A Youngster's Opinion (please be nice)

[tyedye]

I am a sixteen year old girl, daughter of two small town baby boomers. My father, born in '61, was at prime age during Zeppelin's reign. He has taught some of the most crucial of life's lessons to me through music, Zep being one of the main bands. Since I'm considerably younger than most fanatics, people tend to blow off my opinions. They underestimate my appreciation, even down right love for Led Zeppelin. I've watched bits and pieces of the reunion concert at London's O2 Centre (just the clips on YouTube) and am totally impressed. No, I wasn't around while they were at their height but, I do know what great sounds like. I think I speak for most of my generation when I say, give us just one more tour; Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham. For the sons and daughters of baby boomers, give us a taste of real, live, passionate, raw music. Rock and Roll is hard to come by these days, and Led Zeppelin is, in every aspect rock and roll.

I don't buy this BS that you can only appreciate LZ if you lived it during the 70's.

I don't care what age you are, people will always gravitate towards good music.

Long live Rock & Roll.

[leddy]

As an old man (two years younger than your father), I've reached the age where I can sit back in my armchair and say "what is it with kids today"?

When I was 14, the in-thing that year was the Sex Pistols and punk. "kids today!!" the old people would moan. Now I'm in that position...my beef is the other way round, though. Virtually all modern pop music seems to be manufactured garbage, like Take That, Westlife etc. etc. while most rock music just sounds like the same old stuff. I assume that most people young enough to be my kids are more interested in club music than live bands. Well, that's fine, each to his own, but I can't help thinking this is why there don't seem to be any young versions of LZ, the Who, the Stones, etc. I can't help being struck by the number of people in their teens/early 20's that have turned on to the 'classic' 60's groups though!

Welcome aboard. Most of us are nice here, despite the odd squabble here and there....

I kinda agree with you, although when I got into Zep in 81 it was very uncool to like them, and I was considered like strange for not liking Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran etc, I think alot of kids look back a generation or too to discover stuff !! I did, but agree with you about the manufactured bands although The Pistols were probably the biggest manufactured band of them all

[x-lolarose-x]

I am a sixteen year old girl, daughter of two small town baby boomers. My father, born in '61, was at prime age during Zeppelin's reign. He has taught some of the most crucial of life's lessons to me through music, Zep being one of the main bands. Since I'm considerably younger than most fanatics, people tend to blow off my opinions. They underestimate my appreciation, even down right love for Led Zeppelin. I've watched bits and pieces of the reunion concert at London's O2 Centre (just the clips on YouTube) and am totally impressed. No, I wasn't around while they were at their height but, I do know what great sounds like. I think I speak for most of my generation when I say, give us just one more tour; Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham. For the sons and daughters of baby boomers, give us a taste of real, live, passionate, raw music. Rock and Roll is hard to come by these days, and Led Zeppelin is, in every aspect rock and roll.

I'm a fifteen year old girl and know exactly what you mean

you're not alone! there are a few of us who aren't into my shitty romance!

[guitarmy]

I honestly can't name many bands nowadays that have that special "something" to them. I'm not trying to put any newer bands down, but some just don't have that pulse or flow that makes thier music stand out.

The White Stripes really stand out, compared to other musicians of today. It's hard to tell though if you're looking at them from an older generation's point of view. I can see how they would mesh together with other bands out there.

But they constantly produce quality music. And they use this thing called a guitar. I'm not sure if you guys have heard of it.

They're coming from a blues background, much like Led Zeppelin was. The main singer/guitarist (Jack White) is perceived to be whiny at times. But ultimately he does a good job all around.

Shit, I don't even know if you can consider The White Stripes to be a band of today anymore. They've been around for a while.

...

But yeah, I'm 25, and I certainly know what you mean when it comes to having to put up with all the crap that's out there.

I really think the "problem" is that most bands/artists today only "make it" if they have a lyrically driven style.

I'm not trying to diminish the power of lyrics or singing, but it seems to me that we're placing too much weight on it.

I would advocate for a more musically or guitar-driven form of music, because ultimately it is more expressive. What I mean is that words can only tell so much.

A lot of "rock" acts of today just kind of sing long drawn out notes and hold them like they'll never let go, whining their asses off.

The guitar solo, as a concept that should happen almost every song, has pretty much disappeared.

The songs are also chorus-driven, and I think you'll find that Led Zeppelin understood that songs didn't need to have a chorus. Everyone likes a sing-a-long every now and then, but not for every song of the friggin album.

These are all my issues with the rock world when I was your age and now, although I couldn't put it into words just like that yet.

I had to listen to Led Zeppelin for a while to be able to describe it.

[SamG]

As an old man (two years younger than your father), I've reached the age where I can sit back in my armchair and say "what is it with kids today"?

If kids today do have a problem, it can certainly be blamed on the parents of the 60's,70's and 80's. Kinda ironic when you think about it. But of course, reality is, most people can't accept change, even though I tend to agree that 'older' music is better. But it's fairly complex and besides, there is still a lot of good music out there.

When I was 14, the in-thing that year was the Sex Pistols and punk. "kids today!!" the old people would moan. Now I'm in that position...my beef is the other way round, though. Virtually all modern pop music seems to be manufactured garbage, like Take That, Westlife etc. etc. while most rock music just sounds like the same old stuff. I assume that most people young enough to be my kids are more interested in club music than live bands. Well, that's fine, each to his own, but I can't help thinking this is why there don't seem to be any young versions of LZ, the Who, the Stones, etc. I can't help being struck by the number of people in their teens/early 20's that have turned on to the 'classic' 60's groups though!

It surprises me to hear this, if anything, 60's rip off's are crass and they capture none of the contemporary 'spirit' of why that music was made. I think integrity is enough, not re-hash.

Welcome aboard. Most of us are nice here, despite the odd squabble here and there....

[mstork]

I love the sentiment, but I feel that the timing is all wrong.

There was a clear commitment of Plant's to tour with Alison Krauss next year, and it looks like a good portion of 2008 will be given over to that.

(I would love to see it - not being one of the lucky chosen few...)

If I'm not mistaken the only dates announced so far are in the month of May in Europe. Even if they tacked on two more months to hit the States and elsewhere that doesn't constitute "a good portion" does it?

[AnnaLeigh]

I'm a fifteen year old girl and know exactly what you mean

you're not alone! there are a few of us who aren't into my shitty romance!

Thank you! I'm not alone!

=]=]

[Honeydripper]

Anna Leigh, welcome and I too can feel your sentiments....having come from more of the late 70's early 80's generation from when I first started buying albums/going to concerts (being the youngest of three brothers, the oldest 7 yrs older then me, I was fortunate to have gotten a very early start....and having liberal educators as parents that were open to exposing me to all forms of art from the crib on) Well, for me it was the torture of wanting a Beatles reunion more than anything in life itself. I was fortunate enough to have been chaperoned to a Zep gig by my oldest brother at a very early age....99% of which I don't realy remember except for the sheer spectacle of it all.....I also was in line at the record store the day In Through The Out Door came out and was all geared for the 80 tour. Zep was now my true life's love and I started collecting bootleg records/posters/magazines by 1979-1980 and have been ever since....plus anything else I can get my hands on having anything to do with the group. When the post Zep careers of the members started I supported each and everyone of them to the fullest and went to any lengths to see them in concert. Now I/m sitting here, old enough to be your father, and deep down inside feel torn between wanting to experience what happened last mon for myself......but then on the other hand you really can't force the past back into the present....it was a different time and Zep's members were different people back then. I would be perfectly content with them putting the top back on the genie bottle and having gone out with one last fanfare. And for me, what it personally boils down to is this.......yes they sounded f-ing great the other night......but the live Zep magic that took over my a good portion of the last 30 yrs of my life is not the same. They play the songs well enough, but I honestly doubt if I only were to have the 02 performance to base live Led Zeppelin on, that I would have given so much of my life to their music.

What I suggest is doing what I did....going back to the time when Zep were actually knocking the world on it's ass by taking bold chances on worldwide stages back in the 70's. Right now,(and this makes me smile) you should take my word for it that you will certainly have years and years of new Zep experiences ahead of you if you really desire it. The real good are out there. I've been collecting live Zep like I said for just about 30 yrs and to this day new shows no one has ever heard before are still surfacing. For instance, just 4 days before the big show in London, a Paris radio station which recently discovered a full concert recording in their archives from 1969, reaired it for the first time since it's only air date in 1969. It was the first time thousands of hard core Zep fans/collectors had ever heard it before. Until then it was considered a lost gem that we new probably existed, but had never surfaced. This year alone, more than a handfull of new shows/sources have emerged. That's a hell of a lot more then what Zep fans of the 70's got IN the 70's! And to hear Zep in their prime is what it's all about!

It is a good time to be a Zep fan....especially since the days of the internet. There's a world of stuff out there....enough to keep your ears...and eyes..... busy for years to come.

So........ cheer up young Anna Leigh.

[AnnaLeigh]

It is a good time to be a Zep fan....especially since the days of the internet. There's a world of stuff out there....enough to keep your ears...and eyes..... busy for years to come.

So........ cheer up young Anna Leigh.

That was the most real reply I've gotten. What a sweet message! I collect as much as possible, believe me. That alone consumes a lot of my time and small 16-year-old income. =] haha I look forward to finding new, uncovered stuff. If you find anything new, feel free to let me know! =]

It will always be a good time to be a Zep fan.

Thank you!

=]

[soxgurl37]

i myself am 24 and have been listening to classic rock music for as long as i can remember. my dad is in his mid-fifties and he has been quoting and singing the music of led zep and other rock bands since i was a little girl. i think that music is in a very strange place right now and while there are some good bands that have come out, they def dont have the staying power that zep and other classic rock bands have. its going to be interesting to see the bands that start getting inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame these coming years. but thats just my 2 cents..

[lzfan715]

Since I'm considerably younger than most fanatics, people tend to blow off my opinions.

You aren't too young for a Zep fan. I'm younger than you and Vannis is younger than me. I thought I was young for a Zep fan, which I am a little young but I'm not the youngest.