My favorite Zeppelin song changes for reasons I can’t fully explain. It could be the seasons or moods or just the way we all evolve with the passage of time.
This one has got me now
It makes me feel like a Viking…the rain is dripping off the horns on my helmet-the wind is numbing my rough and weatherworn face. I taste the salt of the cold northern sea as waves crash against my wooden vessel, there is no safe coastline in sight.
“Hammer of the gods; drive our ships to new lands”
The yelling and screaming keeps me at my oars-it is compelling me to destiny.
The rhythmic guitar riff is like the wind and lightning of the storm that rages.
The baseline is the beating of the rain.
The drums are coming up from the frothy depths to smash the fragile planks underfoot; ready to take me with any misstep.
I FEEL THIS SONG!
And enjoy
Cave of Fame 
I’ve never been too sure about this song. I mean, I like it an’ all but it always sounded like a frustrated single to me… I know Zep didn’t really do singles but if they did then this would certainly be one. I know what you mean about their best song changing with your mood but mine will always be Stairway (sorry for being so predictable but that song is just so good…in my opinion, the greatest of all time and I don’t believe that will ever change…) but others come close. The Rain Song is always great as is No Quarter, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Tangerine, Heartbreaker and soooooo many others. One of my personal favourites though is The Rover. Love it!
Thanks for taking time. You almost have to put “Stairway” in a different discussion when talking about Zeppelin. It is close to “Creep” with Radiohead. The songs are just monsters all by themselves.
I understand the love for “Stairway” but it is tough for me to hear it with “fresh ears” today. The version Heart did at the Kennedy Center recently was great and I did enjoy that- it put the life back in it for a moment.
Yep, I know what you mean about Stairway. I never got to see Zep live sadly although for the history books, they actually gave Stairway its world debut at the Ulster Hall in Belfast in 1972 :-).
I did see Page & Plant in ’98 in Dublin during the Walking into Everywhere tour and they pretty much played a Zep set which was great but they didn’t play Stairway then.
I heard Heart playing it on record and I thought they did a pretty good take of it too, probably better than Page & Plant would do now which is likely why they don’t (or didn’t anyway…) play it. 🙂
I just missed Led Zeppelin…I was waiting at a ticket outlet for the seats to the Carrier Dome,Syracuse, N.Y.- When they announced John Bonham had died and there would be no show.(remember the days before Internet)
I will go back to Radiohead and them hating what “Creep” has become…this is a nice problem for an artist to have. Something that makes you and allows you to be an artist for the rest of your days. You don’t get to control how the fans react and what they think. Again, nice problem to have.
Nice ! I was just listening to How the West was Won, yesterday!
Thanks man…must be something in the air. I saw a dude with a zeppelin shirt yesterday when I was on top of a mountain.
Was it a Misty Mountain? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself) 🙂
No, but great title…I am gonna steal that when I post the picture! 🙂
Well said! I once saw a Canadian group named Big Wreck close a show with Immigrant Song, certainly not the easiest Zep tune to tackle, but the cover was pretty solid.
I like Big Wreck…I did not know that! Of course I have never seen them live either.
Their second album lost me, but the first Big Wreck and the new tunes are really good.
I’ve only heard the song Albatross from the new stuff, I’m a big fan of the guitar sounds from that & In loving memory, holds up live too!
I have heard it said that they are great live. Thornley’s still got the voice too.
Thanks and cool that someone would do this and not just Stairway and Rock n’ Roll all the time.
The only times I’ve one karaoke in public…I chose this song. It’s always, err, an experience!
Mike-if you want to send over video of that I might start a new page to feature it 🙂 you must have tipped a few before attempting that
Thankfully, there is no video 🙂
The two times that I performed it, I was in a different country so I wasn’t too worried about being embarassed…pre-internet obviously. The third time, well, I lost at bowling and we played “loser pays for everyone and does karaoke.”