Are cracks beginning to show

[Jahfin]

Raising Sand is a "rockabilly" record? That's news to me. Sure there's hints of that sound on there but some people have also referred to it as a "bluegrass" album (which I don't hear at all). So when exactly did Townes Van Zandt (author of Nothin') become either a "rockabilly" or a "bluegrass" artist? To the best of my recollection he was neither. Check the songwriting credits for Raising Sand and you'll find that T Bone didn't just choose songs from one genre for Plant and Krauss to record but rather from a wide variety of styles, not just rockabilly, country or bluegrass:

Rich Woman (Dorothy LaBostrie-McKinley Millet)

Killing the Blues (Rowland Salley)

Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us (Sam Phillips)

Polly Come Home (Gene Clark)

Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On) (Phil and Don Everly)

Through the Morning, Through the Night (Gene Clark)

Please Read The Letter (Robert Plant-Michael Lee-Jimmy Page-Charlie Jones)

Trampled Rose (Tom Waits-Kathleen Brennan)

Fortune Teller (Naomi Neville)

Stick With Me Baby (Mel Tillis)

Nothin’ (Townes Van Zandt)

Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson (Milt Campbell)

Your Long Journey (A.D. Watson and Rosa Lee Watson)

One show has been cancelled along with one DVD. It's not like multiple shows and multiple DVDs, just one of each and who's to say they won't chose another date on the tour to film for the DVD? I don't think either is cause for alarm. Several shows have also sold out. That's quite the achievement considering the price of gas and the sad state of the economy right now. Some people love to look for faults with this tour where they simply don't even exist.

I'd love to know how one defines "Plant apologists". What if Page, Jones or Jason had a previous commitment to fulfill via touring behind an album they were obligated to prior to the reunion show at the 02. If each of us had to keep explaining why one of those members were committed to fulfilling that obligation would it then make us "apologists" for them as well? Not to even mention, there is NO Led Zeppelin tour in the works. They reunited to play one show at the 02. None of the surviving members of Zeppelin made any commitments beyond that.

Edited June 29, 2008 by Jahfin

[beatbo]

That's the best part of your whole post. The "Little Person" part . To be such a Percy apologist that you have to BE"Little" people that you do not agree with is fascinating, along with down right funny!!

my point, exactly. to BElittle robert plant at the clip of 50 posts a day without change, you must be "little" yourself. i try to point out the obvious to the blind. my bad....

and i laughed throughout that entire post!

now-have you seen this show live or not?

yes or no?

scared to admit?

i don't blame you.....

[zepyep]

Hi all,

Why can't we just enjoy the music?

KB(please read the letter)

[beatbo]

Hi all,

Why can't we just enjoy the music?

KB(please read the letter)

love the music. i'm listening to the boston station you pointed me to-kickass! thanks!

[Evster2012]

Hi, just want to chime in here...Saw the show at the Greek in LA last Tuesday. In a word: Magical.

Even this "Percy apologist" would have to insist scs, the Battle of Evermore would have soiled even your loyalist panties. And the Black Country Woman? Yeah, I'm ready for another Plant/Krauss album!

I have four words Robert:

Ghost in This House

Ask Alison! It's perfect for you!

[Rorer714]

Hi, just want to chime in here...Saw the show at the Greek in LA last Tuesday. In a word: Magical.

Even this "Percy apologist" would have to insist scs, the Battle of Evermore would have soiled even your loyalist panties. And the Black Country Woman? Yeah, I'm ready for another Plant/Krauss album!

I have four words Robert:

Ghost in This House

Ask Alison! It's perfect for you!

I couldn't have said it better Ev, me too!!

Magical

oops,he crapped his pants

[Strider]

I do not like Rock a Billy or anything close to it.

I'll call it a "Very, Very Weak" attempt to make a buck while turning your back on your friends and fans..............AGAIN.

It is just this sort of open-mindedness that is going to entice Robert Plant to do a

Led Zeppelin tour "for the fans".

Led Zeppelin's music was all about expanding your horizons and looking towards

the future while also paying tribute to past roots...and it was nothing, if not eclectic.

And the last thing it was about was nostalgia just for nostalgia's sake...leave that for

the Rolling Stones and all the other old bands that tour endlessly milking the gravy

train, no matter how many original band members are still around, if any.

And it used to be that if you were a Zeppelin fan, your tastes were eclectic for the

most part as well.

But lately, I've noticed an alarming tendency for a lot of fans on this board to be stuck

in their little narrow "Zep-Sabbath-hard rock/metal only" mindset...and anything that

deviates from this template is unworthy of consideration.

The plain fact is that there is some country and bluegrass and folk out there that

is just as weird, dark, hard and heavy as any metal band.

And just to clarify...scs, first you claim that Robert is just doing this to make a buck,

but then you say in another thread that the tour is not doing well...you can't have it both

ways.

[Jahfin]

Having seen the Rolling Stones on their most recent tour I'd say they're far from a "nostalgia" act, at least that's not what I witnessed. I even like their latest record, A Bigger Bang. Is it some kind of career milestone? Of course not but it's still a rather commendable effort for a group so far along in their career. I love Dylan's Modern Times and the latest from Van Morrison as well but I also don't think they're exercises in nostalgia.

As for the dreaded "classic rock" mindset at this board, that is nothing new, it has been that way even before the site was revamped. It has been said that fans are a reflection of the band themselves. Sometimes I find that to be true but Led Zeppelin nor it's members have ever limited themselves. That's why you see things like Page working with Puff Daddy, Jones with the Duhks, Robyn Hitchcock, Gillian Welch and others and Plant with musicians such as Alison Krauss. Some fans are equally open minded but for the most part they seem to be few and far between. I never saw Led Zeppelin so I'd love to chance to see them perform again (even without John Bonham) but only if it's something they as a collective unit want to do and just so long as it's not some big money grab nostalgia trip. Considering their past, I don't think there's any danger in the latter happening. Sadly, that seems to be exactly what some very selfish fans that can't seem to grasp the concept of the present want to see.

[Hotplant]

My wife and I saw the Asheville show and we loved every minute of it and we love all the songs they played on the album and all the ones they did at the show,Alisons and Roberts (The Zep stuff,especially) and the stuff that T Bone did as well.That had to be one of the best shows that I've ever seen.I saw Jimmy and the Crowes and I saw the Unledded tour too.

I think that your silly opinion holds no value here,we "Plant apologists" could give a flying fuck about your whining opinion...If it happens,it happens.If it doesn't,I'm not gonna cry about it...When Bonham died,I thought Zeppelin would never get back together.I'm still cool with that.Zeppelin is not Zeppelin without John Bonham.End of story.You have nothing else to argue over,so shut the fuck up.

Right on Rorer!!!! I have thought the same way. No Bonzo= No Zeppelin. Period.

How could the magic be there without Bonzo?

And, yes, I know Jason is swell, but still.

[Jahfin]

Right on Rorer!!!! I have thought the same way. No Bonzo= No Zeppelin. Period.

How could the magic be there without Bonzo?

And, yes, I know Jason is swell, but still.

It's strange how the tide has turned at this site. Before it was recently revamped there were tons of people that said they wouldn't attend a tour if they billed themselves as Led Zeppelin with Jason filling in for his dad in the drum slot.

[scs]

ANSWER:

No, I have not seen Allison/plant live. I do not like the album, or the videos from that album featuring a crusty old Percy seranading around with a lady half his age, or........ now for what I like the least:

Jason Drum Roll please.........................................

The way that Percy is pulling out classic ZEP tunes to support himself on this tour. I have seen them on YOUTUBE, they are worse then Yallah. It is one thing to pull them out, another to do off the wall renditions and ruin them.

[Hotplant]

I was just agreeing with Rorers feelings when Bonzo died, and all three agreed there would never be another Led Zeppelin without him.

I dug the 02, but it was a "one-off" and like Rorer, I can accept that perhaps we will not see them again, as Zep.

Edited for a missing letter. Wheww, glad I saw THAT type-o!

Edited June 29, 2008 by Hotplant

[Jahfin]

The percentage of Zeppelin tunes Plant has been performing on this tour are miniscule compared to the other songs in the setlists. The majority of the tunes come from Raising Sand or are songs in a similar vein that T Bone chose for Plant and Krauss to record for the album. So, should Page, Jones and Jason also not do any Led Zeppelin songs when performing outside of the context of Led Zeppelin (whoever that is, since Led Zeppelin ceased to exist in 1980)?

[Hotplant]

The percentage of Zeppelin tunes Plant has been performing on this tour are miniscule compared to the other songs in the setlists. The majority of the tunes come from Raising Sand or are songs in a similar vein that T Bone chose for Plant and Krauss to record for the album. So, should Page, Jones and Jason also not do any Led Zeppelin songs when performing outside of the context of Led Zeppelin (whoever that is, since Led Zeppelin ceased to exist in 1980)?

Umm, I did not know they had something planned.

[Strider]

Having seen the Rolling Stones on their most recent tour I'd say they're far from a "nostalgia" act, at least that's not what I witnessed. I even like their latest record, A Bigger Bang. Is it some kind of career milestone? Of course not but it's still a rather commendable effort for a group so far along in their career. I love Dylan's Modern Times and the latest from Van Morrison as well but I also don't think they're exercises in nostalgia.

Was not including Dylan or Van Morrison in my list of "cabaret acts", Jahfin...and I

would add Neil Young and Elvis Costello and a few others to Dylan and Van the Man.

As for the Stones...I just don't get the same thrill from them I got in 1972...their sound

is so homogenized with all the backing musicians and vocalists...it's a MOR soup.

And they only play one or two new songs...and that cues a flood of people leaving

for the beer line. Personally don't care if I never hear "Satisfaction" again.

ANSWER:

No, I have not seen Allison/plant live. I do not like the album, or the videos from that album featuring a crusty old Percy seranading around with a lady half his age, or........ now for what I like the least:

Jason Drum Roll please.........................................

The way that Percy is pulling out classic ZEP tunes to support himself on this tour. I have seen them on YOUTUBE, they are worse then Yallah. It is one thing to pull them out, another to do off the wall renditions and ruin them.

SCS, do us a favor...see the show, then comment. Because if all you are going by

are poor-sounding youtube clips, then you really have no idea about what the

concert is like.

You have no right to claim that Plant & Krauss are "ruining" Zep songs until you

have actually attended a concert.

And as one who saw Zeppelin back in the day...I can say that the version of

Battle of Evermore on this tour blows any version I saw in 1977 away!

And I would put "Black Country Woman" against the 77 versions, as well...especially

since they are full complete renditions.

As for Black Dog...yes, it is different. When Plant was younger it made sense for

him to howl it like a horny young hounddog.

But this new version, while different, is equally good, for it takes the song in

a more moody, menacing territory, as befits his age...they take the song to

that place that Greil Marcus wrote about as the "old, weird America".

So, for someone who admits he hasn't SEEN one concert on this Raising sand tour,

it is ridiculous for you to insistently claim the Plant & Krauss versions of Zeppelin

tunes are not up to par...things can be different and still equally good.

And if you go in with open ears, you will hear for yourself how good it can be.

[Jahfin]

Umm, I did not know they had something planned.

I wasn't alluding to anything like that but rather to past collaborations.

[eternal light]

yaaawn.....

Big wheels keep on turning

Proud Mary keep on burning

-John Fogerty

Edited June 29, 2008 by eternal light

[Jahfin]

Was not including Dylan or Van Morrison in my list of "cabaret acts", Jahfin...and I

would add Neil Young and Elvis Costello and a few others to Dylan and Van the Man.

As for the Stones...I just don't get the same thrill from them I got in 1972...their sound

is so homogenized with all the backing musicians and vocalists...it's a MOR soup.

And they only play one or two new songs...and that cues a flood of people leaving

for the beer line. Personally don't care if I never hear "Satisfaction" again.

I realize you weren't referring to Dylan or Van Morrison, I was merely using them as examples. As for the Stones, I don't anymore expect them to be able to recreate the sound they had in 1972 than I would any band or artist that has decided to carry on despite lineup or stylistic changes over the years. In regards to Stones fans headed for the restrooms and beer lines during the new songs, that's their loss, not the fault of the band for remaining relevant by recording new material. The same thing happens at concerts by other artists who are still touring years after their initial heydays. I don't go to Stones concerts to see some sort of trip back to their glory days, I go to see them in the here and now. Same thing for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Some seem to be expecting some type of Led Zeppelin show and in the same breath knock him when he does perform a few songs from his years with that band. I wonder if they would apply the same logic (or in this case, the lack thereof) if the performer in question was Page, Jones or Jason?

[scs]

Some seem to be expecting some type of Led Zeppelin show

Well duh..........................he is ruining er' I mean singing Zep tunes is he not?

[Jahfin]

Well duh..........................he is ruining er' I mean singing Zep tunes is he not?

The "ruin" part is your own opinion based on clips you've seen on YouTube. I suggest taking in an actual Plant/Krauss show for a much more informed opinion. Then there's the fact that the setlists are made up primarily of material from Raising Sand and songs in a similar vein, not Led Zeppelin material.

[scs]

The "ruin" part is your own opinion based on clips you've seen on YouTube.

The clips from the 02 ZEPPELIN show on UTUBE are great. But I am to believe that while the clips from Allison/Percy on UTUBE are weak...............they are much better in person.

Sorry, but right there is a example of being a Percy APOLOGIST.

[eternal light]

Some people have better youtube skills than others. That is no fault of Alison Krauss or Robert Plant.

Edited June 29, 2008 by eternal light

[Jahfin]

The clips from the 02 ZEPPELIN show on UTUBE are great. But I am to believe that while the clips from Allison/Percy on UTUBE are weak...............they are much better in person.

Quite the contrary. The YouTube clips I've seen from the 02 show are of very questionable quality, as all of the YouTube clips I've ever seen period. As for Plant and Krauss being much better "in person", if that's what you believe then what's all of your bitching and moaning about? Not to mention, by your admission you haven't even attended one of their concerts so how do you even know if they're better "in person" or not?

Edited June 29, 2008 by Jahfin

[scs]

Gosh, you did not curse me

[euro]

Hi, just want to chime in here...Saw the show at the Greek in LA last Tuesday. In a word: Magical.

Even this "Percy apologist" would have to insist scs, the Battle of Evermore would have soiled even your loyalist panties.

Allison sure seems do better job on Battle of Evermore than JPJ