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Mick Wall Interview


Kentuckygirl

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Well, I assume that Wall was talking about his output in recent years.

Yes. But to characterise it as tragedy is idiotic. Page has nothing to prove.

(Least of all to some jumped up journalist who can't even write decent English, who is himself riding on Zeppelin's coattails to make a buck.)

Really good article, Sunchild. I think it hits the nail on the head.

Thanks. I think so, too.

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When Giants Walked.....

:blink: This article confirms why I won't read any of the books. I'd be back to needing to purge any influenza. I got enough from the music.

I am so blown away that Jimmy was behaving like that while getting into kabbalah. Well maybe the problem was thinking kabbalah had anything to do with Crowley. He was SO SO wrong.

Shit, that explains so much. I don't think he truly understood how it worked on deeper levels, nor understood the levels of connectivity that exist.

I've been reading the article thinking... fuck, they've completely lost their humanity.

I wonder if he still has no regrets.

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When Giants Walked.....

:blink: This article confirms why I won't read any of the books. I'd be back to needing to purge any influenza. I got enough from the music.

Thanks for the introduction of the article.

Though this is my personal opinion.

When I read such an article I can understand that Jimmy will sue the author according to the content of the book. Why is the biography of ZEP such a vulgar content even nowadays?

Or, is only such point emphasized? (of course, the contents of the book are not only those)

In the first place would these contents be facts?

If these were not true, Jimmy,Robert and Jonsey had better sue the author or the publisher.

Random articles and the rumors can not be permitted indefinitely.

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Sun Child,

Thanks for the blog link. That sums it up quite nicely. Part of me wants to read it and part of me doesn't. Some of the info on their history seems to be good and is in depth. What bothers me is how poorly it is written grammatically. I don't want to read all of Wall's second person tense crap. There are books on Zeppelin with great history and much better written. I'll take anything by Dave Lewis any day.

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“Robert is exactly where he wants to be,” says Mick. “He no longer needs to have anything to do with Led Zeppelin and is in charge of his own destiny.

“The music he’s playing at the moment has so much meaning for him, far more than singing old Led Zeppelin songs that he first sung when he was in his 20s.”

Mick even claims Page – who is infamously passionate about the writings of the late Midland occultist Aleister Crowley – has squandered his immense talent and now rarely plays guitar.

“Not because he’s brooding over the works of Crowley,” says Mick. “These days he’s far more likely to have a remote control in his hands.

“From what I’ve heard from mutual friends, he just sits watching football on the telly. Tragic, really.”

OMG, where do I start? First of all, had Jimmy Page NEVER picked up a guitar again after 1980, his legacy and contribution to music was already more than enough for one lifetime. Only a handful of artists have created something the caliber of LZ. Their impact and influence on rock music as an art form, and culture as a whole has been attested to countless times in the press, by other musicians (I mean, seriously, how MANY times have I read a guitarist cite Jimmy as an influence? Probably hundreds!), and finally, by the fans. Right now, I'm typing on a LZ message board with thousands of members, in 2008...nearly 30 years AFTER they disbanded. Hardly a sign their music is no longer relevant, dear Mr. Wall. I saw Paul McCartney several years ago, and, hey, guess what most of his set consisted of? Well, golly jeepers, it was mostly Beatles songs! How dare he play those songs he is known for and that the entire audience had paid to come hear! lol He really should just give it up... don't know why he even bothers! :blink:

Second, let's talk about Robert's solo projects for a sec. I've enjoyed some of them myself, but even if you add them all together, would the result even come close to equaling the impact Zeppelin had? I think that would be a difficult argument to make, and I sure wouldn't attempt it. Furthermore, without the springboard of Zeppelin, how many of those projects would have even been possible? Yes, Robert is a wonderful singer and performer in his own right, so one or two, perhaps, but all of them? I don't think so. However, by contrast, had there been no Zeppelin, would Jimmy still be known as a prolific guitarist? HELLO...Yardbirds! Even had he not continued with them, he had already made a name for himself, so...You bet your sweet ass.

Finally, gifted writers are just as capable of making an impact in the literary world as gifted musicians are in music. Oddly enough, when I search Mr. Wall's name I don't find any message boards with thousands of fans posting about him. I'm also a journalism student, yet I've never seen his name mentioned in any of my textbooks, even those that cover the history of journalism. What's that old saying? People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Perhaps Mr. Wall should concentrate on making a name for himself in his own field, rather than worrying about what Jimmy is doing, particularly as without Jimmy's coattails to ride like a magic carpet, Wall's small accomplishments thus far would be even more miniscule.

And that's my .02 that turned into a buck twenty-five. :P

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OMG, where do I start? First of all, had Jimmy Page NEVER picked up a guitar again after 1980, his legacy and contribution to music was already more than enough for one lifetime. Only a handful of artists have created something the caliber of LZ. Their impact and influence on rock music as an art form, and culture as a whole has been attested to countless times in the press, by other musicians (I mean, seriously, how MANY times have I read a guitarist cite Jimmy as an influence? Probably hundreds!), and finally, by the fans. Right now, I'm typing on a LZ message board with thousands of members, in 2008...nearly 30 years AFTER they disbanded. Hardly a sign their music is no longer relevant, dear Mr. Wall. I saw Paul McCartney several years ago, and, hey, guess what most of his set consisted of? Well, golly jeepers, it was mostly Beatles songs! How dare he play those songs he is known for and that the entire audience had paid to come hear! lol He really should just give it up... don't know why he even bothers! :blink:

Second, let's talk about Robert's solo projects for a sec. I've enjoyed some of them myself, but even if you add them all together, would the result even come close to equaling the impact Zeppelin had? I think that would be a difficult argument to make, and I sure wouldn't attempt it. Furthermore, without the springboard of Zeppelin, how many of those projects would have even been possible? Yes, Robert is a wonderful singer and performer in his own right, so one or two, perhaps, but all of them? I don't think so. However, by contrast, had there been no Zeppelin, would Jimmy still be known as a prolific guitarist? HELLO...Yardbirds! Even had he not continued with them, he had already made a name for himself, so...You bet your sweet ass.

Finally, gifted writers are just as capable of making an impact in the literary world as gifted musicians are in music. Oddly enough, when I search Mr. Wall's name I don't find any message boards with thousands of fans posting about him. I'm also a journalism student, yet I've never seen his name mentioned in any of my textbooks, even those that cover the history of journalism. What's that old saying? People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Perhaps Mr. Wall should concentrate on making a name for himself in his own field, rather than worrying about what Jimmy is doing, particularly as without Jimmy's coattails to ride like a magic carpet, Wall's small accomplishments thus far would be even more miniscule.

And that's my .02 that turned into a buck twenty-five. :P

I think Robert would have become famous regardless of whether Jimmy asked him to join his band or not. That talent was too good not to be noticed, and in fact he was already making a name for himself. No doubt Jimmy too would have continued to be successful if Zep hadn't formed. But the success of Zep is not just one of them, it's all of them together. The chemistry they had, their talent etc.

Robert's post Zep projects weren't attempts to outdo the success of Zep. Nothing could equate that because that was based on the relationship of the four of them. Robert chose to reinvent himself and focus on exploring different musical styles and such. That's a large part of why he's still out there making music, getting awards and such - because he's not trying to rehash the past.

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Once again, I think it's important to look at what Wall actually said. He didn't say that Jimmy isn't an amazing and tremendously influential guitarist--in fact, that's exactly what he IS saying. He's bemoaning the fact that we've heard so little of his immense talent in recent years. (Whatever else he might have been doing, worthy or otherwise.) I for one am with him on that--I'd have loved to have seen and heard far more of Jimmy over the past decade. And I hope we hear far more of him soon.

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Once again, I think it's important to look at what Wall actually said. He didn't say that Jimmy isn't an amazing and tremendously influential guitarist--in fact, that's exactly what he IS saying. He's bemoaning the fact that we've heard so little of his immense talent in recent years. (Whatever else he might have been doing, worthy or otherwise.) I for one am with him on that--I'd have loved to have seen and heard far more of Jimmy over the past decade. And I hope we hear far more of him soon.

Did anyone need to hear that Jimmy likes to watch football on TV? Cheap shot artist for profit.

Wall knows better.

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OMG, where do I start? First of all, had Jimmy Page NEVER picked up a guitar again after 1980, his legacy and contribution to music was already more than enough for one lifetime.

EXACTLY!!!! This Dick Wall bullshit has really been making me ill.

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I think Robert would have become famous regardless of whether Jimmy asked him to join his band or not.

I totally agree with you on this, nine, and stated as much in my post.

Robert chose to reinvent himself and focus on exploring different musical styles and such. That's a large part of why he's still out there making music, getting awards and such - because he's not trying to rehash the past.

But, here's the thing. I don't think "rehashing" can be a term applied to a band who is still popular, still selling music, and still gaining new fans with each generation. I mean, I was born in 1975. By the time I even discovered LZ, it was all long over. That's why I included McCartney in my post. Had I gone to that show and all he played was new material, I would have been PISSED. And I don't think I would have been alone. I also think it's a lot more difficult for a guitarist to go solo than it is for a singer, and likewise to explore different types of music. I mean, what are we asking for here? Jimmy Plays Light Rock Classics? Jimmy Plays Banjo's Greatest Hits? Jimmy gets naughty on the Mandolin? :o

Now Rick Astley doing a "Never Gonna Give You Up" tour, yeah...THAT would be rehashing, because it is not "timeless" music. And....how scary is that thought? :unsure:

I for one am with him on that--I'd have loved to have seen and heard far more of Jimmy over the past decade. And I hope we hear far more of him soon.

Well, if I had a choice between hearing Jimmy or Robert playing all new material or LZ, I would choose LZ every time. Maybe I'm alone in this, and that's fine. Certainly wouldn't be the first time. :)

Did anyone need to hear that Jimmy likes to watch football on TV? Cheap shot artist for profit.

Wall knows better.

Absolutely! I gotta admit adding that "oh, so tragic" business was a nice touch, though. I mean we can't go ostracizing all Led Zep fans, can we? Especially when that's precisely the demographic to which we're pandering our wares? I can just imagine how different his comments would have been had his "falling out" been with RP instead of Jimmy.

Man, I wish Jimmy would write a book! :(

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Apparently, he felt he had fallen out with RP too--at least until RP reads the book, when he feels he will change his mind.

I could ask why saying Jimmy watches football is a cheap shot, to people who DON'T think watching football has negative connotations, but I won't. :D

Where I REALLY have a problem is with the idea that it's more difficult for a guitarist to explore different kinds of music. :huh: Guitarists leave bands and join/form other bands constantly. Sometimes playing the same kind of music, sometimes not. Why is that so hard?

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Someone in the Grateful Dead commented on what happens in the group dynamics. I guess every group goes through it sooner or later, including Led Zeppelin. Unlike other bands their music tends to retain a high quality on its own strength. Their music really has a life of its own.

"There was a lot of intertribal weirdness." Adds Kreutzmann, "When people are having a hard time with their personalities, it goes without saying that the music's gonna suffer also."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/240...in_pennsylvania

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I could ask why saying Jimmy watches football is a cheap shot, to people who DON'T think watching football has negative connotations, but I won't. :D

Why don't you ask Wall? He's the one who thinks it's "tragic". I'd like to see someone TRY and stop me from fondling the remote control when I'm 65. :)

Where I REALLY have a problem is with the idea that it's more difficult for a guitarist to explore different kinds of music. :huh: Guitarists leave bands and join/form other bands constantly. Sometimes playing the same kind of music, sometimes not. Why is that so hard?

It's usually the same, because guitarists usually learn the instrument to play a certain type of music, whether that be country, flamenco or rock and roll. Sure they can attempt a crossover if they want, but they certainly can't go solo like a vocalist can with as much success. How many instrumental guitar records have been successful? One or two? It seems Jimmy has no interest in playing anything other than rock and roll right now, and when you come down to it, that's what most of his fans would WANT to hear from him. I don't see why he should be faulted for that.

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I think Robert would have become famous regardless of whether Jimmy asked him to join his band or not. That talent was too good not to be noticed, and in fact he was already making a name for himself. No doubt Jimmy too would have continued to be successful if Zep hadn't formed. But the success of Zep is not just one of them, it's all of them together. The chemistry they had, their talent etc.

Sadly, it doesn't always work like that, as there are plenty of talented artists who never get within a sniff of a decent break. For those who do, luck as well as talent plays a huge part. Robert was a talented guy who was fortunate enough to fall within Jimmy Page's radar. If he hadn't, he might never have had as good a chance again. Or he might have made a breakthrough on his own or with another group. We'll never know.

But I agree with you on the chemistry part, because it goes both ways. Zeppelin without Robert wouldn't have been the same band. They might not have been as successful, or they might have been just as successful but unrecognisable as the band we know and love. Bearing in mind that if Jimmy hadn't discovered Robert, he would never have encountered Bonzo either. That's two massive changes to the configuration and chemistry right there.

Robert's post Zep projects weren't attempts to outdo the success of Zep. Nothing could equate that because that was based on the relationship of the four of them. Robert chose to reinvent himself and focus on exploring different musical styles and such. That's a large part of why he's still out there making music, getting awards and such - because he's not trying to rehash the past.

I agree with this too. Nicely put.

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*sigh* Nobody is faulting him for it. The point was that it's no more difficult for a guitarist to explore different styles (if he wants to) than a singer.

And that was kinda my point . . .

And here I was thinking it was my point. :slapface: No matter what you think of watching football, it is a cheap shot. As if Jimmy is not entitled to watch football on TV (or any other hobby he enjoys) because he is wasting his talent in doing so. Wall took the nasty route.

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And here I was thinking it was my point. :slapface: No matter what you think of watching football, it is a cheap shot. As if Jimmy is not entitled to watch football on TV (or any other hobby he enjoys) because he is wasting his talent in doing so. Wall took the nasty route.

Nooooo . . . my point was that it's only a cheap shot if you think there's something wrong with watching football. Which Wall does, and I don't.

I'd agree with him that Jimmy was wasting his talent if ALL he does is [insert hobby here] --I don't know if that's the case or not. Wall implies it is.

Either way, nobody could be happier than me if he's supporting the glorious Liverpool FC every time their boots hit the turf, or if he's embroidering tea-cosies, for that matter. It would just be nice if we could actually hear some music from him TOO.

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Nooooo . . . my point was that it's only a cheap shot if you think there's something wrong with watching football. Which Wall does, and I don't.

I'd agree with him that Jimmy was wasting his talent if ALL he does is [insert hobby here] --I don't know if that's the case or not. Wall implies it is.

Either way, nobody could be happier than me if he's supporting the glorious Liverpool FC every time their boots hit the turf, or if he's embroidering tea-cosies, for that matter. It would just be nice if we could actually hear some music from him TOO.

Uh, if you know what Wall thinks already then you would agree it is a cheap shot correct? Obviously it it NOT the only thing Jimmy does. That is a ridiculous notion. His objective is to profit from his opinion. Which no one really cares about unless he has some type of inside info. Whats odd is, he does not. He never touches on Jimmy and Robert's relationship at it's present state, because? He no not what we want, do he? So he writes a bunch of BS to sell his book. Good on ya, so called ex friend. I hope Jimmy finds something to sue him on, and gets a huge portion of Wall's profit. That would be justice.

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I honestly think we're basically agreeing here, but one more time, for what it's worth--I'm saying it only comes across as a cheap shot (however Wall may have intended it) if you think there's something wrong with Jimmy spending his time that way. (Though it's not THAT ridiculous--we haven't seen a whole lotta Jimmy this year. I wish we had!)

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There is no doubt that Robert has done so much more than Jimmy after Zep( Touring and Recording new Music). There is no doubt that Jimmy did all the work on the remaster's of Zep. Robert doesnt promote Zep as his only source . Jimmy Does. I wish Jimmy recorded more solo albums ,but he didnt . He always said he had stuff ,but we all know that was more then a decade ago ,and where still waiting. It is a waste of talent . Mick Wall is right , and I'm a huge Jimmy fan, but its the truth . Robert certainly knows it too.

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Jimmy Page living his own life at his own pace is his own choice. Like it or not. I don't see it as a waste because he can still play his balls off.

As far as original music is concerned other than the Mighty Rearranger and his collaboration with Jimmy Page on Walking Into Clarksdale, Robert Plant hasn't released any original music since 1993. That's 15 years. Is he wasting his talent?

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Jimmy Page living his own life at his own pace is his own choice. Like it or not. I don't see it as a waste because he can still play his balls off.

As far as original music is concerned other than the Mighty Rearranger and his collaboration with Jimmy Page on Walking Into Clarksdale, Robert Plant hasn't released any original music since 1993. That's 15 years. Is he wasting his talent?

I'd love it if Jimmy put out his own version of Dreamland. His interpretations of songs that inspired and influenced him. Everyone knows a lot of Zep's greatest songs were reworkings of old blues and traditional songs. Why would you consider Dreamland or Raising Sand a waste of talent? Do you think the same about "you shook me", Black Mtn Side, Levee, etc.. were they a waste of talent since they weren't original? I'm not following the logic.

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