THE RUMORS ARE TRUE (for once)

It has been confirmed: Led Zeppelin may reunite for a tour in the next few months. And we have visual proof of a member (John Paul Jones) confirming plans:


So Jimmy, Jonesy, and Bonzo Jr. have been rehearsing for a tour. Of course my initial suspicions of Robert Plant's reluctance to go out on the road as Led Zeppelin (which is too long and complicated to discuss here) were correct. I wasn't sure if Jimmy and Jonesy wanted to hit the road without the man who's presence on stage is unbeatable. I can't really think of any other voices who can go out and pull off a Robert Plant. I've heard some of the names and listened to some of the singers. Probably the only one I'd see is Steven Tyler, who exutes the same flamboyance and raw power that Robert does. Once again, it will not be the same.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see a Queen-like billing. Led Zeppelin + Steven Tyler or something like that. An album could be on the horizon as well. Jimmy was working on some new material a few years back and Jones has been trying to work on a new album for 2+ years now. Their rapport is outstanding and they could put out some good material. But again, no Plant is just not the same.

They could also cancel all of these plans if they don't find that singer who fills Plant's shoes. Led Zeppelin has been notorious for protecting all of their image and material heavily. They used to beat up bootleggers, have sued choirs for using "Stairway to Heaven", and denied Jack Black the opportunity to use their music numerous times (except for in School of Rock and even that wasn't easy). They have been the masters of marketing the band after the breakup in 1980. Their live album in 2003 How the West was Won reached #1 on the Billboard charts and their 4th incarnation of a greatest hits album Mothership reached #7.

THEY HAVE BEEN BROKEN UP FOR 28 YEARS AND HAD THEIR 4TH GREATEST HITS ALBUM REACH THE TOP 10!!! Either that's a sign of the times in the music industry or they are doing something right. To tell you the truth, it's probably both.

They have a vision for how they want the public to perceive the band. If they really want to keep up the momentum and still have fans respect what the band has accomplished, they should wait for Plant if he is willing to join again or just give up entirely if he flatly denies any opportunity to ever reunite with the Zeppelin.