Led Zeppelin Reuniting After All?

If anyone here is even a slight fan of Led Zeppeli, then it's possible you've caught some wind of the rumors and debates and thoughts and rants and all that have been flying around since December 10, 2007. If you haven't, let me catch you up:

On December 10, 2007, Led Zeppelin re-united for what was believed to be a one-off to play a tribute to their friend and founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun. On the drums was the closest we could ever get to John Bonham... his own son, Jason. Opinions flew about how the show would be. Would it be awesome? Would it suck?

Well... needless to say, it has been considered one of, if not the greatest reunion in the past 20 years. At the very least, experts say it raised the bar of what a reunion should be. Jimmy Page, Robert, Plant, and John Paul Jones proved that the chemistry they used to have is still there, and Jason proved that no one, and I do mean no one, can take his Dad's place except for him (sorry Dave Grohl).

Of course, after this was over, Robert went out on tour with Allison Krauss in support of their album, Raising Sand. During this time, rumors have been flying off the hilt. First, we found out that Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were in the studio with Jason Bonham "practicing" and "writing new material." This is when, you could say, the atom bomb went off. Led Zeppelin fandom exploded with wild speculation.

Unfortunately, the hold-out, as usual, was Robert Plant. Wanting to avoid becoming a parody of the past... a tired old cliche, if you will... he was reluctant to reform with the boys for a small tour, and, possibly, a new album.

In light of this, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones got on stage with the Foo Fighters for Ramble On and Rock and Roll. More recently, Jimmy Page was featured in a new Independent Film about the guitar, "It Might Get Loud" (also featuring The Edge of U2 and Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs).

Suddenly, about a month ago, a new rumor surfaced, and a rumor from the same source that first leaked the news of the O2 reunion and the news of Page, Jones, and Bonham being in the studio. It said that Page, Jones, and Bonham were again in the studio, but this time more frequently, and now with different singers... particularly one American singer they were fond of (no one knows who it was, but there are theories... many theories... one of them being Steven Tyler). Why do we believe the source's credibility? Because it's track record has been 100% (being correct) so far.

Then, suddenly, not one week later, the news I want to discuss here comes out. Of course, the first source is The Sun, which isn't known for its accuracy. But then again, it caught wind of O2 not a day after our source got it (when it was still speculation), and they were right about that.

This is the news:

Robert Plant agrees to Join Led Zeppelin for Reunion
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1735624.ece
http://musicnews.virginmedia.com/entertainment/music/news/?news_id=89114
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24405451-5012327,00.html
http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/40014
http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/448312-robert-plant-to-tour-with-led-zeppelin
http://www.3news.co.nz/News/EntertainmentNews/PlantagreestoLedZeppelinreuniontour/tabid/418/articleID/73413/cat/56/Default.aspx
http://www.gigwise.com/news/46349/robert-plant-signs-up-for-full-led-zeppelin-reunion-tour
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/showbiz/Plant-tour-Led-Zeppelin/article-356510-detail/article.html
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/black-country/black-country-news/2008/09/26/robert-plant-agrees-to-join-led-zeppelin-for-tour-97319-21906211/

I'd like to point out... to people who've been to the latest Robert Plant/Allison Krauss shows, they've noticed a tension between the two. Allison seems upset on stage and no longer interacts with Plant as much as she used to. And shows seem to be cut short. Is she upset because of the sudden change in plans? One can only wonder.


I say to all my fellow Zepheads here... it is a great time to be a Led Zeppelin fan.

I'll believe it when I see an official release from the band.
And then I'll buy tickets.

That's what a lot of people said about O2 when the news first leaked on the For Badgeholder's Only mailing list.

That source was right about O2, was't it?

Led Zeppeli. heh heh.

OH SHIT! AND I CAN'T EDIT IT, EITHER! DAMN 15-MIN EDIT LIMIT!

*grumbles*

I listened to a quick interview the other week with Jimmy Page on bbc radio one news and he confirmed that they were in the studio working on new material but that Robert had so far turned down the offer to join them. I'm a huge Zep fan but i'm just not sure i would want them to reunite anymore.

Well... supposedly, Robert has changed his mind. And why not? Have you heard the O2 reunion? I have about 8 different audio sources and I have it on DVD.

There's never been a better time for the to reunite. They were on fire at the reunion and can only do better now. But if they wait too long, it'll suddenly be too late.

I say go for it. Plus, at 21, I never thought I'd get to see Led Zeppelin live. I did see Page/Plant when I was 10 in 1998 (at Madison Square Garden), but that was not the same, and I was 10... way too young to know what I was seeing/hearing.

It'll be nice to see them live, after all.

And you can bet I'd have tickets... as well as the new CD... and every unofficial recording of the entire tour that I can get my hands on.

I love zeppole.

I loved the O2 show. Sadly, I have yet to acquire a DVD but the music itself is awecome enough.

And I see no reason to not want them to reunite. It's so easy for fans to say "<Band> shouldn't reunite now that <member> is gone.

Why?

As a musician (albeit a rather sucky one, as opposed to these guys), when you've developed a chemistry (no pun intended, really) with other musicians, it's a wholly natural desire to recharge that energy. Not all of them have to be there. Heck, Stills and Young have been together on and off in a few different lineups in the decades since the demise of Buffalo Springfield, and although it's always different, they sitll have the chemistry.

Same with Plant, Page & Jones at O2. I noticed arrangements seeming to have been adapted to Plant's vocal chords, as, while still awesome, aren't as young and pliant as they once were.

Point is, it worked!

And I'd love to hear more.

Now playing: Led Zeppelin, Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London, March 3, 1969

Well Robert Plant himself has just confirmed that they are indeed just rumors saying they were "frustrating and ridiculous". It's on BBC news website.

alison krause doesn't need robert plant.

but damn, do i love Led Zeppelin III! if they reunite, can they just play that whole album?

Yeah, I know. And I'm a little ticked off, too.

I won't go into it here. I already have on the For Badgeholder's Only emailing list and, needless to say, there are a lot of Zepfans who have turned their backs on Robert for good, and I'm one of them.



ETA:
And no, NOT because he said he wouldn't do it, but because we're sick and tired of him talking about how he's "moving on" when he continues to bastardize Zep songs just to keep his crowd happy at his shows. He obviously hasn't "moved on" at all. He's just become another David Gilmour.

I'd go if it was in the right place.......