Forbes: What Robert Plant Can Teach Leaders

[SuperDave]

So you're giving Robert credit for being one of the hundreds of millions of musicians who play what they want and what they love?

Yes. It's being called creative as I said! So many great musicians do this. After Zep II was released, Robert said that they could have easily done another Whole Lotta Love, but they had no desire as a band to do so and we got Led Zep III. Just showed how unique, innovative and unpredictable Zep was and Robert still continues that to this day. Otherwise you might as well listen to Def Leppard or some boring pop, R&B or rap artist (sic).

[Geezer]

Innovation is inventing something new. Exactly what did Robert invent?

[dimestoreguru]

Hi,

But the reason I decided to post here is the many allusions to the journalistic profession that have been made in the last few posts. I have been a journalist myself, during a good part of my life, and I wanted to say that during the time I was a journalist I was never concerned with financial retribution, how much I was "making" as a result of being a journalist. That period of my life was one of the most satisfying, fulfilling and exciting I have ever lived. I enjoyed so much what I was doing: writing, learning, travelling to a total of 25 American states during a period of three years, three different countries in three separate continents, that my actual pay was secondary.

It's such a gift in this life to be doing what you actually like. Perhaps that's another lesson we should learn from Mr. Plant, that he plays the music that he wants and loves to play, not what others are expecting of him.

Thank you for making some terrific points, Janvier. It sounds like you've had great experiences as a journalist. And while journalism is a great and exciting and noble profession, it's certainly never been a good fit for someone intent on making lots of money -- especially today, when the Internet has allowed so many more writers to join the conversation for little or no money.

Honestly, I think of myself as only marginally a journalist. I don't believe that those of us (like Cookie and me) who are unpaid contributors to Forbes or to the Huffington Post are really beholden to classic journalistic standards of inquiry, reporting and bias-suppression.

In the old days, a reporter would call up a blabbermouth like me for a quote. Nowadays, their editor skips the middleman and has me write my opinion for direct distribution to the reader.

Some folks here are frustrated with my opinion about Robert Plant or about the Stones, and they've turned it into a manifesto on the decline of journalism. I personally believe it's surprising that at least one of them contributes to places like the Huffington Post, which pioneered the model that they dislike. But I'd love to see some of Cookie's writing, in order to learn from it, and I hope he reaches out to me (my email again is robasghar@gmail.com, for him or others who want to chat more offline). And when I visit the UK this fall, I'd love to buy him a beer and talk in person.

I didn't mean to discuss my income as a writer to show off, but to try to put to bed Cookie's irritating suggestions that I was an amateur with little or no potential.

Again, your points are well stated and powerful. Thanks, Janvier.

[dimestoreguru]

Yes it is and very much indeed.! Being an artist it shows that Robert has his own direction, isn't predictable and won't necessarily give the people what they want. That's being creative and I respect him for that!

I agree. I used to bellyache about how Plant needed to just stop being snobbish and reunite with JP and JPJ. Later I realized that the Zeppelin mystique has grown over time because Plant won't overexpose the band or maximize the group's commercial value. Compare that to the Who (which I love almost as much as Zeppelin, even though Townshend looks down his nose at his rivals). The Who's mystique has declined sine the "farewell" tour that I attended in 1982, thanks to the constant comeback tours and selling so many of their hits to TV shows and car companies, and their much-ridiculed Super Bowl show and other overexposure.

I'm going sign off this board for now. This thread has reminded me that I love Led Zeppelin too much to get stuck in the squabbles among different camps ("Real Zeppelin fans don't like X or Y Zep song" or "Jimmy was better than Robert" or whatever). In a related vein, I love USC college football, but I've become exhausted because our fans bicker online and character-assassinate one another over whether they love or hate the quarterback, whether they want to fire the coach, and so on. Ugh. Or it's like the crazies who get violently angry about whether Google is better than Apple.

We people are funny, we'll fight over anything. In any event, I've enjoyed chatting with many of you.

[Geezer]

I agree. I used to bellyache about how Plant needed to just stop being snobbish and reunite with JP and JPJ. Later I realized that the Zeppelin mystique has grown over time because Plant won't overexpose the band or maximize the group's commercial value.

I don't think you know the real reason why Plant doesn't reunite with JPJ and JP. I was almost always "Zep died with Bonzo" or "We're not going to do a greatest hits tour".

[dimestoreguru]

I don't think you know the real reason why Plant doesn't reunite with JPJ and JP. I was almost always "Zep died with Bonzo" or "We're not going to do a greatest hits tour".

It's not that simple. He was part of the effort to reunite in '86 in the secret sessions in Bath with Tony Thompson, till Thompson's serious car wreck made them all decide that maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

[Geezer]

That story actually refutes your ridiculous claim.

[Victor Dictor]

"Real Zeppelin fans don't like X or Y Zep song".

Ooooh yessss!

I am sure that “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is MUCH better than "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us".

How can you guys compare LZ III with Raising Sand?

This is what REALLY ridiculous…

[Disco Duck]

... Compare that to the Who (which I love almost as much as Zeppelin, even though Townshend looks down his nose at his rivals). The Who's mystique has declined sine the "farewell" tour that I attended in 1982, thanks to the constant comeback tours and selling so many of their hits to TV shows and car companies, and their much-ridiculed Super Bowl show and other overexposure...

To be fair, The Who didn't make as much money during their heyday as Led Zeppelin. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have both mentioned that the band was broke and owed back taxes when they released Tommy in 1969. IMO, that's criminal when you consider they had hit songs as far back as 1965, had toured America and appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I can only guess they had lousy management that let promoters and their record label rip them off. Next, factor in Townshend's very expensive divorce from his first wife, Karen. Not only were they married for over forty years, but he earned most of his wealth during their marriage. I remember legal experts at the time opining that she could be entitled to as much as half of his assets. So it's not hard to understand why Townshend would need to sell his songs to advertisers. He's a musician and songwriter. How else can he earn money?

As much as I admire Robert Plant and John Paul Jones for going off the beaten path, I also acknowledge that they could afford to do do so because they had better management than many other artists during the 70's.

[Geezer]

Incorrect. The Who sold out every show on their 1982 tour, and they were playing 50K+ stadiums.

As for my thoughts on the article, I think it's very well written and Rob is definitely a very good writer. I just don't agree with him that Robert can be a model for CEOs.

[Matjaz1]

He could teach the world leaders a lot ,but let's leave that aside!

As far as his music goes, doing exactly what you want is the very core of art! Artist should do what he wants and what he feels and being responsible in the lyrics! Ofcourse you can go, shure, he can do whatever style he wants now, as he has money!

But no, it's obvious Robert is honest! He does what he wants as always and people just loved Zeppelin no matter what they did and even if he has 85 million dollars, he could spend much more, he could be on a constant tour with Zep and spend a million a day, but instead he is not such a big spender and preferrs to do something fresh and new!

Robert is indeed a man of great wisdom and I don't think his ego was ever particulary big, I think he was always quite a modest guy with a huge talent and you can't call him an ego because of his talent! He just had that!

Also in his new incarnations he might also have less audience, because the times are getting worse and worse for art and everything!

I may sound like a fan boy, but I honestly think Robert's personality is far maturer then most people's!

[Geezer]

No.

He got into this entire business to become a star. Nobody wants to be a homeless guy who is rated highly among his fellow musicians and fanbase, but can't sell a concert ticket to save his life.

[Matjaz1]

There is nothing wrong in wanting to become successful! But there are so many ways in becoming that and there are degrees in how much you want it and how huge you want to be!! I don't think Robert wanted or expected what happened!

I'm afraid you can become a star by being Kim Il sung!

And such wishes about stardome are nothing I would wish or endorse personally hehe!

[Geezer]

How does that post relate to what we were discussing? Plant has definitely become one of the most famous rock stars. Everyone has at least heard of Led Zeppelin.

And how did he intentionally become less famous when Zep disbanded? He has had eight Top 10 albums in the US. He even had a #3 hit on the Hot 100 back in 1984.

[Matjaz1]

He has become that, but that doesn't mean he aimed at it or atleast that he aimed at it in a vain way or that he imagined he would get that huge!

And he didn't intentionally become less successful, he just did what he wanted and now has a smaller audience, even if he won awards and had hits!

He is clever and good enough to have success AND quality and while we are disscusing this crap, he is out there, playing what he wants,

to a smaller audience, while still being a millionare and being world known for being in one of the biggest and best rock bands ever,

while not repeating himself and not boring himself by playing in his old band for nostalgic fans and a lot of money!

And he even deliberately became less successful because atleast in the last few years, when the demand is particulary huge and when they won so many awards, he could be playing in Zep!

[Geezer]

He is clever and good enough to have success AND quality and while we are disscusing this crap, he

is out there, playing what he wants,

to a smaller audience, while still being a millionare and being world known for being in one of the biggest and best rock bands ever,

while not repeating himself and not boring himself by playing in his old band for nostalgic fans and a lot of money!

This is nothing to be proud of.

[Matjaz1]

Why not? You think the artist has do what the audience demands? What a load of crap!

You can still get that from a dvd and in a live concert it's much more interesting to hear something fresh, then Robert being bored playing the

same stuff night after night and even if they would change it like back in the days, there is the missing of Bonzo! What kind of a fan are

you, if you don't see his importance!??

Maybe you should go and watch a tribute band, if you think it's better then Roberts new stuff!

[Geezer]

It's not like Robert's new stuff is out of this world.

[Matjaz1]

And he is not being proud of it in terms that while he is doing smaller projects, he is still a big star na bragging with it! He is just proud that he is doing new things! Being a Zep star is just a given!

[Matjaz1]

No music is out of this world, as far as we know!

His music is great to many and to me too and he can certainly play some Zep in a new way if he wants and use his old material a bit, to atract some more people in to his new stuff and yes, make money, but far from as much as with Zeppelin!

[Geezer]

I already refuted your absurd statement that he's not intending to make money. He's still making money by other methods, such as touring with his own band instead of touring with Zeppelin. It's not like his solo tour is free to attend.

[Matjaz1]

What have we learned? Geezer is pissed on people that are making a lot of money differently then he imagines? I guess he is just not high enough to decide the way some one should be making it for him!

But being high enough, can certainly prevent you from earning it yourself!

[Geezer]

Are you on drugs? I think you are.

Did I even allude to what you just said? Just pay attention to what you're writing. My point is that Robert Plant has always been a big rock star and that's a good thing, not a bad thing. I'd say it's a good thing that he's still making money, although I must admit that I don't give a fuck about it. I'm just disproving your delusional posts.

What I'm pissed off about is your lack of knowledge on the subject.

[Victor Dictor]

There was an overwhelming desire in almost every Led Zeppelin song. I mean the desire to be a Golden God, whatever that means. In every song, including LZ III, of course. And there is nothing of the kind in the songs made with both women, Allison and Patty. Just simple folk songs from simple folk singer. Just because Plant doesn’t want to be anything more. And now, the author of the article in Forbes teaches us that it is a normal aging process. That might be true. But if it is, I don’t want to grow old. I want to live fast, die young.

It’s rock-n-roll, ladies and gentlemen.

Anyway, this site is called Led Zeppelin, not Forbes.

[Deborah J]

I did enjoy the read, but I do still love the Rolling Stones:-). With that said, what I got out of this article was the maturity Robert displays. The total confidence in what he is doing. I believe any person who stays true to them selves which will allow them happiness and balance, while allowing the people around them to grow as well is a sign of a great leader, no matter what it is you do in life.