White, clean and neat

[Steve Thomson <steve.thomson@xxxxxx>]

>Mind explaining yourself? Cause that's awfully strong
>language, especially considering that many of us
>consider The Greatest Gift as one of Robert's best
>ever songs...  Opinion's one thing, flat out
>denunciation without qualifiers just riles up those
>who don't agree with you..

What's to explain? Of course they're opinions! That's what a discussion list is 
all 
about, expressing opinions. You make it sound as if criticizing Robert Plant 
were 
some sort of horrendous crime. Do you really expect us to all sit around and 
write 
wonderful little messages along the lines of "Ahhh, Robert, golly gee, isn't he 
the 
greatest..."? To quote one of his better lines, it's all too "white, clean and 
neat." 
 
Define "many of us." I've been on the list for quite some time now, plus I 
lurked 
for a lot longer before participating. I've never once seen anyone say anything 
about "The Greatest Gift." I already gave it a qualifier: "ca-ca"! I think the 
song 
is one of Plant's worst recorded performances: sappy muzak strings and an 
incredibly weak vocal. It sounds like some middle-aged Andy Williams-style 
crooner 
doing a song for a soap opera. Even the Honeydrippers stuff was better because 
it 
was meant to be camp. As Plant says on the interview at the end of FTLOFBO, 
disc 3, 
it was "pure cheese." "Gift" sounds like cheese but without the admission!