Zeppelins devil tag

[McSeven]

I can't understand why Zep gets the devil tag on thier music. Not once do I feel that they are partying with the devil in thier lyrics or sound. Black Sabbath on the other hand seem to talk about the devil all the time.

AcDc talk about the devil as more of a mischvious character. I feel no darkness from Zep at all. If anything I feel like Zep are the good guys fighting the forces of evil.

Mc7

[ally]

For me , there is plenty of darkness as well as light in their music but, I never bought into the Devil worship stuff. I alway's thought it was a load of nonsense and stuff of legend

[Aquamarine]

I don't think it was anything to do with the music, but everything to do with a misinterpretation of Jimmy's private interests.

[ally]

I don't think it was anything to do with the music, but everything to do with a misinterpretation of Jimmy's private interests.

That's alway's been my opinion. It did add to the mystery though for some. I took his interest,as a facination rather than an obsession. We all have a nerdy side

[Mernie]

I never thought they were Satanic, but I did think Dazed and Confused was pretty wicked.

[McSeven]

It just seems to me that musically, Black Sabbath seemed more closer to evil than Zeppelin. If Zeppelin is fighting the forces of Evil. Black Sabbath take on the evil persona.

To put it into better context. Zep are like the hobbits and friends in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sabbath are like Sauron and Company.

Mc7

[Gervox]

When Led Zeppelin first flew,Rock music was still considered dangerous by the Establishment.it was deemed,even at best, a raucous noise, anti establishment.Reble music.Young people with no sense or talent.Led Zeppelins music was originally founded upon the Blues,that was equally concidered threatening by an earlier uncomprehending American generation.many legends were already in place by 1969, including one for instance regarding a certain Robert Johnson.

Once a mediocre musican at best,he dissapeared for 18 months or so ,and mysteriosly reappeared as a fully fledged Music God .He must have sold his soul to the devil! they all said,rather than the less romantic notion that he was simply practicing his ass off!

The (near) exact same legend was later applied to Led Zep;that they all (apart from Jonesy,who was parking the car) made a diabolical pact with Bealzlebub Himself, for Wine, Woman and Song, in exchange for their very souls!!.

The fact that they all had wonderful gifts before they joined the band sort of spoils the fun.But low and behold before you know it, it is found that Jimmy has an interest in non Christian ideas!,he buys a nice house that once belonged to a notorious non believing alcholic junkie,and starts wearing strange symbols on his pants!. Also a mysterious message was apparently scratched into the run out groove on early pressings ofZep III: "DO WHAT THOU WILT (SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW)! .A "satanic" slogan that reputedly Jimmy found in one of his books.

Then,people around them suddenly start dying!Robert has a car accident!!!,Jimmy breaks many,many (of his own) fingers!,then to cap it all off one of the actual band actually dies-at Jimmys house!......

Some years later in America,a very sad and bored person decides to play Stairway to Heaven backwards for once.Lo! Behold! Robert is actually singing "Heres to my sweet satan" like he's a reincarnation of that other Robert!.(actually it sounds more like "here is where we sleep Karen",to my ears ).At last we have proof, once and for all, that Led Zeppelin were never ever Baptists from Middle America!.

[ledzep45]

It just seems to me that musically, Black Sabbath seemed more closer to evil than Zeppelin. If Zeppelin is fighting the forces of Evil. Black Sabbath take on the evil persona.

To put it into better context. Zep are like the hobbits and friends in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sabbath are like Sauron and Company.

Mc7

[Gervox]

It just seems to me that musically, Black Sabbath seemed more closer to evil than Zeppelin. If Zeppelin is fighting the forces of Evil. Black Sabbath take on the evil persona.

To put it into better context. Zep are like the hobbits and friends in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sabbath are like Sauron and Company.

Mc7

I think Zeppelin are more like the Istari, sent to (Middle)Earth to instruct us,to teach, but not use their powers to try and have hit singles and multiple band members. In that they remain white (or perhaps a fetching shade of grey).

Sadly Sabbath became like the Blue Wizzards, and ultimatley have failed in their task.Rather than rendering aid to the devout in the stuggle against the perveyors of bad music, they squabbled over their gifts,and often joined the Dark Lord Spinal Tap in the pursuit of stupidity and mediocrity!.They left the path of wisdom long ago.

Many cults have now sprung up around them,fruitlessly re-awaiting their guidence once more, whilst their glorious brothers long ago achieved their purpose.

One may yet leave behind Rock music forever and return to whence he came;the "undying lands" of a more traditional music,while his friends shall graciously teach us an important lesson in light and dark,one last time.

[chef free]

When Led Zeppelin first flew,Rock music was still considered dangerous by the Establishment.it was deemed,even at best, a raucous noise, anti establishment.Reble music.Young people with no sense or talent.Led Zeppelins music was originally founded upon the Blues,that was equally concidered threatening by an earlier uncomprehending American generation.many legends were already in place by 1969, including one for instance regarding a certain Robert Johnson.

Once a mediocre musican at best,he dissapeared for 18 months or so ,and mysteriosly reappeared as a fully fledged Music God .He must have sold his soul to the devil! they all said,rather than the less romantic notion that he was simply practicing his ass off!

The (near) exact same legend was later applied to Led Zep;that they all (apart from Jonesy,who was parking the car) made a diabolical pact with Bealzlebub Himself, for Wine, Woman and Song, in exchange for their very souls!!.

The fact that they all had wonderful gifts before they joined the band sort of spoils the fun.But low and behold before you know it, it is found that Jimmy has an interest in non Christian ideas!,he buys a nice house that once belonged to a notorious non believing alcholic junkie,and starts wearing strange symbols on his pants!. Also a mysterious message was apparently scratched into the run out groove on early pressings ofZep III: "DO WHAT THOU WILT (SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW)! .A "satanic" slogan that reputedly Jimmy found in one of his books.

Then,people around them suddenly start dying!Robert has a car accident!!!,Jimmy breaks many,many (of his own) fingers!,then to cap it all off one of the actual band actually dies-at Jimmys house!......

Some years later in America,a very sad and bored person decides to play Stairway to Heaven backwards for once.Lo! Behold! Robert is actually singing "Heres to my sweet satan" like he's a reincarnation of that other Robert!.(actually it sounds more like "here is where we sleep Karen",to my ears ).At last we have proof, once and for all, that Led Zeppelin were never ever Baptists from Middle America!.

I think Zeppelin are more like the Istari, sent to (Middle)Earth to instruct us,to teach, but not use their powers to try and have hit singles and multiple band members. In that they remain white (or perhaps a fetching shade of grey).

Sadly Sabbath became like the Blue Wizzards, and ultimatley have failed in their task.Rather than rendering aid to the devout in the stuggle against the perveyors of bad music, they squabbled over their gifts,and often joined the Dark Lord Spinal Tap in the pursuit of stupidity and mediocrity!.They left the path of wisdom long ago.

Many cults have now sprung up around them,fruitlessly re-awaiting their guidence once more, whilst their glorious brothers long ago achieved their purpose.

One may yet leave behind Rock music forever and return to whence he came;the "undying lands" of a more traditional music,while his friends shall graciously teach us an important lesson in light and dark,one last time.

Wow concise AND entertaining! More pithy posts please.

[Wolfman]

I can't understand why Zep gets the devil tag on thier music. Not once do I feel that they are partying with the devil in thier lyrics or sound. Black Sabbath on the other hand seem to talk about the devil all the time.

AcDc talk about the devil as more of a mischvious character. I feel no darkness from Zep at all. If anything I feel like Zep are the good guys fighting the forces of evil.

Mc7

Listen to the bow solo in D&C in TSRTS movie. The devil is there if you look.

[Aquamarine]

Well, I know that when he did the bow solo at the O2, I was saying "Why the devil do all those people have to wave their cameras around so that I can't see??"

[ally]

Well, I know that when he did the bow solo at the O2, I was saying "Why the devil do all those people have to wave their cameras around so that I can't see??"

[Cactus]

I can't understand why Zep gets the devil tag on thier music. Not once do I feel that they are partying with the devil in thier lyrics or sound.

Listen to Stairway backwards. All will be revealed.

[Dancin'Days]

The reason they have a "devils tag" is from blogs like this, saying that they had sold thier soul (to the Devil) for rock and roll, and paid for it.... dearly.

According to Yahoo's music blog, Robert Plant is in talks with guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones about doing a Led Zeppelin reunion show. Some might recall more than ten years ago Plant and Page got together to record a CD and do a world tour. The move had many people screaming "What about the curse?!?" The curse they referred to was the one that broke Plant's leg, killed his son and drummer John Bonham. As the tragedies fell, one after another, like angels from heaven, it seemed the Dark Lord Satan had come to collect for 10 plus years of rocking. Plant and Page consulted mystical oracles from Aleister Crowley's mage tower in Scotland, and with the blessing of the Zephyrs, dissolved the band. For his own protection, John Paul Jones was never informed.

All seemed well for the survivors of the Zepp. They had made a solemn oath to never rock so hard again, and like the most chaste monk, kept the vow admirably with forgettable solo carreers. Yet the world around them suffered. Global climate change, rampant disease, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism gripped the planet. The people called out for song to cheer their weary hearts, and got R. Kelley pissing on a teenager. It is during these dark times when the Sinister One is most dangerous. In the land of rain and coffee was a golden haired axe-man, who tore the air with his screams and broken guitar strings. The people had a champion, maybe one who would give no quarter to the enemy. But the Lord of Abortions fell upon his weaknesses, and slew him by a temptress' hand.

And the people cried out! The men of Zeppelin could stand it no longer, and chanced a reunion. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page came together once again, drawing together musicians from all over the world to help them rekindle the magic of rock, and heal the world. For his own protection, John Paul Jones was never informed.

It was a chance they were taking. It was a chance the Fell Thing desired; to draw the three together, to reseal the oath made so long ago upon a moon-lit crossroad. Yet a duo they remained. And they rocked... acoustically.

Now it appears they've grown bolder. To reunite all three as one is to risk eternal damnation. many times has Led Zeppelin given to the world, now the world must give back. The three must not reunite. We must take what they have given us, some of the greatest rock ever made, and teach it to our young ones. Bring it into our homes and schools. They have sacrificed much to give us what they have, let it not be in vain. Surely, the world does not need them to suffer more for us to appreciate what we already have.

Do you want to chance the re-union?

[Gervox]

Wow concise AND entertaining! More pithy posts please.

I'm all pithed out!

In regards to Mr Dancin' Days,did he understand my post?.I understand that some people take the mythology rather seriously,but that is all it is.If you want a full on audio assault from the greatest rock band ever,listen to Led Zeppelin.If you are intrigued/apalled/delighted by Satanic or Pagan referrences,start reading the bible backwards,attending midnight mass with a bunch of naked old hags(shudder), or, if more adventurous try "sacrificing" some poor old black cats,while dancing naked in the cold moonlight!.I know what I prefer to do!.

[preyer]

you put it too nicely by saying crowley was simply 'non-christian.' as i recall, this was once a man dubbed 'the most wicked man alive.' then to say page had just a fascination with him is, again, putting it too nicely. *we* have a fascination with LZ ~ we don't go out and buy their old houses, their knick-knacks, plunge into their personal philosophy and wear their old clothes. yeah, i think that counts as obsession.

bear in mind the times, too. back then bands lived their image, they weren't some corporate drones told what to wear and sing. well, i guess if your last name was partridge you were a drone, but you know what i mean, eh? so you see plant as a hippie, and that was his mindset. indeed, like any good hippie, he was apart of the tolkien revival.

and page let his disposition be known. the imagery he projected is of a 'non-christian' variety, and were that it no one would care. not as if he was the only guy out there using psychodelia coupled with strange symbols to 'say' something. what sets page apart was his actual apparent belief in this stuff crowley stood for.

these people weren't stupid, either. lacking a formal education doesn't mean they weren't self-educated in a lot of ways. indeed, outside of hogwart's where was a young man to learn about magic? well, wherever their information came from, it probably had an influence: the imagery has philosophic symbology for those there who care to look for it.

going off on a tangent, imagine yourself a guitarist (the satanic references always revolve around page): you don't sing (or in page's case, very badly, even for back-up) so your guitar is your voice. you live in a notoriously vile man's home because you're immersed in his philosophy. LZ, like many bands, would travel to different places to get a new perspective on their music, so if location influences what you play, and what you play is what you're 'saying,' doesn't it stand to reason that crowley's house influenced him?

okay, that's pretty silly. LZ wasn't the first band to shoot to mega-success, but they lent themselves well to that persona. i honestly believe this is what keeps them off every lame 'best-of' list, this whole idea of them being closely in-tune with the devil. if not for pagey's love of the occult, all would be good, and there wouldn't even be a comparison with robert johnson.

regarding the coincidence of them being named robert, i could add page is too close for comfort with nicolo paganini, who most deservedly should have had a movie based on his life before mozart. you thought crowley was a nut, check *that* guy out ~ yeesh!

anyhoo, to answer the OP's question, there is enough there to make the link, but the links have to do with their personal lives more than their music, with the strained exception of D&C. even then the link is with page's 'eccentricities' and him being the mastermind of the group. the curse is just more nonsense, no more valid than the little rascal's curse, but it's something for naysayers to point to and apologists to explain away.

we might as well say britney spears cut a deal with ol' scratch. there's certainly enough evidence that she's cursed, eh?

[Aquamarine]

I don't know where to begin, really, but what on earth makes you think they lacked a formal education?

[ninelives]

Well, I know that when he did the bow solo at the O2, I was saying "Why the devil do all those people have to wave their cameras around so that I can't see??"

[chef free]

For his own protection, John Paul Jones was never informed.

Maybe only Jonesy retained possesion of his own soul, I mean he's still happily married and his four daughters aren't notorious, or maybe when the band was making this deal Jones was "parking the car"!

[Devil's Haircut]

All RocknRoll is the Devil's music. Darn that Elvis Presley and John Lennon for making that statement about being more popular than Jesus Christ. Plus since RnR really got started by the blacks in the South, the White Southern evangelicals demonized it as it was developing.

There are still people that feel that way. Swear to God.

[preyer]

'I don't know where to begin, really, but what on earth makes you think they lacked a formal education?' ~ that is, none of them went to college to the best of my knowledge. i don't remember reading that about them all those years ago when i went through 'hammer of the gods.' i'm pretty sure they all had diplomas. should have been clearer on that. i guess.

the point is this kind of knowledge is esoteric and, beyond perhaps an analytical study of cold hard facts you *might* find in a mainstream college at that time, if you wanted to *be* a member of the occult or had a serious interest in it going past textbooks and required reading (if any), i don't think you'd find that in the average ciriculum (sp). i doubt you could even find much in the library.

bookstores, especially ones specializing in occult, and meeting people of like mind would be your real educational resources. even had a college offered an occult studies class then, pretty sure jimmy page did not attend.

a few rock legends actually went to college. offhand, and correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe mick jagger went. the guitarist for Boston (shultz i think his name is) friggin' graduated from MIT.

[Gervox]

"we might as well say britney spears cut a deal with ol' scratch. there's certainly enough evidence that she's cursed, eh?"

[Dancin'Days]

I'm all pithed out!

In regards to Mr Dancin' Days,did he understand my post?.I understand that some people take the mythology rather seriously,but that is all it is.If you want a full on audio assault from the greatest rock band ever,listen to Led Zeppelin.If you are intrigued/apalled/delighted by Satanic or Pagan referrences,start reading the bible backwards,attending midnight mass with a bunch of naked old hags(shudder), or, if more adventurous try "sacrificing" some poor old black cats,while dancing naked in the cold moonlight!.I know what I prefer to do!.

Mr. Gervox, do you think I posted that because I believe that they (Led Zeppelin) sold their souls? Well, I guess you didn't understand I was saying that the media has a lot to do with celebrities/bands and their reputations. Not that I believe in what was being written!

PS it's a pity you are all pithed out.

[preyer]

who wouldn't go see the biographical led zeppelin movie? doubtful any of them would say any scene was true to life, but i'd be glued to the screen. once it's onscreen, that's a tough myth to make go away, too. people still think, despite all evidence to the contrary, that francis farmer had a lobotomy, that william wallace wore a kilt, and a guy named maximus killed the emperor of rome in gladiatorial combat.

i still say the 'devil tag' was something zep brought on itself, albeit hyped up by the media, and the 'curse' is nothing more than a statistical cause and effect hardly anomolous (is that a real word?) given lifestyle, fame, wealth, background, ect.. by most accounts, jimmy page is the one who should have been found belly up, but given all of the celebrities who've endured substance abuse problems, i'm guessing a relative few actually die from it.