bobandbill
one more time
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- Age 32
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- Seen today
Another double blog, because in all honesty it is just hella hard to pick two songs out of the countless ones this band have made which have a guitar solo in them that sounds good. =p (Yes, that guitar solo theme is still going!)
Led Zeppelin is the choice today, and I'll start by saying there's still no Stairway to Heaven. Not because I don't think it's worthy - because it is - but I figure everyone else should know of this song by now. It's not the most played song on FM radio overall for nothing after all, but that alone means you've likely heard it. And if you haven't then you probably don't have access to a radio. :V
At any rate other songs that I would have quite easily put in may end up in this ages away anyways so! Let's start with the far longer of the two I suggested, a 10 minute epic with a fairly fitting name to match its length. I also wonder if you heard either of these before- might be interesting to know.
Alternate Link!
Lyrics:
The fitting name I speak of refers to Achilles - a greek hero who fought at Troy and was also the main character of Homer's Illiad, one of the first epic tales that's been recorded.
But there's a double meaning (or triple?). Achilles in the tale is undone by being stabbed in the leg/heel, perhaps in what is currently called the Achilles tendon (which on that note is a horrible thing to break). Robert Plant, the singer, had prior to the song broken his ankle - the song was apparently thought to be initially called The Wheelchair song. I think I prefer this title better.
As for the song itself! The beginning is... unique (and I like how it's also akin to the ending), and I feel a neat way to not only begin the song but the album it was on. A fade in riff followed by the guitar and drums just sets it up nicely. The vocals are nice and there's just the way Plant sings some lines that gets to you. It feels wrong to have the lyrics as they are rather than writing them how they are sung (The devil's in his ho-oo-oold~). And the guitar (and drums too) complements it well too. You have the weird guitar line after the 5th verse for instance that just joins it with the next one, and after the 6th (about 3:41) you have the solo. And it's a pretty good one from Jimmy Page, and for me the highlight of the song. You have shorter bits of guitar and drums interlaced throughout too, but that part is the pinnacle of the song.
The song as a whole just sounds like an epic should. Long but grand throughout.
If you're still here after that song, here's a change of pace now - an acoustic song! I think it shows the second side of the band rather well. The main version here is also live, and purposefully chosen as well - it's neat to watch them playing and also to see just how good they were live.
Alternate Link! (Album version...and also live - also worth a listen)
Lyrics:
(For those interested, this was performed at the Earls Court Concert).
This song is part acoustic guitar, part mandolin. The main feature of that is I would say the way the guitar is played there. It sets the mood and is soothing... The most impressive thing I feel is that you could say in the live version it's as if at times he's purposefully playing wrong notes. Pay attention to how it sounds - it somehow can sound off in itself. And yet it sounds great all together.
And the vocals - and lyrics, for that matter - are pretty sweet too. The short version is that the song is about going to California to find a woman, but it doesn't go so well as planned - there's a sense of delusion, especially in the closing lines.
And of course, the video also documents a heck of a lot of hair. =p
I don't have much else to say on this, truth be told. Maybe I should just let the music do the talking.
Next blog entry!
Led Zeppelin is the choice today, and I'll start by saying there's still no Stairway to Heaven. Not because I don't think it's worthy - because it is - but I figure everyone else should know of this song by now. It's not the most played song on FM radio overall for nothing after all, but that alone means you've likely heard it. And if you haven't then you probably don't have access to a radio. :V
At any rate other songs that I would have quite easily put in may end up in this ages away anyways so! Let's start with the far longer of the two I suggested, a 10 minute epic with a fairly fitting name to match its length. I also wonder if you heard either of these before- might be interesting to know.
Alternate Link!
Lyrics:
Spoiler:
The fitting name I speak of refers to Achilles - a greek hero who fought at Troy and was also the main character of Homer's Illiad, one of the first epic tales that's been recorded.
But there's a double meaning (or triple?). Achilles in the tale is undone by being stabbed in the leg/heel, perhaps in what is currently called the Achilles tendon (which on that note is a horrible thing to break). Robert Plant, the singer, had prior to the song broken his ankle - the song was apparently thought to be initially called The Wheelchair song. I think I prefer this title better.
As for the song itself! The beginning is... unique (and I like how it's also akin to the ending), and I feel a neat way to not only begin the song but the album it was on. A fade in riff followed by the guitar and drums just sets it up nicely. The vocals are nice and there's just the way Plant sings some lines that gets to you. It feels wrong to have the lyrics as they are rather than writing them how they are sung (The devil's in his ho-oo-oold~). And the guitar (and drums too) complements it well too. You have the weird guitar line after the 5th verse for instance that just joins it with the next one, and after the 6th (about 3:41) you have the solo. And it's a pretty good one from Jimmy Page, and for me the highlight of the song. You have shorter bits of guitar and drums interlaced throughout too, but that part is the pinnacle of the song.
The song as a whole just sounds like an epic should. Long but grand throughout.
If you're still here after that song, here's a change of pace now - an acoustic song! I think it shows the second side of the band rather well. The main version here is also live, and purposefully chosen as well - it's neat to watch them playing and also to see just how good they were live.
Alternate Link! (Album version...and also live - also worth a listen)
Lyrics:
Spoiler:
(For those interested, this was performed at the Earls Court Concert).
This song is part acoustic guitar, part mandolin. The main feature of that is I would say the way the guitar is played there. It sets the mood and is soothing... The most impressive thing I feel is that you could say in the live version it's as if at times he's purposefully playing wrong notes. Pay attention to how it sounds - it somehow can sound off in itself. And yet it sounds great all together.
And the vocals - and lyrics, for that matter - are pretty sweet too. The short version is that the song is about going to California to find a woman, but it doesn't go so well as planned - there's a sense of delusion, especially in the closing lines.
And of course, the video also documents a heck of a lot of hair. =p
I don't have much else to say on this, truth be told. Maybe I should just let the music do the talking.
Next blog entry!
