So, what have you been listening to lately?

[uwe]

I tried listening to that interview. Got to 3 minutes in, but then gave up. Couldn't stand to hear him talk and widdleydiddle any longer 

That’s too bad, Rob, you missed how he said that he likes Thin Lizzy and the Van Halen debut!

It’s actually a great interview, very musicianly and knowledgeable, live and let live sentiment, self-deprecating humor, killing some myths about himself, not arrogant at all, he’s a changed man from the arrogant, insecure little prick I spoke to 40 years ago at the DiMarzio booth of the Frankfurt Musikmesse. Some of it is self-contradictory (like when he says he loved the VH debut for its live recording ambience, but admits to only using sampled drum sounds today because he can’t stand bleed), but I found it impressive. And he only goes widdly-widdly to demonstrate something, promise! Give it another try, it sure changed how I think of him.

Herr Beato, the Jimmy Stewart of music podcasters combining all lovable American traits, is great at interviewing people, having them relax and getting the best out of them.

4Stringer77, vielen lieben Dank for posting!

[westen44]

There is a geographical divide in Zep appreciation. Zep - on the behest of Peter Grant - focused early on crisscrossing the US, they did comparatively little in Mainland Europe. That showed, Zep were of course also big in Europe, but they were never HUGE like in the US. In places like Germany, France, Italy and Scandinavia, Zep in 1972 probably had a status like, say, Black Sabbath, but they were not in the peak echelons of popularity and sales like DP or even Uriah Heep. You just didn’t see or hear (radio) them often enough in Continental Europe.

It’s often forgotten, but in 1973 DP outsold all other rock bands in the US too - including Zep, Floyd, Grand Funk Railroad and the Stones.

I think Deep Purple may have been a little more popular in the U.S. than you realize.  LZ may have been more popular, but DP was still a major force.  Even my sister had Machine Head in her album collection.  Usually, I don't associate her with good music, but there are exceptions.  Her album collection, though, may have been better than mine in a sense.  Because I had band members borrow so many albums and never return them.  One Hendrix album, for instance, is gone and all of Linda Ronstadt.  I made up for Hendrix later by buying every Hendrix CD under the sun, including ones with previously unreleased songs that no one has heard of. 

Peter Grant.  Not a fan.  Every time I see his name, I cringe a little.  I wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room with him.  But whoever was responsible for getting LZ on the radio, that's where they were predominant.  They totally saturated American radio.  I don't know.  That may be something hard to measure.  I just speak from personal experience. 

[Basvarken]

That’s too bad, Rob, you missed how he said that he likes Thin Lizzy and the Van Halen debut!

It’s actually a great interview, very musicianly and knowledgeable, live and let live sentiment, self-deprecating humor, killing some myths about himself, not arrogant at all, he’s a changed man from the arrogant, insecure little prick I spoke to 40 years ago at the DiMarzio booth of the Frankfurt Musikmesse. Some of it is self-contradictory (like when he says he loved the VH debut for its live recording ambience, but admits to only using sampled drum sounds today because he can’t stand bleed), but I found it impressive. And he only goes widdly-widdly to demonstrate something, promise! Give it another try, it sure changed how I think of him.

Herr Beato, the Jimmy Stewart of music podcasters combining all lovable American traits, is great at interviewing people, having them relax and getting the best out of them.

4Stringer77, vielen lieben Dank for posting!

Haha, okay I tried it once again took off where I left. Got to the 7 minute mark.
Turns out I can only digest 3 minutes of Yngwie at a time.

He's so full of himself. And the tone of the amp (or processor) is just horrible.


Rick Beato is great though. I always enjoy his videos.

[uwe]

I agree that Yngwie is most enjoyable in small doses only. But he used to be much, much worse - these days he's even affable.

Given his doubtless talents, he should have gone further. But he made it real easy for people to dismiss him.

[wellREDman]

not my usual type of music but ive been enjoying a deep dive into the back catalogue of local busker turned youtube sensation Ren. His strange blend of hip hop and folk is nicely different

  a lot of his stuff is autobiographical charting his battles with autoimune disease

I also like the fact that a lot of his tunes are episodic, he comes back to them again and again radically reworking or just entirely  new songs with the same theme
 

[uwe]

I think Deep Purple may have been a little more popular in the U.S. than you realize.  LZ may have been more popular, but DP was still a major force.  Even my sister had Machine Head in her album collection.  Usually, I don't associate her with good music, but there are exceptions.  Her album collection, though, may have been better than mine in a sense.  Because I had band members borrow so many albums and never return them.  One Hendrix album, for instance, is gone and all of Linda Ronstadt.  I made up for Hendrix later by buying every Hendrix CD under the sun, including ones with previously unreleased songs that no one has heard of. 

Peter Grant.  Not a fan.  Every time I see his name, I cringe a little.  I wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room with him.  But whoever was responsible for getting LZ on the radio, that's where they were predominant.  They totally saturated American radio.  I don't know.  That may be something hard to measure.  I just speak from personal experience.

I went to an American school from 1973 to 1976, Purple was very popular there, but not with any lead over Led Zep, I'd say they were about equally popular there (as was Grand Funk Railroad). In Germany it was a different matter though. In the first half of the 70ies, it was difficult to find a household in Germany that played rock music that did not own a copy of In Rock or Made in Japan - Purple were ubiquitous. To give you an idea: In Rock reigned on the number one spot of the German album charts for 12 consecutive weeks in the second half of 1970 (yet there wasn't a single on it). There wasn't a record shop that didn't place it in their window. Purple was so prevalent + popular that they were even beginning to encounter resistance, "Not Deep Purple again!" (Nicht schon wieder Deep Purple!) was a popular phrase for anyone with contrarian instincts. Since they were massively successful, they were also perceived as selling out and as the epitome of corporate rock - riots demanding that entrance to their gigs be free were frequent.

I have pet theories why the music of Purple formed such a tight bond with the German psyche (to this day actually):

• the neoclassical ingredients in their music latched onto prevailing German classical music tastes (DP had a much more apparent classical music influence with all those Bach & Beethoven melodic runs Blackmore and Lord often did in unsison than, say, Zep who incorporated more Blues, Folk and World Music into their sound);
• the way their music was very neatly arranged, even compartmentalized as regards the roles of the varying instruments, appealed to a very German sense of "Struktur & Ordnung", at the end of the day we're all engineers here and like it when things fit just right & work;
• the earnestness and slightly dark tinge of DP (courtesy of Blackmore mostly) echoed our Weltschmerz;
• the fact that Lord, Blackmore and Paice were extremely accomplished musicians at a level that would have allowed them to play far more challenging and sophisticated music appealed to our national disposition for adulation of any type of Expertentum. We like it if you hear that someone practiced hard to be good at their job.

[westen44]

I think in the U.S. the attitude toward Deep Purple was a natural one.  People listened to them simply because they loved their music.  But with Led Zeppelin, to me it seems like something else was also going on.  Something I don't even fully understand.  So many people even to this day seem to have a cult-like attitude toward LZ.  Also, God forbid if you try to criticize LZ.  If you do, then good luck; you may need it.  I tend to say not much of anything.  But even if I felt I could speak freely, I don't feel I have much wisdom to offer on the matter anyway.  It's just I'm a little puzzled why even now so many fans revere LZ in a way which, as someone who has been involved in music since I was 13 or so, genuinely mystifies me.  I understand that Led Zeppelin is a great band, but I guess I never completely fell under their spell.  I definitely never made listening to them a religious experience like so many others seemed to have done.  I have no criticism of that.  I did it with other bands, like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream.  Speaking of Cream, look at the backlash Jack Bruce got when he dared say anything negative about Led Zeppelin.  Call me old fashioned, but I still believe in free speech.  I guess that makes me a dinosaur in today's world, though. 

[uwe]

I believe the overt esotericism/spirituality/mysticism that permeated both their music and their lyrics played a large part in Zep's appeal. That spoke to people. They had one foot firmly planted in the Hippie movement (Purple didn't), yet at the same time already took a step into the future by being something like the hardest-rocking New Age band that ever existed. Though Zep weren't really a hard or heavy rock band, much less a heavy metal act at all, they just had a handful of hard & heavy numbers in their oeuvre.

There was always something misty-mysterious and unearthly in Zep's music, lyrics, billowing production, enigmatic album covers and aloof presentation (which I found incredibly pretentious, but I was and remain in an obvious minority!). It gave room for interpretation. Purple weren't quite Foghat yet, but much more straightforward, in-your-face and of this world. Zep's music is more of a half-painted canvas where you don't know whether the end product will be abstract or naturalistic, but you continue painting anyway, you're in it for the journey.

I think I just wrote something very deep and appreciative of them, I really should receive credit for that.

They still had a sloppy guitarist, a heavy-handed, dragging drummer, a singer stealing lyrics either from Tolkien or black Blues greats (and not paying them proper!) plus a hard-to-hear bassist whose very limited improvisational keyboard skills would not have gotten him a job as Jon Lord's keyboard roadie!

[westen44]

I'm really just guessing, but I think Robert Plant may feel a little embarrassed about it all now.  I believe he knows LZ got more credit than they deserved.  I certainly don't think he has any ego problems. 

[morrow]

I was lost in the shuffle , and completely missed Led Zep and Purple.

[uwe]

Joe Lynn Turner's hair follicles might have had issues for a long time, but his pipes sure haven't suffered:



And he looks so much better on stage since he has dumped that wig.

[Dave W]

Paul Westerberg's alter ego Grandpaboy, from the 1997 EP

[Ken]

I discovered this guy from Niger on a list of left-handed guitarists.  Really good stuff. His dancing around the fretboard reminds me of Hendrix.

[uwe]

This is cool! Reminds me of these guys here



which I first heard in Morocco and have since witnessed live in Brussels. They are Tuaregs from the Sahara region in Mali. Their name Tinariwen means desert in the Tuareg language.

[Ken]

Mdou Moctar is Tuareg as well!