The Jimmy Page album John Paul Jones was underwhelmed by
There’s a good chance that the energy of the original Led Zeppelin will never be captured again. Although the band may have been capable of conquering the music world throughout their time together, the death of John Bonham brought everything to a halt, with every member going their separate ways and preserving the band’s legacy as it was. While every member produced great music independently, John Paul Jones remembered not being fond of one particular Jimmy Page project.
Then again, listing off the number of projects that Page has worked on throughout his lifetime would be far too many to count. Before he had turned in time in Zeppelin, Page had been an integral part of The Yardbirds, bringing their trademark brand of bluesy boogie to the mainstream on tracks like ‘Train Kept A-Rollin’.
At the same time, Page would often see Jones working on the session circuit as a studio musician. While Page would be laying down different guitar tracks for Donovan or The Who, Jones would also become a skilled arranger, producing the delicate strings that coat The Rolling Stones’ ‘She’s a Rainbow’.
Once Zeppelin went under, Page ultimately decided to put different bands together, working with Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers for the supergroup The Firm. While Page would contribute the odd guitar part onstage and in the studio with Puff Daddy and The Black Crowes, Zeppelin fans were never more excited than when he teamed up with his old writing partner for Page/Plant.
Marking the first time he collaborated with Robert Plant since the Zeppelin years, Page delivered brilliant renditions of classic blues tunes with his old bandmate while showcasing newer songs that had fans reminiscing about the glory days of Zeppelin. Although Page was happy to be back on top again, ‘Jonesy’ was less than thrilled seeing his old bandmates rekindle the flame.
When discussing the album later on, Jones would say that he wasn’t in love with what Page had come up with, telling Guitar: “I heard Page and Plant’s Walking into Clarksdale, and was disappointed that there wasn’t more Page on it. I like to hear lots of Page. But they’re doing what they’re doing. They ain’t bothering me”.
Returning to the album, it seems clear that a few things are missing from the duo’s iconic partnership. While Page may be able to deliver solid blues licks up and down the album, the amount of fluff on the project combined with the massive attention on Plant makes it feel like a Robert Plant solo effort that happens to have Jimmy Page on guitar for its duration.
Then again, Plant wasn’t looking to stoke rumours of a possible Led Zeppelin reunion, either. After making amends with his old bandmate, the singer would make a drastic left turn a few years later, collaborating with bluegrass singer Allison Krauss for the album Raising Sand and showcasing his signature vocals to a new audience. As seen by Jones and Page’s pseudo-reunion when playing with Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium, though, Jones is more than happy to play second fiddle to the guitarist’s fretboard pyrotechnics any day of the week.
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