if the Page camp are bursting with new ideas and ready to go, especially with new material.
I just cannot see Led Zep without Plant, that goes without saying - but if they do something under a different name it certainly won't have the same commercial clout.

But just when should a band call it a day and retire the name gracefully and just who should judge who the key members are?

Queen without Freddie Mercury? The Who survived without Keith Moon but should they have finished when John Entwistle died?
The Stranglers go on without Hugh Cornwell - could The Smiths reform without Mozzer and Marr? Certainly the drummer and bassist from The Jam believe they can without Paul Weller!

...what's that smell? Has someone been saying 'Paul Rodgers'?

I would prefer my Led Zep albums to be instrumental as Plant is a terrible lyrics writer and a so-so singer (my opinion, and yes, I know I'm the only person to think so).

They should f**k the record sales (which in the download era are nothing great anyway) and instead record obscure ambient heavy metal under a new name. And if they must have vocals on a few tracks, they should either get a woman or have a rotating roster of singers like Massive Attack.

That band doing dark ambient music with heavy metal parts, wow, I'd buy it.

Brooks.

Now that would be good to hear.

that Dave Grohl is chomping at the bit

you're not alone. I, too, though Plant an average singer - great in the studio but rubbish live. But then I also thought that Freddie Mercury was very average for the same reason.
If you can't hit the notes without technological assistance then don't sing the f***ing notes in the first place.
God save Tom Waits.

I say its best left alone.

A one-off like the O2 gig is great, but a new album and tour would be full of percy-sized pitfalls from Plant's point of view. Unless the new stuff is outstanding (and Plant has a better recent track record than Page in that department) and in tune with where he wants to go musically (see Raising Sand!) then I can't see him taking it on and without Plant it's a less Zeppelin more hot-air balloon.

Collaboration may be a different matter - bring in guests like Miss Krauss and some of the Nashville aristocracy Plant has on his books currently and we could get something interesting.

Just my twopennyworth

IF they get together - Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones - why do they have to be Led Zeppelin? Can't they just leave all that behind them (cos lets face it, they're not going to be touring on any starships filled with red snappers in the near future) and call it a new project?

A bit like Anderson and Butler with The Tears, albeit without the acrimonious split and general indifference.

...if they do that, they might as well call it The Firm again, and who's waiting for a reunion of The Firm?? (The best thing on that debut album was a Zeppelin outtake!)

Robert's solo career has been consistently excellent, whereas Jimmy Page has done little of consequence in his post-Zeppelin work. The way Page's solo projects have all bore a remarkable similarity to Zeppelin (The Firm, Coverdale/Page, The Black Crowes live album, hiring Robert to sing on 'Outrider') speaks volumes. Even John Paul Jones' few solo albums have been more inventive.

It's the same thing with Genesis, all of the other guys were waiting on Peter Gabriel, who (like Plant) has made vague statements over the years and doesn't seem to really want to do it outside of one-offs. Plant was seemingly aware of the similarity, I remember reading that apparently Robert Plant sent Peter Gabriel a phonecall asking something like 'which one of us is gonna sell out first'!!

If the other two want to do something without Plant, they would have to change the name with some subtle difference. Like in 1974, when John Cleese left Monty Python's Flying Circus, the other five continued without him, renaming the TV series Monty Python. They did six episodes before giving up and getting Cleese back and doing films instead.

The singer is essential to the song and to any band reforming, so Page/Jones/Bonham should do something but not as Led Zep. It's just not the same, many have tried and all have failed:

The Pogues without Shane
The Undertones without Feargal
The Stranglers without Hugh
Queen without Freddie

That said... solo singers doing previous 'band' songs are also not quite the same as the band reforming. Sting wouldn't have sold the tickets the Police did; The Stone Roses would headline Glasto, Ian Brown would not; Joe Strummer did Clash songs with the Mescalaros at the Shepherds Bush Empire but as The Clash he'd have sold out Wembley.

Genesis is not quite the same - their commercial success with Phil Collins as singer outstrips their Gabriel time, even though we'd all prefer a Gabriel reunion.

Leona Lewis had been signed up for this.......

They reformed for Ahmet Ertegun. Presumably they'll do the same for Jerry Wexler.

Percy's output for exceeds what the others have done. He did a talking head interview to go with his solo box set a year ago which was interesting. He sees all his solo output as being a journey and one for which he was woefully ill-equipped when Zeppelin broke up. He remains one of my favourite artists.

To follow up on what JJ says above, Page's output has not really moved on and I always sensed that he wanted to go back to the band. Whether the input of JPJ changes that is in an interesting question.

I am far from convinced that given all that Percy does he would want to be constrained by the Zeppelin brand. I hope he doesn't do it - I would love to have seen them at the O2 last year but I suspect a new album would be a mighty disappointment.

...I have to be frank here and say that the Page/Plant album 'Walking Into Clarksville'- for me- does not match up to anything Led Zeppelin released in their heyday. I find myself playing the live 'No Quarter' they did a lot more, which somehow seemed fresher despite it being mostly old songs. There is indeed every chance that a new album could disappoint.

It so happened I listened to this the other evening. The first 3 or 4 tracks are quite interesting but the rest drags and I ended up skipping through most of them.

No Quarter on the other hand is excellent. Although the tracks which disappoint for me on it are once again the couple of new songs.

Surely?

Plant has a lot of dignity, and a lot of passion. He does what he wants and that's that. I'm not sure he sees Zep as his legacy, more a part of his legacy. I've often read interviews with him where he recommends music he's listening to, and generally make a point of hearing it. Usually he's right on the money, recently he picked the Black Keys new one and I love that.

I wasn't at the O2 to watch that show, but the You Tube clips show that they didn't just cut the mustard, they sliced it into tiny pieces.

Robert Plant has always struck me as being someone who isn't keen on looking backwards. He's teamed up with Page from time to time over the years, but I really don't think his heart lies in squeezing lemons at his advanced age. His work with Alison Krauss has given him his biggest success since Zeppelin split up, so why on earth would he want to wake the old dinosaur from its slumber for a world tour? I'm certain he doesn't need the money.

John Paul Jones doesn't need to do it either. He's been involved in numerous interesting musical projects and certainly doesn't need the money.

Which leaves Jimmy Page... he may have been the band's riffmeister supreme, its sonic architect, its driving force... but without Plant he's forced to hire a 'karaoke' version in David Coverdale, or jam with a pick-up band like The Black Crowes. Without any of these, he's a guitar player without a singer or a band. So obviously he needs the others more than they need him.

Personally I hope they don't tour and don't make an album, and this is coming from someone who has loved Led Zeppelin's music unreservedly since he was 9 years old. The O2 gig was a triumph, let it be the final, glorious hurrah of a truly wonderful band.

It was actually Bonzinho, not Jimmy Page, who spilled the beans.

No more lumpen, ham-fisted, unsubtle and Hobbit-infested bleedin Zeppelin.

What about Jack White or Jack Black

Seriously, Jack White fronting Zepplin - I'd go to that.
Jack Black - I wouldn't go but it would probably be fun.

What do I win this time :)

When the tv news reported the reunion, they showed footage of the concert "Courtesy Led Zeppelin" which means that the whole thing was certainly captured on film. Does anyone know when we will get to see this?

Perhaps Terry Reid has had them. Or maybe he could recommend someone else...again

Robert Plant's solo career is probably one step ahead of Mick Jagger's, does Plant really think anyone cares about his touchy, feely album he did with Alison Krauss? NO! Nobody gives a fats rats tossbag about his solo career and nobody ever did!
What a lot of these old codger's like Bryan Ferry, Ian Hunter and Robert Plant fail to realise is their old bands are now a brand name, a marketing goldmine. Led Zeppelin means a helluva lot more than Robert Plant!
If you asked people in the street who Robert Plant was i guarantee you get a less than 50% response, ask those same 10 people have you heard of Led Zeppelin and Bingo! At least Jagger had the good sense to halt his floundering solo career and not subject us all to any more drivel. The list goes on, Morrissey without the Smiths and he is average at best, Weller without the Jam, same result, Cornwell plays to 50 people at his gigs, yep good move Hugh! Waters and Gilmour should kiss and make up too and stop screwing around with their mediocre solo careers!

that it's probably gnawing at Jimmy Page that back when the Page/Plant project was getting off the ground they left John Paul Jones out of the equation; didnt Page make the comment at some press conference (when asked about the whereabouts of Jones) that he was 'outside parking the car'?

Jimmy - I could be wrong, but i suspect *that* was your moment to put the wheels on the war-chariot

The thing is, if you listen carefully to the tracks on 'Raising Sand', Mr Plant's vocals are auto-tuned to hell and back. Don't believe me? Listen to Fortune Teller and go to 0:56 'You'll be looking int-ooooooooooo her eyes'. Ouch.

Not that Mr Plant cares, but I'd reckon singing that stuff, even if it's live is a lot easier than regurgitating 'Immigrant Song' while also strutting around like someone in their mid 20s.

As for replacing Mr Plant in Led Zep, there's a bloke we used to listen through the door to in a practice room in Glasgow a couple of years back from a Zep tribute band and I think he had it licked. Although I'm told by reliable sources that he looks nothing like the golden haired rock god.

Squeeze mah lemons till the juice comes down my legs..

To be a rock and not to roll...

I'm gonna give you every inch of my love...

Soul of a woman was created below- ow - ow yeah!

Every blooming line of Trampled Underfoot.

No human being can be expected to sing that crud without blushing and certainly not one of Percy's slightly advanced years. Lets face it, he was astonishingly good looking as a young man and barely got away with it then. Let the poor man sing his lovely bluegrass tunes in peace, he's rich and seemingly content and not making an arse of himself. For this relief much thanks.