Led Zeppelin

[WalshFan88]

I almost feel like a traitor here on The Border in saying this, but Zep occupies the lion's share of my memory on my MP3. Page just sort of exuded music on that guitar....just squeezed it out of the neck somehow.

Favorite album I think would be ZOSO (Led Zep IV). But for a favorite song by ZEP...that's a tough one. Really like "Battle of Evermore" but like "Blackdog" and "When The Levey Breaks" and can't forget "Going To California" and "Misty Mountain Hop"....oh heck, I pretty much like all of them though I've sort of burned out on "Stairway".

Misty Mountain Hop is my personal favorite Zep song. My 2nd favorite is The Ocean.

[WalshFan88]

Your really scoring points with me Austin!!

Hehe!

[Freypower]

I see this has been revived too & I wish I could add more to what I wrote earlier in the thread. I was a late convert to Led Zeppelin. If I were to rank the albums I would say:

Led Zeppelin IV
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin III
Houses Of The Holy
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
In Through The Out Door
Presence

I'm looking at my iTunes list of the songs & most of them have ratings of either 5 or 4 stars.

I was raving on in the Beatles thread about their 'English' songs particularly on Sgt Pepper. For Zeppelin the classic examples of being 'English' are Stairway To Heaven but also songs like Tea For One, Black Country Woman, Down By The Seaside, Ramble On, Gallows Pole, The Battle of Evermore.

[TimothyBFan]

I pretty much like all of them though I've sort of burned out on "Stairway".

I totally agree!! It just seems so "overused" or something. It kills me when people say things like the only song they know by Zep is Stairway. I've actually had discussions with people that say "I don't like Zep except for Stairway to Heaven". Seriously???

As far as ranking their albums or songs....Impossible for me really. I can tell you my favorite Zep song has always been Immigrant Song followed by The Ocean and Fool In The Rain but after that, it just depends on my mood.

This is truly the ONLY band that I can stick their whole discography on, and NOT skip a song on it!! Truly!!! I can't even say that about the Eagles (I'm ashamed to say-Journey of the Sorcerer comes to mind), The Cars or Sweet.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

It kills me when people say things like the only song they know by Zep is Stairway. I've actually had discussions with people that say "I don't like Zep except for Stairway to Heaven". Seriously???

Yep - seriously Willie. And I know you find this unfathomable but I know quite a few people like that. While I myself am pretty familiar with their catalog, Stairway to Heaven is the only song that I like a lot. What can I say ... just not my thing. Maybe I'm not normal.

[Freypower]

I totally agree!! It just seems so "overused" or something. It kills me when people say things like the only song they know by Zep is Stairway. I've actually had discussions with people that say "I don't like Zep except for Stairway to Heaven". Seriously???

As far as ranking their albums or songs....Impossible for me really. I can tell you my favorite Zep song has always been Immigrant Song followed by The Ocean and Fool In The Rain but after that, it just depends on my mood.

This is truly the ONLY band that I can stick their whole discography on, and NOT skip a song on it!! Truly!!! I can't even say that about the Eagles (I'm ashamed to say-Journey of the Sorcerer comes to mind), The Cars or Sweet.

I love Stairway & will never tire of it.

If I had to name a song which is fairly well known but I think is just ordinary, it would be The Song Remains The Same (even if they named a film & live album after it) & also Hats Off To (Roy) Harper.

[TimothyBFan]

Yep - seriously Willie. And I know you find this unfathomable but I know quite a few people like that. While I myself am pretty familiar with their catalog, Stairway to Heaven is the only song that I like a lot. What can I say ... just not my thing. Maybe I'm not normal.

Actually Dreamer, I believe you are the norm when it comes to Zep.

Please understand, I'm not putting anyone down for not being an avid Zep fan. I love Stairway but it is not, by far, my favorite song and I think a lot of people (not you because you say you are familiar with their catalog) if they really listened would realize there are a lot better songs than Stairway that Zep has done. JMO. They certainly are not everyone's cup of tea!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Willie I know you weren't trying to put anybody down - I was just pulling your chains a little. But seriously, I think that Zeppelin is a band that people either love or dislike - not many in betweeners. As is true with any big band, there are some people who declare themselves as haters even though they aren't even that familiar with their music. But I played my Mothership CD for my very cool 19 year old niece one day and told her she could have it - she politely declined. The music didn't 'grab' her enough so that she was willing to give it another listen. I know the music because I grew up with it, and they were supposed to be so cool so I listened. But honestly, even when Zep was at their height, I just wasn't able to embrace their music. I bought the Mothership CD several years ago thinking maybe after all these years, I would have a change of heart. But I didn't. What can I say - I'm so uncool!

As I've said before, I'm not a Zeppelin hater - I appreciate their contribution to rock and roll, and recognize that they are in an elite group with only a few other bands.

[MikeA]

The lines of "love/hate/ambivalence" definitely existed even with the younger demographic when it came to Led Zep. To the purist, they were not really Rock N Roll. But they weren't Blues or Soul and definitely were not Country so they were not targeting themselves toward a particular genre back in the late 60's and early 70's. In a way, they were a lot more like Eagles than they were different.

Both groups were shooting for a crossover type music. With the Eagles, it was a blend of Country and Rock. With Zep, it was a blend of Rock and Blues. While Rock was always a genre that came out of Blues/Gospel influences, Zep really emphasized the Blues.

But they really Rocked it out in a way no one else had done it. Cream, John Mayall, and others were doing "modern blues" but Zep took it over the top.

They just didn't fit a category. They sort of bridged that Blues/Rock thing and it really appealed to many people who were devotees to one or the other genre. Many of the Rock purists didn't buy into it and many of the Blues purists didn't buy it! But there sure were a lot of people who DID. And, I think that is is pretty well accepted that Zep was the origination or at least the inspiration for the Metal and probably the Punk genres.

I myself got addicted to Zep. They actually pulled me into the Rock genre as a diehard fan BECAUSE they held to that Blues emphasis because up until that point, while I listened to a lot of Rock (anything but Country), it was really hard to find new Blues stuff. Pretty much, Clapton, Hendrix, Joplin, and Guy were about the only ones I really got into except for James Gang (Walsh's guitar work enthralled me!). So Zep really appealed to me. They formed a genre that was what I'd been getting only hints of prior to their emergence.

There were certainly a lot of folks though who didn't trip on them like I did.

Oh, and it didn't hurt anything at all that Jimmy Page played guitar like a Frenzied Demon!

[TimothyBFan]

I think that Zeppelin is a band that people either love or dislike - not many in betweeners.

In my last post, I almost put that exact thing. I think you are spot on there.

I myself got addicted to Zep. They actually pulled me into the Rock genre as a diehard fan BECAUSE they held to that Blues emphasis because up until that point, while I listened to a lot of Rock (anything but Country), it was really hard to find new Blues stuff. Pretty much, Clapton, Hendrix, Joplin, and Guy were about the only ones I really got into except for James Gang (Walsh's guitar work enthralled me!). So Zep really appealed to me. They formed a genre that was what I'd been getting only hints of prior to their emergence.

Love this Mike! Really cool.

I'm not really sure when I discovered them but I know it was early on in my life. I don't know how to describe it, but it wasn't just the music they made (tho it was some of the GREATEST stuff I had ever heard in my young life) that pulled me in. It was the pure "sexuality" that Jimmy Page & Robert Plant exuded. Whenever I was lucky enough to see them on a tv show, I just couldn't turn away. Add to that, hearing the sounds that came out of Jimmy Page's guitar............

Ok I need to go take a cold shower now!