Led Zeppelin I - March 15th 1969 Rolling Stone Magazine Album Review

[slavestate]

More proof that Zeppelin were not innovators, rather complacencies!

 

 

"By John Mendelsohn

 

March 15, 1969

 

The popular formula in England in this, the aftermath era of such successful British bluesmen as Cream and John Mayall, seems to be: add, to an excellent guitarist who, since leaving the Yardbirds and/or Mayall, has become a minor musical deity, a competent rhythm section and pretty soul-belter who can do a good spade imitation. The latest of the British blues groups so conceived offers little that its twin, the Jeff Beck Group, didn't say as well or better three months ago, and the excesses of the Beck group's Truth album (most notably its self-indulgence and restrictedness), are fully in evidence on Led Zeppelin's debut album.

 

Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, is, admittedly, an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs, and the Zeppelin album suffers from his having both produced it and written most of it (alone or in combination with his accomplices in the group).

 

The album opens with lots of guitarrhythm section exchanges (in the fashion of Beck's "Shapes of Things" on "Good Times Bad Times," which might have been ideal for a Yardbirds' B-side. Here, as almost everywhere else on the album, it is Page's guitar that provides most of the excitement. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" alternates between prissy Robert Plant's howled vocals fronting an acoustic guitar and driving choruses of the band running down a four-chord progression while John Bonham smashes his cymbals on every beat. The song is very dull in places (especially on the vocal passages), very redundant, and certainly not worth the six-and-a-half minutes the Zeppelin gives it.

 

Two much-overdone Willie Dixon blues standards fail to be revivified by being turned into showcases for Page and Plant. "You Shook Me" is the more interesting of the two — at the end of each line Plant's echo-chambered voice drops into a small explosion of fuzz-tone guitar, with which it matches shrieks at the end.

 

The album's most representative cut is "How Many More Times." Here a jazzy introduction gives way to a driving (albeit monotonous) guitar-dominated background for Plant's strained and unconvincing shouting (he may be as foppish as Rod Stewart, but he's nowhere near so exciting, especially in the higher registers). A fine Page solo then leads the band into what sounds like a backwards version of the Page-composed "Beck's Bolero," hence to a little snatch of Albert King's "The Hunter," and finally to an avalanche of drums and shouting.

 

In their willingness to waste their considerable talent on unworthy material the Zeppelin has produced an album which is sadly reminiscent of Truth. Like the Beck group they are also perfectly willing to make themselves a two- (or, more accurately, one-a-half) man show. It would seem that, if they're to help fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer (and editor) and some material worthy of their collective attention."

 

Zing.

[Kennis]

what?

 

Reviewers and their reviews have always been, and always will be, utter bullshizzle.

Nobody's opinion, then or now, can contend with Zep's legacy as the greatest rock band in history and their continuing claim to that throne decades later.

History tends to itself.

[slavestate]

what?

 

Reviewers and their reviews have always been, and always will be, utter bullshizzle.

Nobody's opinion, then or now, can contend with Zep's legacy as the greatest rock band in history and their continuing claim to that throne decades later.

History tends to itself.

 

Piracy is what's wrong with Zeppelin. Pure theft, on top of that read that review it says it all!

 

[Ryan H]

Piracy is what's wrong with Zeppelin. Pure theft, on top of that read that review it says it all!

 

 

As I heard Guthrie Govan once say...

 

"If you steal from one person it's theft. If you steal from many people, it's research".

 

-Ryan

[cookieman15061]

For the most part every LZ album back in the 70s was pretty much panned. They weren't doing anything different than a hundred other british white kids and even Keith Moon laughed at the premise and said it would go over like a" lead balloon" thus giving the band its name.

 

Through the years I believe the critics opinions have changed or they've just died off. lol

 

I was never a fan and loved reading the RS reviews to my buddies who were huge Zep fans. Drove 'em crazy.

 

As a young musician I could appreciate their talents except for Plants screeching which I always found comical.

 

 

 

One hell of a rhythm section though.

[btoth76]

That was such a bull.... (sorry!).

[Twang Gang]

Did John Mendelsohn ever play guitar or sing in a rock band? Just try to cover some Zepplin tunes and then tell me they couldn't play or sing.

[slavestate]

It seems like the critic states that the musicians in this band are more than competent at their craft and have an extensive background in music, it's just they seem to be lazy in their creative process. This review clearly points out that Zeppelin's first release was co-opted and that with the talents of these particular individuals they should have put out something more original and less redundant. It's pathetic that anyone can support their blatant thievery with rationalizations as to why it would be okay.

 

You can't argue with an honest review.

[quapman]

Never been much for reviewer opinions.

If I was I wouldn't listen to half of what I listen to.

 

Say what you will about Zep ripping off tunes. Not that I support ripping off peoples music but, whose version kicks a$$ and is

being played 40 plus years later?

[AXE®]

I stole this lick.

 

http://soundcloud.com/axe-sage/sounds-from-monday-morning

[Riffster]

I like Zeppelin, except the last few albums.

 

My issue is declaring them the best band ever, more popular sure.

 

The best rock band ever is Black Sabbath, more original, less mainstream and intensely influential with can-do-no-wrong riffing by Iommi and 40+ years of music.

 

the worse material Sabbath has put out is 10 times better than the worse material Zeppelin has put out.

[Ryan H]

I like Zeppelin, except the last few albums.

 

My issue is declaring them the best band ever, more popular sure.

 

The best rock band ever is Black Sabbath, more original, less mainstream and intensely influential with can-do-no-wrong riffing by Iommi and 40+ years of music.

 

the worse material Sabbath has put out is 10 times better than the worse material Zeppelin has put out.

 

Ah Subjectivity...

 

-Ryan

[heymisterk]

Ugh. Zeppelin is the band I hate to love.

 

I absolutely love their music, and are second only to The Beatles in terms of the bands I listen to the most.

 

But I have come to believe that LZ absolutely did steal - use someone else's music and claim it as their own - a good hunk of their catalogue.

 

I will always love LZ, but I don't respect them as much as I used to, nor do I give them as much credit for being innovative as many do.

 

But most hardcore Zep defenders are undeterred by such facts: The last time I almost got into a fist fight was over whether or not Led Zep stole "Dazed and Confused". They did.

[Kennis]

I don't feel the words "stealing" and "theft" necessarily apply, but if you want to be so absolute about it, sure. "Covered", "Borrowed" and "Inspired By" was and is a completely organic part of the blues/rock way of doing it. Everybody does it.

Who invented the 12 bar riff 90% of all blues jams sound like? some black guy, right? but because nobody knows who, "stealing" and "theft" don't apply?

half the first Beatles album and all but one song on the first Stones album are all covers. Credited covers, yes, but not "their" songs in that respect. But doesn't it matter that it's their performance that made them famous?

 

Led Zeppelin credited a lot of covers as well, and it's really only situations like Dazed and Confused, where only the title and main riff was "stolen" and the lyrics and progression and arrangement is entirely Page/Plant or whatever, where they didn't. Yes, Jake Holmes deserves credit for coming up with that, and when he later made case of it he apparently got a nice out of court settlement. Done deal. He did not make it famous and sell millions of albums with it; Zeppelin did.

 

Zep wrote Stairway to Heaven. We're all pretty sick of it by now, but it is considered by many to be the best song ever written, and just because there was a song released by someone some time prior with a riff that sounds a little similar to Page's guitar intro does that mean it's not? Who wrote the lyrics? the arrangement? the ******* solo?!?

Rock and Roll is that same old 12 bar riff with a tiny ******* variation again, but does that mean it's not Bonham's powerhouse groove that makes it awesome?

 

What about Rock Me Baby? Does Jimi Hendrix owe his "Lover Man" to Lil' Son Jackson? BB King? Muddy?

 

This whole ownership of music bullshit is getting in the way of what music really is (that's a whole other discussion). Yes, it would feel terrible if you wrote a song and someone just snaps it up, claims it as their own an makes a fortune with it. Obviously some compensation is in order, but at some point you just gotta realize that they did with it what you could not, and be ******* happy that something you made is loved by that many. If you're in it to get rich you're in the wrong ******* business.

 

Money isn't everything...

 

 

 

 

 

edit: and stop the flipping profanity filter. we're all grown men

[kaleb]

Living proof that Rolling Stone sucks. They bashed them throughout their original heyday (depending on who was reviewing. Rush and Rolling Stone are known to be foes, but David Fricke has always given them great reviews. The only critic who understands), but laud them now. KISS (not that it has anything to do with Zeppelin, I'm just making a point about how hypocritical RS can be) is getting the best reviews they've ever had. They bashed them for their look and putting on a show while they praised Michael Jackson and Madonna when it is WAY MORE style over substance. Critics suck. Rock is a people's game. Zeppelin I is my favorite Zep album. They can't tell me it is boring, everything from the opening thunder of "Good Times Bad Times" to the heavy blues of "You Shook Me" to the epicness of "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times" to the stripped down proto-headbanger jam of "Communication Breakdown" changed my life.

[slavestate]

Led Zeppelin never gave credit for anything until they had a class action suit filed on them. At which point they were forced to put the original authors of their songs on their albums. Even after this, many of the original artists who's songs they stole weren't noted or given credit because they had passed before the suit was filed.

 

Believe what you want to believe, but facts are facts.

[Riffster]

Ah Subjectivity...

 

-Ryan

 

Isn't it all?

[Rocky4]

Yeah, because we would be so much better off without songs they stole like.....

 

Whole Lotta Love

Since I've Been Loving You

Dazed And Confused

Stairway To Heaven

Rock And Roll

In My Time Of Dying

Lemon Song

How Many More Times

 

( reprinted from earlier post.......)

[jdgm]

Did John Mendelsohn ever play guitar or sing in a rock band?

Yes he was in a band called Christopher Milk. They had an album. They were not and are not as well known as LZ though.

He also reviewed LZII in RS and made a big joke out of it. I've never forgotten that.

Where is he now?

[ShredAstaire]

Yeah, because we would be so much better off without songs they stole like.....

 

Whole Lotta Love

Since I've Been Loving You

Dazed And Confused

Stairway To Heaven

Rock And Roll

In My Time Of Dying

Lemon Song

How Many More Times

 

( reprinted from earlier post.......)

 

Who says we wouldn't? I barely ever listen to any of those songs.

[slavestate]

Who says we wouldn't? I barely ever listen to any of those songs.

 

[kaleb]

****in' trolls. Most of the music you like wouldn't have been created without the influence of Zeppelin. Think before you troll.

[heymisterk]

Like I said: It's impossible to talk about this topic without p*ssing people off.

 

I don't think it's an "all-or-nothing" kind of deal: I love LZ's music, but respecting them is something a bit different. I have found that the moment I get the least bit critical of Zep, some folks throw a hissy fit and get out their brass knuckles. I never understood this mentality.

 

I do find it rather odd that an earlier post said that "Money isn't everything"; odd because LZ were the ones to get rich off ripping off the work of other artists.

 

Led Zeppelin wrote some great stuff, but I find that some of their stuff is, indeed, theft: Just ask Bert Jansch.

[slavestate]

I don't see any "trolls" on this thread. I see some people who have really twisted panties, while others are loose in comfort.

 

If a thread like this makes you upset, you might want to consider someone to talk to, perhaps a therapist.

 

 

I shared this with obvious intent to goof as well as to point out once again Zeppelin's thievery.

 

Boohoo.

[kaleb]

Like I said: It's impossible to talk about this topic without p*ssing people off.

 

I don't think it's an "all-or-nothing" kind of deal: I love LZ's music, but respecting them is something a bit different. I have found that the moment I get the least bit critical of Zep, some folks throw a hissy fit and get out their brass knuckles. I never understood this mentality.

 

I do find it rather odd that an earlier post said that "Money isn't everything"; odd because LZ were the ones to get rich off ripping off the work of other artists.

 

Led Zeppelin wrote some great stuff, but I find that some of their stuff is, indeed, theft: Just ask Bert Jansch.

 

I never praised them for their songwriting. I praise them for their musicianship and what they did for music. The stuff that they didn't rip off was, still is, and will always be gold. Jimmy Page's rhythm work was beyond astounding.

 

Nothing is totally original. Everybody borrows and copies. But yes, a lot of the Zeppelin catalog is stolen. But they changed lives with it, so I don't give a rat's ***.