Robert Plant: Fans Should Move On

Agreed.

His last few solo records are wonderful.

 

Especially since they've done several over the years. How many reunions is enough?

1985 - Live Aid - Televised to the entire world
1988 - Atlantic 40th Celebration - Televised
2007 - O2 Reunion concert/Live album/DVD

Not to mention:

Page & Plant:
1 Live album/TV Programme/DVD
1 Studio Album
2 Major tours
1990 Knebworth Plant concert with Page guesting (some tracks included on a Knebworth live album/video)

...as well as guest appearances/co-writes on each other's solo albums (if I'm not missing/forgetting anything):

JPJ - Scream For Help - Page plays on 2 tracks - one of which he co-wrote
Page - Outrider - Plant co-wrote and sang one song
Plant - Now & Zen - Page guitar solos on two songs

...plus there's The Honeydrippers Plant Vocals with Page on guitars for two songs

I can't be the only one who totally understands why Plant would find the never ending reunion speculations/questions annoying after all that. How many reunions is it going to take to satisfy people?

Plus I'm sure he knows his voice wouldn't hold up for a full LZ reunion tour anyway. Why embarrass himself? He doesn't need the money. Plus he is a well respected solo artist (who has been on a bit of creative/commercial/critical high point over the last decade or so - starting (and perhaps peaking) with Raising Sand.

Funny how (in a way) he's carrying on the 'spirit' of Led Zeppelin far more than a "LZ plays the hits" reunion tour would do. At their best Led Zeppelin pushed boundaries/mixed things up in their music. Which ex-member is doing that now in his solo career? Its no contest.

BTW to those who believe his playing LZ songs on his solo tours is somehow hypocritical:

1 - he probably does needs to do some due to fan demand, and would you say the same thing about JPJ doing LZ songs on his solo tour? - because in fact HE DID - not to mention Page also doing so on his solo/Firm/Coverdale tours
2 - on a solo tour he can pick and choose which specific LZ songs he feels he can do justice to at this point in his life - but on a LZ reunion tour the setlist would pretty much need to select itself - a LZ reunion tour would absolutely require that certain songs he either no longer likes/is sick of (Stairway) or can't handle vocally anymore (take yer pick!) be played.
3 - on solo tours he has almost total freedom in choosing his setlists, doing only the oldies (LZ & solo) he likes/still means something to him at his age/he can vocally handle at his age.

 

Good for you Robert.

 

Once a fairly cool Brit cat(pre-STH)he has now become a omniscient pompous a__ of British descent. IMO.

 

Amen to that, my friend!

LOL perhaps that's the reason! Vague response on his part -- perhaps he can't think of any really good examples.

 

Plant should have a word with that cretin who sings for Greta Van Feet. Like, 'Dood, don't copy my old crap...copy my new crap'. And see who buys that. QED.

 

And the present doesn't have to be "Presence" either...

 

I say leave the man alone. He's a big boy, and gets to make his own musical decisions. He is obviously doing what he enjoys, and I'm grateful he's still above ground, and making new music while touring. I'm one of those who believes that Led Zeppelin was the absolute greatest rock n roll band on the planet, and as much as I would love to for them to tour for eternity, it's not going to happen. They are not the rock n roll "Gods" many of us have crowned them. They are mortal men, who have gotten old, grown weary, and even died (RIP John Bonham). Let's enjoy the efforts of the three that still remain, and let them live in peace.

 

Everybody line up to pat Robert Plant on the back again for saying things he's been saying for 30 years now.

 

I think Plant mistakenly believes the music press has the power and readership it did during his peak. Rolling Stone is a shadow of itself, particularly in terms of music coverage. I suspect they make more money from their retrospective special issues, because I see way more of those than the actual current issues. Likewise, Uncut, Mojo, etc., are putting old bands on their covers because that's what sells. And jeez, the guy talked to a magazine called Classic Rock--proof of where the market lies.

Those are all print publications, of course. I don't know about "all these...internet platforms." Who could? Anyone can put up a site and call himself a critic. The big ones seem to be split down the middle between new and old music, but again, there's no way Pitchfork has the influence RS did in the '60s and '70s.

I'm with him in one regard: I won't say there's no good new music out there just because I'm not aware of it.

 

Of the full-scale reunions, Live Aid and Atlantic '88 were garbage. Just awful, awful, awful. The RRHOF set was saved by Neil Young. Page was obviously drunk, or high, or something.

The O2 is the only one that stands up, because they actually put some effort into doing the music justice.

It pains me to say it, but we're 20 years away from the brief Page & Plant years. Both tours were excellent. If you're under 30 and a Zep fan, Robert's your only shot at hearing those songs done live, unless your parents dragged you to a Page & Plant show when you were too young to really appreciate what you were seeing.

Anyway, Robert's the most active and most vocal of the three remaining members, he will forever be blamed for not touring with the other two in 2008, and bailing on Jimmy in 1998, and rightfully so, but the reunion questions at this point are just silly.

Then again, the last time Rolling Stone interviewed McCartney, maybe a year ago, they asked him if he would ever tour with Ringo! It never ends.

 

Eh. When you reach a certain age, life is more comfortable when things are familiar, including ones music. Especially when trying to satisfy one’s thirst for nostalgia.

That being said, while there is a lot of great music out there - from my biased vantage point - it has a LOT to compete with given the amount of truly incredible music I’ve exposed myself to over the years.

 

Not quite the three you mention but a pretty good list of other issues that might be inflicted upon us.

The magnificent Weavers:



Best Wishes,
David

 

Plant said it over and over : No Bonzo, no LZ. And he is 1000% right.

 

Sure, and no Plant, no LZ, no Page, no LZ . . . etc.

 

Also, his son died in the middle of what was already a pretty bad time for Zeppelin (the 1977 tour). He only reluctantly came back to the band for its last couple years, and then Bonham died.

I think people forget that - his son *died* while Zeppelin was on tour, during which there was already bad stuff occurring behind the scenes. And depending on which history you read, not all of his bandmates exactly rushed to offer their support while he grieved.

It's amazing he ever returned to Zeppelin in any circumstances after that. He seems like a guy who loves music and performing, but has "scaled the heights," dealt with tragedies, but still found ways to return to what he loves. If "what he loves" isn't Zeppelin, he can't be faulted for that.

 

But his son dying didn't have anything to do with Led Zeppelin. Why should he not have returned once he had grieved and started getting on with his life again? (as indeed he did)

 

Priorities. And also looking at what Zeppelin had become, how fragile life is and all that. Bonham dying also driving that point home.

I'm just saying, I think he took a much more reticent attitude towards the full concept of Zeppelin thereafter, more and more at arm's length over the years. Every time he went back (Live Aid, Atlantic 40th, even Page/Plant), it was never quite as satisfying - diminishing returns. And so I think the 02 show was very much putting that all to bed for good.

 

it’s a stupid point to begin with. why should he stop performing his owns songs anyway? he’s writing new music, performing new music and playing his old songs as well. isn’t that what every band does? he’s not living in the past, he’s firmly rooted in the present.

good on him!!

 

Of course, it's not that ironic seeing as Classic Rock covers a lot of newer bands working in the old-school (hard) rock style, as well as whatever new stuff the legendary old timers might be up to.

 

Celebs of his stature have more than enough clout to have "ground rules" in every interview, especially if he's connected to a big manager/agency. Plant ALLOWS the question to be asked in every interview, because he can't get big press without it. I've also noticed that he almost never takes interviews that seriously, which has ended up with the issue of big chunks of his career is still are undocumented by quotes(ie: he's never discussed writing new Zeppelin Lyrics in 1982 for CODA).

If he could be like Paul Weller/Mark Knopfler/Peter Gabriel and do as little as possible from his old band Plant would probably do so. IMO, RP wants to keep his live $ guarantee at a certain level and having setlists that are about 50% LZ gets the desired effect.

 

Bonzo was the only one who showed up. Page, Jones and Grant just weren't there.

 

Most sensible, considered, and coherent reply here.

 

You truly have no idea what we are taking abou here. Not everything is so cute-and-dried as much as a lot of folks seem to think it is.