Ok, I will admit it. I was born way after Zepplin was big, but i just cant get over their music. Theres somthing strange about it that you dont find any where else, except in a few of the old black sabbath tunes. My freinds think im crazy for listening to “my dads music”. Tell me, am I alone out here?? any other fans of the classics? Do any of yall see somthing almost magical in Zepplin tunes?
I heard my first Led Zepplin song when I was in 5th grade. Whole Lotta Love. Never forgot it. Never got over it.
I agree completely. As a musician (like that gives me more credibility) I think you’re absolutely right. They charted some musical territory that hasn’t been crossed since. No one has ever sounded like them. Not even close.
I wish I knew the secret. As a songwriter I can tell you that it’s extremely hard to come up with fresh, interesting, original material.
I’m only 18 and I love Led Zepplin. There’s nothing like the mix of blues and hard rock that they have. They’re also very dynamic : the songs on III are almost folk music, and the majority of the songs are flat out knock-you-on-your-ass rock.
It’s Led Zeppelin. Sorry, but that’s one of my pet peeves.
Anyway, love 'em. Brilliant stuff.
its a tossup between them and the stones for great rock band, ever. no one else comes close.
And have some mercy on us old farts, you little whippersnapper. Father’s music, indeed.
I mainly like their later albums (Physical Grafitti onward?). They did play hard rock and blues - but they also incorporated acoustic, folk, and “world” music too.
I am slightly too young to remember them, but when I was a kid they were still THE band…all those 80’s groups, and even the grunge bands were really just regurgitating their sound.
The Rain Song…sigh
If ever there was music that turns me on, this is it.
Long after rap music is more forgotten than the clavichord, Led Zep will still be played on the airwaves. The music has a timeless quality all its own. Dare I say it is almost like the “Bach” of rock and roll. Lots of structure, enough complexity to yield up more nuance on a second hearing and sufficiently accessible imagery to satisfy the attention span of a fruit fly.
Having seen them live, I can tell you that they put on a fine show in their heydey. I will concur that the Rolling Stones give them a run for their money when it comes to a high energy concert. But the solid backbeat of Led Zep is hard to surpass when it comes to finding a groove to jump on. Plus, any band willing to do Bert Jansch’s “Blackwater Side” can’t be all bad. Jimmy Page remains one of the premier song architects to this day. A quick run through “Stairway To Heaven” is all that is needed to prove that.
sniff
There is hope for the world.
Wipes away tear.
Thank you, youngsters.
Gotta check in and say “me too”. Fell in love with Zep in high school and listened to almost nothing else. I keep losing (or having someone steal) Led Zep III. My fave deep cut still has to be “Ten Years Gone”. Amazing song. They rock.
Read “Hammer of the Gods”. You will not regret it.
- NM
Great! Im not alone! Im 18, attending NCSU, and all of the folks up here listen to rap or the new “punk” stuff. I think is all lame. When i get in a good mood and start blasting my old stuff, My room mate starts saying, “man, that shits too heavy for me” and finds an excuse to leave. I take it as a compliment
Can yall suggest any good albums to buy/download? Ive got a few songs downloaded on my computer (listening to “over the hills and far away” right now) I know most of their popular songs, but i dont know much about some of their deep cuts, etc.
Honestly, I think there is some kind of magic in zepplens (i spelled it right this time) music. Mabey its was the drugs, the obsession with the occult,(nah, theyre just great musicians) whatever it is, it made some great stuff.
I wish i was around back in the day so that I could go to one of their conserts. Any one who has been, I truly envy you.
Thanks for letting me know how yall feel, guys.
Justin
In wildness is the preservation of the world, so seek the wolf inside thyself.
Haha! I know exactly what you mean about “my Dad’s music.” “Hey Alex, you listen to weird music, dude!” “God, Alex, I haven’t heard anything like this since my Dad put away his turntable.” I’m in high school and I listen to alot of music, but Led Zep is definitely awesome. Achilles Last Stand, Kashmir, Houses of the Holy… oh man, I love it.
~ARose
I recommend their first four albums, if you like the heavy stuff. Go over to cdnow and take a listen.
FWIW, I’m a college student, and I love Zeppelin.
Anyone who reads the Straight Dope Message Board for any length of time is going to start wondering about Led Zeppelin’s enduring popularity sooner or later. I have all their albums but even I started at Houses of the Holy and then worked backwards and I’m from the seventies!
I think the way they mixed light and heavy sounds (hence the name) has something to do with their success but that their personalities play a part too. A lot of successful bands seem to have four or five distinct personalities. The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were all like that. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were very much the front men though and they looked very good - a golden god (self described) and a prince of darkness. In fact, their strong visual image probably has something to do with their continuing popularity.
I don’t think the way Page looks NOW still sells Zep records. 
28 years old here, and yeah, I like Zep. Love them or hate them, they did lay the foundation for the stuff we call metal today (in all its non-punk incarnations, I might add).
Coldfire: You’re right about that. Satan was not very kind to Jimmy.
I like their music, too. Someone just recommended a new book, “Led Zeppelin: The Montreux Concerts.” Haven’t had a chance to look at it at the bookstore yet. The Amazon.com description said it’s “One of the only books ever endorsed by Jimmy Page.” I was extremely lucky to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival this year, and saw Plant & Page live in concert. But they played old rock and roll stuff that had something to do with the history of Sun Records. Here’s the Montreux Jazz link:
There are a few photos of Page on the above site under Photos, Friends, July 6th.
all hail the mighty zep! before i even start you could probably tell that i like them. friends of mine were (at one point) big zepheads, and got me into it. now im just hooked. no one since, or even before has captured the brilliance of rock like they have.
subquestion: which is better? earlier or later (the divide being at houses of the holy and physical graffiti)? i think that at that point their sound takes a definitive turn. maybe it was the rock star life.
someone spoke of the name, and there is actually a large controversy surrounding it. its too long and sordid to go into here, but you can check it out at http://www.sgi.net/zeppelin/biography/index.html
its rather amusing. also explains why its spelled “led.”
oh, and Violet, the book was written by (i think entirely, although im not sure) by Sam Rapallo, the webmaster of the offical LZ website (led-zeppelin.com).
I’m always amazed at how good the best bands were when they first got together. It’s almost like you can tell they’ll be making good music for a long time (kind of like when Armando benitez throws his first pitch in the 9th . . . you know if you’re in for three strikeouts in a row or a 5-run blowup).
A good example is the Stones’ “Let it Bleed”. My favorite album, and a raw sound they’ve never duplicated. Apparently, half of it was recorded during the same time as Beggar’s Banquet (1968), the rest in 1969. So they were still a fairly new band. The 70’s gave us Exile and that stuff.
And so we have Zeppelin I [by the way, no one thought it was funny when Justin wrote “Zepplen (got it right this time!)?”]. Zeppelin I has “How Many More Times” on it. Nuff said.
Monk