| I've been in rock and roll all my life and | | | | 11 minutes in length without resorting to an |
| I'm well aware that The Rolling Stones have | | | | overly repetitive chorus. I know from |
| been called the best rock and roll band. | | | | Robert's solo work after Led Zep that he also |
| Don't get me wrong because I love Mick and | | | | uses unusual tonalities in his writing, but |
| the Stones, and the Beatles were my major | | | | even without actually knowing this I would |
| musical influence, but here's why I think | | | | have to assume that due to Jimmy Page being |
| that Led Zeppelin is the best rock and roll | | | | an erupting fountain of brilliant guitar |
| band of all time: | | | | work, the |
| | | | |
| BEST PLAYERSFirst of all, John Bonham was | | | | majority of the non-vocal music creation |
| the best rock and roll drummer ever to walk | | | | came from Jimmy. The Beatles certainly |
| the face of this planet, and that's an | | | | deserve abject worship for John and Paul's |
| informed opinion coming from a former | | | | creative songwriting ability, no question |
| professional drummer. John played drums | | | | about that. Certainly Mick and Keith wrote a |
| unlike anyone else ever did, still does, or | | | | slew of classic, historic and truly memorable |
| ever will, and that fact is continually | | | | rock songs, but the very nature of their |
| demonstrated in the astounding breadth and | | | | comparatively simple rock and roll structure |
| depth of his recorded work. He had complete | | | | and basic similarity to each other in terms |
| independence in all four limbs, he slammed | | | | of using major and minor chord progressions, |
| his drums harder than anyone else, and he did | | | | simple and basic rock and roll rhythms, and |
| it with speed and total precision, never once | | | | verse/chorus/bridge approach defines them as |
| dropping the beat. His beats were were | | | | being less innovative when compared to Robert |
| innovative and creative, and John was never | | | | and Jimmy.SUM TOTAL OF BRILLIANT WORKHere |
| stuck in simple grooves. His fills were | | | | they outdistance The Stones because most of |
| innovative, creative, complex, and | | | | the Stones' albums have "fillers", which are |
| technically brilliant, he knew when to keep | | | | songs that do not hit the same intense high |
| it relatively simple (i.e. Kashmir), but he | | | | that got slammed in all their best ones. |
| was always in the stratosphere of drumming. | | | | However, I'd like to say that I don't think |
| And to top that all off, John created a giant | | | | either Mick or Robert is capable of recording |
| drum sound which is unique. It inspired a | | | | anything short of a brilliant vocal. The |
| host of imitators who were able to | | | | Beatles actually exceed Led Zep in terms of |
| | | | numbers of great albums that constitute a |
| imitate the sound of his snare drum, but | | | | greater body of brilliant and uniquely |
| only with a simple backbeat. At the time that | | | | innovative work that literally broke new |
| Led Zep was formed, Jimmy Page could have | | | | musical ground with every single song they |
| gotten any drummer in the world to play with | | | | recorded. The Beatles were simply The |
| him, and he chose John. There's not one | | | | Beatles, and they were the most creative rock |
| single drummer alive or dead who can begin to | | | | and roll band ever, from being the best |
| touch John's power, creativity, speed, | | | | singers and songwriters ever right down to |
| precision, and technical brilliance. I've | | | | their individual charm and charisma. But |
| heard that Jimmy still feels the same way | | | | without denigrating their gorgeous, sensitive |
| about John as I do.Secondly, Jimmy Page has | | | | and original style of playing, what they |
| always been one of the best rock guitarists | | | | recorded is not the heavy type of rock and |
| ever, right from his earliest days as a | | | | roll that either the Stones or Led Zep |
| session player and the beginning of his real | | | | played. George, Paul and John were all |
| public stardom in the Yardbirds. I believe | | | | brilliant and creative guitarists, but |
| that Jimmy is the most brilliantly prolific | | | | because they did not improvise on stage, they |
| of all the great rock and roll guitarists. I | | | | were not really master guitarists. I love and |
| suspect that Jimmy would agree with me that | | | | respect Ringo as both a person and as a very |
| Jimi Hendrix was the one true genius of | | | | creative drummer who mastered the art of drum |
| guitar because he came from another galaxy in | | | | sounds. He has his own unmistakable Ringo |
| terms of his sound and his use of feedback. | | | | style for both, but he's not really a master |
| But unfortunately, Jimi died and we will | | | | drummer in the sense of being able to play |
| never know how much further he would have | | | | with great speed and dexterity. I'm talking |
| progressed. When I listen to Jimmy's solos | | | | about 9 Led Zep albums chock full of |
| using the violin bow, I get the urge to put | | | | brilliant and intensely high songs - I don't |
| him on the same pedestal as Hendrix and | | | | know how many hours of great rock and roll |
| wonder which galaxy they both came from. As a | | | | listening that is. There's not a single weak |
| songwriter, Jimmy used his superior ability | | | | track among all that work, and there's simply |
| to play lead guitar to create actual song | | | | no question that they consistently broke new |
| structure. Led Zep's songs use not one or two | | | | ground musically. Their debut album is still |
| of Jimmy's incredibly powerful, complicated | | | | the best one of all time (including Cream's), |
| and unbelievably SEXY riffs in each song, but | | | | and Coda, their "swan song" is equally |
| there are four, five or more riffs in some | | | | perfect.STAGE PRESENCELed Zep was there when |
| songs. Jimmy's riffs differ from each other | | | | the concept of "rock and roll star" was still |
| within each song, and also from song to song. | | | | evolving. I will grant that the Stones at |
| His lead guitar playing can be HARD and sexy, | | | | least deserve honorable mention as the best |
| he can be sensitive and beautiful, and he can | | | | rock and roll band but it's mostly because of |
| be technically brilliant, all in the very | | | | their impressive touring record and Mick's |
| same song.Thirdly, John Paul Jones is a bass | | | | superstar stage presence with his ability to |
| player who attained a level of brilliance | | | | put on a great show every single time he |
| comparable to Paul McCartney. Just like | | | | appears. And he's still doing it at age 60 |
| McCartney, John could play beautiful | | | | for goodness sake! My point isn't that Led |
| "melodic" bass (i.e. "Ramble On"), he could | | | | Zep necessarily had the best stage presence, |
| play as fast as it gets, but he also knew | | | | just that they did have a true rock star |
| when to keep it simple and just hold down the | | | | sexual aura.I could go on about Jimmy Page's |
| bottom although I think he was incapable of | | | | abilities as a producer, and there are other |
| doing that without utter sophistication. No | | | | aspects to their greatness like the length of |
| one at all can touch those two on bass, and | | | | time they were together without a change of |
| John also played consistently brilliant | | | | band members. And the life they actually led |
| keyboards - piano, organ and synthesizer. The | | | | as archtypical wild rock and roll bad boys |
| intricate way in which he wove his bass | | | | equals the life led by the Rolling Stones in |
| guitar playing into, through, and underneath | | | | intensity, if not length. Both bands are |
| Jimmy's guitar playing is nothing short of | | | | perfect examples on an artistic level of what |
| perfection itself.And last but not at all | | | | I call FORM = CONTENT, which in this case |
| least, Robert Plant had an incredibly high | | | | means that these two rock and roll bands |
| vocal range, emotionally as well as in terms | | | | personified the rock and roll life.In |
| of octaves. Just like Dylan was for his own | | | | conclusion, the above four categories do |
| music, Robert's voice was perfect for Led | | | | enough to fully qualify Led Zeppelin for my |
| Zep's music and there's no other singer who | | | | not-so-humble award. There will never be |
| could possibly have fit in. As a professional | | | | another rock and roll band to approach the |
| singer, I'm knocked out by Robert's vocals on | | | | stratospheric musical heights that Led Zep |
| both a technical and an emotional level. | | | | reached. The Recording Industry Association |
| Robert understood the concept of using his | | | | of America, who has the correct statistics, |
| voice like a musical instrument, creating | | | | lists Led Zeppelin as the third best selling |
| fascinating sounds without using lyrics. And | | | | musical act/artist in history. The Beatles |
| Robert co-wrote with Jimmy too. A lot of the | | | | are first, with 166.5 million albums sold in |
| time you can't understand his lyrics and I've | | | | the USA alone, Elvis is second with 117.5 |
| heard that was Robert's intent because just | | | | million, and Led Zep is third with 106 |
| like Mick Jagger, all he cared about at that | | | | million. I think it's very significant that |
| time was that you connect with the emotion | | | | those statistics are becoming geometrically |
| and the energy in the totality of the music. | | | | times greater than the number of albums that |
| But when you can get the lyrics (like in | | | | they sold during their performance lifetimes. |
| Stairway to Heaven, their tribute to Janis | | | | What has happened |
| Joplin), you find a great piece of poetry. | | | | |
| And on top of all that, Robert had the best | | | | and is happening is that the young people of |
| "oooh yeahs" in the business!CREATIVE | | | | today are discovering them in droves because |
| SONGWRITINGHardly anybody has ever covered | | | | they are coming of age sexually and they |
| Led Zep songs for very good reasons. Their | | | | recognize and connect with the most powerful |
| song structure is based on their vastly | | | | musical example of that sexual power. They |
| superior playing abilities and there's no one | | | | are buying their CD's, shirts, posters and |
| who can actually play what they played. I'm | | | | other memorabilia. And frankly, I'm |
| talking about songs that are not based on | | | | thrilled.Peter Cross is a former professional |
| simple chords like all other rock and roll | | | | drummer and a singer/songwriter/producer/Web |
| is. Jimmy and Robert based their songs on | | | | Master who was among the first to put music |
| Jimmy's riffs and on his chordal tonalities | | | | on the Internet in a downloadable format in |
| that to this day stand alone as being unique. | | | | 1996. His web site is very entertaining and |
| I'm also talking about length of songs that | | | | at 206 pages, it may be the largest music |
| maintain a constant and intense high, up to | | | | artist web site on the Internet. |