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March 16, 2010
Led Zeppelin Far From Deflated
As one of the most influential rock groups of all time, Led Zeppelin will likely be listened to and talked about for decades to come. Sometimes it seems as if they might be as popular today as they were back in the 1970’s – even though they are no longer together!
Beyond the reunion rumors that flare up every so often, the name Led Zeppelin manages to stay in the news on a pretty regular basis these days. Most recently, the discovery of an alleged unknown recording of a Zeppelin show from 1971 is making headlines.
Vic Kemp is the lucky fan in the U.K. who made the discovery while attending what’s described as a “car boot sale,” an event which those of us in the U.S. would likely call a flea market. Kemp was browsing through some CDs at the event when the fellow who was selling them said he might have something that Kemp would be interested in.
The item in question was a CD that was marked with a felt-tipped pen and dated 1972. As it turned out, the date was a bit off, but that probably doesn’t matter much to Kemp. For just two or three pounds (somewhere between $3 and $5) Kemp took home a recording of a 1971 concert by Led Zeppelin at a location known as St. Matthews Baths Hall.
Although some fans are underwhelmed by this news, and say this bootleg CD has been around for years, some media outlets have been touting this as a major discovery. Whether or not it is, it’s got Led Zeppelin in the headlines again.
We’ve also recently heard some surprising news that R&B singer Mary J. Blige is a Led Zeppelin fan. She even recorded her own versions of two Led Zeppelin classic recently, “Stairway to Heaven” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Blige said that she has been a fan since she was a kid, and that the group’s music has always moved her. The two tracks are on the international version of her album, Stronger with Each Tear.
Another celebrity talking about Zeppelin these days is former pro wrestling star Jesse Ventura. These days the former Minnesota governor is keeping busy with his TruTV show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, and promoting his new book, but he took some time recently to sit down for an interview, during which he was asked whether he preferred the Beatles or Led Zeppelin.
Ventura’s answer, apparently delivered without hesitation was Led Zeppelin. “Led Zeppelin of course! Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time and the Rolling Stones are a close second,” Ventura reportedly responded.
February 18, 2010
Original Band Names Hard to Come by in Digital Age
Some of us suspected it all along. With some six billion-plus human beings going about their business on planet Earth, you know there’s a good chance that someone, somewhere, is doing exactly what you are doing right now. Could some other person be typing these exact same words right at this moment? Or at least expressing the same idea, but in a different language?
Could an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters and an infinite amount of time really come up with works of Shakespeare? I digress, but I think you get the point.
The internet has connected so many of us, and while that certainly can be a good thing, there is a downside as well. We’ll not delve into the subject of pedophiles luring victims via online chats, or overseas scam artists bilking thousands of dollars from well-meaning souls. This time, the damage can be measured on the low end of the scale.
It may be difficult to illicit much sympathy for the likes of John Paul Jones, legendary bassist for Led Zeppelin, and no doubt a man with substantial wealth. However, Jones does highlight one inconvenient truth (no apologies to Al Gore) of the digital age: Our ideas may not be as original as we thought!
While struggling with the difficult task of choosing a name for their new group, Jones, along with his band mates, came up against a frustrating fact of life online. Each time the group thought they had nailed down a cool name, drummer Dave Grohl would discover through his online research that the name has already been used – in many cases by several other groups!
The first name they settled on, “Caligula,” was taken. Being that he was a pretty memorable figure from the annals of history, I suppose they should not have been surprised, but one wonders what kind of image they were going for with that one!
As the search for a meaningful name continued, the group was confronted with brick wall after brick wall in the form of great-sounding names that has already been used by other bands.
With rehearsals waiting, and music to be made, the group finally settled on Them Crooked Vultures – a name that Jones readily admits, has no real meaning.
“Think of a great band name and Google it, and you’ll find a French-Canadian jam band with a MySpace page,” Jones explains with obvious frustration.
Before the arrival of the internet, it was relatively easy to pick a name with confidence. If you had never heard of a band with that name, you went with it. If some local grunge rock group in Overland Park, Kansas was using the same name, it wouldn’t matter much. Both groups could blissfully go about their business, and never know that the other existed. Unless, in the unlikely event that national or (gasp!) international recognition came knocking.
That’s what made things even more difficult for Jones and his new group. When the bassist from Led Zeppelin joins forces with Foo Fighters drummer Dave Grohl and Queens of the Stone Age veteran Josh Homme to form a new supergroup, just about everyone with an interest in rock music is going to hear about it; making the selection of a unique name that much more important.
On a personal note, in the course of creating a small business a few years ago, I was faced with the necessity to come up with a “trade name” that one must register with the state. I worked my way through a number of names that were already registered right here in my home state! Finally, I settled on what I thought was a completely unique name that I actually made up by combining two words from the dictionary. It was a name that was pretty close to the kind of name I had in mind when I started.
I successfully registered the name, and only later realized that some domain squatter had already registered the dot-com version of the domain, which left me with the dot-biz version, which was OK by me since we did not plan to use the trade name for a website. It was a bit of an eye-opener to discover that someone else not only invented the exact same name I had, but also registered it as a domain name.
By the way, the site has remain parked and advertised for sale since I first discovered it over five years ago. Good luck with that one, whoever you are!
Maybe I’m an optimist, but I refuse to accept that all the good names are taken. It’s a hell of a lot more difficult to come up with an original and sufficiently-cool band name these days, for sure, but I’m confident that it can be done. It will just take a lot more time and effort.
How much they are willing to invest in a new name will be a decision that each new band will have to decide, but it surely does shed light on the reasoning behind groups that settle on names like Them Crooked Vultures or Chickenfoot.
You don’t suppose there’s another group out there calling themselves Chickenfoot, do you? I cannot even bring myself to look, but if you find out that there is, don’t tell Sammy Hagar & Co.
You can read more on this topic at the Wall Street Journal, including what dickheads the legal eagles at the John Deere company are. You know, the ones that make the green lawn tractors and stuff. Talk about a lame argument. I very much doubt that the next lawn tractor I buy will be running “like a Deere” on my property!
February 12, 2010
Robert Plant Readies New Solo Album
If the tidbits of information that have been revealed about his new solo album are any indication, it appears that Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant has really taken a liking to the kind of music he has been performing with bluegrass star Alison Krauss.
Recording with a small group of musicians before Christmas, Plant chose Nashville veteran Buddy Miller to produce the album, and included renowned session musician and songwriter Darrell Scott among the select few that contributed their talents to the album, which is tentatively entitled It’s Rude to Say No.
Scott, who played mandolin and glockenspiel on the album, says that the two weeks he spent in the studio working with Plant were “some of the most memorable times I’ve ever had in the studio.” He goes on to describe Plant as someone who genuinely loves the music. Something that might not be expected from a hard-rocking veteran like Plant, and a far cry from his high-octave days with Led Zeppelin, but an interesting demonstration of how diverse one’s musical tastes can be.
The new album seems to be taking Plant in the direction he has been headed in recently while working with Krauss. He reportedly covers the traditional bluegrass track “Cindy” on the new album; perhaps giving fans a hint about what the rest of the album sounds like.
I have to admit that I would have thought it was crazy to envision Robert Plant singing bluegrass if someone told me that back around 1973, but here we are in 2010 and that’s exactly what’s happening.
As a die hard rock fan as far back as I can remember, the broadening of Plant’s horizons gives me the feeling that I’m in good company. I’ve become more open to listening to other types of music during the past few years myself, mostly female country artists like LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood.
Country has certainly evolved and branched out a bit since the days of hearing my dad play Glenn Campbell on the living room stereo, and a lot of the country material from the past decade or so has more of a rock feel to it, which is probably what drew me in.
At this point I’ve decided that I have to take a listen to Raising Sand, the Emmy-winning album that Plant and Krauss collaborated on. I’m not very familiar with the bluegrass branch of country, but news that Robert Plant is going to be releasing his own album that features at least some bluegrass material has convinced me that it’s time to check it out.
Plant’s new album is expected to be released sometime later this year.
For more on this story, check out Tennessee’s Bristol Herald Courier.
February 9, 2010
Led Zeppelin And The Super Bowl
The headline may seem a bit disjointed – okay, maybe very disjointed, but the whole Super Bowl thing featuring what’s left of The Who got me thinking about some of our favorite aging rockers and whether or not they should still be rocking, or in the case of The Who, attempting to rock.
Before I continue, let me pay homage to The Who. Yeah, I may have ripped on their Super Bowl gig, but despite any protestations from dedicated “Whooligans,” it really was a lackluster performance, and may just be the wakeup call that the NFL needed.
Yeah, you bet your ass I’m a classic rock fan, but the NFL should stick with the ones that can still put on a decent show for a high profile gig like the Super Bowl. That’s one seriously large audience.
Anyway, having already stated that I’ve never been a fan of The Who, there is no denying their legacy and their place among the most influential classic rock groups. I never cared much for their songwriting, but the boys could play. Their shows were probably some of the most dynamic and energetic of their era. And that’s exactly why they should not have tried to recapture their past by agreeing to perform at the Super Bowl.
There simply are some things you can no longer pull off at the age of 65 (note for nitpickers: I know Townshend is not quite 65 yet, but give him about 3 months), and as a performer, you should be aware of that. How can one possibly capture the energy that was poured into the kind of show that The Who was known for when one is eligible for Social Security, or in this case, considered a “pensioner.” Obviously, one cannot.
That brings me to Led Zeppelin. More specifically to Robert Plant. There was a lot of anticipation prior to their show at the O2 in London at the end of 2007. Many fans wondered if it would be the start if something big. Would the remaining members of the group reunite for a world tour? Would they record again? Was this it?
Following the O2 show — which by most accounts was a great success — the rumors and speculation intensified. Stories of Led Zeppelin products being cranked out at manufacturing facilities in Asia, and media reports indicating that the band was preparing for a tour had many people convinced that we were on the brink of the long-awaited Led Zeppelin reunion.
Looking back, it appears that Robert Plant may simply be too smart to play along. As much as guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones may want to relive their past, they would not be facing the same kind of pressure Plant would be dealing with.
Sure, it may not be a cake walk to tour when you are in your sixties, but it’s got to be much less physically demanding to stand on stage and play guitar or bass than it would be to belt out “Heartbreaker” for the world to see.
Although many felt that the success of the O2 show may have signaled a green light for a Led Zeppelin reunion, it may have signaled something entirely different for Robert Plant. Perhaps something along the lines of, “Good Lord, I’m glad I don’t have to do that every day.”
We’re all in the same boat, I’m afraid. While we may be able to stay up and party all night when we are in our teens, twenties or thirties, for the vast majority of us, that becomes less possible as we start easing into out fifties and sixties. We age and there’s no way to stop it, save for one, but few of us care to entertain that option.
What’s been preventing Robert Plant from agreeing to a reunion? Probably common sense, and a good understanding of his own physical limitations. He’s obviously enjoyed working with Alison Krauss, and they have had great success, even earning themselves five Grammy Awards.
He’s having a good time, he’s still singing, and he probably doesn’t need the money that he’d take in from a Led Zeppelin tour. He’s still Robert Plant – front man for one of the world’s best-known rock bands of all time. Why risk tarnishing his reputation by hitting the road and trying to recapture his youth?
I think there’s a good chance that Plant has made up his mind that he’s not willing to take that risk. And if he saw the Super Bowl half time show, he’s probably more convinced than ever.
January 12, 2010
Jimmy Page Rocks on With or Without Led Zeppelin
Much like his former band mate John Paul Jones, who seems to be having a good time with his new group Them Crooked Vultures, guitarist Jimmy Page seems determined to keep on making music one way or another.
As the doubts about a Led Zeppelin reunion remain, Page has apparently decided to quit waiting around and get back to work. After their famed reunion show at London’s O2 arena a couple of years ago, reports indicated that both Page and Jones were open to the idea of a Led Zeppelin reunion, but Robert Plant has remained firmly noncommittal.
Page has begun talking about the new solo album he has started working on that he states will be “radical.” There is also talk of doing some touring, with Page possibly forming up a hard rock trio. It appears that Page is still kicking ideas around and has not yet made any firm plans regarding a new band or tour dates.
Page is the last of the surviving members of Led Zeppelin to get back into the music business – at least as far as recording and performing live are concerned. Robert Plant’s collaboration with Alison Krauss and John Paul Jones’ signing on as part of Them Crooked Vultures proves that the legendary rockers still have plenty of music in them, and are not quite ready to fade away into the annals of music history.
Page says that he has no negative feelings towards Plant for failing to agree to a Led Zeppelin reunion, and says that he and Plant actually get along quite well, adding that he believes that the album that Plant and Krauss recorded is “really good.”
There are bound to be a significant number of fans who would like to see Page, Plant and Jones team up and try to capture some of that old Zep magic, as well as others who would much rather leave well enough alone and let the memory of the group live on as it is.
Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash seems to fall within the latter category, and has recently weighed in with his thoughts on the topic of a Led Zeppelin reunion.
Despite the rave reviews, and magic of the O2 show, Slash feels that forming up the remaining members of the group would diminish the significance of that performance. He told Britain’s GQ magazine, “When Robert Plant said he didn’t want to tour after the comeback show, I thought that was the right thing. It was a special night, so why ruin it?”
