This has been a question that has bothered people for a very long time: why hasn't Led Zeppelin reunited for more than one small show at a time? After the last few months of rumors and confirmed stories, Zeppelin fans see who has kept the band from forming a reunion tour: Robert Plant.
The arguments for why he'd want to rejoin seem so simple, right? He was at the top of the world, one of the most respected singers in rock and roll history. Thousands of fans came from miles around for Led Zeppelin's shows and he would have women from city to city clamoring to spend the evening with him. He was with a band making millions of dollars and releasing great album after great album. Wouldn't he want to get back together and remember the good ol' days? He could make millions of dollars on a tour and be on top of the rock and roll world once again.
In terms of the music, he should fit in perfectly. Not only did the band take its cues from many of his favorite styles of music (blues, folk, and some world), he was able to infuse his lyrics. Robert and Jimmy have a rapport than no other singer-guitarist combination ever had. Their playfulness on stage and their sheer ability to mirror each other during songs like "Dazed and Confused" is remarkable. When they joined together later in the 80's and 90's they still had a close bond when they performed.
Even after all of these reasons to get back together, Robert still won't tour. He has flatly refused each time the subject has come up. Everyone wonders when he is going to break and finally take the opportunity to get back with the boys. Unfortunately, he might not ever break. He has to many reasons not to tour with them.
To understand his reasoning, look at his career all the way back when Led Zeppelin was at its pinnacle in 1975. The band just played the show they always wanted in England at Earls Court. They performed for almost 4 hours and dominated the stage with their musical prowess. Afterward, the band went on vacation (and tax exile) and Robert's family decided to visit a small island. While driving one day, Robert's wife Maureen lost control of the car and crashed with the whole family in the car. Robert hurt his ankle badly, but worse for him was that his wife Maureen was knocked unconscious and in serious condition. Richard Cole scrambled to get Robert and his family back to England to get treated. Unfortunately, due to British tax laws that forced the band into exile, Robert had to leave before Maureen healed. He had to record the next album from a wheelchair away from his home and family.
Led Zeppelin then went on one of their biggest and most successful tours in 1977. Although the band was doing well, another hit to Robert's personal life was about to come. His son Karac was sent to the hospital and died shortly thereafter from a nasty stomach bug. The rest of the tour was cancelled and Robert had his second personal tragedy in two years.
The band returned in 1979 with In Through The Out Door and very successful shows in Knebworth. They began the 80's with a new perspective and felt fresher than ever. They started romping through Europe to begin the new decade. The band looked like it was ready for a huge comeback after being shut in for 3 years. The day before they were scheduled to go to America to continue the tour, John Bonham went out on the town and had numerous drinks. He returned to Jimmy's house and went to sleep. The next morning, he was found dead due to asphyxiation on his own vomit. Robert was devistated. Bonham had been Robert best friend since before the band formed. He had a bond with Bonzo because they were the rookies when the band started, the ones who didn't know the ropes. By December, the band decided that it could not go on without the drummer that defined much of their sound.
Robert was now on his own. His last 5 years with Zeppelin were tumultuous at best. He now had a new challenge: a solo career. For the first time, he was the man in charge. With Led Zeppelin, he was not the leader; Jimmy had guided the band from the beginning. Even when Jimmy's role was decreasing, John Paul Jones had more control of the band, as evidenced by the amount of synthesizers and keys in the last album; if Robert was in charge, it would have been largely folk and blues.
With a new look on life, he started a solo career that began as a fight against his history with Zeppelin. His new albums were filled with new recording methods, odd drum beats provided by Phil Collins, synthesizers dominating each track, and the loss of the edgy guitar-work of Jimmy Page. By his 1985 album Shaken 'n' Stirred, he was obsessed with losing the Zeppelin sound. Everything went through a computer or machine and the song structure was very strange. It flopped badly and his solo career seemed to hit a dead end.
Also in 1985, the band reunited for the first time since Bonham's death for Live Aid. Robert's voice was not quite at full strength, Jimmy's guitar was out of tune, and the drummer Phil Collins didn't seem to fit in, however the band had an excellent time. The next night proved disastrous as they tried to play again with poor results and any thoughts of full fledged reunion were scrapped.
Robert returned in 1988 with a sort of comeback album Now and Zen and a new perspective on his Led Zeppelin days. Not only did he begin to play Zeppelin tunes for the first time solo, he included some clips from Zeppelin songs in the single "Tall Cool One." His sound, however, was still very synthesized and not very bluesy. The band reunited again for the Atlantic 40th anniversary celebration, however technical issues affected their set and Robert seemed to focus more on his solo set.
By 1993, he had two more albums: Manic Nirvana and Fate of Nations. With both, he inched closer to the sound he started in Zeppelin, however he was also putting a new spin on his music. He started taking more and more influences from Middle Eastern culture and added more social commentary in his lyrics. After Fate of Nations, he was approached by MTV with an opportunity.
He was asked to join Jimmy Page for an episode of the popular series Unplugged. Surprisingly, he agreed. He and Jimmy built a plan (one that MTV did not intend) to re-work old Zeppelin songs with a Middle Eastern spin. The show was a huge hit, the album No Quarter was very successful, and the tour brought them both back to the top. Then they decided to make a new album (if you're wondering where Jones is, he was not approached by anyone for either project). The album, Walking Into Clarksdale in 1998, was supposed to be their comeback together. The album performed well on the charts, but it's reception was not great. The songs didn't have the same flair as their Zeppelin days. The drums weren't as smooth, powerful, or consistent as John Bonham and the bass and musical talent of John Paul Jones was missing. Without Bonham, Robert wasn't having as much fun.
Since then, the Zeppelin story has been low key. Robert continues to play some Zeppelin songs, but he is always looking towards the future. His most recent work has included revisiting folk songs of his generation (Dreamland in 2001), creating a powerful middle eastern driven sound (Mighty Rearranger in 2005), and going to Memphis to duet with Alison Krauss (Raising Sand in 2007).
Although he agreed to reunite one more time in 2007, he did so for the man who believed in Led Zeppelin and made them superstars. Ahmet Ertegun was very close to Robert and they had always been talking to each other about getting the band back together. Robert usually had to keep Ahmet from convincing him to reunite, so he felt it was his duty to play in his memory. He hinted that a full reunion was possible, but was unwilling to commit to anything.
Today, he has everything he could desire. He lived the crazy life of a rock star with Zeppelin. He owns a castle, the epic dream he's had for a very long time. He has all the money he could want and will probably get more as Zeppelin continues to market themselves well. He has complete control over his career. If he wants to make an album a certain way, he'll do it. Nobody tells him what to do. He doesn't need to listen to Jimmy or Peter Grant anymore. His career has been the best since Zeppelin broke up, mainly because he is the only one with any successful solo albums since 1980. He has gone beyond the work that Zeppelin did and has no reason to look back.
The main reason he refuses to return is that he can't imagine touring with the band without his best friend John Bonham drumming behind him. To Robert Plant, reuniting with Led Zeppelin is like taking a step backwards and I doubt that he will ever consider joining the band again.
The arguments for why he'd want to rejoin seem so simple, right? He was at the top of the world, one of the most respected singers in rock and roll history. Thousands of fans came from miles around for Led Zeppelin's shows and he would have women from city to city clamoring to spend the evening with him. He was with a band making millions of dollars and releasing great album after great album. Wouldn't he want to get back together and remember the good ol' days? He could make millions of dollars on a tour and be on top of the rock and roll world once again.
In terms of the music, he should fit in perfectly. Not only did the band take its cues from many of his favorite styles of music (blues, folk, and some world), he was able to infuse his lyrics. Robert and Jimmy have a rapport than no other singer-guitarist combination ever had. Their playfulness on stage and their sheer ability to mirror each other during songs like "Dazed and Confused" is remarkable. When they joined together later in the 80's and 90's they still had a close bond when they performed.
Even after all of these reasons to get back together, Robert still won't tour. He has flatly refused each time the subject has come up. Everyone wonders when he is going to break and finally take the opportunity to get back with the boys. Unfortunately, he might not ever break. He has to many reasons not to tour with them.
To understand his reasoning, look at his career all the way back when Led Zeppelin was at its pinnacle in 1975. The band just played the show they always wanted in England at Earls Court. They performed for almost 4 hours and dominated the stage with their musical prowess. Afterward, the band went on vacation (and tax exile) and Robert's family decided to visit a small island. While driving one day, Robert's wife Maureen lost control of the car and crashed with the whole family in the car. Robert hurt his ankle badly, but worse for him was that his wife Maureen was knocked unconscious and in serious condition. Richard Cole scrambled to get Robert and his family back to England to get treated. Unfortunately, due to British tax laws that forced the band into exile, Robert had to leave before Maureen healed. He had to record the next album from a wheelchair away from his home and family.
Led Zeppelin then went on one of their biggest and most successful tours in 1977. Although the band was doing well, another hit to Robert's personal life was about to come. His son Karac was sent to the hospital and died shortly thereafter from a nasty stomach bug. The rest of the tour was cancelled and Robert had his second personal tragedy in two years.
The band returned in 1979 with In Through The Out Door and very successful shows in Knebworth. They began the 80's with a new perspective and felt fresher than ever. They started romping through Europe to begin the new decade. The band looked like it was ready for a huge comeback after being shut in for 3 years. The day before they were scheduled to go to America to continue the tour, John Bonham went out on the town and had numerous drinks. He returned to Jimmy's house and went to sleep. The next morning, he was found dead due to asphyxiation on his own vomit. Robert was devistated. Bonham had been Robert best friend since before the band formed. He had a bond with Bonzo because they were the rookies when the band started, the ones who didn't know the ropes. By December, the band decided that it could not go on without the drummer that defined much of their sound.
Robert was now on his own. His last 5 years with Zeppelin were tumultuous at best. He now had a new challenge: a solo career. For the first time, he was the man in charge. With Led Zeppelin, he was not the leader; Jimmy had guided the band from the beginning. Even when Jimmy's role was decreasing, John Paul Jones had more control of the band, as evidenced by the amount of synthesizers and keys in the last album; if Robert was in charge, it would have been largely folk and blues.
With a new look on life, he started a solo career that began as a fight against his history with Zeppelin. His new albums were filled with new recording methods, odd drum beats provided by Phil Collins, synthesizers dominating each track, and the loss of the edgy guitar-work of Jimmy Page. By his 1985 album Shaken 'n' Stirred, he was obsessed with losing the Zeppelin sound. Everything went through a computer or machine and the song structure was very strange. It flopped badly and his solo career seemed to hit a dead end.
Also in 1985, the band reunited for the first time since Bonham's death for Live Aid. Robert's voice was not quite at full strength, Jimmy's guitar was out of tune, and the drummer Phil Collins didn't seem to fit in, however the band had an excellent time. The next night proved disastrous as they tried to play again with poor results and any thoughts of full fledged reunion were scrapped.
Robert returned in 1988 with a sort of comeback album Now and Zen and a new perspective on his Led Zeppelin days. Not only did he begin to play Zeppelin tunes for the first time solo, he included some clips from Zeppelin songs in the single "Tall Cool One." His sound, however, was still very synthesized and not very bluesy. The band reunited again for the Atlantic 40th anniversary celebration, however technical issues affected their set and Robert seemed to focus more on his solo set.
By 1993, he had two more albums: Manic Nirvana and Fate of Nations. With both, he inched closer to the sound he started in Zeppelin, however he was also putting a new spin on his music. He started taking more and more influences from Middle Eastern culture and added more social commentary in his lyrics. After Fate of Nations, he was approached by MTV with an opportunity.
He was asked to join Jimmy Page for an episode of the popular series Unplugged. Surprisingly, he agreed. He and Jimmy built a plan (one that MTV did not intend) to re-work old Zeppelin songs with a Middle Eastern spin. The show was a huge hit, the album No Quarter was very successful, and the tour brought them both back to the top. Then they decided to make a new album (if you're wondering where Jones is, he was not approached by anyone for either project). The album, Walking Into Clarksdale in 1998, was supposed to be their comeback together. The album performed well on the charts, but it's reception was not great. The songs didn't have the same flair as their Zeppelin days. The drums weren't as smooth, powerful, or consistent as John Bonham and the bass and musical talent of John Paul Jones was missing. Without Bonham, Robert wasn't having as much fun.
Since then, the Zeppelin story has been low key. Robert continues to play some Zeppelin songs, but he is always looking towards the future. His most recent work has included revisiting folk songs of his generation (Dreamland in 2001), creating a powerful middle eastern driven sound (Mighty Rearranger in 2005), and going to Memphis to duet with Alison Krauss (Raising Sand in 2007).
Although he agreed to reunite one more time in 2007, he did so for the man who believed in Led Zeppelin and made them superstars. Ahmet Ertegun was very close to Robert and they had always been talking to each other about getting the band back together. Robert usually had to keep Ahmet from convincing him to reunite, so he felt it was his duty to play in his memory. He hinted that a full reunion was possible, but was unwilling to commit to anything.
Today, he has everything he could desire. He lived the crazy life of a rock star with Zeppelin. He owns a castle, the epic dream he's had for a very long time. He has all the money he could want and will probably get more as Zeppelin continues to market themselves well. He has complete control over his career. If he wants to make an album a certain way, he'll do it. Nobody tells him what to do. He doesn't need to listen to Jimmy or Peter Grant anymore. His career has been the best since Zeppelin broke up, mainly because he is the only one with any successful solo albums since 1980. He has gone beyond the work that Zeppelin did and has no reason to look back.
The main reason he refuses to return is that he can't imagine touring with the band without his best friend John Bonham drumming behind him. To Robert Plant, reuniting with Led Zeppelin is like taking a step backwards and I doubt that he will ever consider joining the band again.
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