Again with the Research

I believe that Led Zeppelin’s musical masterpiece “Whole Lotta Love” is pleasure to the ears. By taking a glance at my previous post, one could find that out. I decided in this blog that rather than telling you how I feel; I would focus on what influenced the inspirational blues sound that Zeppelin creates. White boys singing the blues were unheard of, so I decided to see how the critics felt during that time period, and long after.

Early Review

Bangs, Lester. Rev. of Led Zeppelin III, by Led Zeppelin. Rolling Stone 26 NOV 1970. Rollingstone.com 2 May 2009. (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/104760/review/6067705?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview)

When Lester Bangs wrote a review for Led Zeppelins third album, it seemed as if he didn’t know if he should like it or dislike it. There were parts of the album that he absolutely loved, while there were also songs that he felt could’ve been left off the album. He talks positively about Robert Plants voice, while also bashing him for “monotonously”(Bangs, Rev. of Led Zeppelin III) overtaking the song. I felt when was reading this review like Mr. Bangs wants to hate Led Zeppelin, but he feels their deviation from normal rock music “will insure absolute stardom for many moons to come.”(Bangs, Rev. of Led Zeppelin III)

Something About the Music

Hiatt, Brian. "Zeppelin Members Seek New Singer." Rolling Stone. 27 NOV 2008. Proquest. 4 May 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3&did=1607730741&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&
VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1241569229&clientId=14904

Hiatt’s article discussing a possible replacement for Robert Plant is absolutely bogus. The title is very misleading, because after further reading it’s obvious that they are not looking for a replacement Plant. The problem isn’t that John Paul Jones, John Bonham, or Jimmy Page are tired of Plants Vocals. The problem is that Plant doesn’t want to reiterate something that has already been proven. Any fan of rock knows that Led Zeppelin is great, and Robert just doesn’t see the point in altering history. The article goes on to state that the rest of the band understands that without Plant, there is no Zeppelin. They just simply “really want to do something, and Robert doesn't want to do this, at least for the moment. He really doesn't want to make loud music anymore. We do.", says Jones.(Hiatt, Zeppelin Members Seek New Singer) Jones goes on to make the point that the remaining members don’t want to be a cover band, because people already have done that. John Paul then confirms that they are not looking for a replacement singer for Zeppelin, they just want to play. He ended the conversation positively by saying that “There would be a record and a tour, but we've got to have everybody on board. . . . What we've done so far sounds absolutely fantastic." (Hiatt, Zeppelin Members Seek New Singer)

Something a Little Deeper

"Whole Lotta Love." Rolling Stone. 09 DEC 2004. Rollingstone.com. 2 May 2009.

(http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595920/whole_lotta_love)

After digging deeper I found an anonymous Rolling Stone article on my favorite song, “Whole Lotta Love”. The author starts off talking about how “the four musicians got their sound together by jamming on the blues standards they loved, stretching them out into psychedelic orgies”.(Rolling Stone, "Whole Lotta Love") And after reading further, I have to admit that I was pretty devastated to find out that this song was not a Zeppelin original. Led Zeppelin initially recorded “Whole Lotta Love” to pay homage to “Chicago blues songwriter Willie Dixon.” (Rolling Stone, "Whole Lotta Love") There are also numerous other songs that were influenced by the sounds of Mr. Dixon, so he must be a great man. The respect they were trying to pay him was obviously not taken kindly when Dixon took legal action against the band for copyright issues. Testimonials were later given by Robert Plant and Jimmy page concerning the matter. "Page's riff was Page's riff," Plant said. "I just thought, 'Well, what am I going to sing?' That was it, a nick. Now happily paid for." Page later said, "Usually my riffs are pretty damn original. What can I say?" (Rolling Stone, "Whole Lotta Love") Original or not, I still find it to be one of the best songs ever made. It doesn’t matter to me who collaborates to make the song; it’s the way that music makes me feel that matters.

After researching I have discovered things that I would have never known. I really enjoyed all the first hand interviews that I found while researching. They give you a sense of how the speaker actually feels. Although, I do wish that I could've uncovered information from other sources, but Rolling Stone seemed to be the most valuable and reliable. I’m still not satisfied though, because I still feel there is interesting information out there waiting to be unveiled. Out of all the articles, I found the anonymous one to be the most interesting. It reveals facts that unless you were a rock historian you would otherwise not know.

I look forward to discovering more information about this profound band, but for now this will do.

No Offense, But She's Perfect

From afar, one would assume we were dating. Others might even say that we have a “Whole Lotta Love.”

I feel that it is much more.

I love the way that she does anything; from taking a drag off her cigarette, to taking a drink of her juice. A great word to sum her up would be perfect; but she's so much more. She creates a feeling inside of me that projects that she is mine forever. Just imagine 5’8” of nothing but pure sugar. Bethany Whitt is most definitely the sweetest girl I have ever met.

Usually when I meet a girl, I disregard whatever they're saying because I feel it has no value. (No offense to any females reading this but that is just how I feel; please prove me wrong.) Bethany is different because when she speaks I actually feel informed. When we first met, I was stunned by how cool this female was. We were over at a mutual friend’s house, and as I was walking in she was proving to someone why Robert Plant is the greatest singer of all time.

By reading my previous blogs, one would assume that I totally agree with her. At this time though, I was extremely ignorant towards previous generations’ music. Next, I inconsiderately said, “Whose Robert Plant?” She skeptically looked up and asked me if I was serious. I thought and then warily murmured, “No”. Instantly she was whipping out mp3 players and phones desperately looking for a sample of Mr. Plants Voice.

I found it so cool that she was about to show me something that was old, but felt so new.

As she pulled out her IPod, she was already getting up to turn the radio on so that she could transmit the fabulous sound of Led Zeppelin for everyone to here. It was almost like I was star struck. I tried to find flaws in her demeanor, but I simply couldn’t find anything that I disliked about this girl. The song that she decided to play was “Whole Lotta Love”, and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. I can still remember her dancing, and shaking her little butt to that tune. Her love for a good melody was evident in her brief boogie. The effect of that succinct moment is unmistakable, because every time I hear that song I take a moment to remember how significant Bethany is to me. Not only is she greatest thing that has ever happened to me, but she steered me away from disregarding previous musical masterpieces.

Although, I honestly think that she could have played an Eddie Money song, and I would have been a fan for life. It wasn’t the tune that caught my attention; it was the beautiful girl that presented it to me.

Good Writing - Defined

I define good writing as something that is enjoyable while reading; perfectly constructed sentences that guide the reader effortlessly through each paragraph. The beginning of a good piece of writing must tell the readers what they need to understand, and the ending should help them make sense of what they have just read.

Of course, I believe good writing is much more than that.

In my opinion, an essay that is defined as “good writing” should lack any grammatical flaws. I stated this first in my definition because I feel grammar and punctuation are the backbone behind good writing. I feel this way because the reader is going to instantly ignore an author’s intelligence if they are misspelling words, and incorrectly using commas. I’m sure that some people have written great papers, but have received horrible grades because of poor grammar. This is why grammar and punctuation are very important parts of my good writing definition.

Although, a good piece of writing does take far more than just perfect grammar and punctuation.

Personally, when I’m reading any piece of literature; I look for it to grab my attention. I like for each sentence to make me want to read the next one. Good writing should always interest the reader enough to make them want to continue reading. A perfect example of this is the opening paragraph to A Million Little Pieces (Frey); a book written by James Frey. Mr. Frey grabs your attention so efficiently in the given paragraph that it is almost impossible not to flip to the second page. After good writing has grabbed my attention; I should be able to read that paper, and understand the logic behind what the writer was thinking. A good piece of writing will never leave the reader confused, because good writing is always structured so that the reader is guided through the text as easily as possible. The last and largest part of my definition of good writing is that a point has to be made. A good piece of writing should always have a strong focus on the topic. By focus I mean that a point should be recognized in your writing. Good writing will always make a point in the first paragraph, while the following paragraphs will support and develop the established topic.

These are all things that I continuously attempt to incorporate into my writing. I don’t think that I have perfected them, or reached the level of a good writer. On the other hand, I feel that James Frey has mastered the art of being a good writer. In the example I gave, he integrated all the elements that I think make a great paper. Although I’m not on Mr. Frey’s level of writing; I consider myself a decent writer. I do feel if I continue to include all the things that I think a good paper requires; I will soon be able to consider my own writing, “good”.

Work Cited

Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces. 2003. Google. 10 April 2009

The Race

He challenged me.

There was nothing I could do.

Landon was the type of kid that would always try to one-up you. No matter what day of the year it was, he feels it was always “Landon’s Day”. For instance; one Christmas I was hoping to get a brand new bike. This was a major step up from the childish tricycle that I was currently riding. I was so happy on Christmas morning after receiving it that I felt somewhat invincible. As I started pedaling down my driveway, the melody of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” started to flow through my mind. To my disappointment, it was immediately interrupted by something gleaming in the distance. To no surprise, it was Landon; frantically pedaling his luxurious bike down the street in hope of ruining my Christmas. I thought everything was festive, until I noticed that I was operating plastic training wheels, while he was riding on rubber. Did he have to one-up me again?

Of course, he didn’t even have the decency to say, “Hey”or “Merry Christmas”.

Just a mere, “Wanna Race?”

I am more stubborn and competitive than most people. Plastic wheels or not; I was about to wax Landon Johnson off the road. The race was simple; we were racing from the first speed bump in our neighborhood to the last. We lined up at the starting point and gave each other the most hateful glares that adolescents could give.

As we stared, Jimmy Page’s guitar riff at the beginning of “Whole Lotta Love” proceeded to strum through my ears.

Da na na na na.

There was a streetlight visible from the starting point, so we were going to burn rubber (or melt plastic) when it turned green.

We were off.

There was no looking back, or backing down.

It was all on the table.

We started off neck and neck, but as the melody of “Whole Lotta Love” sped up, so did the pedals on my bike. I started to take a meager lead, but that was not enough.

I could still see him in my peripheral, but I wanted to embarrass him. I constantly continued to push those pedals with all my might. As soon as I considered slowing down, I saw the finish line.

I kept pedaling as hard as I could until I reached our destination.

All I could hear as I was flying over my handlebars was Robert Plant chanting, “Loooooovvvveee”. After landing, I got up and dusted off. Without any hesitation I hopped right up, looking around frantically. I was ready to rub my victory in Landon’s face.

As I my eyes locked with his, he looked puzzled.

The tune continued to play as I smiled and said, “Still wanna race?” He replied with, “No, you’re face is bleeding.”

He always had to ruin everything. Did he have to take away my glory as well?

I guess you could say I won that race. I’m sure that he feels that he won as well considering he walked away with no stitches. I will never forget the glorious feeling I felt as I glided across that finish line listening to my favorite tune.

That brief victorious moment compensated for any pain that I suffered on that Christmas morning.

No Defense Necessary

In my last post, I portrayed the astounding musical experience I had at Hard Rock Park, during the fall of last year. I confessed my love for Led Zeppelin, and their musical masterpiece – “Whole Lotta Love”. I gave an in-depth recollection of my “encounter” with one of the best bands to ever do it.

How could anyone disagree?

As the intro to “Whole Lotta Love” starts to play, I feel instantly captured by its melody. The blues rock that Zeppelin plays makes me feel as if I can relate, even when I cannot decipher what Robert Plant is screaming.

I cannot even start to consider how anyone could argue otherwise.

In 1979, Lenny Kaye of Rolling Stone declared his love for Zeppelin; referring to “Whole Lotta Love” as “a pumping adrenaline drive” led by “the incredibly sharp and precise vocal dynamism of Robert Plant”, and the “tightest arranging and producing Jimmy Page has yet seen his way toward doing”. Hayes ultimately concludes that Zeppelin took all the great aspects of their past albums, to create this work of art.

Ultimately, Lenny affirms that this song is a classic. I agree with him, but for different reasons. I think that this song is a classic not only because I love it, but because it has proven to be one.(On Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, it comes in at at number 75.) Mr. Hayes gave his critical opinion of this song shortly after it was released, so he had no idea what fans reactions could have been. This is why I find it interesting that our opinions are so closely related. In my blog I state that “The rhythm of Jimmy Page’s guitar and the drums of John Bonham meshed perfectly with Robert Plant’s voice”. Mr. Hayes took the more analytical approach, but in the end we both valued the same parts of the tune.

John Mendelsohn referred to “Whole Lotta love” as “the heaviest thing I've run across (or, more accurately, that's run across me) since "Parchmant Farm" on Vincebus Eruptum.” Mr. Mendelsohn goes on to brag about the “Vietnamese weed”, “mescaline” and other numerous drugs that influenced his admiration for this song. I feel that his failure to never listen to this song sober resulted in us having different opinions on this melodies purpose.

I concur with Mr. Mendelsohn that “Whole Lotta Love” is a great song, but I feel that he did not get the chance to truly value the immensity of this tune. His perception was distorted, so his reasons for enjoying this song were different than mine. John was listening purely to get off, while I listen because of my unadulterated love for this song.

It doesn’t matter if you listen to Zeppelin for psychedelic orgies, or for the pure pleasure it brings to just listen. All that matters is that a song can make you feel like nothing else can. Music is great and is something that I will always appreciate.

“Whole Lotta Love” is just the song that to me, will always remain the utmost supreme.

_

Work Cited

Kaye, Lenny. Rev. of "Led Zeppelin IV". Rolling Stone 23 Dec. 1971. RollingStone.com.
22 Feb. 2009 (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/236870/review/5946018).

Mendelsohn, John. Rev. of "Led Zeppelin II". Rolling Stone 13 Dec. 1969 RollingStone.com. 22 Feb. 2009

(http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/204696/review/6068144?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview).

Richardson, Robert. "Myrtle Beach in the Fall." Weblog entry. The Best Blog?. 22. Jan 2009.
22 Feb 2009 (http://robert-thebestblog.blogspot.com/).

"500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. Rolling Stone. 09 DEC 2004. 23 Feb 2009 (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs).

 

Myrtle Beach in the Fall

As my head bobbed out of the ocean after arriving at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in November with my girlfriend Bethany…

The face I made was one of pain and discomfort. As I started to painstakingly stumble out of the ocean, I found myself getting colder and colder. My vision was blurred by not only the freezing temperatures, but from the salt water dripping from my hair, into my eyes. I could hear nothing but the cold wind piercing my face and Bethany chuckling in a manner that screamed, “I told you so.”

After learning my lesson on fall ocean temperatures; I had to think of something entertaining for us to do. I recalled that the first Hard Rock Amusement Park had recently opened. I assumed that it would be just as enjoyable as the music themed Hard Rock Cafe that my girlfriend adores. We both figured that there was nothing better to do considering that I had already made a fool of myself.

After entering the park, my amazement wiped away my shame. As we walked through the gates, I saw a massive 12 story Gibson Les Paul (Guitar). This alone would have satisfied me, but as we continued walking I saw something that I knew my girlfriend would love. Led Zeppelin The Ride!

Usually when approaching a line for a roller coaster I immediately become annoyed and impatient.

This roller coaster was different though…

When walking up to the ride, there was no visible line due to the astounding Zeppelin (blimp) towering over the entrance of the roller coaster. When we finally did make it to the line, it was not a line at all. It was actually a 3D virtual concert that we watched in a room while anticipating what was to come next…

Fiber optics light up the walls projecting people standing in a stadium lighting lighters and drinking beers. As the intro to “Whole Lotta Love” started to play, I felt as if I was 30 feet away from one of the best bands of all time. While standing there with fellow fans, we were lucky enough to watch exclusive interviews and concerts that could persuade anyone into becoming a fan of Led Zeppelin.

When the concert ended, doors opened and I saw "The Ride". We sat down, buckled up and “Whole Lotta Love” continued from where it left off during the concert. The rhythm of Jimmy Page’s guitar and the drums of John Bonham meshed perfectly with Robert Plant’s voice as we all set there in suspense. All of a sudden, the roller coaster started to creep as the the music stopped. We started to climb up to the pinnacle of the roller coaster as the music continued…

Mr. Plant screams “Way down inside, Woman you need”.

As we reached the climax of the roller coaster he chants, “Looooovvvvvvvveee” and whoosh we went down loops and flips while listening to this musical masterpiece.

Every time I hear the intro of this incredible song, my mind instantly goes back to that mind blowing musical experience. The smooth melody brings vivid flashbacks of my girlfriend and I zipping uncontrollably through that thick ocean air, with out a care in the world. If ever in Myrtle Beach in the fall, take a trip down to Hard Rock Park. Instead of jumping into the frigid ocean, jump on Led Zeppelin The Ride and see if “Whole Lotta Love” doesn’t make it on the list of songs you like.