Rockband/Guitar Hero

[Fortunate Fool]

I'm not sure if this is the proper forum, or if this topic has been discussed ad nauseam, so forgive me in advance.

I would like to humbly request that Jimmy and the rest of the guys release the masters to one of the companies to get a Led Zeppelin game we can get the Led out to.

I understand the reservations you might have at releasing the masters to anyone, but it would mean so much to the fans. Every time I hear one of your songs on a CD or the radio, I just think, "Man, this would make a kick-ass Guitar Hero song!"--and I know I'm not alone.

[MisterMcLov1n]

Been discussed on this board to death. None of the actual band members read this forum, but there are people who are very close.

I was super-excited for the Beatles: Rock Band coming out, but now I'm starting to have reservations. Lots of songs in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and GH:Metallica I played, I got really tired of. I mean, if they ever come on the radio I change the station. I really do love the Beatles but I really don't ever want to get tired of their music. The game seems to cheapen it somehow. And I definitely don't want that to happen to Led Zeppelin.

[Fortunate Fool]

I didn't play the GH:Metallica, because I can't stand their newer music.

I did, however, play GH:Aerosmith, and I was more pissed off at the covers and non-Aerosmith songs in the game.

[guitarmy]

Been discussed on this board to death. None of the actual band members read this forum, but there are people who are very close.

I was super-excited for the Beatles: Rock Band coming out, but now I'm starting to have reservations. Lots of songs in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and GH:Metallica I played, I got really tired of. I mean, if they ever come on the radio I change the station. I really do love the Beatles but I really don't ever want to get tired of their music. The game seems to cheapen it somehow. And I definitely don't want that to happen to Led Zeppelin.

You need some live material or live bootlegs to spice things up!

[MisterMcLov1n]

You need some live material or live bootlegs to spice things up!

I already own both live albums, but that's just not enough. And I don't like pirating bands that I respect, unless it's out-of-print material. Been trying to get into their solo material. Mighty Rearranger is on-par with Zeppelin.

[Soccerzubs]

Been discussed on this board to death. None of the actual band members read this forum, but there are people who are very close.

I was super-excited for the Beatles: Rock Band coming out, but now I'm starting to have reservations. Lots of songs in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and GH:Metallica I played, I got really tired of. I mean, if they ever come on the radio I change the station. I really do love the Beatles but I really don't ever want to get tired of their music. The game seems to cheapen it somehow. And I definitely don't want that to happen to Led Zeppelin.

It really does ruin songs for you, songs just sound so much worse when you hear them on these games. They are nothing compared to listening to the actual version of the song.

[MisterMcLov1n]

It really does ruin songs for you, songs just sound so much worse when you hear them on these games. They are nothing compared to listening to the actual version of the song.

Huh? Most of the time the songs are completely remastered from the original tapes for the game and sound amazing with a nice stereo system. I distinctly remember people saying the new Metallica record sounded better on Guitar Hero than the CD because there was no compression on the Guitar Hero version. What I meant was that when I listen to the Beatles I don't want memories of colored notes flying at me, I want to remember John, Paul, George and Ringo and the wonderful music they made.

[lzfan715]

What I meant was that when I listen to the Beatles I don't want memories of colored notes flying at me, I want to remember John, Paul, George and Ringo and the wonderful music they made.

Thank you! This is why I am so against these games. All sorts of people are going to become "fans" but they will only know the songs that they play on those games. I don't want the music that I love so very much to just become a trend.

[Broken Levee]

^^ I agree. Although I am somewhat excited about The Beatles game. Luckily I'm not a die hard video game player, so I wont play long enough for it to bother me. But I'm not looking forward to little 10 yr old kid's claiming their favorite band is The Beatles just because they made a game out of it.

[henrybonzo]

even if a 10 yr old claims that the Beatles are thier favourite band because of a game is surely a lot better than them sitting on the sofa watching MTV claiming Usher is their favourite! that would disgust me

i think that these days the "kids" just aint interested in going to a record shop, browsing and buying an album, its all about the digital, so they are more inclined to discover music through a medium there are familiar with, face it, there isnt that much Zep on TV!!

im in both camps here because as much as i surf and pick and choose what i wont i will still go to HMv or a record fair and check out whats happening, im 27 and i own over 200 vinyls that ive collected over the past 3 years, all zep, beatles, zappa, floyd, sabbath, metallica everything i can get my hands on that has a classic vibe or was engineered for vinyl. Jimmy once said that engineering back in the day was geared towards vinyl and vinyl alone! so i like to own that little piece of history

basically, ive seen the trailer for the Beatles Rock band and you can clearly see that alot of hard work has gone in to the whole presentation and to be fair we have had the fair share of Zep best ofs and remasters so i think if Jimmy is keen to let future generations hear and be influenced, this may be one of the best roads to take

[MisterMcLov1n]

Been discussed on this board to death. None of the actual band members read this forum, but there are people who are very close.

I was super-excited for the Beatles: Rock Band coming out, but now I'm starting to have reservations. Lots of songs in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and GH:Metallica I played, I got really tired of. I mean, if they ever come on the radio I change the station. I really do love the Beatles but I really don't ever want to get tired of their music. The game seems to cheapen it somehow. And I definitely don't want that to happen to Led Zeppelin.

Apparently the bolded/underlined part is incorrect

[BonzoLikeDrumer]

I was going to not even reply to this post when I first read it 2 days ago but now that some one who see's it the way I feel about it has spoke up I will put in my $0.02.

First of all I am a gamer and have been since my son (he's 26 now) showed me his text based role playing games he had got from his 7th grade classmate from school. My dad got him a Packard Bell computer (running Windows NT) that year and I really didn't get it at first (look at me now!) we got the internet around 1993 and I hopped right on board, so I've played games and been a net junkie for a long time.

I am also a musician/singer (not perfect but professional) and have been for 30 years. I find it cool that people can enjoy music of the kind that I lived and enjoyed for so long now so I have nothing against anyone liking or adapting to it in any way. But, I feel that if some one want's to learn to play an instrument (pro or amateur) they should get that instrument and see if they will like it first. I remember seeing the first demo of Rock Band on some show on cable. The promoters where saying, "it was conceived to introduce people to playing music and hope that they will like it and go out and become real musicians by first playing this game". At that time I had already got to a point in my musical abilities that I didn't need a lot of coxing to start playing (already been playing for 25 some years). But then a short time after that I was at EA here in North Carolina and got my first real eye and ear full of the game... Boy, was I disappointed in what I was hearing and seeing! I started talking to the kid (he was in his early 20's) who was playing it, I said, "Is that how it goes or are you just missing the timing? He said "no, that's how it goes!" We talked more and it turned out he is a musician and agreed with my analogy.

So, if what I saw that day is what the game really is like I don't even want to say anything but, "that is not how some one should go about learning how to play and instrument! Period!"

Now if people like to play the game, that's fine and I can't say yes or no! But, I do say "don't even think about cutting up and destroying music and saying that this is the way you need to learn how to play it!" If they cant get it right then don't even try!

[MisterMcLov1n]

I was going to not even reply to this post when I first read it 2 days ago but now that some one who see's it the way I feel about it has spoke up I will put in my $0.02.

First of all I am a gamer and have been since my son (he's 26 now) showed me his text based role playing games he had got from his 7th grade classmate from school. My dad got him a Packard Bell computer (running Windows NT) that year and I really didn't get it at first (look at me now!) we got the internet around 1993 and I hopped right on board, so I've played games and been a net junkie for a long time.

I am also a musician/singer (not perfect but professional) and have been for 30 years. I find it cool that people can enjoy music of the kind that I lived and enjoyed for so long now so I have nothing against anyone liking or adapting to it in any way. But, I feel that if some one want's to learn to play an instrument (pro or amateur) they should get that instrument and see if they will like it first. I remember seeing the first demo of Rock Band on some show on cable. The promoters where saying, "it was conceived to introduce people to playing music and hope that they will like it and go out and become real musicians by first playing this game". At that time I had already got to a point in my musical abilities that I didn't need a lot of coxing to start playing (already been playing for 25 some years). But then a short time after that I was at EA here in North Carolina and got my first real eye and ear full of the game... Boy, was I disappointed in what I was hearing and seeing! I started talking to the kid (he was in his early 20's) who was playing it, I said, "Is that how it goes or are you just missing the timing? He said "no, that's how it goes!" We talked more and it turned out he is a musician and agreed with my analogy.

So, if what I saw that day is what the game really is like I don't even want to say anything but, "that is not how some one should go about learning how to play and instrument! Period!"

Now if people like to play the game, that's fine and I can't say yes or no! But, I do say "don't even think about cutting up and destroying music and saying that this is the way you need to learn how to play it!" If they cant get it right then don't even try!

Wait, what? It's just a game not a device that teaches you to play the instrument. If you think you can play an instrument when just playing the game, said person is delusional in the first place. Methinks you're overestimating the negative impact these games have. Sales in real instruments and overall popular interest in becoming a real musician has skyrocketed due to these games. Doesn't matter how someone gets into music, as long as they are in to music.

[Cecil.]

Wait, what? It's just a game not a device that teaches you to play the instrument. If you think you can play an instrument when just playing the game, said person is delusional in the first place. Methinks you're overestimating the negative impact these games have. Sales in real instruments and overall popular interest in becoming a real musician has skyrocketed due to these games. Doesn't matter how someone gets into music, as long as they are in to music.

And Bert Weedon, must be rather cheerful

[eternal light]

A Led Zeppelin edition of Monopoly might be fun.

[Aznsensation009]

ive already started a forum on this and its been on for awhile now.

[buster]

hi everyone, i dont post that often, but im always reading the boards..anyways

i think its up to fans how they want to enjoy the music. i play drums and i love playing along with zeppelin (or at least try to). i dont own gh or rb but i play with my friends and if there was a zeppelin song or game i would prolly buy that game and play it religiously. but game or no game theres always going to people that say they like a band even they couldnt tell you 3 songs by that band. i feel like im rambling but if a game comes out, so be it. you cant decide how other people like their music

[guitarmy]

I already own both live albums, but that's just not enough. And I don't like pirating bands that I respect, unless it's out-of-print material. Been trying to get into their solo material. Mighty Rearranger is on-par with Zeppelin.

I don't like your policy to only pirate the ones you respect as it is inconsistent. Also, it's not pirating if you're not selling it. "out-of-print material" will soon enough be itself out-of-date since digital copies of today's music will exist in the future.

...

But no, seriously, you are missing out!

The internet has changed the bootleg scene in that it makes such unofficial recordings available to the public for free!

There is no disrespect in downloading a bootleg for free or trading across the net.

Take a look at Metallica's drummer who opposes internet downloads of official band albums (like from sites like the old Napster) but supports live music bootleg efforts.

I could understand if someone was making money off a bootleg, and how that would be disrespectful and illegal, but there are ways to acquire bootlegs without having to spend a dime or steal from Jimmy Page's house.

Most of the free bootlegs today were likely sold illegally at first. But the thing is, the internet changed how people can share their digital media. Since the original bootlegged releases were illegal anyways, it forfeits that publishers rights to stop them from being shared on the internet.

It's because this is material that was never legal in the first place, so it can't be protected by law.

Why should these performances be inaccessible to fans? The remaining members of Led Zeppelin are not going to release every bootleg show, even if they could get the rights to. In fact, they've only released the TSRTS and HTWWW. I know a part of HTWWW has a bootleg equivalent and I'm not sure about TSRTS, but I bought these official releases whether I could get them for free or not. I am respecting and supporting the band by doing this.

Shouldn't there be a point in time where we open up the Led Zeppelin vault and invite everyone in? Do I have to wait until Page, Plant, and Jones die just to be respectful? I don't think so since the damage has already been done and no more damage can be done unless someone is selling them. These shows are out there and they are there to be enjoyed and will continue to be enjoyed.

You know what they said back then:

If it feels good, do it

So go out there an enjoy all that existence has to offer, find some bootleg sites and download a bootleg (or 50). It'll be music to your ears, and then when Guitar Hero: Led Zeppelin comes out, you'll be ready for the original recordings all over again. You'll appreciate them more because you'll have a more extensive live sample to compare them to. I know I did and still do.

...

Hmm...what if they did a Led Zeppelin game with only bootleg material? Think about it. Page is cautious to give out the album master tracks, but would he be so cautious with bootleg material?

And if he didn't want to hand bootleg "master tracks" over for the same reason, then shouldn't they make a live album out of it instead?

...

HA!

I just checked my old Guitar Hero Thread and found this from you which is a similar idea:

Or, they could just work with Page cooperatively, rather than having him just stand there. Page must not be picky about changing the original sounds of songs. Case in point: Mothership. The songs on that compilation are mastered quite differently.

And this is why we need live recordings! I don't think Jimmy would be as picky with live masters.

[guitarmy]

Thank you! This is why I am so against these games. All sorts of people are going to become "fans" but they will only know the songs that they play on those games.

Yes but on the positive side of things, there's also the chance that they'll go looking for more.

I'm not the only one who's bought albums from bands I've discovered through a video game.

I don't want the music that I love so very much to just become a trend.

Oh would it be so bad? In a world where even bad news is good news, I wouldn't mind seeing a Led Zeppelin trend. There already is a Led Zeppelin trend anyways.

The trend can come and go if it wants to. You and I will still be here when it's gone and so will the rest of the "true" fans and that's all that matters to me.

even if a 10 yr old claims that the Beatles are thier favourite band because of a game is surely a lot better than them sitting on the sofa watching MTV claiming Usher is their favourite! that would disgust me

i think that these days the "kids" just aint interested in going to a record shop, browsing and buying an album, its all about the digital, so they are more inclined to discover music through a medium there are familiar with, face it, there isnt that much Zep on TV!!

im in both camps here because as much as i surf and pick and choose what i wont i will still go to HMv or a record fair and check out whats happening, im 27 and i own over 200 vinyls that ive collected over the past 3 years, all zep, beatles, zappa, floyd, sabbath, metallica everything i can get my hands on that has a classic vibe or was engineered for vinyl. Jimmy once said that engineering back in the day was geared towards vinyl and vinyl alone! so i like to own that little piece of history

basically, ive seen the trailer for the Beatles Rock band and you can clearly see that alot of hard work has gone in to the whole presentation and to be fair we have had the fair share of Zep best ofs and remasters so i think if Jimmy is keen to let future generations hear and be influenced, this may be one of the best roads to take

Ah yes THE FUTURE! God help us. Think of the kids!

Everyone--don't forget that the world has been changing since before you were born. You can officially dub yourself "old" when you forget this. The younger generation always does it different and the older generations rejects it. How's that for a trend? Age is often the largest discriminating factor and easiest to overlook!

If you think about these video games as a communication vehicle for music in general, then shouldn't THE BEST rock music (by most of our standards on this site) be included?

Go ahead and write a Rock Encyclopedia and omit Led Zeppelin...oh wait that was Rolling Stone in the 70's...I guess they still survived so that doesn't really help my point

But do younger people read magazines or play video games?

[guitarmy]

ive already started a forum on this and its been on for awhile now.

me too LOL...just check my signature...

It's a pretty popular topic and I'm always happy to see more interest.

[guitarmy]

A Led Zeppelin edition of Monopoly might be fun.

Led Zeppelinopoly!

You should make a thread on Led Zeppelinopoly and we could all weigh in with ideas...

Like the 8 studio albums and and 8 colored sets match up nicely.

[BonzoLikeDrumer]

I don't like your policy to only pirate the ones you respect as it is inconsistent. Also, it's not pirating if you're not selling it. "out-of-print material" will soon enough be itself out-of-date since digital copies of today's music will exist in the future.

...

But no, seriously, you are missing out!

The internet has changed the bootleg scene in that it makes such unofficial recordings available to the public for free!

There is no disrespect in downloading a bootleg for free or trading across the net.

Take a look at Metallica's drummer who opposes internet downloads of official band albums (like from sites like the old Napster) but supports live music bootleg efforts.

I could understand if someone was making money off a bootleg, and how that would be disrespectful and illegal, but there are ways to acquire bootlegs without having to spend a dime or steal from Jimmy Page's house.

Most of the free bootlegs today were likely sold illegally at first. But the thing is, the internet changed how people can share their digital media. Since the original bootlegged releases were illegal anyways, it forfeits that publishers rights to stop them from being shared on the internet.

It's because this is material that was never legal in the first place, so it can't be protected by law.

Why should these performances be inaccessible to fans? The remaining members of Led Zeppelin are not going to release every bootleg show, even if they could get the rights to. In fact, they've only released the TSRTS and HTWWW. I know a part of HTWWW has a bootleg equivalent and I'm not sure about TSRTS, but I bought these official releases whether I could get them for free or not. I am respecting and supporting the band by doing this.

Shouldn't there be a point in time where we open up the Led Zeppelin vault and invite everyone in? Do I have to wait until Page, Plant, and Jones die just to be respectful? I don't think so since the damage has already been done and no more damage can be done unless someone is selling them. These shows are out there and they are there to be enjoyed and will continue to be enjoyed.

You know what they said back then:

If it feels good, do it

So go out there an enjoy all that existence has to offer, find some bootleg sites and download a bootleg (or 50). It'll be music to your ears, and then when Guitar Hero: Led Zeppelin comes out, you'll be ready for the original recordings all over again. You'll appreciate them more because you'll have a more extensive live sample to compare them to. I know I did and still do.

...

Hmm...what if they did a Led Zeppelin game with only bootleg material? Think about it. Page is cautious to give out the album master tracks, but would he be so cautious with bootleg material?

And if he didn't want to hand bootleg "master tracks" over for the same reason, then shouldn't they make a live album out of it instead?

...

HA!

I just checked my old Guitar Hero Thread and found this from you which is a similar idea:

From this reply you know nothing about Copyright Law, at all! If you make more than one copy (only for back up) on any single format, your breaking Copyright Law!

Unofficial recording's that by the term's of the contract that was arranged between the Record Company and the copyright holder, where supposed to belong to who ever they agree on in the contract at the time/date it was signed.

No disrespect because they can't prosecute the millions of people who have gone into the digital domain and just don't understand how the system used to work before the advent of file shearing across the web.

Lars (and Metallica) was and is a person under contract of a Huge label (now Warner) that has a lot to say about what they all do and say, I'm sure he can do as his wishes but when your signed to a company like that you have to sorta go with the flow (to an extent).

If Jimmy is supposed to make a dime off a recording, don't you think he should get it?

"never legal in the first place", Man! That's rich! I don't know but, I still say that the reason no one is getting in trouble is the same as, "not everyone who brake's the speed limit get a ticket".

"but I bought these official releases whether I could get them for free or not. I am respecting and supporting the band by doing this."

Thank you for doing the right thing!

I don't know if you can call something that's bootleg a true bootleg if the rightful owner has the masters in his own possession!

Again, I don't see anything wrong with a Guitar Hero Game with Led Zeppelin but, it better not be stated as a leaning tool if it's all messed up!

[Heartbreaker_Girl]

I'm not sure if this is the proper forum, or if this topic has been discussed ad nauseam, so forgive me in advance.

I would like to humbly request that Jimmy and the rest of the guys release the masters to one of the companies to get a Led Zeppelin game we can get the Led out to.

I understand the reservations you might have at releasing the masters to anyone, but it would mean so much to the fans. Every time I hear one of your songs on a CD or the radio, I just think, "Man, this would make a kick-ass Guitar Hero song!"--and I know I'm not alone.

I want that to happen but I read somewhere that Jimmy doesn't want to give video game companies rights to their songs. So I guess, learn to play the guitar!

PS- I like your sig.

[MisterMcLov1n]

All Zeppelin material I own is legally bought, so...

I don't care for bootlegs anyway. They all sound like crap except for a few.

By the way, the big ol' rumormill says that Harmonix resumed talks with Page and Plant now that they licensed their catalog for American Idol.

[guitarmy]

From this reply you know nothing about Copyright Law, at all! If you make more than one copy (only for back up) on any single format, your breaking Copyright Law!

Unofficial recording's that by the term's of the contract that was arranged between the Record Company and the copyright holder, where supposed to belong to who ever they agree on in the contract at the time/date it was signed.

No disrespect because they can't prosecute the millions of people who have gone into the digital domain and just don't understand how the system used to work before the advent of file shearing across the web.

Well you're right, I don't know much about copyright law. But how can you have the rights to something that was never released or produced or processed officially and is already out there?

Lars (and Metallica) was and is a person under contract of a Huge label (now Warner) that has a lot to say about what they all do and say, I'm sure he can do as his wishes but when your signed to a company like that you have to sorta go with the flow (to an extent).

If Jimmy is supposed to make a dime off a recording, don't you think he should get it?

Well of course, but there is no way Led Zeppelin would release a bootleg without processing it and remastering it. So it would technically be a different product altogether, which I would buy.

"never legal in the first place", Man! That's rich! I don't know but, I still say that the reason no one is getting in trouble is the same as, "not everyone who brake's the speed limit get a ticket".

Well how could it be legal if Led Zeppelin doesn't have the rights to it? And why would I want to support the people who have the rights to Led Zeppelin bootlegs when they recorded/produced it and tried to sell it without Led Zeppelin's permission?

"but I bought these official releases whether I could get them for free or not. I am respecting and supporting the band by doing this."

Thank you for doing the right thing!

I don't know if you can call something that's bootleg a true bootleg if the rightful owner has the masters in his own possession!

I don't think we know or will ever know which bootlegs are in the possession of Led Zeppelin, but I see your point.

Do you think they'd ever produce a list saying which ones are cool to download? What does the band think about bootlegs that have not been stolen?