I didn't feel it needed to be pointed out by citing specific examples since you're obviously an avid Zep listener and you yourself have said that you understand that but you don't agree. The point being, however inaccurate, they have been referred to as a "heavy metal" band. In fact, they've even been credited with creating the entire genre. I have gone on to explain that I feel like there is much more to them than that label and that the same holds true for other artists that have been labeled as such. If you read my post I clearly stated I was referring to the early days of album radio, from which the classic rock radio format developed. My main point being, these artists were all contemporaries of Led Zeppelin and drew heavily from each others styles (some more than others). As for the classic rock radio format itself, the playlists differ from market to market with some being more progressive than others while some don't differ at all. Thanks for providing the examples because without them I wasn't able to ascertain the point you were trying to make. Not necessary, now that you've provided some concrete examples I understand what you were trying to say much more clearly.

Isolated vocal track of David Lee Roth from Running With the Devil: http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/DG/runnin_with%20the_devil.mp3

I feel much the same way about Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger, which, according to some messageboards devoted to him, his hardcore fanbase hated but the critics loved. That's not to say Ryan has ever tried to be experimental in the manner of Wilco (at least not on record) but quite a few of his albums have been more than a little uneven in the past. With Easy Tiger he showed he could turn in a well balanced, even keeled record, something his harshest critics thought he would never be capable of.

My point being that up until now you haven't provided any examples to back up what you're saying. Without those examples you haven't done a very good job of backing up your statements. If you read what I said you would see that the "heavy metal" thing is only an element of their sound, I stated that it's also rounded out by other influences. My point being that I could see where people see Led Zeppelin as a heavy metal band because there are most definitely elements of metal in their sound but that's just the point I was trying to make, it's not all there is to them. The same holds true for lots of other artist that are saddled with labels whether it be "heavy metal", "folk rock" or whatever. I never said they did. It's clear that you've missed my point not only once but several times now as I listed those artists as examples of how wide ranging the radio format of classic rock could be, not as a comparison to Led Zeppelin themselves. There were plenty of artists that pushed those boundaries (such as Zappa, Beefheart, Wild Man Fisher, King Crimson, etc.) but they were much more likely to be heard in the early days of AOR when radio was much more progressive and way before the format of classic rock was invented which is obviously much more conservative. Regardless, they were all Led Zeppelin's peers in the sense that they all came out of the same time period and shared similiar influences. Although I don't necessarily agree, now we're getting somewhere, you're finally citing examples which is all I have asked for all along. When I see the early promo clip of Communication Breakdown on the Led Zep DVD I can't help but think of the ferociousness of punk. I hear the same thing in the early work of the Who, the Kinks and others from that time period. It's moments like those that help make perfect sense of Page championing the likes of the Damned back in the 70s when the excessiveness of groups like Led Zeppelin were what so many punk bands were raging against.

I've just never bought into the "well, they've sold milliions of records worldwide and constantly sell out concerts so they must be the best" philosphy of backing up why I may like a certain artist. The same argument can be made for any number of artists out there but it doesn't mean they're the best damn one on the planet. Teen pop stars like Britney sell tons of records and sell out concerts all the time but that doesn't automatically mean they're good or that I have to like them.

Where is written that someone has to consider Led Zeppelin their favorite artist to post here, not to mention this is the Other Bands / Music section. I belong to several music related boards and e-mail lists but none are devoted to my favorite band, The Beatles.

As far as I know Steve Perry is no longer performing (at least not actively). Journey found a sound-a-like singer and continued to tour. Now he's out (after the whole lip synching to old tapes of Steve Perry episode) and they've found their latest singer (again, a Perry clone) via an audition conducted via YouTube. In regards to either Journey or The Eagles not giving tickets away, I've said it before but I'll say it again, just because they may have no problem selling tix (can't speak for Journey as I'm not sure how well they draw) it doesn't mean they don't suck. It's just my personal opinion but I find the majority of The Eagles material to be MOR crap that clogged up the airwaves back in the 70s (and 80s). I like a few tunes but that's about it. Just how many times can we have the exact same conversation? Perhaps you'd be best to just accept the fact that not everyone is going to like the exact same bands as you and move on to other topics already.

In my critiques of The Eagles I've addressed the aspects of their music I don't care for as well as Henley's greediness. Not just once but several times. The fact remains, there's plenty of other artist that plowed similiar musical turf that I'd take over the Eagles any day of the week, Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers being chief among them but they're only the tip of the iceberg.

Great finds there. The Long Ryders are far too often overlooked even though they're pioneers of the alt.country movement (even though they were called "cowpunk" back then) and as a huge David Lindley enthusiast I've been meaning to get my hands on some Kaleidoscope records for quite some time now.

I think so too. Sky Blue Sky is proof positive that Wilco don't need to be highly experimental every time out just to be worthy of notice. Sometimes all a body needs is some good ol' solid rock n' roll and I think they more than delivered that with this record.

Yeah, they do, the problem being that's just one dimension to their sound. Zep's not the only "heavy/hard rock" band to run into that brick wall. Steven Tyler even tried to champion their cause during his induction of Zep into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame by saying "at least one third of their catalog is acoustic". It would sure help to drive your point home if you were actually able to back up your statements with some examples, something you've done a piss poor job of doing so far. You keep saying they don't fit in with "Classic Rock" but don't say where they fit and now you're saying they fit other playlists better but don't cite what type of playlists. Please elaborate.

Never did anything for me though I do love Slobberbone's cover of To Love Somebody. They also did more than a little justice to Neil's Cortez the Killer (sometimes with the Drive-By Truckers joining them onstage). Slobberbone morphed into a totally new band called The Drams who have been known to roam the country, reducing music halls to mere rubble following their performances.

Playlists consitute a format so you lost me there. You've also completely lost me with your point about Zep not fitting into the Classic Rock mold, a format which they themselves had a hand in creating (whether they were aware of it or not). As for the artists I mentioned, my point wasn't that they'd made their rep prior to the 80s but rather to illustrate the breath of the Classic Rock format and how different they all were from one another, Led Zeppelin included. Sure Zep had some imitators in the 80s (not sure if that's what you're getting at) but even then those bands had a sound rooted in the 60s and 70s, just as Zep did. To my ears Zep took elements of folk, blues, early rock and world music (before it had a name) and expanded on it. In that regard they were years ahead of their time but their sound still fits snuggly beside their peers of the 60s and 70s.

I've never heard any of the bootlegs but I did see VH in concert once. As much as I love some old DLR-era VH, I have to say it was hard to distinguish one song from another. Maybe it was because they only had two albums out at the time (1979) and the two records bear a certain similarity but I found it kind of disappointing. That said, Eddie Van Halen was definitely shredding and DLR was putting on a show for the masses. Maybe that was the key, the entertainment aspect over the musical one.

No, it's not. At least no more "odd" than pairing Dylan and Costello or Petty's tour with Pearl Jam. It's called getting asses in seats by putting together two well known concert draws. I don't hate Petty, nor am I one of his biggest fans but chances are I'll be attending one of these shows just for the Winwood factor. I saw him headline ACL Fest several years back and his set stands as one of of the best I've seen in recent years, especially his performance of Dear Mr. Fantasy against the backdrop of the sun setting over Austin.

I know it's true of The Wall performances. I'm not sure about previous tours.

The sound of what music? "Classic Rock" isn't a genre, it's a description of a radio format and Led Zeppelin were a very huge part of that format. It's not like it's a genre of music that can be easily defined and decided that Led Zeppelin don't fit, especially since they helped create it. The words "Classic Rock" describe a wide range of artists: Dylan, Santana, Rush, Rare Earth, Yes, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, etc. Any artist that got played with any regularity on album radio in the 70s. Just as Zeppelin themselves cover a wide range of styles, so does that radio format but Led Zeppelin were at the very core of it so how could they not be included? Hell, they helped pioneer album radio by not releasing singles, forcing programmers to chose album cuts instead.

People seem to have the hardest time wrapping their heads around this but there's a lot of artists out there who I respect but I simply don't care for the majority of their music, Springsteen is one of them. Back in the 70s it seems like one of his songs was on the radio every five minutes and his voice just grated on me to no end. Flash forward to '85 and nearly every track from Born In the U.S.A. was all over the radio, damn near inescapable. It's around that time that I lost nearly all tolerance I had for Springsteen, though it was through no fault of his own. Years later I developed a respect for his talent and even have a sort of fondness for those very first songs I heard by him. Hell, one day I may even pick up one of his records but there are still certain songs that send me over the edge to this day. Same for Tom Petty, though I readily admit to liking more of his songs. It's the voice thing, sometimes one of his songs will just get on my very last nerve.

Could some of the same distinctions be applied to AC/DC? I mean, their songs are basically the same three chords just with different lyrics. Without trying to overanalyze I'm thinking, therein lies their appeal. The very primitive nature of AC/DC's music, that's what makes me reach for one of their records. No matter what, I know they will rock my ass, no questions asked. Same with early Van Halen and any number of other groups. If I want to rock out I know they won't let me down. I think it's that same primitive appeal that first attracted me to Sabbath (Paranoid was among the very albums I ever owned back in the early 70s). Whatever the case, it was their tuned down a notch, slow playing that unwittingly launched the entire Death Metal movement.

Like it or not, Led Zeppelin are from that same era so they're always going to be considered "Classic Rock".

That would be nice, seems they've reissued all the more recent stuff on DVD but not that.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/art...t_id=1003698503 Nelson Gets Assists From Chesney, Cannon On New Album Ken Tucker, Nashville When superstar Kenny Chesney and veteran producer Buddy Cannon were approached about producing the iconic Willie Nelson, Chesney says he had two goals in mind. "I wanted to keep the element of Willie where he can sink his teeth into a great country song, but I also wanted to push him," he says. Nelson's stellar new album, "Moment of Forever," due Jan. 29 on Lost Highway, proves his goals were met. The invitation to work with Nelson, 74, came after he guested on Chesney's version of "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)," a song Nelson recorded in 1979 with Leon Russell. The rough mix caught the attention of Nelson's manager, Mark Rothbaum, who asked if Chesney and Cannon would be interested in doing a full-blown project. "I wish I could say that I jumped at the chance," Chesney says, "but it came at a time when I was really tired from the end of my tour and I wanted to be sure that I had the mental energy that it'd take to have that guy's music in your hands. "And just when I was needing it the most, God gave me Willie Nelson," he continues. "You never know where inspiration is going to come from." Chesney admits he was a bit uneasy on the first day in the studio. "I hadn't been that nervous in awhile, especially making a record," he says. "I had my vision of what I wanted to do with Willie, but I didn't know if that was Willie's vision." The feeling dissipated when Chesney walked into the studio. "Willie gave me a big hug," Chesney says. "Next thing you know, I was hanging out with my buddy." The album includes a cover of Dave Matthews' haunting "Gravedigger," a song suggested by Chesney. "I just felt that that song could really suit Willie very well if we got it cut the right way," he says. Nelson contributed three cuts: "Over You Again," which he wrote with sons Micah and Lukas, and two that he wrote solo, including the hilarious "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore" ("Did you hear the one about the dirty whore/Oh, I forgot . . . you don't think I'm funny anymore"). Chesney and Cannon also delivered songs for the project. The Kris Kristofferson and Danny Tims-penned title cut is classic Nelson. Randy Newman's "Louisiana," originally written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, finds new life as a commentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "We took the lyric and made it apply to today," Chesney says. "The Bob Song," a funny and at times psychedelic testament to independence written by Big Kenny Alphin of Big & Rich, fits Nelson to a "t." "The carefree spirit of that song is kind of the way Willie is," Chesney says. A duet with Chesney, "Worry B Gone," was written by Guy Clark, Gary Nicholson and Lee Roy Parnell. While nothing's set in stone, the three men may work together again. "I enjoyed doing it, and Kenny and Buddy both are great in the studio," Nelson says.

Yes, to all of the above although I don't remember the admission being incredibily expensive, maybe $20 (and I got a free subscription to Rolling Stone). However, I don't recommend the food there. At least at the restaurant we ate at, it was horrible and extremely overpriced.

Thanks but I wasn't really asking a question. There was a blurb accompanying the above review I posted that said it's playing at a local IMAX theatre through April 24th so I should have ample opportunity to see it.

I'd love to attend SXSW but it's just not in the cards this year.