Is Creed the Next Led Zeppelin? by antiGUY

For this edition of “What the Hell” I thought it might be fun to look at the controversy surrounding Scott Stapp’s recent interview where he compared Creed to Led Zeppelin. It seemed as soon as the words escaped Stapp’s lips a hailstorm of recriminations began. “How dare he compare his group to the ‘Great Led Zeppelin’?” This is sure to spark strong emotions between the Creed faithful and those who hate the band with the “fire of a thousand suns”. Nonetheless, I took it upon myself to take a closer look at what Stapp actually said and its basis in fact. You might be surprised with what I found. 

Here is the comment by Stapp that stirred all the controversy. 

"It fuels our fire and our passion just to keep proving people wrong," said Stapp. "You can say what you want about this band, but it's undeniable, and it's kind of very similar to Led Zeppelin. The first three albums, no one gave them any credit. Rolling Stone bashed them in every single article. They got bashed basically from the entire media, and it wasn't until their fourth album that everybody got to accept the fact that Led Zeppelin was gonna be there and be around. We're kind of starting to feel that way now."

We are never weary of tackling controversial topics here at antiMUSIC so why don’t we take a closer look at Scott Stapp’s comment. Now that we see the comment in the full context of what he said, is it so controversial? Was he off base? Did he really have the gall to compare Creed to Led Zeppelin?  

“…it's kind of very similar to Led Zeppelin. The first three albums, no one gave them any credit.”  What Scott said is true, despite their enormous popularity, Led Zeppelin was ridiculed by the music press and dismissed as a second rate knock off of other popular groups of the day and the pioneering bluesman that came before.  Let’s look at some reviews for Led Zeppelin and Creed. 

Led Zeppelin I and My Own Prison

Here is an excerpt from a 1969 Rolling Stone review of Led Zeppelin’s debut album, “The Popular formula in this, the aftermath era of such successful British bluesmen as Cream and John Mayall, seems to be: add, to an excellent guitarist who, since leaving the Yardbirds and/or Mayall has become a minor musical deity, a competent rhythm section and a pretty soul belter who can do a good spade imitation. The latest of the British groups so conceived offers little that its twin, The Jeff Beck Group, didn’t say as well or better three months ago…” 

Here is a little of what MTV’s Don Kaye had to say about Creed:

“Among the many critics (including this writer) of their debut album, My Own Prison, nausea was already the prevalent feeling upon hearing the band, while among rock radio programmers, the predominant emotion was joy: ‘Hey, Pearl Jam doesn't have a new record out, so let's play this band Creed that sounds exactly like them!’

“there's no denying that one could close one's eyes during much of that first Creed album and picture Eddie Vedder standing there in place of lead singer Scott Stapp -- with no one noticing the difference.”

And here is what Drop-D Magazine had to say about Creed’s debut album 

“Here come Creed, part of the next batch of derivative record-label darlings. With their muddy guitars and cross-I-bear lyrics, Creed sound like a mix of the Tea Party (they're touring down south with these guys, by the way), Stone Temple Pilots and Seven Mary Three [ed. or, exactly like Nickelback]. Then again, those bands themselves sound like the Doors, Pearl Jam and late-80s Metallica. Or maybe they sound like... well, you get the picture. This isn't to say that Creed aren't allowed to have any influences, but damn, there is a difference between being influenced by a band and being its doppleganger. 

“Oh, it's not as bad as it seems. The boys in Creed know how to play their instruments, and as sophomoric as their brand of anxiety is, at least it's heart-felt.”

Led Zeppelin II and Human Clay 

Rolling Stone blasted Led Zeppelin’s second album accusing the band of producing sub par covers of Howlin’ Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson without crediting them. 

As for Creed, Rolling Stone took a swipe at Human Clay calling them a clone without the substance of the original band, “Pearl Jam, another band that Creed unashamedly mimic, gain depth through social protest; Stapp keeps things more self-centered.”

Led Zeppelin III and Weathered. 

The Boston Globe wrote the following of “Weathered”, “The multi-platinum Creed has become a band that people either love or hate. The group has hit upon a formula that sells, by combining retro, hair-metal guitar sounds with bombastic arrangements topped by lyrics that plead for the intervention of God into loves of disconnection.” 

The Los Angeles Times said that Led Zeppelin’s “success may be attributed at least in part to the accelerated popularity among the teenage rock and roll audience of barbiturates and amphetamines, drugs that render their users most responsive to crushing volume and ferocious histrionics of the sort that Zeppelin has dealt exclusively.” 
 

Click here for the Conclusion and Fan Speak

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