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Did Robert use Jimmy?


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Harsh title but valid question. Is it true that Plant, (or his management team) invited Jimmy to participate in the unplugged session to boost Robert's (perceived or valid) declining solo career? I bring this up as Robert was the one who was against any form of musical partnership with Page and Jones post O2 yet the Unledded partnership was incredibly successful. Would he, (or management) go back to links in his initial success with Zep when commercially needed?

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I find it funny how they say they couldn't play zeppelin tunes without Bonham but had no problem playing Zep on their solo tours and then unledded and then the second Page Plant tour. To me it would have far better and more successful with Jones. It was stupid of them to leave him out.

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What a load of tosh...this thread is designed to facilitate Plant bashing and little else.

The answer is NO. And anyway, if one was a jerk, the same argument could probably be applied to Page -- his solo career was floundering more than Plant's...

The "truth" is that they reconnected, musically and personally, during that period.

I'll agree that it was bad form to leave JPJ out of the UnLedded project, but it's patently absurd to say that they "had no problem playing Zep" -- it's not that they couldn't play the songs (adequately), it's that Zeppelin ceased to exist when John Bonham died. No one -- with the possible exception of Jason -- has been able to imbue the music with that magic it had when the quartet played together...Lee was a good drummer, but he sounded thin and awful, and didn't swing or have the power of Bonzo.

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Harsh title but valid question. Is it true that Plant, (or his management team) invited Jimmy to participate in the unplugged session to boost Robert's (perceived or valid) declining solo career? I bring this up as Robert was the one who was against any form of musical partnership with Page and Jones post O2 yet the Unledded partnership was incredibly successful. Would he, (or management) go back to links in his initial success with Zep when commercially needed?

The thread title is wrong on so many levels. For one thing, having embraced his musical past five years prior, Robert's solo career was in full flight. Fate Of Nations was a critically acclaimed album, a commercial and artistic success by any measure of merit and the tour proved to wildly popular.

Circa September 1993, MTV offered Robert an opportunity to perform on a future telecast of the hugely popular Unplugged program. Coincidentally, Jimmy attended Robert's show at the Orpheum in Boston on November 20, 1993, met the band and expressed an interest in working with Robert again. Robert's tour was winding down and Jimmy's stint with David Coverdale would conclude the following month. The bottom line, as both stated later, was that the time was right for them to collaborate again and the MTV offer thus became the perfect vehicle within which to move forward.

So there you have it. Robert didn't "use" Jimmy, rather he invited him into an opportunity he could have claimed for himself.

With regard to 2007, Robert never promised anyone a rose garden. In point of fact, were it not for Robert there would not have been an 02 concert.

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What a load of tosh...this thread is designed to facilitate Plant bashing and little else.

The answer is NO. And anyway, if one was a jerk, the same argument could probably be applied to Page -- his solo career was floundering more than Plant's...

The "truth" is that they reconnected, musically and personally, during that period.

I'll agree that it was bad form to leave JPJ out of the UnLedded project, but it's patently absurd to say that they "had no problem playing Zep" -- it's not that they couldn't play the songs (adequately), it's that Zeppelin ceased to exist when John Bonham died. No one -- with the possible exception of Jason -- has been able to imbue the music with that magic it had when the quartet played together...Lee was a good drummer, but he sounded thin and awful, and didn't swing or have the power of Bonzo.

great post. Though in Lee's defense i will say he was pretty damn good, but no where near Bonzo at all.

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In my opinion they should have never left JPJ out of the 90's but that being said I feel that Plant and Page are never as good as they are with each other. The "Unleaded" shows just how good they are together.

As far as the O2 who could really say anything bad about that show. Look at all the older singers out there today who can't sing anymore. Robert just nailed it through the whole set

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Robert did not use Jimmy..

His career was not in a decline. Like Steve said, Fate Of Nations was very successful, musically and commercially.

I didn't like the way John Paul Jones was treated either. I see it more as a Robert thing that Jimmy went along with... But in a way, it was a mixed blessing. I think this exclusion jumped started JPJ's solo career.. Sure, he was very busy before "Unledded" but was involved more behind the scenes. Since Unledded, he's tastefully been everywhere.. I think Zooma was a direct result and forceful reminder of how much input Jones had in Led Zeppelin.. The Thunderthief as well

Walking Into Clarksdale also showed the difference of Jones not being involved.. and Robert having more say in the direction than Jimmy... I can't get into this album at all..

I saw this tour though and really enjoyed it...

I'm definitely more in the Michael Lee camp. He never sounded thin imo. I loved the way he played.

No disrespect to Jason, who is no doubt the rightful owner of the drum seat.

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It wasn't that unusual for RP and JP to do a project without JPJ. It started as a one-off, and even explored new angles of creativity that may or may have not worked with JPJ. That being said, to name the album "No Quarter", and to routinely play that song on the 2nd tour, just seemed lame to me. Maybe they should have played Moby Dick too and given Michael Lee the stage. I just thought it was in very poor taste, and I still do. Oh, and by the way, the music wasn't near as good without him either, it wasn't just "doing him a favor" to include him.

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