Steve Vai believes Robert Plant made a wise decision to change his singing style from what he did with Led Zeppelin.
In a recent interview with Dean Delray, Vai emphasized the importance of musicians prioritizing their physical well-being. He draws parallels with the demands of professional athletics. The virtuoso contended that, like athletes, musicians rely on their bodies as indispensable tools for their craft.
For example, he gave Led Zeppelin’s Plant and explained how his voice is ‘adjusted‘. “Robert Plant — I enjoy his work outside of Zeppelin. His voice has been adjusted. He was a force in Led Zeppelin, but that type of singing kicks your ass. And there was a time when he had to make that adjustment. He had to change keys as frequently as they changed, [and] he had to change his register.”
According to the guitar virtuoso, Plant was never afraid to try new things that suited his age and voice. “He didn’t try to relive his glory days from before. It was impossible, but he’s grown into something different and deeper.”
The One Led Zeppelin Song That Changed the Life of Steve Vai
Despite his comments about Plant’s voice, the guitar virtuoso enjoys Led Zeppelin. He even has a song that changed his perspective on guitar playing.
In a 2021 interview, Vai revealed that ‘Heartbreaker,’ from Led Zeppelin’s 1969 studio album ‘Led Zeppelin II,’ was one of the songs that had a significant impact on his life. Steve Vai explained that his first exposure to the song came from his sister Pam’s copy of the album. And it was the defining moment that sparked his desire to play the guitar.
“That record was my everything. I’d always believed that a guitar was an untouchable, beautiful object that I was unworthy of holding. But the moment I heard the solo on Heartbreaker, something changed in me. I thought, “I don’t care about my insecurities; I’m playing guitar.” I bought a Teisco Del Rey guitar from a friend for $5 and began learning. “Everything Jimmy Page represented was everything I desired to be.”
In addition to ‘Heartbreaker,’ another Led Zeppelin hit had a significant impact on the rockers. He revealed in another interview, “Black Dog is still electrifying for me. But the song that evokes the most intense musical feeling in me is ‘Born To Be Wild‘. When I was a kid, all through high school, whenever my band played that song at any bar, all of my friends would start destroying the place. “When I hear that song, I’m sixteen again, standing at a table in a club.”
