28 January Is For Videos: Led Zeppelin – Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You

Back in the late sixties and early seventies, the English blues/folk/rock band Led Zeppelin was considered one of the first to play a new breed of rock called heavy metal. In hindsight, that genre never really fit them, though, admittedly, our definition of heavy metal has evolved . Today’s metal is quite devoid of any blues influence and instead focuses it’s efforts on speed and volume, among many other things, which vary from one sub-genre to the next. The number of metal genres that exist today is nearly equal to the number of metal bands that play them. Looking back, it’s obvious Led Zeppelin knew they were not metal, but used the attention they were getting anyway. Sure they were loud, theatrical, and edgy, but they believed their work to be an extension of the blues. Indeed, a listener with no prior knowledge of Led Zeppelin (Is this even possible?) would probably classify their music under progressive blues/acoustic folk rock today. Musical misclassification continues to happen all the time, as the words to describe new music are drawn from the currently available vocabulary. Proper terms are usually invented well after the music has been released. For example, look at the wide variety of music that was considered alternative in the 90′s. Much of that era’s music has demoted or dropped the term “alternative,” which paints music with a much-too-wide stroke, and has been retrofitted with proper genre labels. Regardless of how Led Zeppelin were classified, they have remained one the world’s most influential super groups. Band members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones each were among the best at what they did. They were virtuosic pioneers exploring soundscapes that have endured over the years. A large majority of today bands cite Led Zeppelin, nearly as often as the Beatles, as a major influence. In 1976, Led Zeppelin released a film called The Song Remains The Same, that featured live footage from a series of 1973 concerts at Madison Square Garden, behind the scenes looks at the band’s touring and management, as well as some very odd fictional scenes of each of the members of the band. In college, my friend Ben Albright introduced me to and got me hooked on Led Zeppelin, which without a doubt influenced the sound of our 3 – and sometimes 4 – piece band, Caramel Concert. (The name for our band came from a box of chocolates found in the trash, which in a way has origins similar to the name of Led Zeppelin.) Ben had a copy of The Song Remains The Same on VHS and we watched it countless times, while “working” on our art projects. A few years ago I bought the DVD version and have been able to watch it whenever I like. The part of the video that has always impressed me is when they play “Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You.” The emotional performance, broad dynamics, proficiency of their playing, and over all mood of the song are so rich. The young musician has much to learn from watching these pros.