Christopher Lees
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Posts posted by Christopher Lees
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9 hours ago, Paganini said:
.....so bad that my wife -who can’t stand Zep -actually likes it!
Funny you should say that! I used to hate The Crunge from the time I first heard when I was a kid until my mid 30s. I had a girlfriend in my 30s who didn't like Zeppelin or any cool music for that matter. She was younger than me and into Eminem and rap - freakin horrible. We'd listen to Zeppelin in the car (my choice of course) on long rides to the beach, and wouldn't you know it, every time we came to a solo, she would turn to me and start talking or asking questions about something. Girlfriend can sit silently for 11 minutes straight and as soon as a solo comes on it's yak yak yak.
Anyhow, one day we were listening to HOTH and The Crunge comes on. She said, "Who's this? Yeah! This is cool!" and she cranked it up. We she'd use my car to go to the store or whatever, I could hear her pulling up later with TC blasting. When we went on long rides, she made me play TC.
Here's the thing. I started to like the song! I played it myself over and over again and somehow developed a sincere appreciation for it. Well, that girlfriend is long gone but I still got The Crunge! -
1 hour ago, Paganini said:
Another gripe of mine is ITTOD —Christ what a mess of an album that is!! The vocals are buried in the mix so far down they need to be fracked out. Why the hell Hot Dog and All My Love -simply the two worst ever Zep tracks were included and cracking tracks Darlene, Ozone Baby and Wearing & Tearing were left off simply baffles me! In fact if I ever get to meet Jimmy that would be my number one question -apart from why didn’t he just bin Plant after the O2 gig and find somebody who was interested.
This album has grown on me over time. For many years, I hated Hot Dog! I used to wait up every night until 10:00 so I could hear the local radio station play Get The Led Out, three Zeppelin tunes back to back to back. I didn't have all the tapes back then (not yet) so I had a blank in the radio with my finger on the button in case they played a song I didn't have yet. I can't tell you how many times they played HOT DOG! I used to get so pissed off about it. Then, years later when I saw them perform it on the Knebworth gig, I had a different feeling about it. Then it got stuck in my head and I listened to it 1000 times in a row. Go figure. I think All of my Love is a great song. I love Jimmy's wimpy bends in the verses and I love the guitar tracks throughout. I think Plant's vocals are great too. The keyboard fits right in with the times that the album was made in.
I'm gonna crawl has one of my favorite Page solos. I think it's a masterpiece and we're lucky he pulled it off in the state he was in. Fool in the Rain I think is a great tune! It's so happy and it always lifts me up. The solo is pure genius. To this day, I can't tell if it's great or terrible! Of course, In the Evening has the old Zeppelin magic all over it and South Bound Sourez was developed out of those piano jams during No Quarter in 1977.
For me, the two worst songs are Wearing and Tearing and Candy Store Rock. -
2 hours ago, dandak said:
3. I think plant would be a nobody if Jimmy didnt find him and while he owes us nothing, he does owe almost everything to Jimmy. Plants own words...he was disillusioned with his lack of success...he was going to try one more time. Then along came Jimmy. He showed a total lack of gratitude towards Jimmy after Zep disbanded.
It's as though I wrote this. I think you are spot on. And I do mean SPOT on.
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2 hours ago, dandak said:
2. I think plant is a total diva now, to ignore Zep but get all excited over Krause or the Fantastic Fence Posts. PLEASE!
+1000
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3 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:
This belongs in the "Controversial Opinions" thread. But I know what you mean. 6/21 is borderline over-energetic, almost overkill. RAH was a landmark show, but I think Plant was trying too hard and his commentary on HMMT off beat.
lol perhaps it does belong in the Controversial Opinions thread. As far as 6-21-77 goes, it's a pretty good show, no doubt, but the amount of hype it receives would lead one to believe they are playing like they did in Europe 73. I just don't think it measures up. Yes, it's a great show for 77, but it's still got 77 written all over it. You're a guitar player, I'm a guitar player - you know what I mean.
And for RAH 1970, I don't know what to say. It's a good show, but it's not "all that" and there are plenty of other shows form 70 that I think are better than this one. I think it's a great show, but there are others from 70 that have the magic that this one, in my opinion, is missing. While we're talking about 1970, one show that seems to get mixed reviews is 3-21-70 Vancouver. When I first heard this show, I thought it was above average. Even now after listening to so many more bootlegs, I still think it's one of the better ones from 1970, but others think it was a kind of lousy show. Some think it's fantastic, others think is mediocre. That's really odd. Not too many other shows "enjoy" this dichotomy. I would have listed it as underrated but I didn't because many people do rate this show highly, so I left it alone. -
Overrated: 3-12-75,
Boston Tea Party
Bonzo's Birthday Party
Kezar Stadium 73
ROH 1970
6-21-77
Underrated:
10-10-69 Paris
Hampton VA, 9-9-71
Honolulu 9-9-70
Paris 4-1-73
Feb 14, 1975
Zurich 1980
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3 hours ago, Badgeholder Still said:
Not as some fanboy rose-colored vision, but by experiencing the personal and professional triumphs and tragedies with the band through the music.
A great point. The problem for me, and I suspect a lot of us, is that we started as fanboys many years (decades) ago and had a lot to overcome. My first Zeppelin tapes were the early ones, like 4, 2 and 1. Then I got Zeppelin 3 and rolled with those four for a while. At the same time, I picked up the BBC sessions (back in about 1988, before they were officially released) and marveled at how awesome they were live. It was well known even back then, and even at the wise old age of about 14, that bands used "studio tricks" to make their vocals sound good and so forth, so when I heard the BBC sessions live (both 69 and 71) I was officially blown away. Then I picked up Blueberry hill and Heartbreak Hotel and I was convinced that Zeppelin were superhuman. Finally, I got TSRTS and I was a little befuddled at how Plant couldn't sing Rock and Roll like he did on the album. I thought he sounding kinda bad really, but I got used to it and besides, the band was smoking. All of this is what caused me to be a true fanboy in my teen years.
Then I picked up Destroyer and Berlin 1980 and experienced some serious cognitive dissonance. For years I tried to find creative ways to rationalize the poor performances from 75-80. Eventually, I learned that there was no way to rationalize this and that drugs and unwise living had taken its toll. Simple as that. Now, so many years later, I'm at a point where I can look at the band as you said, without the fanboy rose-colored glasses and just see them for what they were, in reality. In "real" reality, and that actually adds a whole new mature dimension to my listening experience. -
6 hours ago, Doctor Jimmy said:
As others have pointed out, I think they should have taken better care of their setlists from 75 onwards...NQ was awesome, but DAC felt tired and longwinded, nowhere near the 73 versions - I don't think there was any new ground to cover in the song improvisationally after July '73 and, since it's a live number dependent on freshness and vitality...they should have left it out. MD was always boring to me, so 75 is no exception. I get that Zep wanted a fair amount of songs that had the ability to change from show to show in order to keep things exciting, but Rover, Wanton Song, In The Light, Custard Pie...all these songs could easily be on the '75 setlist.
As for '77, well, what can you say. MD and the guitar solo were a huge waste of time...For Your Life should have been there, as well as some calmer numbers to assist Ten Years Gone, like Down By The Seaside or Night Flight...did the audience really need to hear them masturbate on their respective instruments?
+1 I couldn't agree more.
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6 hours ago, SamoKodela said:
Not that many questioned hedonism in the seventies. I wonder who they will be throwing themselves at, when they will have no one to talk to them and comfort them, because extreme weather, drouts, floods and acid oceans will wash everything away, including extreme social injustice and mistreatments of various social groups.
LOL!
LOL!
Come on dude, be serious. Let's get back on topic. -
8 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:
Living Loving Maid is a better song than Heartbreaker.
Oh no, now you're just trolling!
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8 hours ago, SamoKodela said:
However they also touched many other areas with their lyrics more then enough(and then Plant in his solo carrer even much more) and we all can and I can certainly relate to all above mentioned lyrical topics, I only can't relate to misogyny, but it's never like they bash women in general, they talk about specific women.
lol
Misogyny? Are you a feminist chick like Helen Reddy? You must be a millennial because guys from my generation didn't use the word misogyny. It's funny that you're all hung up on it too. lols
Ever notice the girls didn't mind Zeppelin's misogyny? You know, back in the day, they used to say male chauvinist pig. Think Maude or whoever. Now instead of male chauvinist pig, they say misogyny. I don't lose sleep over Zeppelin being male chauvinist pigs lols.
Time machine please - take me back to 1981.
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On 2/1/2019 at 1:45 AM, tyler19 said:
What about the ability to come up with drum beats that millions of people all over the world instantly recognize? There aren't much than a handful or two of those beats, and Bonham has three or four of them. There's so much more to Bonham than barbarianism.
Well said. This is where the genius lies, not in the technique per se.
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58 minutes ago, mysticman560 said:
Jimmy Page seems to have been at his performance peak during the second American tour in 1969, and at times during the tours in 1970. I never really cared for their live performances after that.
I happen to think that Jimmy improved all the way until the end of the 1973 tour in MSG. I do know what you mean about those 69 and 70 shows though. Page played with full on energy and power throughout. His enthusiasm was palpable and it came through in his energetic playing. However, you may notice he repeats himself a lot in those early shows whereas in the later shows, he's in command of a much wider musical vocabulary. For instance, in the 69 shows, the shredding part of the ICQYB solo is almost the same as the unaccompanied solo in Heartbreaker. And the single string shredding he does in DAC after the initial bars of the solo is repeated again in HMMT, maybe even twice. I think he did less of that as time went on, but from 75 onward, his licks vocabulary shrunk again.
As luck would have it, I listened just yesterday to the whole show from Paris, Oct 1969. It's a great example of 69 Zeppelin. In my opinion, one of their best from that year.
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After the Thrilla in Manila, Muhammad Ali was never the same again. He fought some interesting fights from that point (1975) to the end of his career (1980) but it must be admitted now that he was simply a shot fighter after 1975. I think it's an interesting parallel with Led Zeppelin. Plant's range and Page's mind blowing solos on the first 4 albums were out of this world, and the live shows were stunning. But after Plant lost his voice (and even after he "recovered" what was left of it) and Jimmy forgot how to play at his very best, Zeppelin, like Ali, were a mere shell of their former glory.
This week, I was listening to the European 73 shows and they are just breathtaking. Page's fluidity and imagination, his level of inspiration and the energy he played with was truly astounding. Earlier, I was listening to some shows from 71, and Plant's voice is in legendary form. That is Led Zeppelin in all its glory. After that, we all hate to admit it, but.... -
On 1/27/2019 at 9:33 AM, 76229 said:
Try this
Peter Grant's line "they're not gonna get anyone heavier'n me, are they?" always cracks me up.
An excellent share!
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4-27-69 Fillmore
Blueberry Hill
LA - Aug 21, 1971
Osaka 9-29-71
Berkeley 9-14-71
Adelaide Australia Feb 19, 1972
Uniondale June 15, 1972
LA - June 25, 1972
Essen March 22, 1973
Offenbach March 24, 1973
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This is why I love this forum. I had no idea about "10 ribs" until 4:30 AM (as in right now) and got a chance to listen to it. So beautiful and wistful. The piano chords in the intro set such an incredible and effective mood. Hats off to JPJ!
For me, Presence never got much play time. ALS is kind of long, NFBM is one of my favorites, but I listen to it less now than when I was a kid, TFO is pretty good. I saw Get The Led Out a few years ago and they did HOFN and it was awesome! I couldn't believe how great it sounded. Since then, I've been listening to it more often and I also developed a liking for RO. I used to think this was a very sub par album. I hated CSR and still do. TFO is a bit long and bores me. It's like a poor man's SIBLY, but it's still okay.
When I was a kid, I'd listen to ALS and NFBM and maybe, just maybe FYL. Now my go to songs on that album are HOFN, RO and FYL.
It's weird how tastes change. -
Great pics! Thanks for sharing.
I already read this book and I have to say it was excellent. I really enjoyed it from Grant's perspective. I highly recommend it.
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On 1/20/2019 at 8:03 PM, No Quota said:
http://starship.jpn.ph/zeppelin/beauty/disp/boot.jsp?R_idx=1015
try here for the oundbord, and here
http://starship.jpn.ph/zeppelin/beauty/disp/boot.jsp?R_idx=713
for the audience.
But the version I'm talking about was by TDOLZ.
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6 hours ago, ADK-Zeppy said:
Where about son the net can I hear this particular song? Would it be on YT?
ADK-Zeppy
I looked for you but couldn’t find it.
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One of my favorite versions is from 2-14-75, and my favorite boot of that show is from TDOLZ. On that recording, the sound of the guitar and the atmosphere of the show, which the audience recording allows you to hear so nicely, make the Rain Song especially wistful, in my opinion.
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The first comment on the article above is rather witty.
"Sounds like a Communication Breakdown to me. Or maybe the guy is just being a Moby Dick. I don't know, but it doesn't sound like there's a Whole Lotta Love there. I'm sure Jimmy would rather he play that music Over the Hills and Far Away. If he persists, Jimmy might pick up Four Sticks and start a Rock and Roll war....or worse yet, sick a Black Dog on him. In which case he might consider moving to Kashmir and sing an Immigrant Song to the authorities there once he crosses The Ocean. In any event, I hope they work out their differences before someone gets Trampled Under Foot."
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"Call it “Stairway to Headache” or maybe just a “Whole Lotta Loud.”
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, famous across the world for making loud, rock music over the years, is now reportedly being blasted at his home in west London, England, with high-volume tunes by the likes of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Deep Purple."
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When it comes to Plant, I basically have him in two categories: before he lost his voice and after he lost his voice. In the later years, after his voice broke, he had better nights and worse nights, but neither are even in the same realm as Plant before he lost his voice. That's what I'm trying to say. Put it this way, when it comes to post 73 (even much of 73, frankly), I had to *learn* to like Plant's style. I had to learn how to make the best of it and see it in as positive a manner as possible, whereas in the era of 69-72, no such effort is required. You just listen with your mouth hanging open.
I know these things aren't really welcome on a fan site, but I've been reading the comments here for a while, and you guys aren't a bunch of fanboy kids, so I know you can handle it. I'm not bashing Plant. I'm just being open and honest about how I see it.
Does anyone have any controversial opinions about Zep?
in Led Zeppelin Newbies
Posted
It's actually a lot of fun to play on the guitar too. It's also cool if you slow it way down to a crawl and play it something like a country blues. I've played in various Zeppelin cover bands over the years and no one ever suggested we play Hot Dog, except me, and I used to HATE that song. But something funny happens when the band starts playing it. If you look around, after the song gets off the ground, everybody has a smile on his face and they all get a kick out of playing it. It's a fun song.
You know, Zeppelin doesn't always have to be serious, pensive, foreboding, reflective, sexual or mystical. Zeppelin can be lighthearted and fun too.