Who vs. Zep

[Sigel James Civ 10 ABW/LGCW <James.Sigel@usafa.af.mil>]

Mark said (concerning Song Remains Same concert film):

>Actually, it's been said that Zep was having an off night. They WERE better
>when I saw them in 1975 (two years after the movie was taped), but I also
>saw The Who that year and there was no comparing the two.

Isn't that strange?  If I were in Zep or ANY band wanting to release a
concert film, I would in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, release footage of an "off
night" or a sub-par performance as representative of my group.  What I'm
taking from Mark's comment above, is that Song Remains Same concert was an
"off night" for Zep.  My question is, why release a film that is supposed to
show how great you are in concert if the performance is sub par?

That in mind, I find it extremely difficult to believe that Zep was "off"
for that film.  No one in their right mind would release an "off"
representation of a product let alone release the soundtrack of that "off"
performance to show how good they are.  Nope, logic tells me that Zep's Song
Remains Same is and was supposed to be a difinitive performance.  And if so,
then Zep doesn't deserve mention in the same breath as The Who in concert.

I never had the pleasure of seeing Zep live (Page got f-ed up and passed out
after a couple minutes; Bonham died before they came back to make up that
show) even though from the mid 70s until the day Keith Moon died (that's
another story) Zeppelin was my absolute favorite band.  Even at the height
of my devotion to Zep in the 70s, there was NO DENYING that (IF the Song
Remains the Same was an accurate portrayal of Zep live), Zeppelin was more
racket than music.  It also reinforced my belief that Zep was the ultimate
STUDIO band and they just couldn't recreate that power from the stage.
Sorry, but Plant's voice lost it's vitality after Zep III; he went from a
bluesy, male Janis Joplin to that goofy whiny high pitched crap more suited
for the Honeycombers.  I mean please, listen to the opening lines of "Dazed
and Confused" from Zep I:  Plant's voice booms and rivals RD's power.  Then,
listen to that Alvin and the Chipmunks crap after Zep III.  "...and as we
WHINE on down the road..."  Yuk.

I know a few Zep devotees will want me dead for this, but like most things
superficial, I grew out of Zeppelin.  I've still got quite a few CDs of
theirs, but I only have them because I hate throw away CDs.  I don't listen
to them anymore (MAYBE Zeppelin "Presence" occasionally.)  They died out as
far as their ability to press my musical buttons.

The Who, on the other hand - only get better and better with time...
There's my pence worth, henceforth.  Hallelujia!!!

Does anyone remember what Pete said about Zeppelin in Rolling Stone before
the '89 tour?  I can't remember exactly, but he called them "shit" quite
clearly.  To loosely paraphrase, Pete referred to them as "that overblown
(something or other) piece of shit that used to be Led Zeppelin..."
Something like that...  I'll have to look it up.  But from that interview it
said to me that Pete was NO Zep fan.

Besides, Daltrey would kick Plant's ass with one hand tied behind his back!

Peace...

Jim in Colo Springs

"...I'm Keith Moon, what's your excuse?"