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.

Tags: Glastonbury, jason bonham, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, reunion, Robert Plant, Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures Let It All Hang Out on YouTube

They may not be the first group to put their entire new album on YouTube, but it’s still not something you see every day. New “supergroup” Them Crooked Vultures has confidently made their self-titled new album available free for anyone to listen to on the wildly popular video sharing site YouTube.

This may be an interesting experiment, whether or not the band planned it as such, I do not know. Will the release of the entire album online for free have any impact on album sales? Some fans have commented on YouTube and indicated that they plan to buy the album and applaud the group’s decision to put their music out there.

Other fans indicate that those who download music illegally are mostly kids who cannot afford to buy their music or people who would not buy it even if the downloads were not available. Groups like the RIAA surely do not agree with that assessment, but might this move by the Vultures prove them wrong? Is there any measurement that is used to accurately predict album sales? It would be interesting to know if the YouTube release has any effect on the numbers.

Perhaps the group is just facing up to reality, knowing that their album will be available online whether they put it there or not. I don’t think it takes a seasoned internet veteran to locate free music to download online, and it seems that barely any popular group is immune to having their material shared though various methods, which include download sites, news groups, torrents, P2P Networks, and perhaps others I have never even heard about.

The official release for the new album is set for November 17th.

To check out their new album in its entirety, head on over to Them Crooked Vultures’ YouTube Channel.

Tags: Album, Free, Online, Streaming, Them Crooked Vultures, YouTube

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.

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Tags: Glastonbury, jason bonham, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Them Crooked Vultures