Led Zeppelin & Prog???

Trotsky wrote: dalt99 wrote: Trotsky wrote:   Funny thing is I'd also include Uriah Heep in that list ... Despite Salisbury and July Morning type songs, I still think of them as belonging in the hard rock category ... I've also always thought of Queen as the most progressive of this batch of creative hard-rockin 70s bands, but I can see why they haven't been included ... Another interesting point for me is that I listened to Jethro Tull for about 10 years before I first heard the Thick As A Brick and A Passion Play albums ... and prior to that I lumped them with Zep, Purple, Heep, and Sabbath ... I agree that Uriah Heep is on the edge of prog and rock but I still think they deserve to be classified as prog. They are kind of like the Dream Theater of their day. Poor Uriah Heep...they get no love. Yes, before Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull were not too proggish. Don't misunderstand me on Heep, dalt99 ... it's my favourite band ever, and I've had the opportunity to exchange words with both Ken Hensley (my all-time musical hero) and Mick Box. I love Heep's Byron-era albums and think there are strong moments in the Lawton-era line-up ...  I also have 80s and 80s albums although some of them are bad ... You're right that a lot of people don't get Heep though ... I remember when my band was interviewed on a large national radio station and I said heep was my favourite band (following up my bassist's Pink Floyd, guitarist's Yes and drummer's Rush) it got a huge round of laughter ... but I'll stand by this band ... I don't actually think they are the best technical band by the way, nor that they make the best prog (I think a very small percentage of Heep's catalogue qualifies as prog) ... but they made great creative hard rock that spoke to me at the most emotional time of my life ... ie when I was 16 ...

Very cool that they are your favorite band.  I wasn't implying that you didn't like them by the way, just that overall they don't get much respect in the prog community as well as the rock community many times. You are right - they are by far not the most technical band which is one reason I think many prog fans don't like them. They played gritty almost what you could call a garage-prog-rock but they had some very interesting ideas and their sound really was very unique.  I do however believe that they are more progressive than most say. Yes, they always had a hard rock feel but the atmosphere of most songs were very proggish (is that a word??) and the lyrics usually told a grand tale. Demons and Wizards is my favorite by them. The lyrics and music are so out of this world.

The Song Remains The Same
The Rain Song
Over The Hills And Far Away
No Quarter
In The Light

If these songs had been written by Yes. Nobody would argue that they are Prog songs.

bluetailfly wrote: NetsNJFan wrote: bluetailfly wrote: Zargus wrote: Yepp they deserved all the praise they got theye where truly great, the beatles of the 70s,and they hade some prog qualitis yes they hade, but seriusly theye newer did a 20 min song so, no theye are not prog   "Dazed and Confused" from The Song Remains the same is almost 30 minutes long, and is a rock masterpiece. "No Quarter" from the same album is also a lengthy live psychedic masterpiece. "Achilles Last Stand" is a of epic length and theme. There's other examples as well, "Caraselaramba" "Kashmir" "Battle of Evermore" and so on. I agree that Led Zep doesn't qualify as a full blown prog band like Gentle Giant or King Crimson, but many of Zep's tunes qualify as prog rock, imo.  yea the songs are long but they are drawn out blues jams, not prog. great band tho Yes, great band. But I disagree with your point. To dismiss all those songs I mentioned as "drawn out blues jams" is to wildly mischaracterize them. "No Quarter" extended blues jam? "Caroselaramba" extended blues jam? Rather, they are compositions of much more complexity than your 12-bar blues jam. George Thoroughgood and ZZ Top play extended blues jams. I don't lump Led Zeppelin's work in with those type of bands---even when they do play the blues, it's not an extended blues jam!

I ment that they never did a 20 min song on a studio album the longest are 10 min. and when they did Dazed and confuse live for 25 min it was most of the time only a drawn out and boring blues jam with no realy point yust 15 min of guitar w**king, and no prog at all. I realy dont like thier live albums to be honest i go for the studio records.

( and dont forget moby dick live, ohh... the horror! )

Didn't I told you lot that Led Zeppelin is not a prog band?

Love LZ, though "The Cringe" isn't very good, but Battle Of Nevermore, will never be surpassed

tuxon wrote: Didn't I told you lot that Led Zeppelin is not a prog band?   Love LZ, though "The Cringe" isn't very good, but Battle Of Nevermore, will never be surpassed

That's Battle Of Evermore