I love The Who but I cannot listen to their albums from beginning to end like most Led Zep albums. You can try to involve semantics into the argument, but at the end of the day, it is what people hear AND feel when they listen to music. So all of this stuff about people, NOT "getting it" is hog wash. Led Zep for me.
its hard to answer this poll. fyi, i was a kid in high school in MALAYSIA when i first listened to them. didnt know any kid my age who listened to the Who. they werent even played on radio. Led Zeppelin was more popular to casual listeners. i love them both. i do think LZ is the 'cooler' band. and theyre easier to get into. and perhaps overrated. people who dont really know them would be more inclined to brag theyre a fan even if all theyve listened to are Stairway to Heaven and Kashmir. TW requires more patience. i think theyre more diverse musically. and underrated. definitely not a 'cool' band compared to LZ. none of my friends in school ever heard of them. i think led zeppelin is the 'greater' band. more solid albums, and a musical style of their own. and they have mystique. the who is more whimsical, more out there musically, and they dont have a signature sound. i'll put LZ the greater band over TW, but i always say The Who is my favourite band over LZ. but of course the greatest band of all time is Fall Out Boy followed by 30 seconds to Mars (unless some bozos here thinks its 30 seconds to Mars over Fall Out Boy )
Fatty, Can you not be any more obvious with your trolling? Do us all a favor and quit calling Batman Jones a troll when you turn around and do the same thing that you accuse him of?
I have never been able to get into the Who. I find them to be boring and songs like Teenage Wasteland to be painful. But it has nothing to do with messy vs clean because I like plenty of "messy" music. I don't know what it is. I voted Zep easily.
Led Zep... at 5:20 or so, Moon comes on stage. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GyM6-QibDFM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GyM6-QibDFM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
First, it's "Baba O' Riley," not "Teenage Wasteland." Second, I agree about the clean vs. messy as far as me personally- hard to explain, but I do see a pattern among the types of groups people list as their favorites (e.g. listings on Amazon). Look, there are people out there who can't stand The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, etc. It's all subjective when it comes to music. But, for many, there are certain types of music that they prefer- and in the rock genre, which is very broad, some fall into that, too.
You need to learn sarcasm you stupid twit. It was meant tongue-in-cheek as it was nearly 7 years ago and you posted in it several times. Please explain how in any way, shape or form it was "trolling" you dunce? In fact, the only reason I can see you being so defensive is that you recalled that old post and were embarassed that someone had thought of comparing these before you. How dense or humorless are you?
It sounds like a lot of people voting for Zeppelin have listened to that much of The Who. The Who does have a distinctive sound but as a band also had a very diverse sound just compare these two songs. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iJCXpFy0E5s?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iJCXpFy0E5s?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a4xjr9v5ehk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a4xjr9v5ehk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Both are definately The Who but have very different feels. Zeppelin as time has gone by has definately gotten more air play and is considered the cooler band but what tips it for me is that Pete Townshend is a much better song writer who understood how to use the strengths of the rest of the band to create his emotional vision. Zeppelin's music to me while definately cool and technically interesting always lacks emotional depth. It strikes me as about a cool sleek aggression that is an ideal of Rock but doesn't really speak much to the human condition. The Who on the other hand explores the human condition and most particularly the male human condition. It makes perfect sense to me that Led Zeppelin is the music you get laid to while The Who is the music you listen to when you get pissed off and drunk because you got shot down by the girl you were after. The Who can capture those conflicting emotions of bravado, longing, anger and despair sometimes in the same song. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v1-QWiOl25A?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v1-QWiOl25A?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> Its that ability to express what it means to be a man with not just a sense of his power but also his frustrations, uncertainty and angst why bands from The Clash, U2 and Pearl Jam have cited The Who as major influences.
Meh. I was a big who Fan. still am, I guess, but I never liked them like I liked Zeppelin. I have Who are You and Live at Leeds on vinyl, but I wore my Zeppelin albums out quicker. It's a close call, but I would say the Zeppelin catalogue is a more enjoyable listen, probably credit that to being a bit newer, but also to Jimmy's and Jones's production skills. Probably would have preferred to see the Who live in their prime, but even that would be debatable. That said, I agree that in some ways the Who were more innovative, important ways. Zeppelin was creative as well, but borrowed too much to be considered -as- innovative, imo. Still, i gave it to zep, too many favorites there that don't get old (though some posting youtube videos here seems to post the ones that do, by both bands (except Judoka, nice picks, man). Which is greater... hmmm. so subjective. Greatness can be measured in so many ways when comparing bands. I think in many ways it could be considered the Who legitimately, but if I had a stack of music sitting next to me by both, I'd wanna hear more of the Zeppelin tunes more of the time.
If I'm driving across the radio wasteland of Northern Nevada and i only have one album, it is Quadrophenia. Here's an awesome 1973 live version of Drowned, which may be my favorite song on the album and definitely my favorite of not-well-known Who songs. The Ox and Moon go nuts on this song, which is apparently off a bootleg. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CQw1bNgdCf8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CQw1bNgdCf8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> As much as I like Led Zep, they can't match the passion and emotional intensity of The Who. One good thing about both groups... neither went psychedelic. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XrO4_nyamZs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XrO4_nyamZs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
Totally dig both bands but my vote is Zeppelin. First album I ever had Was Led Zeppelin 2. I can still picture my mom holding it, looking down at me and saying "son this was mine but now it's yours" I was 6 years old. I was hooked instantly. Actually a pretty important moment in my life I'll never forget. Moon may be my all time favorite drummer though, dude was out of his mind great!
Because it's wrong to have a personal preference for one over the other? Maybe the GRF fan simply prefers that band's straight-ahead approach to rock and roll and feels Zep's music is overblown or pompous. Grand Funk is no flash-in-the-pan band- they were all talented, definitely underrated, and wrote many great songs, including We're An American Band and Closer to Home. I certainly prefer Zep, but I can definitely see why some might prefer the Funk.
Although Led Zeppelin put out 8 studio recordings that are considered among the best, if not the best, without any clunkers- The Who also has what I would call their "Great 8"- these include a greatest hits that sums up their pre-Who's Next phase (Meaty), a live album that needs to be purchased for Summertime Blues and Shakin All Over, which are not on any of their studio CDs, a compilation (Odds), and the other 5 which are studio recordings (non-greatest hits, non-compilations, non-live). These don't include pre-Tommy stuff like Sell Out, nor the post-Moon recordings like Face Dances and It's Hard. Those are good, but if I'm stating the case for The Who as one of the greatest musical artists/bands of all time, these 8 recordings represent The Who at their best. 1. Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy 2. Tommy 3. Live At Leeds 4. Who's Next 5. Quadrophenia 6. Odds and Sods 7. The Who By Numbers 8. Who Are You
Got it. Well, some feel that there's actually a right and wrong (I mean, if someone said they liked New Kids on the Block over The Beatles- I think I'd almost have to say that they were wrong).
