The Truth about Led Zeppelin

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Permalink Reply by ED on December 11, 2012 at 5:30pm

Cover band?! If Led Zeppelin is a cover band, then no one has a chance! They were not a cover band. People continually bash Led Zeppelin over 'stealing' material. Are they completely absolved of that accusation? No. But if you examine their music, you see their true genius. Not only were they four top notch musicians, that, by a stroke of fate happened to cross paths and form a band, but they were also amazing writers. The Stairway to Heaven accusations (to name a popular one) that are always thrown around are uninformed. The common accusation is that they stole the opening from the song 'Taurus' by Spirit. There are some similar notes, but the accusation holds no merit. They did jack some lyrics from blues songs, but they werent the only ones, and that doesn't make them anything close to a cover band. Would a cover band write songs like 'Kashmir',  'Achilles Last Stand', 'The Song Remains the Same', 'Black Dog', or 'Ten Years Gone'? That's just to name a few. The 20 million+ people that applied for tickets for the O2 show in 2007 provides further proof that they were not a cover band, but in fact, the greatest band of all time. 

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Permalink Reply by Craig S on December 11, 2012 at 8:05pm

It isn't so much stealing.  As the article reads, many English blues bands "lifted" from songs, and covered others, but Zeppelin didn't give credit.  Why not?  It's a simple enough question.

And again, I'm in no way saying that LZ isn't a great, or even epic band, but your analogy of how many people wanted tickets being proof of their greatness?  Spare me, Milli Vanilli sold out stadiums.  It proves nothing.

It's just one question, and there are lame theories and no answers.  Perhaps 'cover band' is a bit extreme, but why the claim of original work when many of their songs clearly weren't?

The funny thing is, the public wouldn't have thought any less of them had they credited the original work.

Elvis Presley didn't write a single hit, nor did he claim to.  Didn't tarnish his crown did it? 

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Permalink Reply by ED on December 11, 2012 at 8:24pm

Milli Vanilli never had a concert where there were 20 mil. applications for tickets. Many of their songs were original. The brunt of their 'stealing' is the old blues lyrics which the blues artists stole from other blues artists. Should they have given credit? Yes, but they didn't, but it doesnt take away from their greatness. I'm not Led Zeppelin, however, I don't know why they didnt give credit, young and cocky maybe? But saying Led Zeppelin is unoriginal? Come on, they are the farthest from unoriginal. But, it doesn't really matter, because to me, they're the greatest band of all time (subjective, I know).

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Permalink Reply by Craig S on December 12, 2012 at 2:26pm

I never said they weren't great, just that they weren't altogether honest... at all.

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Expert RockerPermalink Reply by barrytheb on December 12, 2012 at 7:09pm

come on man don't attack The Beatles because of this bs. Led Zeppelin was great, The Beatles were great etc. Nobody can dispute these facts but everyone has different takes on whats their favorites. Sometimes it's as simple as when you were born or where you grew up or who your friends were. If you don't like what i like well i'm over it.

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Expert RockerPermalink Reply by barrytheb on December 12, 2012 at 7:00pm

I would comment BUT i'm not sure i can say something that hasn't already been said

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Permalink Reply by Craig S on December 13, 2012 at 11:04am

Keep attacking me personally, it's all you got.

RE: The Beatles.  Yes, they covered many artists, but the credited them.

So let's be honest.  As epic as LZ may have been, they were hacks and liars.  Low.  No surprise their "fans" hit below the belt... It's all they got.

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Permalink Reply by ED on December 13, 2012 at 11:19am

Nope, they were killer musicians and performers. You seem to have this blind thought that they swiped their entire musical catalogue, but thats not the case. Why did you put fans in quotation marks? Are you implying that we aren't fans?

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Permalink Reply by Craig S on December 13, 2012 at 11:23am

Dude.  Relax.  There is no questioning Jimmy Page's skills, just his ethics.

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Expert RockerPermalink Reply by karen (karlee) on March 16, 2013 at 11:50am

Sorry Craig this is all BS...

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