“Friday night they [Led Zeppelin] played the Inside. Sometimes playing loud has an important role in pop, but here it was just superficial effect.”
As many know, Led Zeppelin were not always called so. Once known as The Yardbirds, they made their debut featuring Jimmy Page in Denmark in 1969. And while hardly anyone would deny that Zeppelin is one of the best rock bands in history, they weren’t quite so well received.
One reviewer was less than enthused, stating:
“It has been up and down for the Yardbirds. A couple of years ago, they were on top. For a while, a lot of people thought that the Yardbirds would lead the developing English pop but their efforts led nowhere. The members changed and the Yardbirds currently touring Sweden have very little in common with the original line-up. It is not only the line-up that has changed. The style of music is different, as is the quality – only the name is the same.”
With just 15 hours of rehearsal as The Yardbirds met Jimmy Page, they took to the stage at Radio Studios, Denmark for TV Byen/Denmark Broadcasting Corporation and absolutely shredded early favourites Communication Breakdown, Dazed and Confused, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You and How Many More Times. As far as rock alchemy goes Led Zeppelin are certainly a formidable group.
We bet that reviewer was feeling less than great about his credibility come Led Zeppelin’s worldwide domination during the 1970s.
This article originally appears here.
