Thread: Hendrix vs. Page... Who wins?

Originally Posted by Michael

personally I think carlos santana, stevie ray vaughn, eric clapton, and eddie van halen are better guitarists than jimmy, just to name a few. maybe david gilmore too...

hendrix will always be the best in my book.

Led zeppelin as a whole are top 3-4 or so though.

I feel exactly the same way.

Uhhh, both were good. Though they both just ripped off various blues musicians. The blues is the root of most American music.

Originally Posted by jaasum

Uhhh, both were good. Though they both just ripped off various blues musicians. The blues is the root of most American music.

Yea and a bunch of cavemen sittin around a fire with sticks n rocks started blues.

Originally Posted by jaasum

Uhhh, both were good. Though they both just ripped off various blues musicians. The blues is the root of most American music.

No, they did not just rip off blues musicians. They took blues to a whole new level with their own breakthrough styles.

Do you listen to a lot of classic blues? Such as like the Alan Lomax collection type stuff? Or are you repeating what you read in Guitar World magazine?

Originally Posted by jaasum

Do you listen to a lot of classic blues? Such as like the Alan Lomax collection type stuff? Or are you repeating what you read in Guitar World magazine?

Uh, you just said a few minutes ago in another thread that you noticed where I live. Think on that for a moment. I might know a little bit about classic blues. Some of the musicians of that genre have stepped foot in my small state, to put it lightly.

A much more important blues musician you should have mentioned is Robert Johnson. Led Zeppelin literally did steal some of his material. However, they jacked it up on steroids, as they did to his mere style and the styles of others, like Muddy Waters and Freddy McDowell.

Okay, cool

Heard what you said a number of times from people who may not know who those people are.

There's a big difference between "ripped off" and "were heavily influenced by"

Originally Posted by Replicon

There's a big difference between "ripped off" and "were heavily influenced by"

Led Zeppelin was of course heavily influenced by Robert Johnson. But also, a patent and copyright law professor at Ole Miss taught in his course that Zeppelin literally stole some material from Robert Johnson. I didn't take the course, but I know people who did. I think the song might have been "Travelling Riverside Blues". I know that that was a song that Robert Johnson wrote and Led Zeppelin recorded, but I am not sure if that was the song or the mere licks the professor was talking about. I do know that in Time Life's documentary series The History of Rock and Roll, Robert Plant said that Led Zeppelin was not above "a little bit of thievery".

While I'm not denying LZ might have lifted some things here and there, and that Robert Plant is kind of an asshole, Rob Johnson defintely recorded and released Traveling Riverside Blues first. I don't think led zep downright stole it. In fact, the LZ version is pretty much accepted as a tribute to Robert Johnson.

Originally Posted by Replicon

While I'm not denying LZ might have lifted some things here and there, and that Robert Plant is kind of an asshole, Rob Johnson defintely recorded and released Traveling Riverside Blues first. I don't think led zep downright stole it. In fact, the LZ version is pretty much accepted as a tribute to Robert Johnson.

Yeah, but you can't just take somebody's song and record it yourself without permission from whoever has the rights to it. Like I said, I'm not sure if "Travelling Riverside Blues" is what they supposedly stole.

I don't doubt there was some kind of contention at some point. The Robert Johnson wikipedia entry has a huge section about major artists influenced by him. The led zep portion reads:

Led Zeppelin ("Traveling Riverside Blues", "The Lemon Song") Zeppelin's version of Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues" consisted of an amalgamation of several Johnson songs (such as "Cross Road Blues" and "Kind Hearted Woman") as well as new material by the band. Furthermore, lyrics from Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues" were used by Zeppelin in "The Lemon Song".

You might be thinking of the Lemon Song. I have a feeling the intent wasn't "let's steal it cause it'll make us rich", but rather, "this is a huge tribute to him." No idea how it was received, though. And I'm sure they've lifted some stuff off other sources too.

I love them both and Led Zepplin is my favorite band but....

Hendrix influenced so many people and created so many things his music changed the world.

But I still love Page

Woah, whats this about stealing?

If you bring that up then just listen to Eric Claption/Cream's "Crossroads". thats the same as crossroads blues.

Originally Posted by Soul_Sleeper

Woah, whats this about stealing?

If you bring that up then just listen to Eric Claption/Cream's "Crossroads". thats the same as crossroads blues.

Yeah, it's the same song except more upbeat. As far as I know, Cream paid for the right to record the song. And remember that my point about Zeppelin is double hearsay. I can't even tell you what they supposedly stole, and neither can the person who told me about it. What I do know is that the statement went from a copyright law professor to somebody I really trust and then to me.

Page is fast, but Hendrix has all those cool sound effects. It's hard because Purple Haze and Stairway to Heaven are the two songs that got me into rock and roll. I have to go with Jimi.

Amusingly, Led Zeppelin couldn't stand Stairway, and they never expected it to be as big as it became.

Originally Posted by Replicon

Amusingly, Led Zeppelin couldn't stand Stairway, and they never expected it to be as big as it became.

It seems like that happens a lot. A band's biggest song is often one they don't really like. Chrissie Hynde, the lead singer of The Pretenders, said she can't stand the song "Brass In Pocket". It is probably their most popular song, and it is definitely my favorite song by them. Chrissie said she sings it in their concerts because, "The customer is always right."

I don't see how they can be compared, other than perhaps to recognize influence.

Had Hendrix survived, I'm sure he would have continued to innovate. Sadly (and obviously,) he never had the chance.

Page has also done so much innovating with the guitar and rock music in general.

This is like being asked to compare Michaelangelo to Raphael and decide which was "better." In art, that really tends to fall by the wayside once a certain level of competence is reached. When comparing the two as INNOVATORS, I think it would go to Page simply because he had more time to innovate, not because he's the better.

Hendrix really brought classical and jazz type voice-leading into rock music, changing it forever. That alone earns him an eternal position among the greats.

Hah, I was thinking "they're both overrated" and the first comment I saw on that Hendrix video said the exact same thing (but with worse grammar).

At least there are still some people who aren't so musically ignorant that they automatically think Hendrix or Page are some gods at guitar.

Originally Posted by M-Cat

Hah, I was thinking "they're both overrated"

Though being ignorant of the original question (rendering your comment irrelevant) isn't?

Originally Posted by M-Cat

Hah, I was thinking "they're both overrated" and the first comment I saw on that Hendrix video said the exact same thing (but with worse grammar).

At least there are still some people who aren't so musically ignorant that they automatically think Hendrix or Page are some gods at guitar.

Okay, now I know you're trying to start a flame war.

I don't know if they are still up now, but if they are, you should check out the videos of other people attempting to play Hendrix's Woodstock improvisation. It is hysterical.

Originally Posted by M-Cat

Hah, I was thinking "they're both overrated" and the first comment I saw on that Hendrix video said the exact same thing (but with worse grammar).

...you read youtube comments?

Originally Posted by Replicon

...you read youtube comments?

Youtube comments are a contagious form of stupidity. Everyone must be careful.