Stairway ruined Led Zeppelin? wtf?!

[JimmyPageZoSo56]

good blog and budding rock history buff critic. and i agree it's just another sad rock n roll tragedy. just to reinforce what he typed from his mother's basement during an acid trip. last week i saw jimmy in an alleyway warming his hands over a lit barrel, i knew it was him because he'd fashioned a small shelter nearby out of 5 million album covers worth of packaging that went unsold of that horrible album with that unmentionable song., it's all he has left besides memories. "jimmy?" i said. he just stood there still shaken and unresponsive, ruined by stairway's toll on his music career and personal life. i walked away as to not shatter what remained of his frail mind with reminders of fandom and what could have been. i really hope someone helps him before it's too late.

what the hell does that mean? what are you talking about?

[maven2blue]

what the hell does that mean? what are you talking about?

He was being sarcastic.

1)I am not impressed by the professor's lofty credentials.

2)This article is one person's opinion. He tries to be ambivalent through most of the piece but hyperbolic statements such as "turned Zeppelin into a joke" and "done the most damage to the band" show his true thoughts.

3) I don't like over zealous fans either. You usually see this more often when it pertains to individual band members. It gets even more ridiculous when its happens over a song.

[JimmyPageZoSo56]

oh ok. thank you

i apologize if i am over zealous as well.

[Cyrusofsussex]

I guess some people believe that. I don't care what he teaches. Is "Stairway" worn out? Is Hey Jude or Layla worn out? Who knows. It is a signature song, so give me a break. For 30 years I followed every hardcore rock band out there attending concerts, reading everything I could, listening, hunting for bands and music that the Rock Jocks wouldn't play on the radio, and I never heard that "Stairway" almost killed LZ. This is the first. If you have seen LZ live long after "Stairway" was released you would know that no Zepp fan thought the band went soft. Enough of this thread already.

[ro_a]

First of all, in the realm of opinion everyone is right. You're right that David Coverdale has a long and storied history dating back to Deep Purple, I'm right that David Coverdale ruined Deep Purple and made them unlistenable as did Glen Hughes.

Stairway ruined Zeppelin? ?I don't know about that, but it did create the pigeon hole or cliche by which subsequent compositions were compared and rated. It is also seen by at least one member of the band as the song that most encompasses all their facets.

I really hope they don't play it. In 1988 at Atlantic's 40th they played a late 70's style version, complete with unnecessary tango section and sloppy disorganized guitar solo. This song has been a mess since 1973, and is the worst vehicle for a Jimmy Page solo out of any song they played regularly. This is one guitar solo Jimmy played best in the studio, when he was probably sitting down.

Remember, I'm entitled to my opinion, you yours, them theirs. We are all right. No need for a gang bang Led Zeppelin cyber-mugging in a dark virtual alley. I think it is really ridiculous that so many of you feel like you need to defend Led Zeppelin, the worlds greatest band.

[zero]

i just responded to the thread title. the notion of led zeppelin almost being ruined

by the song struck me as absurd . so i responded absurdly. the idea that people

get payed to teach this in classrooms struck me as od as well. i should not judge

a person so harshly on a personal level that i've never even met just because someone

does it to me. the problem with stairway isn't the song it's the people who call in drunk

to radio stations requesting it every day at 5 pm. instead of getting off their lazy ass and putting it on their cd player . someone else calls next and requests gallows pole

and the dj says sorry we already have some zep coming at you, anything else?. "fine play free bird you robot "

[SteveAJones]

If the human race survives for another 500 years people will still be listening to Stairway to Heaven as an ancient classic of the 20th century.

No chance of either.

[solar]

If any writer should draw the wrath and ire of folks here, it should be this guy from NME.

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=58&...p;tb=1&pb=1

[fenix]

If any writer should draw the wrath and ire of folks here, it should be this guy from NME.

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=58&...p;tb=1&pb=1

I found it quite amusing actually.....He wouldn't be trying to get a rise out of us Zep fans by any chance? He did refer to Zeppelin as a Prog Rock Act!!!

[irg82]

He's teaching a class about Zeppelin (and obviously a Zep fan) as well as an excellent writer. You aren't. Get over it.

Exactly.

[irg82]

I found it quite amusing actually.....He wouldn't be trying to get a rise out of us Zep fans by any chance? He did refer to Zeppelin as a Prog Rock Act!!!

That's what my friend calls them. He doesn't think they're classic rock. It annoys the shit out of me.

[Katuschka]

It also turned Zeppelin into a joke. It was "Stairway" that branded Zeppelin as spaced-out mystics. It was "Stairway" that drove them to the madness of the absurd fantasy sequences in their movie The Song Remains the Same. It was "Stairway" that sold them to a mass audience that found it amusing to hold lighters aloft throughout the song, perhaps under the understandable impression that they were attending a concert by the Moody Blues.

Weeell....those fantasy sequences ARE absurd, but that's probably the only thing I agree with. The writer gives the song too much credit.

[bfisch]

I agreed with most things this guy said, except "Stairway" destroying Zeppelin (the title gives the article an overly cynical feel), StH being really out of place as a Zeppelin song* ("D'yer Mak'er" or "The Rain Song" must have alienated you, depending on your reason), and "Stairway" being weak and "a challenge to listen to" live. (The improvised solo is quite refreshing, and it's nice to hear something more creative than "it makes me wonder" every bridge. In fact, the studio version becomes robotic in comparison. Also, it's fun to sing or play on piano with improv. By the way, the above comments are about TSRtS Stairway) Oh, and also what the previous person just said; this guy took "Stairway" a little too seriously (I thought Led Zeppelin was branded as "heavy metal". Otherwise the third album would not have received those infamous reviews)

On a lesser note, I would like to point out that while ladders can have steps, I have yet to see a stairway with rungs. If you don;t know what I mean, reread the article.

...Though I have to say, it makes sense to get these violent reactions to this on the official Led Zeppelin site, there are bound to be a few fans on here. If I didn't see these zealous posts, I'd be a little worried about Led Zeppelin's fan base.

*this actually applies to some people

[artur]

so i emailed the professor and this is what i said to him:

hello professor.

you're probably wondering who i am. my name is Zach. I am a Led Zeppelin follower because to me, Led Zeppelin kicks ass and Jimmy Page is God. I am a member of the Official Led Zeppelin Forum. I am frustrated and upset with the article you wrote on "Stairway to Heaven." I personally believe it's a load of crap and am shocked at this. but hear is my argument. "Stairway to Heaven" is the greatest song ever written. I dont know why you think it almost destroyed Zeppelin.

Some have heard "Stairway'"s chromatically descending A-minor intro as a theft for Spirit's "Taurus," but "Taurus" begins with a first-position chord voiced down in single steps from A to F, whereas Page played at the jazzier second position (5th fret), then moves from A minor to A minor (add9) / G-sharp to C / G then to open D.

thats the difference. How did Zeppelin become a joke? it sounds like you dont like Zeppelin and just wanna bash them. i find it a bunch of shit and Zeppelin should be praised fro what they did in the music world instead of being bashed.

When I read that I alwaus see a small boy in front of the profesor claiming out loud how much he loves HIS BAND.

AND I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Lemon Ocean Hills]

What's with the hypersensitive, defensive stance everyone is taking toward Zeppelin regarding this critique? I tend to agree with most of what he says, but I must quibble with certain points (specifically the lack of power with STH live).

Regardless, the guy is a professor who specializes in pop culture. I think to receive tenure at a university such as U. of San Francisco shows pretty clearly he is not "a moron" as ledzeprolls claims. Perhaps a glimpse at his bio will shed some light on Mr. Goodwin:

Andrew Goodwin received his Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of Birmingham, England. He is the author of a well-known book on Music Television and cultural theory (Dancing in the Distraction Factory. Music Television and Popular Culture, University of Minnesota Press) and he has published numerous articles on media and cultural theory. His areas of interest include media aesthetics, critical theory and popular music. Professor Goodwin serves on the Editorial Board of Popular Music & Society, is a Corresponding Editor for Media, Culture & Society and writes for Tricycle, Inquiring Mind, and theworsthorse.net. He is currently writing a book about Led Zeppelin.

Sure doesn't sound like a "moron" to me. Those are pretty lofty credentials. He is apparently also a musician, which gives him even more ground upon which to praise and critique Zeppelin as he does here. Also, I guarantee he's not solely teaching a class on Zeppelin, as this is a topical class that likely is offered once every two years or so. Just a guess, as I had a very famous screenwriter as a prof in college who taught similar type classes on pop culture focusing on different eras.

As for the aptly named Zero...

true, i am not a writer. nor a repugnant stupid bitch you are and seem good at that. congratulations.

thanks for having the mental capacity to stay on topic and not start flame wars

asshole. though i'm sure i'll have to take all the blame for derailing this thread.

...back to the solar show

I'd like you to specifically show where I started a "flame war" with you. As I stated, Dr. (and he earned the title in Birmingham, England) Goodman has a Ph.D. in cultural studies and is a univeristy professor, unlike yourself. That's just stating facts. Clearly, he is not merely a "rock history buff critic," as you so eloquently claim. Also, I fail to see how your rambling attempt at humorous prose had anything remotely to do with said topic as well. If anything derailed this thread, it was that post.

"Repugnant stupid bitch," eh? You know, Big Zero, I'm just not feeling as feisty as usual, so I'll let your well-thought, highly intellectual response just stand on its own from here. Good day, son.

Interesting, insightfull and well written article. Everyone here should read it for what it is. Maybe more focus should be given to Kasmir since Page has stated this is THE definitive Led Zeppelin song, not Stairway to Heaven.

Lemon

[JimmyPageZoSo56]

I never got a message back from the professor.

[Pb Derigable]

See this is the kind of shit I'm talking about. The author of the article states that jimmy without a doubt took the riff from Taurus. See another fucking asshole thinking hes knows ever thing. i started a thread on it but it was put in the newbie section. but still when i was reading this article i knew he was a fan of zep without knowing he teaches a class about it. All he does is point to STH, because he knew it's the only song the editors would except. ever thing he said, can be said about any other zep song. IMHO i think he started to write how zeppelin was more then a one song band. and i guess he decided to point out flaws. Maybe hes another fan that STH lost its meaning to him after being played so many times by people who don't even know who wrote it.( zeppelin not spirit) I don't know maybe I'm trying to stick up for the guy, hes not bashing Zep, but a song. Hes not saying its a bad song, just not a good Zeppelin. as most fans have other songs they like more.

[MrZoSo]

"Stairway to Heaven" remains the closest thing Zeppelin has to a hit, as it was their policy not to release singles.

This is an asinine statement.

A new album and tour could seal their reputation as bigger (and much more important) than the Rolling Stones, or … it could expose that mystique as a mere facade.

This too is an asinine statement.

The article is written by someone with limited knowledge of Zeppelin, and music in general.

[SamG]

I'd hesitate to say that stairway ruined them but it is one hell of an exploited track and it therefore typecast the band. Nevertheless, we all know it isn't their best track.

[DreamyKnight]

http://www.slate.com/id/2179112

i was super pissed when i read this. you might too. cuz i totally disagree.

Let's see ...the most requested and played song on the radio of all time. Sold so many albums science hasn't even ivented a metal past platnum yet to even come close to representing the shear demand.

Gotta becarefull what you read.

[solar]

Let's see ...the most requested and played song on the radio of all time. Sold so many albums science hasn't even ivented a metal past platnum yet to even come close to representing the shear demand.

Gotta becarefull what you read.

Especially when there are more spelling errors than records sold.

Again, I'll say, the writer is a tenured college professor on popular culture and society. It's an excellent piece of analytical writing.