
                     Led Zeppelin Report


     Led Zeppelin is the true father of of modern rock and 
roll music.  They have directly and indirectly influenced the 
metal music scene in a multitude of ways.  The music of Led 
Zeppelin has been a "crowning achievement in the genre of 
hard rock/heavy metal and the band must be considered one of 
the most important of all time."(1)  The issue of whether or 
not the Led Zep influence exists is one of the most contro-
versial issues of the rock world today. 
     The materials for this report come from a wide variety 
of accurate sources.  Most of the material comes from GUITAR 
FOR THE PRACTICING MUSICIAN a monthly publication dealing 
with the guitar scene.  It provides information on music and 
the bands that create it as well as accurate descriptions of 
how it is played.  The other major source is the book HAMMER 
OF THE GODS, a biography of Led Zeppelin by Stephen Davis. 
These two sources will most often be referred to.  Other 
sources in include THE HARMONY ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 
ROCK and a multitude of sheet music.
     The basis of this report is whether or not Led Zeppelin 
is the creator of modern rock music.  It is a massive under 
statement to say that Led Zeppelin was a major influence in 
the evolution of heavy metal music.  It would be more accu-
rate to say without Led Zeppelin there would be no metal 
music.  In the eruption of the rock music scene of the 60's 
and 70's many standards were set and many innovations were 
made.  Among these musical pioneers were: Jeff Beck, Eric 
Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix and, of course, Jimmy 
Page.  Today these pioneer's musical cliches, witticisms and 
techniques are widely used for they are the basis of the 
music in which they are used.  Many of these "inventions" and 
"metal pyrotechnics" are blatantly used and turned in to 
"plagiarism for profit".  However subtle these influences are 
they will always exist .(2)
     The consolidated elements that created the well defined 
Led Zeppelin sound were the result of a "singular chemistry 
within the band"(3).  The members came from different back-
grounds created a musical sound that harnessed elements of 
the blues and rock and roll.  All of the members were veter-
ans of the British rock scene and had been involved with 
music most of their lives.

     The man responsible for forming the band was James 
Patrick Page.  Born to an industrial worker, James Page, and 
his wife, Patricia Elizibeth Gaffkin in Heston, Middlesex on 
January 9, 1944, Jimmy lived a quiet life in Epsom, Surry.  
He spent most of his childhood alone.  As he grew up the 
guitar became his best friend and he quickly became involved 
with the music scene as time passed he became the "English 
guitar ace" and had all the up to date equipment.(4)  Jimmy 
played with many bands including The Crusaders and The 
Yardbids and worked as a studio session artist.
     The charismatic singer who was the perfect "lyrical 
foil" for this bands concept was Robert Plant.(5)  Robert 
Anthony Plant was born on August 20, 1948, at West Bromwich, 
Strat-fordshire. He lived in a well off family and attended a 
private school.  He became interested in rock music early and 
soon turned to the blues.  He played in many bands in his 
area and became a popular singer.  He had the perfect mixture 
of rock influences including Elvis Presley and blues influ-
ences in-cluding Muddy Waters.
     The rhythm backbone of the band was John Henry Bonham. 
Born on May 31, 1948, at Redditch, Worcestershire, he grew up 
near Robert as the son of a carpenter.  He got his first drum 
kit when he was ten and he got into it very fast.  Bonham was 
in and out of many bands since he learned to play.  He had 
soon developed the reputation of the loudest, hardest drummer 
around Birmingham.
     The harmonic/rythmic "counterpart" of the group was John 
Paul Jones.  He was born on January 3, 1946, at Sidcup, Kent. 
He grew up in a musical family and was on the road by the 
time he was two.  He started out on the piano but soon moved 
to the bass guitar.  He was a very popular session artist and 
a brilliant composer and arranger.  He was influenced mainly 
by jazz bassists and followed the idea that the bass could be 
a solo instrument.
     When the members of the newly forming "New Yard Birds", 
soon to become Led Zeppelin (6) first played together there 
was a sort of "magic" that happened.  They Knew what they had 
when they played in the studio and soon they were on their 
way to a long, strange journey into the world rock legends.  
(7). 
     Their first album, a self titled one became a major hit 
and soon they were holding concerts all over.  More albums 
came out and soon they became a musical/media sensation.  At 
the height of their career they were a legend and produced 
eight albums.  They were touring all over the world and 
living a wild, hedonistic life style of sex, drugs and 
parties around the clock.  The band ended abruptly after the 
death of the drummer, Bonham.  The remaining members went 
their separate ways.  
     Robert began a long solo career; Jones virtually "dis-
appeared" and Page found a new band.  In recent years, Zep 
has had a few reunions and Robert and Jimmy are at new high 
points in their solo careers.
     Today, in the wake of the legend, rock music flourishes 
more than ever and many new bands are trying to fill the gap 
that Led Zeppelin left.  Most of the bands of today are 
influ-enced by the legend in some way and however subtle the 
influ-ence is, it exists.  Led Zeppelin created many innova-
tions and these are widely used.  They include styles, 
recording techniques and rhythms.  
     It is, of cource, argued that Led Zeppelin was not a 
major influence.  "They could have luckily stumbled upon 
things unknown to them at the time" or "shame-lessly ripped 
off other performers".(9)  To some, Led Zeppelin had just 
been using stuff they had already  heard, they just "spiced 
it up".  This is probably true in some respects because if 
the earlier blues men of the past or the rock heroes of 
yesterday had not come along there would certainly be no Led 
Zeppelin. 
     As Led Zeppelin may have quietly stolen bits of materi-
al, they are truly innovators.  The have brought many 
tech-niques and cliches into being.  The irony is that when 
they were first becoming known, the name "heavy metal" was 
created to classify the type of music Led Zeppelin was 
playing.  Although many artists claim not to have any Zeppe-
lin in them, faint echoes and some times large amounts of the 
Led Zeppelin influ-ence can be seen and heard.  Without the 
music of Led Zeppelin, bands like Whitesnake and Kingdom Come 
would not exist.  
     One of their most widely known achievements is their 
approach of rock orchestration, "the guitar army" effect.  It 
is the use of multi track recording that creates the illusion 
of a large army of guitars, it is also called over dubbing.  
This style gave Page the room he needed to use his riffing 
style and composition. It is this that sets the standards for 
recording in the present day.
     In dealing further with the subject of influencing, 
there are two types of influence, indirect and direct.  The 
indirect is the type that is deeply in musicians, that is, a 
guitarist grows up listening to a band.  As he learns to play 
the instrument, he begins to think of what his favorite 
guitarist would be doing.  
     In most case the subconscious mind is remembering what 
the other musician was doing and it begins to translate it 
into the new guitarist's playing.  With the case of direct 
influence the guitarist may be purposely emulating the other 
and calling it his own.  This can turn into plagiarism. The 
most common form is the indirect influ-ence.  
     Today, however, the other form is becoming more and more 
popular.  It is personified in such bands as Kingdom Come and 
Cinderella.  The bluesy, harder rock sound is becoming more 
popular in the wake of the technical L.A. sound of such bands 
as Van Halen and Dokken.
     Most bands of today are influenced indirectly by Led 
Zeppelin.  Of the more technically obvious is a piece of 
music by Steve Via called "The Attitude Song".  It contains a 
three note riff sequence that is derived from the Led Zeppe-
lin song, "The Ocean" (see fig 1). This riff makes use of the 
polyrhyth-mic interplay between drums and guitar.  John 
Bonham's time keeping "lent cohesion to Page's esoteric and 
free form musical approach".(11) 
     Of the question of direct influence, some bands take a 
riff whether they are aware of it or not and base a song 
around it .  Some times they steal entire choruses or bridg-
es, part leading up to the chorus, and "write around it " in 
attempt to come up with a different song.  In most cases this 
fails and the band has what could be considered a shameless 
rip off(12).  In Whitesnakes's song "Still of the Night", the 
chorus is a riff derived and almost copied from the Led 
Zeppelin song, "The Immigrant Song".  In the same song, the 
bridge resembles the riff form "Black Dog", another Led 
Zeppelin song.  The same band has written a song called 
"Crying in the Rain" that is in the same time as the Led 
Zeppelin song, "Dazed and Confused".  In the Whitesnake song, 
the bridge has a striking if not exact resemblance to the 
bridge in the Led Zeppelin song.  (SEE EX 2). It is ironic to 
say this fact when Led Zeppelin had copied the song "Dazed 
and Confused from another artist.  Another major concept that 
is being used that Led Zeppelin brought into use is the 
extended middle of a song.  
     In some songs they would change what they were doing and 
go into something, sometimes, completely different, ie. 
"Whole Lotta Love", "Dazed and Confused".  Some new bands are 
making use of this cliche widely and even going so far as to 
copy one of Zep's songs in doing so.  
     In the Cult's song "Peace Dog", the middle part bears a 
striking resemblance to a part in "Stairway to Heaven" Just 
as in Whitesnakes "Still of the Night" resembles the part in 
Whole Lotta Love".  Another group that is responsible for 
plagiarism is Kingdom Come.  They wrote a song, "Get It On", 
which has stolen an entire chord progression from the Led 
Zeppelin classic, "Kashmir", the chord progression being: A5, 
A+, A6, G, A is identically both songs.  They also wrote a 
song called "What Love Can Be" which copies from "Since I've 
been loving You" and "The Rain Song".
     Another issue concerns the new bands "borrowing or 
steal-ing" from the entire Led Zeppelin image.  Most of the 
newer singers are influenced by Plant's braggadocio and 
"Falsetto Blues Melisma"(13).
     They are also obsessed with the idea of "living on the 
edge" with constant parties and excessive sex and substance 
abuse.  More influences include album cover design and the 
occult related obsession witch groups like the PTL seem to 
associate with everything.  One thing which Jimmy Page 
proba-bly considers an embarrassment is the use of a violin 
bow on the guitar.  It produces almost unearthly sound 
effects. this is now being used by many bands. 
     As with any case were something great has happened.  
Those who follow in its wake will try to learn from it and 
take small pieces of its work.  The influence is there and 
there is no getting around that.  Led Zeppelin was the 
influencing power in a world of developing musicians.  As the 
individuals grew up with Led Zeppelin on the radio and on 
their record players, they began learning from them and 
creating their own style which included the zeppelinesque 
style that already existed.  

     In some cases the influence is innocent and "only na-
tural".(13) In other cases the Led Zeppelin style has been 
exploited and copied shamelessly.  The majority of listeners 
will probably not notice this but the musically alert and 
wise will, and have spotted this fakery.  When Led Zeppelin 
was around they had a sort of magic, a style that, when it no 
longer was around, left a void. Many have tried to fill this 
void.  Everyone is trying to walk in a giants shoes when they 
themselves are too small.  What makes them small is the fact 
that they stoop to low levels of fakery to try and create the 
Perfect band that they are not ".(14)  When the bands of 
today are long since deceased, they will too be looked upon 
as the influences and trend setters. for now at least...

"In a world of imitators there is only one original, Led 
Zeppelin."




                        Bibliography

1.   Davis, Steven  Hammer of the Gods, New York

2.   Guthery and Alaster The Guitar Handbook Alfred A Knopf, 
                         New York

3.                       The Harmony Encyclopedia of Rock 
                         Salamander Press LTD

4.   Jasper, Tony The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hard Rock 
                  and Heavy Metal Fact On Files Inc, New York

5.   Nite, Norm Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock
                and Roll Volume I Harper and Row, New York

6. Guitar For The Practicing Musician article: "The Zep 
   Influence"

7.   Guitar For The Practicing Musician article: "The 
     LIstening Room With George Lynch"

8.   Rolling Stone article: "Led Zeppelin"

9.   People article: Robert Plant

10.  Guitar Player article: "Vernon Reid"

11.  Guitar Player article: "Rock and Roll Plagiarism"

12.  Spin article: "Rock n' Roll Influence"  

13.  Guitar For The Practicing Musician article: " Jimmy
     Page"

14.  Rolling Stone article: "Heavy Metal"

15.  Guitar Foe The Practicing Musician sheet music:
     "Dazed and Confused", "Crying in the Rain", 
     "Black Dog", "Still of the Night", "The attitude
     Song", "The Ocean", "Stairway to Heaven", 
     "Whole Lotta Love"



 


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