Leeah's Review

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Led Zeppelin:A Decade of Influence

Often underestimated, Led Zeppelin over the years has influenced many an artist in the rock and roll genre. Rolling Stone calls them, “unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history.” It was a summer in 1968 when the original Yardbirds broke up and recently initiated guitarist, Jimmy Page, desperate to keep the flame going, went on search to find new members. Although they were not the original people he sought out, the players he found would eventually encompass what would later become the everlasting band of Led Zeppelin. In its time, almost a decade from 1968 to 1980, Led Zeppelin would rise to the top of the charts removing the Beatles album, “Abby Road,” with their second installment, Led Zeppelin II and release five platinum albums. Their unmistakable music has attracted musicians and fans alike, with artists crediting their inspiration to Led Zeppelin's music to the listeners whose desire for their music made the continuation of the band possible.


Led Zeppelin's originality is due mostly to their one of a kind sound. A sound which can range from hard and heavy beats to rolling acoustics. Take for instance, their number one song, “Stairway to Heaven” from Led Zeppelin Four (often marketed as Zoso) and compare it to “Kashmir” from their sixth album, Physical Graffiti. Stairway offers some very distinct folk rhythms that build to a hard rock finish-- “And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls, there walks a lady we all know who shines white light and wants to show.--” “Kashmir” contrasts with “Stairway” due to the repetition of the one particular guitar riff. The song often reminds the listener of walking through a desert landscape-- “Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams.” While both are separate songs with two separate styles, one being more folk oriented and the other giving a Middle Eastern feel; it is easy to distinguish the musicians and their individual contributions. The singer, Plant with his wailing, Page with his amazing guitar riffs, Bonham providing the beat and Jones playing either organ or bass.


Perhaps the greatest proof of Led Zeppelin's influence can be found in their ardent followers, the fans. In their earlier years of opening for bands like Iron Butterfly, the media gave them little to no exposure. In fact, Led Zeppelin's music had only been shown on a single television broadcast which featured the song, “Communication Breakdown.” Due to the poor sound and picture, the band itself abandoned the use of television in favor of live concerts. The media was often times too afraid to display anything by Led Zeppelin for fear that their music wasn't the mainstream. Fans would have to attend live concerts or purchase the albums in order to listen to Led Zeppelin because the radio stations wouldn't play their songs. It was only until “Stairway to Heaven” was released when the radio fully accepted their music. Still, even with this lack of exposure, the band continued to play and continued filling entire stadiums. News of their concerts was passed from mouth to mouth and fan to fan.


On a scale of artists and musicians influenced by Led Zeppelin, some of the more heavily influenced are stadium bands as well. One of the most obvious of these bands is Aerosmith. On occasion, Aerosmith has adopted a few songs from hit bands. The Beatles song, “Come Together” was featured on their Greatest Hits CD. One such song played by Aerosmith was “Train Kept A Rollin'.” Originally a Yardbirds song, it was the first song Led Zeppelin ever played together before they acquired their name. Freddy Mercury, first and former lead singer for Queen had also compared his band's journey to Led Zeppelin's. He says, “Back in the old days, we were often compared to Led Zeppelin. If we did something with harmony, it was the Beach Boys. Something heavy was Led Zeppelin.”


Led Zeppelin's influence has spread from the time when they were playing and even today years after the original band parted ways. Fans from back then and some from younger generations, still listen to their almost revolutionary music. There is also no doubt that some of the bands of this day and age attribute their inspiration to Led Zeppelin or other bands that were inspired by Led Zeppelin. From one of a kind music, to fans to musicians, Led Zeppelin has become an important part of rock history and the history of music itself.

Article by: Leeah Whittier

Cited websites
www.brainyquote.com
www.ztorak.tripod.com/lz/chronology.html
www.allexperts.com
www.rollingstone.com
www.youtube.com
www.photobucket.com

Magazines Cited
School of Rock Magazine—Led Zeppelin Exclusive
Rolling Stone Magazine—Issue 1041 December 13, 2007 The Return of Led Zeppelin

Albums Cited
Led Zeppelin IV or Zoso—“Stairway to Heaven”
Physical Graffiti—“Kashmir”