Led Zeppelin: Classic Or Dud?

Who has more original, harder, stranger, colder, more bombastic riffs than Zep?

That said: Stairway to Heaven may be Zep's pop masterpiece, but pop isn't what I want out of a hard band. I've seen them twice but after the first album, they could only play arrangements of their multitracked recordings. If Zeps extraordinary arrangements bear any responsibility for the over-produced so-called power ballads that came after, I curse them. Finally, Jimmy played the coldest blues based solos ever - his solos bother me every time I hear them but, maybe that's a good thing.

as for zeppelin, to paraphrase cole gagne on branca, it does not matter what anyone thinks about them any more than it matters what anyone thinks of the sun. they were my ecstasy and education from ages 10-14 or so. i can't stand them most of the time now, after punk happened long ago for me but there are always precious moments when i can listen and get into it again. the reasons for loving them and hating them are both equally obvious and *don't matter*. zeppelin simply are.

curiously neglected so far:

i) the obvious vulnerable and androgynous qualities of robert plant's voice and persona. *this* is one item that separates them from standard macho beer-drinking rock and makes them valuable to misfit teen boys (god knows none of the *jocks* were listening to them in my gr 8 class).

ii) the tolkien's not there to make the fans feel smug and intellectual. fuck, when do most people read tolkien? gr 6? gr 7? it's there because, along with the music, zeppelin really aimed to create a fantasy-world and to achieve an otherworldly experience. item number two.

listening to just the cure all the time though. gah.

The best Zep, though, were "Physical Graffiti" and "Presence." The first LP of the former is the best funk record ever recorded (better even that Parliament/Funkadelic). The second is just great.

Kris.

Fuck you all

Later bands would imitate the screamin and screaching guitars; however, the rythm sectio could not be duplicated. Furthermore, the sound of led zeppelin was a result of a combination of many influencs,including indian classical and celtic. Later bands' sound was a result of musical interests within the band that were limited in genre.

All of the musicians in the band are of the highest quality. JImmy Page ranks as one of the best guitarists ever, and the rythm section of John Paul Jones an John Bonham is unrivaled. The songwritig duo of Page and Plant was also one of the best ever.

Contrary to the beliefs of some people who have posted, Led zeppelin set records for sales of tickets and albums. Their live performances shattered tickt sales records, due to elongated versions of songs such as moby dick, which is also an example of Bonham's amazing talent. They are also right behind the beatles in total record sales. HOwever, the beatles had 21 albums, where zep only had 10.

Now could somebody clarify how zeppelin isn't good, because i just don't see it.

I like Plant's voice.

But the stuff I think I most enjoy from them are when they were just plain goofy and/or eccentric. I'm thinking "Boogie with Stu", "Hats Off (to Roy Harper)", "The Crunge", "Hot Dog", etc

Can't think of too many weak moments from Zep, actually...

I can understand those who don't like them becasue of the Prog/Dinosaur overtones, but simply noting that they were in that field would negate the accusations of them bieng anti-intellectual and lacking skill.

Sure, some of their songs are *fairly* simple, but on the whole, they almost always managed to do something unexpected or quirky within the context of Loud Blues.

They're one of the few Rawk bands I can stand, because there's always something ungraspable about how they came to what they ended up doing. To me, if you can figure out how a band got to their end product (and could replicate it yourself), why bother listening to it?

Zeppelin's music, if you listen to it, was exstremly inventive and layered. Led Zeppelins actually musical influence can actually be felt most from everyone from Prince to REM to Jane's Addiction to Smashing Pumpkins. Not lame hair metal, lol. On the other hand all Black Sabbath ever influenced was moronic crap like death metal, or black metal and a bunch of low IQed, beer swilling "metal heads" with a mentality to "break stuff" and worship the devil. Please.

Also the comments about Led Zeppelin not being intellectual are ignorant in my opinion. Is Mozart not intellectual? He certainly did not have many lyrics about war or polotics did he? What was intellectual about Zeppelin was there musical ability. The world was filled with tons of good and lame bands that where "politcally consious", i think they where and still are a breath of fresh air. I like some Punk rock, but if you are that non-ecclectic as to be turned off to great musicans because of some silly ideal or scene (like punk) then your a idiot.

So, did Sabbath influence Iron Maiden or Judas Priest? Probably, but not in the way they might have liked. There may be a reason Maiden - a band that does few covers - did one of Whole Lotta Love, but never a single Sabbath tune.

So, did Sabbath influence Iron Maiden or Judas Priest? Probably, but not in the way they might have liked. There may be a reason Maiden - a band that does few covers - did one of Whole Lotta Love, but never a single Sabbath tune.

Ron

So they influenced R. Kelly, too!

Anyband with Bonham at the back was on to a winner (unless it was Bonham's own band) and Page and Plant ain't so bad either. Actually, I recall Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame telling Melody Maker back in the day that with his lyrics and Zep's music they "could have made quite a good little rock and roll band." Ha ha ha ha ha.. sorry, I laugh my ass off everytime I hear that.

Gimme Physical Graffiti everytime. I think it's actually too good, if that's possible, which it isn't, but it feels like it is when I listen to that album. Does anyone else know what I (don't) mean?

Actually quite many. Check out Sabbath's "Behind the wall of sleep".

But for the person who said 'Zeppelin=Overrated' and then trotted out Creedence FFS! Sheesh!! And to hear Plant getting sledged for his vocals and then having some numbnuts raving on about the monumentally mediocre Cure PURLEASE..

The best point in this entire thread is that Zeppelin's music has stood the test of time and that what passes for rock these days will be forgotten this time next year.

Cheers,

REB

this implicit progression was symbolised by the band's unwillingness to let their rip-offs go credited to the original writers

Led Zeppelin's blues songs are NOT ripoffs and they DID NOT steal them!! They don't sound ANYTHING like the originals. Have you ever heard "When the Levee Breaks" by Memphis Minnee? Or "In My Time of Dying" by Bob Dylan?? Ever notice that they sound absolutely NOTHING like Zep's versions??? I really hate it when rock critics say this to somehow degrade Zep's music. It was pretty much the reason why Rolling Stone hated Zep so much. As if that IN ANY WAY has anything to do with how Zep's records sound!!

1. When Zep were good they were really good!!!!!
2. When they weren't good, they really stunk!!!!!
3. Generally the good bits outwiegh the bad, up until about the last couple of albums!!!!!
4. Concert-wise, they were pretty good, if a little bombastic!!!!!
5. The Song Remains The Same being the major exception to the previous point!!!!!
6. It's pretty obvious they weren't just a "metal" band!!!!!!!
7. The bits about the hobbits are really funny!!!!!

^

Phil Collins has insisted, and rightly so, that he was not the one that fucked up the Live-Aid performance. He said the gathered band had not rehearsed, and Tony Thompson in particular arrogantly/cocainely insisted he knew the song, but as Phil pointed out, "Stairway" is deceptively tricky in its timing. Now, Phil rules, of course, and he's right. In fact, here's this clip of the song being performed sans vocals, with Simon Phillips on drums. Phillips is a mutant, one of the most insanely talented drummers of all time, and *he* fucks it up, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1t_SZWhN44

The story is that he was jet-lagged and didn't get a shot to rehearse it, either, but also that especially without vocals he just totally lost his place.

Good band, that Zeppelin.

Uhh

cocainely lol

Ooooooooohhh yeah

feel like doing stairway at live aid was the mistake, it's a zeppelin reunion with tony thompson, switch that out for wanton song or trampled underfoot or something, nobody is going to mind

Tony couldn’t handle the bridge and overplayed the rest of it.

I am skeptical that anyone has ever deciphered these lyrics on their own

On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

ham sandwich of the gods

Something something Tolkien

on we sweep with thrashing oar
i wanna go where we can swing along

I am skeptical that anyone has ever deciphered these lyrics on their own

Not before being overrun.

https://content.invisioncic.com/r149629/monthly_2019_09/IMG_20190903_135947885.jpg.a9115472cabd46bc1abbe3354fe2430b.jpg

The coming of the cold will drive our ships to new lands
I want to go where there’s a rest and a show
I sometimes feel so green,
and whisper Tales of Storms.
Howling come, the tides are warm
We are an overload
Always seek, push it on,
I want to go where there’s a rest and a show
Peace (and just get with it)! Disband, all you losin’s!

Ah . . . ah . . . .

Fightin’ the haul

I am coming
But now you know

This is almost as good as the Japanese import of Elvis Costello's Almost Blue we had in the store back in the day

Why don't you love me like you used to do
Why do you treat me like a one-eyed Jew

I wanna go where there's a rest and show

OTM

The Rhythm of the Cause will drive worship anew, lads

Never before seen live footage from 1977:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6scSFmaWkew

WOW!!

Bonham having a cig during the acoustic set lol

met a man on the roadside crying

without a friend there's no denying

you're incomplete

there'll be no finding

looking for what you knew

https://i.imgur.com/Fl7mk3N.jpeg

still have to pinch myself.

“We’re gonna Groove” should be rated. Killer

listening to houses today, Percy's voice on the song remains the same lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2t1E8zUvG8-

https://i.imgur.com/quXxjol.png

Like hearing Jimmy go all technical but the editing on that promo is headache inducing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u1C9MiFtlM

one of my friends just posted this weird cover of "san francisco"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b54U-bYh5bU

and listening to it, it seems to be based on the "san francisco" interpolation into "dazed and confused" in '73? a, uh, sort of achillean take on san francisco (#onethread). except with like. autotune and stuff.

a little bit "what why"

don't think i'd ever seen this footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsRSwlGDtTw

is that donovan at 5:53 or so?

it's weird how young and small everyone looks, and how dirty. i'm glad this clip isn't in smell-o-vision - the unwashed bodies, the constant ciggies. so weird to see bonham looking young and healthy.

Yes, that is Donovan. Page and Jones played on a few of his recordings.