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Zeppilen

Zeppilen Led Zeppelin were never afraid to try new musical directions, drawing inspiration from such styles as blues, rock, folk, country (and everything in between!) to create a unique sound that almost defies description, probably the most appropriate way to describe their vast repertoire is simply as "Led Zeppelin". During their reign they created one of the most enduring and diverse catalogues in modern music and firmly secured their status as one of the most influential groups ever (probably second only to The Beatles!). Throughout their years at the top they were shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and seemed to leave behind a trail of question marks wherever they went. They were not a “public” band (they didn’t hire a publicist until their 9th US tour, almost five years after their formation!); they continually distanced themselves from the media, instead relying on word of mouth and their often-astounding live performances to promote themselves. Not surprisingly, this low profile led to wild rumors about their lifestyles and habits and as a result little was known about the men behind the music. One of the most fascinating aspects of any piece of music is its composition the birth of the songs and what led to their eventual arrangements. The Led Zeppelin “Anthology” addresses the need to examine this facet of Zeppelin’s career and offers a glimpse behind those hallowed studio walls, beginning with Led Zeppelin in 1968 and ending with their final recorded work in 1978, “In Through The Out Door”, sadly for the purposes of this report we will only cover the later mentioned album “In Through the Out Door” “In Through the Out Door, The Polar Sessions” When Led Zeppelin reached Abba’s Polar Music complex in Stockholm to record “In Through The Out Door”, they were fresh from six weeks’ rehearsal. Subsequently plenty of their new songs were at the ready to record stage, and within a month they had laid down more than enough tracks to fill an album. Compared to previous reels, these exist in almost mixed and completed form. There are however, a number of differences to report as they mix down the material enthusiastically. Darlene, played in a happy upbeat major key opens with a “one, two, three, four” allegro tempo count-in from John Bonham, which gives the song quadruple meter. Very similar to the take that eventually surfaced on “Coda”, it pummels along in friendly conjunct legato form, live in the studio style. This is clearly a consonant harmony, exemplifying verse and chorus form. Robert Plant’s vocal mix set can be detected after the “Pink carnation and a pick up truck” line. From that point he accompanies Jimmy Page’s delightful fortissimo solo adding, “I don’t care what they say, I love you anyway, I’ll drive you wild .” Like most of these Polar mixes, instead of fading out; the homophonic track grinds to a halt with a tinkling of John Paul Jones’ electric piano played mezzo forte. The version of Fool In The Rain, played in major key show this composition nearing its completed verse and chorus mix. Some of the studio banter retained from Polar demonstrates the fun atmosphere that the four were working in. The beginning of Fool In The Rain, is forte, after Page counts in “two, three” Plant wades in with a “quatro!” giving this song its allegretto quadruple meter. This mix has the basic piano and guitar-backing track giving it its conjunct yet legato homophonic qualities. Robert’s vocal delivery also displays differences from the official version. “Oh baby, oh darlin”, he pronounces in the intro, while for the songs finale he stretches the line “Just a fool waiting on the wrong block” into a familiar warble, not that far removed from that famous war cry of Immigrant Song on “Led Zeppelin III”. This take also has an alternate ending leaving just Robert to wind down the final “Light of the love that I found” chorus unaccompanied. Early on Jones’s piano is lacking from this mix, but appears for the middle section, which this time does feature the blowing of whistles and the calypso percussion from Bonzo. That vibrant, good to be back together forte atmosphere of the Polar sessions is well in evidence on an early conjunct, legato mix of Hot Dog, in major key the humorous if somewhat expendable Page/Plant homophonic “Out Door” presto tempo, quadruple meter rockabilly verse and chorus hoedown. Jimmy’s guitar intro has a different texture to the official version, and Robert’s vocal is an alternative performance. It includes a couple of delightful off-the-cuff lines thrown in during the fortissimo solo break. “Ah that’s my kind of music” he shouts across the studio and then further taunts Page with “Come on Mr. Philips, you can do it again” - an oblique reference to the famous producer of the legendary Sun studios in Memphis. This mix also reveals a consonant in the closing seconds of the song as Bonzo follows Jones’ final piano flurry, later to be edited off the released version. A straight verse and chorus compilation, conjunct, legato melody, quadruple meter run down of South Bound Suarez in major key follows. This take is missing Jimmy’s polyphonic guitar solo overdub making this tune homophonic, and features a heavily consonant harmonized Plant vocal using forte dynamics and an allegretto tempo particularly on the “Sha-la-la-la Sha-la-la-la” outro. Overall this is a fairly undistinguished mix of a fairly undistinguished song, one of a batch of simplistic rockers they took with them to Polar and the only one to make it onto the intended album. Much more impressive is the conjunct, legato, consonant, verse and chorus song In The Evening. Set in minor key, this is a full-blown epic prepared for “In Through The Out Door” that even in this primitive homophonic condition reveals plenty of majestic qualities. Following the eerie mezzo piano drone intro, Bonzo kicks them into quadruple meter, with moderato tempo via a few taps on the sticks. This particular mix brings Jones’ bass much more to the fore and demonstrates just what a fluent technician of the instrument he really is. During the slowed-up passage, he plays some achingly beautiful notes against Page’s stretching mezzo forte solo that are not nearly as evident on the issued mix. As song heads for climax, Plant is all over the place on the pleading “Gotta have all your love” phrasing, before it all comes to a shuddering halt. Listening to the playback of this track must have been a moment of true reformation for the four, as it crystallizes everything that was positive about 1978 Led Zeppelin. Another track that certainly displayed the conjunct, legato melody, consonant harmony, verse and chorus form, and fortissimo dynamics was Carouselambra. Set in major key, this song uses a quadruple meter with allegretto tempo. A rather muddy vocal mix utilizing homophonic unison somewhat dulled the effect of the released version, and here an eight-minute alternate take reveals again what a potentially lethal contemporary track this was. The arrangement and the vocal is very similar to the finished article, though differences include a Plant giggle during the intro, a less echoed effect on the vocal during the slowed-up section, and a curious wah-wah bass sound in evidence during the fade. The track cuts off abruptly before the intended crescendo is realized. An instrumental alternative version of Carouselambra, virtually monophonic except for a few overdubs, is a further indication of the potency of the song. John Paul Jones’ conjunct and relentless keyboard effects drive it along, behind which Bonzo’s fortissimo drumming is quite exemplary. The middle section finds Page interweaving some delicate guitar from which Jones reverberates the synthesizer into the finale. Instead of the usual fade out, this version is extinguished by a prestissimo snare attack from Bonham. Finally to Wearing And Tearing. Set in major key, with forte dynamics, quadruple meter, and presto tempo. This consonant harmony with conjunct, legato melody set in verse and chorus form was originally omitted from ‘In Through The Out Door’, it was almost the A-side of a single to commemorate their appearance at Knebworth and was finally released on “Coda” some four years later, this was the breakneck speed-rocker they reckoned would show the punk clientele (which harbored a pathological dislike of Zeppelin) that this particular dinosaur was far from extinct. It would have proven to be an emphatic gesture indeed had it been released on “In Through The Out Door”. Page stabs the Gibson and Bonzo counts in for a studio run through of a track that should have received a public airing long before it did. “Yeah yeah,” enthuses Plant. There are some noticeable vocal changes towards the song’s finish when Robert screams, ”Can you feel it, can you feel it, oh I found out!” There were rumors that Wearing And Tearing was under consideration for inclusion in the set of their projected autumn tour of the USA in 1980. Given the opportunity, it would have been a proverbial barnstormer live. This pretty, emotional love song caused some division in the ranks (the disinterested Page took a back seat to Jones during this period). You’d never tell from this outtake, as it includes the lengthy extended ending (inexplicably faded on the original version) with some of Page’s most lyrical playing set against Plant’s evocative pleading. To achieve these effective overdubs, Page would play a full chord or arpeggio a fuller chord shape, and use the B string bender to change the chord as it’s ringing. This version of All My Love is another track in the collection that has been denied its dues not having been released officially. Sadly, John Bonham’s untimely death in September 1980 brought the Led Zeppelin era to a close. Never again would they make new music together in a studio. Which is a great shame because the Polar sessions showed they were still hungry to explore new territory. However, their original studio legacy still remains in the albums that came together during a decade of recording from 1968 to 1978. A decade that found Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham constantly in pursuit of fresh ideas and angles from which to exploit their collective musical talent. Upholding that unspoken Led Zeppelin ethic of progressing ever onward. A sledgehammer riff, a testosterone-fuelled wail from the other side of Valhalla, and a bludgeoning drum pattern that threatens permanent damage to the speakers and that's just the first few seconds. Yet the contemporary band Led Zeppelin were always far too large to fit in the heavy rock pigeonhole, and their “In Through the Outdoor” album encapsulates the mix of influences that enabled them to transcend categorization. These strands include English folk, Mississippi blues, and Indian raga; when stamped with the band's identity and a sharp production, the brew is intoxicating, and explains why Led Zeppelin continue to be the most commercially successful rock band of the twentieth century. 1. Rapallo Sam. Jimmy Page. March 2002. Http://www.led-zeppelin.com/jimmypage.html 2. Electric Magic. Led Zeppelin’s First Press Release. 1968- March 2002. Http://www.led-zeppelin.com/lzpress.html 3."All That Glitters..."Ed. Tom Gogola. Harris Publication Inc. 1996. 4."Led Zeppelin: In Through the outdoor" Atlantic Records. New York, 1978. 5."Led Zeppelin: Rare Interviews." With Alan Black/Alan Freeman. BBC Worldwide Music/King Biscuit Flower Hour Records/Atlantic Records Corporation. Master Tone, 1997. Bibliography:

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