reunion/old geezers, etc.

["Josh Mooney" <jmooney10@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Some good points, Eddie. 

I look at the Who and Stones as men in their sixties who happen to be
musicians-- and so playing music is their LIFE, and has been since they were
teenagers. Why stop making it now? Artists don't stop making art because
they're "too old" to do so. Who decides what is too old? Townshend famously
wrote, "Hope I die before I get old" when he was in his twenties-- and he
spent a long time trying to kill himself. Yet he survived, and now, in his
sixties, I suspect he's glad to have done so. 

There's no mandatory retirement age for musicians. And touring has the added
benefits of money, and the adulation of fans. Pete, Roger, Mick, Keith,
etc.: These guys aren't shy wallflowers who simply LOATHE being treated like
gods and legends everywhere they go. They're outgoing artists with healthy
(and in some cases, unhealthy) -sized egos who long ago chose a life of
strutting their stuff in front of literally millions of people. They must
dig it. I suspect I would have too, yet at the same time I have asked myself
whether I could have handled that level of fame and attention (assuming I
had the skills to achieve it, or at least had balls the size of Gene
Simmons')-- whether I would have been strong enough to survive that world. I
probably couldn't have, in truth. It would have fucked me up, but then, I'm
not very stable or strong to begin with. If you look at those who
psychologically couldn't handle that kind of life (Nick Drake, Glenn Gould,
Brian Wilson and Syd Barrett come to mind), well, they didn't last long in
the limelight, and suffered in its glare. On the other hand, the great
classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz won a Grammy at the age of 84 for a live
concert recording he made in Moscow in 1987. The man's ego and love of the
spotlight were legendary. He gave concerts and recorded right up until he
died. He dug it. He NEEDED it. 

I agree, Eddie, that "Led Zeppelin" owes me nothing more than what they've
already given me. I'm okay with that, too. Lookit:  Page has spent so many
years NOT touring, NOT recording, NOT attempting a Zep reunion, and thus I
have to assume that this works for him. Or, hell, maybe it doesn't. Maybe
Jimmy is tortured and anxiety-plagued by the fact that his genius gift for
music has so often lain dormant-- and maybe Jimmy's shrink is always saying,
"Laddie, ye have to get oot there and strap on the dooble-nick agin. 'Tis
the only thing that'll make ye feel alreet, doncha' know?"

(Why Jimmy's psychiatrist would necessarily have a Scottish/Canadian accent
is not a question I can answer at this time.)

I realize now that we HAD the Zep reunion. It was Page/Plant in the '90s and
it's over. They did it. It won't be done again. Others may disagree with me.
That's okay. 

--Josh


Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 08:51:08 +0000
From: "Eddie Lombardi" <elombardi70@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Lobby for a Led Zep ReUnion People!!

Does anyone here actually think that these bands (who, stones) tour "just
for the fans"?  I don;t.  Nothing evil in what I am about to say but they do
it cause they need too (for lots of reasons, some money).  They want to
tour.  You think they sit there at night and say "boy I hate all this
touring stuff.  I can;t be arsed to tour anymore and make music but you know

what the fans deserve it so fuck me and my problems I'm going out there".   
I think if Keith Richards stopped touring he wouldn't last very long.  It is
his life.

Am I the only one that feels that Zep owe us nothing more than what they
have given us already?  They made music.  We loved it.  We bought it.  
Simple.  They make no more music now end of.

Would it be nice?  Probably.

Let Robert do what he feels like doing.  It's his life.  Like it or not he's
out there doing the music he wants to do.  Jimmy should do the same if he
feels like it.  Or not if he doesn't.

You know I saw the Who this summer and they kicked butt.  If Page, Plant and
Jones could get together and be that good and find a drummer that can really
play and bring back the spirit of Bonham all the power to them but I'm not
going to worry about it if they don't.

Eddie