SteveAJones Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) In defense of Led Zeppelin on YouTube Led Zeppelin's passion remains the same. Los Angeles Times July 27, 2008 Let's be clear about one thing: They were a great band. I thought so wholeheartedly in 10th grade. But then my musical taste broadened, grew more "sophisticated" or "adult." They became a guilty pleasure, a reminder of my adolescence, the kind of band I was embarrassed I ever liked. But man, Led Zeppelin could play. When they were on, they produced heavy metal with nuance, with roots in not just the blues but Middle Eastern music, flat-out cranking rave-ups and English folk rock. They were archetypal: Robert Plant, the quintessential front man; Jimmy Page, the guitar god; John Paul Jones, the solid bass foundation; John Bonham beating up his drums. I saw Zeppelin once, in June 1977 at Madison Square Garden. I remember that they were sloppy, that "Stairway to Heaven" seemed to take forever, that Bonham played the drums with his elbows during the solo break on " Moby Dick." By that point, they were deep into rock star excess: excessive drugs, excessive women, excessive solos, excessive life. Not so just a few years earlier, as a pair of 1973 YouTube concert clips -- "The Ocean" and "Celebration Day" -- show. To watch Page's stage moves is to understand why every guy I knew -- myself included -- wanted to be him; he was that cool. These days, I watch those videos not infrequently, as if I could imagine my way inside. Partly, I suppose, this is a form of reassurance, something to hold on to in an uncertain world. Sure, they could be sloppy, but they could also be chillingly, heart-stoppingly good. Check out " Tangerine," filmed live at London's Earl's Court Theatre in 1975. It's all there, all the clichéd Zeppelin imagery: the double-necked guitar, the elaborate stage-wear, Plant's coppery locks and open shirt. But when Page steps into his 12-string slide guitar solo and begins wailing, I get goose bumps every time. -- David L. Ulin Edited July 27, 2008 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 In defense of Led Zeppelin on YouTube Led Zeppelin's passion remains the same. Los Angeles Times July 27, 2008 Let's be clear about one thing: They were a great band. I thought so wholeheartedly in 10th grade. But then my musical taste broadened, grew more "sophisticated" or "adult." They became a guilty pleasure, a reminder of my adolescence, the kind of band I was embarrassed I ever liked. But man, Led Zeppelin could play. When they were on, they produced heavy metal with nuance, with roots in not just the blues but Middle Eastern music, flat-out cranking rave-ups and English folk rock. They were archetypal: Robert Plant, the quintessential front man; Jimmy Page, the guitar god; John Paul Jones, the solid bass foundation; John Bonham beating up his drums. I saw Zeppelin once, in June 1977 at Madison Square Garden. I remember that they were sloppy, that "Stairway to Heaven" seemed to take forever, that Bonham played the drums with his elbows during the solo break on " Moby Dick." By that point, they were deep into rock star excess: excessive drugs, excessive women, excessive solos, excessive life. Not so just a few years earlier, as a pair of 1973 YouTube concert clips -- "The Ocean" and "Celebration Day" -- show. To watch Page's stage moves is to understand why every guy I knew -- myself included -- wanted to be him; he was that cool. These days, I watch those videos not infrequently, as if I could imagine my way inside. Partly, I suppose, this is a form of reassurance, something to hold on to in an uncertain world. Sure, they could be sloppy, but they could also be chillingly, heart-stoppingly good. Check out " Tangerine," filmed live at London's Earl's Court Theatre in 1975. It's all there, all the clichéd Zeppelin imagery: the double-necked guitar, the elaborate stage-wear, Plant's coppery locks and open shirt. But when Page steps into his 12-string slide guitar solo and begins wailing, I get goose bumps every time. -- David L. Ulin I hear ya! I saw LED ZEPPELIN twice at The Forum 23 June 1977 and at the Oakland Coliseum on 23 July 1977. The article was right, music has changed but ZEPPELIN was the greatest live four piece band ALIVE in the 1970's! Everytime I heard live versions (Good or bad versions) of "The Song Remains The Same," "Sick Again," "Over The Hills And Far Away," "Nobody's Fault But Mine," "No Quarter," "Ten Years Gone," "Kashmir," "Achilles Last Stand," "Moby Dick," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Rock And Roll," I got goose bumps all over my body. I truly felt that I was witnessing listening to the greatest Rock n' Roll band alive. That was a great thrill for me. Try watching Earl's Court 24 and 25 May 1975, Seattle Kingdome 17 July 1977 and Knebworth 4 and 11 August 1979 on DVD. All of these shows showed some of the band's greatest moments and gave us some of the best live versions ever. ROCK ON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadScreamingGallery Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 In defense of Led Zeppelin on YouTube Led Zeppelin's passion remains the same. Los Angeles Times July 27, 2008 [...] These days, I watch those videos not infrequently, as if I could imagine my way inside. Partly, I suppose, this is a form of reassurance, something to hold on to in an uncertain world. Sure, they could be sloppy, but they could also be chillingly, heart-stoppingly good. Check out " Tangerine," filmed live at London's Earl's Court Theatre in 1975. It's all there, all the clichéd Zeppelin imagery: the double-necked guitar, the elaborate stage-wear, Plant's coppery locks and open shirt. But when Page steps into his 12-string slide guitar solo and begins wailing, I get goose bumps every time. -- David L. Ulin Thanks for sharing that. I especially liked his last paragraph, which I quoted. Of course, though, I will always view the band from a girl's/woman's perspective. I sometimes watch those youtube videos of the Zep concerts I attended - primarily because I like how they evoke the memory and feeling of what it was like to be there, a young girl standing transfixed and in awe of Led Zeppelin. As with the writer, I get goosebumps every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reids Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 The best band, then and now (proven at the O2). R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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