“Scarlet,” a long-lost joint effort by The Rolling Stones and Jimmy Page, was made public. The most hazardous band of the 1960s and the greatest guitarist of the 1970s collaborated on an uplifting tune. When one considers the insulting remarks Keith Richards had made about Page’s band Led Zeppelin, the song is all the more shocking. Although he is a master of riffs, he is also a master of razor-sharp jabs.
Led Zeppelin and The Stones are two of the most significant bands in British music history, and you may think that there is a great deal of respect or at least a modest degree of adoration between the two bands. But it appears that only Jimmy Page has gained guitarist Richards’ esteem; he found the rest of the band unbearable.
Led Zeppelin’s self-titled album premiered in 1969, although it first got negative reviews. Though they were viewed as inferior copies of them, their music was compared to that of other well-known bands at the time, such as Cream and the Jeff Beck Band. Since Robert Plant didn’t conform to the established rock star stereotype of the time, he was also the subject of criticism.
Keith Richards, the guitarist for the Rolling Stones, was asked by Rolling Stone to express his thoughts on Led Zeppelin, who had just released their debut album and had recently entered the rock music world. Richards claimed that despite giving the band’s CD a couple of listens, he was completely turned off by its sound. He eventually lost the ability to listen to them.
The guitarist first criticized the band’s lead singer Robert Plant, claiming that after listening to the record multiple times, his voice started to irritate him a lot. He wasn’t sure why exactly, but it could have something to do with his ‘acrobatic’ singing manner. The late drummer John Bonham of the group was then lambasted by Richards for playing erratically. The musician lauded Jimmy Page, calling him a superb and well-respected guitarist, but he still detected a hint of hollowness in his playing.
When questioned about Led Zeppelin, Keith Richards had the following response:
“I played their album quite a few times when I first got it, but then the guy’s voice started to get on my nerves. I don’t know why; maybe he’s a little too acrobatic. But Jimmy Page is a great guitar player and a very respected one.”
“I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler. He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?”
Although Keith Richards may have eventually altered his mind about Led Zeppelin, it is certain that he never liked the band’s music in the first place. He greatly admired Jimmy Page as a guitarist, but it was not enough for him to like the way the band sounded and looked as a whole.
2 Comments
So he listened to their “CD” back in 1969, huh? Very creative imagination you have. Are you a robot? Or do you just have zero understanding of music history? Hilarious.
I don’t believe any part of the story.