Jack White and Jimmy Page Don't Like Kids Listening to Their Music

Guitar god and Led Zeppelin alum Jimmy Page doesn't like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and neither does White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather member Jack White. I respect the hell out of both of these guys, and I think they are two of the better musicians that we have seen in our lifetimes, but I respectfully disagree with them on this one.

White said, "It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that Guitar Hero is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music. If you have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that's a little sad."

Is it sad? Or is it just another way to grow your fan base? Granted, White can't be too upset by this trend, as the article points out that a White Stripes song will be featured in Guitar Hero 5. Either way, I'm of the belief that Guitar Hero and Rock Band have exposed -- and continue to expose -- a whole new generation to music that they might not have otherwise been inclined to hear. I'd be shocked if either game has had a negative impact on the games' artists' sales. If a kid hears a White Stripes song and, better yet, PLAYS that song, he or she is much more likely to get into The White Stripes.

Page was a bit harsher than White, arguing that these games do not present a good way to learn music. He said, "You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, 'Good Times Bad Times.' How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?"

Page completely misses the point of Rock Band.

• First, Rock Band and Guitar Hero give people like me -- who can't play any instrument to save their lives -- the chance to play their favorite artists' songs, which I've always thought was the point of the two video games. I'm not John Bonham, and I'll never be or have a chance to be John Bonham. But if "Good Times Bad Times" were ever on Rock Band, you can bet I would love trying to play the drum part on that. Granted, it would be on Easy, but that's because, to reiterate, I'm NOT John Bonham.
• Second, and somewhat related, these games aren't meant to be substitutes for learning how to play music. Even if I were to miraculously be able to play a song on Expert, I am not delusional enough to think that I could really play that song on an actual guitar.
• Third, perhaps he overlooked the point that these games might end up being a springboard for a lot of young kids into actually learning how to play guitar, drums, or bass. The best part is that when they do learn how to play a real instrument, they have a nice wide spectrum of rock songs that they have been exposed to already.

So, eat it, I guess, sir.