Jimmy Page was interviewed for a cover story for the latest issue of Uncut, a segment of the discussion appear below courtesy of blabbermouth.net.
Speaking to writer Michael Bonner about why he feels no other bands could come close to Led Zeppelin, Page said: “It’s really hard to say something like that and not sound conceited, but over the years, a lot of other musicians have told me they thought we were the best. I’m not talking about record sales or concert attendance, although I think we can hold our own with anyone. What I mean is: when you talk about a band as a collaborative musical unit, we were the best. I am not talking about one or two genius songwriters, and everyone else tagging along. I am talking about a collection of musicians who are each at the top of their craft in their own right. In Led Zeppelin we were exactly that.”
Elaborating on why he previously told interviewer Charlie Rose in 2012 that Led Zeppelin was the best band in the world while Robert Plant objected, Page said, “If you are a young musician and you want to hear how a band works well together, then we’re a pretty good blueprint. John [Paul Jones] and me. Robert and me. John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Every combination of the quartet could bring something special. Robert probably said, ‘Oh, well, there were a lot of great bands,’ to that interviewer because that is the gentlemanly reply. And I agree with him: there’s a lot of absolutely fantastic music out there made by lots of different artists. But when you are talking about rock ‘n’ roll alchemy, I had to say what I thought. We were the best.”
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In other Page news, Jimmy Page: The Anthology is now available to pre-order from JimmyPageAnthology.com. Read more about this publication, here.
27 Responses
he’s obviously never heard of kingdom come. duck!
My vote, hands down, would be for The Beatles, and an honorable mention would do to Jimi Hendrix, for influencing countless guitar players, and being an innovator.
My top 5 (all I have time for) bands from England would be:
5) The Beatles (sorry, D, please don’t hate me 😉
4) The Who
3) Queen
2) Led Zeppelin (sorry, Jimmy 😉
1) Rolling Stones!
Ok, so now I can finish off my top 10 bands from England!
10) Iron Maiden
9) Def Leppard
8) Judas Priest
7) Black Sabbath
6) Deep Purple
5) Beatles
4) The Who
3) Queen
2) Led Zeppelin
1) Rolling Stones
Have to mention – Yes, and Genesis!
Just because Zeppelin is from England, does mean the greatest band of all time, has to reside from that country. I am sure that some people might say it could be the Eagles, or Boston, etc., after all, Rock N’ Roll is an American genre of music. In the end, it is all a matter of personal opinion, taste and perception.
Oh my God, I can’t believe I forgot about Bad Company, what the hell is wrong with me? 😉 Replace The Beatles (ducking) with Bad Company! 😉 Also, The Police! 🙂
I agree, Dana, my absolute favorite band of all time is from right here in the good ‘ol U S of “A,” Aerosmith! My list is just for British-ish bands! 😉 We’re loaded as well – Aerosmith, KISS, Van Halen, Styx, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Eagles, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Heart, I could go on and on!!
My 2 cents….
Led Zep were the best ROCK band
Beatles the best pop-rock band.
Interesting point, but when Rock N’ Roll started, it was far more poppy.
Based on his definition (… collaborative unit…), I would say Queen was a better “band.” I’ve never been a Zeppelin person. I never got why they are so lauded. Original KISS has better songs then Zeppelin, Paul Stanley was a better singer, and Ace’s guitar playing is as comparable as Page’s.
My 2 cents….
The only thing Kiss has on Zeppelin is the stage show.
Led Zep blows Kiss away on songs, singing and musicanship (guitar, bass, drums)
Does not mean Kiss music is not enjoyable…..
Queen was a fantastic band with one of (if not) the greatest rock lead singers/frontmen ever – RIP Freddy.
I could not agree more with Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin were – and are – the greatest rock band of all time. He makes a great point that any combination of the band alone would bring something special to the table, no one was a “tag along for the ride” member, and together no one even comes close.
The sheer breadth of their work – proto-Heavy Metal, Celtic, Indian, Arabic, Folk, Hard Rock, Pop Rock, Funk – is unmatched.
This is not taking anything away from the Beatles, Stones, Who, or any other band’s importance and influence.
Queen, hands down best, even though later in life, I got more into Zeppelin, and the Beatles in later days. As a youngster I was more excited to hear Queen. Back then I only knew a few Zeppelin, and Beatles songs, like Stairway to heaven or Let it Be.
Charles,
I know I am in a minority, save for guitarist, Paul Gilbert, but if you like simple, melodic songs that stick in your head, might I suggest you buy my two favorite Beatles’ albums, A Hard Day’s Night and Help.
While I know many people cite the psychedelic era as an influence, Scott Weiland , as well as many other, tout Revolver, I prefer the earlier records. But, I give the Beatles credit, for always experimenting and changing their sound.
1. Black Sabbath (Oz, Tony, Geezer, Bill)
I tell ya, this band just gets better with age…graceful and agile like a cat…with this total sledgehammer…no other band that has this nimble quality has that much torque…