Should Led Zep release new material?

[Jeremy Lumsden]

Jimmy Page without Leona Lewis

Jason Bonham, who took his father’s stool at the reunion concert has told an American radio station that he has been recording with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones since December’s sold-out gig at the O2 Arena.

The drummer told Detroit station 94.7 WCSX that writing new material has been "on the cards" since the London concert and that he had been flying from the US to the UK to record with the pair.

"At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material," he said.

Plant’s absence has not dampened Bonham’s enthusiasm. "Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It's my life. It's what I've dreamed about doing."

But he hinted that a Led Zeppelin album was not out of the question: "Lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out [before an album could be made]." (source: BBC)

Should Led Zep release new material?

[sphelan]

I think it would be interesting to see what the product was. From the point of nostalgia, I would say "just leave things as they are guys and don't leave a bad taste in my mouth"!

This is similar to Queen + Paul Rodgers or should I say "half-of-Queen"!! Don't like the ideas of this set up at all.

And then there were talks of The Police possibly recording a new album. I am a big fan of this group so I would say "yeah, the original line up and more mature musicians, this could be interesting"!

I suppose it is all down to whether you are a fan of the group and how highly you value their back catalogue!

[terminal3]

Hmmmm.

The Who are still going... and there's only two of them left. So the ratio is higher with Zep, and even their current drummer has the DNA...

The Police at least didn't have the audacity to do any new material. It was just a tour. I skipped it, too expensive, would have much rather seen them in their heyday.

(Actually, forgot to post this in my own 'what's your dream gig' thread, but seeing The Police on the North American/Canadian leg of the Synchronicity tour would have been it. XTC were the support band. )

Tough call. Are they doing it for love, or for money, or for their fans, or what?

PS - Jeremy - your photo caption made me LOL.

[sphelan]

I'm a bit suspicious...so when groups come out of retirement, it smells to me like their pension fund isn't big enough!!

Nah, I'm sure they do it for the love of the music and the fans!!

[sphelan]

Originally Posted by terminal3

The Police at least didn't have the audacity to do any new material. It was just a tour. I skipped it, too expensive, would have much rather seen them in their heyday.

(Actually, forgot to post this in my own 'what's your dream gig' thread, but seeing The Police on the North American/Canadian leg of the Synchronicity tour would have been it. XTC were the support band. )

I saw them in Barcelona 2007 and they were still fresh. Great gig but I would have preferred to have seen them in their heyday.

[FRETPICK]

Yes. They should. Bonham's son is an amazing drummer in his own right.

I think a release would be great, if it's not rushed out.

[KaresB]

They should, IMO, if they feel like creating something really new and fresh. But i hope the release would be simply an album of good music and not come in the shape of overpriced, overhyped limited editions and all that rubbish...

[Failed Muso]

If Plant, Jones, Page and Bonham Jnr are the line up, a new Zep album would be justified and worthwhile. IMHO.

Level 42 recently reformed with Mark King & Mike Lindup back at the helm and 2nd Level 42 drummer, the awesome Gary Husband on the skins. Mark's brother Nathan now plays guitar. They recorded a new album a couple of years ago, Retroglide, which was a blinding return to form. They are currently on tour too.

As long as the original elements are present and the project is valid and worthwhile, not simply created to generate cash alone, I don't see why it can't be a good thing.

A new Police album would be very high on my list

However, a reformed Spice Girls or Boyzone is just a cash venture. I do have to say though, that the reformation of Take That yielded some quality tunes and may actually have been a good idea.

[I_Am_Bic_Pentameter]

They appear to have moved on and Plant seems less keen on it all.
He seems a mile away from the frontman he was with Zep
The Man Has Changed But The Voice Remains The Same - could be his new album title.

With The Police, Sting apparently used to bring in a song - totally completed and the others just kinda of played it, which does explain why the band split. It's not a band, when it's like that.

The Police had a style ie you knew it was Police record instantly but Sting writes and performs a lot of non-Police stuff and he would have to go back to writing stuff that was Police orientated. Seems restrictive for him.

There's no reason they can't write good stuff as there is a lot of quality there. It just seems more contrived and bands like that were just being rockstars back in their heyday.

I wonder if the two remaining Beatles should reform. Perhaps not. I believe Ringo is very busy trying to alienate himself from everyone.