Music
Chad W. Lutz
All these years later, Led Zeppelin I still has us “Dazed and Confused”
WNCX (98.5 FM) in Cleveland, the birthplace of Rock N’ Roll, held a countdown in the spring of 2007 asking Clevelanders who they thought was the best band of all time. Sitting in my car at a traffic light in the heart of Kent, where Pink Floyd once played and Joe Walsh got his bearings, I remember being pissed off that the Beatles didn’t make it to number one and ended up number three. But regardless of my own personal bias, Cleveland spoke. And the group they wanted to hear, more than any other group in the history of the genre they helped launch into arguably one of the most popular genres of music of all-time was Led Zeppelin.
Walking into any head shop in Kent, Ohio, or into any music store, I can pretty much bet with my eyes closed that I’ll either hear a Led Zeppelin tune choking it’s way through some past it’s prime PA system or find the walls lined with the classic Swan Song insignia proudly plastered in plain view as soon as I enter the store. At parties, I hear the names Page, Plant, Bonzo, Jonesy, or any combination of the four dropped repeatedly (given the right crowd) amidst hazy accusations that they are, indeed, “the best band ever.” They’ve been called, “The Hammer of the Gods.” Been revered by millions of fans, both old and new, and sold near 200 million albums worldwide. Few groups in the history of Rock N’ Roll have been able to top their allure, and so many have fallen short of their sound, if only just short. They’ve even topped the Beatles by knocking Abbey Road from its top spot on the Billboard 200. At times it seems like the only place these four men could have forged their bond is atop some great smoky mountain towering above the heavens. And at the end of the day, they’re known simply as Led Zeppelin. And the album that started the 14-year stairway to Rock N’ Roll heaven, producing 9 studio albums and spurring the imaginations of music lovers alike, was Led Zeppelin I.
Though they seem a bit over the hills and far away, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham were very real, flesh and bone, air-breathers who just so happened to have otherworldly musical talent. It wasn’t until 1968 that the public really began to catch on and accept the thunderous, thrash and bash sound of their four-piece ensemble, which was resilient of the times. This is when songs like the cheery “Build Me Up Buttercup,” by the Foundations and the soulful rendition of, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” by Marvin Gaye were chart toppers. And although it was released the same year as the time-tested and critically Holy-Grailed Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin I paved the way for everyone who has ever had an ear for hard rock or heavy metal.
John David Kalodner, an executive from Geffen Records A&R, whose label is set to release a new Jimmy Page album in the coming months, talks about their influence in a Rolling Stone Magazine interview: “In my opinion, next to the Beatles they're the most influential band in history.” And although this statement seems redundant having said it myself in the paragraphs before, I think it’s worth noting just how many people feel the same way about the band that featured songs about Thor, Achilles, and Valhalla. Maybe this is whom Led Zeppelin was playing for when they recorded their first album in a little over a day’s time. But whether they were playing for themselves, the God’s of ancient Nordic tribes, or for the shear pleasure of it, thank God they did.
After their successful Scandinavian tour in 1968 where the band tirelessly perfected their material to go on the eponymous first album, they took to the studio with a vengeance, recording the album in a mere 30 hours. Both Jimmy Page and later member of another British rock notable, The Who’s Keith Moon, were the one’s who conceived the initial designs for the album’s cover; with the front side of the album sporting the now and then famous photo of the Hindenburg’s epic, blundering crash in 1937. And that’s exactly how the band got its name.
Before the design of the album cover was even drawn up, Led Zeppelin, as we refer to them today, were content with calling themselves “The New Yardbirds” in honor of Page’s former, successful band that featured the likes of guitar greats Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck all in one lineup (how do you even compete with that?). But it was when Moon and Page sat down to create the artwork for the album that Moon mentioned the front cover reminded him of a “Lead Zeppelin,” referring, in possible bad taste (but this is Keith Moon we’re talking about, here), to the giant balloon dropping like a lead pipe out of the sky. The name stuck, the music was recorded, and the result is one of the finest albums ever recorded in music history. In a conflicting tale of the cover’s design, it’s been rumored that Moon, and future band mate John Entwistle, weren’t just referring to the picture itself, but where they thought the band was going: DOWN. Whatever the case, the cover design stuck and is easily one of the most recognizable in Rock N’ Roll history.
Rolling Stone Magazine, in their Nov. 2003 issue sat down and complied a list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.” Well, whether or not you agree with anything that Rolling Stone has to say, or whether or not you even like Led Zeppelin, the mere fact that Rolling Stone has been in print since 1967 and has covered thousands upon thousands of music and music-related stories closer than the Hubble covers the Moon, it goes without saying that they must have had something important to say. And Led Zeppelin I ranks number 29 all-time, making the cut to be considered in the upper echelon (top 6%) of musical genius leading all the way up to 2003. Impressive when noting that between the years of 1967-1970 alone 966 albums were released. And this was even before the age of independent labels.
From beginning to end, Led Zeppelin I offers a smooth, cool style of rhythm blues with a thunderous roar never heard before. The crooning, swooning sounds of Robert Plant’s high-g vocals, the electrifying guitar playing of the ZOSO legend Jimmy Page, the galloping bass and melodic Hammond organ work of John Paul Jones, and the ever infamous, thundering sticks of John Bonham on the drums round out the quartet. All of these elements came together in the near perfect harmony that Led Zeppelin I stands as today.
In the book The Complete Guide To The Music of Led Zeppelin penned by Dave Lewis in 1994, he refers to the nine track album as: “a tour de force of powerful yet subtle dynamics (5),” stating boldly that it was Page; not Jimi Hendrix, who in 2003 was ranked the number one guitarist of all time, who: “virtually invents the guitar riff as a key songwriting component (5)” on Led Zeppelin I.
The album itself has gone on to become an 8X platinum seller in the U.S. A 2X platinum seller in the U.K. Gold in France, Diamond in Canada, another 2X platinum in Australia, and another Gold in Switzerland. Even a country that perennially has no opinion about anything seems to think that Led Zeppelin I is worth both the eyes and ears of music fans alike. It held the imagination and attention of the music world for 73 straight weeks on the Billboard Top 200 and by 1975 had grossed a then whopping 7 million dollars. And when you consider that the group only spent $7,000 to make it, well, you get the picture.
Today, bands like Pearl Jam and Aerosmith have accredited their sound as being influenced by the “No Quarter” quartet. Cult classic movies like This is Spinal Tap (1984, Embassy Pictures) and Wayne’s World (1992, Paramount Pictures) have both poked playful fun at the band, the latter of which spurring the catch phrase, “No Stairway” which any fan will tell you is because it’s played way too damn much. Trendy stores and hazy head shops sport everything Led Zeppelin; from coffee mugs to t-shirts to lighters and beyond. And maybe to infinity is exactly how far the love and reverence of this band will go.
Obviously not everyone is on the Led Zeppelin bandwagon, or even care to be. But one thing is for certain: they made waves. And it was with Led Zeppelin I that the thundering, heavy metal, folk/Celtic, rhythm and blues driven, and sometimes even whimsical sound of the boys from Great Britain got its beginning. And those waves have reached millions of lives spanning the course of four decades and probably on into a fifth, sixth, and seventh (“If man is still alive,” to quote Zagger & Evans). But even if “the sun refused to shine,” one thing is for certain: Led Zeppelin, and the album that started it all have left behind oceans of fans that have nothing but a whole lotta love.
Walking into any head shop in Kent, Ohio, or into any music store, I can pretty much bet with my eyes closed that I’ll either hear a Led Zeppelin tune choking it’s way through some past it’s prime PA system or find the walls lined with the classic Swan Song insignia proudly plastered in plain view as soon as I enter the store. At parties, I hear the names Page, Plant, Bonzo, Jonesy, or any combination of the four dropped repeatedly (given the right crowd) amidst hazy accusations that they are, indeed, “the best band ever.” They’ve been called, “The Hammer of the Gods.” Been revered by millions of fans, both old and new, and sold near 200 million albums worldwide. Few groups in the history of Rock N’ Roll have been able to top their allure, and so many have fallen short of their sound, if only just short. They’ve even topped the Beatles by knocking Abbey Road from its top spot on the Billboard 200. At times it seems like the only place these four men could have forged their bond is atop some great smoky mountain towering above the heavens. And at the end of the day, they’re known simply as Led Zeppelin. And the album that started the 14-year stairway to Rock N’ Roll heaven, producing 9 studio albums and spurring the imaginations of music lovers alike, was Led Zeppelin I.
Though they seem a bit over the hills and far away, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham were very real, flesh and bone, air-breathers who just so happened to have otherworldly musical talent. It wasn’t until 1968 that the public really began to catch on and accept the thunderous, thrash and bash sound of their four-piece ensemble, which was resilient of the times. This is when songs like the cheery “Build Me Up Buttercup,” by the Foundations and the soulful rendition of, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” by Marvin Gaye were chart toppers. And although it was released the same year as the time-tested and critically Holy-Grailed Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin I paved the way for everyone who has ever had an ear for hard rock or heavy metal.
John David Kalodner, an executive from Geffen Records A&R, whose label is set to release a new Jimmy Page album in the coming months, talks about their influence in a Rolling Stone Magazine interview: “In my opinion, next to the Beatles they're the most influential band in history.” And although this statement seems redundant having said it myself in the paragraphs before, I think it’s worth noting just how many people feel the same way about the band that featured songs about Thor, Achilles, and Valhalla. Maybe this is whom Led Zeppelin was playing for when they recorded their first album in a little over a day’s time. But whether they were playing for themselves, the God’s of ancient Nordic tribes, or for the shear pleasure of it, thank God they did.
After their successful Scandinavian tour in 1968 where the band tirelessly perfected their material to go on the eponymous first album, they took to the studio with a vengeance, recording the album in a mere 30 hours. Both Jimmy Page and later member of another British rock notable, The Who’s Keith Moon, were the one’s who conceived the initial designs for the album’s cover; with the front side of the album sporting the now and then famous photo of the Hindenburg’s epic, blundering crash in 1937. And that’s exactly how the band got its name.
Before the design of the album cover was even drawn up, Led Zeppelin, as we refer to them today, were content with calling themselves “The New Yardbirds” in honor of Page’s former, successful band that featured the likes of guitar greats Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck all in one lineup (how do you even compete with that?). But it was when Moon and Page sat down to create the artwork for the album that Moon mentioned the front cover reminded him of a “Lead Zeppelin,” referring, in possible bad taste (but this is Keith Moon we’re talking about, here), to the giant balloon dropping like a lead pipe out of the sky. The name stuck, the music was recorded, and the result is one of the finest albums ever recorded in music history. In a conflicting tale of the cover’s design, it’s been rumored that Moon, and future band mate John Entwistle, weren’t just referring to the picture itself, but where they thought the band was going: DOWN. Whatever the case, the cover design stuck and is easily one of the most recognizable in Rock N’ Roll history.
Rolling Stone Magazine, in their Nov. 2003 issue sat down and complied a list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.” Well, whether or not you agree with anything that Rolling Stone has to say, or whether or not you even like Led Zeppelin, the mere fact that Rolling Stone has been in print since 1967 and has covered thousands upon thousands of music and music-related stories closer than the Hubble covers the Moon, it goes without saying that they must have had something important to say. And Led Zeppelin I ranks number 29 all-time, making the cut to be considered in the upper echelon (top 6%) of musical genius leading all the way up to 2003. Impressive when noting that between the years of 1967-1970 alone 966 albums were released. And this was even before the age of independent labels.
From beginning to end, Led Zeppelin I offers a smooth, cool style of rhythm blues with a thunderous roar never heard before. The crooning, swooning sounds of Robert Plant’s high-g vocals, the electrifying guitar playing of the ZOSO legend Jimmy Page, the galloping bass and melodic Hammond organ work of John Paul Jones, and the ever infamous, thundering sticks of John Bonham on the drums round out the quartet. All of these elements came together in the near perfect harmony that Led Zeppelin I stands as today.
In the book The Complete Guide To The Music of Led Zeppelin penned by Dave Lewis in 1994, he refers to the nine track album as: “a tour de force of powerful yet subtle dynamics (5),” stating boldly that it was Page; not Jimi Hendrix, who in 2003 was ranked the number one guitarist of all time, who: “virtually invents the guitar riff as a key songwriting component (5)” on Led Zeppelin I.
The album itself has gone on to become an 8X platinum seller in the U.S. A 2X platinum seller in the U.K. Gold in France, Diamond in Canada, another 2X platinum in Australia, and another Gold in Switzerland. Even a country that perennially has no opinion about anything seems to think that Led Zeppelin I is worth both the eyes and ears of music fans alike. It held the imagination and attention of the music world for 73 straight weeks on the Billboard Top 200 and by 1975 had grossed a then whopping 7 million dollars. And when you consider that the group only spent $7,000 to make it, well, you get the picture.
Today, bands like Pearl Jam and Aerosmith have accredited their sound as being influenced by the “No Quarter” quartet. Cult classic movies like This is Spinal Tap (1984, Embassy Pictures) and Wayne’s World (1992, Paramount Pictures) have both poked playful fun at the band, the latter of which spurring the catch phrase, “No Stairway” which any fan will tell you is because it’s played way too damn much. Trendy stores and hazy head shops sport everything Led Zeppelin; from coffee mugs to t-shirts to lighters and beyond. And maybe to infinity is exactly how far the love and reverence of this band will go.
Obviously not everyone is on the Led Zeppelin bandwagon, or even care to be. But one thing is for certain: they made waves. And it was with Led Zeppelin I that the thundering, heavy metal, folk/Celtic, rhythm and blues driven, and sometimes even whimsical sound of the boys from Great Britain got its beginning. And those waves have reached millions of lives spanning the course of four decades and probably on into a fifth, sixth, and seventh (“If man is still alive,” to quote Zagger & Evans). But even if “the sun refused to shine,” one thing is for certain: Led Zeppelin, and the album that started it all have left behind oceans of fans that have nothing but a whole lotta love.
