To paraphrase Max Yasgur, “I’m a rock fan.” My first album
was the Beatles Second Album. 9th birthday. 1964. My latest is the
new Joan Osborne. My tastes are all over the place. Do I like bland and modern
as suggested above? Who would that be? I do play it safe sometimes if you can
call Los Lobos safe. But I’ve always given everything a try. That’s why I can
say I don’t like, oh, death metal, or Yani. Keeping it in the Vault, I love a
good short fast song with a lot of attitude (Elvis Costello – Pump It Up 06/07/78)
and I love me some jamming (The Flamin Groovies – Road House 6/30/71. Hot Tuna
- Death Don’t Have No Mercy 04/30/72) And I love the blues in all flavors when
it’s done by masters instead of pretenders. (Electric Flag – I’d Rather Drink
Muddy Water 05/18/1968.)
When Led Zeppelin came out in early ‘69 I was 14 and Jeff
Beck’s Beck-Ola had already been on the turntable for half a year. Three songs
into LZ came You Shook Me. I distinctly remember reaching for Beck-Ola to play
Beck’s earlier version. I thought, hey wait a minute. This is a rip-off. And
that Rod Stewart guy is a better singer. Yeah, I said it. (After ‘74 I can’t defend Rod but wait until
the Vault puts up Jeff Beck Group’s 07/24/68 show.) At 14 I didn’t know my
blues originators so I wasn’t hip to the theft of Jake Holmes’ "Dazed and
Confused." A complete rip off but Jimmy Page is credited with writing it.
Holmes opened for the Yardbirds in ‘67 and Page just stole it. Then there was
Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years, Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe - When the
Levee Breaks, Muddy Waters’ You Need Love = Whole Lotta Love, Willie Dixon - I
Can't Quit You Baby, Sonny Boy Williamson - Bring It On Home, Muddy Waters -
You Shook Me, Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" = "The Lemon
Song." When Cream, The Allman Bros. etc. released an album the real writer
was credited. It matters. When you’ve already seen some money from the
Yardbirds and the first LZ album it’s pathetic to rob songwriters. And it
wouldn't be so sad if they had not come down so hard and humorlessly on Little
Roger and the Goosebumps’ parody “Gilligan’s Island (Stairway)” aka
"Stairway to Gilligan's Island.” Luckily they did move past their greedy
plagiarism phase and into their, elves and gnomes days.
Led Zeppelin was everywhere so you had to just go with it.
Heard all the albums, saw them in Chicago (‘72 & ‘75) and over time I just
came to realize that their lyrics were pretentious and their riffs were
derivative and the reason they took 34 years to release a proper live album was
because they were too lazy to do the endless overdubs that were necessary to
make it tolerable. Let me ask the bootleg experts if your tapes sound more like
these sets from the Vault or from How The West Was Won?
Most of you mentioned that Led Zeppelin was great because
they were influential. By that logic that’s like saying the Cripps and the
Bloods are great because they influenced a lot of other violent street gangs. I
don’t blame Led Zeppelin for street crime but I do blame them for all of the
hair metal bands. And by (hair) extension, the destruction of the ozone layer.
The Vault’s blurb says “their arrival tolled the death knell for Peace and
Love.” And that’s a good thing? An influence? Yes, a lot more people found Lord
of the Rings through LZ than found real blues.
I agree that it’s all a matter of taste. And a lot of it has
to do with where you were and how old you were when you “discovered” a band. So
if LZIIII was on the 8-track when the older kids let you ride with them in the
Nova you’ve probably been imprinted like a baby duck and who am I to try to
talk you out of it? But one of you really needs to get out of the Nova and get
some perspective. “The music industry is the way it is today more due to the
impact of Led Zeppelin than any other band, including the Beatles.” I’m
speechless. I’m not one of those fans who think the Beatles were perfect and
untouchable but if it weren’t for the Beatles, Page would be playing tonight at
the Ramada Inn with Neil Christian & the Crusaders and Plant’s career would
never have even gotten as far as the Obs-Tweedle band.
And I still can’t listen to Stairway without hearing the
lyrics to the Gilligan’s Island theme. Thank god (or Clapton.)
Peter H
