Something I saw on VH1 last night......

[VAN HANCOCK]

Robert Plant was on with his band and to my
surprise the dude can still sing pretty fucking
good! Tell me what you think about Van Zepplin or
Led Halen.........what a concert that would be!!

[mistere]

I liked how Rob re-interprets material and keeps
the arrangements fresh. I'd like to see
VHB employ this kind of sophisticated methodology
and still bring the rock like Bob did last night.
There's always been rumours of the two working
together, but nothing will ever come of it on
a grand scale. Plant's new album is out tommorrow - see if Eddie's on it.

[Raldo]

I don't know about Plant. How is his voice this days? They guy is getting up there in age and some Rock N Roll singer's voices don't do well with age.

[Pacfanweb]

Plant has no high register at all. His low voice is ok, and it is still very distinctive as always, but all the power is gone from his voice and has been since the late 80's.

Anyone who saw the Atlantic records tribute concert in, I think it was 1989, saw this clearly during Stairway to Heaven. He couldn't come close to singing the last high part.
Kind of a shame. I'd love to have the chance to see him scream again.

[Fontcow]

Plant's voice was quite shakey by the late 80s, but anyone who saw either of the tours he did with Page in 95 or 98 will know his voice recovered quite a bit by then. However, his high register is gone now, like how he sang on "The Ocean" from Houses of the Holy and "Trampled Underfoot" or "In the Light" from Physical Graffiti. Back then he had this mix of raspy, low moan mixed with a girlish howl that just sent shivers down the spine. That is gone, and I think he attributes it to smoking cigarettes throughout the 70s and 80s.

I really liked the VH-1 Storytellers, because yes, he rearranges and plays a lot of the Zeppelin songs in a way that keeps it interesting for us fans, and more importantly, himself. While I was watching it, I kept thinking about how he definitely looks like an old man now, but he's aged gracefully. He's not playing exclusively Led Zeppelin material with a Zeppelin cover band while posing on stage in his open shirt and tight jeans with long afro-style blond hair. He's acting his age and singing a lot of the songs from his solo career, while also acknowledging how great Zeppelin was. With this new solo album, he's even playing and "revisiting" a lot of old blues songs that inspired him when he was young.

Robert Plant is a class act. VH-1 Classic played the entire album "Dreamland" the other night as a "listening party" with only a graphic of the album cover on-screen and it was a really good record -- even better I'd say than "Walking Into Clarksdale," which was the last studio album he put out, albeit not a solo album since it was with Jimmy Page. Even though Plant is finicky about playing with Page, I still would like to see them as a duo have one more go-around together in the studio for a record and then tour. It'd be extra special if they could get it together with John Paul Jones, but I don't think that will happen in this lifetime. Plant and Jones just don't seem to get on with each other well, not to mention that Plant's bass player since 1988 has been Charlie Jones, his son-in-law.

[ July 16, 2002, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Fontcow ]

[Leprikawn7]

Forget Plant.....He's too old. Thats what Eddie needs right now......

Smelling the load in Robert's pants while he's trying to play Jump.....

What they need is someone Younger who understands the music business.

How about Little Richard! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[Halenizer]

Even if it was a one time deal with Robert Plant, I believe it would be MAGICAL. I hope that
Eddie and Al can swallow their pride and let what ever came between them and Sammy be forgotten. I just got through watching the Farm Aid show that I downloaded from IMESH when Eddie joined Sammy on stage. Man.. that was a magical moment. I bought my first VH album in 1978 and loved what Van Halen did with DLR but, the Sammy era is my favorite.

[TX7081040]

oh please, come one guys. if you took all the negative stuff posted about roth (most of which is biased and incorrect) and multiplied it by 2, you'd have the current version of robert plant. i mean, his legacy is incredible, but IT IS OVER.

edward van halen, please do not make the call to robert plant, that would really be the worst way to end this. we've all invested way too much in honor of what you did with van halen to be rewarded that way - really. i'd rather see coverdale get the shot if it's gonna come to that.

[Rikk]

Originally posted by TX7081040:
oh please, come one guys. if you took all the negative stuff posted about roth (most of which is biased and incorrect) and multiplied it by 2, you'd have the current version of robert plant. i mean, his legacy is incredible, but IT IS OVER.

edward van halen, please do not make the call to robert plant, that would really be the worst way to end this. we've all invested way too much in honor of what you did with van halen to be rewarded that way - really. i'd rather see coverdale get the shot if it's gonna come to that.

I absolutely think Dave should come back. But don't slag Plant too much. I thought he was creatively gone too, and his voice was gone, but then I saw Page/Plant in '98, and what a fucking incredible show. He sang ROCK 'N' ROLL like the album and not in the lower key like he did in SONG REMAINS THE SAME. Plant was pretty fucking amazing. Great show. Maybe his attitude is the only thing that sucks now.

[EUX4Life]

Originally posted by Fontcow:
That is gone, and I think he attributes it to smoking cigarettes throughout the 70s and 80s.

Man, cigarettes and singing doesn't mix. Dave, Robert Plant, and we all know how "How Many Say I" turned out...

[z28girl]

Robert Plant and Van Halen don't mix. I love both, but Led Zep's roots will and always will be whether it's just Robert Plant or the whole band, is in R&B, blues, and a little rockabilly type stuff.

Van Halen is Van Halen, I can't describe it. Ed certainly mixes quite a bit in there, but it's so distinctly Van Halen, I can't call it anything but that. I guess from Ed & Al's background, it would be logical to say that there's classical and jazz built into it, but translated into Van Halen, it all becomes something else.

So far I think there's only two guys who can handle Van Halen and that's Dave or Sammy. Maybe Ed, Al, and Mike should have a Van Halen talent show and take on all comers, see who can run with the big dogs.

[Walter Payton #34]

It would be cool to hear Robert Plant and Eddie work together but not as Van Halen (or Led Zeppelin).

[edwardv]

plants voice is shot has been for years hell i saw him in 71 and he cant hit any high notes anymore.eddie stay away!!