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Led Zeppelin is the No.1 Rock and Roll Band of All TimePeter Cross I`ve been in rock and roll all my life and I`m well aware that The Rolling Stones have been called the best rock and roll band. Don`t get me wrong because I love Mick and the Stones, and the Beatles were my major musical influence, but here`s why I think that Led Zeppelin is the best rock and roll band of all time: 1. BEST PLAYERSFirst of all, John Bonham was the best rock and roll drummer ever to walk the face of this planet, and that`s an informed opinion coming from a former professional drummer. John played drums unlike anyone else ever did, still does, or ever will, and that fact is continually demonstrated in the astounding breadth and depth of his recorded work. He had complete independence in all four limbs, he slammed his drums harder than anyone else, and he did it with speed and total precision, never once dropping the beat. His beats were innovative and creative, and John was never stuck in simple grooves. His fills were innovative, creative, complex, and technically brilliant, he knew when to keep it relatively simple (i.e. Kashmir), but he was always in the stratosphere of drumming. And to top that all off, John created a giant drum sound which is unique. It inspired a host of imitators who were able to imitate the sound of his snare drum, but only with a simple backbeat. At the time that Led Zep was formed, Jimmy Page c ould have gotten any drummer in the world to play with him, and he chose John. There`s not one single drummer alive or dead who can begin to touch John`s power, creativity, speed, precision, and technical brilliance. I`ve heard that Jimmy still feels the same way about John as I do. Secondly, Jimmy Page has always been one of the best rock guitarists ever, right from his earliest days as a session player and the beginning of his real public stardom in the Yardbirds. I believe that Jimmy is the most brilliantly prolific of all the great rock and roll guitarists. I suspect that Jimmy would agree with me that Jimi Hendrix was the one true genius of guitar because he came from another galaxy in terms of his sound and his use of feedback. But unfortunately, Jimi died and we will never know how much further he would have progressed. When I listen to Jimmy`s solos using the violin bow, I get the urge to put him on the same pedestal as Hendrix and wonder which galaxy they both came from. As a songwriter, Jimmy used his superior ability to play lead guitar to create actual song structure. Led Zep`s songs use not one or two of Jimmy`s incredibly powerful, complicated and unbelievably SEXY riffs in each song, but there are four, five or more riffs in some songs. Jimmy`s riffs differ from each other within each song, and also from song to song. His lead guitar playing can be HARD and sexy, he can be sensitive and beautiful, and he can be technically brilliant, all in the very same song. Thirdly, John Paul Jones is a bass player who attained a level of brilliance comparable to Paul McCartney. Just like McCartney, John could play beautiful "melodic" bass (i.e. "Ramble On"), he could play as fast as it gets, but he also knew when to keep it simple and just hold down the bottom although I think he was incapable of doing that without utter sophistication. No one at all can touch those two on bass, and John also played consistently brilliant keyboards - piano, organ and synthesizer. The intricate way in which he wove his bass guitar playing into, through, and underneath Jimmy`s guitar playing is nothing short of perfection itself. And last but not at all least, Robert Plant had an incredibly high vocal range, emotionally as well as in terms of octaves. Just like Dylan was for his own music, Robert`s voice was perfect for Led Zep`s music and there`s no other singer who could possibly have fit in. As a professional singer, I`m knocked out 2. CREATIVE SONGWRITINGHardly anybody has ever covered Led Zep songs for very good reasons. Their song structure is based on their vastly superior playing abilities and there`s no one who can actually play what they played. I`m talking about songs that are not based on simple chords like all other rock and roll is. Jimmy and Robert based their songs on Jimmy`s riffs and on his chordal tonalities that to this day stand alone as being unique. I`m also talking about length of songs that maintain a constant and intense high, up to 11 minutes in length without resorting to an overly repetitive chorus. I know from Robert`s solo work after Led Zep that he also uses unusual tonalities in his writing, but even without actually knowing this I would have to assume that due to Jimmy Page being an erupting fountain of brilliant guitar work, the majority of the non-vocal music creation came from Jimmy. The Beatles certainly deserve abject worship for John and Paul`s creative songwriting ability, no question about that. Certainly Mick and Keith w rote a slew of classic, historic and truly memorable rock songs, but the very nature of their comparatively simple rock and roll structure and basic similarity to each other in terms of using major and minor chord progressions, simple and basic rock and roll rhythms, and verse/chorus/bridge approach defines them as being less innovative when compared to Robert and Jimmy. 3. SUM TOTAL OF BRILLIANT WORKHere they outdistance The Stones because most of the Stones` albums have "fillers", which are songs that do not hit the same intense high that got slammed in all their best ones. However, I`d like to say that I don`t think either Mick or Robert is capable of recording anything short of a brilliant vocal. The Beatles actually exceed Led Zep in terms of numbers of great albums that constitute a greater body of brilliant and uniquely innovative work that literally broke new musical ground with every single song they recorded. The Beatles were simply The Beatles, and they were the most creative rock and roll band ever, from being the best singers and songwriters ever right down to their individual charm and charisma. But without denigrating their gorgeous, sensitive and original style of playing, what they recorded is not the heavy type of rock and roll that either the Stones or Led Zep played. George, Paul and John were all brilliant and creative guitarists, but because they did not improvise on stage, they were not really master guitarists. I love and respect Ringo as both a person and as a very creative drummer who mastered the art of drum sounds. He has his own unmistakable Ringo style for both, but he`s not really a master drummer in the sense of being able to play with great speed and dexterity. I`m talking about 9 Led Zep albums chock full of brilliant and intensely high songs - I don`t know how many hours of great rock and roll listening that is. There`s not a single weak track among all that work, and there`s simply no question that they consistently broke new ground musically. Their debut album is still the best one of all time (including Cream`s), and Coda, their "swan song" is equally perfect. 4. STAGE PRESENCELed Zep was there when the concept of "rock and roll star" was still evolving. I will grant that the Stones at least deserve honorable mention as the best rock and roll band but it`s mostly because of their impressive touring record and Mick`s superstar stage presence with his ability to put on a great show every single time he appears. And he`s still doing it at age 60 for goodness sake! My point isn`t that Led Zep necessarily had the best stage presence, just that they did have a true rock star sexual aura. I could go on about Jimmy Page`s abilities as a producer, and there are other aspects to their greatness like the length of time they were together without a change of band members. And the life they actually led as archtypical wild rock and roll bad boys equals the life led In conclusion, the above four categories do enough to fully qualify Led Zeppelin for my not-so-humble award. There will never be another rock and roll band to approach the stratospheric musical heights that Led Zep reached. The Recording Industry Association of America, who has the correct statistics, lists Led Zeppelin as the third best selling musical act/artist in history. The Beatles are first, with 166.5 million albums sold in the USA alone, Elvis is second with 117.5 million, and Led Zep is third with 106 million. I think it`s very significant that those statistics are becoming geometrically times greater than the number of albums that they sold during their performance lifetimes. What has happened and is happening is that the young people of today are discovering them in droves because they are coming of age sexually and they recognize and connect with the most powerful musical example of that sexual power. They are buying their CD`s, shirts, posters and other memorabilia. And frankly, I`m thrilled. Las Vegas Wedding Music - 12 Unique, Inexpensive OptionsRenae Judkins While rumors continue to fly that Las Vegas wedding music is expensive if live, the number one contracting company in Las Vegas continues to dispel those rumors daily. The owner of Las Vegas Wedding Music said simply, Las Vegas wedding couples have many unique inexpensive options available to them, whether it is through our company or another. Chandler Judkins, owner, is himself a musician and strives to find more ways to integrate live music into Las Vegas weddings Las Vegas Wedding Music has 12 new unique package ideas for couples looking for that unique sound at their Las Vegas wedding. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 1: Flute with string trio or piano Las Vegas string quartets are quite popular and will probably continue to be, however, Las Vegas Wedding Music has found a way to keep the beautiful soft sound that a wedding should have, but with a unique twist Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 2: Flute, Cello, Oboe Trio This trio is less expensive than a string quartet but continues to have the softness of the strings as well as the addition of a beautiful flute, famous for it s rich sound. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 3: Flute, Harp Duo This is a classic unique package that Las Vegas Wedding Music has requests for often. The two together make a unique option for guests to enjoy, but doesn t stray too far from the norm. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 4: Saxophone Quartet Don t skip past this one until you ve heard it for yourself. The gorgeous sound of this brass quartet blows many Las Vegas brides and grooms away. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 5: Brass Quartet Two trumpets, tuba, and a trombone are the classic combinations for this option. Don t let the trumpets fool you. They are played elegantly, with such a beautiful tone, it matches the saxophone easily. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 6: Solo Classical Guitar A classical guitar for a Las Vegas wedding can be an amazing option for those looking for something unique, inexpensive, yet elegant. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 7: Piccolo Trumpet, Piano or Organ Duo The piccolo trumpet is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments ever invented with a soprano tone. The piano or organ are the perfect instruments to combine with the piccolo trumpet to create something traditional and unique all at the same time. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 8: Solo Piano Some may think that this option isn t that unique, but many Las Vegas couples don t choose this option because they look at it as too simple or overdone. This simply isn t true. A solo pianist can be the most unique option available, and sometimes, it s the more simple sound that makes a wedding even more elegant. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 9: Accordion A Las Vegas wedding musician who plays the accordion is the perfect idea for an Italian wedding. It s rustic sound makes guests feel as if they are actually in Italy. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 10: Bagpipes Bagpipes is the traditional instrument from Scotland and the Las Vegas musician comes in the matching complete attire, kilt and all. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 11: Solo Harp A Las Vegas solo harpist is perfect for background music, and doesn t play over your guests talking. Las Vegas Wedding Music Package 12: Singing Harpist A singing harpist is the perfect touch for a perfect Las Vegas wedding. It is unique and none of your guests will expect to enter heaven when they enter your wedding venue. Las Vegas Wedding Music can work with nearly any budget and their packages start as low as $250. Renae earned her journalism degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.Find http://www.lvweddingmusic.com. Drums articles
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