Here in the United States, I didn't know much about this until I received the following from Simon, a reader in England who was one of the first guys to fill me in on Led Zeppelin's reunion gig in December 2007. Simon says (he always does that
):The BBC has been running a series of programmes on TV & Radio these past 6 weeks to find the best Guitarist, best Drummer, best Singer, best Bassist and best Band. You might be interested in the results from the national poll:
- Best Band - Led Zeppelin (runners up - The Beatles & Queen)
- Best Guitarist - Jimi Hendrix (runners up - Jimmy Page & Slash)
- Best Singer - Freddie Mercury (runners up - Robert Plant & Kurt Cobain)
- Best Drummer - John "Bonzo" Bonham (runners up - Keith Moon and Dave Grohl)
- Best Bassist - Flea (runners up - no details, but John Paul Jones was in the top 10!)
For more info see http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/rocknrollband/.
Thanks for the above, Simon. And for more British perspective, check out the reliable coverage at TBL/Web.
in concert at the Rock Am Ring festival, from a continent away. I grabbed my headphones so I could actually hear the bass of John Paul Jones.Some fans corresponding with me on Twitter agreed that an extended jam in "Scumbag Blues
" was unreal and unlike anything that had been done before. Following Jones's usual bass solo, Josh Homme and Alain Johannes traded Jerry Garcia-inspired guitar licks for a while, then Homme engaged Jones in some dueling, and then he returned to Johannes for a reprise of those Garcia-inspired guitar licks. All the while, the two-man rhythm section controlled the intensity with some real dynamic range."Spinning in Daffodils
" also opened with a fine jam, and Josh Homme quoted Jim Morrison -- specifically, "Celebration of the Lizard
" -- during set closer "Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
."John Paul "F." Jones looked and sounded great, staying close to Dave Grohl, whose fills on "Spinning in Daffodils
" were fast, and furious and complicated. This band really varies up the song arrangements and the way each member individually plays his parts. It really does remind me of a certain other band's live performances
.
Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands of all time, in the top 4 but not #1, I'm sorry to ruin your day. I won't even give you an argument about who's the best because it's been said over and over again that the four boys from Liverpool will never be touched by anyone past, present or future they are just that good, in fact if you can open up your mind and delve into the Beatles story from birth through their teenage years and grow with them through their Beatle years of music and then grow with them into their solo years right up to the present day of McCartney's classical endeavors you might get the picture and understand what the big fuss over them is about. As much as I adore Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, and that goes for the Rolling Sones and The Who as well, they are just rock bands that's all. On the other hand the Beatles story, myth or whatever you call it is one of the most remarkable happenings in human history. You can have your opnion about the band or type of music you like but if you have the knowledge to like your favorite music but can recognize that there is a band that is above all others and changed the world and made it possible for the music you like to even exist then just maybe you can respect The Beatles and thank them for inspiring a whole generation of people to create whatever music that became your favorite, but remember that music you love was inspired by the Beatles and that is their legacy. Thank John, Paul, George and Ringo for the joy you brought humanity. You will always remain the BEST !
ReplyDeleteLove and Peace to all,
Joe B.