Started the day off with "Dave's Picks, Vol. 5" and am currently trudging through Zepp's "Celebration Day." I must say, I'm glad I jumped on board last year with Dave's Picks, because all five of these live releases have been absolutely fantastic. Vol. 5 is no exception; it reminds me of one of the (many) reasons why I've loved the 'Dead since middle school. I love how, especially in concert, they resemble a locomotive: they can often start off slow and a little rocky, but once they pick up steam, watch out! because they're UNSTOPPABLE. I also love how, instead of rehashing their studio output like most bands (especially by today's standards), they dig deep, explore, and play around with the songs we all know so well. No one, and I mean NO ONE, can warp, manipulate, and mesh their work the way the 'Dead did. The play of "Playing in the Band" > Uncle John's Band" > "Morning Dew" > "Uncle John's Band" > "Playing in the Band" is just one example.

'Zeppelin's another band I've been a life-long fan of, but I find "Celebration Day" to be...lacking. Sure, I realize it's been 30-something years since John Bonham died and the bandmembers went their separate ways, but this double-CD live set sounds more like a really good cover band than the legends themselves. Jimmy's guitar sounds sloppy, like he's forgotten the licks and tricks that made him one of the greatest players that ever lived, and Robert's vocals are...well, Robert's vocals. His voice has, sadly, deteriorated over time, and he no longer has a voice as golden as his hair. In my opinion, the true stars of this reunion concert are John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham; they're the only members who sound like they took practice seriously. This concert's in tough company, though, when you look back to the three-disc juggernaut that is "How the West Was Won," not to mention all those perfect and near-perfect studio albums. All in all, I feel like this concert, while a fairly enjoyable nostalgia ride for those who were lucky enough to see them back when they re-wrote the rules of rock & roll, doesn't do the band's legacy much justice. I'm glad I borrowed this one from the library as opposed to spending my hard-earned dollars and cents on something I have no intentions of listening to ever again.

CoH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2bYJQFQMs8

I'm Fixing To Die Rag -- Country Joe McDonald & The Fish; Santanna & His Grandmasters.

Key development year for the band -- from the Bootleg II release.