Main Menu
Classic Rock News And Views
Browse: Classic Rock Gear Classic Rock Ringtones Classic Rock Posters
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?”
January 4, 2010
Led Zeppelin Speculation Continues Into New Year
2010. Twenty-10. Two-thousand-ten. Two-thousand-and-ten. No matter how you say – or write it – to those of us who have been around a while, it seems a bit unreal. Maybe it’s just me, but it sure seemed to get here a bit too quickly.
Entering a new decade reminds me that some of our favorite classic rocks acts have been in the business for upwards of forty years or more! Although one of the world’s most-recognized rock groups of all time have not been together in almost thirty years, rumors and speculation about their possible reunion persist.
Even though there is no possibility of a “real” Led Zeppelin reunion due to the untimely death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, the much-anticipated reunion performance at London’s O2 arena two years ago demonstrated that the boys can still play rock and roll and electrify an audience.
With John Bonham’s son Jason sitting in for his father at the O2 show, that lineup may be the closest thing to a real Led Zeppelin reunion that could ever possibly take place.
Having left Foreigner in 2008 and most recently traveling with Thunder on their farewell tour, it seems Bonham may have some open dates on his calendar coming up if he’s invited to join his father’s former band mates for another performance, or – dare I say it – a tour.
What brings back the Led Zeppelin talk, you might ask? New rumors have surfaced that have Jimmy Page in talks with Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis. Page denies that there are plans for a Led Zeppelin reunion at Glastonbury, but when asked about the future of the group, Page says it is up to Robert Plant. An answer that sounds a bit familiar.
“You’d better ask Robert Plant what the future of Led Zeppelin is. Musicians can always play together but I don’t think you can go out with a band called Led Zeppelin if you haven’t got the original vocalist,” the Led Zeppelin guitarist is quoted as saying.
Page is reportedly still open to the idea of a Led Zeppelin reunion, but with bassist John Paul Jones now working with Josh Homme and Dave Grohl as Them Crooked Vultures, another element of uncertainty is now part of the mix. Jones and the Vultures are currently on a break from their tour, which will resume in on January 19th in Australia.
The beat goes on.
Read more at Star Pulse.
November 2, 2009
John Paul Jones Enjoying ‘Vultures’ Gig
The Led Zeppelin rumors came back to life in recent weeks with talk of Robert Plant making plans for an appearance at next year’s Glastonbury Festival. This, as one might expect, set off the usual rumors that Led Zeppelin might be reuniting for the event. Plant reportedly stated that he had no idea who he would be performing which may have been the trigger that sent the rumor mill spinning once again.
Since then, the rumors appear to have died down, and recent word from former Zep bassist John Paul Jones may have poured a bit of cold water on the hopes of a Led Zeppelin reunion – at least for now. There surely will be more of them springing to life if someone happens to spot Robert Plant dining with Jimmy Page in a London restaurant or Jason 
Bonham talks about how much he enjoyed performing with his dad’s former band mates in some interview.
Addressing the group’s experimentation a while back with the idea of touring without Plant, Jones said that he rehearsed a bit with Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham and were unable to come to an agreement on a singer to join the effort. An outcome that does not seem too disappointing to Jones now that he’s signed on with Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age to form Them Crooked Vultures.
Jones says he’s “really happy” about the way things worked out and acknowledges that it would not have been possible if things had clicked with Page and Bonham. Perhaps the man is tired of all the drama surrounding the whole Led Zeppelin thing. At this point, it would be hard to blame him.
The first album from Them Crooked Vultures is expected to be released on November 17th, and a singe from the album called “New Fang” has already been released.
See Ireland On-Line For more.
June 23, 2009
Jimmy Page And Jack White No Guitar Heroes
Not in the virtual world of video games anyway. It’s probably safe to say that neither of the two real-life guitar heroes have spent much quality time with either of the two wildly popular music-themed video games “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.” In fact, both Page and White recently shared their thoughts about the new genre of games.
“It’s depressing to have a label come and tell you that [Guitar Hero] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," said White. "If you [the artist] have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that’s a little sad.”
Page also added his two cents, saying, “You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin’s first track on the first album, ‘Good Times Bad Times’," he said. "How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?”
Kind of hard to argue with that one. That particular Zeppelin song has been a favorite of mine for years, and surely takes a drummer with a quick foot and great sense of timing to pull it off properly.
I’ve mostly considered the popularity of these games as a good thing, since they seem to have been instrumental (I’m not even going to say it) in introducing a younger generation of fans to some great classic rock music, and I dare say that some of them have become fans as a result.
For the kids who don’t have any plans to actually learn how to play an instrument, and that’s probably the majority of them, it seems there would be little harm in allowing them to have a little fun pretending to be a rock star. It is a bit discouraging to think that it could sway someone who has some interest in learning a real instrument away from the hard work and time that’s necessary and taking the easy way out with a fake guitar and a video game.
I suspect, however, that the young people who are really passionate about playing will not have their goals derailed by the existence of a video game. Think about how many other kinds of video games are there out there for a moment. Will there be fewer future NASCAR drivers because of “NASCAR Kart Racing” or fewer aspiring car thieves because of “Grand Theft Auto?” Now, that would be something, but I don’t think these games have the dampening effect on the aspirations of young people that others seem to.
Although I can see the point that Jack White and Jimmy Page are trying to make, I don’t think these new games are having as negative an impact as they suggest. I can honestly say that I don’t think games like that would have deterred me from playing (real) drums if they had been around when I was a kid. I think it would have only increased my desire to get my hands, or sticks as the case may be, on the real thing.
I suppose some statistician could track the emergence of new bands in the coming years and perhaps come to some conclusions about whether or not games like “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” actually diminished the number of young people who decided to learn to play a real instrument, but that probably won’t happen.
I’m not terribly concerned. I think the kids who are serious and dedicated enough to learn on a real instrument will be able to pull themselves away from the game console and invest the time and effort required to become a musician because they realize the value of the sense of accomplishment they will experience. To say nothing of how much fun it is to get together with a few other people and just jam. A game cannot replicate that experience.
And there’s always that possibility, however remote, that learning how to play the real thing could be the start of a journey that lands them on a real stage in front of a few thousand screaming fans some day.
Thanks go out to NME.
December 27, 2008
Robert Plant Won’t Tour But Says He Is Still Friends With Old Band Mates
Each statement that we hear from Robert Plant seems to diminish the chances that he will ever tour with his old Led Zeppelin band mates again. Recently, Plant was quoted as saying that all the speculation about the group’s future is “frustrating and ridiculous.”
In a recent chat with the BBC, Plant says there is no truth to the rumors regarding a rift between him and his old band mates. “I still see Jimmy quite a lot and he’s very complimentary and supportive of what I’m doing,” he said.
Although it is easy to understand how fans could become excited about the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion — or 
as some fans might want to point out, an “almost” Led Zeppelin reunion considering that the late John Bonham’s son Jason is filling in for him on drums – when rumors about bad blood between himself and the rest of the group start surfacing, it is easy to understand his frustration.
Assuming Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones are reasonable guys, there is no reason for them to be upset with Plant just because he does not want to attempt to relive the Led Zeppelin years. Apparently, he is quite satisfied with the more low-key work he has been doing with Alison Krauss and may just be feeling a bit too over-the-hill to be on stage belting out “Whole Lotta Love” over and over again.
It’s hard to speculate about how the remaining group members will be received if they do decide to take their act on the road with a replacement for Plant. The last word on that possibility indicates that they are planning to do just that, but it still appears to be up in the air where their choice of replacement frontman is concerned.
[Real Rock News was unceremoniously knocked out of action by an ice storm here in New Hampshire that is being described as the worst the state has ever experienced. No power for 11 days and lack of internet access until yesterday made it a bit tough to keep the news flowing from RRN Headquarters, but everything is back to normal – at least for now. We’ll be hoping for Mother Nature’s mercy for the remainder of the winter season here in the northeastern U.S.]
