Signed By Les Paul himself!
Friday, May 27, 2005
WIN an Autographed Gibson Les Paul
WIN an Autographed Gibson Les Paul Faded Standard Guitar!!
Signed By Les Paul himself!
Signed By Les Paul himself!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Line 6 Vetta
We jammed with a guy last night who has a Line 6 Vetta. This is their top modeling amp. The sounds this guy was getting were incredible. He let us play with it a little bit. It has tons of different sounds and effects that you can mix and match.
Check out the specs and reviews here:
Line 6 Vetta 2x12 Cabinet (Guitar Combo Amps)
Check out the specs and reviews here:
Line 6 Vetta 2x12 Cabinet (Guitar Combo Amps)
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Write a Song on the Guitar
By: Steve Bishop
Most songs that have ever written can be broadly grouped into
one of several categories; songs written around a chord
progression, songs written around a melody, or songs written
around a riff:
. Chord Progressions - In songs written around a chord
progression, the writer creates an interesting series of chords,
then organizes a vocal melody and an arrangement around that
progression.
. Melody - This is probably the most common method of
songwriting. The composer starts with a vocal melody, and around
that melody creates a chord progression and song arrangement.
. Riff - These songs are born out of a guitar (or other type of
instrumental) riff, after which a vocal melody (which often
mimics the guitar riff) and chord progression are added.
If you choose to develop the song in a minor key this will give
the whole piece a sad or moody feel. While writing in a major
key will give you an upbeat happy tune.
Many songwriters will use both major and minor keys within their
songs, perhaps choosing a minor key for the verse, and a major
key for the chorus, or vice versa. This has a nice effect as is
good for the listener as it helps break up the monotony that
sometimes results when a song lingers in one key.
Of all the aspects involved with creating new songs, writing a
strong melody is undoubtedly the most commonly overlooked and
possibly the hardest component of music, particularly with
modern pop/rock music. This wasn't always the case because the
pop songwriters of the 1930's and 1940's focused only on writing
melodies and in many cases it was the basis for a song, with
lyrics and chords only added in later to give the song more
depth.
Generally, the process of writing a song is much different
nowadays because usually songs will be created from a guitar,
bass or keyboard riff, or a groove. This is built upon, along
with the writing of a chorus is written and the adding of bass
lines so that the entire instrumental part of the song has been
assembled even before the melody has been taken into
consideration.
Most people will focus most of their effort of writing lyrics.
While lyrical content is obviously of great importance, a strong
melody is absolutely necessary, for without this component; the
vast majority of people won't listen to the song long enough to
even bother listening to the lyrics.
The vocal melody of the song is what is remembered most people;
and in many cases is what makes them like or dislike a song. If
melodies are well-written and catchy, people will remember and
enjoy the music but if the melodies are carelessly or poorly
written and bland, people won't - it really is that simple.
About the author:
Learning to play the guitar may take a little while so why not
take a lesson or two from
http://www.learn-how-to-play-guitar.com/
Most songs that have ever written can be broadly grouped into
one of several categories; songs written around a chord
progression, songs written around a melody, or songs written
around a riff:
. Chord Progressions - In songs written around a chord
progression, the writer creates an interesting series of chords,
then organizes a vocal melody and an arrangement around that
progression.
. Melody - This is probably the most common method of
songwriting. The composer starts with a vocal melody, and around
that melody creates a chord progression and song arrangement.
. Riff - These songs are born out of a guitar (or other type of
instrumental) riff, after which a vocal melody (which often
mimics the guitar riff) and chord progression are added.
If you choose to develop the song in a minor key this will give
the whole piece a sad or moody feel. While writing in a major
key will give you an upbeat happy tune.
Many songwriters will use both major and minor keys within their
songs, perhaps choosing a minor key for the verse, and a major
key for the chorus, or vice versa. This has a nice effect as is
good for the listener as it helps break up the monotony that
sometimes results when a song lingers in one key.
Of all the aspects involved with creating new songs, writing a
strong melody is undoubtedly the most commonly overlooked and
possibly the hardest component of music, particularly with
modern pop/rock music. This wasn't always the case because the
pop songwriters of the 1930's and 1940's focused only on writing
melodies and in many cases it was the basis for a song, with
lyrics and chords only added in later to give the song more
depth.
Generally, the process of writing a song is much different
nowadays because usually songs will be created from a guitar,
bass or keyboard riff, or a groove. This is built upon, along
with the writing of a chorus is written and the adding of bass
lines so that the entire instrumental part of the song has been
assembled even before the melody has been taken into
consideration.
Most people will focus most of their effort of writing lyrics.
While lyrical content is obviously of great importance, a strong
melody is absolutely necessary, for without this component; the
vast majority of people won't listen to the song long enough to
even bother listening to the lyrics.
The vocal melody of the song is what is remembered most people;
and in many cases is what makes them like or dislike a song. If
melodies are well-written and catchy, people will remember and
enjoy the music but if the melodies are carelessly or poorly
written and bland, people won't - it really is that simple.
About the author:
Learning to play the guitar may take a little while so why not
take a lesson or two from
http://www.learn-how-to-play-guitar.com/
Friday, May 13, 2005
Guitar Made Easy
Here's a pretty decent guitar e-book for beginners and the price is decent. We've seen a lot of similar products for three times the cost and a lot less info.
Click Here!
Click Here!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Bass Amp Giveaway
Now, in conjunction with SWR, Music123 is giving away a 750 Watt - Bass amp, autographed by accomplished bassist, Tony Franklin. Tony has played with the likes of Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Kate Bush.
Check it out below:
Check it out below:
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Guitarists...are you a victim and a loser?
Here's another great article by Craig Bassett
Guitarists...are you a victim and a loser?
By:Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert)
I was thinking today about THE most dangerous enemy of musical
progress.the victim mentality. What do I mean by this?
Often we can let our personal circumstances dictate our
progress. For example, someone may let their guitar practice
slide because they were really busy at work. This person may
start making excuses such as "I didn't have time". This is
victim mentality. It is believing that your musical progress is
only possible when external circumstances allow it.
What they are really saying to themselves is that their musical
dreams and goals are not as important as paying a few lousy
bills.They are letting their boss's goals get in the way of
their own.
Now.I can't point fingers at anyone. I've been guilty of having
a victim mentality plenty of times! Especially when it comes to
things like going to the gym :)But I don't have a victim
mentality when it comes to guitar practice. There is virtually
nothing that I will allow to get in the way of my musical
progress.
So.how can you stop yourself from becoming a victim and a loser.
1.Stop making excuses. I can guarantee that for every excuse you
can make there is someone out there who has overcome that
obstacle. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. They are the
death of your musical dreams.
2. Watch your language. For example, rather than saying "I
couldn't find the time" say "I am acting like a complete and
absolute loser and if I continue acting like this I will NEVER
achieve my musical goals". Because that statement is pretty
painful to say, you'll soon stop making excuses!
3. Think of solutions. For excuses that you normally make, think
of ways of overcoming those obstacles. For example, if you are
constantly using your work as a reason why you can't practice,
ask yourself questions like.
"How can I get paid more but work less hours?". "How can I get
paid while I sleep?". "How can I stay home all day and
practice?".
If you ask enough questions like this on a daily basis, you'll
find a solution eventually.
4. Think of your "Why". These are the reasons why you want to
achieve your musical goals. If your why is strong enough, You
will NEVER want to stop practicing for any reason.
5. Think of your role models. Use your role models to motivate
and inspire you to keep on practicing.Every time you start to
make an excuse, ask yourself "Would__________make this excuse?"
For example, one of my favourite guitarists is Steve Vai. I
could NEVER imagine making him excuses for not practicing!
To finish off here's a quote that you may want to memorize...
"You can either become a great guitarist, or you can make
excuses, but you can't do both".
About the author:
Copyright 2005 by Craig Bassett. All Rights Reserved.
Craig Bassett is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and
author living in Auckland, New Zealand.
To get free online guitar lessons, please got to:
http://www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com
Guitarists...are you a victim and a loser?
By:Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert)
I was thinking today about THE most dangerous enemy of musical
progress.the victim mentality. What do I mean by this?
Often we can let our personal circumstances dictate our
progress. For example, someone may let their guitar practice
slide because they were really busy at work. This person may
start making excuses such as "I didn't have time". This is
victim mentality. It is believing that your musical progress is
only possible when external circumstances allow it.
What they are really saying to themselves is that their musical
dreams and goals are not as important as paying a few lousy
bills.They are letting their boss's goals get in the way of
their own.
Now.I can't point fingers at anyone. I've been guilty of having
a victim mentality plenty of times! Especially when it comes to
things like going to the gym :)But I don't have a victim
mentality when it comes to guitar practice. There is virtually
nothing that I will allow to get in the way of my musical
progress.
So.how can you stop yourself from becoming a victim and a loser.
1.Stop making excuses. I can guarantee that for every excuse you
can make there is someone out there who has overcome that
obstacle. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. They are the
death of your musical dreams.
2. Watch your language. For example, rather than saying "I
couldn't find the time" say "I am acting like a complete and
absolute loser and if I continue acting like this I will NEVER
achieve my musical goals". Because that statement is pretty
painful to say, you'll soon stop making excuses!
3. Think of solutions. For excuses that you normally make, think
of ways of overcoming those obstacles. For example, if you are
constantly using your work as a reason why you can't practice,
ask yourself questions like.
"How can I get paid more but work less hours?". "How can I get
paid while I sleep?". "How can I stay home all day and
practice?".
If you ask enough questions like this on a daily basis, you'll
find a solution eventually.
4. Think of your "Why". These are the reasons why you want to
achieve your musical goals. If your why is strong enough, You
will NEVER want to stop practicing for any reason.
5. Think of your role models. Use your role models to motivate
and inspire you to keep on practicing.Every time you start to
make an excuse, ask yourself "Would__________make this excuse?"
For example, one of my favourite guitarists is Steve Vai. I
could NEVER imagine making him excuses for not practicing!
To finish off here's a quote that you may want to memorize...
"You can either become a great guitarist, or you can make
excuses, but you can't do both".
About the author:
Copyright 2005 by Craig Bassett. All Rights Reserved.
Craig Bassett is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and
author living in Auckland, New Zealand.
To get free online guitar lessons, please got to:
http://www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com
Monday, May 02, 2005
Led Zeppelin is the #1 Rock and Roll Band of All Time
By:Peter Cross
I've been in rock and roll all my life, and I'm well aware that
The Rolling Stones have been called the best rock and roll band.
Don't get me wrong because I love Mick and the Stones, and the
Beatles were my major musical influence, but here's why I think
that Led Zeppelin is the best rock and roll band of all time:
1. BEST PLAYERS
First of all, John Bonham was the best rock and roll drummer
ever to walk the face of this planet, and that's an informed
opinion coming from a former professional drummer. John played
drums unlike anyone else ever did, still does, or ever will, and
that fact is continually demonstrated in the astounding breadth
and depth of his recorded work. He had complete independence in
all four limbs, he slammed his drums harder than anyone else,
and he did it with speed and total precision, never once
dropping the beat. His beats were were innovative and creative.
John was never stuck in simple grooves. His fills were also
innovative, creative, complex, and technically brilliant. He
knew when to keep it relatively simple (i.e. Kashmir), but he
was always simply in the stratosphere of drumming. And to top
that all off, John created a giant drum sound which is unique.
It inspired a host of immitators who could only approach the
sound of his snare drum, but just with a simple backbeat. But
not one of them can begin to touch his creativity, speed,
precision, or technical brilliance. At the time that Led Zep was
formed, Jimmy Page could have gotten any drummer in the world to
play with him, and he chose John. I've heard that Jimmy still
feels the same way about John as I do.
Secondly, Jimmy Page has always been one of the best rock
guitarists ever, right from his earliest days as a session
player and the beginning of his real public stardom in the
Yardbirds. I believe that Jimmy is the most brilliantly prolific
of all the rock and roll guitarists. I suspect that Jimmy would
agree with me that Jimi Hendrix was the genius because he came
from another galaxy in terms of his sound and his use of
feedback. But unfortunately, Jimi died and we will never know
how much further he would have progressed. When I listen to
Jimmy's solos using the violin bow, I get the urge to put him on
the same pedestal as Hendrix and wonder which galaxy they both
came from. As a songwriter, Jimmy used his superior ability to
play lead guitar to create actual song structure. Led Zep's
songs use not one or two of Jimmy's incredibly powerful,
complicated and unbelievably SEXY riffs in each song, but there
are four, five or more riffs in some songs. Jimmy's riffs differ
from each other within each song, and also from song to song.
His lead guitar playing can be HARD and sexy, he can be
sensitive and beautiful, and he can be technically brilliant -
all in the very same song.
Thirdly, John Paul Jones is a bass player who attained a level
of brilliance comparable to Paul McCartney. Just like McCartney,
John could play beautiful "melodic" bass (i.e. "Ramble On"), he
could play as fast as it gets, but he also knew when to keep it
simple and just hold down the bottom, although I think he was
incapable of simply doing that without utter sophistication. No
one at all can touch those two on bass, and John also played
consistently brilliant keyboards - piano, organ and synthesizer.
The intricate way in which he wove his bass guitar playing into,
through, and underneath Jimmy's guitar playing is nothing short
of perfection iteslf.
And last but not at all least, Robert Plant had an incredibly
high vocal range, emotionally as well as in terms of octaves.
Just like Dylan was for his own music, Robert's voice was
perfect for Led Zep's music and there's no other singer who
could possibly have fit in. Personally, and also as a
professional singer, Robert knocks me out both technically and
emotionally. He also understood the concept of using his voice
like a musical instrument, creating fascinating sounds without
using lyrics. And Robert co-wrote with Jimmy too. A lot of the
time you can't understand his lyrics and I've heard that was
Robert's intent because just like Mick Jagger, all he cared
about at that time was that you connect with the emotion and the
energy in the totality of the music. But when you can get the
lyrics (like in Stairway to Heaven, their tribute to Janis
Joplin), you find a great piece of poetry. And on top of all
that, Robert had the best "oooh yeahs" in the business.
2. CREATIVE SONGWRITING
Hardly anybody has ever covered Led Zep songs for very good
reasons. Their song structure is based on their vastly superior
playing abilities and there's no one who can actually play what
they played. I'm talking about songs that are not based on
simple chords like all other rock and roll is. Jimmy and Robert
based their songs on Jimi's riffs and on his chordal tonalities
that to this day stand alone as being unique. I'm also talking
about length of songs that maintain a constant and intense high,
up to 11 minutes in length without resorting to an overly
repetitive chorus. I know from Robert's solo work after Led Zep
that he also uses unusual tonalities in his writing, but even
without actually knowing this I would have to assume that due to
Jimmy Page being an erupting fountain of brilliant guitar work,
the majority of the non-vocal music creation came from Jimmy.
The Beatles certainly deserve abject worship for John and Paul's
creative songwriting ability, no question about that. Certainly
Mick and Keith wrote a slew of classic, historic and truly
memorable rock songs, but the very nature of their comparatively
simple rock and roll structure and basic similarity to each
other in terms of using major and minor chord progressions,
simple and basic rock and roll rhythms, and verse/chorus/bridge
approach defines them as being less innovative when compared to
Robert and Jimmy.
3. SUM TOTAL OF BRILLIANT WORK
Here they outdistance The Stones because most of the Stones'
albums have "filler" material in terms of not hitting the same
high that they slammed in all their best songs. However, I'd
like to say that I don't think either Mick or Robert are capable
of recording anything short of a brilliant vocal. The Beatles
actually exceed Led Zep in terms of numbers of great albums that
constitute a greater body of brilliant and uniquely innovative
work that literally broke new musical ground with every single
song they recorded. The Beatles were simply The Beatles, and
they were the most creative rock and roll band ever, from being
the best singers and songwriters ever right down to their
individual charm and charisma. But without denegrating their
gorgeous, sensitive and original style of playing, what they
recorded is not the heavy type of rock and roll that either the
Stones or Led Zep played. George, Paul and John were all
brilliant and creative guitarists, but because they did not
improvise on stage, they were not really master guitarists. I
love and respect Ringo as both a person and as a very creative
drummer who mastered the art of drum sounds. He has his own
unmistakeable Ringo style for both, but he's not really a master
drummer in the sense of being able to play with great speed and
dexterity. I'm talking about 9 albums chock full of brilliant
and intensely high Led Zep songs - I don't know how many hours
of great rock and roll listening that is. There's hardly a
single weak track among all that work, and there's simply no
question that they consistently broke new ground musically.
Their debut album is still the best one of all time (including
Cream's), and Coda, their "swan song" is equally perfect.
4. STAGE PRESENCE
Led Zep was there when the concept of "rock and roll star" was
still evolving. I will grant that the Stones at least deserve
honorable mention as the best rock and roll band ever, but it's
mostly because of their impressive touring record and Mick's
superstar stage presence with his ability to put on a great show
every single time he appears. And he's still doing it at age 60
for goodness sake! My point isn't that Led Zep necessarily had
the best stage presence, just that they did have that true rock
star sexual aura, and when you add all these important qualities
together, they really do deserve being called the number one
rock and roll band of all time.
I could go on about Jimmy Page's abilities as a producer, and
there are other aspects to their greatness like the length of
time they were together without a change of band members. And
the life they actually led as archtypical wild rock and roll bad
boys equals the life led by the Rolling Stones in intensity, if
not length. In this sense both bands are perfect examples on a
conceptual artistic level of what I call FORM = CONTENT. The
above four categories do enough to fully qualify Led Zeppelin
for my not-so-humble award. There will never be another rock and
roll band to approach the stratospheric musical heights that Led
Zep reached. The Recording Industry Association of America, who
has the correct statistics, lists Led Zeppelin as the third best
selling musical act/artist in history. The Beatles are first,
with 166.5 million albums sold in the USA alone, Elvis is second
with 117.5 million, and Led Zep is third with 106 million. I
think it's very significant that those statistics are becoming
geometrically times greater than the number of albums that they
sold during their performance lifetimes. What has happened and
is happening is that the young people of today are discovering
them in droves because they are coming of age sexually and they
recognize and connect with the most powerful musical example of
that sexual power. They are buying their CD's, shirts, posters
and other memorabilia. And frankly, I'm thrilled.
About the author:
Peter Cross is a singer/songwriter/producer who was among the
first to put music on the internet in downloadable format in
1996. To this day, he is one of the only musicians who has
created and designed his own music web site in html, and at 104
pages filled with entertaining content, it's one of the largest.
Check it out at: http://www.starcrost.com
Get Jimmy Page's guitar here:
I've been in rock and roll all my life, and I'm well aware that
The Rolling Stones have been called the best rock and roll band.
Don't get me wrong because I love Mick and the Stones, and the
Beatles were my major musical influence, but here's why I think
that Led Zeppelin is the best rock and roll band of all time:
1. BEST PLAYERS
First of all, John Bonham was the best rock and roll drummer
ever to walk the face of this planet, and that's an informed
opinion coming from a former professional drummer. John played
drums unlike anyone else ever did, still does, or ever will, and
that fact is continually demonstrated in the astounding breadth
and depth of his recorded work. He had complete independence in
all four limbs, he slammed his drums harder than anyone else,
and he did it with speed and total precision, never once
dropping the beat. His beats were were innovative and creative.
John was never stuck in simple grooves. His fills were also
innovative, creative, complex, and technically brilliant. He
knew when to keep it relatively simple (i.e. Kashmir), but he
was always simply in the stratosphere of drumming. And to top
that all off, John created a giant drum sound which is unique.
It inspired a host of immitators who could only approach the
sound of his snare drum, but just with a simple backbeat. But
not one of them can begin to touch his creativity, speed,
precision, or technical brilliance. At the time that Led Zep was
formed, Jimmy Page could have gotten any drummer in the world to
play with him, and he chose John. I've heard that Jimmy still
feels the same way about John as I do.
Secondly, Jimmy Page has always been one of the best rock
guitarists ever, right from his earliest days as a session
player and the beginning of his real public stardom in the
Yardbirds. I believe that Jimmy is the most brilliantly prolific
of all the rock and roll guitarists. I suspect that Jimmy would
agree with me that Jimi Hendrix was the genius because he came
from another galaxy in terms of his sound and his use of
feedback. But unfortunately, Jimi died and we will never know
how much further he would have progressed. When I listen to
Jimmy's solos using the violin bow, I get the urge to put him on
the same pedestal as Hendrix and wonder which galaxy they both
came from. As a songwriter, Jimmy used his superior ability to
play lead guitar to create actual song structure. Led Zep's
songs use not one or two of Jimmy's incredibly powerful,
complicated and unbelievably SEXY riffs in each song, but there
are four, five or more riffs in some songs. Jimmy's riffs differ
from each other within each song, and also from song to song.
His lead guitar playing can be HARD and sexy, he can be
sensitive and beautiful, and he can be technically brilliant -
all in the very same song.
Thirdly, John Paul Jones is a bass player who attained a level
of brilliance comparable to Paul McCartney. Just like McCartney,
John could play beautiful "melodic" bass (i.e. "Ramble On"), he
could play as fast as it gets, but he also knew when to keep it
simple and just hold down the bottom, although I think he was
incapable of simply doing that without utter sophistication. No
one at all can touch those two on bass, and John also played
consistently brilliant keyboards - piano, organ and synthesizer.
The intricate way in which he wove his bass guitar playing into,
through, and underneath Jimmy's guitar playing is nothing short
of perfection iteslf.
And last but not at all least, Robert Plant had an incredibly
high vocal range, emotionally as well as in terms of octaves.
Just like Dylan was for his own music, Robert's voice was
perfect for Led Zep's music and there's no other singer who
could possibly have fit in. Personally, and also as a
professional singer, Robert knocks me out both technically and
emotionally. He also understood the concept of using his voice
like a musical instrument, creating fascinating sounds without
using lyrics. And Robert co-wrote with Jimmy too. A lot of the
time you can't understand his lyrics and I've heard that was
Robert's intent because just like Mick Jagger, all he cared
about at that time was that you connect with the emotion and the
energy in the totality of the music. But when you can get the
lyrics (like in Stairway to Heaven, their tribute to Janis
Joplin), you find a great piece of poetry. And on top of all
that, Robert had the best "oooh yeahs" in the business.
2. CREATIVE SONGWRITING
Hardly anybody has ever covered Led Zep songs for very good
reasons. Their song structure is based on their vastly superior
playing abilities and there's no one who can actually play what
they played. I'm talking about songs that are not based on
simple chords like all other rock and roll is. Jimmy and Robert
based their songs on Jimi's riffs and on his chordal tonalities
that to this day stand alone as being unique. I'm also talking
about length of songs that maintain a constant and intense high,
up to 11 minutes in length without resorting to an overly
repetitive chorus. I know from Robert's solo work after Led Zep
that he also uses unusual tonalities in his writing, but even
without actually knowing this I would have to assume that due to
Jimmy Page being an erupting fountain of brilliant guitar work,
the majority of the non-vocal music creation came from Jimmy.
The Beatles certainly deserve abject worship for John and Paul's
creative songwriting ability, no question about that. Certainly
Mick and Keith wrote a slew of classic, historic and truly
memorable rock songs, but the very nature of their comparatively
simple rock and roll structure and basic similarity to each
other in terms of using major and minor chord progressions,
simple and basic rock and roll rhythms, and verse/chorus/bridge
approach defines them as being less innovative when compared to
Robert and Jimmy.
3. SUM TOTAL OF BRILLIANT WORK
Here they outdistance The Stones because most of the Stones'
albums have "filler" material in terms of not hitting the same
high that they slammed in all their best songs. However, I'd
like to say that I don't think either Mick or Robert are capable
of recording anything short of a brilliant vocal. The Beatles
actually exceed Led Zep in terms of numbers of great albums that
constitute a greater body of brilliant and uniquely innovative
work that literally broke new musical ground with every single
song they recorded. The Beatles were simply The Beatles, and
they were the most creative rock and roll band ever, from being
the best singers and songwriters ever right down to their
individual charm and charisma. But without denegrating their
gorgeous, sensitive and original style of playing, what they
recorded is not the heavy type of rock and roll that either the
Stones or Led Zep played. George, Paul and John were all
brilliant and creative guitarists, but because they did not
improvise on stage, they were not really master guitarists. I
love and respect Ringo as both a person and as a very creative
drummer who mastered the art of drum sounds. He has his own
unmistakeable Ringo style for both, but he's not really a master
drummer in the sense of being able to play with great speed and
dexterity. I'm talking about 9 albums chock full of brilliant
and intensely high Led Zep songs - I don't know how many hours
of great rock and roll listening that is. There's hardly a
single weak track among all that work, and there's simply no
question that they consistently broke new ground musically.
Their debut album is still the best one of all time (including
Cream's), and Coda, their "swan song" is equally perfect.
4. STAGE PRESENCE
Led Zep was there when the concept of "rock and roll star" was
still evolving. I will grant that the Stones at least deserve
honorable mention as the best rock and roll band ever, but it's
mostly because of their impressive touring record and Mick's
superstar stage presence with his ability to put on a great show
every single time he appears. And he's still doing it at age 60
for goodness sake! My point isn't that Led Zep necessarily had
the best stage presence, just that they did have that true rock
star sexual aura, and when you add all these important qualities
together, they really do deserve being called the number one
rock and roll band of all time.
I could go on about Jimmy Page's abilities as a producer, and
there are other aspects to their greatness like the length of
time they were together without a change of band members. And
the life they actually led as archtypical wild rock and roll bad
boys equals the life led by the Rolling Stones in intensity, if
not length. In this sense both bands are perfect examples on a
conceptual artistic level of what I call FORM = CONTENT. The
above four categories do enough to fully qualify Led Zeppelin
for my not-so-humble award. There will never be another rock and
roll band to approach the stratospheric musical heights that Led
Zep reached. The Recording Industry Association of America, who
has the correct statistics, lists Led Zeppelin as the third best
selling musical act/artist in history. The Beatles are first,
with 166.5 million albums sold in the USA alone, Elvis is second
with 117.5 million, and Led Zep is third with 106 million. I
think it's very significant that those statistics are becoming
geometrically times greater than the number of albums that they
sold during their performance lifetimes. What has happened and
is happening is that the young people of today are discovering
them in droves because they are coming of age sexually and they
recognize and connect with the most powerful musical example of
that sexual power. They are buying their CD's, shirts, posters
and other memorabilia. And frankly, I'm thrilled.
About the author:
Peter Cross is a singer/songwriter/producer who was among the
first to put music on the internet in downloadable format in
1996. To this day, he is one of the only musicians who has
created and designed his own music web site in html, and at 104
pages filled with entertaining content, it's one of the largest.
Check it out at: http://www.starcrost.com
Get Jimmy Page's guitar here:
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