[zephed]

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Jimmy Page has some nice riffs, but his playing is nowhere near the level of self-expression that a Jimi Hendrix or a Stevie Ray Vaughan exhibits.

I find a lot of their live performances rather self-indulgent.


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I find these two statements to be contradictory. You think Zep's live performances were self-indulgent but SRV's not? IMO, SRV is the epitome of the self-indulgent blues rock guitarist. Yes he was a really great guitarist and plays expressive solos, but his songwriting ability doesn't compare to Page's.


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I used to love these guys as a teenager, like every teenager, but nowadays I get sick of them hitting me over the head with riffs on every song. I think a lot of their stuff is repetitive and overdone.

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You don't like a repeated melodic figure in your songs? What specifically is repetitive and overdone?

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That and the fact that you can't really listen to a Zep album without coming across something they completely ripped off from someone and don't give credit for. I'm not just talking about styles, I'm talking about entire verses and choruses, sometimes entire songs that go uncredited.

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This is undoubtedly true and unfortunate with respect to the lyrics. Robert Plant did not do his job on many songs in the early years. However, Jimmy Page definitely didn't just cop old blues songs, they were his own.

Also, ripping off blues songs is not something that is unique to Zep. Robert Johnson himself stole entire blues songs from his predecessors.

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Usually when I come across a Zep tune on the radio I'll listen for a while (unless it's Kashmir, which I think is one of the most boring popular songs ever), but I'll be flipping before the end of the song.

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It's just not your cup of tea. It is an excellent song.