The Essentials: Number 2

Led Zeppelin 

Led Zeppelin - Building on the blues influence of other 60’s British bands, Led Zeppelin added distortion and mysticism, turned the amps up to 11 and blew a hole in the universe. I was first baptized by them at the age of 13 when a friend copied Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II for me. Shortly thereafter, I got my hands on a VHS copy of The Song Remains The Same. I had never seen anything like this. No fireworks, no lasers or elaborate sets. This was the greatest hard rock band of all time filling every visual void with its sheer brilliance and might. The synergy of Plant and Page suspended by a backbone of Bonham and Jones is still the most powerful thing I have ever witnessed. For me, everything since then is judged by their standard. And it goes so far beyond what you may know as Zeppelin (see previous post "The Hammer of the Gods Rarely Used"). There are so many songs that are without equal. Whatever genre they decided to explore, they created a whole new version or method. And I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. I normally wouldn’t use someone else’s quote in something as personal as this but the following just states it perfectly: “Heavy metal music would not exist without Led Zeppelin, and if it did, it would suck.” – Dave Grohl. Enough said…