Alice Cooper baffled by Robert Plant's refusal to rejoin Zeppelin

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      In a recent interview with the Palm Springs Boxing Examiner, legendary shock-rocker and boxing fan Alice Cooper pondered why Robert Plant thinks he might be too old to rejoin Led Zeppelin. Cooper doesn't believe it would be that big of a deal for the 62-year-old crooner to get up on stage with his former bandmates and rock out again, to the delight of millions of diehard Zep fans.

      "They are just standing there," said Cooper, who's also 62, "what is so hard? Jimmy Page wants to do it. John Paul Jones wants to do it. And they got Bonham's son [Jason Bonham], who is a killer drummer. All they need is Robert Plant. But what is Robert Plant out there doing? Playing folk music! What is he doing?"

      Plant is actually playing rootsy Americana music with the Band of Joy—which includes singer Patty Griffin and guitarist Buddy Miller—and will bring that group to Vancouver in April. It's doubtful that "Black Dog" or "Stairway to Heaven" will make the setlist, but that's okay with Plant, who recently told Rolling Stone that—while the one-off Zeppelin reunion that happened in London in 2007 had its moments—his heart isn't into those songs any more.

      "The preparations for [the 2007 show] were fraught and intense," he said, "but the last rehearsal was really, really good, for all that it represented and all that we were trying to capture. But I've gone so far somewhere else that I almost can't relate to it... It's a bit of a pain in the pisser to be honest. Who cares? I know people care, but think about it from my angle—soon, I'm going to need help crossing the street.

      "There's nothing worse than a bunch of jaded old farts," Plant added, "and that's a fact. People who have written their story—they've gotten to the point where nothing moves. I don't deal in that, and I don't deal with anybody who deals in that."

      For his own part, Cooper is more than happy to live in the past, touring—as he did on the Gruesome Twosome trek with Rob Zombie that hit town last year—on the strength of his back catalogue. He can get away with it, since his string of five amazing Alice Cooper Band albums in the early '70s—Love it to Death, Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies, and Muscle of Love—left him with a ton of choice concert material.

      "I go out on stage and say 'turn it up'," enthused Cooper, who was finally nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last September. "I never get tired of playing my songs."

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      Comments

      10 Comments

      ryan s

      Jan 29, 2011 at 5:29pm

      simple - if you watch any of the videos from the London reunion, it's god awful and Plant looks like he'd rather be dead... it would probably ruin Led Zeppelin for a lot of people

      Jan F

      Jan 30, 2011 at 11:56am

      Why should he rejoin Zep? He has a great career playing what he likes, and a brand new following. Growing old gracefully has a lot of merit.

      l'il stevie

      Jan 31, 2011 at 9:06am

      The caption for that photo is money... good one mike or whoever.

      Steve Newton

      Jan 31, 2011 at 9:49am

      dude, the blog is called Ear of Newt, not Meatwand of Mike! I compose all the brilliant captions. Now show me this "money" you speak of.

      Drone

      Jan 31, 2011 at 10:19am

      "My heart isn't into those songs any more."

      When a musician feels that way, that's the end.

      I am glad for Plant for he has clearly grown and evolved as a human being... and when that happens musical interests tend to change.

      bowser

      Jan 31, 2011 at 4:08pm

      Perhaps the real reason Robert Plant isn't interested in rejoining the boys for a money grabbing reunion tour (can you say The Police??) can be found in the name of his new band - The band of Joy. We should all be so lucky to be in that position at anytime in our lives. And don't think that just because you have no idea who Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller are means they don't have talent. At least they're not just ripping off ole blues musicians. Granted, Zep did create some awesome stuff, but they were always more theatrical fluff than real substance. And oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALICE COOPER FOR HIS INDUCTION INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!

      Bored

      Feb 1, 2011 at 1:49pm

      To paraphrase Ricky Gervias:

      If this was 1975 it would be a big deal.

      Steve Newton

      Feb 10, 2011 at 11:55am

      and if this was 1975 we'd be listening to great music.

      drone

      Feb 17, 2011 at 1:24pm

      Steve, we still listen to great music. It's just harder to find - but not even by that much. Today's heavy-psych-experimental rock music scene is HUGE and AMAZING.

      Owen Marmorek

      Mar 14, 2011 at 4:21pm

      Alice should throw Led Zeppelin III on for another spin. Robert Plant has always been a fan of folk music!