Led Zeppelin

[jebbudda]

Big Fan here too .


I can't listen to the SRTS version . That slightly out of tune G string just irritates me to the point of distraction . :chainsaw:


Otherwise Jimmy Page rules .

[cvansickle]

When I was getting serious about learning guitar, I was also discovering Led Zeppelin. The Led Zeppelin Complete songbook, which was the first five albums, was like a bible. The riffs, like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Out on the Tiles," were what really got to me. But when it came to songwriting, I took more of an influence from the acoustic stuff like "Ramble On" and "Going to California."

[mr_crowley]

I think we all in some ways have been influenced by Led Zeppelin in our songwriting.


Myself I haven't been direct influenced by them but lots of the artists I admire and have been influenced by have been influenced by Led Zeppelin in the first place.


Although I think they are among the most overrated bands on this planet (please don't hate me) I can appreciate most of their stuff. I saw one old live shows (that one from '73 that is on some DVD) when it was broadcasted on Swedish television and thought it was pretty cool.

Black Dog and Immigrant Song are my favs. About Black Dog I would love to hear that guitar-riff in between the sung parts harmonised. Would sound killer I think...


And without Robert Plant the "rules" about how a frontman acts would be completely different. He sat the standard

[Dargavel]

I think we all in some ways have been influenced by Led Zeppelin in our songwriting.

couldn't agree more, crowley. I owe a lot to Page in my acoustic work, and although I write unique compositions, I can't help but letting a lot of zep slip in. There are always going to be the many aspects of my soloing that are owed to Page, but many of the techniques that he popularized have become so commonplace that they aren't necessarily immediately related to Page. That being said, when writing a really good riff or solo, nobody's more than a few degrees of separation away from Page. The other thing that I've noticed lately is my tendency to play off the drummer when we're jamming. It really helps with my phrasing, and I can think of few who did this better than Page in his time.

[Vandenberg]

I agree with pretty much all that has been said and the ZEP has an impact on all the I do songwriting wise, just because of how the did what they did, abit like the Beatles and the JHE for me, however as regards to frontmen, I think Roger Daltrey may have a few things to say about setting the Standards, as he was doing the Plant a couple of years before Robert, so the rules are not def with the rubber, a nod to the mod is required.

[Dinosaur David B]

Was just looking over this old thread and looking back on the question "how did led zeppelin affect YOUR songwriting and musical outlook", I have to laugh at what I said 6 years ago:

I think whatever Zep influence is undoubtedly in me, is subconscious.

:chuckle:


A lot has changed for me musically since I said that. Having started back playing seriously, being in a band again, writing songs and producing them, I think I can now safely say that Zeppelin and more specifically Page is a fucking, huge, conscious influence on MUCH of what I do.


The Zep influence is in everything from how and why we picked our drummer (his Bonham-like kick drum sound), to the kind of band we created, to my ideas for guitar riffs and songs, to loads of my production ideas. In fact, as big a guitar influence Page is on me, he is an even bigger influence on me as a producer. Shortly after I originally posted on this thread, I wrote and recorded So Far to Go which had strong Zep influence. And more recently, I wrote Hudson Valley Stomp which is basically a love letter to Jimmy Page both the player and even moreso, the producer. There are so many times when we're either tracking or mixing and I think to try some idea I learned from Jimmy. Either as something as I've planned ahead of time, or it comes to me on the spur of the moment.


So 6 years later (based on significantly more data points :chuckle:), I can revise my original statement and say that when I'm making music, the influence of Jimmy Page is pretty much always sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my ear. Sometimes I let it run totally free, other times it's more subtle, but it's always there.

[inmyhands]

That comes through loud and clear on most of your bands song tracks you've shared here. I'm always listening for some of your other influences like Tony Iommi, Gary Moore, Ritchie Blackmore, etc. but Jimmy seems to almost always be there somewhere. I'm sure the fact that you're producing as well as playing also favors a similarity to Jimmy Page. A lot of what was great about Led Zeppelin happened in the studio behind the board.

[Dinosaur David B]

Yeah, those influences and others are clearly there as well, but they come out as guitar influences only. But even after our last gig, people were coming up to us and saying: you guys are like Zeppelin -- which is both preposterous, but obviously very flattering as well.

[inmyhands]

So ..... Will you be using a bow and theremin in the near future? :evil:


I mean ...... if the folks in the audience are making that comparison maybe you should run with it.

[Dinosaur David B]

Bow and Theremin -- no.


As for the comparisons, we also hear Queen occasionally too (because Amy plays the piano) which is equally preposterous and flattering.


Ultimately, I'm trying to be me, and we're trying to be us. Yeah, the influences are there for all to see. We have songs that are evocative of Zeppelin, and some coming that are evocative of Queen, but no one is saying it's coming across like a blatant ripoff -- like Kingdom Come was.


The reason we're hearing these things -- I think -- is because we are the only band in town (and possibly beyond) who are actively TRYING to be a BIG "ROCK band" like those of that era. Not a metal band. Not a jangly garage band, a punk band or an alt rock band. We are aiming for something very few bands try. And those that do, never have all the pieces in place (usually the singer) to really put it over. Guys like Rivals Sons have the singer, but they don't have the songs (or the guitar solos, really). The Darkness guys can play, but they don't have a lot of great songs or a singer people can take seriously.


We like to think we have all the pieces in place. And I think that is what people are reacting to. They haven't heard it all put back together in so long, those are the references they use.


And as for running with it, while we ourselves know that we aren't Zep or Queen, if people want to make those comparisons, we're very flattered, and hope it means we're on the right track.