Re: The Who, Led Zep, VH, et. al.

[ScottyTee@aol.com]

I realize I'm replying to two different posters here-sorry!

<<...And Eddie hardly ever plays straight blues.>>

I gotta disagree strongly on this one.  Every note Ed Van Halen plays is
steeped in blues.  Mr. Van Halen told Guitar Player several years ago that
Clapton was his "one and only" influence.

>>One final word concerning Van Halen. That Zep was influenced by The Who is
fairly easy to see...>>

>Actually, Led Zeppelin was formed with the intention of going against the
grain of "singles" bands like the Who. Very, very few people will listen to
_Led Zeppelin I_ and say, "Oh yeah, definite Who influence here.">

>> from the structure of the songs (excepting that Page
>>was a Blues style guitarist rather than a chord player) 

I hope everyone will read my previous post on the Delta influence.  Page,
like Townshend, was HEAVILY influenced by the Delta blues.  Black Mountain
Side on Zep 1 is one of many examples.  Of course Zep also recorded Chicago
blues classics such as I Can't Quit You Baby and You Shook Me on that album
and lifted lines from others.  This album was recorded in Oct 68, although
Page had been preparing these tunes for at least a year first with the
Yardbirds (which he had taken over) and then with the New Yardbirds when
Plant and Bonham joined.  Page had joined the Yardbirds in June 66 (he had
been asked to join in Jan/Feb 65 when Clapton quit, but he declined and
recommended Beck).  The Yardbirds had already become very popular, and we all
know that Page had done dozens of sessions including All Day And All Of The
Night by the Kinks and I Can't Explain.  Clapton considered himself a serious
blues man, to the point of quitting the Yardbirds because they recorded a
non-blues song.  The Yardbirds had toured with Sonny Boy Williamson (you
know, Eyesight To The Blind) in Oct 63.  In fact, in 64 they released Five
Live Yardbirds which contained the song I'm A Man.  They were known to
stretch out I'm A Man for over 30 minutes sometimes.  At this time the High
Numbers were still trying to get a recording contract.

I guess my point is that in England in the early-to-mid 60's, there was a
great rebirth in the interest of American blues and R&B.  Many bands (such as
the Who, the Beatles, the Stones, the Yardbirds, Zeppelin, etc.) began their
careers covering blues songs, or writing songs in a similar vein.  Over time,
each band starting adding other elements to their style, and that is why all
of these bands ended up sounding very different from each other, despite
their common influences.  On the other hand, all of these bands would retain
some similarities because of their common influences.  You may listen to a
Zeppelin song and hear a Who influence; I may hear a Yardbirds influence in
the Who; or someone may go completely off the board and mention a Paul
Butterfield Blues Band influence dating from 1965.  Townshend, Beck, Page and
Hendrix were all contemporaries and even sometimes friends.  They each had an
impact on the others.  The thing that ties all of these groups together is
the music of the Delta and Chicago. 

Sorry for rambling...

Scott Totten