Jimmy Page Fires Back at Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards

BY  CHRISTOPHER SCAPELLITI
December 2, 2015



Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page has responded to the disparaging comments Keith Richards made about Led Zeppelin in his recent Rolling Stone interview.

Speaking with Classic Rock magazine, Page said he thinks Richards was being sensational for the sake of getting some press for his new album, Crosseyed Heart, which came out this past September.

“Keith can say what he wants,” says the Zeppelin guitar icon, who recently announced his plans for a new solo album in 2016. “He’s Keith Richards. I think he’s done some amazing work. I respect his playing. And he has a solo album out.

“But if I was promoting a new album, would I be more caustic? The answer is… no. I’m not sure what he means by calling Led Zeppelin ‘hollow.’ I think he’s got his tongue in his cheek. What we did was really cool.”

Richards comment came in response to interviewer Patrick Doyle’s statement, “I was never a big Zeppelin guy.”

“Me neither,” Richards replied. “I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler. He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?”

Led Zeppelin weren’t the only band that the Stones legend has called in recent months. He shrugged off Metallica and Black Sabbath as “great jokes,” and dubbed the Beatles’ 1967 masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “rubbish,” claiming its influence was responsible for the Stones’ disastrous Their Satanic Majesties Request album.

“The Beatles sounded great when they were the Beatles,” Richards said. “But there’s not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away.

“Some people think it’s a genius album, but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like Satanic Majesties.”

You can read more from the Page interview at: http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-12-02/page-laughs-off-keef-s-hollow-le...


http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/jimmy-page-fires-back-at-rolling-stones...

I love rock and roll fights.

I don't know about "hollow;" I always thought Page was a decent guitar player, though I've never understood why some people carry on about him like he's the white Hendrix or something.

But I haven't been able to stand Zeppelin since I learned the history of the "Lemon Song." I used to like that song exactly because I thought it was basically a cover of "Killin' Floor." Then I found out that Led Zeppelin stole it. Like most people who recognized it, I guess I assumed that they had permission but it turns out that they didn't. Now why the hell did an influential, mega-popular band like them need to steal outright from Howlin' Wolf?

The Wolf isn't the only person they stole from either. I don't know about anyone else but I can't feel anything but contempt for artists who steal so much and never admit it until they're forced to. If you can't come up with original material then just call yourself a cover band and leave it at that. Don't fucking steal.

Sorry for the rant. Not a Zeppelin fan, as I'm sure you noticed.

I'm a huge Pagey Fan, and yes I love a lot of LZ.  I saw Page and Plant several times, saw John Paul Jones solo, but the best was Jimmy Page and the Black Crows.

keef's getting a bit grumpy, isn't he..

sweetcharmedlife wrote on Dec 3^rd, 2015 at 8:51am:


Exactly!

I love Zeppelin. I saw Page/Plant in DC in 1998 at the then-named MCI Center. Hearing the Wanton Song & How Many More Times, amongst other songs, coming from the fingers of the man himself was fantastic. Won't get into song thievery here - many, including the Stones (I think), have had to go back and giving writing credit after the fact.

Jimmy Page is a gentleman and indeed handled the statement from Keith with much more aplomb than Keith himself could've mustered. The cranky Keith thing is getting old - if anything, Page could've given him plenty for praising, amongst others, Ed fucking Sheerhan.

BUT, the real culprit is this pant load sycophantic piece of shit 'journalist' Patrick Doyle. What a complete asshole. A music writer who was "never much of a Zeppelin guy?" Really?? Gee, dick head, who do you like? And why are you introducing your opinions into an interview? Did they teach you that in scribbler school? That, and the leading question itself, designed to get a good quote by taking advantage of a near 72 year old guy to please his editors and drive traffic to a disgraced Rolling Stone magazine website. Remember, Rolling Stone was an early champion of the Eagles . . .

Love Jimmy Page and Robert Plant ~they are AMAZING! Love Led Zep all the way.

KEEF could be a bit jealous, Page can play the guitar way better than KEEF ever did, and he is still doing it well. They had a show not very long ago and I was blown away by Page's ability to play as good now as he played when he was younger. I honestly cannot say the same for KEEF. But I must go on record saying that I love KEEF more, because he is not just a guitar player, he is the coolest dude on the planet.

Gazza wrote on Dec 3^rd, 2015 at 7:33pm:

I Agree
And I somewhat Agree with some of what of what Keith says
About others. Not so sure I can agree with the Sgt Peppers statement.
But If anyone is allowed or has the "right to say it"
it's Keith!
Mr Rock N Roll!

I'm not convinced any infant would refer to a particular musical style as hollow, or at least I've never heard one do so. As for 'getting a bit grumpy', didn't Jogger refer to Teef many years ago as 'not a happy person' and similarly-ish Charles referenced having to deal with Jogger's silly-sausage depressions. It may all be grist to the mill, or even mill to the grist, because Stoonz music has abounded with grooves and flavours which heartily counteract such feelings.
And what defines one guitarist as being better than another? For me it's one who allows space, has humour, isn't too showy or seriously fanciful, wears good trousers, and basically has Charles sitting behind him.

Hoppy days.

riffkeither wrote on Dec 4^th, 2015 at 5:08am:


put on his new CD and chill out.....Seen how much press the old guy has had? If he said everyone was great there'd be no story! all tongue in cheek and yet some of it I agree 100%

Money Money Money !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"And what defines one guitarist as being better than another? For me it's one who allows space, has humour, isn't too showy or seriously fanciful, wears good trousers, and basically has Charles sitting behind him."

May have your permission to use this sentence (with minor mods) in my new ad for a guitar player?

SheRat wrote on Dec 4^th, 2015 at 2:16pm:


Certain'y SheR.
Keep us up-to-date in re. any additions you post in the classified ads.  'With own ashtray'?
"Able to urinate from a moving Volkswagen mini-van'? 'Reasonably Beiberesque'?

Rather than say and do stupid things, Keith better get moving ass to bring down the price of concert tickets !!!

gimmekeef wrote on Dec 6^th, 2015 at 10:35am:

Yes , Ok but he keeps the money !!