ilovefuzz.com

Chankgeez wrote:

DarkAxel wrote:there are about two things I like/respect Page for

a) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lekAYjwXbsw[/youtube]
b) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oig8z4HvBL8[/youtube]

yep

well then this made me laugh, point made

I don't know... I wouldn't measure someone's importance for music according to whether you remember a riff when you say the name of the song (i wouldn't measure anyone's importance for music to begin with, but you know...)

I just don't know.... there are people who get hard when it comes to Page... not me. but it's all just a matter of taste so it's all good

No, you're right, it's not necessarily important to be the first person to do something. It's more important to be the one that everybody remembers. And that person might be Page. His ideas weren't completely original, but he did help popularize them. Nothing he's done really stands out to me as being an important contribution in terms of mindblowingness. I do enjoy listening to his playing in the context of Led Zeppelin, but I don't think he's as great as some people think he is. He has been fairly influential in the direction rock has taken though. Lots of guitarists claim him as an influence.

no mention has been made of his session work and chops as a producer. he was involved in a lot more than led zeppelin. you can google and see all the 60s hits he played on or produced.

but back to zeppelin, i remember in early 1969 putting on the first zep album and being blown away right out of the blocks by the first two chords in good times bad times. it was obvious these were monster musicians and the sound was fresh and massive. i didn't care for the second album (except ramble on), but liked the rest. i even like stairway to heaven, though it's been played into parody. i think the excess of their lifestyle and tours is the basis for a lot of the criticism of them, much more than their being "derivative." the yardbirds were nothing but derivative, and everyone thinks they are cool. one thing i like about page's playing is that he can be a bit sloppy.

an interesting sidebar--page originally wanted terry reid to be the singer. reid declined so he could follow a solo career. here's what led zep's singer could have sounded like (that's david lindley on the lapsteel):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updTFU9IqIg[/youtube]

Ha ha. That's a great Terry Reid track.

I like this one a lot too:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkLRniLNtRE[/youtube]

Page also learned a lot from this man:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWFhsqg9NPg[/youtube]

I think the reason why jimmy page developed into the legend he is today has alot to do with the talent that surrounded him.