Led Zeppelin

[Big Bend]

Nice old vintage Zep on that video thanks! Don't often see Page playing a telecaster, he was Les Paul guy most of the way. Agreed Hendrix #1.. but Page way up there too.

[imported_The Vibesman]

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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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Except for the bit about SRV being a great guitarist who plays expressive solos, I disagree with everything here. I think a song is more than just a good riff. Page never wrote anything on a level with "Lenny," "Riviera Paradise," or "Couldn't Stand The Weather," or "Life Without You." This is naturally a matter of personal preference, probably.

I guess his performance of "Third Stone From The Sun" could be considered self-indulgent, but apart from that I never felt he was playing a solo just to play something, I thought he was reaching into the song to pull everything he could out of it and himself in the songs' context. Of course, he never made terrible noises with his guitar using a violin bow. Maybe that's what he's missing.


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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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How about Kashmir, for one? How many times are we going to repeat the same two frikken riffs? I don't understand how anyone can listen to this for more than one verse.

I really don't mind hooks and riffs; I just find Zeppelin's to be mostly blunt, annoying and ineffective.
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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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I know this, but I find the plagiarism a lot more offensive when the band doing it is on such a higher level of commercial success than the people they are ripping off. Back in Johnson's day, blues musicians borrowed from each other constantly, but they were all pretty much on the same level. Plus, I just never hear from anyone that they think, say, "They're Red Hot" originated with Johnson, but I know tons of people who think that "Whole Lotta Love" or "Nobody's Fault But Mine" are original songs. Perhaps this is some sort of hypocrisy, I don't know.
I also don't think that playing a few more power chords in the turnaround and playing a bit faster/louder means Page "made old blues songs his own." The guy wrote riffs, not songs.
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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.

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If it is, it is the most boring excellent song ever. Sounds to me like the same two uninteresting motifs over and over again with some trippy-dippy mystical lyrics that don't really mean anything. (I hardly ever make it to the bridge - the "I'm on my way" bit) Again, I'm well aware that this is just my opinion. That's what OP was asking for.

Again, I didn't always feel like this. In high school their banners and posters covered my walls, I had every record and some box sets, and listened to these guys constantly. The last time I was in the old Boston Garden before it was torn down was to see Page and Plant (with Rusted Root opening). It's probably just in the last 3-5 years or so that I've started to feel like this.

Always hated Kashmir though. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[kenberman]

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The last time I was in the old Boston Garden

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man I miss that place

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I admit I had a lot of anti-zep sentiment when I was younger. Im the type that ends up hating ending anything that is thoroughly hyped, and I grew up with the music in my house and would get so sick of it when kids would rep it in high school.

Eventually once I invested in it though and started throwing on some of my parents old vinyl, I became thoroughly obsessed. They have a knack and talent for music that is just rarely seen by most artists.

I still cant stand "Rock And Roll" and some of the other more popular songs though.

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About the same for me. I didn't like them when I was in my late teens/early twenties. But the older I get, the more I contemplate buying their box set.

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Jimmy Hendrix is a much better guitar player than Led Zeppelin.

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I totally agree with you there, but Steve Vai blows them all away. (surprised no one really commented on Vai and we are speaking of guitar skill in this comment)

either way question @ hand was for Zepellin, but I like the other bands getting in the mix like Nirvana was a noticable one.

[rusellmj]

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(surprised no one really commented on Vai and we are speaking of guitar skill in this comment)


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Name one memorable thing he's done the masses can point to.

Was Steve Vai the guy that played the Crossroads thing?

If so, that.

If not, nothing.

[imported_The Vibesman]

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(surprised no one really commented on Vai and we are speaking of guitar skill in this comment)


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Name one memorable thing he's done the masses can point to.

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He's not that good. He couldn't beat Ralph Macchio in a guitar duel, and this is with Vai being taught by the devil, and Mr Miyagi nowhere in sight.

Gods among boys.

Everyone else is an imposter.

Thread over.

In my experience it seems like Brits prefer LZ far less than Americans. In fact, Zeppelin reached fame status in America if I remember correctly.