Led Zep: Electric blues or rock?

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Would you consider Led Zeppelin a rock or an electric blues band?

I was wondering this, as Jimmy Page (my god) the guitarist of Led Zeppelin style is classic blues (the same actually goes for Jimi Hendrix), although you could say he has a rock tone.

What are your opinions?

 

Wow. God this is a good topic.

I would lean more towards rock myself, but why label him or the badnd with a genre? Led Zeppelin is argueably the most influencial rock band in history. No one hit as hard as Bonzo, no one played as soulful as Jimmy, and IMO every rock star today is a Robert Plant wannabe, whether they admit it or realize it. He set the tone for what it means to be a rock and roll frontman. To me, Zeppelin transcends genres.

But I digress...Led Zeppelin, though clearly and thankfully influenced heavily by blues, are the epitome of the rock band. People might say "But what about the Beatles?" Beatles Schmeatles. They were pop. Zep is rock, and there's a world of difference.

Furthermore, it's a tough destinction to make. Rock and Blues are so closely linked. It's not like comparing apples to oranges, it's comparing green apples to red ones.

 

I would have to say rock..Led Zepplin rules!

 

Actually, DR, it's a bit like comparing a son to a father, as rock (and therefore Heavy Metal, another arguable classification of LZ) is an offshoot in many ways of the blues.

 

I would go with rock because, as said before, they are probably the most influential rock band in hstory.

 

I'm in agreement with everyone else - definitely rock, with a blues flavour.

 

We don't agree on this, DR. My vote would be the Beatles.

But to answer the question, I would say both. The early Zep was definitely blues based, but as the band progressed, Page/Plant started to lean towards more progressive rock, based (strangley) in literature/mythology. The reason I found it strange was because it was unexpectedly far from their blues roots. Tracks such as "Ramble on" (with its references to Tolkien) and "Stairway to Heaven," moved the band in a different direction. but I don't think they ever shed their blues roots entirely.

 

Probably Chandos, that's why I said argueably. But that's a whole other topic. You're probably right, I concede, since I hear more classic rock stars say "The Beatles" when interviewed and asked who influenced them. Ozzy is one example. But Zeppelin is definitely up there, more proportionately amongst harder rock bands I would say.

 

Well, having not really heard a great deal of their stuff (I know, that's heresy) I'd say Rock with a little bit of blues sprinkled in.

Actually, since I've started talking heretically, I must be one of those unfortunates who grew up in the gap between Led Zep cycles as they were not really that widely admired when I was growing up and getting interested in music. Then, I was out at the pub last weekend to see Reel Big Fish (supported by Area 7) and afterwards the DJ started playing Led Zep and suddenly there were more 18 to 20 year-olds on the dancefloor than had been and they were all singing along.

 

I'm going to go with electric blues. A lot of Zeppelin's stuff is taken from old old blues. They cleaned it up and gave it a fresh new rock image. They were definitely pioneers!

Plus the whole Tolkien thing...

 

DMC - Absoutley. In fact, songs such as "You Shook me" and "I Can't Quit You Babe" are traditional blues songs rewritten, and some might argue, ripped-off from some of the old school blues masters. When one considers that Page/Clapton/Beck all were involved with the Yardbirds it should be no surprise that Zeps first LP was so blues oriented.

And you are right when you say that the blues is really ignored these days. My favs: Bo Diddley -"I'm a Man" and "Who do you Love?" is such a great classic, with a great version by Quicksilver Messenger Service as well; and the other "King" - Freddie, who could really wail "inside the box," like no one else this side of B.B. King.

 

You see this is precisely why I hate having to put groups into catagories.If you go over the entire zeplin catalog you will see a band with remarkable range and vision.

To call the simply a rock band or a blues band does not do them justice in my humble opion.Through off the yolk of the record companies that want all bands to fit in one niche or anther and just love music.

Ok rant over.

The great thing is Zep never was ashamed to admit that some of there best work was stolen from blues artists.

So I say they,if they must have a catagory,it would be Rock/blues,oh wait I can only pick one.
Rock no blues no rock AAARRGGH I cant decide.

 

I have to say both.

They hammer the rock songs such as Black Dog and Rock And Roll, but then they release a song like Over the Hills and Far Away with a more bluesy goove to it.

Then they have the perfect hybrid song in The Song Remains The Same, with the rock riffs, and definite blues Bass line.

You can't realy generlize Led Zeppelin into either column, because the transcend both.

Now if you'll excuse me you bastards have gotten me into the mood to listen to all the albums. Bastards I say.

 

Well, like Jimi Hendrix, I think Led Zep mixes different styles of music, so I think they are both.

 

This is a very hard choice to make, because like it was said before; blues and rock are two things, which seem a lot like each other. If you take a basic blues shuffle and change the tempo a bit, you have created rock ‘n roll. But the blues is more than where and in which order you put your fingers on the fret board, “it all comes down to the same thing: a man and a woman, a broken heart, and a broken home.” – John Lee Hooker.

Even in the earlier days of blues, there were blues songs, which were typical blues songs, but sounded nothing like each other. Blues is the feeling you get inside, when you play the blues, or when you listen to the blues. The blues has changed over the years, to keep it popular, and it might have got a more rock sound to it, but even when you listen to modern day blues, you still can hear that blues undertone.

If I had to make a choice, I would say that Led Zeppelin is rock, and the only explanation I can give for it, is that I'm missing that idea that it is the blues, which I get when listening to songs by B.B. King or Eric Clapton. I, however, must admit, that I don’t know a lot of songs by Led Zeppelin, and those songs I know (Stairway to Heaven, Rock ‘n Roll, Fool in the Rain and a few others), might be their songs that lean more towards rock.

It is ignored by most radio station, because it may not attract many listeners, and it is considered as ‘old’, but the blues is still here, and there are still pretty good blues songs made. The blues is alive and well.

 

dmc wrote:

Try WXPN on Saturday nights from 7pm to Midnight EST (GMT -5) for Johnny Meister's Blues Show. It's great!! You get a nice mix of old and new blues. Just click on "Listen Live" in the upper left corner of the webpage.

WXPN is listener supported radio - I joined/started donating a couple of years ago. Enjoy!

 

*is pissed off that there's no longer Howling Wolves every monday on Radio Mafia* Stupid renovations... stupid YLE.... *grumble*

I must say that I'd classify Led Zeppelin as rock if I had to. Why? For the same reason as Mesmero. It doesn't feel like blues.

And to Chandos: The Beatles are pop. Period.

 

Hmm, what happened to the Sorcerer's Place philosophy of 'catatorising sucks, I just listen to artists'?

 

Rock, rock, rock.

There is no doubt about it.

The Mighty Led Zep is great, but they were not at any time a blues band. It is true that Jimmy Page was heavily influenced by his stint with the "Blues Breakers", but even Mayhall's band was not true "blues".

Do not downplay the effect of the Beatles. It is easy to listen to their music today and blindly call it "Pop", but stop and look at the year that the so-called "pop" song was recorded in. They were years ahead of anyone else and laid the groundwork that all rock bands after them followed. The use of chord progression, subject matter and instrument selection was groundbreaking. It is likely that music today would not be as it was were it not for the quartet from Liverpool.