More of Howard Stern busting Led Zeppelin.

[BradH]

But that's part of why it's so strange that they would've done this--they were that good, and they didn't need to cut anyone out of credit for tunes they arguably IMPROVED.

Exactly, it's just weird more than anything. What the hell did they hope to gain? It's not like they were trying to hide their blues roots or anything. It's a weird issue. Cream went the complete opposite way so we get their version of "Crossroads" credited to Robert Johnson. That might make everyone feel better and might be more legal but, artistically, that's as bizarre as Zep giving no credit whatsover. My main point is this: if Zep had properly credited Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf and Robert Johnson, I suspect nobody would be calling them a cover band in 2007, they'd be praised for their radical interpretation. Yet, it would be the same damn records! Here's another thing: Zep was still considered dino rawk by the critics until the hip-hop dj's started sampling Bonzo off "When The Levee Breaks". Think about that. Within the history of the blues you could throw a rock anywhere and hit a song about levees. How many of those tracks got sampled? It was Zep's sound and style that inspired the dj's, not the blues itself. That matters because the way you play or interpret a song determines whether you're really original or just a cover band.