Re: Zeppelin improv rock

Let's take a good look at this quote from one poster here:

<< And anyone who thinks Zeppelin couldn't improvise hasn't heard any live   
 Zeppelin.  These guys carried the banner of improvisational rock for   
 years.


Actually, let's really give credit where credit is due as to who started the
improvisational rock thing in live performances - they were called "rave-ups"
and the Yardbirds were the band that broke outside the mold before ANY other
band - British or American - did it.  This is where Page stole the idea from
(like he stole blues licks from black blues guys and didn't give them credit
- - see the law suit Zeppelin lost a few years ago for proof and the Circus
Magazine article in 1972 where Plant and Page where called on this.), and
Zeppelin could not do it as well because they weren't as R & B oriented as
the Yardbirds were.

In addition, the Yardbirds could swing where Zeppelin NEVER could.  Bonham
deteriorated as a drummer the older he got - he was much more open in style
on the first couple LP's as well as in live performance (much more Keith-like
if you will) and then became more backbeat and bombastic as he got older and
the band's career got on.   The proof is on the records and in the live
performances - I saw them in 1973 and 1977 and it was like seeing two
different drummers.

I like a lot of Zeppelin stuff - especially the third LP - but they were not
as good a band as several others of the time - the Who of course being
included.  One other thing Zeppelin did not do well live was fill in the
holes in the sound whenever Page went into his solos.  In a three piece band
the drummer and bass player are supposed to fill in the sound gaps by
overcompensating - Zeppelin did not do this very well.  For proof just listen
to "The Song Remains The Same" for sound holes that you can sail a battleship
through, whereas on "Live At Leeds" John and Keith overplay to fill in.
 Cream was probably the best at this concept however and the Jimi Hendrix
Experience did very well at it too.

One final note here as far as improvisational rock - the Allman Brothers Band
blew Zeppelin away in that arena as well.  I will listen to "LIve At the
Fillmore East"  ten times more than "Song Remains the Same" anyday.

Greg Biggs  (who really knows how to start a war!)