Who vs Zep

["Jennifer L. Davies" <jen@nt.net>]

I think I'll hazard entering this debate, being both a Who fan AND a Led
Zeppelin fan
        I heard that sharp intake of breath!  Yes, I like 'em both, but for
wildly different reasons.
        BTW, thanx for bringing it up!

Mark L wrote:
>The bands that were influenced by
>Stairway (or I should say Zeppelin) aren't of the same quality (in other
>words, 90% of them play mindless imitations of Zep)

        True, but then some of Zeppelin's work was not very original.  (Some
of it was stolen!)  I find that several of Page's solos are taken almost
note-for-note from old blues songs....
        Zeppelin was a power-house of raw, unchanneled energy.  So was the
Who, but the Who vented it before, during, and after the concert.  Zeppelin
did not release any energy until they hit the stage with the first few notes
of "Rock 'N Roll" or "Whole Lotta Love".

>as the ones influencedby The Who (who are on the whole a LOT more original
and >influencial in their own rite).

        I'd like to site a few of your examples here, Mark.
>Pearl Jam
        I agree.  For some reason I hear a lot of Who influence in "Rats"
(JAE...) and "Ocean".

>Smashing Pumpkins
        Them, too.  Can't think of any songs, but there's just something
there...  (Did they do "1979"?  Whoever did that one definitely was a Who fan.)

>and some older bands:
>Jam (too easy, that one)
        You're right.

>U2
        I wouldn't have come up with this one on my own, but you have
something with this one.  Doesn't that effect on "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss
Me, Kill Me" (just to name a popular, common song) sound like the one in
"Doctor Jimmy"?

>Police
        Can't say I agree with this one.  Where do you hear it?

>Sex Pistols
        Absolutely.  I'm sure that they based half their material on "My
Generation", even if the generation to which the Who's song refers is the
one they were insulting.

        Both the Who and Zeppelin have their merits (please don't kick me
off the list for saying that...).  In the end, I think the Who did come out
ahead in the category of GOOD influence on other bands.
        If you want to hear what Roger thought of Zeppelin in 1970 (when the
Who were in their prime), e-mail me.


JenniferD
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"She sang the best she'd ever sang..."