dailyloe.com – Robert Plant, the vocalist of Led Zeppelin, recently critiqued his historical performances and the band’s discography. In an interview with The Guardian, he discussed specific tracks and albums that marked significant changes in his artistic comfort.
Plant expressed regret regarding his early singing style, particularly the track “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” from the band’s 1969 debut album. He stated, “I find my vocals on there horrific now. I really should have shut the fuck up!”
He explained that his initial approach involved a forced masculine tone, which he later discarded during the sessions for Led Zeppelin III. Plant said, “I realised that tough, manly approach to singing I’d begun on [the 1966 track with former band Listen] ‘You Better Run’ wasn’t really what it was all about at all.”
Plant also assessed the band’s later discography, noting that the 1975 double album Physical Graffiti represented the last time he felt fully committed to the group’s direction. He remarked, “All I wanna do is make good records. I just think I’ve made the best one since Physical Graffiti and that was the last good record I made, really. So everything in between has been ok.”
He acknowledged that while Physical Graffiti was a commercial and critical success, the recording of the follow-up album, Presence, coincided with a period of personal and professional detachment. Plant revealed, “I wasn’t comfortable in the group at all. We’d gone right through the hoop and, because my hoop was on fire, I didn’t know if it was worth it anymore.”
He continued, “My joy of life had been cudgelled and bashed so hard, I became a time-and-motion man for my own destiny.” These reflections indicate a pivotal time for Plant, who later pursued a solo career following the death of drummer John Bonham.
