Led Zeppelin question

[Ron]

To my guitarist bretheren out there, I heard a little Zeppelin on the way to work today and had a question.

I play a little guitar, I'm not that great though, I just mess around with some hillbilly chords and things.  Anyways, my question is about Page's style of writing/playing.

Most of the Zeppelin songs SEEM to have a standard time signature... but he always plays just the strangest rhythms, they never loop or resolve right.  Is that a certain style, or is he just really creative with his playing?  I was listening to even Stairway to Heaven today, and showing somebody how it doesn't really loop like a standard rhythm guitar would.  Does he drop tics or is he just giving the illusion that the time signature is changing? 

[runnersdialzero]

He's just being an asshole.

[the captain]

There are Zep songs with time signature changes. Others, it's just an example of unusual phrasing or polyrhythmic hints.

[matt-zeus]

Page is a great and inventive guitarist, he has his detractors but I'm a big fan. He cut his teeth playing on lots of pop singles in the 60s so that sort of economy and flair carries over into his stuff in Zeppelin. In the pantheon of great rock guitarists I think he's pretty much near the top with Tony Iommi.

[Ron]

I had a friend telling me they should do a Led Zeppelin "Rock Band" or whatever, but I was trying to explain the rhythm thing to him.  I don't think people would be too good at it, lol.  Maybe it's just me. 

When I'm trying to play a new song or something, you pretty much grab the tempo or the time signature and use that to kind of go by... but with their stuff, you can't count on the normal beat, I'll bet it would be hard to pick up even with the dumbed down guitar hero/rock band approach.  I'm sure there's probably been a couple songs on there but a whole game would be brutal. 

[Alex]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

[the captain]

Couldn't disagree more. I think Zeppelin's reputation is unfortunately faded these days. Admittedly, I don't listen much anymore, and they're awfully cartoonish. But it may well be the best harder-rocking band of all time. Some of the best produced music of all time, too. Page was brilliant in that regard.

[Alex]

I'll agree that Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham were/are good/great musicians...I just don't really like their sound or their songs...white people doing blues mixed with prog. I think my problem doesn't really have as much to with not liking their music but in that the media (and fans to an extent) treat them like gods.

[the captain]

Well for that matter, that's my biggest problem with the Beach Boys, then. Except you've already said the truth: that's not a problem with the band, but with the idiots. You can't let your impressions of sound be altered by hero worshipping morons.

[Ron]

Yeah you gotta get to the point where you make your opinion on music based on what you like, not on what other people like or dislike or say about a band.  I like listening to some of Zeppelin's stuff, they're definately great and I can appreciate that the mindnumbed masses are into them.  That says something.  I don't think it would be fair to consider anybody in the band less than fantastically talented.  Great musicians, in my opinion.  It's pretty impressive to me that such great musicians were able to get over in a pop way. 

[Ron]

I was listening to my lovely XM today, and Peter Noone was hosting the 60's channel.  He played "Sillouettes" by Herman's Hermits, and then said that Jimmy Page was the session guitarist that played the cool little hook all through the song.  Interesting.

[Curtis Leon]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

How dare you criticize Genesis, the 'Oo, AND the Stones! 'dems fightin' words back where I grew up! 

[Alex]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

How dare you criticize Genesis, the 'Oo, AND the Stones! 'dems fightin' words back where I grew up! 

The Who were great when they first started...but they jumped the shark when they made Tommy. The Stones stopped being relevant after Brian Jones died...Beggars Banquet was the beginning of the end for them. Genesis slightly improved when Phil Collins took over from Peter Gabriel...I'm now prepared for the lashings!!

[Ganz Allein]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

How dare you criticize Genesis, the 'Oo, AND the Stones! 'dems fightin' words back where I grew up! 

The Who were great when they first started...but they jumped the shark when they made Tommy. The Stones stopped being relevant after Brian Jones died...Beggars Banquet was the beginning of the end for them. Genesis slightly improved when Phil Collins took over from Peter Gabriel...I'm now prepared for the lashings!!

LOL. Tommy is my favorite Who album. It's interesting that when Pet Sounds came out, Pete Townshend did an interview in which he put it down, basically saying it was sappy and consisted mostly of Brian singing about his emotional problems. I think he's changed his opinion about the album over the years, though.

After Tommy, my favorite Who album is the Theme from CSI NY/Miami album...uh, I mean Who's Next.    I'd move the shark jump out to Face Dances. There's stuff on both Quadrophenia and Who Are You? that I think is great (but nothing on The Who By Numbers). But they really should've hung it up after Keith Moon died.

I'm in agreement with you about Brian Jones' death being the end of great and consistent Stones music.

[Mike's Beard]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

How dare you criticize Genesis, the 'Oo, AND the Stones! 'dems fightin' words back where I grew up!  

The Who were great when they first started...but they jumped the shark when they made Tommy. The Stones stopped being relevant after Brian Jones died...Beggars Banquet was the beginning of the end for them. Genesis slightly improved when Phil Collins took over from Peter Gabriel...I'm now prepared for the lashings!!

Alex I don't think lashings are enough!!  I'd say a more appropiate punishment is for you to be forced to listen to Phill's entire solo output.... hang about, you may just enjoy that!!

[Alex]

I prefer Page's work with the Yardbirds...Zeppelin (along with Yes, Sabbath, Deep Purple, ELP, Genesis, post-Sell Out Who, post-Satanic Majesties Stones, post-Barrett Floyd, etc.) were the bane of early 70s rock.

How dare you criticize Genesis, the 'Oo, AND the Stones! 'dems fightin' words back where I grew up!  

The Who were great when they first started...but they jumped the shark when they made Tommy. The Stones stopped being relevant after Brian Jones died...Beggars Banquet was the beginning of the end for them. Genesis slightly improved when Phil Collins took over from Peter Gabriel...I'm now prepared for the lashings!!

Alex I don't think lashings are enough!!  I'd say a more appropiate punishment is for you to be forced to listen to Phill's entire solo output.... hang about, you may just enjoy that!!

Su-su-sudio!!

[markcharles75]

Been going through a Zep listening phase as of late.   Presence is such a heavy album!  There are so many great Zep moments.  Page's solos are always so tasteful and melodic.  I bet everyone here remembers the first time they became aware of Stairway.  I remember it sent shivers up my spine.  Of course, we all have heard it a gillizion times by now.  But now and then it strikes me; what a fantastic A+ tune.  Flawless.

Some favorites Zep tunes of mine:

Ten Years Gone
Achilles Last Stand
The Rover (how heavy is that!)
Song Remains The Same
Sick Again (Knebworth 79 version rocks)
Levee Breaks

Really, there are just too many to list!