The British 60s/70s hard rock duel! Who, Zep?

[ReRushed]

Zep by a landslide. The Who are great, but Zep are the greatest.

 

Their pilfering of old blues songs is so ridiculously blown out of proportion. Their renditions of said songs were a GIGANTIC musical leap over the originals.

 

That being said, they still should have acknowledged the original writers.

Liking a cover version of a song over the original is subjective. Like what you like. But do really think Zep was a gigantic musical leap over the originals? Amplification and John Bonham have a lot to do with the differences.

[cygnify]

Love both, but Zeppelin is in my top 5 bands; The Who is more like in my top 25. I love songs from both, but Zep was much more consistent. For me, I think it's also a musicianship thing. Moon was totally unique, but mostly a sloppy player. Bonham practically defined hard rock groove on the drums and was a major influence on my own playing (in addition to NEP among others, of course). I also prefer Jimmy Page on guitar - just feels more musical (did I read somewhere that Page played on "can't Explain?). The Ox was amazing bassist, but JPJ may have been a more well rounded musician. Something felt more organic about LZ, to me.

[geezer]

Zep were probably a more consistent band, with Peter Grant providing a further force to the machine, but The Who combined madness with the genius of Pete's songwriting; Tommy, Who's Next and Quadrophenia were much ahead of their time.

I'm not trying to come across as snotty, I am sincerely wondering. How are the Who albums mentioned were ahead of their time? They are fantastic, brilliant, masterpieces, but other than Pete Townshend's ambition and vision they seem to be albums very much apart of their time. Punk, New wave and disco were right around the corner.

 

what I meant was that i find the 'orchestration' in Tommy, use of synthesizers in Who's Next and both these reasons in Quadrophenia a step forward 'orthodoxy'; IMHO a good number of bands in those years were pushing ahead boundaries but, back to the thread, I find Zep a little behind in the matter.

 

P.S.: I have all the Zep albums anyway

[EagleMoon]

The Who. I was a huge fan back in the 70s but after Moonie died the band was just never the same. Led Zeppelin was a great band but they just didn't have the personality.

[Mithrandir]

Zep by a landslide. The Who are great, but Zep are the greatest.

 

Their pilfering of old blues songs is so ridiculously blown out of proportion. Their renditions of said songs were a GIGANTIC musical leap over the originals.

 

That being said, they still should have acknowledged the original writers.

Liking a cover version of a song over the original is subjective. Like what you like. But do really think Zep was a gigantic musical leap over the originals? Amplification and John Bonham have a lot to do with the differences.

 

Yes, a gigantic leap.

[librarian]

The Who.

Sometimes, not all the time: Plant's voice makes me want to kick my radio off the deck of my house.

[Lurkst]

60's Who, 70's Zep.

 

[ClashWho]

Zep by a landslide. The Who are great, but Zep are the greatest.

 

Their pilfering of old blues songs is so ridiculously blown out of proportion. Their renditions of said songs were a GIGANTIC musical leap over the originals.

 

That being said, they still should have acknowledged the original writers.

 

Listen to The Who's "Young Man Blues" and then the Mose Allison original. The Who radically transformed that song at least as much as any of Led Zeppelin's transformations. Yet The Who still gave 100% of the writing credit to Mose Allison.

[invisible airwave]

[ClashWho]

I have everything Led Zeppelin ever did, apart from that reunion show from 2008 or so. I prefer The Who by miles and miles and miles. Better singles, better albums, better concerts. I'd probably take the documentary film The Kids Are Alright over Led Zeppelin's entire recorded output.

[goose]

I always enjoyed Led Zeppelin more than the Who.

Yeah, from beginning to end, Zep has the stronger catalog. Who's Next through It's Hard would put up a pretty good fight, though.

[Lorraine]

tough one.

 

I've seen LZ in concert more than The Who but I got into The Who before LZ and Live At Leeds in my favorite album.

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/custom55/d2af5988-0934-42fa-b9ae-6dcaca1d57f7_zpsfmucsysk.jpg

 

That's quite the "do" on Roger.

[Mithrandir]

Zep by a landslide. The Who are great, but Zep are the greatest.

 

Their pilfering of old blues songs is so ridiculously blown out of proportion. Their renditions of said songs were a GIGANTIC musical leap over the originals.

 

That being said, they still should have acknowledged the original writers.

 

Listen to The Who's "Young Man Blues" and then the Mose Allison original. The Who radically transformed that song at least as much as any of Led Zeppelin's transformations. Yet The Who still gave 100% of the writing credit to Mose Allison.

at this point in time we all realize that Zep were wrong in not acknowledging the originals. But I will state once again, Zep versions crushed the originals

 

[librarian]

tough one.

 

I've seen LZ in concert more than The Who but I got into The Who before LZ and Live At Leeds in my favorite album.

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/custom55/d2af5988-0934-42fa-b9ae-6dcaca1d57f7_zpsfmucsysk.jpg

 

That's quite the "do" on Roger.

I had that hairdo up until 1st grade - age 5 I call it the Carol Brady special!

[J2112YYZ]

Zeppelin.

 

I agree with people who said they find The Who a bit inconsistent. Tommy, Who's Next and Quadrophinia are all great but nothing else from them really struck a chord with me.

 

The decade straight of top quality output Zeppelin had will never be repeated. I'm too young to have been alive for that but it blows my mind how consistently great they were throughout their run. I could only imagine how elated fans back then must have been about what they were doing.

[ClashWho]

I actually think that The Who were more consistently excellent than Led Zeppelin. Both in the studio and live. It's subjective, of course, but the songs where Zep does little more than repeat a single riff ad nauseam really bore me. The Who cycle through no less than four distinctive riffs in three minutes in "Substitute." Led Zeppelin likely would have turned that transcendent Who single into four interminable stompers. That's a whole album side. Then there's The Who's Odds & Sods versus Led Zeppelin's Coda. The Who's album of leftovers stands with their best works, while Led Zeppelin's is one of the worst albums I've ever spent money on. Thank goodness they later added "Travelling Riverside Blues" and "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" as bonus tracks. Both of those songs kill.

[GeddysMullet]

Led Zeppelin were great players, arrangers, showmen, etc., and The Who were chaos, dysfunction and wonder. Listening to their catalogues, it feels to me that Led Zeppelin made music because it was their job and The Who made music because it was their compulsion. Both great bands, but I relate much more to The Who and seldom feel a need to listen to Led Zeppelin beyond what I hear on the radio. I guess I prefer towering peaks and plummeting depths over rolling plains.

[chemistry1973]

Townshend > Page

 

 

 

[ClashWho]

Townshend > Page

Hell, yes! So many people don't realize just how good Townshend really is, because he saved so much of his most incendiary playing for the concert stage.

 

I have to post this in two parts, but it's awesome:

 

 

[Lorraine]

Townshend > Page

Pete Townshend was a musical genius in my eyes. And ears. Anyone that composed the two instrumentals on Quadrophenia had to be.

[GeddysMullet]

Townshend > Page

 

By a lot!

[goose]

Townshend > Page

Pete Townshend was a musical genius in my eyes. And ears. Anyone that composed the two instrumentals on Quadrophenia had to be.

Watching any "making of" with Townshend's commentary is awe-inspiring. The Classic Albums "Who's Next" edition, for example.

[Mithrandir]

Townshend > Page

 

By a lot!

Hahaha. That's funny. ;)

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I’ll take Townsend over Page, but I think Plant edges out Daltrey...and Boham might have Mooney best (real close though). No real thoughts on John v John, just than John also played the keys so that’s cool.

[goose]

I’ll take Townsend over Page, but I think Plant edges out Daltrey...and Boham might have Mooney best (real close though). No real thoughts on John v John, just than John also played the keys so that’s cool.

Both John's are more important to their band's than typically given credit for. Pure bass chops, Entwistle. Overall contribution to the band, I'd say Jones.