying something a little different. According to Joe Bosso's report on MusicRadar, the manager has told that site:

"They tried out a few singers, but no one worked out. That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."

Confused? Parse these words from Mensch carefully:

"Led Zeppelin are over! If you didn't see them in 2007, you missed them. It's done. I can't be any clearer than that."

Right. We already knew that, considering past disclosures to that effect from Page himself and an unnamed QPrime representative speaking on his behalf. This is almost exactly what Page told reporters last September:

"Playing at the 02, that was our reunion and it was one day and it was at the 02 in London. ... And basically that was it because if you're going to do a reunion, you need four members. John Paul Jones, myself and Jason would sort jam afterwards but it was nothing as monumental as people are speculating."

It almost sounds like MusicRadar's reporter was asking Mensch about a Led Zeppelin reunion, rather than a new collaboration between a singer and the established trio of Page, Jones and Bonham. It was precisely this line of questioning that went out of fashion last year after it became clear Robert Plant wanted no part of a Led Zeppelin reunion.

But it's interesting to see Mensch commenting on the fruits of the rehearsals, particularly that of the "few singers" they "tried out," "no one worked out."

While it has been reported that Page, Jones and Bonham were auditioning or rehearsing or jamming with singers Myles Kennedy and Steven Tyler last year, there have been no previous comments on how fruitful any singer rehearsals or auditions were.

And so, if you believe MusicRadar's quote from Mensch, then that's it: The project is called off. It won't happen.

The MusicRadar report concludes with one final quote from Mensch on the topic. It asks him what Page's plans are for the new year, and the manager replies:

"F--- if I know. I'm waiting to hear."

We all are, Jimmy. In fact, we have been for a while.

The guitarist turns 65 this Friday, Jan. 9. Jones just celebrated his 63rd birthday last Saturday, Jan. 3.

Stars misaligned for Myles Kennedy?

Do you know what you're doing next year? It's only in each December when planning for "next month" means you're also planning for "next year."

Right about now, any musician who might want to be hitting the road big-time in 2009 ought to have made up his or her mind as to how to go about making that happen.

Yet in the land of Jimmy Page, no decisions have been made about what's in store for 2009. John Paul Jones wants to go out and make some loud music with Jimmy as soon as possible, but he is already planning to get some work elsewhere too.

And remember that guy Myles Kennedy, the Alter Bridge singer-guitarist who's been rumored to be the front-running candidate to sing for Page and Jones in a new touring band? This virtual limbo has left Kennedy in a precarious situation.

While he's waiting to find out what his own destiny holds in 2009, his bandmates in Alter Bridge may not be as patient. As the three other guys in that band were also members of Creed first, it's been reported that an announcement regarding a possible Creed reunion -- with singer Scott Stapp at the helm -- is "imminent."

Rolling Stone attributes this statement to multiple sources who say the band would tour in 2009.

The whole idea of a Creed reunion came about as possible only when Kennedy's name was outed as the singer rehearsing new material with Page, Jones and Jason Bonham, who were reportedly seeking to tour as either Led Zeppelin or as a new band with a new singer.

If Kennedy was going to be tied up with another project, it would free up the rest of Alter Bridge to earn some money on a Creed reunion tour, which is anticipated to be a lucrative effort. Now that there seem to have been talks to reform Creed, it may be the way to go, no matter what happens between Kennedy and the Page camp.

But remember, no deal has been inked for Page to hit the road with Kennedy or anybody else in 2009. It's possible Page and Jones could overlook Kennedy and tour without him in lieu of another lead singer or an instrumental project. It's also possible, unfortunately, that Page and Jones would not go out together at all.

Either event, combined with a reformed Creed, means there is a slight chance Kennedy would be left out in the cold by both sets of musicians next year.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I wonder if a Creed reunion would formalize without Kennedy's future with Page first having been solidified.

Myles Kennedy states the obvious when deflecting Led Zeppelin question

Has Myles Kennedy been in the studio with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones?

In this videotaped interview for Stormbringer in Austria, the Alter Bridge singer deflects this direct question, only to offer what sounds like a prepared statement designed to be evasive.

"I'll say this. Can I just say this?" He looks into the camera and says, even with the hand gesture of a politician, "I am not singing for Led Zeppelin."



Of course Myles Kennedy is not singing for Led Zeppelin. If he's singing in a band with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones and even Jason Bonham, it'll be with a few Led Zeppelin members, but they aren't going to call it Led Zeppelin. It won't be called Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant. Even Page's management has said so. We all know that.

Kennedy might as well have said he's not singing for Creed. His current band, Alter Bridge, includes three former members of Creed, with him being the only one in Alter Bridge who wasn't ever in Creed. Same scenario, same concept. But that's not what the interviewer asked, and so that's not the answer he got.

Kennedy doesn't look like he would offer any other explanation. He looks like that's all he is permitted to say. Which, if you're like me, either means his lips are sealed or he just plumb cherishes all the attention.

The interview, which has Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti sitting at the right side of the interviewer and Kennedy on his left, goes for nine-and-a-half minutes before that question and answer. It opens with some questions about the band's decision to play Led Zeppelin songs onstage and Kennedy's blues influences such as Robert Johnson.

Two worthwhile blog posts elsewhere

I found two things online today that deserve to be promoted here:

1. http://thornleyfans.blogspot.com/2008/11/led-zeppelin-and-myles-kennedy-thornley.html
   Some reverent thoughts about what makes Led Zeppelin so unique and timeless appear on this blog dedicated to Canadian musician Ian Thornley. The piece relates to what Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones ought to do musically after forming their new band featuring Jason Bonham and a yet-unnamed singer. The author also asks some good questions about what influence Page and Jones might glean from collaborating with bandmates who are decades younger.
2. http://davelewistbl.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/michael-lee%e2%80%99s-legacy-christmas-coda-and-the-gift-of-zep/
   The consistently good Tight But Loose author Dave Lewis drums up another round of eloquence in his lastest Diary entry, which opens with his reaction to the unexpected death of drummer Michael Lee just days after his 39th birthday. Lewis then segues to his thoughts on the holiday shopping season (which will be very much underway in the United States in just a few hours) and the early Christmas gift in 1982 that was Led Zeppelin's first posthumous album, Coda.

Both of these are worth reading, I think.

Jimmy Page's new project 'is not Led Zeppelin'

A representative for Jimmy Page says that the Led Zeppelin guitarist is forming a new band with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, according to an article by Brian Hiatt posted today at RollingStone.com.

Note: A new band. The rep's statement cited in the article makes this point abundantly clear.

"Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin," Page's rep is quoted as saying. "Not without the involvement of Robert Plant."

In September, Plant released a statement in which he officially turned down the opportunity to record and tour with Led Zeppelin. If he sticks to his guns, recording and touring may be exactly the plans for this new group consisting of Page, Jones, Bonham and a yet-to-be-named singer.

The man most often pronounced as under serious consideration for the front man role in this new band is Myles Kennedy, lead singer and one guitarist for the band Alter Bridge, which is currently touring England.

The Rolling Stone piece quotes an assistant for Kennedy's manager, Paul Geary, saying he "declined to comment on a report that [Kennedy] is the front-runner."

The article does, however, contain a three-word quotation from Geary's assistant, who says, "Nothing is set."

This brief statement is consistent with what an inside source disclosed to LedZeppelinNews.com earlier this week, that no final decisions have been made as to identifying a singer or what, exactly, the new group would do as far as touring or recording.

Not mentioned in the article is the apparent fact that Page, Jones and Bonham were present at the side of the stage Kennedy graced in London over the weekend. This was also disclosed to LedZeppelinNews.com by the same inside source, as reported Monday.

As Alter Bridge tours England, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti is coming across as supportive of Kennedy in published interviews. As previously reported here, Tremonti told Kerrang magazine Kennedy would remain a member of Alter Bridge should he be selected for the gig with Page, Jones and Bonham.

However, Tremonti neither confirmed nor denied that Kennedy has been under consideration for that job.

Tremonti makes similar comments in an interview for MusicRadar, adding that Kennedy "deserves" to sing for Page, Jones and Bonham, and that it would only benefit the name recognition of Alter Bridge.

Myles Kennedy holds his own on guitar

Much has already been made of the voice Myles Kennedy would bring to the table in a collaboration with Jimmy Page. But what about the fact that he's also an accomplished guitarist in his own right? Here's a look at Myles Kennedy on guitar.

Here is Myles Kennedy jamming on "Travelling Riverside Blues," a Robert Johnson song that ought to be familiar to Led Zeppelin fans. This lemon-squeezing performance is from Alter Bridge's Feb. 10, 2008, show in Copenhagen, as namechecked in the song. Drummer Scott Phillips adds some sparse accompaniment.

That's a resonator guitar he's playing in this clip. And yes, you get a sample of Kennedy's ability to hold a very long note at the end of this. What a singer!

In 2005, Alter Bridge allowed its two guitarists to take center stage for some solo features. In this Nov. 15 show at the Astoria in London, Myles Kennedy starts off this spectacle with some "Voodoo Chile," paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix. His more technical counterpart, Mark Tremonti, follows up with a taste of the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo "Eruption."

The same show also includes this cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" with Myles on rhythm guitar.

When Tremonti takes lead guitar, I can't help but concentrate on the steady rhythm guitar that continues throughout and think of how this would complement Page. In fact, I'm also reminded of two recent tours on which Page was assisted by at least one other guitarist when performing Led Zeppelin songs like this. He allowed this to happen with Porl Thompson of The Cure when touring with Robert Plant from 1994 to 1995 and again with Black Crowes guitarists Rich Robinson and Audley Freed in 1999 and 2000. In interviews, Page was very vocal on the latter occasion about how pleased he was to have the other guitarists with him to add layers to the music that are impossible for one guitarist except in the studio, where overdubs are fair game.

See how Myles responds to the Bristol Academy crowd in his guitar solo at the beginning of the following clip from 2006. After Tremonti's "Eruption" is a full-band rendition of a Bolero-inspired instrumental called "Ahavo Rabo Taco Salad."

There's no matching video for this pair of guitar solos, recorded Oct. 15, 2005, in Las Vegas. Again, Myles goes first, then Mark.

Myles and Mark in this video clip from the Alter Bridge show in Barcelona from May 21, 2006:

Here's one from the archives. This is from 15 years ago or more. If you're anything like me and that rhythm from the drum machine bothers you, you may want to skip right to the guitar solo beginning at 2:56. Kennedy shows off his finger dexterity in this.

Oh, and it's nice to see Myles knows what he's talking about when it comes to guitar gear. He must have fun talking gear with Jimmy Page. At 1:42, Myles has an "It Might Get Loud" moment.

Source: Page, Jones, Bonham watch Alter Bridge in London; DVD filming postponed

There's been no official word from Jimmy Page and the guys on Led Zeppelin this past week, so we rely on inside sources and gossip instead.

Alter Bridge was scheduled to film a DVD at their London concert this Saturday night. I speculated that Page would show up for the concert with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in tow -- perhaps to appear onstage with the band's Myles Kennedy, the singer who is said to have been rehearsing new material with Page, Jones and Bonham.

Well, an inside source tells LedZeppelinNews.com the Zeppelin guys did show up for the concert but did not appear onstage. Furthermore, the DVD was not filmed! A decision had been made to postpone filming to Dec. 7, when Alter Bridge performs in Amsterdam at the Heineken Music Hall.

The band apparently did use a handheld camera or three, though, to capture some of the onstage moments at London's Brixton Academy. No word if Page, Jones and Bonham show up in any backstage clips that may have been filmed, although the source reveals they were present at the side of the stage to watch the singer.

Does this signal it is all but decided Kennedy will sing on tour with Page, Jones and Bonham -- whether they would call it Led Zeppelin or not? No decisions have been made, apparently. Would it be an album and tour, or just a tour with no album? Still up in the air, the source says.

How about an album but no tour? Maybe Page is wavering about the possibility too. Some news site called Popbitch says so, relying on the account of a Led Zeppelin fan who supposedly heard from Page himself that he would never tour without Robert Plant.

Never tour without Plant? Except that he has. Many times. Don't count the times he toured in the 1960s before he and Plant ever met. Every time Page has been on the road since 1980, except for that short span of time between 1995 and 1998, it has been with singers other than Plant at his side. And almost every time, Page's set lists have had Zeppelin numbers in them.

OK, fine, history aside. Would Page tour without Plant ever again at this point? Yeah, I think he would. Page loves touring. Once he gets that itch, it's all he wants to do. And since he hasn't toured in the last eight years, he must be itching to go outside again -- especially since the world is clamoring for it based on the demand and overwhelming support surrounding his only onstage appearance last year.

You can take Jimmy Page out of the touring circuit, but you can't take the touring circuit out of Jimmy Page. And now that he's building a lineup for a new group that involves John Paul Jones, one of the greatest musicians he's ever played with, and Jason Bonham, who forms with Jones as great a rhythm section as Page will ever play with again, and with an enormous Led Zeppelin devotee at the microphone, how can Page ever resist the call of the road? Glandular fever?

No more garden incidents and broken fingers -- OK, Jimmy? Stay healthy!

Also on the rumor mill, has Robert Plant shown up in Orlando karaoke bars singing Led Zeppelin songs as a goof? That's what one New York City radio station has reported. Sounds like a joke to me, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open just in case.