Robert Plant


I’ve been a Zeppelin fan since I was a little kid. Was obsessed with them in high school. I always thought Plant was one of the best singers in rock and roll. A lot of people still do. I never saw Zep but did see Plant in concert several times in the 80s/90s.

 

Over the decades I find that I don’t listen to Zep all that much for whatever reason.

 

This Christmas Eve morning I stayed home from church because of a nasty cold and dug out some of my old LPs. One of them was a bootleg (at the time) of Zeppelin's live BBC performances. I bought it used in 1984 for $20 which was a ton of money for me back then. (You can get this on Qobuz etc now.)

 

About 4 minutes into Whole Lotta Love the band lapses into a blues/Elvis medley of songs that is simply epic. The entire band is right on point and amazing as always but in this medley Plant really shows you his stuff. The range, the control, the timing, the soul. All there. Is he the best rock and roll singer ever? I can think of a lot of challengers to that idea but he’s certainly up around the top.

Give this song a listen. The initial part of Whole Lotta Love is not my favorite. But this medley and the ending are Zeppelin at its best.

Merry Christmas all.

n80

Robert Plant is obviously one of the best singers ever to come from rock; he's become over the years a truly stellar singer. He's released quite a few absolutely excellent solo works and a couple of collaborations with Alison Krauss. He's never become boring.

Just listen Kashmir, Live from Celebration Day. Plant’s voice matured, Page’s guitar is wild, but under the Master’s control, Jason truly follows his Father’s footsteps and JPJ is freakin’ awesome foundation to this enormous energy release. Like H bomb slowly went off on that stage.
Okay: JPJ and Jason are foundation worthy of any R’N’R Gods there was, is, and ever will be; those two can lay over it their sound and words as they see it fit, and we will be blown away. If we are not blown away, we should call 911 and ask for help, for we are dead.
Yes, I am blown away by that particular version of Kashmir. Yes, I was teenager when they were in orbit - therefore I am biased; NO, they are not my favourite band.
1974, New Year: my sister came back to the middle of nowhere from University and brought me a present: Pink Floyd’s Meddle. I pulled the LP out, see 5 songs on A side, flip it over and it says only one thing: Echoes.

So, my No1 song in modern music is Echoes. But surely, that Kashmir is easily between best 10.
If you wondering, my No1 is Beethoven’s 7th, and 2nd is Khachaturian’s Masquerade:


3rd is Echoes, 4th is Hendrix’ Little Wing, 5th is Moonlight Sonata, 6th is Band’s Load...
Emotional bias is dictating No 7 to be When The Levee Breaks. Only because the town I am from was flooded in 2014 severely despite a "big and strong" levee system. However... there is much better, much more emotional version than Minnie and Led Zeppelin: Playing For Change.


8th is easily that Kashmir. THAT live version.


9th should be the most spiritual song I ever heard: Brian Blade and Fellowship Band, Improvisation. Mortals, drop on your knees. Seriously, unbelievable.
10th: Doors, The End. Vinyl, original issue. No, not Apocalypse Now. Original LP version, rising more questions with every verse... just imagine hearing it for the first time, but now. All the children are insane. Waiting for the summer rain. Yeah.
So, Led Zeppelin is just one snippet of the times long gone. And they were considered POP MUSIC at the time. Let that sink in. Pop music. Yep.
11th: Cash, Hurt
12th: Trucks, This Sky
13th Queen, Propeth’s Song
14th Led again Zeppelin, No Quarter
15th Beethoven’s 9th - if not jumping to 8th and pushing everything down...
16th Bach, Ave Maria
17th Jethro Tull, Thisck As A Brick, entire freakin’ album.
18th Beetles, Let It Be - actually, that entire album. Yes. Everything else was... not quite honest. Except maybe
19th All Things Must Pass, entire album, of course...
20th ...

I should the same feelings regarding Led Zeppelin and Plant from my early childhood. These BBC recordings are particularly good and their quality is not bad for the year. Led Zeppelin remains my favorite rock band along with Emerson Lake & Palmer. 

It's been rumored for a long time that Jimmy Page stole melodies from other songs.  Don't believe it.  Listen to the song 'Taurus' from Spirit (available on Qobuz & TIDAL) that was published well in advance of 'Stairway to Heaven'.  I never liked Page's style of playing lots of notes at the mercy of carrying a memorable melody.  Page couldn't hold a candle to guitarists such as Hendrix, the late Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton.

As to Plant being the greatest Rock & Roll singer, I've seen him in Led Zepp several time in S, Florida in the late 60's and 70's in small and large venues and he's nowhere close to Freddie Mercury, Roger Daltry, Rod Stewart or Paul Rodgers.

 

After 7 long months renting a house while our new one was being built, we finally moved in.  My audio system was in storage the entire time and I was listening to blue tooth streaming on a Marshall Stanmore BT speaker.  Great for the garage, but not for hours of listening.

Yesterday I got my system set up and upgraded to the DAC2 module in my McIntosh MA-8900.  When the tech was finished and we fired it up, the FIRST “record” I played was “Celebration Day” streamed via Tidal through my Aurender N100C.  All I will say is GLORIOUS.  I grew up on Zeppelin, Floyd, Rush, Genesis (before top 40), Stones, Beatles, Kansas, Frampton and Elton John.  I don’t listen to much that was produced after 1990 because it’s mostly garbage and today NO ONE plays an instrument.  

Keeping physically fit, being active and stimulating the mind with music are sure fire ways to delay the inevitable and really enjoy life!!  Rock On people!!!!!