You Shook Me, Jimmy Page: 'It Might Get Loud'
Inspired after watching Davis Guggenheim's fantastic It Might Get Loud featuring The Edge, Jack White and...Jimmy Page, I've fashioned some sort of list...
As a teenager, I discovered all kinds of music, from traditional to offbeat, blues to punk, country to classical, classic rock to rockabilly, but no matter who I got into, no matter how great I thought various '60s garage rock bands or Marc Bolan, or The Velvet Underground or The Stooges were, I never strayed from Led Zeppelin -- no matter how ubiquitous they were. And I was obsessed with the ever mysterious Jimmy Page. From 14-18, I had a life size poster of the guitarist in my bedroom. I also had a high school teacher who actually saw Led Zeppelin in concert and I would drive him crazy asking about it. He took to calling me Kimmy Page. There are certain Zeppelin songs that will take me back to ceramics class, when I worked on the perfect pipe, not a bong, which I explained to my teacher's amusement (really, I was trying to make a pipe), but one tune in particular. The day the principal had a nervous breakdown, walked into class, and smashed all of our projects because he thought everything was a bong, I distinctly remember at that moment, "When the Levee Breaks" playing on the classic rock radio station, making the whole incident a perfect combination of awesome, scary and hilarious. Jimmy Page really is darkness and light.
When I was 15, buzzed after renting The Song Remains the Same, and probably stoned out of my mind, I tried to make Jimmy Page's black (or was it a dark navy blue?) moon and stars pantsuit get-up. I actually got it halfway right. I wore it to school with a pink silk scarf. I wanted to craft his white, Nudie-esque suit, the alpha to his dark lord omega costume, but that proved tougher.
One of my only childhood pictures during Christmas is me excitedly holding my copy of "Hammer of the Gods." I learned a lot about alternative uses for, ahem, fish.
When I was at the Joshua Tree Inn, I missed Robert Plant when he stayed there because I was in Los Angeles that day. On certain days, this makes me want to cry.
When I was in Los Angeles, I missed the chance to interview Jimmy Page because I was in Joshua Tree that day. This really makes me want to cry. Maybe my time is gonna come...someday. Or, as the song goes, I'm gonna make you pay for that great big hole in my heart...
Along with Frank Sinatra's "A Summer Wind," "Bron-Yr-Aur" was the only song that would chill me out during a bad acid freak out. I once walked through a thicket in the middle of the night while the song blared from the car stereo, turning imagined melting demon goblins into beautiful magical fairys. Thank you Led Zeppelin. It still calms me down in any situation.
I skipped prom at 16, gave my dress to my friend and listened to Physical Graffiti in my bedroom. I'm fairly certain my mother was downstairs in the kitchen, staring at knives, devising ways of murdering my rocker-girl ass.
I'm still annoyed Peter Jackson didn't do the no-brainer by having Tolkien obsessed Robert Plant sing "Ramble On" during the closing credits for any one or all of The Lord of the Rings movies.
When I found my stepdad's orginal LP of Zeppelin II as well as others and (and!) a book by Aleister Crowley, I looked at him as an entirely different kind of human being. Jimmy and magick? This was serious, scary exciting sex, drugs, rock n' roll and everything else. I commandeered the LP. And I stole the book.
I don't care how over-played they were/are on Classic Rock Radio, Led Zeppelin (Page, Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones) is still one of the greatest rock bands ever. And "Tangerine" is still one of the prettiest rock songs ever written. As is "Going to California." As is the lush "The Rain Song." And "Sick Again" still makes me want to get into trouble. And "In My Time of Dying" is still transcendent. And the beautifully enigmatic, yet charming Jimmy Page provided me with one of my happiest, most goose-bump inducing moments in movies this year -- listening to his 45 of Link Wray's "Rumble" in Guggenheim's It Might Get Loud, pointing out every genius aspect to the song, beaming with happiness as he air guitairs (Jimmy Page air guitars!) -- he remains the quintessence of pure musical bliss. Long live Jimmy. RIP John Bonham.
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About a month after Katrina, I was driving down the road and "When the Levee Breaks" came on the radio. That song has always been the reason I worshipped Led Zeppelin - the power, the wailing, the despair - but in the context of current events it took on an entirely new power.
When it finished, the DJ was semi-apologetic for playing a reference to levees so soon after Katrina. I was tempted to call in and yell at him because frankly, it seemed like Led Zeppelin gave more of a damn than FEMA...
I remember when they were the opening act for Vanilla Fudge. lol.
Growing up in the 1970's ( I was born in 1961) my favorite bands were the Beatles, Stones, The Who and American bands like Steely Dan. I always thought Zep came periously close to Spinal Tappy metal. Ponderous and pretentious. But....I am now in love with them! I don't know what has happened. But I can listen to "Going to California" and "Whole Lotta Love" now without an ounce of embarassment. Zep is, was, great.
The term "metal" was first used to describe LZ's style.
Nothing to ever be embarrassed about; glad you joined the club.
the best was led zep III. i learned how to play all the acoustic songs with out any lessons and without any thing but conventional tuning. i other words i had no money.
The most over hyped band in music history.
I love Page's guitar and his music but as a person I absolutely despise him. I am conflicted because I want him to die painfully asap but I want him to first do a bunch of recordings for the vault. When I think of him I sometimes have to cut myself for the darkness to pass, but then I will sit back and listen to the guitar on celebration day or song remains the same and think, "why can't I get to him and flay him alive!? When will this ever end!?" and other stuff like that and so I cut myself some more. I bet a lot of you can relate. Anyway Page rocks. I hope he dies.
Get help, hartkid. Soon.
interesting historical sidenote: google a guy named Bert Jansch.
Not necessary to google Jansch. What specifically did you have in mind? The very old stuff? The influence? Pentangle? Page not crediting him?
What about Drake?
Nice reference.
most people have never heard of him. that's all.
Mud-sh-sh-sh-shark.
Were we separated at birth?
Led Zepplin cannot be explained or duplicated or fully understood. They didn't create songs they created the unknown from the known. They took us with them and we never got off the boat and the journey never ends. They are Led Zepplin and they are the greatest rock band ever.
When I see and listen to the newer rock bands today I almost vomit in my mouth.
We were lucky to be raised during a time when Led Zepplin was hatched and erupted into the world and we knew then they were Gods of mortal men because they had found and unleashed a mystery.
Keep the Philistines out !! Bar them at the gates. Slay their voices. Stop the stampede of the deaf. Kimmy Page thank you for being a voice of righteous truth. Frodo lives !!!!
Wonderful column. Thank you. Led Zeppelin is and always has been my favorite band. They are the standard by which other bands are measured; and they continue to be relevant and fresh.
I began listening to Zep when I was 11 or 12 (in the mid-80s) and I have never outgrown them. My Zep phase has never ended and I doubt very seriously it ever will. I've had Physical Graffiti stolen from me twice and have bought it again twice. Like you, Kim, there is a Zep song that corresponds to nearly every major (and minor) event in my life and simply hearing those songs evokes strong nostalgia. And like you, I have a worn, dog-eared copy of _Hammer of the Gods_.
And every time I listen to Zep, I hear new things in the music, take away new ideas from the lyrics. And I will never ever get tired of hearing Bonzo's drum pedal squeak in "Since I've Been Loving You."
And, lucky me, I got to see Page and Plant in '97 for the _Walking into Clarksdale_ tour.
Now, I think I'll go listen to some Led Zeppelin. And it might get loud.
Hands down, physical graffiti is the best rock album of all time. It's truly a masterpiece.
It is unlike any other album ever made.
It's great from beginning to end, with each song a masterpiece in it's own right.
My favorite cut is Ten years gone, and of course we all know of Kashmir. (the band unanimusly agrees that it is thier greatest work) But some other tracks I love include: The Rover (absolute meloncholy and despair) In My Time of Dying (audible fear and sadness) and trampled underfoot (raw power and sexuality.)
Great album.
The fact that's it's a DOUBLE album makes it all the more remarkable as Zep's best studio release. That's to say, it's an album devoid of the sort of filler one normally expects to find on a double. Also most of it has a RAW quality that's a welcome change from the more produced sound of the previous two albums.
Those songs you mentioned were excellent choices. Thanks especially for The Rover - a stirring rock anthem of true nobility. And In My Time of Dying - loudest drums ever! Another one that stands out to me is The Wanton Song, with its militaristic funkiness that has been much imitated in years since.
Probably my favorite moment in the album occurs in the last song (Sick Again), about 1:30 in, where Bonzo goes absolutely NUTS and practically destroys his kit.
weird thing is, i know what you're saying about "bron-yr-aur." there is just something special about it, even though it is a short, instrumental song. it fit nicely in "the song remains the same".
i went through a huge zeppelin phase from 8th grade until senior year in high school: could name every songlist from every album, had the huge, black swansong tapestry, read hammer of the gods multiple times and could decorate notebooks with perfect LED ZEPPELIN's and ZOSO's.
then, for some reason, it stopped. i don't think i really outgrew it, but i think that it reached a point of being overkill. i started exploring all kinds of music, and i'm now a fan of everything from the kinks to willie nelson to bootsy collins to richard hell to ornette coleman. and pete townshend as supplanted jimmy page as my definition of rock and roll. but i will never forget that, for me, it started with zeppelin.
I have very fond memories of seeing them in concert twice (maybe even thrice--I must go check my box of ticket stubs!) For the usual reason my concert memories can be a bit hazy, alas.
A friend interviewed Jimmy Page years ago and has a great autographed photo (which I warned him I plan to appropriate one of these days.)
P.S. Kim, If you haven't already, you must read Pamela Des Barres' "I'm With the Band." Lots of Jimmy stuff.
Jimmy Page, without which nothing we know would exist.
loved the post.
Jeez. You don't even mention the guy who thought up most of the riffs, arranged, produced, played absolutely brilliant bass, keyboards, and as much set the direction of the band as any other, John Paul Jones. Philistine.
Jones was great and important to the band, but he did NOT come up with "most of the riffs." Riffs are Page's forte.
Wrong.
Jones helped with a lot of the arranging, but Page came up with all the riffs (at least the ones he didn't steal or played on cover songs Zep recorded) and ideas for orchestrating the guitar parts. Again, if you can find old copies of Trouser Press, a lot of the info about that is in there.
See Kim Morgan's Profile
Though this post is mostly about my thing for Jimmy Page, I added John Paul right there at the end so you can cool it daddy-o. That being said, I always endorse any need for the use of the word philistine.
Thanks. That was my use of "philistine" for this decade. Quota filled.
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