h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Woah. I really don't want to criticise any fellow researchers but, really, this reads like an entry in one of those massive enyclopaedia of rock things where every band has a sort of half-arsed passing reference and no real substance.

Led Zep are the second best-selling band of all time (guess who's first) and they were the most dynamic and exciting group of musicians ever. The mighty Physical Graffiti is only mentioned in passing - and it was the sixth album (not Presence). It also contains Kashmir, which is probably the most powerful piece of rock music in history.

The name came from a discussion about Page's proposed band and the comment, from an unconfirmed member of The Who, that the idea would go down "like a lead Zeppelin".

They laid down the standard for outrageous (i.e. interesting) rock-star behaviour on tour. There's a story that the late Peter Grant, while paying for damage done to yet another suite of hotel rooms, was told by the manager that he'd always wanted to chuck a TV out of a window himself. Grant handed him a wad of notes and said, "have one on us". The manager went straight upstairs and hoisted a telly out the window. And so it goes on (there's much worse/better than that - read "The Hammer Of The Gods" biography).

Jimmy Page has recently returned to form after many years in the wilderness and his shows with Robert Plant are as close to classic Zep as you'll ever get. Their drummer, Michael Lee, has the spirit of Bonzo which has eluded so many others. John Paul Jones was not invited to join them, possibly because Page and Plant really don't want to 'resurrect' Zeppelin even if they play the old songs for at least half the set. Jones has responded in the best way possible, by releasing his own best music in years (Zooma) and covering the odd Zep track himself.

Yeah, there's a lot more to that band than the few passing references in this entry. How about a full list of the albums for example? I don't know! Mumble mumble...

This is the sort of thing I was trying to get at with my posting earlier though not as coherently (or with paragraphs). I've been through the records and had a look at the original article as well. There doesn't seem to be that much that differed over the intervening months. Unfortunately, they are a hugely chronicled band so someone is always going to find holes in the article. I have to agree and say that the entry has to be more comprehensive (the sort of word my supervisors adore) to justify becoming an edited entry. It's worth the effort.

What this reads like is the liner notes for the boxed collection Page put together about 10 years ago. Almost literally. I realize that a history of any well-known subject is going to be repetitive if it is chronological, but...in any case, I, too, am surprised that Physical Graffiti only warrants a mere mention. I guess this is what the Guide is all about--each researcher takes a different take on each subject.

It's a good entry for newcomers, though.
More mention of the albums would be nice, as mentioned above (particularly Physical Graffiti- I'd have to agree about Kashmir, although let's not speak of the disastrous Godzilla version. )

The what?

Don't tell me someone dared to kill a Zeppelin song..... Who are the idiots who did it? (So I can go hunt them down......)

I'm afraid one of the perpetrators was actually Jimmy Page. (Maybe he was bored.)
The recent silly 'blockbuster' film Godzilla had a theme song clobbered together from the main bit of Kashmir, mangled with the lyrics of some daft-named rapper (may have been Puff Daddy) over the top. Horrors.

Eeeewwwwww....bad Jimmy! Bad Jimmy!

*sigh* Okay, who was the bozo posing as Page, and what did they do with the real one? I find it hard to believe that ANYONE would kill their own music..... especially anyone who's been involved in such good stuff as what Zeppelin has produced... *sigh* If I wasn't convinced that real music has already died, I'd say that would have been the killing blow...

There was a pre-BBC thread about this, and the general sentiment was 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it.' I'll have to forgive Jimmy though, for not churning out whole albums of mainstream pap or collaborating with people like Robbie Williams. (And continued good work- have you heard the No Quarter album with all the Moroccan musicians?) Besides, he's getting on a bit.

Okay--the Black Crowes, that's a good match. But Puff Daddy? Senility is no excuse.

Sad but true...
I tend to balance out his good work with the bad. Currently he's still forgivable.

I don't care what anyone says, Puff Daddy is far worse than Robbie Williams could ever hope to be.

I agree, however, that this entry is far too scant to be an edited entry. I mean, this is Led Zeppelin. Even if they are the most overrated band in rock history, they still are important enough to have an accurate and more comprehensive entry.

Perhaps and idea would be to do a separate entry for the albums in much the same way that individual Beatles albums have separate entries and the band entry only gives a brief but comprehensive (that word again) listing of their work.

Good thinking. Shall we begin... Which ones do you fancy taking on, Herr Sandwich? I'm up for Presence, LZ II and Phys Graf definitely.

Robbie Williams, though, is taken seriously. By some.
Excellent idea, Sandwich. I'll take whatever's left.

And so the revolution begins...I can tackle Houses of the Holy if no one else wants to.

I unfortunately don't know enough about the albums, and such to be able to do any good writing any entries, but I'd always be happy to read, and give feed back if you all keep me informed

I think I'll pass on actually writing about individual albums by Led Zep. To be perfectly honest though I own most of them except II, III and Presence (and my Mum's ran off with 'IV' quite a while ago - my Dad wasn't too happy about that but he's a musical philistine anyway, he likes what could only be termed as lounge music) I have a tendency to many play the Remasters (a bit slack I know). If possible I'd prefer to do Page and Plant 'No Quarter Unledded' assuming I can find much about it - I'm sure I've got something about it I've just got to remember where.

PS - Like Saturn Girl, I'm quite willing to read and give any constructive criticism on any of the entries concerning the Led Zep albums if you keep me informed.