New Led Zep interviews
Edved82
Posts: 1,279
Three great interviews in the May edition of ‘Uncut’ magazine. Robert was interviewed on 18 January, JPJ on 28 January and Jimmy on March 10th. For those hoping for firm news of activity it’s ‘as you were’ I’m afraid, although JP & JPJ still seem keen for something to happen. Robert is very open regarding Jimmy, talking about his health issues etc. It’s too long to type out, here are some highlights though:
Robert Plant:
Did the success of the show test your previously stated resolve not to reform for a full-blown reunion and tour?
Not at all. I really enjoyed it. And hopefully, one day, we could do it again for another really, really good reason. Our profit is – it’s metaphysical. And that’s the thing, especially with my connection with Jimmy. I mean, the two of us are almost umbilically attached in some strange way and have been down the years. And that’s survived everything. From the time I was 19 to now, when I’m 59.
How different was he (Jimmy) at the O2 reunion from the guy you worked with on the Unledded tour in 1994?
If Jimmy was as healthy then – and when we came to do Walking Into Clarksdale- if he’d been as open and as healthy then as he has now, we’d probably have gone somewhere else again. Because I’m always exhilarated by hearing him play. I think he’s met his demons now and he’s made that public now as much as he can. Without giving too much away, the olive branch came out. And when he brought that branch out – he said, “I offer you an olive branch”.
[Talking about the issues surrounding the ’77 tour]…..For me, then, it didn’t really work from ’77 onwards. However, there were moments from Knebworth that were spectacular. But the price you have to pay to get to those moments, I didn’t think it was worth it anymore. It wasn’t my idea of constructive open-heart surgery.
Finally, how did you feel as you finished that set at the O2?
First of all, we did what we set out to do and more, in every respect. We showed people that Led Zeppelin did go on a bit. There was an opportunity to get a drink occasionally during the show. But at the same time that’s what we were. The personality of the audience has changed from those days when everybody was in the same condition as the band. Now it was more like the 68th wonder of the world, rather than as a gig. So I felt a bit embarrassed. I felt a bit like I’d gone into character, in a way, even though I sang my nuts off. And the interplay between us all was excellent. I just wanted to take it somewhere else for a minute. I kept saying during rehearsals, ‘Maybe we can just drop that bit there and perhaps finish off with ‘Goodnight’ by the Incredible String Band’.
What, from “A Very Cellular Song”?
Yeah, that’s it. [Sings]: “I was walking in Jerusalem, just like John…Lay down my sweet sister Jesus, won’t you lay and take your rest”. And, “Yeah”, Jimmy said “We always said we’d do that” And of course we didn’t, because the occasion was bigger than that. And that’s the trouble with the whole thing, about Led Zeppelin. It was always bigger than the beauty of what we had in mind. So I felt like it was a job done, that we were friends, strong, good.
John Paul Jones
Is he [Jimmy] as good as the Page of old?
Yeah, he is. I know this sounds obvious, but he was always one of my favourite guitarists and as soon as we started rehearsing, I was amazed to hear how he’d actually improved. He seemed to have grown since I saw him last.
I know you weren’t involved with Unledded, but was there part of you that was glad to see Jimmy working with Robert again?
[Doubtfully] Yeah…I wasn’t particularly glad for anybody at that point. [Laughs] But yeah…it was mitigated by that thought. At least he was playing. It was probably good for him.
Can you and Jimmy joke about that now?
We don’t actually joke about it. It was quite a hard time for me. But we’re past it, if you know what I mean.
Would you like to make another Led Zeppelin album?
Errr…I’d have to think about that.
Really?
Led Zeppelin’s a…I mean, it was great to do the show. We spoke afterwards, and we both thought the same – it felt like the first night of a tour. You think, ‘Oh, I could do that bit better, or change something in that song’. And we didn’t get a chance to do anymore.
Would it be hard to build up that momentum back up again? Because Robert’s off on tour with…
[Interrupting]Yeah. Yeah.
Do you think the reunion began and ended at the O2?
It’s possible. It is possible.
You don’t sound too certain about the prospect of an album?
No. I’m not sure. I’m not certain about anything, right at the moment. I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen. But I’d certainly like to play with Jimmy again.
Robert Plant:
Did the success of the show test your previously stated resolve not to reform for a full-blown reunion and tour?
Not at all. I really enjoyed it. And hopefully, one day, we could do it again for another really, really good reason. Our profit is – it’s metaphysical. And that’s the thing, especially with my connection with Jimmy. I mean, the two of us are almost umbilically attached in some strange way and have been down the years. And that’s survived everything. From the time I was 19 to now, when I’m 59.
How different was he (Jimmy) at the O2 reunion from the guy you worked with on the Unledded tour in 1994?
If Jimmy was as healthy then – and when we came to do Walking Into Clarksdale- if he’d been as open and as healthy then as he has now, we’d probably have gone somewhere else again. Because I’m always exhilarated by hearing him play. I think he’s met his demons now and he’s made that public now as much as he can. Without giving too much away, the olive branch came out. And when he brought that branch out – he said, “I offer you an olive branch”.
[Talking about the issues surrounding the ’77 tour]…..For me, then, it didn’t really work from ’77 onwards. However, there were moments from Knebworth that were spectacular. But the price you have to pay to get to those moments, I didn’t think it was worth it anymore. It wasn’t my idea of constructive open-heart surgery.
Finally, how did you feel as you finished that set at the O2?
First of all, we did what we set out to do and more, in every respect. We showed people that Led Zeppelin did go on a bit. There was an opportunity to get a drink occasionally during the show. But at the same time that’s what we were. The personality of the audience has changed from those days when everybody was in the same condition as the band. Now it was more like the 68th wonder of the world, rather than as a gig. So I felt a bit embarrassed. I felt a bit like I’d gone into character, in a way, even though I sang my nuts off. And the interplay between us all was excellent. I just wanted to take it somewhere else for a minute. I kept saying during rehearsals, ‘Maybe we can just drop that bit there and perhaps finish off with ‘Goodnight’ by the Incredible String Band’.
What, from “A Very Cellular Song”?
Yeah, that’s it. [Sings]: “I was walking in Jerusalem, just like John…Lay down my sweet sister Jesus, won’t you lay and take your rest”. And, “Yeah”, Jimmy said “We always said we’d do that” And of course we didn’t, because the occasion was bigger than that. And that’s the trouble with the whole thing, about Led Zeppelin. It was always bigger than the beauty of what we had in mind. So I felt like it was a job done, that we were friends, strong, good.
John Paul Jones
Is he [Jimmy] as good as the Page of old?
Yeah, he is. I know this sounds obvious, but he was always one of my favourite guitarists and as soon as we started rehearsing, I was amazed to hear how he’d actually improved. He seemed to have grown since I saw him last.
I know you weren’t involved with Unledded, but was there part of you that was glad to see Jimmy working with Robert again?
[Doubtfully] Yeah…I wasn’t particularly glad for anybody at that point. [Laughs] But yeah…it was mitigated by that thought. At least he was playing. It was probably good for him.
Can you and Jimmy joke about that now?
We don’t actually joke about it. It was quite a hard time for me. But we’re past it, if you know what I mean.
Would you like to make another Led Zeppelin album?
Errr…I’d have to think about that.
Really?
Led Zeppelin’s a…I mean, it was great to do the show. We spoke afterwards, and we both thought the same – it felt like the first night of a tour. You think, ‘Oh, I could do that bit better, or change something in that song’. And we didn’t get a chance to do anymore.
Would it be hard to build up that momentum back up again? Because Robert’s off on tour with…
[Interrupting]Yeah. Yeah.
Do you think the reunion began and ended at the O2?
It’s possible. It is possible.
You don’t sound too certain about the prospect of an album?
No. I’m not sure. I’m not certain about anything, right at the moment. I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen. But I’d certainly like to play with Jimmy again.
"...though my problems are meaningless....that don't make them go away...."
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