R.E.M. and Led Zeppelin

[Brian Downing <metranil@xxxxxxx>]

  I learned with great sadness yesterday that Bill Berry has decided to
leave R.E.M.  They were my second favorite group, behind Led Zeppelin, of
course.  While they had few musical similarities with the Zeppelin, save a
few songs on "Green" (mandolin on The Wrong Child, You Are the Everything, 
and Hairshirt; riff on Turn You Inside Out), I believe they represented 
many of the things that made Led Zeppelin great. They were ever-evolving, 
and each new change was just as musically credible as the previous one.  
They had a certain mystique to their playing, album covers, and personas, 
just like our lads.  Also, REM did not release a weak studio album, just 
like Zeppelin. (Coda?)  Both bands' songs became more complex upon repeated 
listenings, and both groups were not shy about relying upon acoustic 
instrumentation and light/shade presentation.  REM never "sold-out" and 
were popular nonetheless, just like Zepp.  Hell, you could even say REM 
picked-up where Presence and ITTOD left off by making the vocals somewhat 
indiscernible and less like vocals and more like another instrument.  
(This one is stretching it, for I think it was calculated with REM and 
concession by Zepp to Plant's hoarse voice.)  However, maybe the most 
important similarity between REM and Led Zeppelin was the feeling of magic, 
or specialness, in the original line-up of both bands.  There was an 
obvious chemistry in each band, and the group members, and audience, 
were aware of it.  REM had stated that if one of the members left the
group, the band would cease to exist.   Sadly, this pledge was not kept, 
as the band announced it would continue.  Led Zeppelin made the same pledge, 
but they kept it.  Now, granted, there have been a few one-off "reunions" 
and the P/P tour could be seen as a way to tour as Led Zeppelin without 
using the sacred name.  But it's pretty clear by now that no one will tour 
as Led Zeppelin again, that the band ceased to exist in September of 1980.  
I just wish that REM had followed suit, for now I see a quick erosion of 
talent culminating in a tour with both Phil Collins and a drum machine 
keeping the beat.  (This last line is another possible thread opener,
"Similarities between the "new" REM and the "old" Robert Plant.)
  So, I see a wealth of likenessess with the two groups, but one major
difference that may end up negating REM's credibility as compared to
Zeppelin's.  I'm interested in what anyone else on the list thinks about
this issue. Thanks.