Led Zeppelin pulled the plug on itself as a direct result of losing Bonham, one of the most powerful and versatile rock drummers of all time. ''There was no conceivable way anyone could replace him,'' says Page.

In 1985, Phil Collins, of all people, played drums at Live Aid with the three Zep-men; his ragged performance earned him Page's undying ire. ''Robert told me Phil Collins wanted to play with us,'' says Page. ''I told him that was all right if he knows the numbers. But at the end of the day, he didn't know anything. We played 'Whole Lotta Love' and he was just there bashing away cluelessly and grinning. I thought that was really a joke.''

So, okay, Phil won't be getting a call if the Zep reunion ever happens. But will it ever?

''The only way I could see it happening,'' says Page, ''would be if we could get together in a room and look each other in the eye and play and still be able to have a smile behind those eyes. Then I might think, 'Yeah, that's a good reason to consider doing something.'''

If rock history has taught us anything, it's that not reuniting is often a far better idea than getting back together only to disappoint the fans. No amount of crystal-ball gazing or palm reading will foretell if a reconstituted Led Zeppelin will rise again. Page, for one, is just happy that he has documented his band's salad days. ''We were making music, both on record and in a live-performance situation, that made people happy and even inspired some of them to pick up instruments,'' he says. ''What more can you expect from life than that?''

Originally posted May 30, 2003 Published in issue #713 Jun 06, 2003 Order article reprints
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