Classic Rock recently caught up with Robert Plant to discuss the legendary singer's Digging Deep podcast, life after Led Zeppelin, and his solo career. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Classic Rock: 1988’s "Tall Cool One" samples Led Zep and features Jimmy Page on guitar. Had you started to make peace with your past by then? 

Robert Plant: "The Beastie Boys had started sampling Zeppelin (on "She’s Crafty", which samples "The Ocean"). I thought: 'That’s a great idea. Listen to that.' Because you can take it out of context and bring it into another zone, which is exactly what we did with 'Tall Cool One'. We took lots of different bits of Zeppelin. I thought it was slightly comical as well. Even the title, 'Tall Cool One', was an instrumental by The Wailers out of Seattle in 1959. So there was nothing new there, it was just a kind of visit. But coming to terms with the past, no no no. I mean, which past shall I go to?

Classic Rock: But in the podcast you stress how mindful you were of not turning into that Led Zep parody guy. 

Robert Plant: "Yeah, but no matter what happens, I have no choice. There have been great variants of another me, but whenever I read a newspaper it seems I’m still in Led Zep. I think the problem is that nobody can hear what artists who stick around are able to put out now. If you don’t go out and find it by your own volition, it’s not going to come down the normal channels. And I think a lot of people who go to gigs don’t even listen to the radio. So do you go to Spotify and see it there: 'Robert Plant has made a new record, has he? Fancy that!'"

Read the complete interview here.

The latest episode of Robert Plant's Digging Deep podcast (Series 2, Episode #6) is available for streaming below.

You’re probably familiar with the idea of musicians (especially Robert) describing their career as a journey, but sometimes songs go on travels themselves. Since being recorded for Robert’s second solo album, 1983’s The Principle of Moments, this track ("Big Log") has surfaced on soundtracks, compilations and computer games, and even though the sound and production is a million miles away from his recent work, it’s become something of a favourite for many, many people…