Led Zeppelin or Rush?

Led Zeppelin or Rush

  • Total voters
    42
An easy Led Zeppelin for me.

Early Geddy Lee singing was like the proverbial ice pick to the eardrum. I appreciate Neil Peart but it kind of got old that everyone concentrated on his playing and ignored the guitars.

I went through their entire catalog when Peart passed and gave it all listen. Presto was my favorite, i think. The lyrics were kind of pretentious but I enjoyed it.

Led Zeppelin, I can listen to over and over though. Jimmy was a little sloppy but his song writing was always interesting and smart. John Paul Jones is a great musician. John Bonham interested me much more than Professor Drums. Robert Plant, let’s face it, he was man sex on vinyl. Way more fun as a band.
 
Thanks guys. I think maybe Rush falls into a weird place for me where it's not hard rock enough or progressive enough to push my buttons. I can appreciate the technical proficiency, but I just don't seem to have an emotional response to it - although realistically I might feel the same way about Zeppelin, too, if I hadn't grown up on it.
 
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Zep was my early teen influence, and Stairway was the song that inspired me to pick up the guitar. Had an older HS guitarist buddy who adored them, so we bonded over Zeppelin, and played many songs of theirs together.

Then I discovered Rush, and they (and VH) became my favorite bands, probably until I discovered Dream Theater. I grew away from Zeppelin to the point where I almost can't listen to much of it with the same feelings I had as a teen/early 20's. Too much fantasy. And I know Rush had their share too, but it was a different kind of fantasy.

Rush's music and lyrics just resonated better with me. The way Peart would write about common themes- Subdivisions, Losing It, Different Strings, Circumstances, Limelight- just blew me away!

So, Rush, all the way for me.

Oh, and Rush was my first concert (Zeppelin would've been, had Bonham not died), 7 rows from the stage on Moving Pictures. That was absolutely surreal!! :chef
 
Why not both? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Has worked out just fine for me so far. Incredibly rare forces. Not enough through time to pick only one.
 
i love both, and think the level of dork-ness in both has similar levels. i think theyre both unreal levels of musicianship.

i give rush tons of credit for not succumbing to rockstar levels of depravity and being disciplined regular joes. theyre the clifford brown of the rock world. i seriously think thats amazing.

but i voted led zeppelin because they just emotionally hit in a different place. theyre swagger and cool way more than rush, and just looser and more feel driven.

would i rather play in a band with them? fuuuuuuuuck no. JPJ and bonham? yes. page and plant.. absolutely not. rush? absolutely maybe? probably not... but given the choice of either.. yes, rush.

but from where i sit here, led zeppelin, and i reach for their records way more often.
 
I’ll bet the majority here would echo this 😂
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LeftyLoungeLizard said:
It's a sort of challenge for yourself.
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Trust me... I'm challenged enough! :rofl

Counting a few bars of 7/8 followed by some 5/4 (my fave) in the Rush way... and I'm pooped.

OK... I'll vote Rush: purely on the amount of albums alone. Less repeats if I hit shuffle. Are you happy now? Look what you've made me do!!!

I kid, I kid. Tis a good challenge. I just don't want to choose, though.
 
I love both... but as someone that grew up close to Toronto, I'd probably be fined by the provincial government if I didn't say Rush.
Rush has featured heavily in my life thanks to their place in Canadian pop culture, and both of my parents were always fans while I was growing up.

I don't really listen to Zep much, but when I want that thing only they will do.
 
I find both of them hard work. Undeniable musicianship and pretty huge influence for both though, so I can appreciate them even if it’s not really to my taste. But listening to either just feels like being force fed and they’re both so cheesy that I can’t really stomach it for long.

Out of the 2, I’d go for Zep. Bonham can groove and there’s some good riffs thrown in there.
 
AutomationBias said:
Thanks guys. I think maybe Rush falls into a weird place for me where it's not hard rock enough or progressive enough to push my buttons. I can appreciate the technical proficiency, but I just don't seem to have an emotional response to it - although realistically I might feel the same way about Zeppelin, too, if I hadn't grown up on it.
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If you want prog Rush, listen to Cygnus X-1 Book I The Voyage, and Book II Hemispheres. Probably the peak of prog Rush. Natural Science is another masterclass.
 
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