Why Led Zeppelin Sucks, Part II

(This post was edited on 27 October to include additional chart data)

On 5 March 2005, I made the obvious and ludicrously titled post "Why Led Zeppelin Sucks" which has generated tens of thousands of hits on this blog. Two-and-a-half years later, it's still generating traffic every single day as well as random hate-mail to go along with it. I have finally decided to say more on this matter because there's obviously still massive interest in this.

I am amused because at no point did I ever actually say Led Zeppelin sucks, because quite frankly they don't. However, the people "reading" the post -- who quite clearly haven't read it -- reply with such vehemence and often vitriol, it's amazing.

First, if you think Led sucks, I will not argue with you one way or another. You certainly can have your opinion. You won't be alone, but I will surmise you will be in small company. Led is talented and there's no question about it. You can dislike them, certainly, because that is a matter of personal taste. I dislike Luciano Pavarotti, but I don't like opera. That doesn't mean he sucks or lacks amazing talent. It just means I'm not a fan. Pretty simple concept many people miss.

Then, I made a most tragic mistake of comparing them to Pink Floyd. I say tragic because of all the fighting it caused. Do I think Pink Floyd is better than Led Zeppelin? You betcha! Go read the original post and comment away if you'd like. However, it's still a matter of personal opinion. Dark Side of the Moon is, perhaps, one of the very best albums ever made. Every single song on it's very good, stands on its own, and evokes emotions. The album IV (Zoso/Runes/etc) on which Stairway to Heaven appears is a very average album overall. It happens to have one of the best songs ever created on it: only a philistine would dare say Stairway isn't one of the best rock songs ever written and I love that song. But it's one song. The album has seven other songs, and some of 'em, they ain't great: just average.

If you want to compare songs, Stairway will probably dust anything Floyd wrote -- and I am a huge Floyd fan. But if you want to compare albums and oeuvres, then Floyd will win. Their overall output was of far better quality overall. And there aren't hundreds of accusations of plagiarism over Floyd's heads, either. For the record, Led has settled several of these suits out of court, so there is merit to the accusations. (Stairway remains untouched by any allegations.)

If you want a true measure, here are the top 10 entries for the most weeks on the Billboard Top 100 charts. Note that totals are for the main albums chart only, catalog chart totals are not factored in. Please note who is in SOLE POSSESSION of first place -- remaining on the top 200 chart for 14.25 years. YEARS!

1. (741 weeks) The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd
2. (490 weeks) Johnny's Greatest Hits — Johnny Mathis
3. (480 weeks) My Fair Lady — Original Cast
4. (331 weeks) Highlights from the Phantom of the Opera — Original Cast
5. (302 weeks) Tapestry — Carole King
6. (295 weeks) Heavenly — Johnny Mathis
7. (283 weeks) Oklahoma! — Soundtrack
8. (282 weeks) MCMXC a.D. — Enigma
9. (281 weeks) Metallica — Metallica
10. (277 weeks) The King and I — Soundtrack
11. (277 weeks) Hymns — Tennessee Ernie Ford

There are many theories as to the hold of Pink Floyd on the charts. Most center around the fact that people bought their copies on vinyl and wore them out. It wasn't until it came out on CD that it finally drifted off the charts. Led is conspicuously absent.

If you go for best-selling album of all-time in the USA, then Led and Pink are tied in third place behind Michael Jackson's Thriller and The Eagles Greatest Hits (which I refuse to count, as it's a compilation album and not an original work). If you go worldwide, then The Eagles drop down and Led drops even further.

I just had to say this because the debate will not die. But it bothers me when people say I hate Led Zeppelin. I don't. I am not a fan, but I respect them, what they've done, and can assure you both Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin will both be remembered long after rock dies*.

(*Rock will never die, dammit.)

What's Wrong With Blogging

I had this burning desire to post some really personal stuff here, specifically a few things that were on my mind. That's what blogs are for. I wanted to make a post and I didn't make it because I was afraid a particular person might read it, or maybe a particular group of people. Blogging is supposed to be about expression, but it's not free. That bothers me, I think. Stuff along the lines of: I like person A. I hate person B. I really feel emotion C. That sort of thing.

Then I realized that I was censoring myself. Yep, the blog has come to that point. I've got people reading who, quite frankly, I just don't want to know some of that stuff and if I post it here, it'll be pretty damned hard to hide won't it? I think the blog was a little more fun for me when it was anonymous and I didn't know who was reading it. It's ironic that as the blog gets more visitors and more people, it's harder and harder for me to put what I want in the blog. It's might also be interesting to my readers that since you know what I'm willing to write here, you ought to wonder what I'm not willing to write.

As an illustrative example: Do I care if random person X knows that I like A or hate B? Not in the least. Do I care if A knows that I like him/her? Maybe. Do I care if B knows I hate him/her? Of course not. Do I care if anyone I know thinks I'm having emotion C? You bet your ass. I used him/her so nobody would read anything in to the pronouns. (This is an illustrative example only, not an actual example for those of you who couldn't pick up on it without me explaining it.)

To carry it further, what might be okay for a stranger to read, you might not want your best friend to read. What be okay for a friend, might not be okay for a relative. And what's okay for a stranger and/or friend might not be okay for an employer. So the blogsphere which is supposed to be censorship free becomes self-censored.

It was an interesting revelation and/or epiphany to have. So this blog, while it isn't censored, definitely only shows you part of the picture. And the very best part? This may the most uncensored post I've ever made* even though it appears totally censored.

I only know of one person -- who probably won't ever read my blog -- who will have any clue what's going on in this post. Most of my readers will think I've taken too many medications and dismiss this post as inconsequential when in truth it's the single most important post I'll ever make. And, it's quite possible, a few of my readers -- one or two of my friends I suspect -- will actually try and figure it out. And fail miserably. Sorry, guys :)

This post made me feel sad inside and put a smile on my face (this is a true statement).

* he said cryptically.

Bold text added 10-25 for people who, apparently, need things spelled out.

Dumbledore Queer As Three Dollar Bill

In a somewhat surprising revelation JK Rowling has revealed Albus Dumbledore was gay. I laughed when I first heard it, thinking it was a joke. Then I thought "that's great" because it'll perhaps bring a bit more tolerant to those intolerant twits who think being gay is an issue. Then I asked "why is she bringing it up now?"

Excerpts from the AP newswire reports: Author J.K. Rowling has confirmed Hogwart's headmaster Albus Dumbledore was gay. "If I had known this would have made you so happy, I would have told you years ago," Rowling told a full house of fans at New York's Carnegie Hall Friday. Rowling said she slipped movie director David Yates a note about Dumbledore's sexuality after she noticed a reference to a girl in Dumbledore's past during the making of the sixth Potter film.

Yeah, okay, he's gay. That's up there in importance with eye colour in the big scheme of things. In the small scheme it's pretty significant that it's out there because it will force her readers to think about that fact now. And, to those who hate her books for religious grounds, it's just one more reason for them to add to their list.

I don't know what to think of this really. I don't care if he's an arse pirate or not. He certainly wasn't after Harry's at any rate. I am bemused, to be sure. But somehow I think this was significant somehow, but damned if I know why.

Book Review: Frek and the Elixir and Hero

Ah, well I've read two books in the past 24 hours.

I'm going to review the first one I read, "Frek and the Elixir" by Rudy Rucker was first up, and it started out great. Original, different, unique, and a bit weird. Frek grows up in a truly odd world written by a clearly odd person. At nearly 500 pages, it's hard for an author to keep it going and at some point it becomes so absurd as to be uninteresting. Yeah, the last 100 or so pages really let me down and I lost my desire to finish, but being in a plane makes you plough through. I did. And if you want a fun read that's very imaginative, you'll like this book: right up until the end. This book is enormously popular, so maybe it's just me.

The second book, "Hero" by Perry Moore I cannot imagine anyone I know liking. I read a review in Time and bought it based on the review. I think it's fantastic. I'm going to read it again. If you're brave read this because it's just a little hard to read while being enjoyable nonetheless.

Random Stuff

1. I had dinner last night with someone I hadn't seen in about 20 years. I'm still trying to figure out the exact date. Randy Barris. I had a really great time. He came over around 515pm right after I got home from work -- a good 30 minutes before I figured he'd get there -- and we talked until around 630, then we went to dinner. We had a decent meal at Macaroni Grill, and then talked until almost 11pm -- me, having trouble staying awake since my day began not long after 530am. I just thought I'd let interested parties know. No further public details available.
2. A few more people accepted my LinkedIn invitations plus I got a few invitations and my contacts are over 30 now. Yay. I recommend LinkedIn to everyone from a professional work standpoint. If you have a job and you're a professional, you should have an account. It's a great resource. I have the free account and it's more than sufficient for my needs.
3. Reminder: if you're on NHL Connect, Orkut, Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn -- let's connect. I use my darsysataoldotcom address on all of them.
4. If you haven't visited kiva.org, please check it out. If you haven't joined, let me know and I'll gladly send you an invitation. This is a great way for you to help those less fortunate. It's a micro-lending site. You put your money in $25 a pop and when you're paid back you can get your money or re-loan it to someone else. I have a few friends already participating. I've got 5 loans outstanding as of right now. Their default rate is low. It's not a charitable contribution, nor is it a tax deduction because you put in and get your money back without interest. But it's double-karma points and we all need good karma.
5. Looks like I am, after all, going to London this Christmas. I am ditching Christmas and leave Christmas morning with my sister. We're flying to Paris, spending a day in EuroDisney, and then taking the train to London. Continental has absurdly low fares to CDG from Newark right now. With the current exchange rate, the trip will still be a bit expensive. I'm working on that. Well Karen is, but she's so slow to respond it's frustrating me. Relatives will have to see me Christmas Eve instead. SMARTIES! YORKIES! YUMMMM! I'm going to try and meet with an estate agent to see what I have to do to buy a home and reture there, though the time of year may prohibit that.
6. I'm really hungry right now. I wish someone would bring me food.