Conflicted about Zep?

Sure there are millions who think Zep is God's gift to the world. Rock as ART.
Hey, they just received the Lincoln Center thing.

And of course there are millions more who think they are worthless Poseurs
(or I could go with talent-less hacks, if you prefer)

Me? I go both ways.

If you HATE (or are indifferent to)Zep, this is not your thread.
If you LOVE (or admire) Zep, this is not your thread.

This is a place to vent for those who, like me, go both ways.

Now I have my own very specific set of things I love about Zep.
And I have an equally specific set of attributes that I HATE about Zep.

As often as not, I find a lot of both sets in the same track. But it's hardly
worth going into if I'm an anomalous duck. So first, is there anybody else
out there who, like me, finds them a fascinating, but equally frustrating
case.

 

I don't know how old you are but you should have been around during the late Seventies and early eighties when Led Zeppelin were merely a "thing of the past" to many people. It's funny how they've come back into fashion and stayed there.

 

...and you have had to have seen them in concert.

 

Mmmm, yes and no, they could be on live, but there were many shows that were very average or worse, IMHO.

 

Conflicted about Zep?


No, not really.

 

It was a d

Well no one group of solo performer is "Jesus Come Back From The Dead" every night. But some are closer than others !

 

I like some of their stuff - the first album in particular, but other stuff leaves me cold.

I know Clapton is one musician who isn't a fan.

 

I do.


Led Zeppelin II - I love this. Soundtrack of my youth. I never tired of it and can still put it on and thoroughly enjoy it.

Led Zeppelin I - I can always listen to this album and enjoy it but not as much as II.

Led Zeppelin III - Love side II. I can usually put this on and enjoy it.


I don't usually enjoy Zeppelin IV or HOTH or PG. I don't really like Coda or Presence or ITTOD. There are some tracks on all of them I can listen to and really like. There is a ton of stuff I hate and can't listen to. That's Zeppelin in a nutshell to me. I hold Whole Lotta Love in very high regard. It embodies Heavy Metal to me and has never been outdone! The sound of this recording is incredible!

 

The concert I went to, was after release of the 3rd album, with some songs from House of the Holy...14th row center...my hearing didn't return, fully, until later the next day !

 

I have tried many times with Led Zep. I simply don't enjoy them. There are some amazing riffs in there, and some brilliant drumming, but it all goes down the plughole as soon as Percy starts screeching. I don't like his voice, his style of singing, or the lyrics.

 

I certainly needed a break from Zep at the dawn of the 80s. It was time for a breath of fresh air...I even heard a hard rock DJ mention as much during a radio show in '81. Ironically, this was partially rectified by Plant's fantastic early solo albums, along with a good dose of post punk and new wave.

Given time and less airplay of "Stairway To Heaven", it was easy to reassess and appreciate their greatness. Plus, "Ten Years Gone" is one of my fave songs ever!

I must add that there are some screechy Zep songs where I don't enjoy Plant's vocals.

 

I must admit, although I love a lot of their tracks, I don't hold them in the same esteem as many do. And yes, I did see them live in the early days (1958 and 1970). Great gigs, but not the best I've seen.

 

The business was different in that there was much more music being released by music companies, and most of it has stood the Test of Time.

 

1958? My oh my, those were the early days.

 

Yeah..I'm conflicted.

A little bit of background. I am a firm Beatles fan from 1971 - now (when I was 10yrs old). I picked up on other bands as I matured. The Who in 1975, then Zep. The song that drew me in was "Song Remains the Same". It was the sound of the 12 string, which I was infatuated at the time...and trying to save some money to get 12 string Rickenbacker ..eventually did some 15 years later.

Anyway, "Physical Graffiti" came out and I heard "The Wanton Song" on one of the rock stations. That drum bass riff....that's cool. I had to get this LP, but it was mucho bucks for an 8th grader. Since I went to Catholic school and my "confirmation" was coming up, I thought...parents here's an nice Confirmation present . From that point I was hooked.

In High School to be anybody on a guitar meant strutting the heavy riffs of the day....not just "Smoke on the Water" or "Aqualung", but the real finger benders..."Heartbreaker" , "War Pigs", "The Rover", "Highway Star", "Tie your Mother Down"....oh, I could go on and on.

My High School "Zep ruled".
One of the local bands got "Good Times Bad Times" spot on....we would have carried the members of the band over our heads as heroes if they let us. In fact, there were some bands like "Hello People" and another one, that was very "Chicago" influenced, that we walked out on. Not because they were lousy, but because they weren't Zeppelin .

I got good enough on guitar that I could do a fairly confident Jimmy Page. Even had a Zeppelin like band. Then I saw them live in 1977. That was big deal, especially as we had to wait a few additional months after Page's finger accident and Plant's death of his son and his motorcycle accident. In the meantime, I started to dabble with Prog. Got into Yes and Genesis and all the pedal box sounds....etc.

Then the conflict started...first with my peers as I was getting into Prog too much, but then because of the punk, new wave thing starting to happen. It was my age group, it was music that were songs, not about "Toad jars" and "Stairways to heaven"...it was teenage frustrations. The Jam got to me....They had it all. The Who influence, the smart clothes, the great 2 - 3 minute songs, the Rickenbackers.....I dropped Zeppelin like the flared trousers I was wearing.

From 1978-9 until about three or four years ago I didn't play much of their music. Got rid of all my Zep vinyl back in the early 80s, as noted in post#2, they were yesterday's news. Around 1990 I got the Marino box set...I was curious as to what the "remastered" Zep would sound like....I still had an affinity to their sound, but really played them on and off until three or four years ago. Started jamming with friends and again the Zep riffs would fly and like riding a bicycle, it all came back again. I've bought most of the vinyl...not making an active search, but if I see something in the stalls or on our classifieds, at the right price, I'll pull the trigger.

What am I getting on with this pointless diatribe?? I don't know, I guess I'm admitting that I still like Zeppelin and conflicted at the same time.

 

Very rough and ready then. Finger slip, did mean 1969 of course!

 

Am i the only one who loves ITTOD? It's different, yes, but it's great.

 

Led Zeplin IV with stairway to heaven and all that was big in my little town in the late 80s for whatever reason. Probably because it is somewhat of a precursor (much, much better precursor) to the hair bands that were huge at that time out west. So I love the album. But the rest of their stuff is very much greatest hits territory for me and I can't remember the last time I put any on. But I like the lyrics, Plant's singing, and the rifts of quite a few songs. But the romance ends there. And you know? What did you come of age with? For me it's very 90s alternative, the kind of music people who grew up on Zep just aren't moved by even if we can all, I hope, respect other's tastes. And honestly, even if Zep isn't the center of my musical universe, there are songs like Kashmir and All of my Love and others that I find deeply moving when they come on.

 

I share your point of view. While they are 'a landmark in R&R history and I like a whole lot of their
music, I don't seem to like them as much as people would like me to - especially live.

 

A Led Zeppelin thread for me!!
I've got all their albums from 1969-1976, plus the 1990 box set.
Nonetheless, Robert Plant's singing and lyrics have always been a bit of a problem for me
Also, their live recordings (offical and otherwise) aren't usually that impressive to me. I do like the BBC set a lot.
AND starting around the early to mid 90's, I've been a little put off by the endless courthouse appearances for songwriting credits.

It is funny interesting how LZ has come back into fashion, but the game clock hasn't run out yet.

 

I absolutely love the band's music now, but:
- it took me a long time before I could stand Robert Plant's voice
- they should have had a lot more respect for the original authors of their music
So yes, I'm a bit conflicted about Led Zeppelin

 

Led Zeppelin IV is a MASTERPIECE.

 

Using all capital letters doesn't necessarily make it so.

I bet you're correct though, but I've never been into all the tunes on IV, so it's not a "chef d'oeuvre" for me.

 

(to the increased use of the word on this forum in the last few weeks)....

 

Was never "conflicted" but wasn't a fan, despite liking some songs here and there. My perception, then, was that they were more of a band for stoners, like Lynryd Skynyrd and, to a lesser extent, Foghat. "Stairway to Heaven" would be at, or near, the top of any overplayed list. Used to have the first 2 on vinyl.

Since then, got the LZ complete box set. Despite 45+ page threads to the contrary, nothing's convinced me that they're going to get the catalog to sound that much better on a digitial format. This assumption may prove to be incorrect, but they'll have to find another customer, willing to shell out over $100 to find out. Without having that box set, there wouldn't have been an urge to seek out certain Zep albums. Anyway, the interest, over the last few years, persuaded me to explore some of Plant's & Jones's solo work and the band DVD's. Glad to have these. So, as the OP stated, this is a case of neither loving them nor hating them.