RS article on Zeppelin appropos to GNR

[MikeD]

(I hope I used the appropos correctly).

Anyway, there's a failry extensive article in the Aug. 10 edition of Rolling Stone that looks back on the Led Zeppelin mystique. Haven't finished it yet, but it has a title/headline that I believe could be applied to GNR.

"The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin: Savaged by critics, adored by fans, the biggest band of the seventies took sex, drugs and rock & roll to epic heights before collapsing under the weight of its own heaviness."

Just change the name and the decade and you have GNR. Now with that said, I guess I also wanted to make a point about how people here always criticize the media about bad reviews (some of them definitely justified), but how these reviews will damaged the upcoming tour. I've always said that poor reviews are not going to hurt the band, and I think if you look back on Zeppelin/s run you'll see that they set the groundwork for bucking the norm.

Anyway, not really sure where I'm going with this; I just thought the headline was cool and it could apply here.

[saint seiya]

gnr had  a shorter career. zeppelin was the real deal, when bonham died that was it.

[ppbebe]

gnr had  a shorter career. zeppelin was the real deal, when bonham died that was it.

Shorter than Zep? My ass!
Zep lasted only for a decade or so and in fact before the tragedy it had been burned-out after several great albums, it seems. How many songs are there in those albums?

[bazgnr]

Hmm.  There may be similarities, but I think that's a bit of a stretch, especially since so much of Zeppelin's legacy involved the original band & lineup, as opposed to the current GnR situation...just my opinion, of course.  No doubt GnR will have an extremely impressive legacy of their own, very different from Zeppelin's...

[Tomorrows]

I wouldnt say Zeppelin collapsed under its own weight. They managed to stay together and tour for like 8 solid years of their career 12 year career, rarely missing a show. Their last two albums werent their best, but they were still OK and supported by amazing tours. Its more like a big machine was slowing down. Only it was stopped prematurely with Bonham's death.

GNR on the other hand ... more a mass of craziness where the big egos ruined everything. Zep somehow found a way to stay professional (and I dare say good friends) throughout their career.

[Judge Dredd]

I read the article today and you can draw similarities between the bands in the opening paragraphs.

However, at the end of the day, Led Zep produced a number of classic albums with a variety of musical styles with the same line up.

[michaelvincent]

Just change the name and the decade and you have GNR.

Not even close. Not by a long shot.

[MikeD]

Just change the name and the decade and you have GNR.

Not even close. Not by a long shot.

Actually I wasn't necessarily comparing GNR to Led Zeppelin, but rather that opening salvo. They are both bands that have been heavily criticized by reviewers, but they are loved by fans and they ended up being crushed by their own heaviness (which you can define a bunch of different ways).

[Ellroy]

Just change the name and the decade and you have GNR.

Not even close. Not by a long shot.

Actually I wasn't necessarily comparing GNR to Led Zeppelin, but rather that opening salvo. They are both bands that have been heavily criticized by reviewers, but they are loved by fans and they ended up being crushed by their own heaviness (which you can define a bunch of different ways).

I was just about to post something similar. I agree that in that little blurb you could substitute Guns for Zeppelin and the sentence would still make sense.

[Smoking Guns]

The only two that could rival the power of page and plant would be Slash and Rose... period.  GnR was a much better live act then Zep.  Zep was an awesome band that had a great run!  GNR was probably as close to Zep as anything in the 80's, though their personalities were more like that of the rolling stones and maybe aerosmith. 

[requiem156]

gnr had? a shorter career. zeppelin was the real deal, when bonham died that was it.

Shorter than Zep? My ass!
Zep lasted only for a decade or so and in fact before the tragedy it had been burned-out after several great albums, it seems. How many songs are there in those albums?

Can't agree with this. Zep released classic material from their 1st album through Physical Graffiti, to put it conservatively.

I'm also not sure how anyone would say that GNR was a better live band. Axl and Slash could hang, but Guns never had anything close to the rhythm section that Zeppellin had. I seriously doubt any of them would disagree with this statement.

[Judge Dredd]

The only two that could rival the power of page and plant would be Slash and Rose... period.  GnR was a much better live act then Zep.  Zep was an awesome band that had a great run!  GNR was probably as close to Zep as anything in the 80's, though their personalities were more like that of the rolling stones and maybe aerosmith. 

I would have to disagree.

Purchase 'How The West Was Won', a 3 CD set which is arguably the best live album ever.

Also, try 'Live' which is a DVD set which includes performances spanning the whole of their career. The version of 'Immigrant Song' from the 1970 Bath Festival is one of the greatest live videos I have ever seen. More energy than a six pack of Red Bull.

[WhatIsItMan]

Are there people in this thread saying that In Through The Out Door is no good???   

[Smoking Guns]

Jimmy page live sucked....  On the album there would be three guitars, one guitar on rock n roll was a crime.  that shit on the DVD was good, but most nights there were not like that.  This is well documented.  You can't pull off a lot of Zep without a rythym player.  GNR's band always rocked, Axl's voice was usually the only liablility.  Plant had his bad nights too vocally. 

[requiem156]

Jimmy page live sucked....? On the album there would be three guitars, one guitar on rock n roll was a crime.? that shit on the DVD was good, but most nights there were not like that.? This is well documented.? You can't pull off a lot of Zep without a rythym player.? GNR's band always rocked, Axl's voice was usually the only liablility.? Plant had his bad nights too vocally.?

Well documented by whom? I strongly disagree. You can pull off a lot of Zeppelin songs without a rhythm player, and it has been done repeatedly, both by Jimmy Page, and people covering their songs. As far as that goes, why do you think GNR brought a horn section, a keyboard player, a harmonica player and two backup singers on the Illusion tour? Believe me,, they were a hell of a lot sloppier than Zeppelin ever was when Adler was playing drums. I love his energy, but he was not a consistently tight drummer.

On a more pragmatic note, what is the point of comparing these two bands? They did completely different things, musically speaking. Despite the apparent similarities, Guns would not have written songs like Over the Hills and Far Away, In the Light, Ten Years Gone, Friends, Fool in the Rain, the entire 2nd side of Zep III, etc. and Zeppelin would never have written anything as angry as Jungle, It's So Easy - well anything on Appetite really. You have to bear in mind that Zeppelin is pre-punk - basically an amped-up blues band, and Guns is very post-punk, with all kinds of obvious influences from that genre. It's a totally different sound, and style of songwriting.

[ppbebe]

gnr had  a shorter career. zeppelin was the real deal, when bonham died that was it.

Shorter than Zep? My ass!
Zep lasted only for a decade or so and in fact before the tragedy it had been burned-out after several great albums, it seems. How many songs are there in those albums?

Can't agree with this. Zep released classic material from their 1st album through Physical Graffiti, to put it conservatively.

I'm also not sure how anyone would say that GNR was a better live band. Axl and Slash could hang, but Guns never had anything close to the rhythm section that Zeppellin had. I seriously doubt any of them would disagree with this statement.

Ha? zep existed from 1969 to 81, 12 years while GNR has been around (well sort of) for more than  2 decades already and physical graffiti is the 6th album. You don't have to agree but these are the facts.
Strictly speaking, the albums after physical graffiti excluding the live one show the band lost the edge. Or rather it seems as if the band had devoted all the energy and fulfilled their ultimate goal of to be a rock and not to roll by then. also, song writing wise zep 1 lacks of originality, big time.

Have you seen any zep boot recorded by the audience?
I'd proudly say GNR of this era sounds better live than Zep on the boots.

I'd compare the relation between the yardbirds and Led Zeppelin with that between the old guns- the Chinese democratic GN'R/ jimmy with axl.
Led Zeppelin Studio Albums  NOTE: All zep albums are produced by Jimmy Page. check out the song credits.

Led Zeppelin  January 12, 1969 (Atlantic)        
1. Good Times Bad Times (Page/Jones/Bonham)2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Page/Plant/Anne Bredon)3. You Shook Me (Willie Dixon)4. Dazed and Confused (Page)5. Your Time Is Gonna Come (Page/Jones)6. Black Mountain Side (Page)7. Communication Breakdown (Page/Jones/Bonham)8. I Can't Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon)9. How Many More Times (Page/Jones/Bonham)

Led Zeppelin II  October 22, 1969 (Atlantic)        
1. Whole Lotta Love (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)2. What Is and What Should Never Be (Page/Plant)3. The Lemon Song (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)4. Thank You (Page/Plant)5. Heartbreaker (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)6. Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman) (Page/Plant)7. Ramble On (Page/Plant)8. Moby Dick (Page/Jones/Bonham)9. Bring It On Home (Page/Plant)

Led Zeppelin III  October 5, 1970 (Atlantic)        
1. Immigrant Song (Page/Plant)2. Friends (Page/Plant)3. Celebration Day (Page/Plant/Jones)4. Since I've Been Loving You (Page/Plant/Jones)5. Out On The Tiles (Page/Plant/Bonham)6. Gallows Pole (Traditional)7. Tangerine (Page)8. That's The Way (Page)9. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Page/Plant/Jones)10. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper (Traditional)

November 8, 1971 (Atlantic)       
1. Black Dog (Page/Plant/Jones)2. Rock and Roll (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)3. The Battle of Evermore (Page/Plant)4. Stairway To Heaven (Page/Plant)5. Misty Mountain Hop (Page/Plant/Jones)6. Four Sticks (Page/Plant)7. Going To California (Page/Plant)8. When The Levee Breaks (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham/Memphis Minnie)

Houses Of The Holy  March 28, 1973         
1. The Song Remains The Same (Page/Plant)2. The Rain Song (Page/Plant)3. Over The Hills and Far Away (Page/Plant)4. The Crunge (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)5. Dancing Days (Page/Plant)6. D'yer Mak'er (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)7. No Quarter (Page/Plant/Jones)8. The Ocean (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)

Physical Graffiti  February 24, 1975 (Swan Song)         
Disc 1:
1. Custard Pie (Page/Plant)2. The Rover (Page/Plant)3. In My Time of Dying (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)4. Houses of The Holy (Page/Plant)5. Trampled Under Foot (Page/Plant/Jones)6. Kashmir (Page/Plant/Bonham)

Disc 2:
1. In The Light (Page/Plant/Jones)2. Bron-Yr-Aur (Page)3. Down By The Seaside (Page/Plant)4. Ten Years Gone (Page/Plant)5. Night Flight (Page/Plant/Jones)6. The Wanton Song (Page/Plant)7. Boogie With Stu (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham/Ian Stewart & Mrs. Valens)8. Black Country Woman (Page/Plant)9. Sick Again (Page/Plant)

Presence  March 31,1976 (Swan Song)       
1. Achilles Last Stand (Page/Plant)2. For Your Life (Page/Plant)3. Royal Orleans (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)4. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Page/Plant)5. Candy Store Rock (Page/Plant)6. Hots On For Nowhere (Page/Plant)7. Tea For One (Page/Plant)

In Through The Out Door  August 15, 1979 (Swan Song)       
1. In The Evening (Page/Plant/Jones)2. South Bound Saurez (Plant/Jones)3. Fool In The Rain (Page/Plant/Jones)4. Hot Dog (Page/Plant)5. Carouselambra (Page/Plant/Jones)6. All My Love (Plant/Jones)7. I'm Gonna Crawl (Page/Plant/Jones)

Coda  November 19, 1982 (Atlantic)       
1. We're Gonna Groove (Ben E. King/James Bethea)2. Poor Tom (Page/Plant)3. I Can't Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon)4. Walter's Walk (Page/Plant)5. Ozone Baby (Page/Plant)6. Darlene (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham)7. Bonzo's Montreux (Bonham)8. Wearing and Tearing (Page/Plant)

[madagas]

Tank, please, facts are Zep released albums consistently for 13 years 69-82 and consistently toured until Bonham's death. They did alot more than Gnr and have sold tons more records than Gnr. Gnr's career is essentially 87-93 and 2006. Fuckin around in the studio for a decade doesn't count as doing ANYTHING. Releasing one original song and doing 64 shows in 13 years (93-06) ain't exactly active or "being around". Zep has unearthed more original material than Gnr in these 13 years! To compare Gnr's accomplishments right now to Zep is ludicrous to put it mildly. Could they have been our Zep/Stones? Yes, they were for those six years but obviously they crashed and burned. We don't know what the future holds....but as of now, no comparison.

[no more patience]

Led Zeppelin 68-81
GNR (as it will always be remembered) 85-95

Best bands ever
1. Zeppelin
2. GNR
3. Pink Floyd
4. Rolling Stones
5. The Doors

Beatles are not in this category

[ppbebe]

I will remember GNR of from 03 onward more than any band.

We don't know what the future holds

No one can say gnr had a shorter career. Or not a deal deal.

I'm no way compareing GNR with ZEP musically or achievement wise. GNR is GNR.

More importantly, I don't want GNR to finish in the way Zep did, well till 2035 the soonest.

[jarmo]

Led Zeppelin -> Bad Obsession.

Thank you.
 


/jarmo