A Zeppelin without Plant?

**devstorm** · 11-04-2008, 06:03 PM

Just thought I'd throw it out there for discussion. Here we are barely a year after the Zeppelin reunion show. Page & Jones are ready & eyeballing Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge as a Plant replacement. I haven't heard him sing (Nor do I know AB's music) so I can't comment on his abilities. But having heard some of what they did with Plant last year I can't say that he's in top form to pull off all the old songs the way they were once played.

So it appears as though Zeppelin are the next in line to follow a long list of recent reunions attempting life without 2 of it's charter members. Will you pay a small fortune to see it? Do you think they have potential to deliver new music worthy of buying, or is this just a greatest hits revivalist sort of thing?

I'm a little on the fence. I almost prefer they leave the legacy intact and just pursue new projects, perhaps together, but without having to live up to the namesake. I thought the Plant & Page project was rather interesting and feel that would have been a better concept to involve Jones & Bonham in. But at this stage of the game I wonder if is this a case where perhaps Page is questioning his abilities as a writer; & would rather just go out & bash out the old standards for a change?

Thoughts opinions?

**SDMF Jon** · 11-04-2008, 06:14 PM

I love Alter Bridge and think Kennedy could pull it off as good as anybody. His range is good and he's still young.

Plant's a jerk for not getting on board. It's not about him, it's about US!

**Just me** · 11-04-2008, 06:47 PM

I won't pay to see them without Plant. Defeats the purpose

**kentuckyfan** · 11-04-2008, 06:53 PM

Well I will see this if the ticket price isn't more that $100 total with all fees ect... With or without Plant, my favroite member of Zep is Jimmy Page. I would go about anywhere to hear him play Zepplin songs. But you all are correct if Plant isn't on board it chouldn't be called Led Zepplin.

**8bit Fighter** · 11-04-2008, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by kentuckyfan

Well I will see this if the ticket price isn't more that $100 total with all fees ect... With or without Plant.

I agree.

Originally Posted by kentuckyfan

But you all are correct if Plant isn't on board it couldn't be called Led Zeppelin.

Here's where it goes wrong for me. It bugs me to no end how die hard fans say that it's not the same without Bonham. That's fine, but bands other than Zeppelin have continued on one way or another, Black Sabbath being a huge example. If they like MK1 Zeppelin, fine. That's their preference, but don't tell me otherwise that I would be wrong into thinking that what Zeppelin they have now is not the real Zeppelin that others have longed for so long. It was best said by Gardener not to long ago ago, something along the lines that he said that if Jimmy Page wants to call this incarnation of Zeppelin the real LZ (with Jason Bonham joining the original remaining members), then why should it matter. Call my cynical, but if a band decides to keep it that way, keeping the name, then that's how it is.

I will admit however, that the only thing that defeats my argument is the recent Dio/Appice reunion with Iommi and Geezer will be called Heaven And Hell instead of Black Sabbath. But since some people think that Iommi's Fused album is really a Black Sabbath album, then I can pretty much think that H&H album is a Black Sabbath album at heart.

My last words? Just take my opinion with a grain of salt. As that saying goes, it's my 2 cents worth.

**devilmaycare** · 11-05-2008, 12:37 AM

It's not Zeppelin without Bonzo... Without Plant it would be laughable...

**Sir Kenneth** · 11-05-2008, 12:54 AM

I doubt that after being overly protective of the name and the discograpy for near on 3 decades, that Jimmy Page would suddenly pull off a 180 and put the band on tour with some Christian nu-metal singer. Besides, there probably isn't half the money in a reunion without Plant as there is with him.

**8bit Fighter** · 11-05-2008, 12:55 AM

Sir, that's more of a reply I was looking for.

**devstorm** · 11-05-2008, 02:47 AM

Well despite whatever the lineup is - they will attempt a top dollar ticket price for the shows. I anticipate $150.00 + (u.s.) for the decent seats. Not that I'm necessarily comparing the two, but when Van Halen came around a year ago, the nosebleed seats were going for 75.00 without service + parking etc. In this current economy, I'll wait for the obligatory DVD.

**Rover** · 11-05-2008, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Kenneth

I doubt that after being overly protective of the name and the discograpy for near on 3 decades, that Jimmy Page would suddenly pull off a 180 and put the band on tour with some Christian nu-metal singer.

My thoughts exactly. After all those years it would be just stupid.

Besides, there probably isn't half the money in a reunion without Plant as there is with him.

I hope THIS does put some thought into Page's head if all else fails.

**H&H** · 11-05-2008, 07:36 AM

I thought I heard that initially Plant was not interested, but that after there was a great deal of press, and the fact that Page and JP Jones decided to move forward without him, Plant agreed to do it.

Well after I typed the above, I went and googled Led Zeppelin News. Man I have been living in a cave or something. I had no idea that Plant would not be involved. Like I said above, I had heard he was doing it. I'm not sure this will be worth the price of admission.

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainmen...110108.article

It will be a good show, but without Plant, I'll be spending my entertainment dollars elsewhere, like on the 2009 H&H Tour!

**Ozzien82** · 11-05-2008, 08:52 AM

Kennedy is just one of several vocalists who have been jamming with Page, Jones, and Bonham. Steven Tyler is also part of that group. At this point, if they decide to go out, I would hope that they don't refer to the project as Led Zeppelin. It's a shame that Plant doesn't want to be involved.

**devilmaycare** · 11-05-2008, 10:19 AM

I've always admired Plant for his stance on this since Bonham's death... He's never played too heavily on the Led Zep connection, and he - like Jones - has tried to craft a solo career that can stand outside the shadow of Zep... and I'm delighted he's released this statement on his official site...

"Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are currently touring the USA on the last leg of their 'Raising Sand' tour. They played a benefit concert in Oklahoma City for victims of Hurricane Ike last Friday; Austin,Texas last Saturday and tomorrow they play Portland, Oregon before finishing the tour in Saratoga, California on October 5th.

After those dates, Robert has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years. Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such event will be buying bogus tickets.

“It‘s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to
rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” Robert Plant said.

“I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects,” he added."

**Iznogoud** · 11-05-2008, 12:04 PM

I've heard rumours that Plant's replacement will be none other than Ozzy

**AngryHeart** · 11-05-2008, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by 8bit Fighter

But since some people think that Iommi's Fused album is really a Black Sabbath album

It is

**Franklin** · 11-05-2008, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by devilmaycare

It's not Zeppelin without Bonzo... Without Plant it would be laughable...

I'd say I agree wholeheartedly with devilmaycare, though I might substitute the word criminal for laughable.

**Rover** · 11-06-2008, 05:35 AM

Originally Posted by devilmaycare

I've always admired Plant for his stance on this since Bonham's death... He's never played too heavily on the Led Zep connection, and he - like Jones - has tried to craft a solo career that can stand outside the shadow of Zep... and I'm delighted he's released this statement on his official site...

It's not so much the idea of LZ with a different singer that bothers me - after all, the other bands of the "Great Four" have gone through numerous singers - but the timing. LZ did release like eight albums with the same singer and same lineup (sounds familiar?) but (most) people came to terms with Sabbath sans Ozzy... in 1980. However, drafting a new singer after years and years of holding to the legacy in spite of the band's break up smells of a desperate attempt to cash-in on the reunion buzz of 2007.

By the way devilmaycare, what a cool avatar you have there.

**Ady** · 11-06-2008, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Rover

It's not so much the idea of LZ with a different singer that bothers me - after all, the other bands of the "Great Four" have gone through numerous singers - but the timing. LZ did release like eight albums with the same singer and same lineup (sounds familiar?) but (most) people came to terms with Sabbath sans Ozzy... in 1980. However, drafting a new singer after years and years of holding to the legacy in spite of the band's break up smells of a desperate attempt to cash-in on the reunion buzz of 2007.

Totally agree. It'd be the same if The Beatles "reformed" with Paul, Ringo, Julian Lennon and some other bloke!

I think they should definitely tour with a different singer if Plant doesn't want to do it, but under a new name with some new material to give the band its own identity.

**TheElfoid** · 11-06-2008, 11:12 AM

I wish people would stop saying "Zeppelin without Plant and Bonham isn't Zeppelin" since without Plant's approval I doubt they can call themselves Zeppelin anyway.

Heard of Echo Vault/Chickenfoot? Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, Chad Smith. They'll be doing Van Halen songs (Hagar sang and sometimes played rhythm guitar for Van Halen, Michael Anthony provided bass and backing vocals), Satriani songs (on which he played the guitar) and Red Hot Chilli Peppers songs (Smith is best known for drumming with the RHCPs).

They'll be doing their own material too. But personally I am not gonna hear them do a VH song and say "It's not Van Halen without Eddie". I'm gonna probably end up thinking "Wow, I love Satriani's take on that".

It's a band of great musicians playing great songs with creative control resting in the hands of the main creator of those songs (Page) and one of his closest collaborators (Jones). I mean, if Page's history is anything to go on (playing Zeppelin songs without a vocalist other than on tours with Plant or Coverdale), he's gonna pick someone who sounds similar to do it rather than a significantly different singer (like when Blaze Bayley joined Iron Maiden or in the case of Queen+Paul Rodgers) and can pull it off.

There's been stories about Tyler doing it? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uQhsiUR9CPU. That's a rough, not very rehearsed performance by a line-up of musicians without a lot of experience playing together without the direction and guidance of Page and Jones. And it's still good enough to leave me thinking someone could pull this job off. Tyler might not even be the best fit for the job, but that's an example of how a vocalist can do the job well enough to make it enjoyable. Sure it's not as good as Plant could do it, but it's still damn entertaining.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aAYgZH3li6Y
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yV5dOFkGltQ

**Ady** · 11-06-2008, 12:50 PM

I wish people would stop saying "Zeppelin without Plant and Bonham isn't Zeppelin" since without Plant's approval I doubt they can call themselves Zeppelin anyway.

The press are to blame for that with headlines like, "Led Zeppelin may tour without Robert Plant"

**devilmaycare** · 11-06-2008, 07:37 PM