What The Famous Say About Led Zeppelin

[SuperDave]

My wife and I visited our daughter at Indiana University three weeks ago. One of our daughter's college courses is exclusively about The Beatles. Todd Rundgren was brought in to give a lecture about the Beatles influence on his music and societal shifts. He was great, very funny and entertaining. I had forewarned my family that if Zeppelin or Page were mentioned he was going to rip them. I had informed them about the Bebe Buell affair and Todd's dislike of Jimmy. Even though he gladly warmed them up at the 1979 Knebworth shows. As the Q+A session progressed an audience member commented about what a rip off band Led Zeppelin were, at that moment Todd began to call Jimmy " the most over-rated and shoddiest guitarists he's ever heard!" He later contradicted himself when he exclaimed what a great guitarist John Lnnon was because he was so crude and raw as a player. Steal a guy's main squeeze and he'll never forget it.

Saying this kind of crap....Todd has no credibility by me. Absolutely uncalled for. Lennon was basically, just a rhythm guitarist as George played the leads. But John Lennon was a great songwriter. Can't take anything away from The Beatles as they are second to Zep.

Edited November 19, 2010 by SuperDave

[Wolfman]

Saying this kind of crap....Todd has no credibility by me. Absolutely uncalled for. Lennon was basically, just a rhythm guitarist as George played the leads. But John Lennon was a great songwriter. Can't take anything away from The Beatles as they are second to Zep.

What I found ironic is how he ripped the boys for doing the O2 Reunion show yet he did that "reunion tour" with the Cars.

[JimmyPageZoSo56]

These are from Mojo Classic - Led Zeppelin and the Story Of 1969 and make interesting reading:

John Lennon: "They sound alright. Jimmy Page has always been a bloody good guitar player"

Eric Clapton: "They were very loud. I thought it was unneccessarily loud. I really liked some of it, but a lot of it was just too much."

Pete Townshend: "I'm not one of their biggest fans, which doesn't mean that I don't like them, but means I don't really get into their music a lot."

Keith Richards: "I played their first LP a lot when I first got it, but then the guy's voice started to get on my nerves for some reason. I dunno why - I imagine just a bit too acrobatic for me."

I think they are just jealous because Zeppelin is a better band all together (Lennon is the only one to seemed to have liked them and The Beatles were a damn good band but you can't compare them to Zeppelin because they were more of a pop band).

The reason I say that is because to me, Clapton's, Townshend's and Richard's stuff all sounds the same (especially Clapton). Now I am not saying I don't respect them because I do and i do like the other guy's music; I just think out of all those rock bands that came out of England, Led Zeppelin was the best.

Edited November 19, 2010 by JimmyPageZoSo56

[Jahfin]

Can't take anything away from The Beatles as they are second to Zep.

I personally like the Beatles more than Led Zeppelin.

[SuperDave]

I personally like the Beatles more than Led Zeppelin.

That's a matter of opinion, but either way you can't go wrong! Didn't mean to sound that I thought The Beatles are inferior to Zep. They're my second favorite, but I like Zeppelin more.

Edited November 20, 2010 by SuperDave

[Mangani]

I think they are just jealous because Zeppelin is a better band all together (Lennon is the only one to seemed to have liked them and The Beatles were a damn good band but you can't compare them to Zeppelin because they were more of a pop band).

The reason I say that is because to me, Clapton's, Townshend's and Richard's stuff all sounds the same (especially Clapton). Now I am not saying I don't respect them because I do and i do like the other guy's music; I just think out of all those rock bands that came out of England, Led Zeppelin was the best.

You'll notice that with the bands Led Zeppelin surpassed in popularity (The Stones The Who, Cream) they seemed to have a downer on Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin got near to, but didn't surpass, the Beatles and for the most part the Beatles guys didn't have a downer on Zeppelin. They weren't bitter or unappreciative about Zep like the other groups.

Some of the guys in The Who, Stones and Cream couldn't handle the fact that Zeppelin seemed to come out of nowhere and almost immediately became bigger and better than them and this bitterness crept in. Jealousy was a factor I'm pretty sure. These newcomer 'upstarts' and their Led Zep II album keeping the Stones Let It Bleed from the number one spot is going to have an effect, especially when Zep also went on to play to greater live demand as well. I think Zeppelin's almost effortless rise to superstardom in just over a year after they formed really got under the skin of some of them. To go from not existing as a group to then knocking the two biggest and established bands in the world off their perch (Abbey Road and Let It Bleed from the Beatles and Stones respectively in December 1969) in less than 18 months must have been hard to accept although the Beatles never suffered any inferiority complex.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Mangani

[Jahfin]

The Who were bitter over Zeppelin's success? I guess that explains why Roger Daltrey has expressed an interest in working with Page. For the most part these "rivalries" were for the benefit of the press only. They helped move copy and increased record sales. To this day some believe the Stones and the Beatles were at each other's throats when the truth is, they were actually friends. Don't believe everything the press throws at you.

[zdr]

The Who were bitter over Zeppelin's success? I guess that explains why Roger Daltrey has expressed an interest in working with Page. For the most part these "rivalries" were for the benefit of the press only. They helped move copy and increased record sales. To this day some believe the Stones and the Beatles were at each other's throats when the truth is, they were actually friends. Don't believe everything the press throws at you.

This thread is full of nasty quotes of The Who or Rolling Stones members about Zep:

ex. post 137 (by Kaiser)

Roger Daltrey in Mojo Classic spring 2009: Led Zeppelin & The Story Of 1969:

"Looking back at the 'rock god' look, Robert was a bit Daltry Mark II, but I was always more jealous of the fact he was so fucking tall."

[Jahfin]

This thread is full of nasty quotes of The Who or Rolling Stones members about Zep:

ex. post 137 (by Kaiser)

Roger Daltrey in Mojo Classic spring 2009: Led Zeppelin & The Story Of 1969:

"Looking back at the 'rock god' look, Robert was a bit Daltry Mark II, but I was always more jealous of the fact he was so fucking tall."

Like I said, whatever helps move copy and sells records. Do you genuinely believe these folks hate one another? And if so, why on earth would Daltrey want to work with Page? Oasis and the Black Crowes were portrayed as bitter rivalries in the press, so why do you think they toured together?

[Anjin-san]

Hi Jahfin,all,

The Who were bitter over Zeppelin's success? I guess that explains why Roger Daltrey has expressed an interest in working with Page. For the most part these "rivalries" were for the benefit of the press only. They helped move copy and increased record sales. To this day some believe the Stones and the Beatles were at each other's throats when the truth is, they were actually friends. Don't believe everything the press throws at you.

Spot on,Moon and Ox both wanted to form a band with Page.Hence the name: Le(a)d Zeppelin,....Roger was good friends with Robert and Page,it was only Pete who was a stick in the mud,...

"All you need is love."? Who be singing background?Hallo Mick!

As Jahfin said this was only publicity to drive sales,got it?

KB

[Jahfin]

As Jahfin said this was only publicity to drive sales,got it?

I'm not saying there's absolutely no cases of their peers being less than fond of Zeppelin as I'm sure there are but for the most part, I don't think so. Ever seen how many times Jagger/Richards, Tyler/Perry, Plant/Page, etc. have traded jabs in the press only to go on (in most cases) to work with each other again? I'm not saying those are publicity stunts, it just shows that it's not always a case of outright disdain for one another.

[dalsh327]

My wife and I visited our daughter at Indiana University three weeks ago. One of our daughter's college courses is exclusively about The Beatles. Todd Rundgren was brought in to give a lecture about the Beatles influence on his music and societal shifts. He was great, very funny and entertaining. I had forewarned my family that if Zeppelin or Page were mentioned he was going to rip them. I had informed them about the Bebe Buell affair and Todd's dislike of Jimmy. Even though he gladly warmed them up at the 1979 Knebworth shows. As the Q+A session progressed an audience member commented about what a rip off band Led Zeppelin were, at that moment Todd began to call Jimmy " the most over-rated and shoddiest guitarists he's ever heard!" He later contradicted himself when he exclaimed what a great guitarist John Lnnon was because he was so crude and raw as a player. Steal a guy's main squeeze and he'll never forget it.

What's funny is when an interviewer will ask a musician who was a recording artist before or during the time Led Zep started out. Someone's going to ask Leslie West or Joe Walsh? It's pretty funny. I think someone asked Phil Collins about Led Zep and he responded as if they were his longtime rivals, But Pink Floyd, Gilmour and Mason had been asked how Led Zep influenced them and I was laughing when I read that.

But I think RP attended a fair share of Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott shows (and "The" Pink Floyd) as did Bowie, Ozzy, Elton, and Peter Gabriel, and prob. some photo somewhere that they're all near the front studying every move, every swagger, every small detail while everyone else around them was blitzed.

[Mangani]

The Who were bitter over Zeppelin's success?

I said 'some' guys in those groups were clearly bitter and jealous over Zep coming out of nowhere and stealing 'their thunder'. We know that Bonzo and Moonie were mates.

I guess that explains why Roger Daltrey has expressed an interest in working with Page.

That may be true now but back then? Nah. Even Robert and Roger get on well now but they didn't have much to do with each other 40 years ago, although Robert didn't have a problem with Roger and was a big fan of The Who. I don't think Roger enjoyed Robert coming along and doing the whole blonde long haired rock god act bigger and better than he did it.

However, even Pete Townshend said in a relatively recent (2007) interview that he hasn't liked a single thing that Led Zeppelin ever did and he even admitted it might be down to jealousy.

In a late 1980s copy of Kerrang Townshend was interviewed and he dismissed Led Zep, basically claiming it was The Who which were the godfathers of heavy metal and Townshend even had the inaccurate temerity to claim that Live at Leeds came out before Led Zep had even released their first album. In fact Led Zep were starting working on their 3rd album around the time Live At Leed came out and LZ II had already been a masive number one album.

Jack Bruce also more or less said the same thing. He got narked over the attention the Zeppelin reunion got compared to the Cream reunion. Im sure 40 years ago some of the Cream guys were even more frustrated about Zep's success. It's understandable, especially after Cream crashed and burned and didn't go far.

For the most part these "rivalries" were for the benefit of the press only. They helped move copy and increased record sales. To this day some believe the Stones and the Beatles were at each other's throats when the truth is, they were actually friends. Don't believe everything the press throws at you.

I disagree. I can without doubt certainly see why bands like The Who and the Stones (and even moreso Cream) would have been miffed at Zeppelin. Zeppelin were bigger and better than all of them and what's more they were "johnny come lateleys" who came up behind them and sprinted past them way in front.

That's why The Beatles never suffered from the same complex. LZ were never bigger than the Beatles (despite smashing many of their attendance records) and I don't think I have ever read even one sniping comment from any Beatle. John Lennon admired LZ and so did Paul. Bonzo was one of Paul's favourite drummers, he namechecked Page in one of his songs and a few years ago when Paul was messing around doing some project he said what he was doing was good but nothing great. He said "it's not exactly Led Zeppelin but it's still good".

None of The Beatles had a problem with LZ. Some of the guys in The Who, Stones and Cream did and that's a fact not just an opinion. I sometimes wonder what else they might have said in private. You don't really think The Stones and The Who actually ENJOYED Led Zeppelin selling more albums and playing to bigger crowds than them do you? The Who NEVER had a US number one album and only ever had ONE number one album in the UK. Led Zeppelin had EIGHT number one albums on the spin in the UK as well as many number one albums in the USA. Why WOULDN'T Pete Townshend (at least) be pissed off about that? Of course he was fucking jealous, mate.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Mangani

[Mangani]

Hi Jahfin,all,

Spot on,Moon and Ox both wanted to form a band with Page.Hence the name: Le(a)d Zeppelin,....Roger was good friends with Robert and Page,it was only Pete who was a stick in the mud,...

That was BEFORE Led Zeppelin were formed with the lineup we know it today and BEFORE Led Zeppelin went on to totally surpass The Who in global success and reverence.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Mangani

[Led Hed]

That was BEFORE Led Zeppelin were formed with the lineup we know it today and BEFORE Led Zeppelin went on to totally surpass The Who in global success and reverence.

Totally surpass The Who and everyone else for that matter!

[Deborah J]

Elton John's adopted son listens to Led Zeppelin

Sir Elton John has revealed that he plays songs by rock legends Led Zeppelin to his son.

The pop icon and his civil partner David Furnish adopted Zachary after he was born to a surrogate in December last year.

Now the singer has spoken out about how the baby is being raised.

"He has got his own iPod on which David and I put all kinds of stuff – ranging from Chopin to Mozart, Carol King, the Carpenters, James Taylor, my own songs, Kate Bush, Linda Ronstadt and Led Zeppelin lullabies," he told Austrian Live magazine.

The award-winning pop veteran added: "It’s impossible for Zachary not to wake up inspired on all our journeys and between all our artist friends in our beautiful houses."

The 63-year-old revealed 6.30pm was a "sacred time" for him now. "That’s when David and I take turns in reading bedtime stories to Zachary."

Asked whether his new role as a dad has changed his own character and personality in any way, Elton John said: "I’m much more relaxed than I used to be. I’m quite surprised about that, I have to say."

Elton John also joked about what would happen if Zachary becomes a supporter of the "wrong" football team. The Briton said: "I can’t wait to take him to a Watford FC match. I just bought him a mini-sized club kit. But if he decides to root for Chelsea, I’ll kill him!"

Elton John recently shared the stage with pop sensation Lady Gaga. Asked how he would describe the controversial singer, he said: "Lady Gaga is the illegitimate child of Elton John – just check out what she’s wearing!"

The singer made headlines in Austria last year when he altered the lyrics of one of his biggest hits to pay tribute to Formula One (F1) legend Niki Lauda.

Elton John delighted the 6,000 fans at the Tips Arena in Linz in June when he changed the opening lines of his 1972 hit "Crocodile Rock" from "I remember when rock was young, me and Suzie had so much fun" to "… Niki Lauda had so much fun".

Austrian Times

http://www.austriantimes.at/news/Panorama/2011-02-04/30335/Elton_John's_adopted_son_listens_to_Led_Zeppelin

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[Virginia]

^^ "Like" !!

[SuperDave]

Very interesting on Elton John. I don't think the members of Zep hung out with him much, but Jimmy Page met with him prior to their O2 show to get his feedback on the acoustics of the arena. Typical Jimmy being the perfectionist as usual. Can't blame him!

[Flyingzepp]

I can't remember which show it was on Zep, but I remember about a minute long of Pete Townsend whining about zeppelin becoming bigger than the who. He said he loved zeppelin and what they did but hates them for becoming bigger than the who.

Sorry Pete, Your shit is just too boring lad.

[Aquamarine]

And that's why the Who are still going strong today, even though there's only two of the original members left?

[Reggie29]

Very interesting on Elton John. I don't think the members of Zep hung out with him much, but Jimmy Page met with him prior to their O2 show to get his feedback on the acoustics of the arena. Typical Jimmy being the perfectionist as usual. Can't blame him!

In 1984 Elton John joined Robert Plant on stage in Sydney during his Principle of Moments tour.

Robert also attended Elton's wedding that same week.

[Laura_Page]

Lady Gaga likes Zeppelin. Before being that... (em, how to call her? )... oh, before being Gaga she made covers of Led Zeppelin.

What a pity. I'd respect her if she continued doing the real music she did before converting in that escandalous lady.

Edited March 2, 2011 by Laura_Page

[Reggie29]

Elton and Robert 1975.

Elton's wondering what kind of conditioner Robert uses!

[SuperDave]

Elton and Robert 1975.

Elton's wondering what kind of conditioner Robert uses!

Great find Reggie. Where is this photo from?

[Reggie29]

Great find Reggie. Where is this photo from?

Not sure, but most likely the US.

Maybe you can identify the bottles, they're definitely not Australian!?