A First Listen and Analysis of Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2022
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The riff that changed everything. And those drum fills! And that driving bass line! And over top of it all, those soaring vocals! My God. In the pantheon of great LZ rock songs Whole Lotta Love is the Mount Everest of them all.
❤
The opening riff is iconic. It is menacing, almost combative sounding. The audio experience is massive. Jimmy said: "For the song to work as this panoramic audio experience, I needed Bonzo to really stand out, so that every stick stroke sounded clear and you could really feel them," he said in the Wall Street Journal. "If the drums were recorded just right, we could lay in everything else." If you listen closely during some of Bonzo's fills, you can hear him yelling. Bonzo had said in an interview once "So I really like to yell out when I'm playing. I yell like a bear to give it a boost. I like our act to be like a thunderstorm." During the second album, Jimmy was really coming into his own as a producer. According to Jonesy who told Uncut magazine January 2009 "The backwards echo stuff. A lot of the microphone techniques were just inspired. Using distance-miking… and small amplifiers. Everybody thinks we go in the studio with huge walls of amplifiers, but he doesn't. He uses a really small amplifier and he just mikes it up really well, so that it fits into a sonic picture." The improvised middle section included a Theremin and Jimmy pulling on his detuned guitar strings and was the result of him and engineer Eddie Kramer "twiddling every knob known to man." while in the control booth. This part is often referred to as "the freakout." Jimmy used backwards echo on the vocals for the "Woman...You need it" section. He'd used backwards echo before intentionally but this time it was used because a different take of Robert's vocal bled over to his master vocal track, so when Jimmy and Eddie Kramer mixed the song, they couldn't get rid of it. So, to fix it, they accentuated it to make it sound intentional, adding reverb to it so Robert sounded like he was foreshadowing his lines from afar. This song was a rallying cry that ushered in a new musical style for the 70s.
I love Jimmy Page ❣️
Great article. I don’t think Page ever used the bow on a studio song ever after Zep 1. Page is my all time musical hero.
@@Dan-zq5wt To my knowledge, he used the bow on three Zep songs; Dazed and Confused (of course), How Many More Times and then not until Physical Graffiti when he used it on his acoustic guitar to get the droning sound in the song In The Light. I've heard he occasionally used it in concert for the breakdown part in Whole Lotta Love instead of the Theremin, however, I haven't personally seen video of it and don't recall a bootleg off the top of my head that it was used for that. The Theremin was definitely used for the album cut, however.
@@henriettaskolnick4445 theremin for sure here. I didn’t know that about In the Light so thank you for that info!
Perfect, Henrietta…as always! Thank you so much for all your contributions!!
Remember, this came out when stereo recording was still in its infancy. The first time I listened to this album on headphones I felt they were playing right through my head. I was blown away. One of my top 3 songs of all time.✌️❤️🎶
The live version from MSG ‘73 closed their concert and was spectacular! A must watch!
Your closing comments were spot on. If you could bundle up sex into a song, this would be it. Many others sing about sex, but no other songs come closer to the actual physicality of sex.
I caught an sti just listening
The amazing thing is that they didn't have an outside producer. Jimmy Page did all the producing. He's a studio wizard.
I think Eddie Kramer worked with Page on this album.
"No one else can make a song like this because so much of what we just heard is underpinned by the chemistry of these four musicians." Yes! Nailed it. All four are masters at their instruments and great composers as well, often writing songs in one take or a few hours. In addition, they rarely just played the songs live verbatim to the recording. Their ability to lock into each other on the stage and improvise for hours is legendary. If you want to see this in action, locate Dazed and Confused from the live album Song Remains the Same. What they do with that song is literally the eighth wonder of the world.
By far the greatest most famous riff ever wrote, this band set the bar too high for other bands to follow.
Here's the one I've been waiting for!! One of the hardest driving rock songs ever. I don't recommend dropping acid before listening to this one, you SEE the music and that panning effect makes you feel as if you're moving in space while sitting in a bean bag. In the guitar interlude, Jimmy is using a violin bow on the strings of the guitar, giving the sound another dimension. This song is erotic for sure, didn't need deep lyrics, thoughts were focused on one concern. Psychedelic metal is a good description. Loved your reaction and knew you'd appreciate it as much as any Led Head.
pretty sure it's a theremin
@@kennethbarber438 I remember seeing Jimmy with a violin or viola bow at some show, many years ago. Thanks for the correcting me.
In addition to the iconic musical performances, vocals and riff, and the incredible production and recording, it’s just a damn sexy, throbbing groove. The essence of Zeppelin. And that searing, face melting solo!
4 geniuses at their craft really. Two long time session players and two of (if not THE) most influential rock drummers and singers EVER!
This implies that they had 2 drummers and 2 singers! Also, are you reducing Page and Jones to "session players"?
@@paulhagger3895 True, it's an awkward statement. But I believe you're the one REDUCING them to session players. The Wrecking Crew and And the MG's might have a problem with that. Plus the GENIUSES statement began the post.😜
Page was playing his guitar with a cello bow, during the part you thought was like a tornado. Genius!!!
No, Jimmy uses a Theremin for the middle part, which is no less brilliant1
@@henriettaskolnick4445 At the 3:40 mark, Page uses the bow. That's the part I was talking about, within the 'tornado' section.
@@clab5864 fascinating! What is your source please? I'm always up for improving my Zeppelin legends and lore!
@@henriettaskolnick4445 Far Out magazine, for one. I have been a Led head since I was 13, in 1969. I play keys, have a drummer brother and had a guitarist brother (he passed in 2020).
Further to your Blues connection - Jimmy Page was a well known session musician on the London recording scene prior to becoming a rock star in his own right - in a conversation with Keith Moon (of The Who, obviously) he talked about wanting to do a very British, very dark contemporary take on the Blues. Legend has it that Keith remarked "Well that's going to go down like a lead fucking balloon" gifting Led Zeppelin their name.
Keep up the good work. Visceral, honest reaction channels are few & far between.
Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Keith Moon toyed with the idea of forming a band when they teamed for a recording session in 1966, along with JP Jones and Nicky Hopkins, that produced "Beck's Bolero".
@@cazgerald9471 Yes, and thats where Jimmy spoke with Keith Moon about potentially forming a band with those guys (with KM on drums) doing harder music and Keiths response was “yeah that’d go over like a lead balloon “. So Keith was not dissing Jimmy’s idea he was dismissing the idea that those 4, including Keith, could make such a band/music work. So the 4 went their separate ways but later jimmy and jpj regrouped to start LZ.
@@cazgerald9471 Sorry, those 5 guys not 4.
fun fact: the 'reverse echo' effect on Robert Plant's vocals near the end of the tune was an accident. After he had laid down his vocal track, during mixdown they discovered that the sound on the tape had "bled" while it was in storage, meaning what was recorded on the tape got imprinted and copied onto the tape pressed up against it on the next layer of the spooled reel. so Robert Plant's voice literally traveled backwards in time, all by itself. They couldn't really do anything about it at that point except do a whole new vocal track, but they decided it was cool so they kept it. Physics itself conspired to make the song even that much more psychedelic. I want whatever they were on.
Timeless!! It’s all about sexual tension. Many of their songs have that sexual buildup/tension
You get it man….understanding the brilliance of 4 outstanding musicians
its so unique how LZ using pre-echo on Plant's voice, with the echo coming before the actual singing. Awesome effect.
What You Described,, The Rocket/Shooting Star Sound,, Is Almost Exactly How People Described The 1st Time Hearing WAR "Four Cornered Room"..Hearing It In Quad Was Epic.
The sonic landscape you mention is even more amazing when you consider that there was nothing out there that sounded anything like this when this song came out.
The breakdown section in the middle has some interesting sound effects. Some of it is Jimmy Page playing the electric guitar with a bow. Some of it is an instrument called a Theramin.
I have often said that this song kicked the door open for a lot of hard rock to follow.
Loved your thoughtful reaction to this iconic song!
I was 3 and it was 1969 and I remembering "Whole Lotta Love " on San Francisco AM radio crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in the Volkswagen bug.
From their hardest numbers to their most delicate, the music is intensely evocative on so many levels. Love your imagery. Thanks ☮
It even got used as the "Top Of The Pops" theme tune for many years. That is how wide it's appeal is.
I love your Zeppelin reviews. I wish you could see them perform tho. Jimmy is mesmerizing
IN HONOR & MEMORY:: 32 Years Ago Today We Would Lose A Legendary Music Icon..R.I.P. Stevie Ray Vaughan..Thanks For ALL You Gave Us..
Gone But Definitely Not Forgotten.🙏❤
Oh im so glad youre listening to the long, album version The 'shroom break gets cut on others.
Remember we had just gotten stereo music. So they would pan the sounds from let to right speakers. So cool for the time.
Listen to this back in the 70s. I was about 14 years old. I knew the world was never going to be the same.
They were just freaking awesome, man!!
This song was very unique for its time.
Watch the live performances from MSG 1973 you can see Jimmy playing the Theremin which is that weird sound . Also Jimmy plays the guitar with a violin bow on Dazed and Confused.
Oooohhh hell YES!..I love it! Your the greatest reactionist ever- keep up the great work 👍
In 1960s, w/universality of stereo recording solidified, and increased use of earphones by stoners & audiophiles, many rockers experimented with shooting the sound back and forth between tracks. With headphones, this gives illusion of the music shooting between the ears. Cool....
What a great journey and analysis you’re on
I saw Led Zepplin live in '71 - they were the only band I have seen whose live performance was exactly like their studio albums - they were consummate musicians
I heard when they first came to North America they were the opening act for Vanilla Fudge. In Toronto they were booed off the stage. Go figure they would go on to be the greatest rock band in history!!!
Yeah, like when Jimi opened for the Monkees and got booed; can you imagine?
It was a great reworking of Willie Dixons You Need Love. Dixons family had to sue to get the royalties he was due because they used his lyrics exactly. The music and riff were their contribution as well as the powerful drumming by Bonzo and a blistering vocal by Robert Plant!
Their use of dynamics was brilliant as well! The drum break that leads to the molten metal guitar solo by Page is one of the stunning moments of this song. Powerful sonic moments!
Zeppelin were great at covering and reworking Blues songs but they didn’t give the proper credits to the original songwriters.
Like How Many More Times is a reworking of How Many More Years by Howling Wolf along with the Hunter by Willie Dixon thrown in.
I had a feeling you’d like this since you seem to appreciate hard Rock in all its forms and Zeppelin along with Black Sabbath are two of the heaviest bands ever!
Rock On!🤘🏻🎸👏🏻😎
Yeah, that's a bummer that they did that; put a stain on their reputation.
@@marymargaretmoore9034 They we’re sued several times and the guy who wrote Dazed and Confused did win a settlement and writing credit finally after 40 years but the recent lawsuit was ruled in Zeps favor. So it’s a mixed bag.
I don’t think they care since they can count their millions in the bank. It paid off for them.
I get annoyed when folks criticize LZ for failing to credit original music and lyrics on these songs! You are viewing the music world in late 1960s UK through the lens of today's copyright laws. If anything, the band may have not done quite enough research, or gotten inaccurate or incomplete legal advice on the original artists. LZ suffered from their own fame, as well, as I doubt any of these lawsuits would have been filed if LZ had been less successful. All of the songs in question had previously been recorded by other artists, who were not sued in a public media frenzy. LZ's appreciation and admiration for the American blues artists whose work they adapted on their first couple of albums has always been well-documented.
Another really wonderful and insightful review. Yeah you nailed it, there are so many ways to appreciate this work of art. So many ways. And I'm so happy you pointed out the Dynamics and the evolution of the song. I've been preaching about this to friends and band members for decades now, it's not about how much or how little space it has in it, it's about manipulating space in general. The decisions that get made about when it should be dense and busy or slow and spacious or slow and busy or very dense but really not that busy. Etc. My favorite musicians and bands and composers do that well and I have striven to do that in my own work for a long time. But I think Led Zeppelin was just terrifically fantastic at it.
btw, i love your analysis of a 'tornado of sound', perfect analogy
You were excited in the beginning and I was thinking wait till the rest of the song!! Loved you pictured your own landscape. I had my own landscape listening to this album 8 years old on vinyl with huge headphones on a shag rug carpet. And as always when listening to vinyl it was beginning to end.
I literally laugh out loud when people debate who the greatest drummer of all time was. I just tell them to play this song and, wha la, debate is over. Nobody can hold a candle to JB. 🥁 G.O.A.T 🥁
"Leads are great but riffs last forever." Keith Richards (maybe)
the reverse echo effect at 8:15 was actually the result of using the same tape from a previous take....not done on purpose which is what I always thought...how crazy is that,,,,great video as always thank you.
Now youre rockin!!!
Magnificent as always! Jimmy plays a Theramin in this...watch the 1973 MSG performance!
Excellent reaction for a rock masterpiece.
When you’re reacting Heartbreaker(which has another classic Zeppelin riff) you should react to Living Loving Maid right after as Heartbreaker transitions directly into it on the album
You nailed it! Their chemistry, it’s why when J. B. died the band broke up forever.
Absolutely loving your Zep journey, Syed. So fun to watch. You definitely get us hyped to watch/listen to the next album track every time.
Right on brother
keep it coolin baby!!!
I’m 68 and will never stop listening to the G.O.A.T……in a genre all by themselves…
Alright! Welcome back dude. That tune never ages. First zeppelin song I ever heard. Still haven't heard anything like it.
Monumental song 😍💪🏻💪🏻
Changing of the Guard:. This song and this album is when Led Zeppelin toppled the Beatles from the number one spot on the album charts (Abbey Road) and put Led Zeppelin on top of the world for the entire 1970's. After this album was released, there was no question that Led Zeppelin was the greatest band in the world, bar none.
I feel how the music personifies the feelings of overwhelming love and it’s complications. Appreciate you sharing your journey!
50 year old song still jams
53..Just Sayin.
Syed’s Solo Shimmy is hilarious!
I luv your reactions bro!! So genuine you speak the total truth about these GOATS!!! They are the best!!!
Song stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it. Bam! Instant Led Head!
I've always referred to the midsection of this song as a cerebral hemorrhage put to music. Love it
The live version of this from MSG 1973 is one of the greatest performances ever! It's also quite a bit different as they improvise extensively.
I bought this album at our local supermarket in 1970, my sister and it do death! Those days never really die, time and tech changes, people don't!
This piece has so much going on with it that I've got nothing to say that won't ruin the magic.
Part of guitar solo was used later how sample in famous Prodigy track - Voodoo People
Quite deep, insightful, and accurate analysis, Syed.
Keep going thru Zepp……you will not be disappointed
The Rolling Stones, in 1966, with Let’s Spend the Night Together, was more lyrically explicit, than this. I can remember when they were on the Ed Sullivan Show, on TV. Ed made them change the chorus words to say, Let’ Spend Some Time Together; not realizing what was being said in the middle eight, of the song.
Dont forget Jones on bass, hes SOLID and drives the whole thing.
so happy I grew up with this music!! Peace and Love from Canada
Hi mate, Scrape your pick down the e string and pan it from left to right!! Imagine being a 12 year old and hearing this for the first time in late 69, this album knocked Abbey Road off top spot in several countries including Oz 🪃
I was 15, blew my mind....
Possibly the most famous Zeppelin song? No way. That's Stairway to Heaven.
Great song to do Syed. Good one matey 🤞
I loved Zeppelin as a little kid. I would sneak my parents records out and play them softly in my room. Later, I came back to them when I hit 19, and I was like, Oh! That's what that was about....
The psychedelic section in the middle sounds like a trip to Hell and back! 🔥
At 6:45 you are talking about one of the greatest rock transitions of all time!!
So glad you said it at the end - this song IS sex. And, the Jackson Pollock comparison is brilliant. Yes, and it never occurred to me.
Damn! Jackson Pollock! I dig you. You are saying a brilliance, into a train wreck. But it was brilliance to begin with. Ends in a car wreck. I dig you. Keep on, keeping on.
We were blown away! We'd go in the hills with 50 to 100 teenagers, pull out our huge speakers and play Zeppelin, Aerosmith, or Pink Floyd. Kegs of beer till dawn. Such an amazing time in music. Freedom! ❤✌
Can’t wait till you get to heartbreaker
Better riff than whole lotta love but that’s just my opinion
If you want to hear a truly beautiful song, try their All My Love.
It's the Thunder dude. The thunder.
Bro, You really should see this live at Madison Square Garden along with one of the most reviewed songs on UA-cam; Since I've Been Loving You which will absolutely blow you away.
Wall of Sound .... expressing the same urge from the begging of time
Jimmy uses the violin bow on Dazed & Confused and How Many More Times from first album. Here in the freakout middle section he used a theremin, same instrument used on Beach Boys Good Vibrations. Jimmy saw a theremin used by band Spirit on first Zep US tour.
Great Led Zeppelin album 👌 one of my favorites ❤ 👌
Prince and Tina Turner's cover versions are interesting interpretations of this masterpiece, definitely worth a listen!
Welcome to "Acid Rock." This entire album is experimental, says Led Zeppelin, and what a trip it is too. Enjoy.
Music to trip by.
Great reaction. Was just waiting for that guitar to kick in...
Edit: re: putting sex to music - pretty sure Guns 'n' Roses actually did that literally on a track.
Listen to Heartbreaker and Livin Lovin Maid....you'll love it
There's no other way of saying it - that middle section is a musical orgasm. A classic track of a brilliant band at their pinnacle.
At 59 year's old I realize I lived my teens and early 29's in the greatest decade of Rock music ! Stevie Ray Vaughan put a cap on my 20's
Check out Yardbirds ... Page, Clapton, Beck ...it all comes thru there ....
He's giving her a whole lotta love in the interlude from the lyrics ...
A tornado, or a swarm of killer bees!
During the musical sequence you could hear the thunder cracking sound which Jimmy used on the lead break in of the song In the evening
The human mind is bound by the confines of itself. It can only know what it knows, by design.
When John Bonham hit a drum, it stayed hit!
A discussion me and a few long standing musician friends talk about what one would blow your mind harder. The question kinda is you just purchased an album and you get home anticipation building, you unwrap the album place it on the turn table reach over and set the needle on the margin of the first song of side A. And to hear it just kick ass. And got down to 2. This one Zeppelin Whole Lotta Love or Beatles Come together. Both will hit you straight between your eyes and you will never be the same again.
Used to be the theme song to Top of the Pops. I love the use of a violin/ cello bow in the guitar strings during the 'psychedelic sequence ', it gives an impression of someone not being of sober thinking.
A cover version of it, at least. :)
sex.. put sonically to music..... Slow Ride by Foghat does a kick ass crazy good job of it