The one Led Zeppelin album Jimmy Page understands being overlooked: “Bad reviews consistently”
Only a small number of artists can claim to have had a tangible effect on music. To actually change the fabric of an entire art form is an unusual thing. However, Led Zeppelin can certainly be thought of as one of the ultimate innovators in the world of rock and roll.
Formed out of the psychedelic ashes of The Yardbirds, founder and guitarist Jimmy Page had a specific vision in mind when starting his new band, originally known as ‘The New Yardbirds’, and would take his old group’s formula and run off into the sunset with it. By the time they split in 1980, they had long since established themselves as undisputed pioneers.
To make good on the innovations of his previous outfit, Page knew he had to establish the correct collection of musicians. Thanks to the haphazard nature of life, the figures he originally had in mind could not join, and he ended up with Robert Plant, the flaxen-haired vocalist who had been making waves on the bluesy West Midlands scene, and his best friend, drummer John Bonham. Both were elemental performers perfect for the expansive esoteric twists that Led Zeppelin would later produce but were, ultimately, his second choice for the spots.
Despite that, the duo of friends from the Black Country were the final pieces of the puzzle. When Page was devising his new band, former Yardbirds bassist Chris Dreja, who had originally signed on, surprisingly left to become a photographer. Luckily, though, John Paul Jones enquired about the position. Page was over the moon that his accomplished peer from London’s recording scene would be so interested in joining his project. A trained multi-instrumentalist as well as an incredible bassist, Page jumped at the opportunity, as Jones not only had ideas but knew how to bring them to life.
While Plant would later recall that he was nervous about playing with musicians of such standing as Page and Jones before their first rehearsal together, and a faultline would emerge over the years between both pairs due to their differing backgrounds, it wouldn’t take long for them to create a sound that was unlike anything available at the time.
While it was undoubtedly bluesy in elements of its grooves, it was dark, atmospheric, and had blended aspects such as jazz and psychedelia in ways that hadn’t yet been done. This meant that not everyone got them in their early years, and it was not until after 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV that they took The Beatles’ crown as the world’s biggest band. In expected form for musicians so bold, the group knew they were innovators and waited out the negative reviews until the world caught up with the breadth and significance of what they were doing.
When speaking to Uncut in 2015, Page discussed this facet of their career. Unsurprisingly, he used 1970’s Led Zeppelin III as an example. Despite featuring the timeless ‘Immigrant Song’, it was misunderstood because the group’s earlier blues-leaning sound changed considerably for something more unique. It also utilised a much broader range of instruments than what came before, such as the mandolin and synthesisers, with Jones’ aptitude coursing throughout it.
Page said: “What you should remember is that we get all this acclaim now, but we used to get bad reviews consistently. Every time we had an album out, it got bad reviews. But with hindsight, I can see how if somebody got Led Zeppelin III,which was so different from what we’d done before, and they only had a short time to review it on the record player in the office, then they missed the content.”
People were too busy rushing to find the new ‘Whole Lotta Love’, rather than listening to the art they had created on Led Zeppelin III, Page said. It was too fresh for the masses, so it’s no surprise that the breadth on offer was under-appreciated at the time. Ironically, it also set the scene for all the innovations that ensued, meaning the band would have been nowhere without it.
