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What The Famous Say About Led Zeppelin


SuperDave

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I know there are countless musicians the world over who love the might Zep, but check out what Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme has to say about meeting Jimmy Page at one of the European Festivals. Bettencourt was totally floored and humbled no doubt. Check it out on Youtube, I believe it is titled "Nuno Bettencourt meeting Jimmy Page".

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Sorry in advance if someone already posted this. I can't find the quote but Madonna on a talk show, (David Letterman?) said (Paraphrasing): I like to have sex when listening to Led Zeppelin.

I tried to look up the quote but I can't find it, and I don't want to sit through youtubes of Madonna, that will have to be done by someone much braver then I. Though it has stuck with me for many years now.

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I know there are countless musicians the world over who love the might Zep, but check out what Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme has to say about meeting Jimmy Page at one of the European Festivals. Bettencourt was totally floored and humbled no doubt. Check it out on Youtube, I believe it is titled "Nuno Bettencourt meeting Jimmy Page".

I had to check this one out. Here's the video. Great story about his meeting. :)

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mEzgaJu9kEU

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The late Steve Clark from Def Leppard in Hit Parader Fall 1990:

"To me Jimmy Page is the ultimate metal star. He had everything - the look, the talent. Some fans notice that onstage I do some of the things that Page does, like the cigarette dangling from my mouth and the way I hold my guitar - even the fact that I play a Gibson, just like he did when he was in Zeppelin. But I don't think what I do is hero worship. I figure if it worked for him, it'll work for me - as long as I bring my own style along as well."

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Buddy Rich from Modern Drummer 1982:

"Listen, I had a surprise the time Kathy, my daughter got me out to see Led Zeppelin, when they played Madison Square Garden. I wasn't to anxious to go, but I went, to please Kathy. We sat fairly in the front, and for what seemed to be the first year that they were on there, I endured it - not a change of tune, not a change of melodic line, but the heavy organ, the heavy guitar and the drum. The finale was a drum solo - and he had maybe 2 million dollars worth of drums' up there; I think Carl Palmer's the only other guy I've seen with so many drums. He started playing and during the course of his solo a cat came out in a loincloth, with a torch; he started dancing and the drummer was playing the tom-toms, or whatever he was doing. I had no idea what was going on or whatever he was doing. Obviously he had asbestos in position, because this cat set fire around the drums. Now, I don't know what this does for a drum solo, but it scared the hell out of me - I thought the joint was on fire! I'd no idea what was going on. But when you have to resort to that, you're saying in essenve to the audience: 'I don't really play that well, but look how brave I am'."

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J Mascis leader/vocalist/guitarist for Dinosaur Jr & sometimes session drummer in Rolling Stone 4/18/91:

"John Bonham is the god of rock and roll, and Zeppelin was the best band that ever was. I was into drumming, and Bonham is IT for rock drumming, so that's why I played my guitar really loud."

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An often quoted Eddie Van Halen tidbit from Guitar World 12/89:

EVH: "...I'd like to transplant Jimmy Page's brain into my head, to see where he got all those great sounds."

GW: "And what about Jimmy Page? It seems he's getting a bad rap these days."

EVH: "That's bullshit. The man's a genius... as a guitarist, songwriter, producer... he may not be the best executioner or whatever, but when Page plays a solo he speaks. I've always claimed that Clapton is my main influence, but Page is more like the way I am, in a reckless sort of way."

I didn't get that directly from the GW source, I know that's a bit paraphrased from an old ZOSO fanzine I just found. I have that article somewhere from GW & EVH really praises Page further on his "sounds" & that he didn't want to play just like him but he wanted those "sounds".

Edited by kakdaddy
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For some reason I'm compelled to include one more quote today that I have gotten from ZOSO magazine from 5/90. This quote is originally from the Toronto Sun & was sent to ZOSO magazine by a fan named Sam Rapallo from Woodbridge, Ontario. Sam Rapallo... hmmm? Sounds familar but I can't place it. Oh well, guess we'll never know what happend to him. Another "Zeppelin Mystery by Steve A Jones" to be solved at some point. Anyway, here's Billy Joel:

"Rock 'N' Roll for me died when (Led Zeppelin drummer) John Bonham OD'ed."

Edited by kakdaddy
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Keith Richards (circa 1986):

Jimmy Page came down and did a couple of licks on a track for our new album, and they were nice too.

Jimmy's the best. I hadn't seen him in a long time, but he's looking good and playing good. Now, I didn't like Led Zeppelin at all, piss on 'em - sorry, chaps, and all, but it just never appealed to me. Lots of banging with lead singers with flying gold locks and the whole bit: never had any use for them, or the Who either. I could never get along in a band with a posturing, posing lead singer like that, all those histrionics [imitates a Robert Plant shriek]. It's not my stuff, though I know it's loads of other peoples'. It takes all kinds, right?

But Jimmy I've known from way before Zeppelin, from all those pre-Stones times. I met Jimmy Page through Ian Stewart: they used to do various club gigs together. In fact, for "Heart of Stone" Jimmy did the original demo. Andrew [Loog Oldham, the Stones' producer] was going to flog that off to somebody else. So when we decided that we were going to do it I nicked Jimmy's solo almost note-for-note [laughs].

...good thing Mick Jagger doesn't do any "posturing" or "posing"...:D

Edited by thozil
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Joey Kramer from Aerosmith in Musician 1/90':

"John Bonham was the innovator of what everyone emulates today. There's not a lot you can say about it. He just had a touch, and very few drummers have a touch... Of course Bonzo had more of an oppurtunity to stand out because he played in a trio. Whenever he did anything it just stuck out. I would compare his finesse on drums to Jeff Beck's guitar playing. He's the only guy who could do what he did. So, yeah, Bonzo was one of my biggest influences. But you can't stary from yourself.'

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I'm sure he meant that in all sincerity but, Jesus, what an inane quote!

Well Bonzo did kinda OD...........on booze. Quite frankly if you don't 'overdo' it then you don't puke up. It's as simple as that.

I love booze and get drunk often but I never puke up because I never 'overdose' on it. I only used to puke up when I was a kid, when I drank too much.

Edited by Mangani
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Buddy Rich from Modern Drummer 1982:

"Listen, I had a surprise the time Kathy, my daughter got me out to see Led Zeppelin, when they played Madison Square Garden. I wasn't to anxious to go, but I went, to please Kathy. We sat fairly in the front, and for what seemed to be the first year that they were on there, I endured it - not a change of tune, not a change of melodic line, but the heavy organ, the heavy guitar and the drum. The finale was a drum solo - and he had maybe 2 million dollars worth of drums' up there; I think Carl Palmer's the only other guy I've seen with so many drums. He started playing and during the course of his solo a cat came out in a loincloth, with a torch; he started dancing and the drummer was playing the tom-toms, or whatever he was doing. I had no idea what was going on or whatever he was doing. Obviously he had asbestos in position, because this cat set fire around the drums. Now, I don't know what this does for a drum solo, but it scared the hell out of me - I thought the joint was on fire! I'd no idea what was going on. But when you have to resort to that, you're saying in essenve to the audience: 'I don't really play that well, but look how brave I am'."

What a goose. Buddy Rich really said that??? Sounds like he was an old fogey not able to comprehend anything outside the staid jazz concept.

Bonzo didn't really even have a big drum kit. I suspect ol' Buddy was a bit out of it at the time and his recollection is off.

Edited by Mangani
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What a goose. Buddy Rich really said that??? Sounds like he was an old fogey not able to comprehend anything outside the staid jazz concept.

Bonzo didn't really even have a big drum kit. I suspect ol' Buddy was a bit out of it at the time and his recollection is off.

Yup. I only put that in there because he was a hero of Bonhams' & obviously Buddy Rich was feeling a bit of the generation gap. I know a lot of others in attendance must have been on substances at the show he went to but what the hell was he talking about as far as loinclothes? Did he over do it on the Rob Roy's or Lime Rickey's?

Edited by kakdaddy
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Well Bonzo did kinda OD...........on booze. Quite frankly if you don't 'overdo' it then you don't puke up. It's as simple as that.

Yeah, I'm not really disputing the medical accuracy of the statement, it's more a. the bland phrasing and b. claiming that Rock'n'Roll died on that day? It's just a completely meaningless quote!

Edited by croquet'n'cocaine
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Duane Eddy:

"Jimmy's just a brilliant player, truly brilliant. He's one of the few guys that really blazed away on the guitar & yet he still has something important to say with it. Their music was about soul, feeling, technique & skill & he blended that all together. There's only a few guys I know who have done that."

Roger Daltrey:

"Robert's got one of the best voices of any rock singer. The quality of his voice made him special. He's a singer's singer."

Jeff Ament:

"Pearl Jam's goal every night is "Lets's try to be Zep in 73', Madison Square Garden". They changed it up with every record. When we made "Ten", we wanted to be as diverse as possible so we could go any direction we wanted after that, the way they did."

Wyclef Jean:

"I don't know a hip-hop producer who don't know who Led Zeppelin is. The drum sounds - as a producer, you live to sample that. And you are not a guitar player if you don't know Led Zeppelin. Period. Dorian, Ionian, Mixolydian: These are all Led Zeppelin scales. They define a blueprint of rock."

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J Mascis leader/vocalist/guitarist for Dinosaur Jr & sometimes session drummer in Rolling Stone 4/18/91:

"John Bonham is the god of rock and roll, and Zeppelin was the best band that ever was. I was into drumming, and Bonham is IT for rock drumming, so that's why I played my guitar really loud."

Very cool. Dinosaur Jr. rocks B)

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Joe Perry in his new interview, about how he found the singer for his solo album.

AP: What was Hagen's response when you tapped him to be you singer?

Perry: I think he was nervous at first. He's 30. He comes from a small town. I come from a small town near Boston ... that's kind of out in the boondocks. ... Given Hagen being 30 and working in club bands and things like that — if I would have gotten a call from Jimmy Page or from Robert Plant saying I need a guitar player ... I would still be in shock."

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Ted Nugent in "Superstar Facts & Pix No. 25 - The Complete History Of Led Zeppelin & Current Metal Kings" 1991:

"Hey Zep made rock'n'roll history. Musically? Mostly good. Otherwise, mostly bad.The first LP is classic. It's got soul. It's got attitude. And it's got musical integrity & tenacity that dwarfs nearly all others. The soul & class came from Bonham & Jones, the rhythm section extrodinaire. The attitude was mostly Plant's spit, and the bombast was the guitar masterpieces of Page. I first met JP in '67 on the last Yardbirds tour. That and subsequent meetings, six total I believe, confirmed in my mind that this was a hippie of the lowest caliber. Though today, far from those slobbering encounters, I still whip out the occasional 'Whole Lotta Love' lick, but still have zero respect from the man as a human being. Does it matter? No.

Ultimately, his stupidity taught me valuable lessons. Thanks for the cool licks, Jim, and the lessons. Wipe your chin"

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