Jimmy Page Defends Led Zeppelin Following Keith Richards’ Negative Comments
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 29: British musician Jimmy Page arrives for a Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall for a planning meeting on May 29, 2018 in London, England. British singer Robbie Williams has been in a four year dispute with his neighbours including Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page over plans to build a basement extension at his multimillion pound home. A formal decision on the proposal is expected to be made by the council at a planning meeting at Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall this evening. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
The 1960s brought a wave of British musicians who reshaped the landscape of rock and roll. Among them, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin stood out, representing two generations of bands that pushed musical boundaries in distinct ways. Keith Richards, a key figure in the Stones, has long been recognized for his influence on rock guitar, while Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page became a defining force in hard rock. Over the years, Page has shared his views on his contemporaries, including Richards, offering insight into the mutual admiration and occasional disagreements between the two iconic guitarists.
Admiration Between Guitarists
Page has consistently praised Richards for his technical skill and creativity. “The thing I remember the most is that Keith was solid and driving and he didn’t make mistakes. He kept going all the way through. And I realised just what a powerful force he is behind those Rolling Stones records. There was no doubt about it. Of course, I could take it all apart and highlight everybody’s vital contribution, but Keith was really driving it,” Page told Uncut magazine in 2023.
He added, “The thing about Keith is his timing is really good. He has the imagination to be able to construct these wonderful riffs, which are the driving force behind the Stones’ records, pretty much. Not only that, but he could then turn his attention towards the acoustic playing on the 12-string, where he does ‘Angie’ and things like that. So he’s extremely versatile. And super creative. If you’ve got somebody who can keep coming up with really good riffs decade after decade, that’s pretty serious. To be respected.”
Page also reflected on the longevity and influence of Richards’ music, saying, “He’s given us decades of wonderful, creative music with an attitude and character which could only be Keith Richards. Let’s hope he lives for another 80 years. Who knows, I might be able to jam with him again in another 50!”
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Early Encounters
Page first met Richards and Mick Jagger during the American Folk Blues tour in England. The three attended performances by the blues artists they admired, and later visited a record collector’s house where they heard the classic Howlin’ Wolf compilation album for the first time. In the 1960s, Page also attended Rolling Stones concerts in small clubs and noted their impressive live skill.
Their professional paths crossed in 1967 during a session for Chris Farlowe, which Richards was producing. Years later, in 1973, Page recorded with Richards and Ronnie Wood, contributing to what became the backing track for the Stones’ song “Scarlet.” In 1986, Page co-wrote another Stones track, “One Hit (To the Body),” released on the Dirty Work album.
Defending Led Zeppelin
In 2015, Richards commented on Led Zeppelin in a Rolling Stone interview, saying, “I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler. He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?”
When asked about Richards’ remarks by Classic Rock magazine, Page defended his band while praising Richards. “Keith can say what he wants. He’s Keith Richards. I think he’s done some amazing work. I respect his playing. And he has a solo album out. But if I was promoting a new album, would I be more caustic? The answer is no (I don’t agree). I’m not sure what he means by calling Led Zeppelin hollow. I think he’s got his tongue in his cheek. What we did was really cool,” Page said.
Richards’ Perspective
In an earlier interview, Richards admitted he thought Zeppelin had limitations as a band. “As a band I thought they never took off musically. At the same time Jimmy Page is one of the best guitar players ever known. They had a hell of a powerhouse drummer, I think is kind of heavy-handed, myself, but that’s where the ‘Led’ comes in. But at the same time Plant is exuberant, Robert is exuberant.”
He also described the band’s vocal and stage style: “Absolutely an LV (Lead Vocalist), although I think he is very much in that English mood of Elvis, Roger Daltrey, there was the fringes and blah, blah, blah, and the microphone. Rod Stewart and even Mick Jagger. There were scenes that copied each other in a bit, but to me Led Zeppelin is Jimmy Page. You know, you wanna cut the story short: Jimmy Page, shy boy.”
Collaborations Beyond Led Zeppelin
Page also worked with Brian Jones in the 1960s on the soundtrack for A Degree of Murder (1967). He recalled, “I didn’t know Mick and Keith as well as I knew Jeff. But I’d seen Brian at the Ealing Jazz Club. I saw him play bottleneck guitar. I was struggling with the Elmore James stuff. Suddenly, it clicked. It was in the tuning. He was doing it.”
He continued, “It might have been Stu (Stones roadie-pianist Ian Stewart) who called me. Brian knew what he was doing. It was quite beautiful. Some of it was made up at the time; some of it was stuff I was augmenting with him. I know I was definitely playing with the (violin) bow. Brian had this guitar that had a volume pedal — he could get gunshots with it. There was a Mellotron there. He was moving forward with ideas.”
The soundtrack also featured drummer Kenney Jones and session pianist Nicky Hopkins. Jones passed away in 2012, and Jones tragically died in 1969 at age 27. While the Rolling Stones are the longest-running successful rock band, Led Zeppelin has sold an estimated 300 million records worldwide, roughly 100 million more than the Stones.
