Blistering speed, technical acrobatics – that’s the rock guitar hero image, right? Shredding reigns supreme, with players praised for scaling the fretboard like a dizzying mountain climber. But what if a legendary guitarist throws a wrench in the works, arguing that “sloppy” might be a good thing?
This isn’t just about defending one rock god over another. Or just taking back what was once said. A recent interview with Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French backtracks a little bit about his earlier “sloppy” comments about the legendary Jimmy Page.
He said, “Jimmy gets a bad rep about being sloppy, but he wrote solos that you could play and you could remember. That’s a lot better than a lot of the super shredders today that are just playing everywhere on the neck, and there’s no connection to the song. It’s just exercising all over the place.”
Not the First Time He Called Jimmy Page “Sloppy”
French isn’t new to raising eyebrows with comments about the Led Zeppelin guitar maestro’s playing. While acknowledging Page’s undeniable talent and early success as a session musician, French suggests a decline in his live performance with Led Zeppelin over time.
He highlights a perceived difference between Page’s studio work and his live shows, saying, “I saw Zeppelin a zillion times,” French said, “and Page certainly was great. Way before anything, he was a session guy and established his cred. But as time went on, I thought his playing went sloppy, for me. That’s how I kind of look at it, for whatever reason…”
The Twister Sister critiqued his fellow guitarist’s live Led Zeppelin playing, suggesting a decline from his earlier session work. French sees a clear difference between Page’s focused studio approach and his potentially “sloppy” rockstar persona onstage.
But Jimmy “Doesn’t Give a Shit”
On the other hand, Jimmy Page takes a relaxed approach to mistakes, according to producer Max Norman. In an interview on the Talk Louder Podcast, Norman suggests Page’s confidence allows him to brush off concerns about “sloppy” playing.
Most musicians, according to Norma, erase their recordings with mistakes to avoid “demoitis”, a state of indecision where they overthink different takes. Page, however, seems unfazed. “Jimmy doesn’t give a shit,” Norman says. “Jimmy plays it twice, picks one, and walks out. He doesn’t care because he knows people are gonna like that. People are going to hear that mistake three times, and they’re going to like it.”
Norman, who boasts collaborations with Ozzy Osbourne and Megadeth, advises musicians against succumbing to demoitis. He encourages them to embrace minor imperfections, like Page, and focus on the bigger picture of a compelling performance.