Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Greta Van Fleet: The Art Of Business (The Rip-Off)

Greta Van Fleet has returned with the first taste of their upcoming debut album. Over their first two EPs, they got attention for rocketing up the rock charts, and for one other thing. Wait, what was that again.....?

Oh, that's right. They sound like the reincarnation of Led Zeppelin. I don't mean they sound like a band inspired by Zeppelin, I mean they sound like they have coldly dissected that band and copied everything about them they possibly could. Zeppelin is never getting back together, despite the desire for it, so Greta Van Fleet stepped in to give those old fans what they wanted.

And we have given them far too much of a break for how blatantly they have played us for fools. It went something like this.

Put out an EP: Sure, it sounds too much like Zeppelin, but all young bands take time to shake off their influences. They'll grow.

Put out another EP: Sure, it still sounds too much like Zeppelin, but they were probably old songs they already had and are clearing out, so their first album won't sound like that. They'll know better.

Put out a new single: It still sounds exactly like Zeppelin.

That's it. We've had enough time and evidence to say what need to be said; Grata Van Fleet is nothing but a crass marketing gimmick that we've all fallen for. They are not a 'band' in the traditional sense, and are instead a group who have decided to blatantly copy Zeppelin, to fill the space where the cries for a reunion have gone to die.

There is no other explanation anymore. From the very first song they put out, the comparisons have been everywhere, because they didn't even try to hide what they were doing. They have been asked about it time and again, and always try to push it off as a complete coincidence. Are we really supposed to be that naive?

I would think that any band worth their salt, any group that wants to be judged and appreciated on their own merits, would make a move away from Zeppelin's sound for no other reason than to stop the chatter. But that's not what Greta Van Fleet did. No, with their new single, they have leaned in to the controversy, intentionally giving the middle finger to anyone who doesn't bow down before their 'original' sound. We can see now what's going on, and the pathetic thing about it is the band doesn't seem to care. There was an interview where one member tried to claim they don't even know that much about Zeppelin, when there are anecdotes about their early shows being comprised of mostly Zeppelin covers.

Greta Van Fleet think we're stupid. And the sad thing is that a heck of a lot of us seem to be.

And here's the irony; Greta Van Fleet is actually a good band. I was cold on them at first, but I have to admit they are better songwriters (or hired better songwriters) than I initially gave them credit for. With a few more listens, their songs reveal themselves to not just sound like Zeppelin, but actually improve on the formula. They have less turgid blues, and more melody than the classic version did. That was always what kept me from being a big Zeppelin fan, and it tells me that Greta Van Fleet could actually be a great rock band...

... if they had an original thought between the four of them.

But what is clear to me is they are using the controversy and the comparisons to grow faster than they should, to milk as much money from the system as they can before people get tired of them regurgitating the past. It might be a savvy business move, but it betrays art.

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