Song & Artist: Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Album & Date: Led Zeppelin - 8th November 1971
Nationality of band: English
Members at release: John Bonham (Drums - English); John Paul Jones (Bass -English); Jimmy Page (Guitar - English); Robert Plant (Vocals - English)
YouTube:
My rant;
I have been looking forward to writing this rant since before I even created this stupid blog so here we go.
This is a rock song. This is a rock songs rock song if ever there was one. I love these kinds of songs where they build up from seemingly nothing to a powerful crescendo of earth shattering rock and then end leaving you recovering from an orgasmic experience.
The song is just so damn beautiful with the gentle yet determined picking and tunes at the start. The soulful tones of Plants voice picks at you as he ever so slowly, almost imperceptibly, picks up the tempo until at 2:15 another guitar starts and the song takes on a more powerful tone.
The tone of the vocal steps up as and about then you remember how fucking awesome this track is and what you're about to experience.
(The forest will echo with laughter, and it makes me wonder)
At 4:20 the drums start, and the song takes it next bump up towards ecstasy as Plant puts even more into the song.
Another step up at 5:30 and, ladies and gentlemen we are rocking like no one had rocked before and like no one has rocked since. Scintilating guitar work that scorches into the final jump up and the wino down the road arrives and the band bunch together and crank out the best damn ending to any track.
The only problem with this absolutely brilliant track is that takes me until the 2nd or 3rd minute before I remember how sensational it is. Because I am nominally part of Generation Now, I often skip this track simply because I can get my rock fix quicker from other songs.
I will always remember this song because Leah Panapa always played it around 10pm on a Saturday night when she was doing the weekend show on Hauraki back in the 90's and it was my guilty non-grunge pleasure. Somehow I was out driving every Saturday night.....
Bands: (multiple band entrys ARE counted twice)
8 - America
8 - England
Band Members Country of Origin: (multiple band entrys ARE counted twice)
33 - England
29 - America
2 - Germany
1 - Tanzania
Decade Released
10 - 90's
3 - 70's
2 - 60's
1 - 00's
Year Released
2 - 1994
2 - 1997
2 - 1993
2 - 1995
2 - 1991
1 - 1975
1 - 1965
1 - 1979
1 - 1968
1 - 2006
1 - 1971
Genre:
5 - Alternative
4 - Grunge
3 - Rock
1 - Punk
1 - Glam Rock
1 - Post Grunge
1 - BritPop(Rock)
I have a question about your list: how come Stairway gets number 16, yet Far Behind gets Number 5? I'm completely open to the idea that the originators aren't necessarily the best, but no way is Candlebox anywhere near the calibre of Zep.
ReplyDeleteMy answer is that it's my list, I like controversy and I my formative years were spent during the 90's, not the 70's. Also, it's not about the band, it's about the song. Obviously Led Zep are a far better band, but in my opinion, Far Behind is a better track than Stairway To Heaven.
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