The Homily of Jimmy Page (Blog)

[ScarletMacaw]

Hello, my name is redirtuo, and I'm a fanboy.

Ain't it the truth--we're Zeppelin Anonymous! And proud of it (most of us).

Geezer--statements of what constitutes "good" music are opinion, not fact. I'm not interested in your credentials I'm afraid. Also, please reference a dictionary for the definition of "appalling."

[ListenToThis]

Whilst perhaps the bloggers approach is somewhat unsavory, his overall summarization of Page's work after Zeppelin is not that far off, in of course what is my opinion.

No one is asking me, but in my view he has done little worthy of the Page name since the end of November 1975, aside from recycling riffs and ideas he formulated in his late teens to mid twenties. Does the Firm or WIC compare to anything from LZI to Presence? I'm not saying its supposed to mind you, just proposing the thought. And something happened in the fall of 1975 - what was it again?

[ListenToThis]

Edit - double post.

[aen27]

Whilst perhaps the bloggers approach is somewhat unsavory, his overall summarization of Page's work after Zeppelin is not that far off, in of course what is my opinion.

No one is asking me, but in my view he has done little worthy of the Page name since the end of November 1975, aside from recycling riffs and ideas he formulated in his late teens to mid twenties. Does the Firm or WIC compare to anything from LZI to Presence? I'm not saying its supposed to mind you, just proposing the thought. And something happened in the fall of 1975 - what was it again?

Jimmy has said himself that there is no point to compare his solo work with Zeppelin. He knows its not as good and he wasn't going to try to compete with it.

[SteveAJones]

Steve, I'm sure you're with me on this one.

I would say sweeping generalizations about a solo career should not be made as he's never actually had a proper solo career, just a series of projects and off-shoots. I do agree he reached his artistic zenith with Led Zeppelin, November 1975 in Munich to be precise.

[LedZebedee]

I actually found this blog a very refreshing change to the usual Jimmy Page is a rock god who can do no wrong, i think the sun shines out of his arse etc fanboy bullshit casually forgetting that since 1980 his output has not only been very sparodic (fuck all since 1998) and apart from the Death Wish soundtrack and Coverdale Page releases very disappointing IMO!

I don't agree with everything the blogger says but you can't deny he is a fan and if you actually bother to read it properly very flattering to Page in places. I thought the piece was very well written and articulate though a bit brutal in places and he is spot on with regard to Robert Plant's solo career and his ability to move on from zep while Page seems to be locked in some sort of 70s time warp he can't get out of!

[Knebby]

Ain't it the truth--we're Zeppelin Anonymous! And proud of it (most of us).

Geezer--statements of what constitutes "good" music are opinion, not fact. I'm not interested in your credentials I'm afraid. Also, please reference a dictionary for the definition of "appalling."

I'm afraid Geezer has real problems dealing with the difference between opinion and fact.

[Geezer]

I would say sweeping generalizations about a solo career should not be made as he's never actually had a proper solo career, just a series of projects and off-shoots. I do agree he reached his artistic zenith with Led Zeppelin, November 1975 in Munich to be precise.

Exactly. Presence was the last true gem Page created.

[Geezer]

Knebby, do you realize that some albums are not as good as others? Do you know why Presence and ITTOD received negative reviews?

[Chicago]

Tired ass topic which changes nothing.

[Knebby]

Knebby, do you realize that some albums are not as good as others? Do you know why Presence and ITTOD received negative reviews?

You make my point for me exactly. Reviews are not definitive - they are just the OPINIONS of the reviewers.

Do you realise that some albums are not as good as others IN THE OPINION OF SOME LISTENERS?

This is exactly what you seem to struggle to understand.

[Mudslider]

To some degree the writer is correct. After seeing zeppelin in 73 and 75 I thought this band would rule the music world forever. After the 77 show (all Seattle) I knew even in my early twenties something was seriously wrong. It has been since.

[Disco Duck]

To some degree the writer is correct. After seeing zeppelin in 73 and 75 I thought this band would rule the music world forever. After the 77 show (all Seattle) I knew even in my early twenties something was seriously wrong. It has been since.

It was the blogger's snide, nasty tone that bothered me. Even if what he wrote is true, that Page's addictions and insecurities combined to destroy him as a musician; that's tragic. Tragedy, even the self-inflicted variety, should not elicit gleeful malice. But I guess no one can be as spiteful as a disappointed former fan: "How dare my idols not live up to my expectations! Etc."

One more thing that annoyed me about this blogger's diatribe; he's yet another writer who ignores John Paul Jones and his post-Zeppelin career when taking Page to task.

[nat431]

To some degree the writer is correct. After seeing zeppelin in 73 and 75 I thought this band would rule the music world forever. After the 77 show (all Seattle) I knew even in my early twenties something was seriously wrong. It has been since.

One thing that might be "wrong" if you want to call it that is that Page never was a "song writer" in the truest sense of the word. I have read in several books where he has pretty much said such and has described himself as more of a "collaborator". As a collaborator he would be relying on the genius of those he would be in collaboration with. He found that genius in the other 3/4 of Zeppelin and they found it in him (look at ITTOD with its lack of Page's genius collaboration). Sad thing is he hasn't found that same genius in others he has collaborated with over the years...not to say he hasn't done anything. Too bad the blogger doesn't see the saddness in this and had to be so mean spirited and hit so low as to make it seem like Page is a flawed human being in his analysis.

[mstork]

I don't fully understand the writer's premise. In the past 10 years, for instance, Page has released HTWWW, DVD, Celebration Day, etc. New stuff? No. Brilliant stuff that has excited many, many rock and roll fans? Certainly yes.

On the other hand, he brings up Clapton and Phil Collins as if producing new crap is better than producing classic stuff that really should be out there. I don't begrudge Clapton or anyone else forging ahead if that's what they want to do. But if Page doesn't feel the muse, why would you want him to churn out product? Isn't it more honorable and honest to handle it the way he is? Has Clapton really been in touch with his muse since Derek and the Dominoes?

I would also add that it was a real cheap shot to make the comment about Beck "playing rings around Page" at the R&R HOF. Page played a support role, by design, exactly the same as the role he played when they recorded Beck's Bolero back in the 60's. His comments about Page's playing at the reunion were off base too. If you want to say Page hasn't been as active, new music-wise, as you'd like, that's valid. I just don't get the bitterness. Seems like the kind of guy who'd rather see someone burn out than fade away, which is pretty cold.

[Mudslider]

One thing that might be "wrong" if you want to call it that is that Page never was a "song writer" in the truest sense of the word. I have read in several books where he has pretty much said such and has described himself as more of a "collaborator". As a collaborator he would be relying on the genius of those he would be in collaboration with. He found that genius in the other 3/4 of Zeppelin and they found it in him (look at ITTOD with its lack of Page's genius collaboration). Sad thing is he hasn't found that same genius in others he has collaborated with over the years...not to say he hasn't done anything. Too bad the blogger doesn't see the saddness in this and had to be so mean spirited and hit so low as to make it seem like Page is a flawed human being in his analysis.

good points to ponder. By the time the fruit spoiled from the inside out, Page lost his desire and though he did stuff here and there the magic was far removed.

Like a water washed diamond

in a river of sin

Going down like a whirlpool

when you get sucked in

-Neil young

[Disco Duck]

.. If you want to say Page hasn't been as active, new music-wise, as you'd like, that's valid. I just don't get the bitterness. Seems like the kind of guy who'd rather see someone burn out than fade away, which is pretty cold...

This. It's the idea that rock musicians should quietly retire to private life once their muse deserts them. It's an offensive statement because it's attempting to dictate how someone else should run their career. No one is forcing the blogger to buy the Celebration Day DVD he bemoans. Just as no one is forcing him to buy Rod Stewart's latest album or attend Eric Clapton concerts.

[LedZebedee]

And something happened in the fall of 1975 - what was it again?

Was that when the 7 years of instant success in return for your soul pact with Satan expired?

[Disco Duck]

Whilst perhaps the bloggers approach is somewhat unsavory, his overall summarization of Page's work after Zeppelin is not that far off, in of course what is my opinion.

No one is asking me, but in my view he has done little worthy of the Page name since the end of November 1975, aside from recycling riffs and ideas he formulated in his late teens to mid twenties. Does the Firm or WIC compare to anything from LZI to Presence? I'm not saying its supposed to mind you, just proposing the thought. And something happened in the fall of 1975 - what was it again?

American baseball fans may recognize the following names: Phil Niekro and Sandy Koufax.

Both men were great pitchers and are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The similarities end there. Niekro pitched 23 seasons in the Major Leagues. His go-to pitch was the knuckleball. It's a hard pitch to master, but it is less wear-and-tear on the arm. It's one of the reasons Niekro was still pitching in the Major Leagues when he was in his forties. Koufax, in contrast, only managed to eke out 12 seasons in the Major Leagues. Arthritis in his pitching arm forced him to retire while he was still in his 20's. However, those 12 seasons were among the best the game has ever seen. My point? Exceptionally talented people can not always sustain the momentum that took them to the top in their chosen careers. The reasons will vary but the bottom line is they just can't. It sucks but that's life. I'll close by adding that as heartbreaking as Koufax's arthritis and forced retirement were, most aspiring pitchers would still sell their firstborn to have his career. He was THAT good.

I

[dazedandconfused1997]

There's a lot of truth in this article.Page's best and most creative years were with Zeppelin.After that,his output simply didn't have the same creativity in it.That's a fact.If you watch carefully the post-Zep careers of Jones and Plant,they moved on.Jimmy didn't. It's logical since he was on fire during the seventies as a producer,songwriter and player and after the death of Bonham,he couldn't move on.

[nc0275]

Actually the main reason Jimmy Page nosedived was because of substance abuse. He was a heroin addict from about 1977 to about 1984. When you abuse your body you pay a heavy price. I believe Pages' addictions is what ultimately drove Robert Plant away from Page. Jimmy was an gifted musician, but tragically wasted it on drugs.

[pottedplant]

I am the only outlier on this subject. The blogger is a mean-spirited motherf**ker.

When I think of Jimmy Page, I always have tremendous admiration for him as a human being - not what he did post-zeppelin one way or the other. Since this blogger attacked Jimmy's character, I wonder if he ever considers the fact that Mr. Page went through hell and came out the other side - intact and productive. I have often thought of what emotional agony Jimmy must have gone through when he got clean from his horrible addiction and could reflect on all of it. Loosing the magnificent entity he created - Led Zeppelin. That has to be more than just a regret for him. I believe that the success of Robert and Jonesy are testaments to Jimmy. Without Jimmy, they might not have done as well.

Bless Jimmy Page's heart.

[aen27]

I know why this thread keeps being brought up. It is mean spirited. Jimmy has said himself in various ways, that he didn't think he would be alive right now. I am glad he is and that he's done what he's done. All 3 of them know that they won't be able to top Zeppelin on their own. I don't think that Jimmy is at the end of his career, just because he's so quiet. I would love to hear from him as much as anyone. I still very much believe in him and if anyone really cares, they should, as well.

I agree with you, pottedplant, in a way Jimmy did give Jonsey, but mostly Robert, their start.

[henrybonzo]

i posted this last week and it got deleted

might be harsh but we all think something like this one way or another

JP might of had hard times but at least his son didnt fall out of a window

[BlackandGold]

I believe that the success of Robert and Jonesy are testaments to Jimmy. Without Jimmy, they might not have done as well.

It may be equally as truthful to say that the sucess of Jimmy is a testament to Robert, Jonesy, and Bonzo. Without them, his legacy may have been that he was the third guitarist for the Yardbirds.