Opinion

by | Jun 19, 2023 | Led Zeppelin

Scott MacFeeters · 

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JournalistJun 3

If you replaced Jimmy Page, in Led Zeppelin, with another equally skilled guitarist, would they have been as successful?

Not anywhere close to being as successful. Jimmy Page was one of the three best guitar players of his era. On top of that, he was also the producer for all of the Led Zeppelin albums.

Without Page, let’s say they team up with the same lineup but add Jeff Beck.

Beck couldn’t write songs. Even his namesake song, Beck’s Bolero, was written by Jimmy Page. Not only that, but Beck couldn’t get along with people even going back to his Yardbirds days.

Clapton was too passive. He also wasn’t much of a songwriter and arranger. He did play music that was close to what Page wanted to do in Led Zeppelin, though without the hobbits and Alister Crowley and Vikings and shit.

Anyone else would be a huge departure. Alvin Lee wasn’t a good songwriter, though he was a genius guitar player. David Gilmour was a good guitar player and good producer when he had Roger Waters to work off of. Leading the band? Probably not a good fit.

I could go on listing names, but none of them matter. Led Zeppelin was Jimmy Page’s vision. The other members of the band bought into that vision, but it was Jimmy’s show. Up until In Through the Out Door, he controlled everything.

Without Jimmy Page there is no Led Zeppelin. Nobody could replace him, because without Page it’s not Led Zeppelin.