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With the Becoming Led Zeppelin doco storming onto screens, what better time to release this Page/Black Crowes live tour de force union than on its 25th anniversary? Words: Paul Jones V I N Y L V I T A L JIMMY PAGE & THE BLACK CROWES LIVE AT THE GREEK (2000)

I t’s 1994, and Led Zeppelin fans all over the globe are salivating at the prospect of a reunion. Their collective wishes would partially come true when Robert Plant and Jimmy Page combined for the brilliant live album No Quarter . The success of this collection of reworked acoustic classic Led Zep numbers and four new tracks would lead to a global tour that would not conclude until 1998. For Plant, his thirst for the venture was satiated. However, Jimmy Page had rekindled a desire to play, a decision that would eventually lead to the inspired collaboration with the Black Crowes and the excellent Live at the Greek .

One year later, in ‘99, over two memorable nights at the revered Los Angeles rock venue, the ghosts of classic rock united with its spiritual descendants in a rambunctious two hours of all out rock and roll. This fresh 25th anniversary release has now been pressed into two discs of pure, raw, high-voltage rock and has been remixed and remastered. Let’s get this straight: Live at the Greek isn’t some thrown together reunion cash grab tribute set. It’s a barnstorming celebration of riff driven ecstasy, with Page letting loose on his Les Paul like it’s 1973 and the Crowes serving as the tightest, most reverent band to

bridge this mythic communion between generations of rock royalty. The setlist reads like a Zeppelin fan’s fever dream: Misty Mountain Hop, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, In My Time of Dying , and a thunderous The Wanton Song all make appearances, delivered with grit and groove. Page isn’t trying to replicate his studio perfection - he’s unpredictable and alive, and his thrilling solos are let loose, soaring into realms of the unexpected. Enter Chris Robinson, the Crowes’ frontman and time traveller from the Fillmore era. He doesn’t try to mimic Robert Plant

(a fool’s errand) but instead leans into his own boozy, blues-drenched howl. Robinson isn’t a vocal acrobat, but he’s got soul and strut, and that’s what these songs need. The way he wraps himself around Custard Pie and Whole Lotta Love is a masterclass in honeyed tone. The rest of the Crowes are zoned in. Rich Robinson and Audley Freed’s guitars blend beautifully – raucous, thick, and grimy. Drummer Steve Gorman and bassist Sven Pipien bring muscle and swing, anchoring the set while letting Page roam. The band understandably shines brightest on the Crowe cuts like Remedy and the thunderous No Speak No Slave , a song so sonically breathtaking, it will have you lifting the needle to play repeatedly. These moments are equally as exhilarating as the Zeppelin numbers. The Black Crowe tracks were initially omitted from the original release for legal or label reasons. Adding them here brings more flavour to the mix, bringing weight and variance to what would’ve been simply a balls-to-the-wall Zeppelin celebration project. The album isn’t flawless, but that’s the point. It’s a live album that actually feels live: sweaty, sprawling, imperfect, and bristling with respect. Live at the Greek is a glorious throwback to when rock was messy, mystical, loud, and just a little dangerous.

IT’S A BARNSTORMING CELEBRATION OF RIFF-DRIVEN ECSTASY

44 MAY 2025

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