Re: The Who Digest Vol 3 Num 42

[Ross Galvin <GALVINR@ee-wp.bham.ac.uk>]

>the loud, chordal-based guitar sound which PT more or less invented
>singlehandedly.I am aware of course of those who inluenced PT, eg. 
>Berry, Davies, Richards, Eddie Cochrane, and others,
 
> designed for Mr. Townshend.  However, his "chordal-based guitar 
> sound"  descends directly from the Delta blues.  Muddy Waters, Son 
> House, Robert Johnson and others used to play by themselves at 

All this talk of Pete pioneering this "chordal-based guitar sound" 
makes me wonder what everyone else has been playing on guitar for 
the past couple of centuries if it wasnt chords!

> 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 

I would n0t call this a very good example at all, since Page lifted 
it from Bert Jansch's Black Mountain Slide (which has been my 
privilege to hear live recently) and who based it on an old 
traditional tune around the DADGAD guitar tuning pioneered by Davey 
Graham.  And since Pagey emphasises the eastern tinges on the song I 
would hardly say it was related to Delta blues.  Hats of to (Roy) 
Harper would be a better example since it IS 'Shake em on Down' by 
Bukka White.

> All I can say is this: If what you say is true, then why so 
> suddenly (when the band broke up) did his brilliant songwriting 
> and production skills disappear? As has said before: DEATHWISH II, 
> The Firm, OUTRIDER. All the while Plant's songwriting remained on 
> the level of Zeppelin, too. I mean, what a freakin' coincidence!

> Let's face facts. Pagie was losing it after `71. Too little 
> moderation with too many drugs.

You explain the first paragraph with the second,  Pagey's solo years 
were rather lack lustre since his drug dependancy increased 
dramatically after the break up of his band and he lost the plot for 
most of the eighties.  He didnt have a stable band to keep him on 
the straoght and narrow where as Robert had two distinct phases with 
bands who helped considerably with the song writing.  Alot of the 
songs off Now and Zen where already written by Phil Johnson before 
he joined Robert.  Robert is a lyricist, Page and Jones wrote the 
music in Zep.  When Jimmy shook off his various habits the results 
were far superior.

I find it very hard to accept that Zep was influenced by the Who, 
any similarities would be the result of both bands being influenced 
by the same sources ie Delta blues , Chicargo blues and R & B.

Ross

e-mail : galvinr@ee-wp.bham.ac.uk