STAIRWAYS TO•ir HAZLETON m 660111 G up AnDwav4rl c onmve 00101, THE LED LEGACY by John Meyer Few bands have had as great an influence on the rock medium as Led Zeppelin. Despite the fact that it has been close to ten years since their untimely demise Led Zeppelin remains a hot property: their albums, especially the untitled fourth album, are steady sellers. T-shirts, posters and buttons bearing the Led Zeppelin name can be found in most stores which cater to the rock crowd, and many groups have dis covered that they can sell . more albums if they even sound remotely like the mighty Zep. Led Zeppelin is one of the few groups, past or present, who can boast such a rabid and ever growing legion of fans, many of whom were too young to even know what Rock music was when Led Zeppelin was at its peak of popularity during the early 70's. Perhaps the true testament to Zep's popularity is its influence on fellow music ians. In a recent survey where the magazine Guitar asked several guitarists what albumsthey felt were essential in any guitarists collection. Such players as Steve Vai, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, and Slash of Guns & Roses listed one or more Led Zeppelin albums. If the old saying about mimicry being the highest com pliment is true, then Whitesnake, in their song "Still of the Night," and Kingdom Come, in their whole act, are really praising the mighty Zep. Groups as diverse as Heart, Kiss, and Crowded House have played Led Zeppelin songs in con cert, and The Beastie Boys IN mum No ENTERMIIIMENT once at Live Aid, and most recently as the closing act at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary gala cele bration. These renunions are partially responsible for the rumors which have proliferated in recent years of a renunion album and tour the remaining Zeps emphatic ally deny such rumors. While there is little hope of a reformed Led Zeppelin tour and album, their music lives on in a different form in the solo albums of the surviving members, in the songs of the many music ians they influenced, and in the hearts and ears of their many fans. even incorporated the main riff from " The Ocean" in one of their rap tunes. One of the most common gripes heard from the surviving members of the band is that people want to hear Zeppelin songs, and not what they have done since the break-up of the band. Through three solo albums, former lead singer Robert Plant has been trying to escape from the Zeppelin Shadow. In his recent album, Now and Zen he has begun to move back toward the kind of blues based rock he used to turn out with the Zep. He even includes samples from several Zeppelin songs at the end of "Tall Cool One," and has Jimmy Page playing the solos on two of the songs. In a was a double-bill, featur recent Rolling Stone article Plant explained his change in attitude, " I've stopped appolagizing to myself for having this great period of success and fanatical acceptance. It's time to get on and enjoy it now." Twice in recent years, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Page, Plant, and bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, reunited, Guns and Roses/Aerosmith Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks? by Mark Piedmonte To any concert-goer, August 30, 1988 was like any other sold-out show at Po- cono Downs raceway. grandstands were packed with loud, long-haired, rowdy fans dressed mainly in black T-shirts which de- picted their favorite bands. Those more daring congre- gated on to the race track itself, standing anxiously and impatiently for the ex- travaganza to begin. The event that evening ing the legendary Aerosmith, who, known for such class- ics tunes as: "Sweet Emo- tion","Same Old Song and Pance","Walk This Way" (re- cently re-done by Rap super- stars, Run-DMC), and, of course , "Dream On", Aerosmith (consisting of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, Bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Krae- mer and Jagger-lipped front- man and lead-vocalist Steven Tyler) have been together since the early '7o's, pro- ducing such famous albuts as Hot Rocks and Dream On s in the Attic. Due to various inclinations, main- ly drug abuse, however, Aerosmith underwent many . 1 ":"*". • r•-•• years in the later part of the 1970's and early 1980's, remaining virtually silent. They recorded records that didn't sell very well,and their music was unable to match the genious sounds of their earlier achievements. But, every dog has his day, and some are lucky e- nough to have it twice. Aero smith seems to have cleaned up their act and are ready to hit the high road again. The release of 1987's nent Vacation has back on the charts, spawn- ing such top hits as "Rag "Angel" and "Dude Doll" Looks Like a Lady". The music is fresh and vivrant; proving only that these old boys can still rock 'em like they used to, and nothing proves that better than see- ing them live. From the minute they hit the stage, Steve Tyler and co. strutted their stuff through various arrangements of both older and newer mat- erial. Highlights included "Hangman's Jury" ing intense slide guitar ac- tion by Perry, ballad off the new album, 4T4/ the ever-welcome "Pream All tunes were well- received by the crowd (the a- bove mentioned in particular) and the band was sure to be pleased with the reaction. Perma- ut. them , featur- "Angel►►
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