The one-track mind
Posted by David Hepworth on 15 November 2007 - 1:02pm.
The other day my son asked me what Led Zeppelin he should listen to. Leaving aside the fact that I don't think there's any "should" about it, not with Led Zep, not with anyone, it struck me that if you really have to do you can reduce even the biggest, most varied, longest-lasting career, to one recording. So I said "Listen to 'Kashmir'. If you don't like that the chances are you won't like anything else they've done."
So, that's how I'd explain Led Zeppelin to a Martian, or, indeed, a 20 year-old.
"Kashmir".
What's your one track "best of Led Zep?"
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Ramble on
I think the representative Zep track, if there is one, (I agree with DH on this) it would be "Ramble on" off Led Zep 2 - it includes the folky acoustic guitary stuff, the hand played drums, the big riffs, the Planty soft voice and wailing voice - in fact I'm off to listen to it now!
Ramble On
Spooky. I was about to suggest precisely the same track.
Rambling....
It also has the cod Tolkienesque lyrics - the only thing missing is a few lyrics nicked from Howlin' Wolf or Willie Dixon.
Immigrant Song
Especially the live version.....monster rif, OTT lyrics, fantastic!
Nicked
I agree, it's fantastic, but Zep nicked almost as much from the Incredible String Band and folk music as they did from the blues and the Jeff Beck group - so to be a true one off taster you need a bit of both. IMHO. Mind you, "Stairway" is quite a good one too as it has the grandure that Zep pulled off effortlessly -why are bands so SMALL these days?
Kashmir...
...for me. For the Ramble On advocates here it is set to a Hobbit cartoon...
What Is And What Should Never Be
I don't think Kashmir is representative of the Zep'(too lumbering and stodgy)- when first heard it I didn't get what all the fuss was about, I still don't and skip it whenever it comes on.
I'd have to boil it down to
What Is And What Should Never Be
It's got all the Led Zep' light and shade, drifty dreamy interludes, funky breaks, rocky riffs and screaming vocals.
yeah
I agree, another great one - in fact I listened to LZ2 at lunchtime and it is all fantastic. "Whole lotta love" still sounds amazing. But if DH is after one single representative track, I agree, WIAWSNB is a goodie.
Rock n Roll
Rock'n'Roll isn't particularly representative of them but it is by far their most accessible song. For any newcomer to a band you should entice them in with a special.
In My Time Of Dying
Why not jump in the deep end.
This is them at their very manic best, nicking an old blues standard and blowing it out the water. Drums that seem to fall down stairs but somehow stay in time, heroically convoluted guitar riffs. Impossible time sequences and completely over the top vocals
All in their unique tight but loose style. It's no right to sound that good, nobody else could pull it off this well.
Just to top it off there's the final stage left comment from Bonzo "that's got to be the one hasn't it...". I agree.
Today it would be
"Out on the tiles" from III, but tomorrow it might be "The Ocean" from HTWWW disc 3. First thing I ever heard of theirs was probably "Rock and Roll" and I was sold by the 3rd bar....
This is a good one....
....for, although I too would automatically say 'Kashmir', it's not wholly representative of their work, is it? I think you'd have to go for 'Rock'n'Roll' or 'Black Dog', or - if you were erring towards the exotic - maybe 'The Song Remains The Same'.
Just not 'All My Love'.
Whole Lotta Love ?
I think that's where I started although it took a bit of getting used to because I was used to the CCS version they used on "Top of the Pops".
Some years later, I tried again and got "Remasters" and once I'd really got the hang of "Achilles Last Stand", I got the two box sets.
Have You Heard ?
You Need Love by the Small Faces?
Led Zep (always terrors for a bit of Poplifting)borrowed heavily from this track for Whole Lotta Love
And also test drive Donovan - Season of the Witch
The Zep seemed to have reworked this into Ramble On
You Need Love
This was written by Willie Dixon. Muddy Waters did a good version, available to hear below. I'm guessing both predate The Small Faces.
I agree
Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters were the originals, but have a listen to
Small Faces - You Need Loving
Donovan - Season of the Witch (possibly inspiration for Ramble on)- John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were involved in the recording of this song.
All the details here
http://armagideontime.blogspot.com/2007/10/halloween-countdown-october-8...
I see what you mean
about The Small Faces!
Immigrant Song
End of debate!
Not the end of the debate
Gallows pole for me
Drums Drums Drums
When The Levee Breaks.
You all know why.
If anyone mentions
the stairway song, will an alarm bell and Steven Fry appear, immediately deducting 100 points from the person posting the suggestion?
What's wrong with Stairway?
Yes it is overplayed and there are many other great songs in the Zep canon, but it is nonetheless a totally brilliant example of the genre, from the bollocksy but lovable lyrics to the way it builds and builds via the drums coming in at THE right moment to an epic guitar solo - what's not to like? I don't understand the Stephen Fry reference but off hand can't think what the modest unassuming "genius" has got to do with great rock bands?
it's a QI thing...
honestly, what do some people do on a friday evening at ten-ish!
never seen it
happily!
When The Levee Breaks
But listen on a system with good speakers, or failing that a good set of headphones to get the full benefit of the sound shifting round by 180 degrees.
Immigrant Song
Grabs you and never lets go until you're utterly devoted
The Hammer Of The Gods
Ten past eight this morning. Today FM breaksfast show, nine year old girl rings up on the "Free For All Friday" request spot and asks for "Immigrant Song", apparently she likes School Of Rock and Shrek 3. It sounded blooming MASSIVE.
Trampled Underfoot
Not wholly representative but a belter nonetheless. And no Tolkein.
Still rambling
Strange this post appearing as I found myself 'needing' to hear 'Ramble On' the other day and happily played it twice before listening to all of II and IV. So I guess it would be my definitive Zep tune. But that's today. Stairway is just unbelievable. I listened to it again this morning on the way to work and somewhere around 6:35 I was thinking - you just do not hear musicianship like that anymore. The guitaring, the bass and the drums all doing incredible things...and then the vocals kick in again.
Screw it. It's Stairway. Where's Stephen Fry?!! (And what's wrong with QI by the way? A bit smug perhaps but generally pretty damned funny).
QI
Dunno what's wrong with QI, never seen it, but if it involves Stephen Fry being smug I think I can guess the rest ;-)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Everything - wooden, electric, leather lungs, sweet whispering, thundering drums. need i say more
Nobody's Fault But Mine
An odd and unsettlingly good mixture of testosterone, fragility, big drums, guitar effects and blueswailingness, and with the added advantage of not having been rapped over by P.Diddy in the meantime.
Since I've been Loving You
Bonzo at his Animal best and the Plantmiester tearing his tonsils out. I await Westlife's cover version!!
This gets my vote as a one-off introduction
My personal favourites are Kashmir and Trampled Underfoot but neither are particularly representative.
Depending on the tastes of the inductee I'd go for either Since I've Been Loving You (blues-based and a mix of stridence and restraint), the live version of Rock And Roll (from How The West Was Won) or Tangerine if they like Jack Johnson.
Black Dog
Thunderous riffs, great Bozno action and some slightly off colour misogynistic wailing. Zep in a nutshell
Excise
all the horrific Tolkein twaddle about bustling in bleeding hedgerows and go straight to Rock and Roll. Their entire career summated in about 3mins. Ace intro too
But how about
In the Light? A bit left-field, I know. But droning eastern sounding bit; convoluted riff bit; soaring, modal middle-eightish bit - it's got it all. And Bonham's kick drum sounds like Thor fighting a velociraptor in a lift, if not better.
Babe, I'm gonna leave you....
....gets me every time.
If anyone has read my thread about bands I discovered too late to see live....well, 13-14 when JB died :o(
However, I did get to see Priory of Bryon in Kendal at a venue that only hold 2-300 or so & I was standing just at the edge of the front row, life doesn't get better than that!
Since I've Been Loving You
Slow and bluesy, great singing, great playing. Nut in a Zepshell.
today Matthew, it's got to
today Matthew, it's got to be That's the Way from the much maligned III
In yer face
As Samuel Johnson once said (probably), "When a man is tired of Custard Pie, he is tired of Led Zeppelin."
It has pretty much all the Led Zep elements in one: fantastic riff, thumping great drum pattern, a cracker of a guitar solo, some funky keyboard work and Percy wailing away over the top of it all. And he whips out his harmoinica at the end. Who could ask for more?
and today
In the Light