I'm sure Page couldn't give a f--k

the jealousy of the other bands of that era towards Zeppelin runs deep.

I 100% agree with Eric on Madonna, though I much prefer Led Zeppelin to anything Eric Clapton has ever created.

He is absolutely right about Madonna and Oasis.

I have zero problem with artists stating their unvarnished opinions about other artists at a particular time.

Clapton always comes across as an insufferable prick.

Nothing will ever lessen my love for Led Zeppelin. Their music to ME is the greatest I’ve ever heard. Still, I really do respect Eric’s own view on things, same with Pete Townsend and Keith Richard’s. Zeppelin came in with the greatest line up ever and blew them all out the water in every direction and stole all their thunder. I’d be pretty pissed off too tbh 😂

I asked my brother if he'd seen Zeppelin, he said yes, I asked what were they like? He said 'loud'.

What a strange video. The quotes are Clapton's, but if you didn't know the voice over (and presumably, the video of him speaking) was AI, you'd think that he just said these things recently, instead of throughout his career. It does change the context quite a bit.

Let's not forget Duane Allman, helped Clapton on, his one big hit, “Layla."

I agree about Madonna and The Grateful Dead. With Led Zep it sounds like he was talking about hearing them live. In this case, I can see his point. They were unbelievably loud. But on the stereo, they were killer.

I'm more interested in his thoughts on guys who steal their best friends wives.

they weren't 'unnecessarily loud'. They were EXACTLY necessarily loud. All us kids got it! Loudness was part of the deal.

All hail The Mighty Led Zeppelin = true Rock Stars. The perfect storm of 4 super-talented musicians. There will never be another.

What is the point with all this Led Zep bashing here on youtube ? They were a fantastic band with great songs and beautiful albums. Nothing more to say…

I saw Clapton in concert once. He put me to sleep.

Clapton has been playing the same solo for last 50 years.

Led Zeppelin stole everyone's thunder in the 70's. Yes, they are that amazing.

Cream was such an under rated super band.

Cream was also known as being unnecessarily loud.

They did more than "take" your legacy...They destroyed it. Never was, and never will be another rock band that can touch Led Zeppelin.

"Once there were 3 bears with equal talents, Eric, Jimmy and Jeff. In those days, people admired them, some even calling them Gods... As time passes Jeff kept on exploring the forest and discovered the most unusual places and became a great and well respected explorer with a wide and unique knowledge. As for Jimmy, he was such a great builder, he and his new friends built great buildings and such that it made them what some considers to be the greatest builders the whole forest ever knew. And, as for Eric, he loved the pentatonic scale SOOOOO much that it's all he's been doing ever since... he's quite good now at bluesy 5 tone solos."

The temptation to compare artists is very strong but not very realistic. Virtually all of the rock groups from that era were amazing.

When Jimi Hendrix arrived in London in Sept. '66, Clapton's reign as "God," was over. By the time Zeppelin released their first album in '69 his ego was crushed, booze and heroin were his only friends. "Unnecessarily loud?" BULLSHIT! He hated Zeppelin for the same reason that Townsend did - Page BLEW THEM BOTH AWAY!

Page is in a totally different class to Clapton

From the man who threw his dummy out when Hendrix blew him off stage in an improv jam.

Led Zeppelin=Hammer of the Gods. Clapton=Talking about Gods.

Eric Clapton certainly has a right to his opinion and I happen to agree with him, except for Zed Zeppelin. IMHO, Zep always has had their own thing, just from the chemistry between their 4 hugely talented and creative band members.

Clapton takes himself a bit too seriously imo. Every band has it's own legacy.

Led Zeppelin was a Hard Rock band, what did you expect Clapton?

All bands build on what came before them. Led Zeppelin built musical landscapes beyond imagination

If it's too loud, you're too old.

My uncle was claptons gardner many years ago where he lives in cranleigh i used to go and help out sometimes with the gardning clapton would always bring us coffee and cakes i had a few spontaneous guitar lessons in the garden 👍

This is AI

Sad to hear Eric criticizing LZ. They were so much better than anyone else, stretching and experimenting all the while being incredibly musical. As a huge Clapton fan, I'm really disappointed. You're wrong on this Sir.

Ritchie Blackmore " Hold my beer Eric "

A buddy of mine went to see Clapton at Alpine Valley, Stevie Ray Vaughn opened for him, he said that Stevie blew Clapton out of the water that night, sadly his final performance.

If Clapton made a song half as good as Kashmir - I might care what he thinks.

He's correct on the first three. Love the dead, but they never really gave it much in the studio. Van Halen, mostly just speed-whaling away, and Madona pure pop. But he definitely missed it on lz. They could be very soft and delicate when they wanted to, and did it beautifully. They just kept rocking harder and better when all the greats started slowing down. Maybe that's what he meant.

While I like Clapton and his music, Zeppelin’s catalog of music leaves Eric in the dust. Not even close.

All the comments critiquing Clapton's opinions need to know that he handpicks the lineups at the Crossroads musical festivals. People like Vince Gill, Keb "Mo, James Burton, Bert Jansch, Stefan Grossman, Albert Lee are among the best players in their genres, yet not widely known to people who only attended Led Zeppelin and Van Halen concerts back in the day. Clapton has always had a studied approach to the origins of his guitar work, crediting Robert Johnson as his inspiration, and going back to the roots of blues in his unplugged performances. Rather than attacking Clapton for having some dislikes among other rock guitarists, consider the longevity of his dedication to the preservation of the blues, along with embracing all the other roots of rock, such as rockabilly.

Agree or not, his honesty on major unassailable figures is refreshing.

If Clapton were able to apprehend the genus of LZ, maybe his own music would not be such pedestrian shlock.

The guy who played so loud in Cream, that he was temporarily deaf says Zeppelin played too loud. He said that when he played the solo on Crossroad he couldn't really hear what he was playing. But Zep is unnecessarily loud. Right!!

Now we know who sprayed "Clapton is God" on that Islington wall.

He's not wrong.

Brings me back to "Layla." An overplayed song I came to loath.

When Hendrix and Zeppelin burst on the scene, he was no longer the darling of the little clique that praised him as "god." His dilemma was trying to be a pure bluesman that could somehow represent the continuation of black American music. He once declared that many of his generation were "selling out." He was misguided. Not even Hendrix or Page tried to be a pure bluesman. They took things further. They were also unabashed showmen. Not the overly serious collegiate bore that Eric ultimately became.

It's ROCK N ROLL! It's supposed to be loud.

What this comment thread has really driven home to me is that Led Zep fans are getting to be almost as insufferable as Beatles fanatics.

Led Zeppelin got on his lawn again.

Clapton's music is mostly quite bland. LZ are geniuses.

When I was young, an old man once told me rock music is to be felt as well as heard.

It's all down to personal preferences. I happen to agree with everything Clapton says here. But that doesn't make us right. One reason why I love rock/blues music is that there is such a wide range, and the colour of your skin or your sex or your age or anything else just does not matter! It's the music that we all love - and what would life be without it?

Led Zeppelin >>>>>>>Cream but I do like cream

I always did suspect that Clapton was a tiresome old geezer even when he was young.

Interesting that both Clapton & Townshend couldn't stand Zeppelin.

Cream was an amazing 3 person band.

You could never accuse Eric of being a gracious man.

And I always thought Ginger Baker was the prickly one. Well, at least Eric is being honest.

Why is Eric Clapton like a cup of coffee? They both suck without cream. . . [edited for the pedantic trolls who don't have senses of humour]

Clapton's opinion of Madonna is one that I'm in agreement with. His opinion on Led Zeppelin though, about them being 'unnecessarily loud' made me think of Ginger Baker's answer when asked about his favorite memory of Cream's live shows - Baker said "Toad" : "Because that was the only time when the amplifiers weren't blasting my ears apart!" 😉

Cream was another famously "loud" band too. I wonder how Eric feels about those guys. Zeppelin is musically speaking a direct descendant of Cream as they were both loud, heavily improvisational, British blues bands. I actually find some of the Dead's studio work quite underrated. If anything, the Dead live is more of a mixed bag of either brilliance, or chemically influenced, aimless noodling.

Clap bores me to tears..

I actually like his sincerity. He doesnt want to colour things to please others but say what he really thinks and feels. So many people talk nicely about others but shit behind their backs. So Clapton is what a good friend is suppose to be, honest and on such friend you can count on. For example I truly dont think there are many such high level quality guitarists who gave so much support to other musicians either playing on their recordings, supported them live or performed for their memory. For example Concert For George as a tribute to late George Harrison is for me still one of the greatest live concerts ever and performance of Clapton is truly spotless and he did such support for so many friends. Yes he said LZ were very loud which is actually true, but I know his more in depth views and I am telling you that he admire Jimmy Page more than most of hard core fans. A good friend will criticise you but will also love you sincerely and such is Clapton. Maybe his playing is not so fast now as it use to be but listening him live is amazing as ever and he never stopped evolving and he play with amazing feel and presence even at recent concerts. I also admire than he never stopped playing, touring and recording, he lives for the music and I believe that when he will no more be able to do it and lay down his guitar for good, he will soon breathe his last !

Clapton is basically the gammon version of "Old man yells at cloud" simpsons meme

Eric Clapton is without a doubt one of the greatest and most talented guitarists in music history. Zeppelin? Say what you will...but they are still the greatest and most influential rock band in history to this day.

I believe everyone has a right to speak of their opinions, however, I don’t believe I give one shit what Clapton thinks of these other artists 🙄 what is it about that band that makes them so miserable? Bruce wasn’t exactly a happy camper and Clapton always comes of as a jealous, over critical tool, and don’t get me started on Baker🤨 pretty much a complete ass in every interview and thinks a little too much of himself🤦‍♂️

Clapton is nothing on Led Zeppelin. Period

Old Eric was never a nice chap, stoned or sober. Age hasn't changed him.

Just because Clapton cannot identify with what Zeppelin did matters not, they've moved musical mountains.

He was right about everyone but Zeppelin.

The Dead made some memorable studio albums such as Working Man's Dead or American Beauty. Garcia didn't repeat the same old blues-box lick 🎸 over and over again, he created inspired improvisations.

“Zeppelin took it to another space than cream..” Yes, to the stratosphere.

I never got what was so great about the Dead, Madonna, and Oasis. Now Zeppelin is another story.

he was right bout Madonna and the Hooligans (Oasis)

it never ceases to amaze me at how many rock musicians are jealous of Led Zeppelin.

I went to a Clapton concert in Providence in 1974. 3rd row, right in front of the PA. My ears were ringing for a week. He was pretty loud himself back then.

Clapton was great at playing a certain genre on guitar, blues, mainly pentatonic scales, with especially.good bends and good vibrato. But he simply doesn’t have the songwriting legacy.

Loud? Cream was earsplitting loud!

Zeppelin were light years ahead of anything Clapton had been involved in, in terms of composition, performance, virtuosity, eclecticism, dynamics, imagination, artistry, power and sophistication.

I can’t pick a favourite Led Zeppelin song, too many and depends what mood I’m in. I can count the number of Clapton songs in my music library quite comfortably on one hand. I’m aware people will think the complete opposite of this and that’s what’s great about music.

Given that Page was far superior to Clapton as a guitarist, and that Eric had few songs that matched Led Zep, for him to say that Zep failed to match Cream, and he didn't like what Page did with them, seems weak at best. Criticizing other players, he sounds like a brat kid downing players that outshone him. Clapton is overrated and irrelevant now. No one wants to hear his lame opinions.

If ‘too loud’ is the only derogatory comment Clapton can make about LZ, then that is not putting them down. I’ve been to Bluesbreakers gigs with John Mayall and they were very loud for some venues. Wouldn’t say they were bad though!

Cream yes but after that nothing to blow your mind

I'd imagine he's saying he liked their more blues based stuff (of course), but then they turned into a full blown hard rock band with wide ranging, eclectic themes. You'll hear similar comments from The Who, Stones, and Beatles. They didn't understand Zeppelin, but LZ went on to become the greatest rock band of all time. I like to relax to Clapton tunes. LZ is a powerhouse that takes it to an entirely different level.

He's spot on about Madonna

Who the f..k cares what Clapton thinks of the mighty LZ.

The Dead was always better live than on the studio recordings

Back in the day, there was so much jealousy among rival groups who became famous that we just accepted it as part of their "growing pains" as being young and self-important. It was no big deal to the audience and record buyers because we were more interested in the music which was exploding at the time. There was so much talent which was coming at us so fast, that we were overwhelmed and couldn't wait for the next record. It was like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hose. In my opinion, the biggest catalyst was the British Invasion which opened up America's youth that rock & roll had many different roots from other countries. Our American rock was suddenly like vanilla ice cream in a new world with 32 different flavors. We were in heaven. Speaking for myself only, the creativity seemed to lessen when disco reared its ugly head. I still love all music from the 1940's through the mid-70's. After that, not so much.... The only thing I regretted at the time was their egos getting in the way of each other within the same bands, that they were like time-bombs, waiting to self-destruct. So many of the members of the bands broke off and regrouped, that keeping up with them individually was almost impossible. It seemed like we would talk about a band member and then say, "Oh year, that was when he was with ....." We usually had to specify what year it was. Eventually, almost every individual member had rotated through most of the bands. There are many books with details of this rock & roll history and evolution. The individuals had tremendous talents and exploding hormones and that is a volatile combination. There were so many murders, and unintentional suicides by loaded guns or substance abuse. So sad. Even the accidental airplane crashes stole so many young and creative talents. I wonder how many more songs were still left in these people, mostly from the 50's through the 70's. I love how so many of the wild ones have now put out albums of old American Standards (classic jazz) which are fantastic. Then you match Robert Plant with Allison Kraus and anybody else with Willie Nelson or Tony Bennett. The history of musicians evolving over 60+ years is fascinating. I never complain about who was the best talent or had the best personality. I will make an objective observation but not a personal opinion. I just enjoy the ride.

Says the guy who has been sleeping since 1968

Like Cream weren't loud?

No Eric, Led Zeppelin did not take up your legacy. They had their own sound(s) and created their own legacy. Cream was a second-tier band too dysfunctional to stay together for more than a couple of years. Cream sold 15 million records total. Led Zeppelin IV alone sold nearly 40 million copies. Cream is nowhere close to Led Zeppelin.

I respect his point of view, he's a real artist.

Though it's pretty funny how Clapton, Townshend, Keith Richards, the ever complaining Roger Waters and others seem to have such strong feelings towards Page and LZ...might be 'cause they reigned supreme in the 70s 👑

Zeppelin simply more talented than anybody else plain and simple, best concert I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen most of the legends in my time.

He’s entitled to his opinions, just like anyone else.

His comments are all valid, but music styles are so subjective. Every opinion is right and every opinion is wrong.

Clapton is allowed his opinion just like everyone here in the comments. Honestly who cares about this. Lol

I disagree with Clapton about Led Zeppelin.