What Do You Think of Zeppelin's Commercialization?

[icantquityoubabe]

You have hit the nail right on the head. Could not have put this any better. I agree that it is good that the new generation will get to learn about Zeppelin, regardless of how it is accomplished. I do think its is time for them to "step out of the closet" so to speak. Let down the curtain of mystery. It is now time for them to do it and it will benifit them in the long run. I had an ex girlfriend who had 3 sons. They jammed with me and I got them into Zeppelin little by little. I was quite shocked that the first album I heard them playing over and over was III. Typically this isnt the first one us old Zepp fans of the 70s fell for. Usually had to already be heavy into Zepp before playing III as Whole Lotta love and stairway and Black Dog and Dazed and Confused usually dominated the after school partying on my block anyway. But anyway, commercializm may help win them the next generation. Their legacy will endure forever in my opinion anyway, but we must pass the torch on anyway we can.

[brspled]

Since we are talking about LZ comercialization....well, I have always read LZ never allowed the use of Stairway to Heaven to any movie, add, whatever.

Can anybody please explain to me why was the song part of Top Model soundtrack back in 1989?

Top Model was a Brazilian soap opera, it was aired for MONTHS, from Monday to Saturday, by Globo TV station here in Brazil and Stairway to Heaven was part of the soundtrack....I got to hear the music hundreds of time during those months, as the sopa opera was aired.

Here is the soundtrack (vinyl) of the Top Model soundtrack

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-667...-poco-vinil-_JM

(you have the pics of the front and back cover of the vinyl there, you can clearly read Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin, on it)

And, please, don't tell me it was a minor thing, Top Model was a HUGE success here in Brazil and Globo network was, at the time, the 4rth biggest private TV station in the world. I still don't understand how the song was used there, since i keep on reading that LZ have never allowed its use ...

[manderlyh]

^I don't know, Celia. I've been amazed at how more and more movies have been using Zep songs though. On School Of Rock's Special features, Jack Black goes on and on about how hard it is to get permission from Zeppelin to use their music.

Since then, I've seen songs on a few other movies.

[dragster]

LZ would never let their fans down....that's all I can add!!

[040879]

I'll just add my usual caveat on this sort of topic- the 'commercialization' of Zep was not and is not inevitable or unavoidable.I'd say it's a good bet that all this 'promotion'/'exploitation'/crass profiteering'/fitting in with the digital zeitgeist[choose your favourite term or insert your own] etc is done with the band's full knowledge and consent.They can stop it and they presumably made it start. If not, they've collectively lost control of their band. I don't think that's likely.For me, it all just semed unneccesary, really. Do they really need all that fuss to sell dvds,cds and concert tickets? Really?I'd understand anyone who thought it looked just a bit overdone and lacking in confidence in the products.Nothing to do with purism,either, just an odd feeling that the overkill didn't so much damage their mystique as make them just another shrill, tasteless,unsubtle 'brand' competing in an overcrowded marketplace.

[2bitnogoodjive]

*Commercials

*Digital Catalog

*Ringtones

*The Reunion

*Magazine Covers (Rolling Stone, Guitar World, etc.)

*New Albums..at the front of every music store

*Posters everywhere

Add a roller coaster ride to that list..

http://www.hardrockpark.com/index3.php

http://videos.myrtlebeachonline.com/vmix_h...s/video/1603162

[Chrestus]

I didn't read through the whole thread (because I've been drinking bourbon for two hours) so forgive me if I rehash here (I'll read through it when I'm done).

They had commercial success early on, with "Whole Lotta Love" (at least in the states), and "Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll" charted over here too. After that they seemed to slip into this dark underworld of stone-heads culture. After Bonzo's death they were revived with songs from In Through The Out Door being played heavily on clasic rock radio stations (specifically "In The Evening" and "All My Love" ). I think they went "mainstream" from then, they were already a big deal when Live Aid happened in '83 (?). So their mystique changed after '80 into something different from dark "heavy metal" underworld into "great lost band." Its strange and ironic that they were still mythical in a way but for different reasons and from different interpretations and a different perspective. A whole new generation was ready to discover them and this generation KNEW and UNDERSTOOD Zep's place in rock and roll history and their importance. To THAT generation, of which I count myself (being born in '64, 16 in 1980) I say "Thank You" for your wisdom and your insight ( I count that generation, the Punk/New Wave generation as the last great brilliant wave of musicologists, even given their presumed hatred of 70s excess and so-called dinosaur bands, the real intellects behind that movement were able to trace the linear logic behind all that evolution of "popular" music).

I would say Led Zeepelin has been a commercial entity since the end of that era ('83) but they just haven't capitalised on it. As far as them doing it now, 25 years later, I say more power to 'em!

They deseve every bit of recognition they get. Nothing anyone does now, no commercial or advertising, is going to change what they were and what they did and represented. The image of Led Zeppelin is always going to be rock and roll, Plant with his tight pants, Page with his Magus outfits of mystical symbols and *GREAT* stage moves, Jonesy with his long Lord Valiant hairdo, Bonham with his 'wild man' drummer persona, that's rock and roll, that's Led Zeepelin, they will always be seen that way.

Its a strange and wonderful dichotomy, their image vs. their music. Thier image is stuck in time, but their music transcends it, to this day. "The Rain Song" is no less as revelatory and meaningful as it was 30 years ago. Ditto dozens of other songs we could name. "The Song Remains The Same"...what band today could produce that kind of brilliance, in the production and the songwriting and the execution? None that I can name.

"Commercialization" is fine by me. They deserve the credit and the recognition. They don't need the money, I assume, but the fame and recognition, and the credit, they deserve. But who among us is ever going to picture them as anything else but the way they looked in The Song Remains The Same? That is classic Led Zeppelin. How do you pictuire The Beatles? With grey hair and trousers puilled up to their waists? No...either suit and ties from A Hard Day's Night or wino bums from The White Album; either way, the music sets the stage.

One thing I want to add...

It was definitely strange seeing them at the 02. In my mind they are always at Madison Square Garden, '73. And yet, they looked SO MAGNIFICENTLY beautiful at the 02. So F'n CLASSY. Yes, they were the elder statesmen of Rock. Page looks great with his silver hair and subdued moves. Robert looked great as the country gentleman. Jones looked great as the casual guy who just sort of wandered into the whole thing off the street. And Jason was the spirit of hyped-up energetic youth. It was beautiful. For all the talk and rumours of tours and new albums, you know, they've done their bit, they gave at the office, no one of us has any rhyme or reason to ask for a single note more, they already did it, anything we could be asking for they already did it, so its fine by me for them to get some pay-off from it. People can call it "commercialization" all they want, it doesn't change a thing for me. You know, they could do the Full House Reunion T.V. show for all it matters to me, in 30 years when I'm 73, I'll still be rockin it to "The Song Remains The Same," guarenteed. That song is already 30 years and I'm STILL rockin it on my handheld, in the car, almost every day. And it STILL beats 99% of anything I've got on there and anything I've heard since. The only things ahead of it are probably "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles and "A Quick One (While He's Away" by The Who from The Rolling Stone's Rock And Roll Circus.

My point is...

Commercialization is an immediate thing but "The Rain Song" will be still be listened to 20 years from now when all this is forgotten. Look at all the image and commercialization the Beatles have gone through, but their music has transcended all of that. Same for Zep.

I realize none of that makes any sense whatsoever. It was just the bourbon talking.

[LiveGoat]

As far as commercialization goes, rock and roll is showbiz and showbiz is about money. Nobody ever got into showbusiness NOT wanting to make some money, including the great "indie" pioneers". Selling out isn't necessarily always the same as being commercial. Letting "Stairway" be used as back ground music in a commercial isn't the same as rewriting the lyrics to say "...and she's buying a stairway to general electric."

As to their legacy being tarnished, I disagree. I saw Sinatra toward the end and he was soused and out of it. Once in a while the magic showed through, but boy was it a rough show. It didn't harm my idea of his legacy. He was arguably the greatest pop performer ever. Nobody'll forget that. Yeah, I know they said it'll never be Zep without Bonzo. Who wouldn't say that after their friend and bandmate has tragically passed? Time passes too. And I'm willing to bet Bonzo would've wanted them to continue whether as Zeppelin or not. Especially if they could keep the spirit of Zep with a new drummer who could do the job. And in his own way, Jason does the job nicely. Lastly, I don't believe in heaven but if it did exist I'm sure Bonzo would've been looking down on the O2 gig pumping his fist and cheering them on like a soccer hooligan. Of course, that's just wishful fan-talk.

[Mountain Hopper]

At least it's not as bad as Michael Jackson buying all the Beatles rights and then selling to anyone that offers.

[Zephyrus]

personally, I'm of the opinion that Led Zep could completely shut down their advertising and still sell more records than most other bands. they didn't do a whole lot during their career, maybe a bit more after. people keep saying they've got to win over the next generation, but I don't see what a big deal that is, I'm willing to bet that most kids that are in to rock music have either heard about Led Zep, or have parents or a friend who knows about them. most likely anyone who's never heard of them probably doesn't give a shit about them and thinks this whole reunion is a big bogus load of crap. seriously, how many people out there that might care about Led Zep have never heard about them?

[dragster]

At least it's not as bad as Michael Jackson buying all the Beatles rights and then selling to anyone that offers.

Now we're talkin' business!!!

[kdh]

mean business

physical (fiscal) graffiti

All in line for the tour sponsorship, ho-hum.

[boogie]

look, zeps my fav band, but come on! they(especialy page and grant) have always been money grubbers, and there is nothing wronge with that. you can see it in tsrts, grant goes balistic because someone was selling pirate posters "has long as there's an extra nickle to be drained by exploiting led zeppelin it's great". they where the first band to get part of the house take after a show, not just a straight fee. and when the yard birds broke up, page ended up with the rights. thats pretty shrewed. more power to them

[kdh]

standard operating procedure for a band that wants some exposure, being either the fiscal kind or the public relations type. They were always aware of being commercial at the time of being "Led Zeppelin", they chose not to be commercial to be commercial and it worked on certain levels.

This is Led Zeppelin being Led Zeppelin 2007/08 meaning a band that is not a band trying to project the image of being a band while the cash register rings with no current tour announced in relation to being Led Zeppelin. This could be the swan song for our beloved Led Zeppelin if no more live concerts are planned. Or is this the beginnning of the "we choose to play when we want to" phase of Led Zeppelin, all of this current commercialization representing a media blitz to announce this with no formal press conference, but the media blitz being the press conference without the press conference.

How much is Bill Curbishly behind this?

How much is Jimmy Page allowing "Led Zeppelin" to be marketed with no real future fiscal earings being returned?

Is Robert Plant "playing" the media game because he is the only one out of Led Zeppelin making new music, doing consistent touring, consistent recording and being part of what is currently taken place in the music business known as "can you make money for us and how many other artists can you bring along?"

This "commercialization" looks like a band on its last hurrah with no future interests other than to keep sucking off their own money tit which will run dry if nothing new is manufactured. And I don't mean past glories. This band needs something new to keep the current stimulus active in the mind of the consumer. If not, then maybe they are just another geezer rock band living off of past glories.

I certainly hope not. I would hope that Led Zeppelin has a little more respect for themselves, but if you look objectionable at the years 1997 to 2007, Led Zeppelin has little to offer to the music business other than filling their pockets with our hard earned money. Led Zeppelin needs to get on with it or get off it. Make some new music, do not subject ourselves to a repackaging of past accomplishments. Led Zeppelin has a unique opportunity to be a musical force again. The answer obviously lies within the band members. I am not so sure they want to tarnish the money machine or can accept critical comparisions to thier past in relation to the present if new music is recorded and released. Everything goes back to the statement made in December of 1980. This band does and can still have integrity in respect to any future outings. I'm done. Time to put up or shut up in 2008. Give the musical community something to get excited over. Thank you for your time.

[lanni]

I really don't post very much but I wanted to add my 2 cents. Everything the remaining

members do they always do it with complete class, I am just thankful that Jimmy is not like Gene Simmons, that guy would sell his balls if he could.

If this is what they want to do with "THEIR" music then all power to them. It is theirs to "Do what thou wilt"

Lanni

[steve51]

They're not on top their game no matter how many revisionists try to insist otherwise.

The 02 was not the best concert they EVER did. Plant does not have the range nor the

desire to perform this music. Jason is not his father. TSRTS soundtrack release is a hatchet job and the dvd release is being pulled.

John Bonham is not evolving, and he was the Kingpin. He made what they wrote work.

Peter Grant is not evolving, and his stewardship of their legacy is sorely missed now.

How can you say such things!! Are You a troll?? Now you need to be consistant and send yourself rank personal messages full of F bombs. Wait, I forgot..............you are the only one that can say anything negative about LZ around here.

[Zephyrus]

Led Zeppelin has little to offer to the music business other than filling their pockets with our hard earned money. Led Zeppelin needs to get on with it or get off it. Make some new music, do not subject ourselves to a repackaging of past accomplishments.

what have The Beatles been doing for the past how many decades? as long as people are born there will be people who'd like to buy Zep albums. maybe there's not much new for you, but there is for people new to the band. why does Zep have to keep making new things to offer to the music business? the mere fact that they existed for 12 years is quite the gift, if you ask me. now, I agree that endless repackaging of "best of" albums is ridiculous, there's only so many "best" songs and all these albums will be the same, just a different cover. but pumping out more rereleases of the original albums seems perfectly fine to me, if people want to buy them, then sell them. personally I think that if LZ sold ONLY the original albums along with new live stuff, they'd sell tons more than if they sold "best of" albums too. the majority of people will be satisfied with their sample and will never buy another album again. if forced to buy a whole album, they're more likely to be interested in trying another one, if only because it has a favorite song that they want to own. in this way they get exposed to more of Zep than they would with a "best of" that's simply a congregation of songs they hear on the radio.