So after nearly 20 years, Led Zeppelin is going to reunite for one concert only? What's that, you say? This could lead to an actual Led Zep tour? Would I pay $200 to see them? $500? $1,000?
Ah, that would be a no.
No?
No.
The last time I remember seeing Zep together was for an awards show (I can't remember which one - maybe it was a Live Aid concert.) back in the mid-1980's. It was as true a reunion as you could get, minus, of course, John Bonham. (Bonham's son Jason - quite a good drummer himself - filled in then and would for this upcoming concert.) But Bonham wasn't the problem. Page was terrible. Horrid. "Heartbreaker" was just that.
Some things have a shelf life. Some things should be left alone.
There's a reason we still remember the greatness of the Beatles. A good portion of those memories could have been wiped out or significantly damaged by a Beatles "reunion," even before Lennon was killed. I'm glad it never happened. (The release of "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," thanks to Jeff Lynne's awful production, was bad enough.)
Plus Robert Plant, while he's done some nice work (especially lately), doesn't have the same voice he once had. (Hey, who does?) John Paul Jones (the most underrated member of the band) has largely distanced himself from anything having to do with Zep, so I'm very surprised at his acceptance.
I'm a huge Zeppelin fan, but I hate to see this happen. I'll always regret not sneaking out of the house and driving down to New Orleans to see them in 1977. (I was in the ninth grade - the perfect time to pull such a stunt.) The world is filled with "I almost saw Zeppelin stories," but I'll stick to mine rather than see this new incarnation. It just can't be a good thing. I know the concert is part of a memorial to honor Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, but in this case, let Zep's legacy honor him. I don't think I could stand any more heartbreak.
Next time: Thoughts on Laird Barron's The Imago Sequence and Norman Partridge's Dark Harvest.
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