LZ's 50th Anniversary not a happy one everyone.

[irondirigible]

Good article here with comments from Plant on how he feels about Zeppelin's 50th anniversary.  

https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/lifestyles/entertainment/led-zeppelin-s-th-anniversary-tinged-with-sadness/article_0dc046c3-8c16-56ca-8330-98b4c7f112e6.html

 

 

[SteveAJones]

Led Zeppelin did not kill John Bonham. The Who did not kill Keith Moon. AC/DC did not kill Bon Scott. No, something else killed all three.

[Boleskinner]

I've defended Plant on here, but I think he's taken it too far in this Mojo interview.

The 50th anniversary is a celebration of the band and their music, and I think Bonzo would have wanted it that way and been proud of their achievementents.

He wouldn't want Plant being a party pooper and putting everyone on a downer about it.

That type of reflection is for another time and place.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Boleskinner

[porgie66]

He's not saying there shouldn't be a celebration. I read that he is simply saying it's tinged with sadness , and rightly so. He has very right to express that complicated emotion. It's intelligent, not clap trap. There will be a lot to joyfully celebrate , but it's important to have the reality of the cost in mind to him as a friend. 

[rm2551]

1 hour ago, porgie66 said:

He's not saying there shouldn't be a celebration. I read that he is simply saying it's tinged with sadness , and rightly so. He has very right to express that complicated emotion. It's intelligent, not clap trap. There will be a lot to joyfully celebrate , but it's important to have the reality of the cost in mind to him as a friend. 

Well put.

[SteveAJones]

1 hour ago, porgie66 said:

it's important to have the reality of the cost in mind to him as a friend. 

That's my point of contention here. Led Zeppelin didn't cost him a friend, alcohol abuse did. Jason's been "celebrating" his Dad's music and legacy for nearly a decade, now that it's Led Zeppelin's 50th it becomes a source of darkness for John's survivors and should be a muted celebration? Spare me. Life goes on. If Robert doesn't want to have too many Led Zeppelin promotional duties this year, and clearly he doesn't, just say so and leave it at that.  

[Mook]

I don't really see anything wrong with what he's said, obviously it's been taken out of the context of a larger interview & blown up to get clicks.

[chillumpuffer]

"Asked if the prospect of new Led Zeppelin activity excites him, he said: "No. It just makes me realise how time flies and how long John Bonham has not been with us and what a price to pay for the whole f***ing thing."

Sums it up really. No on stopped JB from downing endless Vodkas. When LZ were presented with a lifetime achievement award years ago Plant didn't bother to go with Page and Jones. He said he was too busy. So thanks Mr Plant you stick to your own thing and let the rest of us applaud the 12 years of great music the band gave us. 

[SteveAJones]

44 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

No one could stop JB's alcohol abuse.

FTFY

[andrew r]

I read the article, everything was humming along until the 50 th

was brought up . Plant always goes into this "the cost of it all" spiel 

but i suspect more than the loss of lives (sad though that is) its the irritation he feels 

that a band he left 38 years ago continues to dominate the narrative about him.

In his eyes what he has done in the intervening period should have equal ,if not greater weight musically .

Unfortunately for him ... it doesn't

[Mark Williams]

The relationship issue RP has with Jimmy (in particular),and with all that goes with 'Led Zeppelin' is an odd one. In that mid-late '80's period there were good vibes between them both,guesting on eachothers solo albums, impromtu appearances at each other's live solo shiws. But all that relative goodwill has continued to evaporate since 1999/2000 ,albeit for a brief sojurn in late 2007. All very sad really,and a huge missed opportunity in the history of rock music.

[76229]

13 hours ago, Boleskinner said:

I've defended Plant on here, but I think he's taken it too far in this Mojo interview.

The 50th anniversary is a celebration of the band and their music, and I think Bonzo would have wanted it that way and been proud of their achievementents.

He wouldn't want Plant being a party pooper and putting everyone on a downer about it.

That type of reflection is for another time and place.

☣️The "Good Post" emoji seems to have gone, so there's Bonzo's symbol instead.

2018 can be / is both a celebration (of the band) and a commemoration of John Bonham's passing. I especially agree with the bolded part.

[EaglesOfOneNest]

I can understand Plant's point of view and also his frustration.

First of all, no one knows how much of a role alcohol abuse would have taken on Bonham had Led Zeppelin never happened. Addiction is a fickle mistress. The stress of touring and being away from his family could have taken someone that was just a heavy drinker and turned him into a violent alcoholic. Or, he could have turned into a violent alcoholic out of frustration over a stymied musical career had he not joined Zep. Or he could have matured and relied less and less on alcohol if he ended up with a straight job or in a less successful band. We'll never know. 

Next, Plant is the only one of the remaining three members to have had a successful post-Zep career. Yes, Page had the Firm, and Jones had Them Crooked Vultures and lots of producing work, but Plant is the only one with a long and commercially popular solo career. It must be frustrating to have 38 years of your work overshadowed by the first 12 years. Almost as if someone was a standout sports star in high school or college, then went on to have a respectable career in something else, but all anyone wanted to talk about was sports highlights from 20 years ago. 

Finally, along with the good comes the bad. While the 12 years of Zep were marked by tremendous wealth and success, for Plant, there was also a lot of darkness -  the death of his son, the terrible car accident, the tax exile, ending with the death of one of his oldest, closest friends. No matter how far in the past those events, good and bad, took place, it must be bittersweet and maybe even a little difficult to reflect back on them for Plant. For us as fans, it's one thing to revel in the memories of fantastic music and "lightning in a bottle" live performances, but we weren't the ones on the road, living the life, doing the drugs, enduring the hardships. Anyone that has lost a loved one or experienced a traumatic event knows that reflecting back on that time can open up a lot of unpleasant feelings. 

[Mark Williams]

57 minutes ago, EaglesOfOneNest said:

I can understand Plant's point of view and also his frustration.

First of all, no one knows how much of a role alcohol abuse would have taken on Bonham had Led Zeppelin never happened. Addiction is a fickle mistress. The stress of touring and being away from his family could have taken someone that was just a heavy drinker and turned him into a violent alcoholic. Or, he could have turned into a violent alcoholic out of frustration over a stymied musical career had he not joined Zep. Or he could have matured and relied less and less on alcohol if he ended up with a straight job or in a less successful band. We'll never know. 

Next, Plant is the only one of the remaining three members to have had a successful post-Zep career. Yes, Page had the Firm, and Jones had Them Crooked Vultures and lots of producing work, but Plant is the only one with a long and commercially popular solo career. It must be frustrating to have 38 years of your work overshadowed by the first 12 years. Almost as if someone was a standout sports star in high school or college, then went on to have a respectable career in something else, but all anyone wanted to talk about was sports highlights from 20 years ago. 

Finally, along with the good comes the bad. While the 12 years of Zep were marked by tremendous wealth and success, for Plant, there was also a lot of darkness -  the death of his son, the terrible car accident, the tax exile, ending with the death of one of his oldest, closest friends. No matter how far in the past those events, good and bad, took place, it must be bittersweet and maybe even a little difficult to reflect back on them for Plant. For us as fans, it's one thing to revel in the memories of fantastic music and "lightning in a bottle" live performances, but we weren't the ones on the road, living the life, doing the drugs, enduring the hardships. Anyone that has lost a loved one or experienced a traumatic event knows that reflecting back on that time can open up a lot of unpleasant feelings. 

I agree with that,but as Jimmy himself said,why let the genie out of the bottle again (2007) if not committed (to a return) ? I think Robert has always been conflicted on LZ's demise/relevance after '78 to be honest.That's one of the main reasons he steered away from replicating  LZ's sound  in his mid-80's period onward (Shaken 'n Stirred testifies). 

[JAP]

On 5/1/2018 at 8:54 AM, SteveAJones said:

That's my point of contention here. Led Zeppelin didn't cost him a friend, alcohol abuse did. Jason's been "celebrating" his Dad's music and legacy for nearly a decade, now that it's Led Zeppelin's 50th it becomes a source of darkness for John's survivors and should be a muted celebration? Spare me. Life goes on. If Robert doesn't want to have too many Led Zeppelin promotional duties this year, and clearly he doesn't, just say so and leave it at that.  

Every time he has performed a zeppelin track during a live show over the last 38 years it brought it all flooding back?  

Nah don’t think so...

I’m worried that this JB line is starting to look convenient  . Very sad

[irondirigible]

21 minutes ago, JAP said:

Every time he has performed a zeppelin track during a live show over the last 38 years it brought it all flooding back?  

Nah don’t think so...

I’m worried that this JB line is starting to look convenient  . Very sad

People do have to let go.  Tragedy touches almost everyone's life at some point.  Their is tons to celebrate in the time that LZ was around and making music. 

[Mook]

16 hours ago, EaglesOfOneNest said:

I can understand Plant's point of view and also his frustration.

First of all, no one knows how much of a role alcohol abuse would have taken on Bonham had Led Zeppelin never happened. Addiction is a fickle mistress. The stress of touring and being away from his family could have taken someone that was just a heavy drinker and turned him into a violent alcoholic. Or, he could have turned into a violent alcoholic out of frustration over a stymied musical career had he not joined Zep. Or he could have matured and relied less and less on alcohol if he ended up with a straight job or in a less successful band. We'll never know. 

Next, Plant is the only one of the remaining three members to have had a successful post-Zep career. Yes, Page had the Firm, and Jones had Them Crooked Vultures and lots of producing work, but Plant is the only one with a long and commercially popular solo career. It must be frustrating to have 38 years of your work overshadowed by the first 12 years. Almost as if someone was a standout sports star in high school or college, then went on to have a respectable career in something else, but all anyone wanted to talk about was sports highlights from 20 years ago. 

Finally, along with the good comes the bad. While the 12 years of Zep were marked by tremendous wealth and success, for Plant, there was also a lot of darkness -  the death of his son, the terrible car accident, the tax exile, ending with the death of one of his oldest, closest friends. No matter how far in the past those events, good and bad, took place, it must be bittersweet and maybe even a little difficult to reflect back on them for Plant. For us as fans, it's one thing to revel in the memories of fantastic music and "lightning in a bottle" live performances, but we weren't the ones on the road, living the life, doing the drugs, enduring the hardships. Anyone that has lost a loved one or experienced a traumatic event knows that reflecting back on that time can open up a lot of unpleasant feelings. 

Great post.

[Yossarian]

It must get tiresome for the surviving members of Led Zeppelin to have to answer these questions.  

[Silverseas]

On 5/3/2018 at 5:27 AM, Mook said:

Great post.

I must agree. The most level-headed and well thought reply on the subject. 

[The Rover]

"We lost John."

Edited October 11, 2018 by The Rover

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

Can someone copy and paste this please?

[SteveAJones]

15 hours ago, Yossarian said:

It must get tiresome for the surviving members of Led Zeppelin to have to answer these questions.  

The minute it feels that way they should stay home and keep quiet. Everyone wins.

[andrew r]

Hear hear,

2 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

The minute it feels that way they should stay home and keep quiet. Everyone wins.

it always amuses me that the constant questioning 

is so irritating to the surviving member(s) ... until there is new product to sell!

[Yossarian]

19 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

The minute it feels that way they should stay home and keep quiet. Everyone wins.

It has to be difficult. I see how Ringo Star won't sign autographs now. He said he only has a finite number of days left and doesn't want to spend them signing autographs. I don't blame him.

It does seem however that Robert is less happy with questions. He has never been my favorite personality, I prefer Jimmy's take on the music and the history. Jimmy seems to enjoy sharing more as he has gotten older, something I appreciate.

[nirvana]

Success on the Zeppelin level is not all it's cracked up to be. Ride the wave and then drown in the same sea.