Plant, solo Zep and 02 reflections (this one's long too)

[Trent Thornton <blisstrent@xxxxxxxxx>]

And now it's my turn to type a lot.  :)

Nathan uttered-
> As to the questions posed by Steve "The Lemon" Sauer... I
> do not like Plant's solo output to begin with.

If you've never heard Fate of Nations, I cannot more highly recommend that you 
check it out.  For my money, that's the best of his post-Zep output that I've 
ever heard.  I like the production, the lyrics, the instrumentation, it's all 
really good.  Not GREAT but definitely the best from his catalog.  And he's 
never really followed it up, come to think of it.

Like a schoolgirl having a nic fit, Nathan opined-
> I LOVE John Paul Jones solo output, however, and his
> rearrangements of the Zeppelin songs

Yep.  For my money, he's had the best solo career, not so much in terms of 
sheer volume but definitely in quality.  If I had a choice, I'd see JPJ circa 
2000 or 2001 ahead of any other former Zep member at any other period.  It's 
almost a cliche to say that he could've been the leader of his own band had he 
not joined up with Zeppelin but that's easy to believe when you listen to his 
solo albums.

JPJ, I salute you!

Lit cigarette in hand, Nathan wistfully ventured-
> Looking back on it now... yes, I wish the O2 hadn't
> happened at all.

I'm always going to be grateful for it.  Would it have been nice to go?  Sure.  
But I wouldn't have been able to take the time off from work, I wouldn't have 
wanted to leave my family at that time of year and I couldn't have afforded the 
plane ticket or the O2 ticket in any case.

But we've got dozens of sources for the show now, including one that will 
likely rival any official release that ever comes down the pipeline.

But really, the show itself is seminal in Zeppelin's history.  If this is the 
note they choose to go out on... well, I could live with that.

Live Aid was largely an unmitigated disaster.  While Atlantic 40th/'88 is 
underrated, it's still not all it could've been.  R&R HOF was slick and 
polished but ultimately is overshadowed for being so brief and for coming under 
the cloud of the P&P vs. JPJ stuff of the time ("thanks to my friends for 
finally remembering my number" along with Plant's Herman's Hermits remarks).  
And also Steve fucking Tyler making a mess of BIOH.

02 washed that all away.  Let's cut the bullshit.  If money, family, my job and 
the space-time continuum aren't objects, GTBT, FYL, NQ and D&C would've done it 
for me.  As far as I'm concerned, the guys could've pimped in, played just 
those songs and nothing else, and I would've told you I'd gotten my money's 
worth and then some.  That's all there is to it.

There was genuine affection between the members, they played their hearts out, 
every note was deep and heartfelt and, at least for a little while, the catalog 
of this amazing band was celebrated in a way I never expected.

It wasn't mourned, it wasn't mangled, it wasn't played in quote marks by any of 
the members; they came, they saw, they kicked everybody's ass.

Overnight, Zeppelin's dignity had been restored.  All the imperfect (to say the 
very least) reunions of the past simply evaporated.  Sure, Atlantic 40th or 
Jimmy and Robert/Knebworth '90 are perhaps interesting historical chestnuts in 
the canvas of Zeppelin's history but when it comes to reunions, performances 
fit into one of two categories-

A- 02
B- Everything else

Did it result in the follow up tour we all hoped for?  Clearly no.  Plant 
(opportunistically, in my opinion) took advantage of the limelight to announce 
his dates with Krauss.  Zeppelin fans took turns tearing each other apart for 
the temerity of having a different opinion.  And, sadly, some of the sparkle of 
02 suffered.

But ya know we *did* get as a follow up?  A metric crapton of unexpected 
Zeppelin soundboard releases (likely designed to capitalize on all the 
attention the guys were getting).

Those soundboards kicked my balls so hard that I'm not only questioning the 
feasibility of ever having children, but I also have to wonder if we even need 
a reunion.  Any time I want, I can "spin" classic '73 or '75 Zep performances 
in pristine, sparkling clarity and listen to Page tear up D&C with a 
20-something's courage or Plant joke about not having had his bacon and eggs 
yet or any of a number of other things.

It's not been perfect, not by any stretch, but nobody will ever convince me 
that we don't have a good deal going.  After all, in addition to not touring, 
Page and co. could've sicced the attorneys on some folks and those beloved 
soundboards might not have been released.

Besides, who's to say a follow up tour would've necessarily been of the same 
quality as the 02 show?  It may have been brilliant and I might otherwise be 
writing "this tour is EXACTLY what Zep fans always needed."  But on the other 
hand, Zep reunions have an at best mixed track record.

We may very well have dodged another bullet, y'all.

As it stands, I say enjoy the boots.  Enjoy the dreams.

And for those of you lucky folks, enjoy the memories.

- t