"When the Levee Breaks" is a country blues song written and first recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. it was re-worked by Led Zeppelin as the last song on their untitled fourth album.
I did not know this. I was going to say this is "delta blues" through and through and always been a favorite song. I grew up in eastern Arkansas and always w/in sight of the Mississippi River levees. My mom was born in the flood of '37. Just about as bad as the one in '27.
The drummer john bonham died. Then led zeppelin did some dates With his son Jason Bonham. Jason has said the beginning of the song is the opening drums for the gods
Led was the most versatile and probably the best band ever. No two songs were the same. They played a lot of blues. Very powerful and also some beautiful music.
Zep was primarily hard rock/heavy blues so I guess this would be considered "heavy blues". The drums on this song were some of the most sampled in early hip hop. A lot of production went into this song. Backwards echo was added to the harmonica played by singer Robert Plant, there were also several different treatments on his vocals like phasing. Guitarist/producer Jimmy Page worked with the sound engineer to set up distance mics on the drums to help give it that loud, echo-y sound, and the instruments were slowed down a bit in the mixing while the vocals stayed at the same speed to help give the music a slower, grittier, slightly menacing groove. Led Zeppelin will always make you feel a type of way.
@@Analysta654 they all had a variety of influences such as early rock and roll/rockabilly like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, etc., then you add blues musicians such as Willie Dixon, Bukka White, Robert Johnson, and people from the Chess label, etc. Some of Bonzo's influences were the Motown Sound, Max Roach, Earl Palmer, etc., and last but not least, some of John Paul Jones influences were Big Bill Broonzy, Charles Mingus, and Phil Upchurch (whom he credits for inspiring him to take up bass). This is by no means the entire list of influences but you can see they all took up with some heavyweights.
Jimmy Page likes to talk about the drums on this but it is a simple fact that he wasn't there when Andy Johns set this up and got Bonham to play, in a 2009 interview before his death Johns stated quite clearly that everyone else had buggered off to the pub and there was only him and Bonham there.
Before the released version, Led Zeppelin attempted the song twice. They recorded an early version of the song in December 1970 at Headley Grange, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. It was later released as "If It Keeps On Raining" on the 2015 reissue of Coda. Prior to relocating to Headley Grange, they tried unsuccessfully to record it at Island Studios at the beginning of the recording sessions for their fourth album. Page and John Paul Jones based their guitar and bass lines on the original song.However, they did not follow its twelve-bar blues I-IV-V-I structure, but instead used a one-chord or modal approach to give it a droning sound. Plant used many of the lyrics, but took a different melodic approach.He also added a harmonica part; during mixing, a reverse echo effect was created, whereby the echo is heard ahead of the source. John Bonham's drumming, played on a Ludwig kit, was recorded in the lobby of Headley Grange using two Beyerdynamic M 160 microphones which were hung up a flight of stairs; output from these were passed to a pair of Helios F760 compressor/limiters set aggressively to obtain a breathing effect. A Binson Echorec, a delay effects unit, was also used. Portions of the song were recorded at a different tempo, then slowed down, explaining the "sludgy" sound, particularly on the harmonica and guitar .It was the only song on the album that was mixed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California (the rest being remixed in London). Page identifies the panning on the song's ending as one of his favourite mixes "when everything starts moving around except for the voice, which remains stationary." The song was difficult to recreate live; the band only played it a few times in the early stages of their 1975 U.S. Tour. Critical reception
The guys in Zeppelin were dedicated historians and stewards of blues. So many of their songs are re-imagined covers of blues songs with a rock twist. This is one of many gems.
So many people want to say they stole stuff; they tried to credit their inspirations, older versions, and originals, but it was usually left out of any press or documentation. It was just what the industry did at the time. Like, I can think of an inverted example; someone once asked Jimi Hendrix what it was like being the best guitarist in the world, and to paraphrase, he essentially said something like "idk, ask Rory Gallagher." It was like the most common practice to completely ignore artists acknowledging their inspiration and heroes, and now they're vilified for not giving credit when they genuinely did.
Historians and stewards, maybe... or perhaps just appropriators? It's a shame that they failed to acknowledge or credit the original blues songwriters of many of their songs until decades later when they were forced into big out of court financial settlements.
They recorded this album at a large country house in England called Headley Grange. John Bonham's drum kit was set up in the hallway at the foot of a large staircase which is why his drums sound so vast & heavy on this track.
The harmonica work by Robert Plant is HAUNTING! Some of the best IMO, and this was early on in his career. Nobody has a right to be that talented! Loved the reaction, TY.
That heavy drumming is the legend himself John Bonham. Greatest rock drummer to ever live. Inspired by a lot of jazz and funk drummers. Bonzo was the key to Zepps sound. This song like so many others is just an acrobatic masterclass of timing and phrasing. Paige, Bonham, JPJ and Plant are all some of your favorite musicians favorite musicians.
The levee breaks when he begins singing "Goin' down", and you can hear a swirling effect in the headphones at that point. Also, the bass line drops to the floor. Superb!
The first Jazz Fest to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Robert Plant played and played this song. It gave me chills because right before he played the song, he was talking about the devastation in the city and the clouds moved in just then and it stared raining when that first drum beat started! It was F’ing mesmerizing and uplifting and so apropos at the time. Something I’ll never forget!!! I never seen so many tears and smiles at the same time!!
Zeppelin has alot of songs with a very strong Blues influence! So much so, that some say that they are the Greatest Blues Band in History...I do not disagree...LOVE it!
The guitar, drums and bass are fantastic in this song without any question. Yet the harmonica is haunting and so well done. Replay it and just soak it in.
@@centuryrox I know a lot of people don't like this...but me, I love the idiosyncratic nature of the song...plus it's a great showcase of Jimmy's acoustic slide blues
I went camping with some friends, we had the boom box and tons of batteries for it, but everyone thought someone else were going to bring the tapes (CDs weren't invented as yet) and the radio only picked up church music (due to the location) only saving grace was in the boombox was Led Zeppelin 4, that whole weekend, we listened to it so many times and we loved it too
Heavy blues is what this song is. Pure Mississippi Delta. Where it all began. Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, Elvis….even Chuck Berry got their sound from this. John Bonham’s drum beat on this song is one of the all time greatest.
I am so old. I saw Zeppelin in 75 at what was called Day On The Green at the outdoor Oakland Coliseum. I was 14. We got dropped off and had to figure out how to get home. What a great time.
Asia and BJ, please do us and yourself a favor, and react to Traveling Riverside Blues. Led Zepplin is one of the first bands to ROCK the blues in a way that stays true to their genre why embracing the old-time Blues greats that they admire.
This is one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. It's so haunting, and you can hear the eaves crashing with Bonham hitting the drums and cymbals. Just a great song that is ominous and puts you there.
Led Zeppelin is the greatest most diverse rock band EVER. This is indisputable. Led Zeppelin could never be mistaken for grunge, that era didn't start until the 90's All the members enjoyed rhythm and blues growing up and the drummers father was a jazz musician. You have to listen to a much larger a swath of their repertoire to have any understanding of Led Zeppelin and even then you will never be able to pigeon hole them because no two songs are alike. You will spend years in that rabbit hole... Enjoy.
When blues musical duo Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie wrote "When the Levee Breaks", the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was still fresh in people's memories. The flooding affected 26,000 square miles of the Mississippi Delta - hundreds were killed and hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate. The event is the subject of several blues songs, the most popular being "Backwater Blues" by Bessie Smith (1927) and "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues" by Barbecue Bob (1928). Ethel Douglas, Minnie's sister-in-law, recalled that Minnie was living with her family near Walls, Mississippi, when the levee broke in 1927.The song's lyrics recount the personal toll on a man who lost his home and family. Despite the tragedy, biographers also see in it a statement of rebirth.
Personally i always felt that this was among a group of songs that were a departure from Zep's typical style. In particular it showcases the amazing drumming by John Bonham. Another one that definitely highlight's Bonham's drumming is Moby Dick. This is certainly a great song and it shows you the range and amount of experimentation that Zep dabbled in. Every member of the band was a virtuoso in their own right and it was great that they recognized that fact and different songs highlighted different band members.
@@johnday5519 When I see it mentioned I'm reminded that everyone listens to music in different ways. Doesn't mean they have listened to more or less of the band. They just feel differently.
My take is that LZ departed from their typical style FOR THE TIME the album "Zoso" (LZ IV, late 1971) was released. LZ, in my estimation, went back to their roots from the album LZ 1 (1969), reworking the black blues songs and giving them back to the US audience (like so many other British bands did in the '60s and '70s).
That drum beat has been sampled to death in Hip Hop and i love it. As a huge Led Zeppelin fan and earlier Hip Hop fan it gets me amped when i hear it again in a different song
The recording engineer set them up in a two story country home. The drums were played in a hallway at the bottom the stairs with the drum microphones at the top of the staircase. This allowed the mics to absorb all the reverb bouncing off the walls and ceiling. In the end, the snare pops like a small cannon and the cymbal crashes swell before fading. LZ4 still stands out as one of the greatest albums of any genre, ever produced. All this time later, it still astonishes and mystifies.
zep was killing it long before "grunge" was ever a thing. I guess you could say they are the grandfathers of grunge. zep blended all styles together flawlessly and forever changed the entire music industry. funny how you mentioned the word "Heavy" in your reaction to this song. a record company exec listened to their first album and his response was "that's heavy". it was the first time the word "heavy" was used to describe rock music. It latter blended into "heavy metal".
Yes! > The studio album version! < This is ALWAYS the way you should first listen to Led Zep tunes! A pure MUSIC reaction - good analysis and commentary. Well done!
There’s a distinct difference between studio Led Zep vs their live performances. Great energy, talent and showmanship in their live performances. But nearly every studio song they produced was master craftsmanship in precision, musicality and emotion. I “listen” to their studio music all the time, and may occasionally “watch” a live performance just to see them in action.
As several people have stated in reaction. It's a Country/ Blues dating back to the early 1900s, about the Great Mississippi Flood. Led Zeppelin remade it, guving it a MUCH "harder", "heavy", "rock" feel to it. Making you hear and feel the turmoil, force and dispare of the situation of the song. John Bonham's hard, echoing drumming from beginning set the tone of this song. So many people have sampled it because of that... Including Dr. Dre on the hip-hop track Lyrical Gangbangin'.
There's nothing "grunge" about Led Zeppelin. They are pure rock with a super heavy blues influence. 3 absolute genius musicians and one of the best lead singers in rock history. I hope you guys experience more and more of them.
Roger that, davegross3392! This is NOT grunge, NOT blue grass. This is ROCK AND ROLL. I love how BJ picked up on the "heavy drums" right from the get go. (the magic of Bonzo) I truly believe if young people listened to more bands from the '70's, they would really get into more Rock. It is really fun to see these young kids' first reaction to listening to this music. It brings me back to '71, when I brought this album home and stuck it on my turntable for the first time! I can still remember MY reaction!
a dead giveaway that this song is going to be southern bluesy is Robert Plant's brilliant harmonica work in the beginning and middle of the song. Who ever said that LZ is more Grunge doesn't know what they're talking about. The band is Blues based even before they were formed with individual musicians in their own right were based in blues and jazz and were HUGE fans of American blues and bluegrass. Grunge was an alternative to rock that came in the 90s, two plus decades later.
You two are making very good guesses on which genre this song is. When the levee breaks is a American folk song of the Mississippi River delta blues. Zeppelin most likely heard a recording of one of the many great 1930s/40s black American musicians like leadvelly or Willie Dixon. Their blues music was barebones and raw. Think of a barefoot man sitting on his rocking chair on the Louisiana bayou it maybe more north up the MS river near Memphis. Just a guitar, harmonica, footstoomp and a voice. The led zeppelin version of this song pays tribute to the incredibly soulful style and adds their own style to make it their own. Two of the songs from the first Led Zeppelin album are straight up covers of legendary black American blues songs. “I can’t quit you babe”, “you shook me”
I lived about 100 yards from the levee across the Mississippi from Baton Rouge… this song is epic to blast in your car driving the “river road” 🔥🤘💜 That is down n dirty Blues Rock!!! 😉
Guys I’ve watched a lot of reaction videos and you guys are the best for a simple reason. You ‘feel’ the music. You don’t over complicate by trying to explain the lyrics or storyline, quite simply we can all see you feel it. You get it. It’s about the feel. It’s emotional.
Led Zeppelin always touched a place in my soul. Never talked to mom about it and never remembered her listening to them but their tour dates in US coincidentally were around the conception times of my siblings and myself
They're a blues/rock based band. Dazed and Confused Whole Lotta Love are two songs that show both sides. All star musicians and the greatest singer imo in rock history.
On the flipside of this ultra-heavy masterpiece, please listen to "Ten Years Gone" and "The Rain Song" from the mighty Zeppelin. Two deeply beloved tracks of mine for more than 40 years. :-)
Are you guys really ready for THIS!!!! This is going to "Blow Your Hair Back." Robert Plant playing the Harmonica......Jimmy on guitar....John on the drums!!!! Tearing it up!!!! It is an attribute to the New Orleans's music!!!!! You guys are RIGHT!!!!
One of my favorite songs ever . Straight up Mississippi Delta blues. They take you on a trip as they do every song. This makes me imagine down deep in the south early 1900’s . Amazing
Led Zeppelin is mainly blues, based Rock. They were heavily influenced by old time American blues men and incorporated it with rock music to create their own great sound.
Thanks for checking out this old blues cover by the mighty Led Zeppelin! Great song and their take on it. Zepp had many great blues tunes, try You Shook Me, Tea for One and especially Since I've Been Loving You, if you already did the original studio or the Live one, do the other, worth hearing both versions. Jimmy Page is the gold standard on guitar, in my all time top 3. Enjoy! ♩
Led Zeppelin's catalog is some of the greatest rock n roll you're ever going to hear. I also recommend my favorite band Queensryche 1st 5 or 6 albums then the band split off and all that.
On a related note, that’s what Robert Plant is doing. He’s singing like a female blues singer. You need that high voice to cut through the mix on this kind of music.
Led Zeppelin is one of the best bands or number one bands back in its day a lot of the song was it from a lot of black old groups from the south rhythm and blues
When the basic track was recorded the engineers sped the tape speed up slightly. The band also recorded the basic track at a slightly faster tempo. When the tape machine was slowed back to its standard recording speed (after the basic track was recorded) it created the hypnotic trance like vibe. You can tell by how long the cymbals take to decay. Four English musicians tapping into American Delta blues, 40 years after the song was written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. Led Zeppelins treatment is astonishing. Great reaction A & BJ. Cheers, RNB
Led Zeppelin is influenced heavily by blues which is why they are my fav rock band. It's evident in most of their songs. Definitely worth going down this rabbit hole, guys!
❤️❤️❤️such a awesome bluesy jam !! Always one of my fav Zep songs !! Zeppelin came from blues!! That was their main influence!!! Esp their older music !! It’s ALL phenomenal !! Love your reactions !! So glad to see reactions to such great music!!
It’s blues for sure! Memphis Minnie was the original artist. But, Led Zeppelin’s music is very hard to categorize, probably the most diverse of their contemporaries. Keep up the great work, you guys are content monsters!
@@mikemclaughlin3306 I thought he was on the top of the stairs though? I can't remember, all I know is that they had to record the drum part in a different part of the building lol
Try anything from their "Danmark Radio Show",their very first appearance under the name Led Zeppelin. Previously they had performed as the New Yardbirds. The show is a blistering 4 song set and everyone kills it, at least as much as TV audio allowed for. Plant and Bohnam were 20yrs old.
I'm always happy how you two always hear the concept of the music from the drums to the harmonica to his voice being so bluesy. Keep being beautiful you two one love always.
Absolutely astonishing Delta Blues. I never ever tire of hearing this song. 🔥 You should listen to In My Time of Dying from Physical Graffiti- another astonishing example of John Bonham's amazing drumming
I have never thought of that before but that is a good analogy of Katrina and this song. I can feel that too now that you mentioned it. I loved Led Zepplin since I was a teenager. Probably the top rock band since their beginning.
Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant grew up in England when American blues was a HUGE influence! Led Zeppelin has its roots in the likes of Robert Johnson, Moody Blues, Skip Johnson...just to name a few.
Led Zep is kinda black music done by white dudes. That's not exactly accurate, but kind of. I'm sure people will correct me in the comments, but they just did music of any colour and it sounded good. Talent is talent.
Nah, you right, I think the band would be the first to admit it. Robert's influences were pure blues, that's how he sing. They did take black music and ran with it, added the heavier rock vibes but keeping the overall feeling of "the blues" on a good few of their numbers. They always acknowledged their influences.
However if you are talking about their whole output it would be wrong to say it's 4 white guys playing black blues too, for example Led Zep 3 was influenced by Roy Harper a British folk musician , Led Zeppelin were about mysticism and mythology. Immigrant song pure rock about the Vikings. The Rain song , That's the way , Stairway to Heaven , Song remains the same, not blues this is uniquely Zeppelin.
Led Zeppelin like many English rock bands & Southern Rock bands are base in the blues. Zeppelin listened to the old Mississippi delta blues & Chicago blues from a Young age. So, they are really a Blues/Rock band. Bluegrass is something something completely different.
"When the Levee Breaks" is a country blues song written and first recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. it was re-worked by Led Zeppelin as the last song on their untitled fourth album.
Well said my friend led zeppelin rules
I did not know this. I was going to say this is "delta blues" through and through and always been a favorite song. I grew up in eastern Arkansas and always w/in sight of the Mississippi River levees. My mom was born in the flood of '37. Just about as bad as the one in '27.
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I listen to the original and it doesn't sound that much like the Led Zeppelin version, which has drums and a brilliant harmonica and different lyrics.
The drummer john bonham died.
Then led zeppelin did some dates
With his son Jason Bonham.
Jason has said the beginning of the song is the opening drums for the gods
Delta blues with a British guitar-rock twist. Perfection.
you guys get into zeppelin, every album and you'll love at least 90% of the songs..... I love your reactions to zeppelin!!
🤘👍
Led was the most versatile and probably the best band ever. No two songs were the same. They played a lot of blues. Very powerful and also some beautiful music.
Zep was primarily hard rock/heavy blues so I guess this would be considered "heavy blues". The drums on this song were some of the most sampled in early hip hop. A lot of production went into this song. Backwards echo was added to the harmonica played by singer Robert Plant, there were also several different treatments on his vocals like phasing. Guitarist/producer Jimmy Page worked with the sound engineer to set up distance mics on the drums to help give it that loud, echo-y sound, and the instruments were slowed down a bit in the mixing while the vocals stayed at the same speed to help give the music a slower, grittier, slightly menacing groove. Led Zeppelin will always make you feel a type of way.
I seem to recall an interview with Robert Plant and Jimmy Paige, where they were talking about their heavy American southern blues influences.
@@Analysta654 they all had a variety of influences such as early rock and roll/rockabilly like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, etc., then you add blues musicians such as Willie Dixon, Bukka White, Robert Johnson, and people from the Chess label, etc. Some of Bonzo's influences were the Motown Sound, Max Roach, Earl Palmer, etc., and last but not least, some of John Paul Jones influences were Big Bill Broonzy, Charles Mingus, and Phil Upchurch (whom he credits for inspiring him to take up bass). This is by no means the entire list of influences but you can see they all took up with some heavyweights.
I think that if you have to put them in a category, Heavy Blues would be perfect!
Jimmy Page likes to talk about the drums on this but it is a simple fact that he wasn't there when Andy Johns set this up and got Bonham to play, in a 2009 interview before his death Johns stated quite clearly that everyone else had buggered off to the pub and there was only him and Bonham there.
@Phantom Freeze that echo, reverb is the subject of many discussions and analyisis. Who knows, and who cares? Sounds great
As someone once said...I dont listen to led zeppelin very often, but when I do, so do my neighbors!👍♥️😎🎸🎶
Wouldn’t be mad if I was your neighbor to be honest
Best f-ing comment I’ve read in years!!
Mine also
Remember Katrina and New Orleans
Before the released version, Led Zeppelin attempted the song twice. They recorded an early version of the song in December 1970 at Headley Grange, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. It was later released as "If It Keeps On Raining" on the 2015 reissue of Coda. Prior to relocating to Headley Grange, they tried unsuccessfully to record it at Island Studios at the beginning of the recording sessions for their fourth album.
Page and John Paul Jones based their guitar and bass lines on the original song.However, they did not follow its twelve-bar blues I-IV-V-I structure, but instead used a one-chord or modal approach to give it a droning sound. Plant used many of the lyrics, but took a different melodic approach.He also added a harmonica part; during mixing, a reverse echo effect was created, whereby the echo is heard ahead of the source.
John Bonham's drumming, played on a Ludwig kit, was recorded in the lobby of Headley Grange using two Beyerdynamic M 160 microphones which were hung up a flight of stairs; output from these were passed to a pair of Helios F760 compressor/limiters set aggressively to obtain a breathing effect. A Binson Echorec, a delay effects unit, was also used.
Portions of the song were recorded at a different tempo, then slowed down, explaining the "sludgy" sound, particularly on the harmonica and guitar .It was the only song on the album that was mixed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California (the rest being remixed in London). Page identifies the panning on the song's ending as one of his favourite mixes "when everything starts moving around except for the voice, which remains stationary." The song was difficult to recreate live; the band only played it a few times in the early stages of their 1975 U.S. Tour.
Critical reception
The guys in Zeppelin were dedicated historians and stewards of blues. So many of their songs are re-imagined covers of blues songs with a rock twist. This is one of many gems.
So many people want to say they stole stuff; they tried to credit their inspirations, older versions, and originals, but it was usually left out of any press or documentation. It was just what the industry did at the time. Like, I can think of an inverted example; someone once asked Jimi Hendrix what it was like being the best guitarist in the world, and to paraphrase, he essentially said something like "idk, ask Rory Gallagher." It was like the most common practice to completely ignore artists acknowledging their inspiration and heroes, and now they're vilified for not giving credit when they genuinely did.
Historians and stewards, maybe... or perhaps just appropriators? It's a shame that they failed to acknowledge or credit the original blues songwriters of many of their songs until decades later when they were forced into big out of court financial settlements.
Bonzo was the real deal. Best drummer in rock and roll. RIP BONZO.
Naw that's Neil Peart, but he is a close 2nd.
100000000% AGREE KEN.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee That's funny you say that, b/c I believe Bonham had the best solos. Regardless they both are da best!
Bonzo the best for me…also Ian Paice from Deep Purple
Ian Paice
Definitely not Grunge, bluesy rock...YES! The greatest rock band ever still gets my heart pumping!!!
50 years ago when I first heard this song, I was sold as soon as I heard those drums.
They recorded this album at a large country house in England called Headley Grange. John Bonham's drum kit was set up in the hallway at the foot of a large staircase which is why his drums sound so vast & heavy on this track.
Plus tape echo slap on the drums..hehe
Спасибо, что написали за меня этот коммент =)
Didn't they actually shift the pitch of the drums down a notch with varispeed on the deck?
@@pilippepine3299 Binson Echo I believe.
@@billhincks408 yes it is what Andy Johns remember recording the track with room and added the Bison Echo after...regards.
The harmonica work by Robert Plant is HAUNTING! Some of the best IMO, and this was early on in his career. Nobody has a right to be that talented! Loved the reaction, TY.
That heavy drumming is the legend himself John Bonham. Greatest rock drummer to ever live. Inspired by a lot of jazz and funk drummers. Bonzo was the key to Zepps sound. This song like so many others is just an acrobatic masterclass of timing and phrasing. Paige, Bonham, JPJ and Plant are all some of your favorite musicians favorite musicians.
Mate, that is so well put. I sincerely hope that whatever it is you do for a crust, writing is part of it.
He’s a close second to Neal Peart of Rush.
The levee breaks when he begins singing "Goin' down", and you can hear a swirling effect in the headphones at that point. Also, the bass line drops to the floor. Superb!
Swirling almost like it's going down the drain....
The first Jazz Fest to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Robert Plant played and played this song. It gave me chills because right before he played the song, he was talking about the devastation in the city and the clouds moved in just then and it stared raining when that first drum beat started! It was F’ing mesmerizing and uplifting and so apropos at the time. Something I’ll never forget!!! I never seen so many tears and smiles at the same time!!
Zeppelin has alot of songs with a very strong Blues influence! So much so, that some say that they are the Greatest Blues Band in History...I do not disagree...LOVE it!
The guitar, drums and bass are fantastic in this song without any question. Yet the harmonica is haunting and so well done. Replay it and just soak it in.
"Undeniable"....that's the PERFECT word, young man. Led Zeppelin FOREVER
I know this guy.
@@VinchenzoC Howdy, bud...!!
Zep has been deep into the blues since their first album with songs like "You Shook Me" and "I Can't Quit You Baby."
You Shook Me is probably my favorite Zep song...and that's saying a lot, since the only song of theirs I don't like is Hats Off to Roy Harper.
@@centuryrox I know a lot of people don't like this...but me, I love the idiosyncratic nature of the song...plus it's a great showcase of Jimmy's acoustic slide blues
Asia and BJ, out of 10 Albums, not one song sounds alike! The Greatest Rock Band Ever!
I went camping with some friends, we had the boom box and tons of batteries for it, but everyone thought someone else were going to bring the tapes (CDs weren't invented as yet) and the radio only picked up church music (due to the location) only saving grace was in the boombox was Led Zeppelin 4, that whole weekend, we listened to it so many times and we loved it too
Heavy blues is what this song is. Pure Mississippi Delta. Where it all began. Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, Elvis….even Chuck Berry got their sound from this. John Bonham’s drum beat on this song is one of the all time greatest.
I am so old. I saw Zeppelin in 75 at what was called Day On The Green at the outdoor Oakland Coliseum. I was 14. We got dropped off and had to figure out how to get home. What a great time.
Asia and BJ, please do us and yourself a favor, and react to Traveling Riverside Blues. Led Zepplin is one of the first bands to ROCK the blues in a way that stays true to their genre why embracing the old-time Blues greats that they admire.
This is one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. It's so haunting, and you can hear the eaves crashing with Bonham hitting the drums and cymbals. Just a great song that is ominous and puts you there.
Led Zeppelin is the greatest most diverse rock band EVER.
This is indisputable.
Led Zeppelin could never be mistaken for grunge, that era didn't start until the 90's
All the members enjoyed rhythm and blues growing up and the drummers father was a jazz musician.
You have to listen to a much larger a
swath of their repertoire to have any understanding of Led Zeppelin and even then you will never be able to pigeon hole them because no two songs are alike.
You will spend years in that rabbit hole...
Enjoy.
FACTS! 36 years later I am STILL discovering hidden gems in their music..
I’d put TOOL up there as well, but I’m cool.
@@Gabriel_Moline without Zeppelin there would be no tool. It's evolution built on what came before. That is always the case.
@@jeffmalloy8200 No shit, but now they are also a band, and are comparable. My top three bands are TOOL, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
Listen to Soundgarden Led Zeppelin all over...
Yaassss!! Loving these reactions! My ten year old loves this song. If it comes on, she always tells me to “turn it up, Mama!”
Badass! That harmonica and those drums are sick!!!
When blues musical duo Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie wrote "When the Levee Breaks", the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was still fresh in people's memories. The flooding affected 26,000 square miles of the Mississippi Delta - hundreds were killed and hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate. The event is the subject of several blues songs, the most popular being "Backwater Blues" by Bessie Smith (1927) and "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues" by Barbecue Bob (1928).
Ethel Douglas, Minnie's sister-in-law, recalled that Minnie was living with her family near Walls, Mississippi, when the levee broke in 1927.The song's lyrics recount the personal toll on a man who lost his home and family. Despite the tragedy, biographers also see in it a statement of rebirth.
Blues is the life blood of Led Zep. They are truly a blues rock band.
Personally i always felt that this was among a group of songs that were a departure from Zep's typical style. In particular it showcases the amazing drumming by John Bonham. Another one that definitely highlight's Bonham's drumming is Moby Dick. This is certainly a great song and it shows you the range and amount of experimentation that Zep dabbled in. Every member of the band was a virtuoso in their own right and it was great that they recognized that fact and different songs highlighted different band members.
when I see mentioned LZ's "typical" style, I always think they ain't heard much LZ.
@@johnday5519 When I see it mentioned I'm reminded that everyone listens to music in different ways. Doesn't mean they have listened to more or less of the band. They just feel differently.
My take is that LZ departed from their typical style FOR THE TIME the album "Zoso" (LZ IV, late 1971) was released. LZ, in my estimation, went back to their roots from the album LZ 1 (1969), reworking the black blues songs and giving them back to the US audience (like so many other British bands did in the '60s and '70s).
To me it was a redip into the blues they started with
Most of Zeppelin’s catalogue-particularly their early stuff- is DEEPLY steeped in the blues..
One of my favorites EVER. You both should check out "Since I've Been Loving You", the live version, it's a fierce performance.
Led Zeppelin is just so amazing. Greatest band of all time.
Straight blues, delta blues.
That drum beat has been sampled to death in Hip Hop and i love it. As a huge Led Zeppelin fan and earlier Hip Hop fan it gets me amped when i hear it again in a different song
The recording engineer set them up in a two story country home. The drums were played in a hallway at the bottom the stairs with the drum microphones at the top of the staircase. This allowed the mics to absorb all the reverb bouncing off the walls and ceiling. In the end, the snare pops like a small cannon and the cymbal crashes swell before fading. LZ4 still stands out as one of the greatest albums of any genre, ever produced. All this time later, it still astonishes and mystifies.
2 year old comment i know, but that is a common myth that is simply not true. an echo was applied to the drums.
Bonham's drumming ! One of my fav Zeppelin songs . Their 4th album was incredible .
zep was killing it long before "grunge" was ever a thing. I guess you could say they are the grandfathers of grunge. zep blended all styles together flawlessly and forever changed the entire music industry.
funny how you mentioned the word "Heavy" in your reaction to this song. a record company exec listened to their first album and his response was "that's heavy". it was the first time the word "heavy" was used to describe rock music. It latter blended into "heavy metal".
Yes! > The studio album version! < This is ALWAYS the way you should first listen to Led Zep tunes! A pure MUSIC reaction - good analysis and commentary. Well done!
I totally agree on both counts. ✌🏻😎👍🏻
There’s a distinct difference between studio Led Zep vs their live performances. Great energy, talent and showmanship in their live performances. But nearly every studio song they produced was master craftsmanship in precision, musicality and emotion. I “listen” to their studio music all the time, and may occasionally “watch” a live performance just to see them in action.
Love the harmonica in this song. Robert Plant played the hell out of it !!
"Stairway" Black Dog and Levee all on 1 album - that's a career for most bands.
As several people have stated in reaction. It's a Country/ Blues dating back to the early 1900s, about the Great Mississippi Flood. Led Zeppelin remade it, guving it a MUCH "harder", "heavy", "rock" feel to it. Making you hear and feel the turmoil, force and dispare of the situation of the song. John Bonham's hard, echoing drumming from beginning set the tone of this song. So many people have sampled it because of that... Including Dr. Dre on the hip-hop track Lyrical Gangbangin'.
Zep! Let's Go! This is a cover and the original reflect experiences during the Great Mississippi Flood.
Led Zep their inspiration is a lot of blues band in fact most British rock bands credit their roots/influences back to the blues...
One of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs; it’s a cover of an old blues song, but man oh man did they put this song on Fire! 🔥
Check out Led Zeppelin singing Kashmir -Live Celebration Day … so good and to be rocking just as hard in their sixties at the time.
Ten Years Gone is a great Zeppelin that nobody seems to react to.
Love this channel and love this band! A match made in heaven! 😍
There's nothing "grunge" about Led Zeppelin. They are pure rock with a super heavy blues influence. 3 absolute genius musicians and one of the best lead singers in rock history.
I hope you guys experience more and more of them.
Roger that, davegross3392!
This is NOT grunge, NOT blue grass. This is ROCK AND ROLL.
I love how BJ picked up on the "heavy drums" right from the get go.
(the magic of Bonzo) I truly believe if young people listened to more bands
from the '70's, they would really get into more Rock.
It is really fun to see these young kids' first reaction to listening to this music.
It brings me back to '71, when I brought this album home and stuck it on my turntable for the first time! I can still remember MY reaction!
Plant loves early jazz, blues, New Orleans style. He is a scolar of American early stuff. By the way, he's quite the guitarist.
I absolutely love this masterpiece!!🎶🎸🎶
a dead giveaway that this song is going to be southern bluesy is Robert Plant's brilliant harmonica work in the beginning and middle of the song.
Who ever said that LZ is more Grunge doesn't know what they're talking about. The band is Blues based even before they were formed with individual musicians in their own right were based in blues and jazz and were HUGE fans of American blues and bluegrass.
Grunge was an alternative to rock that came in the 90s, two plus decades later.
Grunge sucks…
Suggesting “dyer maker” “misty mountain hop” by Led Zeppelin
You two are making very good guesses on which genre this song is. When the levee breaks is a American folk song of the Mississippi River delta blues. Zeppelin most likely heard a recording of one of the many great 1930s/40s black American musicians like leadvelly or Willie Dixon. Their blues music was barebones and raw. Think of a barefoot man sitting on his rocking chair on the Louisiana bayou it maybe more north up the MS river near Memphis. Just a guitar, harmonica, footstoomp and a voice. The led zeppelin version of this song pays tribute to the incredibly soulful style and adds their own style to make it their own. Two of the songs from the first Led Zeppelin album are straight up covers of legendary black American blues songs. “I can’t quit you babe”, “you shook me”
"Since I've been loving you" is my favorite Zep song. So bluesy.
I lived about 100 yards from the levee across the Mississippi from Baton Rouge… this song is epic to blast in your car driving the “river road” 🔥🤘💜 That is down n dirty Blues Rock!!! 😉
Guys I’ve watched a lot of reaction videos and you guys are the best for a simple reason. You ‘feel’ the music. You don’t over complicate by trying to explain the lyrics or storyline, quite simply we can all see you feel it. You get it. It’s about the feel. It’s emotional.
Led Zeppelin always touched a place in my soul. Never talked to mom about it and never remembered her listening to them but their tour dates in US coincidentally were around the conception times of my siblings and myself
They're a blues/rock based band. Dazed and Confused Whole Lotta Love are two songs that show both sides. All star musicians and the greatest singer imo in rock history.
On the flipside of this ultra-heavy masterpiece, please listen to "Ten Years Gone" and "The Rain Song" from the mighty Zeppelin. Two deeply beloved tracks of mine for more than 40 years. :-)
The greatest rock band of ALL TIME 😉❤
Are you guys really ready for THIS!!!! This is going to "Blow Your Hair Back." Robert Plant playing the Harmonica......Jimmy on guitar....John on the drums!!!! Tearing it up!!!! It is an attribute to the New Orleans's music!!!!! You guys are RIGHT!!!!
You forgot the best musician(IMHO), JPJ.
Forgot bassist John Paul Jones...
I've heard it a million times, but just got goose bumps
One of my favorite songs ever . Straight up Mississippi Delta blues. They take you on a trip as they do every song. This makes me imagine down deep in the south early 1900’s . Amazing
BJ, Nailed it about the arrangement. That was Zeppelin personified. Perfection.
Led Zeppelin is mainly blues, based Rock. They were heavily influenced by old time American blues men and incorporated it with rock music to create their own great sound.
nice choice! now let’s get some sabbath in here. i’d start with war pigs live 1969 or the wizard really any song
NIB, Into the Void, Fairies wear Boots!!!
The drums were sampled on the Beastie Boys: "Rhymin' and Stealin'"
Thanks for checking out this old blues cover by the mighty Led Zeppelin! Great song and their take on it. Zepp had many great blues tunes, try You Shook Me, Tea for One and especially Since I've Been Loving You, if you already did the original studio or the Live one, do the other, worth hearing both versions. Jimmy Page is the gold standard on guitar, in my all time top 3. Enjoy! ♩
Led Zeppelin's catalog is some of the greatest rock n roll you're ever going to hear. I also recommend my favorite band Queensryche 1st 5 or 6 albums then the band split off and all that.
Probably my favorite song ever and by the best band ever.
On a related note, that’s what Robert Plant is doing. He’s singing like a female blues singer. You need that high voice to cut through the mix on this kind of music.
Listen to Led Zeppelin's "Bring it on home" so cool of a song
Led Zeppelin is one of the best bands or number one bands back in its day a lot of the song was it from a lot of black old groups from the south rhythm and blues
Thank you for doing Zeppelin even though they block. Keep trying. They are well worth it.
When the basic track was recorded the engineers sped the tape speed up slightly. The band also recorded the basic track at a slightly faster tempo. When the tape machine was slowed back to its standard recording speed (after the basic track was recorded) it created the hypnotic trance like vibe. You can tell by how long the cymbals take to decay. Four English musicians tapping into American Delta blues, 40 years after the song was written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. Led Zeppelins treatment is astonishing. Great reaction A & BJ. Cheers, RNB
Led Zeppelin is influenced heavily by blues which is why they are my fav rock band. It's evident in most of their songs. Definitely worth going down this rabbit hole, guys!
❤️❤️❤️such a awesome bluesy jam !! Always one of my fav Zep songs !! Zeppelin came from blues!! That was their main influence!!! Esp their older music !! It’s ALL phenomenal !!
Love your reactions !! So glad to see reactions to such great music!!
This is one of those "desert island" albums. Been listening to it for over 40 years and it never gets old.
Bonzos drums are amazing!
Love this song you can not help but move to this your head needs to move. Classic
This song and so many Zep songs have a wide range, and are all pretty much excellent…
Ramble on is a super listen y’all!
Led Zeppelin was heavily influenced by the old time blues greats, especially Robert Plant
Led Zep was rooted in old blues and mixed a few old numbers brilliantly. Check out "The Lemon Song" and "Bring It On Home" to mention just a couple.
Every song from every album was good. Can't say which album was my favorite, but I lean to Physical Graffiti and Presence.
It’s blues for sure! Memphis Minnie was the original artist. But, Led Zeppelin’s music is very hard to categorize, probably the most diverse of their contemporaries. Keep up the great work, you guys are content monsters!
Those drums sound like they’re coming from the darkest depths of Mordor…
Hell yeah bro
Or the bottom a set of stairs.... lol
@@mikemclaughlin3306 I thought he was on the top of the stairs though? I can't remember, all I know is that they had to record the drum part in a different part of the building lol
@@keithgraham8588 bottom.... mic'ed at the top.
Of course it does, they are J R Tolkien fans. In Battle of Evermore there’s the line about Ring Wraith out in black
Heavy blues rock.
Sounds like a train coming through at the beginning giving the warning. Storm's Coming.
Levee's Gonna Break.
In My Time of Dying 🔥🔥🔥
Try anything from their "Danmark Radio Show",their very first appearance under the name Led Zeppelin. Previously they had performed as the New Yardbirds. The show is a blistering 4 song set and everyone kills it, at least as much as TV audio allowed for. Plant and Bohnam were 20yrs old.
Led Zeppelin is blues all day long.
I'm always happy how you two always hear the concept of the music from the drums to the harmonica to his voice being so bluesy. Keep being beautiful you two one love always.
Absolutely astonishing Delta Blues. I never ever tire of hearing this song. 🔥 You should listen to In My Time of Dying from Physical Graffiti- another astonishing example of John Bonham's amazing drumming
I have never thought of that before but that is a good analogy of Katrina and this song. I can feel that too now that you mentioned it. I loved Led Zepplin since I was a teenager. Probably the top rock band since their beginning.
One of my favorite LZ songs great job as always love you guys!!!
Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant grew up in England when American blues was a HUGE influence! Led Zeppelin has its roots in the likes of Robert Johnson, Moody Blues, Skip Johnson...just to name a few.
Led Zep is kinda black music done by white dudes. That's not exactly accurate, but kind of. I'm sure people will correct me in the comments, but they just did music of any colour and it sounded good. Talent is talent.
Nah, you right, I think the band would be the first to admit it. Robert's influences were pure blues, that's how he sing. They did take black music and ran with it, added the heavier rock vibes but keeping the overall feeling of "the blues" on a good few of their numbers. They always acknowledged their influences.
Yes, Plant and Page hugely influenced by black blues players...
However if you are talking about their whole output it would be wrong to say it's 4 white guys playing black blues too, for example Led Zep 3 was influenced by Roy Harper a British folk musician , Led Zeppelin were about mysticism and mythology. Immigrant song pure rock about the Vikings. The Rain song , That's the way , Stairway to Heaven , Song remains the same, not blues this is uniquely Zeppelin.
Rolling Stones said the same. Keith Richards book is all about the blues culture in the USA that inspired them.
Kind of??? Brother lol... Led Zeppelin WORSHIPPED black American and Jamaican musicians. Their entire catalog is an homage.
Led Zeppelin like many English rock bands & Southern Rock bands are base in the blues. Zeppelin listened to the old Mississippi delta blues & Chicago blues from a Young age. So, they are really a Blues/Rock band. Bluegrass is something something completely different.