Well, it's not Glenn Gould re-recording The Goldberg Variations twenty–five years later at half the tempo, but I like the second "Nobody's fault..." at least as much. Which is not much, but it's ok.
It means John Bonham will be dead?
I saw Metallica 10 years ago, and even then they couldn't play "Whiplash" (off their first album) at more than about two thirds the speed of the original.
Blind Boys of Alabama version is better, and they were old when they did it. Blind Willie McTell was old when he recorded. Blind Willie Johnson too. Phil Collins has always been blind inside. There's a whole genre of blues songs with lyrics like
Beatrice, I love my phonograph
but you have broke my windin' chain
Beatrice, I love my phonohra'-ooo
honey, you have broke my windin' chain
* * *
My needles have got rusty, baby
they will not play at all
and plenty of these rock. Led Zep didn't just get old, they decayed, the decay is not inevitable.
Blind Willie Johnson too
No, he was thirty-ish when he recorded.
or for that matter, Clapton's pitiful "MTV Unplugged" version of Layla.
re: 3
They were always a bit crap live, though. I first saw them in 1988 and they struggled to reproduce the energy of their albums, even then.
6: Funny, I was listening to that on the way to work today. Not as good as "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", but pitiful's a little strong.
Getting old means singing in the middle of scree fields?
wait, are you guys hating on 'nobody's fault but mine'
this song is so sex
or for that matter, Clapton's pitiful "MTV Unplugged" version of Layla.
I heard that at least 5 billion times before I heard the original. I thought the Derek Dominoes version was a cover by Govt. Mule or something, and was marveling at how they managed to completely transform the simple acoustic song into a rocker while maintaining the emotion.
9 - oof. i agree with the gawker commenter who said that any covers after jeff buckley's should be banned.
They were always a bit crap live, though.
They were better when they stopped playing as if they were the parody and Spinal Tap were the real thing - IOW, when they forgot about their "hits" and just played the blues (usually about 45 minutes into the set). Looks like they reckon they can do that all the time now.
Ned, where the hell did you grow up never hearing Layla?
Ned, where the hell did you grow up never hearing Layla?
On my school bus they didn't play the classic rock station, they played the country station or the new hits station or the soft-rock station. I didn't listen to classic rock radio of my own volition because it seemed to be insanely repetitive and predictable (and I hated even the thought of hearing Bob Seger). My dad preferred more pretentious music from the same era.
"Layla" doesn't get played on the radio as often as you might think. It's very long.
Saw Clapton at the Staples Center a couple of months ago. He was great, but what amused me greatly was the ageing hippy demographic, most of whom had at some point gone yuppie. Especially funny was overhearing these two geezers wax nogstalic for the concerts they went to in the Sixties in San Francisco. They were of course accompanied by their "nieces", who, like Ned were only aware of accoustic Clapton.
To me "Layla" substituted energy and endurance and bonehead intensity for music. Sort of best-of-breed for stupid music, r a chance to understand how it is to be the smartest stupid person in the world. I still liked the guitars in places, though.
15: It's not too hard. You pretty much just listen to whatever your parents or siblings listen to until you start branching out in music taste. Neither of my parents liked classic rock, apart from some of my dad's favorite British bands from his college days, so I grew up on 80s synthpop and classic Motown with a smattering of whatever was on current pop radio.
In the '79 video, the camera focuses on their thighs. In the later one, not so much.
Older and slower, but still ridiculous. I like the little arm move that Page does in the first video after playing the riff.
My main problem is that I really like the White Stripes, but can't help but see all the similarities to Zep--the vocal style, the way the appropriate the blues--does this mean I am required to retroactively like Zeppelin?
re: 24
There's at least one track on the Raconteurs album that is pretty much indistinguishable from Led Zeppelin.
Rob, Zeppelin is awesome. Accept it, move on.
Zeppelin > white stripes
which leaves lots of room for the white stripes to be really good.
does this mean I am required to retroactively like Zeppelin?
Not just required but rationally required.
Also, you are required to quit liking White Stripes.
God, that first video RAWKS. Quit hating, you haters. And rob, there are no words. And Clapton is a racist, and/or a jerk.
Also, as far as Tap-itude goes, note that in 1979, Plant was still in Rock-God full effect, while Plant was wearing a long-sleeved blue button-front shirt with a collar and khakis.
31, the second "Plant" should of course be "Page."
32: Likewise. It probably says something bad about me that I want to condemn Clapton, but excuse Bowie as engaged in some sort of put-on.
I can't believe that it wasn't a put-on by Clapton, as well. I don't know anything, really, about him, though.
Clapton wasn't kidding, though of course he may have been stoned and/or stupid.
Sabbath > Zeppelin > White Stripes > rather quite a bit.
I'm confused about how the link in 36 supports the claim in 36.
34: Bowie's aesthetic owes something to fascism, no? Ironic, perhaps, but a rather adoring irony. I wouldn't be surprised if, callow and somewhat "sucked up into his mind," he spoke of his admiration without appropriate qualifiers.
38: Well, it's in 36, isn't it? That must count for something.
"Nobody's Fault" is probably my favorite Zeppelin song ever.
Clapton is genetically half-Canadian. That puts a whole new face on the issue.
"Nobody's Fault" is probably my favorite Zeppelin song ever.
Have you heard the Blind Willie Johnson original?
36: He was definitely stoned and stupid. I believe he is no longer stoned, but he's never apologised. On the other hand, people like Buddy Guy are prepared to give him house room, so I supposed there's more to it than meets the eye.
Have you heard the Blind Willie Johnson original?
I have not.