Led Zeppelin: Classic Or Dud?

Just to be clear, he was just there (with his mom), not honored.

Mr Obama, who was only seven years old when the band formed in 1968, said that Americans had immediately embraced Led Zeppelin even "when the Brits initially kept their distance"

Is that true? I have no idea.

I mean, I believe Obama was 7.

It's true, to an extent. Zeppelin made its name touring the US. They basically set the standard for arena touring. I want to say the first album was even released in America first, well before the British release.

Though of course critically, the US was infamously not much of a friend:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/led-zeppelin-i-19690315

Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, is, admittedly, an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs

And this is an album that starts out with "Good Times, Bad Times"!

Limited producer? Weak writer? "around whom Zeppelin revolves?" I guess this is the (one?) perspective of someone coming to the group from the Yardbirds, myopically missing possibly the greatest rock rhythm section of all time.

"an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative song"

lol i've always thought his playing was kind of meh (compared to say Hendrix) and that he really excelled at songwriting & producing!!

Everyone is kind of meh compared to Hendrix. But compared to his contemporaries, Page was pretty great. Sloppy live, but ace in the studio. Also, one of the few guitarists as notable for his acoustic work as for his electric.

i do like his acoustic stuff it's true

i mean, i like it ALL. but i think zep's strength is in their massive, quality song catalog, innovative prodcuction, and a dope ass rhythm section augmenting the riffs -- much more so than Jimmy shredding or whatev

I've never seen that Rolling Stone review. So Plant was "a pretty soul-belter who can do a good spade imitation." Uh...

page is a great guitarist, every bit as good as hendrix, he does a lot of amazing stuff, in terms of layer guitars and overdubs and the whole UK folk side of playing that hendrix doesn't do

I thought it was hilarious to flip through Rolling Stones' recent Led Zep special issue and read the reviews of each album that are drastic rewrites of history for them.

page is a great guitarist, every bit as good as hendrix, he does a lot of amazing stuff, in terms of layer guitars and overdubs and the whole UK folk side of playing that hendrix doesn't do

― U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, December 3, 2012 4:09 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hahahahahahahaha

I've never seen that Rolling Stone review. So Plant was "a pretty soul-belter who can do a good spade imitation." Uh...

― Naked webcam celebrity (Dan Peterson), Monday, December 3, 2012 4:07 PM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You'd be happy to hear Plant's enlightened discussion on the subject, i'm sure

iirc, only the first three records were trashed (and only by John Mendelsohn) in RS. Everything after (untitled) got positive reviews.

That sounds right. amazing it took 3 albums, though.

I want to say that Black Sabbath was sabotaged by Rolling Stone, too, but 1 star reviews for Led Zeppelin is beyond the pale.

page is a great guitarist, every bit as good as hendrix, he does a lot of amazing stuff, in terms of layer guitars and overdubs and the whole UK folk side of playing that hendrix doesn't do

― U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, December 3, 2012 4:09 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hahahahahahahaha

― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Monday, December 3, 2012 3:33 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

which part of this is funny bill?

actually i semi-take back the overdubs start, obv hendrix really produced and arranged stuff very cool, but in a different way than page

but the acoustic part of page's playing is very distinct from hendrix and i think v awesome, really the only mainstreaming of the whole 60 uk folk movt, incredible string band, jansch, etc

And Rolling Stone was the ONLY publication that ever really hated them. Try and find another negative review from 1969-74, you can't! Christgau liked them a lot, they got great reviews in Melody Maker, too. But I guess it shows you how much Rolling Stone meant back then that "bad review in Rolling Stone"="critics hate you."

Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, is, admittedly, an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs

So dated!

which part of this is funny bill?

^ all of it. I spit coffee all over my computer screen when i read it.

The only way hendrix and that plagiarist page belong in the same sentence is because of a somewhat similar first name. Otherwise the comparison is laughable.

I want to say that Black Sabbath was sabotaged by Rolling Stone, too, but 1 star reviews for Led Zeppelin is beyond the pale.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, December 3, 2012 4:49 PM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I would say its about right.

i don't think you really spit coffee all over your screen bill
i'm calling u out

true, i dont drink coffee this late in the day

it's all been a lie :(

are we really doing this again

Agreed, my thoughts are well documented on the issue. I will abstain.

If there's any way Hendrix is comparable to Page it's definitely in the "layers of guitars and overdubs"

yes i recanted that part!

Yeah, that's one reason Page was so sloppy live. He was trying to do a lot at once, which was sort of impossible.

But I guess it shows you how much Rolling Stone meant back then that "bad review in Rolling Stone"="critics hate you."

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, December 3, 2012 4:52 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think Zeppelin, and Page in particular, absolutely loved to play up the "critics hate us!" bit. Zep needed to highlight every difference, however minor, between them and their contemporaries. Since critics generally liked the Who, Hendrix, Cream, and the Jeff Beck group, Page exploited the "we were despised!" angle for all it was worth.

the interview/press mtg footage in How the West Was Won is very illuminating in this respect - lots of questions about where Zep stands in relation to the Beatles, for ex.

ie the press clearly does not understand what Zep is about at all

True, but the mainstream press in the early 70s was as clueless about rock as the mainstream press was in the 50s and 60s. The Beatles were asked where they stand in relation to Elvis, so since the primary (or only) point of reference for mainstream journalists in the 70s was the Beatles, that's what they asked Zep about.

Also, just found out they're going to be on Letterman tonight (being interviewed, not playing).

http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./660/371/Kennedy%20Center%20Honors_Cala.jpg

who's going to buy the remasters (w/"new" bonus trax)?

Depends how much rare stuff there is. I have this box (Amazon had it on sale for like $50 one day so I jumped at it) but if they were all expanded to 2CD sets with studio leftovers or maybe even previously unreleased live stuff, I might go for 'em.

i might get them just to have the original albums in proper song order on CD (I own the vinyl and the first box set which has great sequencing, but i'd rather hear the records as they were released)

i hope they do vinyl reissues with 1/2 speed stan ricker masters like they did for the mothership box

I have the same box as 誤訳侮辱, and like him I might pony up again depending on the bonus stuff. I have so many amazing bootlegs that I'd love to see cleaned up and authorized.

sorry for posting that kennedy center honors group picture twice...forgot i posted it last night.

Figured bump would be for this: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-led-zeppelin-to-appear-on-letterman-monday-night-20121201,0,4849323.story

― billstevejim, Saturday, December 1, 2012 7:06 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'd be more excited if they were playing instead of sitting on a couch.

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, December 1, 2012 7:12 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark

ugh, got all hyped for a second there

it'd be hilarious if they played and paul joined in

all doing a boogie woogie version of the beginning of "no quarter"

Dave asking 'em about "Sonny Boy Williams" - awkward

Was great seeing them on TV goofing and seemingly happy but...why? They didn't hype the new CD/DVD (Dave did) and there was no talk of working together again whether as Zep or something else. So why'd they do this? Curious.

I mean...I would've expected Plant to hop on the first plane to Kashmir after the Kennedy Center stuff was over since he seems the most reluctant to hang around the ghost of LZ. So it was strange seeing them all chummy and stuff. I guess I have
some little spark of hope in me these fuckers will announce something soon haha.

there are to be further reissues? would be much much more excited about new rarities released than a reunion tour...