RE: Karma and the Grammys

[Steve Thomson <zeppelin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well yes, it's interesting to note how Plant wavers between wanting to draw 
attention to his Led Zeppelin "heritage" and trying to downplay it. I've 
mentioned a few times on FBO how his phrasing and choice of verb tenses sounds 
as if in his mind Led Zeppelin still exists and he's speaking as Percy the lead 
singer. I recall reading the Rolling Stone account of Live Aid and a quote from 
Plant that went something along the lines of "whenever we do that number...." 
in the present tense. There were variations on that approach throughout 
interviews he did in 2007. Even the comments he made last month that sounded 
like he was speaking for the band (that peeved Nech so much) were probably a 
product of that almost automatic reflex reponse when Plant starts talking about 
Led Zeppelin.

Plus there are all the references and anecdotes from the Zeppelin years that 
keep creeping into his comments. It may well have been 30 years ago, but the 
Led Zeppelin years will always form a central period in his life. He's spent 
the years since dancing around that flame, occasionally turning his back on it 
trying to assert himself as an individual, sometimes relying on it. But it's 
always there. It always will be there. Robert Plant will always be defined 
first and foremost as the singer of Led Zeppelin just as Paul McCartney will 
always be first and foremost a Beatle. Jagger a Rolling Stone. Even the Grammy 
awards, while for Raising Sand, are always in the context of "former Led 
Zeppelin singer" Robert Plant making a type of music that contrasts greatly 
with LZ music. It's not about a singer making music. Period. Some people might 
like to pretend it is, including RP himself, but it's not. It never has been 
nor will be. Imagine if Raising Sand had been
 done by Alison plus some unknown. Would the hoopla be the same? Of course not. 

To most of the public, if they know Robert Plant at all (and we sometimes have 
to remember that our perception of all these things is not very objective since 
we are longtime [and often hardcore] Led Zeppelin fans), he is the singer from 
Led Zeppelin. As a recording engineer on the Hoffman forum who worked with 
Alison on early demos for the new album wrote yesterday, The Grammies never 
paid attention to Plant over the years, but he suddenly made a "sleepy country 
album" and they threw the things at him! (he's not working on the new album 
itself so I guess he feels free to comment) It's a very big deal in the 
public's mind to have the guy doing the high-pitched "Ah yeah, Ah yeah, AH... 
AH... AHHHHH...." lines from Black Dog suddenly crooning Through the Morning, 
Through the Night Grand Ol'Opry style (that brings up a whole other dynamic. 
Some Gene Clark fans are preactically ready to wage an absolute jihad against 
anyone who dares criticize anything about
 RS. It's like they suddenly have someone championing their favorite and they 
feel the need to defend the project).

Anyway, Percy gives us something to talk about. :)

--- On Wed, 2/11/09, Lalaha <lalaha7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Lalaha <lalaha7@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Karma and the Grammys
> To: zeppelin@xxxxxxxx
> Received: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 8:10 AM
> Steve -
> The "conjurer" remarks struck me as a bit odd,
> too, as well as Robert
> being the only one to bust out the term "Led
> Zeppelin."  Clearly he
> felt the need to mention Jimmy as co-writer (it was the
> right thing to
> do, but can you imagine the tar and feathering he'd
> have taken on
> every LZ forum and likely the rock press as well had he
> not?) but he
> absolutely did not need to throw in "post Led
> Zeppelin"  to the fan
> cheers he had to know would follow.  It is what it is -
> people LOVE
> that band, even forty years later.  I've given up
> trying to analyze
> Robert's mindset, but did he have some subconcious need
> to affiliate
> himself publicly with what surely even he can admit is his
> lasting
> legacy?  With the exception of two albums, I've always
> really enjoyed
> his solo stuff  - I even bought the box set and saw RS
> twice last
> summer - but in 100 years, it is the mighty Zep that will
> still be
> standing!
> 
> Laura
> 
> 
> Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:48:50 -0500
> From: Steve Thomson <zeppelin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Karma and the Grammys??
> 
> .... Percy kept referring to him as the
> "conjurer" on Sunday. I don't think he's
> borrowed any of Jimmy's old ceremonial robes or
> anything, but it still
> seems very weird that Plant is willing to give up that much
> control