Things I think about while sitting in traffic: UPDATED X3

I was on the interstate making my way to a doctor’s appointment while listening to the album Led Zeppelin IV.

Not being a fan of Das Mightee Zepp, I had not listened to the album as a whole prior to yesterday. I do have to admit that it is a damn fine piece of work.

However, I’m not one to be satisfied with leaving works of music art well enough alone. I like to bend them around a bit.

In this instance, I was thinking about a 21st Century “supergroup” covering the entire album. Remaking it from the opening note to final amplifier echo. Let us not worry about the “Why”, but about the “Who” and the “How”.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to pick four musicians alive and playing today.

All must be under 45 years of age (aka: Not much older than Zep itself).

None of them have can have produced music together before.

Most importantly, they must be sufficiently skilled to play all the tracks note for note in both a studio setting and live.

They will know that this project is sanctioned by the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin and must understand that failure will win them eternal disdain from the world of music.

I will post my two least controversial choices tomorrow, and the two most controversial ones on Sunday.

Think on it and leave your suggestions in the comments here.

UPDATE#1: Also, I’m looking for a name. Otherwise, I’m call it Dirigible Ballast

Picks below the fold

UPDATE#2: The Easy Ones

Drums: Dave Grohl – I didn’t choose him just because he is currently touring with John Paul Jones and that their project Them Crooked Vultures got me thinking on this topic, or because he is a huge Zep fanatic. I have chosen him because John Bonham was a power player who whacked drum heads like only the son of a carpenter can. Grohl can do that AND play with utter precision and control. Two other characteristics Bonahm possessed.

Guitar: Jack White – He was not my initial choice, but he is my final one. Unlike Bonham, Page is not a precision player. He prefers to get on with a job and if something unexpected happens, then so be it. For those reasons I initially wanted Trey Anastasio to fill this role, but his blues style is too much on crunchy side, like Billy Gibbons’ (who, strangely enough, has appeared to hand off his blues mantle to White). White’s style is what I’d like to call “carefree seriousness”. He is going to take care of business, but have a good time doing it.

Stop by tomorrow for my selections for the Vox and Bass positions. Feel free to continue to add your own suggestions in the comments or critique mine.

UPDATE #3: Bass and Vox. The difficult ones.

John Paul Jones is a bad ass, though in a completely different way than say, John Entwistle or Chris Squire. If you want to put a pair of parentheses around a powerful percussionist so that a solid rhythm is held while keeping up with any guitar maestro, he is your man. An attitude of sound with only four strings.

But we’re not looking for a Bass God here, because you’ll not manufacture another one of them for another generation or two. Today, we’re only seeking someone who can keep up with what he laid down. The guy just needs to drive a blues riff while simultaneously wrapping a big G chord around Grohl.

I had originally wanted John Curly, formerly of the Afghan Whigs. In fact, he is the original reason I pushed the age limit to 45. However, I just couldn’t convince myself that he would fit. Also because he is on the list for the “21st Century Supergroup” remake of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors album. You just can’t give a guy two, no matter how good he is.

Which is why I’m going to be giving this one Tad Kinchla, of Blues Traveler fame. I’d have loved to include Bobby Sheehan on this project, but his OD fuck up disqualifies him. So I’ll take the man who had to fill his shoes and continue producing at his level.

…..

And last, but certainly not least, who will take up the mantle of the cock swinging Rock God. Who has the gravitas to pull off the vocal tracks laid down by Robert Plant almost 40 years ago?

75% of the people I’ve asked, and I’ve asked over three dozen at last count, said Soungarden/Audioslave frontman, Chris Cornell.

I’m afraid I’m going to have to answer a resounding, No. That that is absolutely the wrong answer.

And for the same reason that Les Claypool or Flea would be the wrong answer for the bass position. They are both too much their own men, with a style that is too deeply set in place to be able to cover anyone. They will be covered, not the other way around.

If I could be dishonest with myself and forget the age limit, I’d much rather have Geoff Tate from Queensryche.

But neither Cornell or Tate could do the job properly.

Everyone seems to only remember the high flying parts of Plant’s repertoire. Hardly anyone remembers that this album is a departure from staying in scream register for an entire track. Plant has his moments, to be sure, but do remember that we’re covering Led Zeppelin IV not Led Zeppelin III.

If we were covering III, I could possibly see a Cornell/Tate type and not my selection. But that would be the only album I’d consider them to cover.

And it is with great want and demand for this project to take place that I announce that I want Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes to take up the spot behind the microphone.

Disagree? Listen to the Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and By Your Side one more time each. I did and was 99% convinced.

But before I could find that last 1% I had to talk to the biggest Zeppelin fan I know and ask him his opinion of my project and my selections.

After he got to jab me in the ribs for taking so long to “come around” to the band, he reminded me of an album I passed up because of the Zeppelin influence and had forgotten about.

Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes – Live at the Greek

There are now two indisputable facts in life:

1 – The above named album is now in my collection, and

2 – Chris Robinson is the only vocalist who can properly cover the vocal tracks on Led Zeppelin IV.

Feel free to try and disagree, I’ll still hear arguments. But this is the ensemble list I’m sending off to those who have any chance to make it happen.

Anyone have another classic album they would like remade? I’m going through my list and may decide to pop another one of these up in the not too distant future.