Led Zeppelin- gods or thieves ??

[cafe67]

Recently I was watching part of that doco - let’s make some noise” with Page, Edge and White - the bit where White is explaining 7 nation army. 

 

I noticed in in the comments below , heaps along the lines of - “page prolly came looking for something to steal”  or “ jack had better check his wallet is still there” to generally bagging LZ as plagiarists at best or out right thieves. 

 

LZ are a bit before my time, but curious as to why such thoughts are around or just usual social media babble n crap?  

[mrbuzzardstubble]

Zep.

Bert Jansch - The Waggoners Lad

 

[Wayne Elliott]

 

[Wayne Elliott]

 

[Wayne Elliott]

Could post a heap more. You should get it by now. The worst part is they tried to claim the Songs as Page/Plant. They never had an original idea ever. Been telling people this for 40 odd years. Amazingly a lot didn't realize LZ were just "rip-offs".

 

Having said that I think there 1st Album is good, but "Stairway To Heaven" is a bloated piece of Crap.

[cafe67]

What would be some  of their more “original” songs ? 

[Wayne Elliott]

There were just so many Rip-Off's it's hard to think of any originals.

 

Maybe this.

 

 

[Wayne Elliott]

 

[cafe67]

Interesting thanks for that. 

 

Are they considered to be good musicians , allowing for plagiarism? 

[Wayne Elliott]

Page was an absolute Wizard in the Studio, able to wring a lot out of the Axe. Good guitarist, a rung below the very best (Hendrix, Zappa etc.) Bonham was a Pounding but Soulless Drummer. Jones a Competent Bass Player, also Played Keys.

[Wayne Elliott]

 

Here's one I always have a little chuckle over. Ed Phillips using the Violin Bow on the Axe 2 years before Page. Yet the "blinkered" LZ nutters still believe Page was the first.

[Rup]

Where is the fine line between inspired by and copying/stealing?

The Beatles did their share of "stealing" too; https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beatles-5-boldest-rip-offs-54145/

 

Quote

“In the early years, I’d often carry around someone else’s song in my head,” Lennon said. “And only when I’d put it down on tape — because I can’t write music — would I consciously change it to my own melody, because I knew that otherwise somebody would sue me.” John Lennon

 

[LogicprObe]

 

Everyone has a go at repurposing!

 

https://hubpages.com/entertainment/6-Deep-Purple-songs-you-wont-believe-they-were-Stolen

[eman]

From LED ZEP III even Gallows Pole is a trad English folk tune called Hangman.

 

Given it's trad folk there's really no problem with LZ doing it and shows their English heritage.

 

Blues music shares many motifs around too.

 

The problem is as stated upthread with the crediting to Page/Plant.

[pulinap]

"There's Big Ben; there's Piccadilly Circus; there's Jimmy Page, the greatest thief of American black music who ever walked the Earth; Oh, there's the kids!".....Homer J Simpson

[Guest deanB]

I like listening to music. Sometimes I will put on a Led Zeppelin album. Sometimes I will put on an album by some other music entertainers.

[buddyev]

Not a big fan of LZ, though I was in my youf. The only crime I can see with stealing a riff, a tune, a style of playing, is failing to make something new and interesting out of it. 

Music is always a conversation with other musicians living or dead - they inevitably quote one another. 

[rantan]

Zep did what they did. Many loved them and many loathed them

 

We may as well argue about the weather.

 

As far as the thread title goes, my answer is neither.

Edited September 3, 2019 by rantan

[keyse1]

2 hours ago, buddyev said:

Not a big fan of LZ, though I was in my youf. The only crime I can see with stealing a riff, a tune, a style of playing, is failing to make something new and interesting out of it. 

Music is always a conversation with other musicians living or dead - they inevitably quote one another. 

So true

 

[LogicprObe]

 

I'm still a big fan.

Nobody has really come close to what they did...................well.............aside from Jimi Hendrix!

[buddyev]

16 minutes ago, LogicprObe said:

 

I'm still a big fan.

Nobody has really come close to what they did...................well.............aside from Jimi Hendrix!

Yes, it’s easy looking back from this standpoint down  through the whole history of rock music and to miss just how original they were at the time and to ask what’s all the fuss about. But if you lived through it you know just how bl@@dy exciting and inventive they were. 

And Jimi, well he was Jimi. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by buddyev

[Tony ray]

What about Kashmir, my fave LZ song?

[emesbee]

Led Zeppelin were one of the bands I listened to a lot in my youth, and their music has stayed with me. Saw them live in Adelaide when I was 16 years old. Of course they are not 'gods' (what a silly description that is), but thieves? If one takes that line of argument, then just about any musician who plays the blues would be a thief. Pick almost any blues song you like and it will be fundamentally the same as every other blues song.

 

But really, who cares? I liked LZ then and still do now.

 

 

[Kaynin]

Considering I've never heard of the other artists I'd like to thank LZ for bringing this wonderful music to me.

[glenm64]

I always thought musicians were artists?
Artists are influenced, inspired and pay homage to both their predecessors and their contemporaries through their works. The Lemon Song if often said to be The Killing Floor, but it also uses lyrics from Travellin Riverside Blues and Black Eye Blues. I see it, not as plagiarism, but just another cover (that wasnt credited).
Most critics are frustrated and talentless muso's, without the ability to create, so they tear down instead. (Think I just plagiarized R. Plant)
Led Zep bridged the gap between traditional blues and rock, exposing a generation to a genre that they may never have listened to otherwise. So thank you Led Zep for giving me the wonderful soundtrack of my youth.(All hail the greatest rock and roll band of all time)