Robert Plant 2017 "Whole Lotta Love" Live

That was a) because he wished to establish himself as a solo artist distinct from Zeppelin and b) because playing the Zeppelin material was probably emotionally difficult (no doubt the death of John Bonham so soon after the loss of Plant's own son was devastating).

And all credit to Plant for walking away from what was surely a multi-multi-multi million dollar payday reforming Zeppelin. The way Plant selectively performs that material these days ensures the emphasis remains upon the songs, rather than nostalgic Enormo-dome spectacle.

 

I didn't tell you not to post it. You can still post it if you want to and you can continue to show everyone how you completely and utterly miss the point. That's up to you.

 

Correct.

 

Loads of Zeppelin stuff... with loads of different instrumentation, arrangements, and band members with fresh and unique takes on things

There is a big facet to it that you missed

 

I don't see why he could not also do Zeppelin numbers in a "new, fresh and exciting style" with Zeppelin. It worked well enough with Page/Plant.

Not that I'm pining for a Zeppelin reunion, I'm just saying that @blackdograilroad 's point is not entirely gratuitous. Plant says that what he's got now is too good to start doing remakes, and then he.... does remakes!

 

Although to be fair, can we actually quote Plant in saying that "he is to good to ever do ANY old songs" or is that just our projection put onto him? I have seen him talk about not living in the past, always moving forward musically and seek out new things, but never that he is too good to revisit anything. And to me, not living in the past and playing old material can co-exist peacefully and Robert does it well

And revisiting old songs with new arrangements with new musicians with different instrumentation.... yeah to me I can definitely see the appeal in that. And sure he could also do Zeppelin songs in a new style with Zeppelin... but he doesn't want to, which to me is perfectly respectable

 

effing awesome version of that song... Robert keep things alive and fresh... better this way than returning to something that can never be...

 

No, he's never said that he would never do any old songs, but it's long been a line of his that he's not interested in doing a Zeppelin reunion because what he's got now is so great, but the band he has now does a lot of Zeppelin songs. It's at least moderately ironic.

And I think it's a fair point about re-arranging Zeppelin songs within Zeppelin - it was that first Page/Plant video that proved to me it could be done, and done well.

This won't be a popular observation, but to me the performance of "Whole Lotta Love" being featured here is really kind of, well, lame. He has a very professional band and his attempts at re-arranging it are admirable, but the whole thing just sounds a little elderly. It reminds me of the Cream reformation where you get to hear all the old Cream songs performed very skillfully and calmly by some very old masters. It is interesting but lacks fire. I seem to remember people complaining about the lack of vigor in the Cream reunion and I'd say that this cover also lacks vigor. The fiddle bit in the middle - really? If anyone else had done this, it would be overwhelmingly panned.

To be clear, I don't really think that there is a way that Robert Plant pushing 70 can perform "Whole Lotta Love" and really do it justice. It's not a slam on him, it's just too youthful a sentiment for an aged balladeer to pull off.

I don't think that Plant's continued solo trajectory is wrong or bad, but I do think that a lot of the credit he gets is merely down to the fact that he refuses to rejoin Zeppelin - somehow that very act of refusal gives him bulletproof credibility. I just don't see that this treatment of "Whole Lotta Love" is really very radical or different - it seems to be a rather low key, sleepy arrangement of a hard rock classic, comparable to Clapton's unplugged version of "Layla."

 

Woooooo, yeh!





...push, push, push, push

 

The Now And Zen tour was the first solo tour where he played ANY Zeppelin material, AFAIK. It was very clear that he wasn't going to be playing "Stairway To Heaven". I remember thinking that he wouldn't play any old hits. Just obscure stuff.

So, I remember being pleasantly surprised when he played "Immigrant Song" and "Communication Breakdown". He had the keyboard player sing some of the vocal parts to "Black Dog" and "The Ocean" during "Tall Cool One". I very distinctly remember "Ship Of Fools" and "Going To California" played back to back.

The point being that he mixed the solo material, the Zeppelin material, and even a cover tune to where it all blended together. He wasn't trying to play the hits. He was trying to play a show. And, it worked.

This is what he continues to do. He plays what he feels. Whether that's a new song, a rearranged Zeppelin song, a Zeppelin song played straight, or some old blues or folk standard, he just goes with it. He knows he's not 25 anymore. He doesn't try to act like he is. He knows who he is, what he is, and what he can do.

I'd rather he continue to do that than to play the track listing of Mothership, with or without Jimmy and/or Jonesy.

 

"Songs that made the hit parade...
Those were the days..."

 

I think it is the musical structure and audience expectations of Zep rather than the songs themselves that would make him feel trapped in the past.
I too would be just as happy to see a Plant show with no Zep stuff but enjoy it when a few are in the set.
Seeing him at Sydney Opera House next March and although I have been to the 2 previous Australian tours he has done particularly looking forward to seeing him in a small venue.

 

Great stuff!

 

On the Plant/Page tours of the mid 90s they were playing 95% Zep material, especially the 98/99 electric tour. In my mind that was the Zep reunion - I know there was no JPJ etc etc but still it was Plant playing the material with full gusto whilst he still had the stamina to do so and without the weight of the name.
As has been said on here, I think doing the songs is fine, its the whole juggernaut that he doesn't want to have to resurrect every time he plays them.

 

Thank you.

 

I have a lot of respect towards Plant that he does his "own" thing nowadays mostly and doesn't play his classic material over and over again.

How many classic rock musicians from 1960-1970s are doing mostly fresh material?

 

I dont see what is so hard for some folks to comprehend about this:

Plant:"It's about intention, I respect and relish my past works but each time I feel the lure and incentive to create new work. I must mix old with new. Consequently the whole impetus of the band has moved on its axis somewhat, the new sound and different space giving way to exciting and dramatic landscapes of mood, melody and instrumentation."

 

I really enjoyed watching this. I have seen it a few times on my TV via teletext. Great stuff. I get some of the negative comments on this thread but i think he did a great show.

 

Plant's moved on and seems to be enjoying it, meanwhile, Page just hangs around with that annoying photographer.

 

Sounds like Plant. Just a wee bit over-complicated.

 

They're not in competition.

 

It's not just for artistic reasons, Plant told Jason Bonham to his face that there couldn't ever be a full-blown Zeppelin 'reunion' because it would have been too painful for him not to have had his ol' friend Bonzo behind the kit.

No Bonzo = No Zeppelin... what I've been saying for years (and why the Celebration Day concert does nothing for me)!

 

That was a one off. Fans just would just bitch and moan if they billed themselves as Led Zeppelin and then changed all the arrangements. If they don’t faithfully reinact the 70’s, I think people would be dissapointed. Far better to leave the legacy untarnished IMO.

 

I thought it was a little bit more than a one-off. Two albums over four years, at least two tours?

I don't want to belabor the point, because as I said, it's not a great desire of mine to see a Zeppelin reunion, I just don't see what a great difference it would have made to include JPJ in the mix. I guess I fail to understand how when you've got Page and Plant and some of Plant's buddies on stage doing adventurous arrangements of Zeppelin songs it's all OK, but if they did exactly the same thing with John Paul Jones suddenly it would be "tarnishing the legacy."

 

Well, they only did one album of Zeppelin songs “reimagined” though, right? The Unledded thing? So, Page and Plant have been there done that. That was my point. I just don’t think fans would buy it....again, particularly if they added Jones and started billing themselves as Led Zeppelin. I think at that point the fan expectation goes up considerably, and that’s probably a big reason why Plant isn’t interested.