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Would they have faded away?


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Another work discussion here folks! Of course this week back in 1971 Janis Joplin's album "Pearl" went to number 1 on the charts. Well I was talking to my boss and he said would Janis have been as big as she was if she had lived? I was like, well of course! Janis was one of a kind, and a great blues artist. Then he brought up Hendrix, Morrison, Stevie Ray and said would they have lasted and still be making albums. Ok by now I am getting a little fired up. Morrison I gave him that one, Jim was on his way out when he died I feel. And if he hadn't of died I think he would have just vanished anyway. Janis, she had so much more to give to us, her fans. She was coming into her own, finding in her soul what she wanted to share with us, she would have lasted. Hendrix, please, his musicial genius had just been scratched at the surface. I can't even begin to imagine what he would have given us. And Stevie Ray, he was sober and making the best music of his short career. And he was giving us music that is now very popular, blues/rock. He was a star that didn't get to shine for very long. What we missed out on with the loss of these artists is for only us to imagine, but I feel in my soul it would have been great. Any opinions, do you think they would have faded away??

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Funny, I just had a similar discussion last night with the wife about Led Zep.. In Through the Out Door, while a good album, was not anywhere near the strongest material the mighty Zep had ever put out.. And Presence, the one before that, was one of their worst sellers... I wonder if they would have retained their status if Bonham hadn't died. I mean, look at Plant's solo stuff after they broke up. The first few albums were so quiet fluffy pop.. Page had lost the ability to write a good riff hook, he was playing sloppy and uninteresting stuff. I wonder if they would've faded away, instead of remaining the legends they are now.

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I'm not too sure about Zepplin. Personally, 'not their strongest material' is being very kind. I love Zep, don't get me wrong, but it took them 3 years to get an album together and it should have been a lot better than it was. Presence was a good album regardless of whether or not it sold well. I at least felt the effort was there and I don't think it was on the last one.

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That may be true, but that is a big 'if' they got help with the drug problem. Then again they may have just called it quits after ITTOD like The Who did after their final debacle...the 'You Better You Bet' album. I don't recall the actual name but then go on a half a dozen Farewell tours.... :crazy:

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Absolutely, I adore Presence, it's a great album. But one of the reasons, of course, for the huge timegap, was Plant having that horrible car accident, and not even knowing if he'd ever walk again.. Presence was recorded while he was in a wheelchair. As for ITTOD, I was listening to Fool in the Rain the other day which is what brought this all up. I mean, let's be honest. That song is all John Paul.. He singlehandedly saved that album. Page can barely play the rhythm bits in the background, much less that awful awful solo he throws in there.. It sounds more like a seizure than a solo.

And as for whether they would've gone on.. Well, let's look at them now, cleaned up and what they did as Page/Plant. Walking into Clarksdale is one of the single worst albums I own.. Page's solo album, and the stuff with the Firm.. Well, it's not good.

And by the way, I agree, I am a huge Zep fan.. I'm just a realist. :)

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Going way back, I think Buddy Holly had so much left to do. Remember he was only 21 when he died.

Jimi, Janice, Stevie Ray they had fantastic talent,they would have easily endured.

Jim Morrison was a drunk who wrote bad poetry.

Led Zep, the air was coming out of their balloon towards the end. That's normal.

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Well, okay, this is true.. But I was going more for the whole Page comparison than anything.. In the earlier days, their music often evolved (or revolved) around Page's riffs.. Most of their biggest stuff is instantly recognizable by a larger than life guitar riff.. And on ITTOD, it's like they tried to hide the guitar in the mix sometimes because he was so out of it. (at least, that's my impression)

So, yes, the rest of the band was spot on, definitely, but JPJ did most of the arranging, which is what I meant, for the most part.

And Buddy Holly, absolutely! Man, could we have used more of him..

Jeff Buckley, too, for a more modern reference. Terrible pity he died so young, he was full of promise.

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  • 2 months later...

I'll decide for my favorite broken up/dead classic rock bands:

Hendrix - Well, he was becoming a better guitarist, and working with better musicians near his death. I figure he would experiment with funk a lot in the 70's. He probably would have died out in the 80's though.

Led Zeppelin - If Page's and Plant's solo careers and "In Through the Out Door" are an indicator of what was to come, they would have faded out even more than they already were.

Pink Floyd - I think they'd still be going strong if they didn't have such big egos.

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These are some bands/artists whose final two or three albums I think were excellent, and could have gone on to produce more excellent albums if they hadn't split/died:

- The Beatles (obviously)

- Pink Floyd

- Jimi Hendrix

- Cream (but I guess Clapton's later work compensated for that)

- As much as I would like to say Led Zeppelin, I don't think I will

- Can't think of any others yet

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  • 1 month later...

First of all, thanks to Malakin for mentioning Jeff Buckley. The 4-track tapes on his last "album" were a bit rough, but let's remember they were just 4-track tapes. With a bit of arrangement and studio sparkle, I'm sure Jeff would have turned them into masterpieces.

Led Zeppelin - I've not heard their last two albums (I only own IV at this point) so I don't know how they would have done had Bonham survived. I think Plant is still making great music even if he can't hit the high notes.

Jimi Hendrix - Wow, Hendrix is a tricky one. I agree with the poster above who said Hendrix might have experimented with funk. Listen to "Message To Love" and tell me that's not funk. I do know that Hendrix was getting weary of being a huge star, so I wonder what he would have done to avoid that stardom. Asking what kind of music Hendrix would have made after year 27 is like asking what God would have done with an 8th day. It blows your mind just to think about it.

I know he's not really "rock" but what about Roy Orbison? At the time of his death, he was still making great music and his voice was strong as ever. I don't know how long he'd continue had he lived, but I know he'd give us some great stuff as always.

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