NEIL YOUNG - The Indomitable
Even as a young singer, as a representative of the hippie generation, Neil Young didn't mince his words. And he has remained the most controversial, sometimes in the best sense of the word uninhibited spirit of rock music: The Canadian, who turns seventy on November 12, shows no signs of age-mild. In the following we show why it is so important that "the old man" is still there.
JEFF LYNNE'S ELO - Alte Schule
The atmospheric black-and-white photo on the cover of "Crosseyed Heart" speaks volumes. It shows the 71-year-old Keith Richards exactly as he is: as a rock'n'roll zombie with abysmal furrows in his face, testifying to wild excesses and concentrated life experience. But also with a real, hearty smile. Nothing is set here, nothing is retouched, it is the real deal. "I don't need make-up and no soft focus", the Stones guitarist explained in the US magazine "Billboard". "Because I stand by who I am, the product of my lifestyle. And I don't have to pretend, especially since nobody would believe me anyway."
GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES
Led Zeppelin in the Mirror of the World Press: 1968-1980
The reverberation of Led Zeppelin is enormous. The band hasn't existed for more than 30 years, but they're still being reported on - almost unchecked. The coverage of her unique reunion concert in December 2007 was indeed just as hysterical as it was during her active reign. This era, the years 1968 to 1980, we trace on the following pages from the perspective of the contemporary world press and send our best wishes to the jubilarian Jimmy Page.
KEITH RICHARDS
The Soul of the Stones
Suspicions that the Rolling Stones might lose the desire to tour were fired up by the band members themselves in the seventies. In 1975, a 27-year-old Mick Jagger declared: "I can't jump around like a 21-year-old anymore, and I'd rather die than sing satisfaction at 45." Statements like these led the German magazine "Musikexpress" to write a story about the upcoming Europatrip in spring 1976 with the headline "The last tour of the Rolling Stones?" and about the possible "last big coup" of the group. The organizers of the performance in Stuttgart's Neckar Stadium recorded the ball: "Industry experts already see the European tour as the end of the glorious Stones era. Should that prove to be true, the audience would witness the great farewell concert of the world's best rhythm and blues band."
