Rainbow vs. Led Zep...to the slaughter

Can't vote i appreciate the three bands.

Wtf? Led Zeppelin has released six masterpieces from Led Zeppelin I to Physsical Graffitti. Definitely Led Zeppelin for me.

The great thing about music is that you're always going to find someone who likes any band you mention. My point is that even if you start a poll comparing Jimi Hendrix and The Monkees, someone out there is going to pick The Monkees. That's okay, that's why therapy was invented.

My opinion of this poll is that you need to multiply Budgie by three and divide Rainbow by two and then you have something worth discussing.

"Here we come...walkin' down the street...we get the funniest looks from.........................."

eppelin album Zeppelin never did. Lady of The lake is The Wanton Song with a killer chorus and Gates of Babylon fits with the heavy rock eastern music side that Zeppelin explored. Stargazer was, for me, the stand out trrack on Rising, a very consistent album. In fact I'd say all Rainbow albums are cosistent entities.

The trouble with singers and Rainbow ran into a wall with this one, is that this is hiow most people relate to music especially popular music. Turner doesn't sound like Bonnet who doesn't sound like Dio. My preference is for Dio.

Rainbow were a class act though when I first heard Live in Germany years ago I thought the over long solos the worst excesses of 70s era hard rock. I prefer instrumental music and when a lead feature happens it must be a consequence of the composition not an excuse to be a show off.

I've heard and have lots of Led Zeppelin. Their concert and instrumental development was quite something. Yes, the boots reveal some errors in concert but Page was different on alll his solos within pieces and songs. There's some surprising things like the hook for Ozone Baby one of the most lyrically deficient songs I've ever heard but give it to Plant and he makes it into something special.

The blues and roots nature of their music particularly on the first 3 albums sets them up negatively in a prog rock view as prog rock has nothing to do with roots or blues music but the development on already developed, possibly centuries developed themes. Rainbow had that basis.  Blackmore also stated his influences for Rainbow were Tull, Zeppelin (particualrly Kashmir which must be one of the most influential pieces at least at muso level if not in the public mind), and Focus.

Zeppelin were an instrumental band that happned to have what may very well be rock's greatest ever front man and singer, fair lyricist and terrific interpreter. The variety of Zeppelin and his own solo career alone puts him way ahead of others like the great in his field Dio but they mine a very well ploughed field.

Guitar versus guitar? Blackmore is a great technician but he does lose a lot of momentum despite playing lots of medleys in Rainbow concerts. Page never had to destroy a guitar to prove a point. He was capable of very subtle things as well. I know it's a boot but if you listen to the Rotterdam 80 gig page begins his first solo in Achilles last Satnd with a great delayed figure. It's a very diminished scale that appears after (despite being played before) his own lead line which is also an odd abstraction. I still wonder htf he did that!

Anyway the solo in Stairway (any of them) puts him in the great focused melodic soearing solo world for all time which maybe Gilmour on Comfortably Numb and would you belive the eagles' guitarists doing Hotel California might share.

Zeppelin changed musical styles often but never lost their identity. This happened to Rainbow. Dominant personnel such as singers will do that to a band.

Zeppelin were innovative possibly referencing the experience in their first US tour but then really developing the pyschedelic appraoch on the 2nd US tour. The third shows what they would have sounded like had manager Peter Grant had them playing Woodstock. Now there would have been a bhistory changing moment.

Not sure Rainbow atr Donningtoin could match even that potentiality.

So Rainbow with at least 3 vg to ex studio albums, a vg last album (Final Vinyl) and two vg -  ex live albums
(On Satge loses points for omitting Stargazer and having a miserly 16 mins a side. Page managed to get 27 mins of Dazed and Confused on the now more appropriate (and not that expensive) 3 CD TSRTS.

Zeppelin were daring, plagiaristc, had a vision and were album to branch and develop, Now they are over exposed by fans in power to trumpet their virtues albeit the most obvious ones to people brought up to herar only sueprficial elements. (Not their fault, it's the industry. Much easier to market to one dimensional mentalities than to try to, say present ptrogressive rock to the masses...)

There we, go, a post longer than some drum solos and twice as tedious as the worst.

My vote, as ever, Zeppelin. But Rainbow are a good listen...


 'Some people think heavy metal is easy' - Bad News

Padraic wrote: The Whistler wrote: Anyways, here's the deal. Based on what I've heard, Rainbow released at least two, count 'em, two, masterpieces in their meager existance...Led Zeppeling, on the other hand, has not released one. Apparently when I took out the garbage last night, I forgot to take this statement.

Zeppelin blatantly

I'm surprised I haven't seen this thread yet!

Anyway, probably Zeppelin for me.

I can listen to bands jam endlessly, but LZ bores me a lot of the time when they jam.  Other than their earlier days their jams all revolve around Page trying to be ridiculously flashy.  I can only listen to straight fast incomprehensible notes for so long from just a guitar.  I love instrumental music, and any length of solos, page just doesn't do it for me.