So like many of you who love some good old fashioned hard rocking music, lately I have been hearing a lot about this new band Greta Van Fleet. For months I have been hearing the name left and right, but never bothered to have a listen until not too long ago.
When I did finally give them a listen, I understood immediately why they have been getting such high acclaim from fans and critics alike. They sound almost EXACTLY like Led Zeppelin.
I realize that this has already been talked about by many people, but I wanted to give my own personal thoughts on it.
Everything from the Jimmy Page-like big brown and dirty bluesy guitar riffs, the passionate soloing, the rumbling rhythm section, to the vocals that are almost indistinguishable from Robert Plant would make you think you would actually be listening to the real thing if you didn't know it was another band ahead of time.
From what I've heard, these kids (yes, kids. they're still teens if I remember correctly.) grew up listening to a lot of stuff like Zeppelin, The Doors, as well as stuff that influenced Zeppelin way back when so it isn't surprising that this would be the direction they go.
I guess the issue that I and many other people have is that what is the point in sounding exactly like another band?
Led Zeppelin already existed. They already did this kind of thing. They did it better than anyone else ever has or ever will. Why repeat and rehash the past to such an extent?
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this kind of sound. I love that this kind of music is getting as popular as it is again. It's just I wish that it was being done in such a way that you could hear the Zeppelin influence, but not mistake it for unreleased Zeppelin material.
I do realize though that these guys being as young as they are have not had enough time to really find who they truly are as individual musicians and an individual group. They have grown up imitating their heroes and haven't thought about what they actually have to say as musicians.
That is a perfectly fine and ok way to start, but my hope for them is that over time they do start to develop a sound that is more original and their own. The Zeppelin influence doesn't have to go away altogether, but they do need to stop copycatting.
If they don't do this, then they might be able to last another year or two as they currently are but then the Led Zeppelin novelty will wear off and people will move on and forget about them. They won't have any real staying power and I don't think that's what they want.
That said, I know it sounds like I'm beating up on Greta Van Fleet and that I hate them. Honestly, that could not be further from the truth. I LOVE that there are kids a good 10+ years younger than me loving and playing this kind of music. It gives me at least an inkling of hope for the future of music.
Plus, I'll admit when I need something to rock out to I might put on "Highway Tune" or "Safari Song".
Even Plant himself has given these guys the thumbs up, so for that reason I also can't dislike them completely either.
I wish nothing but the best for these boys and hope they can keep on getting better and better all the time.
Highway Tune, by Greta Van Fleet
Safari Song, by Greta Van Fleet
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