@cycles2 said:
"As to Plant being the greatest Rock & Roll singer, I’ve seen him in Led Zepp several time in S, Florida in the late 60’s and 70’s in small and large venues and he’s nowhere close to Freddie Mercury, Roger Daltry, Rod Stewart or Paul Rodgers."
Of course there is no right or wrong in these types of comparisons. It is always a matter of opinion of course.
Of those you’ve listed I would only agree with Freddy Mercury. For pure chops and range he was hard to top. Roger Daltry wouldn’t make my top ten list even though he’s one of my top 4 or 5 favorite singers. Rod Stewart, also one of my favorites has a distinctive and soulful voice but he’s pretty much a one trick pony. Paul Rodgers is the real deal. Right on up there of course but then there is the matter of his body of work. Its pretty small. Awesome stuff but not a ton of it.
And that brings me to why I put Plant at or near the top: not only did he have the range and the power (he no longer does by his own admission), the soul, the timing, the bravado (like Mercury) but he also has a massive body of work and is still going strong. Mercury has a stellar but fairly small body of work and, alas, he’s been gone a long time. Daltry has done very little of note since the Who’s heyday. Stewart does a little bit from time to time. Rodgers is in terrible health.
So when you put the nature of his voice, how it suited and still suits his work and the fact that Plant is still touring AND putting out new work I see him at or near the top.
That is why I would always list the Stones as the best band in history and I’m not even a fan. But they were there at the beginning and are still here now. Touring and new music. And that has to count for something.
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@bato1965 ... Just listen Kashmir, Live from Celebration Day. Plant’s voice matured.
Had not listened to that Kashmir Celebration Day 2007 performance in a while, and came across it again last night on Youtube. Had forgotten how good it was. What struck me is how all of them are really into it, giving it 200%. "Matured" is a good word to describe it. The BlueRay DVD is really something. Appreciated revisiting it all over again. Quite a treat to watch and listen on a nice home theater setup.
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I have always had a great time experiencing Led Zeppelin recordings, their is something about much of their music that attracts me and compels me to stick around. I have not seen these Live, a shame really, as I did get to see some other mega star performers from their successful era.
I have always had a deep rooted passion for Chicago Blues, the genre really is attractive to me. It sort of helps with adding value to the mutual influence this music has had on others.
When Page first met Plant with the intention to make a decision about working together, they stayed in London on a Floating Home belonging to Jimmy. The story is, the both of them played their collections of Chicago Blues throughout the few days together, from this music was started to be created and eventually become performed by Led Zeppelin.
The Boys done well.
It's a shame Jimmy notoriety today as a pensioner, mainly is from his fighting with his neighbour Robbie Williams. Could have been another World Shattering Collaboration, but hey ho, Beef is Beef. Can one say the word Beef, if those who are having Beef with each other are both Vegans 🤼.
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Zarhoff on Plant
This is my favorite of opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff's analyses - in this case of Plant's "Since I've Been Loving You" during the 1973 Madison Square Garden performance when they were at the pinnacle.
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Yes Led Zeppelin 1,2,3 are great...Robert Plant fantastic vocalists...I remember seeing Led Zeppelin at MSG in 1971 i was blown away... as a Babd they were unreal...
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do yourself a favor and DO listen to Zep old LPs ...they are still one of the best bands of all time if not the best...highly recommend Houses of The Holy (Rain Song) masterpiece LP ....along with ll & iV
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@nitrobob, you are so right. Get The Led Out is just an amazing show. front row center for their show coming up in March. Last year, they were EPIC. I was looking around at all of these old geezers singing along, with their walkers etc., and then I realized . . . I AM ONE OF THEM! LOL! I highly recommend them for any Zep fan.
I grew up on Led Zeppelin in the '70s, and remember going to the store as soon as their album dropped, going home, smoking some weed and carefully putting it on the turntable. IMHO, there is Led Zeppelin, and then all other bands. Ironically, with my relatively nice system, I find myself playing Led Zep bootlegs, especially remastered soundboard recordings, much more than the studio albums. Although obviously not as good as How The West Was Won (recorded in LA venues, FYI), some of the soundboard recordings are shockingly good, especially given the recording technology of the time. I have had experiences listening when it sounds like I am in the first row and Robert Plant is singing right in front of me, up about three feet. I am still trying to remember what strain I was smoking, LOL!
One sad thing about Led Zep is the lack of good pro shot video of their concerts. Why hasn't someone taken the raw footage from The Song Remains The Same and re-released it minus what I consider to be idiotic fantasy sequences and stupid low end "special" effects?
Well, now I must go put on a bootleg!!!
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@whiteknee decooney thank you! I Amazon’d the Celebration Day CD/DVD/BlueRay right after I read your thread. WOW!
Cool, enjoy. Glad you like it! 👍 I'm an old Zep fan myself, and yet some of the old 70s recordings were pretty limited. Finding this concert dvd and others like David Gilmore, anything played at Royal Albert Hall or O2 arena since Blue Ray came out can offer something else to explore. Each time I play that Blue Ray, totally enjoy it.
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@chcumo63
Ridiculous post regarding your opinions about music.
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@decooney thank you! I Amazon’d the Celebration Day CD/DVD/BlueRay right after I read your thread. WOW! I’m playing it on a Sony 75” with an Oppo 203 player and no external DAC thru a PrimaLuna Dialogue Pre and Quicksilver Mid Monos (a few tubes there) into modified Klipsch Belles with an SVS double 12” sub. I had to turn the sub off.
Love Jimmy with the Les Paul bow work on Dazed and Confused!
Great audio and video. Highly recommended!
I am also a huge fan of the Plant/Krauss project
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As I get older the acoustic version of Going to California on How the West was Won is stil one of my favorites.
Absolutely +1000. I believe that performance, IIRC, was at Earl's Court. Probably my favorite Jimmy Page acoustic performance of all time, at his zenith as rock's premier guitarist of the time (IMO).
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After 7 long months renting a house while our new one was being built, we finally moved in. My audio system was in storage the entire time and I was listening to blue tooth streaming on a Marshall Stanmore BT speaker. Great for the garage, but not for hours of listening.
Yesterday I got my system set up and upgraded to the DAC2 module in my McIntosh MA-8900. When the tech was finished and we fired it up, the FIRST “record” I played was “Celebration Day” streamed via Tidal through my Aurender N100C. All I will say is GLORIOUS. I grew up on Zeppelin, Floyd, Rush, Genesis (before top 40), Stones, Beatles, Kansas, Frampton and Elton John. I don’t listen to much that was produced after 1990 because it’s mostly garbage and today NO ONE plays an instrument.
Keeping physically fit, being active and stimulating the mind with music are sure fire ways to delay the inevitable and really enjoy life!! Rock On people!!!!!
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It's been rumored for a long time that Jimmy Page stole melodies from other songs. Don't believe it. Listen to the song 'Taurus' from Spirit (available on Qobuz & TIDAL) that was published well in advance of 'Stairway to Heaven'. I never liked Page's style of playing lots of notes at the mercy of carrying a memorable melody. Page couldn't hold a candle to guitarists such as Hendrix, the late Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton.
As to Plant being the greatest Rock & Roll singer, I've seen him in Led Zepp several time in S, Florida in the late 60's and 70's in small and large venues and he's nowhere close to Freddie Mercury, Roger Daltry, Rod Stewart or Paul Rodgers.
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I should the same feelings regarding Led Zeppelin and Plant from my early childhood. These BBC recordings are particularly good and their quality is not bad for the year. Led Zeppelin remains my favorite rock band along with Emerson Lake & Palmer.
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Just listen Kashmir, Live from Celebration Day. Plant’s voice matured, Page’s guitar is wild, but under the Master’s control, Jason truly follows his Father’s footsteps and JPJ is freakin’ awesome foundation to this enormous energy release. Like H bomb slowly went off on that stage.
Okay: JPJ and Jason are foundation worthy of any R’N’R Gods there was, is, and ever will be; those two can lay over it their sound and words as they see it fit, and we will be blown away. If we are not blown away, we should call 911 and ask for help, for we are dead.
Yes, I am blown away by that particular version of Kashmir. Yes, I was teenager when they were in orbit - therefore I am biased; NO, they are not my favourite band.
1974, New Year: my sister came back to the middle of nowhere from University and brought me a present: Pink Floyd’s Meddle. I pulled the LP out, see 5 songs on A side, flip it over and it says only one thing: Echoes.
So, my No1 song in modern music is Echoes. But surely, that Kashmir is easily between best 10.
If you wondering, my No1 is Beethoven’s 7th, and 2nd is Khachaturian’s Masquerade:
3rd is Echoes, 4th is Hendrix’ Little Wing, 5th is Moonlight Sonata, 6th is Band’s Load...
Emotional bias is dictating No 7 to be When The Levee Breaks. Only because the town I am from was flooded in 2014 severely despite a "big and strong" levee system. However... there is much better, much more emotional version than Minnie and Led Zeppelin: Playing For Change.
8th is easily that Kashmir. THAT live version.
9th should be the most spiritual song I ever heard: Brian Blade and Fellowship Band, Improvisation. Mortals, drop on your knees. Seriously, unbelievable.
10th: Doors, The End. Vinyl, original issue. No, not Apocalypse Now. Original LP version, rising more questions with every verse... just imagine hearing it for the first time, but now. All the children are insane. Waiting for the summer rain. Yeah.
So, Led Zeppelin is just one snippet of the times long gone. And they were considered POP MUSIC at the time. Let that sink in. Pop music. Yep.
11th: Cash, Hurt
12th: Trucks, This Sky
13th Queen, Propeth’s Song
14th Led again Zeppelin, No Quarter
15th Beethoven’s 9th - if not jumping to 8th and pushing everything down...
16th Bach, Ave Maria
17th Jethro Tull, Thisck As A Brick, entire freakin’ album.
18th Beetles, Let It Be - actually, that entire album. Yes. Everything else was... not quite honest. Except maybe
19th All Things Must Pass, entire album, of course...
20th ...
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Robert Plant is obviously one of the best singers ever to come from rock; he's become over the years a truly stellar singer. He's released quite a few absolutely excellent solo works and a couple of collaborations with Alison Krauss. He's never become boring.
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This band is incredible. We go see them every year when they come through town. Have tickets for them in February. Sells out EVERY show.
.
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@tkukielk why would you let some jerks make up your mind for you?
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A bunch of jerks at my high school were into Led Zeppelin so I stayed as far as I could and never cared about it, and still don’t.
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Sorry if someone already commented on The Honey Drippers but that’s an excellent album featuring Robert’s better vocals .
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Awesome story, acman3!
Not a genre I listen to much anymore. Not because I dislike it. Simply only so many hours in the day. For whatever it’s worth and as much as I dislike “best of” surveys, whenever I see a “best R&R vocalist” survey, Robert Plant is the name that always comes to mind first.
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I had a different experience. I saw them in 1973, at Madison Square Garden, and they were way too loud, and at least at that time, Robert was so full of himself that he talked his way through most of the lyrics. It was very disappointing, and my ears are still ringing.
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Had the pleasure of seeing Zeppelin twice back in the 70's. They were everything you hoped they would be. Loud, very dramatic, great musicians and Robert Plant was everything that every teenage boy dreamed of being. Long blond curls, sweaty, bare chest, way too tight jeans and the focus of every girl in the audience.
Everything that a rock and roll band should be.
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I own a copy of the Honeydrippers album and it is pretty good, but the first album with Alison Krauss, Raising Sand, is fantastic! Well worth owning a copy.
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Well, Zeppelin… Hmm as a drummer that had the pleasure of playing in a Zepp Tribute I can say I have a unique perspective on the music and the band. As a life long fan, seeing TSRTS many, many times at midnight movies I didn’t really get it. I never paid attention to the intricacies of the band and the way the songs were crafted. I will say this, JPJ hands down was the bedrock of the band. Page and Bonham both could get a bit lost in the moment, at times brilliantly, others not so much. Most of the guitar parts in TSRTS are overdubbed from the studio, I would love to hear the full original tracks. Maybe one day they will get released. I don’t listen to Zep as much these days, I spent 4 years essentially in a Zep/Bonham master class, playing that stuff is hard and fun but it dulls the desire to just listen. They were a great band, one of the all time biggest bands ever. Were they the “best”? No… others surpassed them easily. But their staying power says everything. There will never be a band like them again, and I can absolutely say those four kids and the way they played together was simply sublime. It was truly an honor to attempt to play those songs.
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It was the 80s. It was Utah. What can I say?
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@n80
Both at the same time?.....ah the good ol' days
" Takes me back to my college days while courting my first and current wife."
Regards,
barts
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@dodgealum YES!!! I Love Plant but was always blown away by Bonham and Jones. They were the backbone of the music. When they showed up the fight begins, so to speak. Their contribution to the band's tone was demonstrative and emotional on an almost guttural level. When they laid down the beats you knew someone was in the room. To this day, when Achilles Last Stand is played anywhere I get goosebumps.Call them what you will, they were the best R&R band ever assembled.
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Listening to In the Mood at the moment.
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I try to not listen to them on the radio so I can enjoy them on my system.
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@au_lait I think Big Log is one of, if not THE best Plant solo song of all. Takes me back to my college days while courting my first and current wife.
@re-lar-kvothe I was also devastated. I was a sophomore or junior in high school in the football locker room when one of the other football players told me. He did not like Zeppelin and thought I was weird for liking them so much and he told me in a mean spirited way. What's worse, is that my parents had tentatively given me permission to drive up to Greensboro, NC with a friend to see Zeppelin. It would have been my first solo overnight car trip.
Wonderful story about meeting Plant. I'm always a little leery of meeting my heroes. It can be disappointing. So glad Plant was cool.
@dmguaragno Agree. I've always been a bit disappointed at the sound quality of most of their stuff. Glad Plant sorted that out in his solo stuff for the most part.
@willy-t Yes! The Honeydripper's EP is excellent. My CD seems well recorded. Plant tackles these old standbys with aplomb but also with respect. Sea of Love got lots of radio time and is superb but my favorite track is Young Boy Blues. And talk about a star-studded line-up: Page, Plant, Nile Rodgers, Jeff Beck, Brian Setzer, Robbie Blunt, Dave Weckl (!) on drums, Paul Schaffer. Unbelievable really.
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@tomic601 Fantastic link…thanks again…..
btw, recently compared the CD version vs. the Streamed 16/44 Lossless version of the 2007 Celebration Day "No Quarter" track. Both running through my same Border Patrol SE-I DAC. Used the same digital coax cable too, swapped back and forth.
It could be the better internal power supply in my streamer and upgraded external power supply I use there, but the streamed version is less etched. Easier to listen to through all of Jimmy’s amazingly wild playing on this track. Not looking for a new transport, and the CD went back in its case. Fun to compare what works better.
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Must have been a decent sound guy…eu, yah ?
gr8 story
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My brother did sound with Plant for a while in the 80's. He was a big Zeppelin fan and let it be known he didn't like Plant's new direction in music. He and Plant would go back and forth, Plant said" am I supposed to sing Eu yah eueu ya the rest of my life".
During the tour my crazy brother did SOMETHING, another long story, that should have gotten him kicked off the tour. He met with Robert Plant who said he could stay, but he had one demand of him.
So, every night for the rest of the tour, during a Zeppelin song, Plant would hand the microphone to my brother who would off key sing "Eu yah eueu ya".
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Zep are among my top 3 rock bands of all time but not because of Plant’s singing or Page’s guitar work. It is the rhythm section that make Zep a standout group. JPJ on bass and Bonham’s drums are what drive the band and get my blood moving. Plant does his part but there are far better singers than him IMHO.
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great talent in that band, great tunes....too bad the recording were lousy
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Notice the avatar. 'Nuff said!
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I watched The Song Remains The Same (off of You Tube on the desk top-- Tom Verlaine's Television is the only TV in my house) and I realized it was a much better movie all those years ago when I was stoned. Plant & Krause was a delightful surprise for me. It was hard not to miss Zep on the radio, all the "Classic Rock Bands", really, but for the most part I did, because there was a great Alternative/Underground FM (and AM during daylight) station--- KFML, and NPR had a jazz programmed station, and there was a station that played Soul and Staxx, and Motown (which I remember as a weak signal), and Saturday was Gunther Aurbach's (I hope I got the name right) German/Polka show... Later on Bill Ashford took over programming on an AM country station and it went classic country in a big way (yay!) I wasn't aware of Nugent's "Stranglehold" until middle age. Such a sheltered life... I probably have four, maybe five, "classic" Zep albums and today and tomorrow will be the last record cleaning days before hand surgery, so along with Delbert McClinton, and the Texas section, I'll throw them in and step back in the way back machine.....I'm looking forward to my recovery. I rambled, sorry. What I could have said in one sentence, but never do, is that Robert Plant has grown on me, maybe because of The Honeydrippers, and the Moroccan/Egyptianl/ Najma Akhtar material on No Quarter. MERRY CHRISTMAS and/or Winter Solstice, Festivus..... wat evah... I hope 2024 is a better year than '23, but that's a pretty low bar.
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@n80 Yes, Whole Lotta Love may have gifted us with the best rock vocal of all time!!
Christmas morning at my humble dwelling:
Readling Hamilton Camp's bio. His transition from folk singer/writer to future endeavors outside of the music world was ... interesting. Listening to all the covers I can find for Pride of Man, a song he wrote and later charted by Quicksliver Messenger Service. Biblical references in the lyrics seem appropriate and relevant today.
Merry Christmas to all. And, to all a good day.
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The Honeydrippers!
anybody?
great ep. Lively recording
check it out
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I have many fond memories of listening to Led Zeppelin and still listen on occasion. I probably started listening at age 13 or so and remember the original bright pink cassette tapes well over 50 years ago! I didn't have a clue then that one of my favorite songs -When the Levee Breaks- wasn't written by Zep at all, but was written by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. Hey, I used to think all The Rolling Stones songs were original as well!
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I too, love the music of Led Zeppelin. Like others, I eventually drifted away to other music. It is unfortunate that their music wasn't mastered better. For as much as I love the music, I get frustrated with the blurry soundstage. It's like everything runs together like a watercolor in the rain. My favorite album is Led Zeppelin III.
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I like most all of us of that age listened to them in high school. Yes, we were pummeled by them on FM radio.
Then I got a bootleg set of their MSG shows (75 I think). All of them and the whole shows. I could not believe that the length of ever song, every night was within a seconds of each other. Whole Lotta Love at over 20 minutes was within a few seconds in length each night. Totally turned me off. Thought they were a rock & roll band that jammed. NOT.
I think of other rock bands of the day that jammed out. My favorite bands had different set lists and different versions played of the songs. Given what good musicians each of the Zep members are/were, I was just astounded that they couldn’t mix up the jams.
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@n80 - might have to break out the old 1960 Les Paul Reissue and play along to some Lep Zep today. Thanks for the suggestion. All you other mothers, happy holidays.
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The image of his pants has been burnt to his image I have of him. Befor YouTube (never SEEN LZ and Plant before that), I loved him (and LZ).
Its getting better now at his old age (fat and ugly, but still singing GRAET).
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Zep has been my favorite band since I was 10 (now 63) and have the tattoos to prove it. I was devastated when Bonham passed. I met Plant the morning after a show in Norfolk Virginia at breakfast in the hotel. He was with the entire band (Sensational Space Shifters). We sat and talked with him for the better part of an hour. All I can say is what a dude. We didn't come across as star stuck fans. Said good morning and off he went. Asking us questions, did we see the show, what we thought, where we were from,telling jokes.He was funny, engaging, just a good person. I can honestly say I met my lifelong idol and am all the better for it.
The song you reference is a good example of his unique expression of his talent. But I am guilty of being an extreme fanboy, He and the band did nothing to ever disappoint me. I was always intrigued how they progressed as a band and even more amazed at how he has taken is talents to the level he has on his own,
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From me at Christmas, thanks to the op @n80 for starting this post. I love the info and dialogue concerning equipment on this forum, but the music I have learned about is what has brought me endless smiles. God bless, and thanks, to all of you geezers for helping this geezer navigate some crazy waters and uncover great music while doing it.
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Oh, an Xmas extremism....Thanks, getting noted as a Brad of Anywhere is a compliment that my HS English instructs would take askance at, but they're likely retired or drooling somewhere....poor sots....
All I've really absorbed is to let the Id loose, and try to keep it either vaguely rational or of a conceptual nature.....
Not always, Yes. 😏
Attempt 'interesting'....for the psych sort... ;)
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Thanks, sfgak for that link. Is that not one of the most beautiful women ever. She exudes beauty, class and style. Robert as always has great timbre and timing. His vocal control may be waning but his ability to connect to the music has never been better. Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation / Mighty Rearranger is another interesting album.
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@tomic601 .... Bought the Zep's 1st LP.....one of the things that no doubt contributed to my wearing aids now....not that I've turned things down since, tho'.... ;) ...and someone stole it, anyway.....
"....the giant tube stash in the sky ...." 'Ell, I wish.... Spouse asked if I was the other day..."Not since LA last year in any significant fashion, but certainly not now...dammit..."
At 135 & 5'11" and barely in my BMI index as 'kinda normal', I'm a cheap drunk.
Two 7% IPAs' and I'm a hazard to any moving or stationary object, not to mention self...🤦♂️🤨🙄 Thankfully for any biped in range, no plans to have to drive (or even walk) any significant distance....
No Zep at present....been playing L7's "Pretend We're Dead" on loop to get thru the week (we're closed, employs get to as well)....was always what I threatened to do if I won a Lotto or something similar...
"I'm firing myself....pretend I'm dead....'Bye *clic*"
Only did that once, quite a while ago....Very Satisfying, given the circumstance...
(Cliffs' Notes version available if you get bored silly... ;)...)
Have a great Xmas day...
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