Rock

Robert Plant Admits Struggling To Stand Out In Led Zeppelin

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Led Zeppelin’s frontman Robert Plant is an iconic vocalist. And with a successful career like his, it’s hard to imagine Robert having difficulty in standing out in his own band, Led Zeppelin. He has a unique voice, and every song of theirs has a unique blend of rock and blues. His distinct voice was an important factor in Led Zeppelin’s sound.

However, during an interview with Vulture, he admitted that there were times, he felt like he wasn’t good enough. He admits he couldn’t match his bandmates’ talent. John Bonham was a great part of the band and when he was asked about the first song that comes to his mind when he thinks of John Bonham. He answered,

“Ironically, we go back to ‘Achilles Last Stand,’ which is probably what I’d first say. I could say ‘When the Levee Breaks.’ It was an absolutely stunning recording. John is playing such a sexy, ridiculously laid-back, and held-back groove; he bought us a lot of credits when sometimes we were the guys at the front of the band and behaving a little coquettish.”

Robert indicated ‘Achilles Last Stand’ was instrumental music with Page, Bonham, and Jones showing off their musical craft. He recalled, “But I keep thinking of him playing on ‘Achilles Last Stand.’ You just needed to listen to what those three guys were doing in the studio. Listen to Jonesy with the eight-string Alembic bass. And Jimmy’s solo? It’s just really, really something.”

That’s when he shared how insecure he was in the band. Seeing his bandmate perform such nice melodies, he felt that way as he could only provide vocals to it. He confessed, “Sometimes I really just had to get some super glue and stick myself onto the tape somehow with a countermelody because it was relentless. There was almost no way in to write something and make it a vocal performance along with the incredible instrumentation. There was not really a great deal for me to do except what I ended up doing.”

Robert believes Jimmy, Jones, and Bonham all accomplished as great musicians as they had a strong background in various forms of music. However, Robert on the other hand felt insecure due to his lack of formal musical training compared to other band members. On top of that, he also felt as if his singing was not on par with other singers of that time which had a great impact on the singer, and struggled to keep up with the band’s demanding schedule.

Despite all this, he loved what he did. His craft was always respected by everyone else. His showmanship and attitude made him who he is today. He is an important part of Led Zeppelin’s sound and everyone should remember that without him Led Zeppelin wouldn’t have been who they are today.

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