I’m not surprised that Led Zep are well known by todays youth, since many of their untalented teen idols have only just got enough imagination to take a Zep sample, stitch it into one of their own dreary offerings, and pretend to be creative.
The only memorable bit of so many modern songs is the part that has been ripped off a great artist.
I love the cut of Jimmy Pages jib, great guitarist, but Robert Plants voice can cut the cheese off Satan’s dumbstick.
I hate, hate, hate that guys voice.
I was about 17 when I started liking Led Zeppelin. Of course, their second album had just come out at the time.
Their first and 4th albums are among the best ever. Led Zep II fluctuated between stuff like “Whole Lotta Love” (great song, but essentially just a reworking of “Communications Breakdown” from the first album – the song that defined their sound and heavy metal in general) and silly nonsense like “The Lemon Song.” And people forget that Led Zep III was considered to bad when it came out that most people thought the group was pretty much a one-hit wonder (though “The Immigrant Song” is a good one).
Given my pick of favorites, I’d say their first album is their best.
Do you have a source for this statement? I’m genuinely curious, this is not a ‘got a cite’ bust. To the best of my knowledge, it is still open for debate whether the name originated as a joke by Who members Moon and Entwhistle (something along the lines of ‘they’ll go over like a lead balloon’), or whether it was formed from the imagination of Page and Plant.
Kashmir still gives me chills after all these years.
Geobabe - thanks for the correction. I’ll not make that mistake again. (doesn’t say much for me as a fan does it?)
I’m torn between the early stuff and the later stuff. I like it all but the first four albums have a completely different impact on me emotionally when listening than the albums that came after that.
Jesus H Christ, you guys make me feel old. I, along with 60,000 of my best friends, saw my first concert ever with Zep at the Oakland Collesium on July 6, 1977. What can I saw, it changed my life.
I’m with China guy on this. I saw them in Egland with 250,000!!! like minded souls (this on a bill where the support act was Todd Rungren, who can’t get arrested in England). They played the same place a week later and pulled another 100,000. First gig I ever went to and still the best.
Bear in mind at that time in England they were considered “dinosaurs” by the rock press, and hadn’t played in England for four years. No one knew what sort of reception they’d get.
Saw them a couple of times in Europe on their last tour, stripped down set, really going for it.
I saw them in 81 – still hoping to remember more about it. I do have this memory of a couple holding their wedding reception right in front of the stage mid-afternoon…full top hat and wedding dress, bridesmaids, family…Beautiful countryside setting, superb rock chics. Hell of a weekend all round.
I know a couple of teens who seem to know all the lyrics because they grew up listening to their parents music. That’s really nice.
owlstretchingtime – sounds like you were at the Knebworth gigs ?
London calling: I was indeed, as it sounds like, were you. But you are older than you think as they were in 1979 (4th and 11th August)
Oh okay…I came round again in 81. Damn, that happened too often…
Just another 18 yr. old checking in. I Love Zeppelin, can’t get enough. Now If I could only find a mint condition LP of Led Zeppelin IV…
Led Zeppelin does rock. I’m 21 and is it so freaking odd that I listen to Classic Rock?? Seriously c’mon. Alot…and I mean Alot of todays bands suck. I prefer Classic Rock stations over any “rock station”. My favorite song by LZ?
Babe I’m gonna leave you
sigh
My boyfriend/husband plays it on his guitar for me all the time. He used to play it for me when we first met.
I caught it too and I found it funny.
Give a listen to Page’s guitar work on the BBC Sessions CDs. “That’s the Way” is simply marvelous.
Recently I’ve acquired some good bootlegs from a DAT trading buddy in Japan. According to him they are still huge over there. It’s a mutually satisfying relationship: he gets my Phish tapes and I get his Zepp tapes. The Zeppelin studio catalog is the stuff of legend, but you gotta love the added time-travel bonus of a live recording.
One of my favorite tracks is “Out On The Tiles.” I was eager to hear a live version, but alas, on the tapes they just use the opening decending guitar riff, then segue into some other song.
I saw Plant live just this year - he can still rock the party.
Speaking of Jimmy Page. Was anyone else upset when Puff Daddy re-worked Kashmir… and Jimmy helped him!!??!!
Couldn’t stand all the hype about them in junior high. I did have a copy of Physical Grafitti, though, which was primo. All this time later, I’m in a CD club. I now have Zoso, Houses of the Holy, and Physical Grafitti.
Fave songs are Kashmir, Houses of the Holy, Misty Mountain Hop, Battle of Evermore.
Folks seem to remember them as the band with the huge wallop. That they were, but they were so much more. No other heavy band has done the acoustic thing as well as Led Zep.
Kashmir probably piqued my interest in world music, too.
When the Levee Breaks
Thank You
Going to California
Boogie With Stu
The Ocean
I Wanna Crawl
Some favs:
Tangerine
Ramble On
Late to the game here, I’ll add my 2¢ worth anyway. While many bands achieve popularity as a group of adequately competent sidemen performing the work of their talented member (and, of course, some become popular without achieving even that standard), every so often a group comes together that has more than one geniuus contributing to the mix. The Beatles are one such collaboration that comes to mind.
Zep (who, as Coldie accurately points out, were the font from which all metal flows) had Page, and Plant, leading them through an amazing range of material and they had John Bonham on the bottom end reinventing rock percussion. Bonham changed drumming forever, and the lucky combination of souls in that merry(?) band is what made Zep the phenomenon they were.
40 shots of tequila. Damn.
Does anyone like Bron-Y-Aur Stomp? I think it’s in my top three or so.