Why does Led Zeppelin not excite me?

I was the same for a long while, then I suddenly 'got it'. But what is it that fires a connection between an artist and us?

I really don't get Pearl Jam, opera or Pet Sounds at all, I've tried, but there's just nothing there for me.

In a way, it's the magic of it all, that we don't all like the same stuff.

amen for that. i dont like allot of things i should. all of the above so far for example.

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Originally posted by Nobbyright:
Could be the affect they wanted the listener to experience Dean.

It certainly doesn't square with their accounts of what they were trying to achieve though...quite the opposite in fact.

The interesting thing is that certain music just resonates with individuals, some doesn't. I expect the reasons for this are wide ranging.

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Originally posted by Nobbyright:
Fame and fortune. They weren't out to change the world.

But many artists strike a chord with me, that wouldn't even know that the world could be changed. Bono on the other hand would like to change the world, but he leaves me cold. It's about a lot more than that I think.

Love or hate LZ, I think they wanted a lot more than fame and fortune from their talent/art (Peter Grant maybe not so). They wanted that visceral, sexual, base instinct that tracks like Whole Lotta Love provided...even if they were knocking off poor black blues artists. Can't knock em for that.

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Originally posted by Nobbyright:
The song itself doesn't provide it any more than the painting of a chair provides a real chair; only the artist's idea of one.

I've never agreed with that argument Nobby, the art is the whole package and the performance is about sex (and fair play to it). If Peter Kay covered WLL, it would be different.

The painting of the chair, in my world is the chair...because that's what it makes me think of.

I think that one of the reasons that Led Zeppelin have such a wide appeal is that the rhythm very often has both swing and a little funk to it, which can make it more accessible to people who have come from a soul, or jazz background.

Although their starting point was basically blues, their influences were quite broad, so beyond the rhythmic qualities they also drew on Eastern music. Not specifically in the way that The Beatles had done before them, but they took from the scales of Middle Eastern Music, but played them within a rock framework.

The musicianship of Page, Jones and Bonham was also quite exceptional. There are an awful lot of good guitarists so Page in some ways is less exceptional than the other two. Jones playing on both bass and keyboards is amazing, not showy, but he underpinned the band. Bonham was astounding, there are very few drummers with both his technique and feel. There is so much jazz in Bonham's playing which makes it have a very easy feel, the drummer he reminds me of more than any other is Art Blakey, who also had that driving beat, but also the lazy swing.

Plant's singing is probably down to personal preference, I love his voice, but can quite understand why some do not.

One thing that Led Zeppelin do not offer is a flowing soundscape, although there are keyboards, they are purely as part of the song, usually the rhythm section, they do not contribute layers of atmosphere. I can also appreciate that if someone is into guitar playing of Pat Metheny, that Page does not offer that kind of intricacy or flow (it goes both ways, I just give up on some of Joni Mitchell's 1979 live material as I feel Metheny spoils it). Many Led Zeppelin tracks are either just riff based, or predominantly riff based, so again if you prefer music more based on arrangement, and a flowing chord structure, then I can see this could detract.

Personally they are one of my favourite bands. In particular Bonham astounds me in all respects of his playing, apart from his remembering to oil his bass pedal (Since I've Been Loving You, Houses of the Holy).

I always hated Led Zeppelin, since basically I am a metal-head...

Honestly, by coincidence(???), I started loving them since I own a Naim-kit...

The music really touches me and I love Bonham´s skills as a drummer.

They are now one of my faves and up to Presence I really love most of their songs.

The guitar work is awesome and what John Paul Jones and Mr Bonham do is outstanding, rhythm-section-wise.

Listen to "How the west was won" and FEEL why the west was won. The sound is way beyond most of our current "live-bands" and the feeling is all there...

Well I'm one of those who like Led Zeppelin and III is my favourite elpee by that renowned quartet. I don't find it a challenge to enjoy them.

I think some of the songs could be stronger, but that is perhaps because they think first and foremost about live performances rather than about creating studio works (although I could be wrong). Nonetheless, the studio albums do stand up well against their contemporaries.

Jimmy Page did some fine work with the Yardbirds before they spawned Zeppelin and I think the Page era was the Yardbirds most interesting, despite Clapton and Beck being arguably better technical guitarists.

Stairway is a great song - it's only problem is that it has played to death; so much so that some guitar shops display signs saying No Stairway, but ultimately that just leaves budding axe-men feeling denied.

ATB Rotf

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Mind you, I'd rather listen to Zep than Pink Floyd.

Except Piper at the Gates of Dawn, of course

Butthole Surfers - man, I love ´em...

Hurdy gurdy man...awesome...

Their best:
Independent worm saloon....

quote:

Originally posted by Whizzkid:
Hi Guys


Now I have two Led Zep albums 2 & 3 and have had them for about a year now and when I flick through my collection and come to these albums I think Ooo! I'll play some Led Zep and a few tracks in I think this is really good in a musical sense but leaves me cold emotionally. I appreciate the quality of the playing but really don't get a sense of what Led Zeppelin are to others. I get the feeling I'm listening to a great Country Rock tribute band. I know they are probably just not my cup of tea but because of the love of this band on this and many other boards around the interweb and real world I feel I must be missing something and I'd like to know what makes this band so highly rated when I just don't get them, and Stairway To Heaven whats all that about.

Listening to Disraeli Gears at the moment and bugger me do I get why Cream are highly rated especially by me


Dean...

I know what you mean...the music has to mean something to you personally....where,when,who etc...a space in time....memories,people,girls,friends,school,live concerts and so many other moments in your life...this is what makes that music something special !!! for me it was ..John Martyn,Jethro Tull my Girlfriends. Black Sabbath,Led Zeppellin my school friends etc etc...

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a space in time

Ten Years After - great band.

When I listen to Zeppelin on our local classic rock station (Q107) psychedelic Sunday show it sounds amazing, involving wonderful beat and tune. (Rotel RT830, 62, 140, Monitor Audio Bronze 2)

But when I listen to CD on my CDX/XPS/72/250/ES-11 'proper' system it's hard to listen to. I quickly found out that the recently re-issued Zeppelin remastered CD's sound crap on a decent system :-(

Heck, they sound better through my iPod and Sennheiser HD-25 cans ....

The remasters have way too much
a) compression
b) distortion
c) trebles.

Just to be LOUD....crap.

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Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

a space in time

Ten Years After - great band.

Alvin Lee TYA...still rocking check out his solo stuff !!!!!!

That was definitely the way the BBC portrayed TYA, but that was just the BBC being silly. The often have a go at ELP, which is unforgivable.

Alvin is a great entertainer.

quote:

Originally posted by avole:
Zep leave me a touch cold, too, though I do like individual tracks. Never been a great fan of Jimmy Page's guitar playing, technically brilliant and innovative though it is. Always lacks a touch of soul, if that's the right word, for me.

Mind you, I'd rather listen to Zep than Pink
Floyd.

If you really think Jimmy Page's guitar playing lacks soul...listen to - Since I've been Loving You "LIVE" version from the Album
How the West Was Won...AWESOME SOUL and TECHNIQUE in equal measure...One of my all time favs.. also love Hendrix,Gilmour & Rory Galagher!

Yes I agree in part with Sir Bob ..Gilmour's style of play may be inhibited slightly but has grown and merged to form perfectly with Floyd's sound over the years till they became one and the same !
"Comfortably Numb" still in most Top 10 Guitar Charts Solo's of all time.. Superb solo Dave !

Thanks for the replies guys, the albums I have are on Classic Records and are still not the best recordings I've ever heard but aren't the worst to. Now I do try to get into different genres and different artists first time I played Fragile by Yes it blew my socks off but Led Zep have failed that even after over a year of playing the albums. I now have 8 Yes albums (found a copy of Relayer last week but it was knackered ) and still only two Led Zep says allot really.

My problem which is touched on by a couple of posts is the lack of soul in the music its seems to be technically brilliant though lacking that x-factor for me, I have the same problem with The Rolling Stones (though I haven't delved to deep into them) and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers all posturing and machismo but no depth of feeling, a bit of all mouth and no trousers music as opposed to Floyd & Yes which for me have tonnes of feeling.

Someone mentioned a time and a place now I have music that will never be beaten because of the memories like French Kiss, Strings Of Life, Droid, Kaw Liga, Disintegration, The Colour Of Spring etc etc... (the first 4 are dance tracks guys) but I have moved on and grown up and new stuff to me moves me deeply like Yes, Beethoven, Mahler, ELP, Mogwai, Fridge, Radiohead so its not about a time and a place.



Dean...

quote:

Originally posted by avole:
What don't they like about ELP?

John Peel called ELP's performance at the Isle of Wight, "a tragic waste of time, talent and electricity." Bob Harris introduced the ELP film on Whistle Test with similar dismissive comments. A rather pointless BBC4 programme that voted on which decade was the best declared the 70s as such and yet had to make another silly comment about the band who were just about as good as it ever got in the 70s. Quite why the BBC do this baffles me.

Still it is quite often the whole progressive music scene that comes in for ridicule. The irony was that in the often repeated BBC documentary about Stiff record it begins by playing fanfare for the common man as an example of the music Stiff tried to destroy. It is unquestionably the best piece of music in the entire episode with none of the artist it endorses coming close to producing the excitement and energy of ELP. Though there was decent artists on Stiff.

During the late 70s, fashion changed and it became not-the-done-thing to admit to liking ELP, Led Zeppelin, or even Deep Purple (how could any sane person not like the music of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord). Still time has slipped in to the future and now it is fine to acknowledge a record collection that has most things Keith Emerson ever recorded sitting alongside Led Zeppelin, the Clash, Chas n Dave and George Formby.

On topic though to those unexcited by Led Zep, please play the wonderful Gallows Pole and if that doesn't move you then ........

ATB Rotf

There are few songs that warm me up more than Celebration Day. Turn it up and thaw out those chills, Dean! That song makes me think they could have played a jug, a washboard and a gutbucket and it would sound absolutely incredible. What I mean to say is that it has that "lets pick up and play" feeling. Makes me want to get up and put it on right now. I think I will. See me over at the "what are you listening to now?" thread...BD mastering of course.

"my my my I'm so happy, I'm gonna join the band"

If anyone feels that Led Zeppelin comes around as cold and unemotional:

Please listen to "Since I´ve been loving you" on the LIVE CDs "How the west was won"...

"Why does Led Zeppelin not excite me?"

Because you didn't see them at Bristol's Colston Hall on January 8th 1970. They were a bit good then. I was very young...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Luxen:
If anyone feels that Led Zeppelin comes around as cold and unemotional:

Please listen to "Since I´ve been loving you" on the LIVE CDs "How the west was won"...

QUOTE 12th May: TOTALLY AGREE.....If you really think Jimmy Page's guitar playing lacks soul...listen to - Since I've been Loving You "LIVE" version from the Album How the West Was Won...AWESOME SOUL and TECHNIQUE in equal measure...One of my all time favs.. also love Hendrix,Gilmour & Rory Galagher

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Originally posted by Musicman21:

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

a space in time

Ten Years After - great band.

Alvin Lee TYA...still rocking check out his solo stuff !!!!!!

Alvin Lee of Ten Years After - "THE ORIGINAL SHREDDER!" If his music leaves you a bit cold, you don't have a pulse.

Larry