Greta Van Fleet (If You Like Led Zeppelin...)

[SystematicThought]

Surfing through YouTube, I found this band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJg4OJxp-co

Man, that voice. When I close my eyes, all I picture is Robert Plant. It's really nothing new here, but it is catchy. I'm interested to know what others think!

[Stadler]

The chick from CNN/Fox News? 

[SystematicThought]

That was my first reaction when I saw the band name and when I typed it into Google, Greta Van Sustren is the first result until I type in the F 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

  I also just stumbled on them on YT, pretty cool stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXdM1rqSlSQ

[Stadler]

I just saw them on Jimmy Fallon. 

Oh.  My.  God.   Stick to the record.    The band was good, but the vocalist was a shade reedy (a problem Plant had too) but the image just doesn't cut the mustard.   Instead of being a tall, lean, cat-like rock God, he's a short, curly-haired dorky looking kid, wearing suede moccasins and leather pants that did not fit him very well.   He didn't look like Plant even a little bit, but he had an annoying habit of holding the mic like Plant and holding his other hand in that way, so it looked like he was aping his mannerisms.   But see "short, curly-haired dorky...." 

 

[The Walrus]

Dude, he graduated high school like what, a year ago? Go easy 

[Anguyen92]

^^ And Robert Plant was like, what, 20 when he started in Led Zeppelin.

[Lethean]

I'm not a big Led Zeppelin fan, but even I find them kinda ridiculous.  Not their appearance, which is fine, but the whole schtick down to copying the mannerisms.  But they're doing well, so obviously they have an audience.

[Adami]

Took a listen.

Yea, very very Zeppelin. But the song writing was just....fine. Like, if Zeppelin released a bunch of songs they didn't feel strong enough for their own records.

[Stadler]

Yeah, but I can deal with the musical side.   Zeppelin -> Whitesnake -> Kingdom Come -> Great White -> Wolfmother...  there are probably ten or 20 more.  I have their EP and it's actually good.  I listen to it.   But even Coverdale's version of Plant is legit; he's a good front man.

This kid?   WTF.   

[Mosh]

Dad rock boy band.

[Anguyen92]

Dad rock boy band.

Wow, what a world we live in.  I didn't think something like that would ever exist.  I don't know if Greta Van Fleet qualifies in that catagory, but with the way they are hyped, people may perceive it that way.

For me, they are all right.  I'm not a huge fan of "classic-sounding" rock music anyway, so I'm not going to go all crazy about them.  I wish them luck though. not failure.

[ErHaO]

Since when do we care (that much) about the appearance of rock stars? A lot of them looked or look dorky (biggest example being Rush when they were young, all of them).

I agree the kid could use better clothing, but looking at their live performances I think they are extremely talented and they are so early in their career that there is likely a lot of untapped potential.

Anyways, I dig the music but it would be nice if they give their own spin to the Zeppelin formula in the future.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

They're talented for sure but I already can't stand his voice.  I have full respect for their success so far.

[cramx3]

Since when do we care (that much) about the appearance of rock stars?

True.  The kid isn't my style, but that doesn't mean his style can't work for him.  Their music is solid, they have potential.  I think they are getting this big wave of support for being "the next big rock band" but I feel like a lot of that kind of came from no where since they don't really have enough music released to warrant that, but they have been touring a lot lately.  They came by NJ local to me and it sold out immediately.  If they can grow and be successful, good for them.  The genre needs bands to be successful.

[SoundscapeMN]

The Tea Party is the band I'd suggest to anyone looking for a Led Zeppelin influence.

Zeppelin III especially with this record:

[Indiscipline]

Another one could be Rival Sons. My daughter is currently pestering me with them and I must admit some vibe is there.

[Stadler]

Since when do we care (that much) about the appearance of rock stars? A lot of them looked or look dorky (biggest example being Rush when they were young, all of them).

I agree the kid could use better clothing, but looking at their live performances I think they are extremely talented and they are so early in their career that there is likely a lot of untapped potential.

Anyways, I dig the music but it would be nice if they give their own spin to the Zeppelin formula in the future.

I tried to be clear; it really has little to do with the actual appearance.  It's the total 'tone-deafness' to what it was that made Robert Plant the standard of the "Rock God".   It's a case in point that it's not enough to capture the actual moments and movements if you don't also capture the ESSENCE.    I've been lucky enough to see Robert Plant live I think four times and he is every bit as good as the legend makes out.  He is arguably the best front man I've ever seen live (I didn't see Roth in the heyday, and I've never seen Mercury).   It's intangible, and a sum much greater than it's parts.

This guy misses the mark, not because of how he looks, but because of not getting it. 

[The Walrus]

I respectfully disagree, Stadler. I don't think he 'doesn't get it' at all, in fact, he nails it better than most frontmen 10, 15, 20 years his senior.

Plus, Rush looked like big fucking dorks back in the day too. This kid doesn't have a mullet.

[Stadler]

Another one could be Rival Sons. My daughter is currently pestering me with them and I must admit some vibe is there.

I saw them open for Sabbath on the "The End" tour, and they blew me away.  I had only heard one song at that point - "Electric Man" - that was fierce on Later... with Jool's Holland, but these guys are the real deal, all the way.  Jay Buchanon... wow.   

[Lethean]

I agree with Stadler to an extent - but Stadler, if it's not about appearances, you definitely spent too much time talking about his curly hair and looking dorky.

But copping someone else's mannerisms when you're already copping their voice and style - to me that's just lame.  And then - I should caveat this by saying that I was told this rather than reading it myself - they try to claim that it all happened naturally and they weren't trying to sound like LZ... Please.  The whole thing seems totally manufactured.

[Stadler]

I agree with Stadler to an extent - but Stadler, if it's not about appearances, you definitely spent too much time talking about his curly hair and looking dorky.

But copping someone else's mannerisms when you're already copping their voice and style - to me that's just lame.  And then - I should caveat this by saying that I was told this rather than reading it myself - they try to claim that it all happened naturally and they weren't trying to sound like LZ... Please.  The whole thing seems totally manufactured.

I tried to find the clip but couldn't (though I didn't look THAT hard) but watch the appearance on Fallon, and then watch five minutes of, say, the Song Remains the Same.  It's a hard thing to put into words when a picture will do so much better, but that's the point:  it doesn't LOOK natural.  AT ALL.  Plant's moves were ridiculous too, but there was a feline grace to them, and when he gave that smirk to the audience, and every woman within fifteen rows swooned, it had a visceral-ness that was evident.  This looked like a "Battle of the Bands" at a local high school.   

[Lethean]

I agree with Stadler to an extent - but Stadler, if it's not about appearances, you definitely spent too much time talking about his curly hair and looking dorky.

But copping someone else's mannerisms when you're already copping their voice and style - to me that's just lame.  And then - I should caveat this by saying that I was told this rather than reading it myself - they try to claim that it all happened naturally and they weren't trying to sound like LZ... Please.  The whole thing seems totally manufactured.

I tried to find the clip but couldn't (though I didn't look THAT hard) but watch the appearance on Fallon, and then watch five minutes of, say, the Song Remains the Same.  It's a hard thing to put into words when a picture will do so much better, but that's the point:  it doesn't LOOK natural.  AT ALL.  Plant's moves were ridiculous too, but there was a feline grace to them, and when he gave that smirk to the audience, and every woman within fifteen rows swooned, it had a visceral-ness that was evident.  This looked like a "Battle of the Bands" at a local high school.

No, I think I get what you're saying and we're probably on the same page, but a different paragraph.   To me - not having seen Plant live, just on video - there's nothing particularly special about what he was doing, but it obviously worked for the time and the context of a live show, etc.  The guy from Greta Van Fleet - if there was no Robert Plant and this was him genuinely trying to come up with a unique kind of stage presence, I might say it looks weird but go for it.  But that's not the case, and so to me it's kinda lame and ridiculous.

[The Walrus]

I'll take 'lame and ridiculous' over 'standing there like a robot' any day, like almost every freaking prog musician does  He's a frontman... he's doing exactly what he should be doing and I hope he doesn't stop. A frontman HAS to be energetic imo especially for their style of music. More power to these kids.

[Lethean]

Yeah but why the need to copy Robert Plant to the point where it looks like he studied him?  That's the part I find lame and ridiculous - not that he's doing something besides standing there.  Like I said, the whole thing seems manufactured to me.

As far as that goes stage presence goes - I don't care too much.  I appreciate the intensity that Voyager brings to their live set for example, and I imagine their frontman was inspired by a number of musicians he might have seen, but it still seems like what we get is genuinely him.

[The Walrus]

I dunno. There's an argument to be made that every rock frontman of the 80s was trying to emulate Plant and co. by being larger than life with exaggerated mannerisms so I don't see the problem with the kid channeling his inner Plant especially when he sounds like him. Kid seems genuine enough to me.

[Stadler]

I dunno. There's an argument to be made that every rock frontman of the 80s was trying to emulate Plant and co. by being larger than life with exaggerated mannerisms so I don't see the problem with the kid channeling his inner Plant especially when he sounds like him. Kid seems genuine enough to me.

But that's the point for me, and where it all goes wrong.    Nikki Sixx is a great example.  He's not doing ONE THING up there that Gene Simmons hasn't already taken a Polaroid of.    But he did it with style, with authenticity, and abandon, and it worked.   Lady Gaga has done very little (theatrically) that Madonna didn't discuss with Sean Penn first.   But she does it with aplomb and with authenticity and it works.   

I get zero authenticity from this kid, and considering that Plant's whole Zeppelin shtick was about danger, and sex, and lasciviousness, it's not something you can fake or fumble through.   In my humble opinion.   

[Indiscipline]

I get both sides of the argument, and - imo - I see it in rather simpler and more mundane terms.

The frontman act (roughly the same bag of tricks since Elvis/Little Richard) works when you're credible, and you're credible if you're a bonafide sexy beast. Plant was, this guy I'm not sure.

[SystematicThought]

I feel like there was a meeting somewhere along the line where they told the band that they need to downplay the Led Zeppelin influence because they never mention Led Zeppelin anymore, although oddly they now talk Aerosmith more nowadays. I seem to remember that they said in an interview that they had no idea who Led Zeppelin was until they were 12, so apparently 6 years ago they discovered them.

[Anxiety35]

I like Led Zeppelin. I do not like Greta Van Fleet. Simply, nothing about them sounds original. It seems like an over the top attempt to be too much  like Zeppelin. It just doesn't work for me.

I don't wish anything negative for them. It's difficult to get exposure in the biz and to "make it" so I'm glad they're gaining success.

[Samsara]

I think Greta Van Fleet is pretty good. Sure the Zepp and Aerosmith is in their sound, and as young as they are, I am sure some of those influences just bleed into stuff, even if they aren't purposefully trying to sound like anyone.

Hell, Dream Theater isn't trying to sound like Rush and some other bands in their early stuff, but they do. It just happens. I enjoy GVF for what the band is. A young rock band with swagger and some good hooks. We'll see how they develop!

[Adami]

I think Greta Van Fleet is pretty good. Sure the Zepp and Aerosmith is in their sound, and as young as they are, I am sure some of those influences just bleed into stuff, even if they aren't purposefully trying to sound like anyone.

Hell, Dream Theater isn't trying to sound like Rush and some other bands in their early stuff, but they do. It just happens. I enjoy GVF for what the band is. A young rock band with swagger and some good hooks. We'll see how they develop!

A very good point. Which is why it's probably important for them NOT to get too famous right now. Let them develop their sound naturally. That takes time. If they're already in the limelight, they're probably already being told to sound MORE like Zeppelin and so forth.