Friday, June 12, 1970

Musical Artist - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was an English rock band consisting of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. They briefly toured as the New Yardbirds, fulfilling tour obligations of the original Yardbirds, and then changed their name to their now familiar moniker. The band was extraordinarily influential, essentially pioneering many of the now familiar tropes of heavy metal music, although the band spurned the label and their music was much more diverse, including a fair amount of folk music alongside their heavy blues-driven material.

More than any other band, Led Zeppelin made my inner geek happy when I was a teenager, because they incorporated Celtic themes and direct references to Tolkien in their music, linking some of my favorite nerdy material to something that was widely acknowledged as "cool". Songs like Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, The Battle of Evermore, Ramble On, and even Stairway to Heaven incorporated Celtic folk imagery and sounds, or even direct Tolkien references. In short, I knew that at least one member of the band was someone who shared my love of The Lord of the Rings specifically, and Celtic folklore in general.

Sadly, John Bonham died in 1980, the unfortunate victim of his own excesses. With his passing, the band also died, as the remaining members announced that after the death of their friend, they simply couldn't go on as a group. The surviving members of the band have gotten back together on occasion, most successfully with John Bonham's son Jason Bonham filling in for him on drums, but for the most part, but until very recently their attempts at reunion have been marred by technical problems and interpersonal conflicts.

The band maintains a website titled Led Zeppelin, and you can also find information about them on what appears to be a fan run site named Led Zeppelin: Achilles Last Stand.

Musical Monday Selections:

10/07/13: The Immigrant Song
09/16/13: Over the Hills and Far Away
10/21/13: Ramble On

Musical Monday     Musical Artists - L     Musical Artists A-Z     Home

No comments:

Post a Comment