Led Zepplin marathon

Mag · « **on:** 23 Aug 2010, 05:04 pm »

Last night I watched a biography on Led Zepplin. Why they were the greatest rock band of the '70s.

This prompted me to play Led Zep DVD & Song Remains the Same, for the rest of the evening, in DTS. Now as good as the BCD-1 is, it doesn't quite compare to dts in resolution although the comparison is much closer after acquiring a power conditioner. Perhaps if I get a BDA I really would be blown away.

You can just hear & feel the hard hitting drumming action of Jon Bonham. And IMO it was his hard hitting style at just the right tempo speed that defined Zepplin's sound. As well you can hear the harmonics of the other instruments better, especially when Jimmy is playing the 12 string.

Shortly after midnight I had to bring the marathon to a close with my favorite song, Whole Lotta Love- Song Remains the Same. No rock guitarist has topped Jimmy's masterful playing of rock guitar technic demonstrated in these DVD concerts.

Sigh! There will never be another great rock band the likes of Led Zepplin.

VOLKS · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 05:28 pm »

Led Zepplin was the greatest rock band of the 70's?..........I would beg beyond belief to differ.......take away Stairway to heaven and you have a band that would have been half as popular as their were...esp among mainstream radio play in the 70's,but of course mainstream radio play means nothing in reguard to talent and Led zep did have talent of course,but i guess ive always felt they were overrated.
I may have to borrow a friends copy of the track/dvd you are talking about to hear how it sounds ..........from what your saying it sounds like the DVD and or CD was recorded very well.....especially played thru the BCD-1.

Berto · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 05:58 pm »

Led Zep 1,2, & 3 before Stairway Heaven was even released are all LEGENDARY albums. They are arguably the best rock band of the 70s w/o a doubt.

Its unfortunate that Song Remains The Same (live MSG show) is there only great live recoding (I know about). They didnt just go out and play there studio albums like a alot of bands are guilty of. They improvised beyond belief. Listen to the live songs that could never fit in a radio spot, No Quarter, Rain Song, a 30 minute Dazed & Confused when Page mesmerizes you with his violin bow/guitar jam. They were ALOT more special that just the inventors of Stairway To Heaven, that song to me is way overated but the band is LEGENDARY!

ctviggen · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:04 pm »

Led who? Seriously, the radio (remember that?) stations I listened to when I was younger played LZ so much that I simply cannot stand to listen to them. At all.

They probably had talent but were overplayed to the extent they're unlistenable for me.

af · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:13 pm »

They will always rock...I always turn up the car radio while driving when I hear a song starting...I enjoy the memories of "the day"...

VOLKS · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:15 pm »

Quote from: ctviggen on 23 Aug 2010, 06:04 pm

Led who? Seriously, the radio (remember that?) stations I listened to when I was younger played LZ so much that I simply cannot stand to listen to them. At all.

They probably had talent but were overplayed to the extent they're unlistenable for me.

I agree 100%..............personally i would rate The Who over Led Zep.

1oldguy · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:16 pm »

Quote from: ctviggen on 23 Aug 2010, 06:04 pm

Led who? Seriously, the radio (remember that?) stations I listened to when I was younger played LZ so much that I simply cannot stand to listen to them. At all.

They probably had talent but were overplayed to the extent they're unlistenable for me.

I can't bear stairway to heaven.That is the worst of the worst for being overplayed.I like the song,just find it hard to listen to anymore.

shawnbaden · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:38 pm »

Quote from: 1oldguy on 23 Aug 2010, 06:16 pm

I can't bear stairway to heaven.That is the worst of the worst for being overplayed.I like the song,just find it hard to listen to anymore.

I have the same problem whenever I hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. I heard those so much on the radio when I was younger I can't stand them now even though I still enjoy both bands. That's a microcosm of why radio sucks. The only radio stations I listen to anymore are NPR, KEXP, and my local college radio station.

Larkston Zinaspic · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 06:58 pm »

Quote from: 1oldguy on 23 Aug 2010, 06:16 pm

I can't bear stairway to heaven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhaFINynWqY&feature=related

VOLKS · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 07:07 pm »

Quote from: Larkston Zinaspic on 23 Aug 2010, 06:58 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhaFINynWqY&feature=related

No Stairway!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD1KqbDdmuE&feature=related

playntheblues · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 07:28 pm »

IMHO ZEP is one of the best band of the 70's and quite frankly it is impossible to overrate them

. So that statement is just absurd! Now if you don't like them that's ok, I'm sure there's some folks that don't like the Beatles, Elvis etc. But when you call Zep over rated well all I can say is "better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt"

VOLKS · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: playntheblues on 23 Aug 2010, 07:28 pm

ZEP is the best band of the 70's and quite frankly it is impossible to overrate them . So that statement is just absurd! Now if you don't like them that's ok, I'm sure there's some folks that don't like the Beatles, Elvis etc. But when you call Zep over rated well all I can say is "better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt"

Better to open your mouth if you have an opinion and utilize "Freedom of Speech" or in this case Freedom of Text LOL...............and yeah IMO Led Zep are overrated,but i do "respect" your opinion that you consider Led Zep the best band of the 70's........i just disagree

playntheblues · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 07:51 pm »

Well I am curious in which regard do feel they are overrated? Composition (way ahead of their time), Execution (no need to even discuss that), where they tight (

)? Please share with us where this super group is or was overrated. Please understand I respect everyone's right to their own opinion, but but when you make a statement that sounds like it is a general consensus then it has to be called out. You have to say as you did in your second post IMHO then we understand you just don't care for the band.
Kind Regards,

Larkston Zinaspic · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 08:22 pm »

Quote from: VOLKS on 23 Aug 2010, 07:07 pm

No Stairway!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD1KqbDdmuE&feature=related

Denied!

What was freaky about that scene when the movie came out was that it happened to me also! I thought the salesman was kidding until he pointed to the sign. So don't play 'Stairway' at Sam Ash...you could play Metallica riffs all night if you wanted to though.

I've been a huge fan of Zeppelin for the longest, but I can also understand why it isn't for everybody. Like them or not, they don't sound like anyone else. That's the thing about Rock bands in the 70's: they had a recognizable identity that you either hated or liked, but at least you knew who they were. Today a lot of it sounds very homogenized and I'm not sure what's what or if I'm even interested. Have to look a little harder for the good stuff.

The only thing I find unlistenable about Zeppelin is how bad their studio albums sound.

Wayner · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 08:40 pm »

Quote from: Larkston Zinaspic on 23 Aug 2010, 08:22 pm

Denied!

What was freaky about that scene when the movie came out was that it happened to me also! I thought the salesman was kidding until he pointed to the sign. So don't play 'Stairway' at Sam Ash...you could play Metallica riffs all night if you wanted to though.

I've been a huge fan of Zeppelin for the longest, but I can also understand why it isn't for everybody. Like them or not, they don't sound like anyone else. That's the thing about Rock bands in the 70's: they had a recognizable identity that you either hated or liked, but at least you knew who they were. Today a lot of it sounds very homogenized and I'm not sure what's what or if I'm even interested. Have to look a little harder for the good stuff.

The only thing I find unlistenable about Zeppelin is how bad their studio albums sound.

You have to remember that when their first LPs were recorded (by Atlantic) I'm sure the studio engineers didn't even have a microphone that could handle the dynamic range! I'm sure there were lots of other technical problems as well. Back then, there was very little noise reduction (recording on analog R to R machines), not much for compression, or at least good compression and vocal mics were designed for guys like Frank Sinatra, not a screaming lead singer.

Wayner

rcag_ils · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 10:25 pm »

Quote

I've been a huge fan of Zeppelin for the longest, but I can also understand why it isn't for everybody. Like them or not, they don't sound like anyone else. That's the thing about Rock bands in the 70's: they had a recognizable identity that you either hated or liked, but at least you knew who they were. Today a lot of it sounds very homogenized and I'm not sure what's what or if I'm even interested. Have to look a little harder for the good stuff.

Well said, during Led Zeppelin's heyday, many people didn't like them either, so there's nothing new. Led Zeppelin is not all about "Stairway to Heaven". They were popular way before this song came out. However, "Stairway to Heaven" gives Led Zeppelin the evergreen status. It's true that 70's bands were very individualized, you could tell Led Zeppelin from Lynard Skynard, Moody Blue from Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Eagles from Hearts, just to name a few.... I don't remember the local rock station played "Stairway to Heaven" excessively on air, in fact, they were doing the exact opposite, when they played Led Zeppelin, they played anything but "Stairway". Other areas might have played "Stairway" excessively and created an overplayed, or misunstood as an overrated perception.

I saw "Song remains the Same" at a local theatre when it just came out, they had two huge speakers on each side of the screen, creating an concert experience for the audience, and it worked very well.

Quote

I'm sure the studio engineers didn't even have a microphone that could handle the dynamic range!

How could you be so sure?

Quote

or at least good compression and vocal mics were designed for guys like Frank Sinatra, not a screaming lead singer.

So each and every singer should have their own customed made mic? It's good for one and may not be good for others?

By the way, I hate Elvis, and I don't know Pearl Jam.

Wayner · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 10:42 pm »

Because I was recording at that time. It's state of the art, buddy. There was a technology lag between recording and playing. Tuff to record a Marshall stack with a Shure SM-57.

Wayner

rcag_ils · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Aug 2010, 10:55 pm »

Were you recording at Atlantic in the 70's?

Delacroix · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Aug 2010, 12:49 am »

Though I own their complete catalog, I find Led Zep tiresome, and not just because they denied some needy musicians of their deserved royalties by claiming the writing credit on some songs that really were most kindly considered as being 're-interpreted' by them (see http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/26428/led_zeppelin_rip_off_artists_.html). Sure they have their moments but history has been a little too kind to their reputation in my estimation and their elevation to the pantheon of greatness tends to be influenced by sales as much as by original contribution. I really enjoy some songs (Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, etc) for the drive and rhythm but Bonham on Zep 2's Moby Dick shows the limitations of power in a drummer's arsenal) I have no idea (or real interest) in who was the best band of any era, as if we could calculate such a metric, but in terms of overall contribution to music, I find Pink Floyd in their 1970s pomp to offer a far better case than LZ for "greatness". But what the heck, I can listen to both, and so should you.

1oldguy · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Aug 2010, 12:53 am »

Quote from: Delacroix on 24 Aug 2010, 12:49 am

Though I own their complete catalog, I find Led Zep tiresome, and not just because they denied some needy musicians of their deserved royalties by claiming the writing credit on some songs that really were most kindly considered as being 're-interpreted' by them (see http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/26428/led_zeppelin_rip_off_artists_.html). Sure they have their moments but history has been a little too kind to their reputation in my estimation and their elevation to the pantheon of greatness tends to be influenced by sales as much as by original contribution. I really enjoy some songs (Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, etc) for the drive and rhythm but Bonham on Zep 2's Moby Dick shows the limitations of power in a drummer's arsenal) I have no idea (or real interest) in who was the best band of any era, as if we could calculate such a metric, but in terms of overall contribution to music, I find Pink Floyd in their 1970s pomp to offer a far better case than LZ for "greatness". But what the heck, I can listen to both, and so should you.

Agreed 100%.It's the same thing trying to figure out who was the best guitar player.Personal taste will always get in the way.