I am reviewing the Led Zeppelin II album today because it’s an incredible album and music listeners coming up may wish to experience some Led Zeppelin and be unaware, as I was, of which albums to buy. So, here is my review of a classic rock and roll album.
I wish to propose something that may enrage some of you, especially the rock purists and Beatles fans, of which I am one. I believe that Led Zeppelin created the first album that contains the modern and enduring form of rock and roll that we enjoy today, when they recorded their second album. There, I said it. It’s a hard thing for me to admit being the enormous Beatles fan that I am. By stating this I in no way wish to diminish the contribution of The Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, or anyone else that may have been a part of rock and roll up to this time. Certainly Elvis and Buddy Holly helped to form rock and roll and The Beatles are among the best song writers and music creators in all of rockdom. I think Cream came very close but they were still essentially a blues trio with amazing rock aspirations.
Led Zeppelin II comes out and blows your mind wide open with the first powerful riff from Jimmy Page on the song “Whole Lotta Love.” Rock and roll has always had it’s roots in the blues and Led Zeppelin did not try to hide that. In fact they didn’t stray to far all even on this album which included such songs as The Lemon Song, a loose cover of Robert Johnson the famous bluesman and Bring It On Home another nod to traditional blues that includes blues riffs and harmonica before it explodes into some of the sweetest blues rock guitar riffs that the world has ever heard.
There are some songs that have to be played just before or after another song. What that those two or three song series were set up that way by the musicians or by radio DJ’s I’m not sure. Some examples are Queen’s “We Will Rock You” which has to be followed by “We Are the Champions.” Slightly Lesser known is INXS with “Need You Tonight” and “Mediate.” You can’t here the first song without wanting/needing to hear the next song. Led Zeppelin started it all with the three song series of “Heartbreaker”, “Living Loving Maid”, and “Ramble On.” “Heartbreaker” swings the hammer hard with the incredible guitar riffs and the baseline that is so heavy it makes your knees weak. About two-thirds of the way through, the song breaks and Page comes through with a quick guitar solo until it resolves then the rest of the band joins jamming until the song breaks again and they come back with a sound so big it knocks you back in your chair wondering what just hit you. “Living Loving Maid” is Jimmy Page’s least favorite song so it was not played very often in concert. Though not a particularly stellar song it was a fairly well done slightly popish song by Led Zeppelin standards. “Ramble On” has to be one of the best all around rock songs ever recorded. As many times as I have listened to this song I still get my rock on if I hear it come on the car radio. Anyone vaguely familiar with the J.R.R. Tolkien “Lord of The Ring” series will recognize the various references in this song. Robert Plant was a huge fan of the books and as such references sections in “Ramble On” as well as other songs they’ve recorded.
“Moby Dick” is a purely instrumental song that seems to be there to showcase John Bonham’s amazing drumming. It features bass and guitar parts though the song is wrapped around the drum beats including an extended drum solo. John Bonham and Ginger Baker, of Cream, really revolutionized rock and roll drumming with the changeup in beats and time signatures as well as the interesting fills that they are both famous for. Rock drumming exists in it’s current form because of these two drummers.
Every listen is a new experience. The first few listens give you simply enjoyable rock music. On subsequent listens you’ll begin to hear the textures of the various instruments including Plant’s voice. I am amazed every time I listen to this album.
This album gets an easy A grade.
If you like Rock and Roll, you’ll love this album.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
I was recently turned on to Fleet Foxes by an internet friend when I mentioned how much I’ve been enjoying Band of Horses lately. When I looked up Fleet Foxes on Myspace, which is de rigeur for me when I learn of a new band. I found that they were playing in Salt Lake City the following night and since I really enjoy live music I made plans with my brother-in-law to see the show. I picked up the CD on the way home from work so I could get familiar with their songs.
The first strains you hear as the song Sun It Rises starts are harmonizing vocals that sound like The Beach Boys in a bluegrass band. The rest of the songs have that same basic feel. Some of the songs are very reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash. One of the founding members, Robin Pecknold, has sited CSN as a major influence so it is no surprise to find the same type of soaring melodies and harmonies winding their way through the library of Fleet Foxes.
Phil Ek, who has previously produced The Shins, and Band of Horses, has put his distinctive full, shiny sound all over this freshman release from Fleet Foxes, though he has done this without sacrificing the wonderful organic sound that seems to be Fleet Foxes calling card. This album is right where Pop meets Folk.
I’m giving this album a B- grade. Good but not great. Songwriting is well done and sounds like they will improve.
If you like Band of Horses and Crosby, Stills and Nash, you’ll like this album.
I was recently turned on to Fleet Foxes by an internet friend when I mentioned how much I’ve been enjoying Band of Horses lately. When I looked up Fleet Foxes on Myspace, which is de rigeur for me when I learn of a new band. I found that they were playing in Salt Lake City the following night and since I really enjoy live music I made plans with my brother-in-law to see the show. I picked up the CD on the way home from work so I could get familiar with their songs.
The first strains you hear as the song Sun It Rises starts are harmonizing vocals that sound like The Beach Boys in a bluegrass band. The rest of the songs have that same basic feel. Some of the songs are very reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash. One of the founding members, Robin Pecknold, has sited CSN as a major influence so it is no surprise to find the same type of soaring melodies and harmonies winding their way through the library of Fleet Foxes.
Phil Ek, who has previously produced The Shins, and Band of Horses, has put his distinctive full, shiny sound all over this freshman release from Fleet Foxes, though he has done this without sacrificing the wonderful organic sound that seems to be Fleet Foxes calling card. This album is right where Pop meets Folk.
I’m giving this album a B- grade. Good but not great. Songwriting is well done and sounds like they will improve.
If you like Band of Horses and Crosby, Stills and Nash, you’ll like this album.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Music Makes The World Go 'Round
I am a huge lover of music. My wife tells me I'm a music snob and says, "You don't love music, you love music you love." She is of course mostly correct. No one can just love all music. I will admit to a certain amount bias to certain genres of music but I'm willing to give most things a fighting chance.
Like most people I go through periods of exploration and periods where I just delve into my favorites and let them immerse my soul in their stirring and familiar sound. I don't propose that I have a better ear for music than anyone else, but most pop radio songs don't do it for me anymore. I am beginning to hear some interesting things on the radio again so I hope we begin to be amazed again at the sounds that come from the radio.
I'll list some of my favorite eras in rock as well as other genres, and bands so you can get some idea of my taste in music. First and foremost I am a lover of Rock, it’s hard to get much better than good old rock and roll. Like most rock fans it’s also hard to get much better than the era of rock from 1965 – ’75, the period known as classic rock. My favorite bands from that era are: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, etc. You’ll also notice that my rock tastes tend toward the area of the blues. Blues rock is where it’s at as far as I’m concerned. Though my love for the blues and blues based rock runs deep, I also really dig other types of music. Reggae is tough to beat for a nice mellow feel, I’m not as familiar with reggae artists as I’d like to be. My current favorites being Bob Marley and Toots and the Maytals. I also really like some of the old and new ska that came about because of reggae music. The Specials, Sublime, a new band called Vampire Weekend all put down some fantastic grooves. Ben Harper is hard to put in a genre becuase he hops around so much but it would be hard to find another musician as talented and heart-felt as he is.
I fall into a phenomenon that most people fall into. I think the music that was being made while I was a teenager is among the best music to ever be made. So, I don’t know if it’s my own bias or if it was actually that much better but early 90’s rock is just phenomenal. There was a bit of a revolution going against the trend of glam rock bands from the mid to late 80’s. In 1990 we entered the grunge phase and it blew me away. I still remember hearing the Nirvana song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and watching the video at my grandparents house after school. The energy of that song and video were incredible. Follow that up with the brooding sounds of ‘Jeremy’ by Peal Jam and the heavy guitars of Stone Temple Pilots and I was in rock and roll heaven. That era saw everything from the dark depths of bands like Alice In Chains and the ‘Dirt’ album, to mellower stuff from Mathew Sweet and ‘Sick of Myself’. Some great girl bands came up in that time; Hole, Garbage, L7 and others reminded all of us that girls could rock just as hard as the guys. Courtney Love, of Hole, still scares me to this day.
Among the new bands that are coming up, or have been the last few years, and really blow my kilt up are: The White Stripes, The Black Keys, The Shins, Band of Horses, Wolfmother, and others. The White Stripes and The Black Keys have proven that incredible blues based rock is still being made. The Shins and Band of Horses have made me believe in Pop again. Wolfmother and other bands are rocking as hard as Led Zeppelin ever did. I’m very optimistic about the direction music is headed today and the ability for small bands to get their sound out to the masses.
I plan on reviewing albums both old and new. Old ones that have been forgotten or need to be remembered because you’ve forgotten just how awesome Led Zeppelin I can be. And new albums because their new and someone needs to tell you if their any good. As Neil Young says, Keep on Rockin’ In The Free World.
Like most people I go through periods of exploration and periods where I just delve into my favorites and let them immerse my soul in their stirring and familiar sound. I don't propose that I have a better ear for music than anyone else, but most pop radio songs don't do it for me anymore. I am beginning to hear some interesting things on the radio again so I hope we begin to be amazed again at the sounds that come from the radio.
I'll list some of my favorite eras in rock as well as other genres, and bands so you can get some idea of my taste in music. First and foremost I am a lover of Rock, it’s hard to get much better than good old rock and roll. Like most rock fans it’s also hard to get much better than the era of rock from 1965 – ’75, the period known as classic rock. My favorite bands from that era are: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, etc. You’ll also notice that my rock tastes tend toward the area of the blues. Blues rock is where it’s at as far as I’m concerned. Though my love for the blues and blues based rock runs deep, I also really dig other types of music. Reggae is tough to beat for a nice mellow feel, I’m not as familiar with reggae artists as I’d like to be. My current favorites being Bob Marley and Toots and the Maytals. I also really like some of the old and new ska that came about because of reggae music. The Specials, Sublime, a new band called Vampire Weekend all put down some fantastic grooves. Ben Harper is hard to put in a genre becuase he hops around so much but it would be hard to find another musician as talented and heart-felt as he is.
I fall into a phenomenon that most people fall into. I think the music that was being made while I was a teenager is among the best music to ever be made. So, I don’t know if it’s my own bias or if it was actually that much better but early 90’s rock is just phenomenal. There was a bit of a revolution going against the trend of glam rock bands from the mid to late 80’s. In 1990 we entered the grunge phase and it blew me away. I still remember hearing the Nirvana song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and watching the video at my grandparents house after school. The energy of that song and video were incredible. Follow that up with the brooding sounds of ‘Jeremy’ by Peal Jam and the heavy guitars of Stone Temple Pilots and I was in rock and roll heaven. That era saw everything from the dark depths of bands like Alice In Chains and the ‘Dirt’ album, to mellower stuff from Mathew Sweet and ‘Sick of Myself’. Some great girl bands came up in that time; Hole, Garbage, L7 and others reminded all of us that girls could rock just as hard as the guys. Courtney Love, of Hole, still scares me to this day.
Among the new bands that are coming up, or have been the last few years, and really blow my kilt up are: The White Stripes, The Black Keys, The Shins, Band of Horses, Wolfmother, and others. The White Stripes and The Black Keys have proven that incredible blues based rock is still being made. The Shins and Band of Horses have made me believe in Pop again. Wolfmother and other bands are rocking as hard as Led Zeppelin ever did. I’m very optimistic about the direction music is headed today and the ability for small bands to get their sound out to the masses.
I plan on reviewing albums both old and new. Old ones that have been forgotten or need to be remembered because you’ve forgotten just how awesome Led Zeppelin I can be. And new albums because their new and someone needs to tell you if their any good. As Neil Young says, Keep on Rockin’ In The Free World.
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