Tribute to John Entwistle, "The Ox" (1944-2002)

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

"On top of the sky is a place where you go if you've done nothing wrong, if you've done nothing wrong. And down in the ground is a place where you go if you've been a bad boy, if you've been a bad boy. Why can't we have eternal life and never die, never die?

"In the place up above, you grow feather wings, and you fly round and round with a harp, singing hymns. And down in the ground, you grow horns and a tail, and you carry a fork and burn away. Why can't we have eternal life and never die, never die?"

- Lyrics to the Who's "Heaven and Hell," written by John Entwistle

Lemon Squeezings mourns the loss of legendary rock bassist John Entwistle, who died Thursday, just one day before the Who was to begin a North American concert tour. LZ History sends its condolences to Who fans and those who held him dear. All rock music fans suffer the loss of this innovative instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Led Zeppelin fans may recall that Entwistle took credit for coining the name of Led Zeppelin some time before the band existed. The 57-year-old's death will undoubtedly affect the plans of Robert Plant, who was to open for the Who on the second and third legs of that tour beginning next month.

Long live rock, be it dead or alive,
Steve "The Lemon" Sauer

Robert Plant 'Dreamland' album released in U.K.

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Robert Plant's Dreamland is now available in the United Kingdom.

Just a reminder: Plant's "Darkness, Darkness" video can be seen at http://65.45.90.98/events?13852xy132 (Web content no longer available).

'Red Dress': Robert Plant song review of the day (No. 10 of 10)

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

The last song to be reviewed is "Red Dress," the second of the two completely new songs on the album. This groovy shuffle begins with a lead played on fretless bass and steel guitar. The riff sounds like something out of the North Mississippi All Stars' songbook. (By the way, if you don't have that group's debut album from last year, Shake Hands with Shorty, you need it.) The percussion used here gives it sort of an Australian sound. It features Plant's first recorded harmonica probably since 1993. His last attempt I can think of was on "Promised Land" from his previous solo album, Fate of Nations. The harmonica in that song was just like in Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks." On Plant's new "Red Dress," the harmonica is not derivative of anything. If anything is derivative, it's the sound of that steel guitar; it sounds like it belongs on John Paul Jones' solo albums! The lyrics on the song aren't very intricate; Plant's pretty much singing about a "pretty little girl with a red dress on." When he hypothesizes about the meaning of love in this song, he manages not to get too deep in thought. It even sounds like he's guessing at what Skip Spence would say love is, too! No mention of badge holders anywhere, and that's a good thing in my mind.