Led Zeppelin 2007 Tour-Will this actually happen?

Sorry if I start sounding like Simon Cowell here but All The King's Horses is a perfect showcase for what's wrong with Plant's vocals now. Listen carefully to it and you'll hear a lot of flat notes. Listen to the word "alll"--he never sings it on key, it always wavers flat. Plant circa 1988 would have nailed this the way he did with Ship of Fools. This kind of hit and miss might be ok in live performance but on a studio album, it's damned sloppy.

This brings up another problem. The rest of his band are a bunch of young guys in awe of the rock star, so none of them probably have the guts to say, "Percy, that was a bit off. Go in there and do another take." He's fired several back-up musicians over the years so they're probably all scared of him.

 

If you use this kind of vocal scutiny for every rock record, I think you'll find a lot of singers who are flat. You may well be right about the deviation from "correct" pitch, but my impression of "Horses" (and all of Mighty Rearranger) is that it's Plant's best work in years. Pitchy? Maybe. But it also rocks.

 

Keep in mind that was over 10 years ago as it is. I agree that when he sings more current material written for his current vocal abilities, he does have a great voice.

It's because people buy into the BRAND Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and The Who etc. It's like when people travel the world, but eat at McDonalds because they know what they are going to get when they eat there. They don't want to take chances. They just want to keep reliving history and most probably don't even know any better when Roger Daltrey sounds like crap each and every night that they just dropped $200 on a ticket so they can hear "the guy" sing "the song."

I am a bit torn with the thought of a Van Halen reunion with David Lee Roth. As much as I would like to see it (I was too young to go to concerts when Dave was still in the band), it is probably best left to memories and old bootleg videos. It is almost better if some of these people, like Robert Plant, move on to something new and different. Glad to see he's still active and continually trying to reinvent himself.

 

Nonsense!

 

I don't see how - *any* band wanting to reunite and play live - can somone have a perception of by doing so this will tarnish their image. All of these guys are human beings that *want* to play music, music that's very important to them. They can't help the fact that they're aging. If anything, we should applaud *anybody* that wants to play live at 60 plus. We're all going to be this age someday, do we want restrictions placed on us because of our age. Besides, LZ loved the blues. These blues men (and women sorry Memphis Minnie, etc) played and played well into old age and the living ones are still doing so. Go to Clarksdale, Mississippi and see why Page and Plant chose that town for an album title.

How can a performance *now* tarnish something that was recorded and loved for decades? You have the CDs and DVDs, listen to those and stay away from the shows, if you want to place restrictions on older musicians. It will be *your* loss.

Sorry for the rant and non-sequiturs, but sometimes I feel people have a "Logan's Run" mentality towards musicians.

 

The problem is that many musicians pushed the limits of their abilities hitting high notes, playing a million notes on the guitar etc. and as they age, likely can't reproduce that. On that note, I saw Tommy Shaw unplugged with Jack Blades on Saturday and damn it if that guy doesn't sound exactly the same as he did 30 years ago!

 

Maybe that's why it dropped off the charts in three weeks (#20 week 1, #64, week 2, #97 week 3) and other than a couple of arena shows last tour, no one really went to his gigs

Seriously, I know what you're getting at. I wanted to like Mighty Rearranger. Other than the ridiculous "world-music wannabe" repetitive guitar riffs from Justin Adams, the band is by far the best post-Zeppelin band Page has worked with. The other guitarist, Skin (of Portishead fame) is the best axe slinger since Page to work with Plant, and the rhythm section is the closest Plant's come to Bonham-Jones (now that he dumped the one-note son-in-law bassist). Plus, the songwriting was solid, other than his hyprocritical slagging of his contemporaries in one song. It's just that wheezing, flat voice that ruined it for me. Sometimes, he sounded like Robert Plant with a cold. At other times, he sounded like Homer Simpson's dad! Can you imagine this guy trying to do the Golden God routine!!??

Anyway, this thread is about Led Zeppelin reunion rumor #48167. Jones and Plant have said it won't happen. Page has said he'd like to tour with them but Plant isn't interested. Jason Bonham has said he'd love to do it but there are no plans. I agree with those who feel it would ruin the legacy. In other similar discussions, people have brought up that the Stones and the Who are doing it, why not Zeppelin. However, both of these acts put out an album of solid new material that some are touting as their best work in years. Page/Plant/Jones/Jason Bonham have played three times in the past 27 years. Once 19 years ago for a one-off reunion, a 17 years ago for a jam at Jason's wedding, and 12 years ago for a blues jam. I don't think they're ready to go on the road.

 

Oh yeah? Ask Phil Johnstone, Doug Boyle, Paul Martinez, Robbie Blunt, his own son-in-law Charlie Jones, Francis Dunnery et al. They were all once in Plant solo bands but not anymore.

 

All three have at one time or another said that they wouldn't want to just go out there and play the same songs. The most favorable to a reunion is Jimmy Page, and even he said in 2003 that it would be ridiculous for them to go on tour to promote something they did 30 years ago! Jones told a Detroit radio station a few weeks ago that all they could ever be is a Zeppelin tribute band, and there are some of these already out there that could do it better than them and "in key" (Jones' words not mine). Plant has said this countless times. Why do you think Plant walked out on the Page-Plant tour in Dec. 1998. There were dates planned in the far east for early 1999, but Plant quite because he was tired of playing old music (then a few months later he went on a club tour with old friends doing old 60's songs. Go figure!).

 

In case you don't get it; Plant moves on from projects and keeps it interesting. He's been using "Strange Sensation" as his band for some time now. As for the album not staying in the charts? That means nothing! Look at the charts (there is not a lot of quality Rock music on them at the moment) Also, when he played Toronto the gig was sold out. At least 10,000 people were there (probably more) and the crowd was ecstatic; they loved it. I'm trying to keep it positive here. I really like and respect the path Plant has taken. I think he has always shown himself to be a man of class. (Record sales mean nothing now in terms of quality when it comes to Rock music)

 

Unless it's Paul McCartney... Try telling Beatles fans he's not the singer he was in 1965 and this thread will quickly become a seathing 20-pager

There are some bands that I believe can pull off a reunion, and some that cannot. I went to see Queen last year and although it wasn't the same without Freddie, I'm sure glad I went. Not to mention, I challenge most 30-somethings (let alone late 50-somethings) to compare body structure with Paul Rogers. This is one guy you certainly cannot call a "sagging bag of skin."

 

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I agree. I saw Paul Rodgers with Queen and I thought he did an amazing job. The crowd liked it a lot too! He's in terrific shape. Robert Plant still sounds good live but obviously some nights will be better than others. Daltrey has his off nights... These vocalists set the bar so high when they were younger that they can't possibly be expected to sound the exact same way they did in the 70's. It's 30 years on and none of us are the same as we used to be in the mid 70's! (I wish I could still sing like I did 25 years ago!)

 

So if they sit around a table and crunch some numbers.
1 year commitment -50 concerts
Average attendance 25,000 per night
Average ticket price $200
Gross per night $ 5 million + merchandise
Each member walks away a year later with $50 million (minimum).

Not a bad pension plan.

Paul Bradshaw /modlang

 

He does music now he can sing,not old LZ he cant.

 

I've been following his career closely since 1975 and own virtually every recording he's made since starting in the business so I think I get it as well as the next guy.

Yes, SS has been his back-up band since 2002. When he was in Ottawa last time, he did an interview where he said he thought they'd gone as far as they could with SS. Then he did an interview this year with one of the British rock mags (Q, Uncut or Mojo, can't recall which), where he said he was finished with them and was now going to concentrate on his country music career. Then he played a gig with them and booked more SS gigs.

His album not staying on the charts means a lot of people didn't like it. The Toronto sold-out gig was one of very few large venues on that tour. He played some really tiny joints on that tour as well and didn't fill them. Now, either quantity and mass popularity means something to you ("when he played Toronto the gig was sold out") or it doesn't ("As for the album not staying in the charts? That means nothing!...Record sales mean nothing now in terms of quality when it comes to Rock music"). Look, johnny, it's ok to be a fan and to defend the guy, but please don't be so offended if someone else expresses a dislike for what he's doing now. That doesn't make me any less of a fan. It's like friendship. They always say that true friends tell the truth, even if it hurts. I'm telling the truth. Robert Plant's vocals lately sound bad in my opinion. He's capable of better, much better. If he did go on stage on a Zeppelin reunion, it was be a disgrace to the name.

 

This was my arguement as to why a Van Halen tour is inveitable; whether it happens this year or next year or the year after that. Can Roth sing as good now as he did in 1978? Of course not, but I'd still like to see the "show."

As for LZ, I've stated I'd certainly attend a reunion gig, but only if the band was really into it (which I do not think they are, hence I don't think it will happen, nor should it).

But I'm certainly not concerned with Plant's vocal range in 2007 vs. 1967. It's more about attitude than sonics for me at a live show. Can you imagine if Steely Dan was as hung up on sounding as "good" live as they do in the studio? One gig would last all summer.

 

You are way off. Most arenas are probably 12-15k, with a place like MSG hitting 20k. Most amphitheaters in big cities are probably 15-20k. Most tickets are NOT an average of $200 (though it seems like they are).

Don't forget to deduct costs for road crew, gear, staging, paying salaried musicians, etc. Then subtract about 40% in whatever they take home for taxes.

Not exactly $50 million.

 

Roth did say he "arguably" sings better than he did in 1978 in recent quotes about the now postponed/cancelled tour. I for one will be first in line to argue with him.

 

Very true. The question is, should they still be charging people high ticket prices to hear them singing their music from 30 years ago, when they can't sing that way anymore?

 

Numbers are probably a bit inflated but I'm sure you (of all people) know how much the guys in Motley Crue made for their reunion tour a couple of years ago...

I don't want to place quotes around a number, but I seem to remember reading that each guy was making close to a million dollars a show. That seems high to me, but I swear that's what I read.

Good article on REUNION MONEY here:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/feb/08/rock_bands_genx_groups_lured_money_reunite/?entertainment

EDIT... From the aforementioned article, Motley Crue took in close to 40 million for 22 concerts, so each guy may have only been pocketing a quarter mil per gig. I don't know how Tommy Lee is paying his bills with that chump-change?

 

Plant still has a very good voice for a man his age. Mighty Re. was a very good album. I have never seen him in concert. I would like to. Honestly, its only rock and roll. Led Zeppelin could do whatever that they would want and never tarnish anything. You could make an argument that Zeppelin is the greatest rock and roll band of all time. They certainly have a consistantly great body of work. I am sure that they could dig deeper into the unreleased stuff and pull some some very cool things for years to come. Be it old shows or outtakes. 3 good months of rehearsing and this band could make millions and play great concerts. Remember who we are talking about here. John Paul Jones is an amazing musician. Jimmy Page, forget it. Jason B has played a lot of gigs over the years. He would and could do fine. This whole thing is crazy. Personally, I thought that at times Plant over sang on some of the early records anyway.

 

Because I have a Crue avatar means I know what they were raking in per show? I am sure they are doing OK for themselves, but concert gross numbers give the impression that musicians are making a lot more than they really are. Also, most of the time, those numbers don't include merchandise money, which even at 40% venue markups, still help rake in the dough.

 

Bit off topic, but I would be really surprised if Roth knew what the word "arguably" even means, let alone using it in a sentence.

 

Please accept my appology. If you'd be so kind as to provide your address I'll send you some cash to make up for my ignorance.

I thought you "might" have a bit on insite? If I had a Julio Inglesias avatar I certainly would not be offended if somone asked me a question about one of his songs. Doesn't matter, I found the monetary figures for the 2005 tour by myself, with a Motley avatar. And 50 million isn't too far off (certainly not "way off") for a LZ tour seeing as how Motley made 40 million.

 

You two behave now, or you know where this is headed. I don't want to have to take this belt off...