Happy 59th Birthday, Robert Plant
Robert Plant is 59-years old today.
Led Zeppelin might be the most polarizing band of its historical clout. Critics trashed them when they hit the scene, yet they sold untold millions of albums worldwide. The band’s runaway success led to the inevitable tidal wave of imitators. These and other factors have led to a divided camp where Zep is concerned.
For my part, I used to be a much bigger fan of Zeppelin than I am now. I’m not as in to heavy metal as I used to be. I’m also more into the blues than I used to be. That combination has led me to lose interest and admiration for the band. Their “heavy” style doesn’t excite me as it once did and they aren’t quite as adept with the blues as I thought they were.
That having been said, I do like Zeppelin and they were a huge and important rock band. My favorite Zeppelin album is Houses of the Holy. Physical Graffiti and IV have splendid moments, too. If I had to choose just one Zeppelin song, I’d probably go with “When The Levee Breaks.” I love that John Bonham backbeat and the wailing harmonica.
So, birthday cheers to Robert Plant. Dust off your copy of Presence or The Song Remains The Same and celebrate one of the most imitated frontmen in rock’s history. To get you started, here’s a quick 10-song playlist. These aren’t necessarily the band’s biggest hits, just 10 songs I really like.
- Dancing Days — One of my favorite songs my from my favorite LZ album.
- When The Levee Breaks — Probably my favorite LZ song, ever.
- Black Dog — Probably my favorite Jimmy Page guitar solo. I have no idea why.
- Kashmir — One of the five most copied riffs ever recorded.
- The Song Remains The Same — …and so it does.
- What Is and What Should Never Be — This just has an air of coolness to me.
- Ten Years Gone — I love the guitar riff to this one. A hidden gem from Graffiti.
- Over the Hills and Far Away — Another song from Houses. I love the acoustic intro and segue into the more rockin’ sequence.
- Out on the Tiles — More coolness.
- Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You — I always thought Great White did this one better. Try and find their performance on YouTube or something. They really tore “Babe” up.
Filed under: Tags: The Concept Album Mix Tape
I’m kind of the same way. I totally dug ‘em in High School, but have since moved on. I’ll still bang my head a little when they come on the radio or in random play, but I pretty much never intentionally put them on anymore.
i don’t listen to them for months/years and then all of a sudden i get a hankerin’ for Physical Grafitti. i understand the burnout thing, which is why i like to hear the less-played stuff, including Presense.
I’ve started to find myself more interested in the “lesser knowns” because of how pervasive the classics are. Still, sometimes you just need some “Black Dog.”