Has anyone made you aware of isolated instrument and vocal tracks available for many of the songs you've covered? I think it would be of value when available for your analysis. Just a thought.
When you listen to music do you ever get mental imagery; historic, situational, or geometrical? Some pieces of music gives me the sense of wheels rotating and pausing atop other wheels.
I wonder if Vlad is a fan of The Velvet Underground? May be quite interesting to hear your thoughts on them given John Cale himself was a classically trained strings player and studied music at University, which gives a lot of their early songs quite a different feel to most rock songs. “Heroin” and “Venus in Furs” are masterpieces of composition that push the boundaries of what can even be considered “rock”, and so different to just about everything else in the genre.
I know a person who feels all Zep songs sound alike. For real. I said, so you think No Quarter is similar to The Ocean or In the Light or Fool in the Rain? Yup. He does.
The Rain Song is an incredible composition, and such an unorthodox alternate tuning on the guitar. How on earth Jimmy Page came up with it is very puzzling. Very beautiful song.
John Bonham makes this song. The drums are so big and his foot is so relentless. You're right about the drums holding it together. Kashmir is a masterpiece in every way.
That's the great thing about Led Zeppelin. Not only does John Bonham make this song, he makes every song. And so does JPJ, and Jimmy, and Robert. A perfect storm, this group was.
I've heard it a million times, but I still get chills at the transition from the bridge back to the verse, as Plant's scream of "Where I've beeeeeeeeeeeeeeen" fades into the drum fill that climaxes right back into the triplicate riff perfectly. Love it.
In my opinion, the real magic of this piece is the polyrhythmic cyclic behaviour of the guitar riff respect the drum pattern (3/4 versus 4/4) that gives a suggestive and hypnotic taste to the whole song. It's repeated like a "mantra" during the entire song but for that reason, it never gets boring. "Tension and Release" can be created in music not only by chords progression (harmony) but also by rhythm and this song Is the proof. Really brilliant and original.
@@georgemacdonald3087 I don't know if she could. The way this song uses polyrhythms isn't the way classical does it. Its jazz and blues polyrhythms, she may not know to listen for them.
I fucking love this song. But I know I’m not the only one who kind of wishes the song was a bit shorter. It’s obviously subjective, but I kind of tune out for the 2nd verse.
I've heard this song 100 times at least, but apparently I've never REALLY heard any song until Amy hears it 🙂She REALLY hears it, then explains to me, then I love the song even more!
You should check out Rick Beato. He goes even deeper into the music leanig heavily on theory. Beato is a Record Producer, Bass, guitar and keyboard player who actually taught music at a college level. www.youtube.com/@RickBeato
@@julienmarquet8612 There are different ways to enjoy music--stop projecting your own onto others as if yours is the only way. She can enjoy music in ways you never have and likely never will. You're the one who should be depressed, having made such an ignorant comment.
@@Scp716creativecommons I think you are taking my comment a little more seriously than I intended it. I assumed the original comment was suppposed to be humorously hyperbolic, and thought it was funny to point out how depressing it would be if it were literally true that @Marnee really hadn't "heard any [ANY] song until Amy hears it"-something I do not believe is actually the case. Anyway, I don't think this channel is about listening to music through someone else, but rather learning to refine one's own sophistication when listening to music alone without auxiliary explanation.
And yet she seemed oblivious to the fact that it's inspired by classical Indian music, hence the name Kashmir. It's not meant to be analyzed as blues or jazz.
@@achakhakan4189 Watch the analysis. She found a connection so Genius that you look outright foolish. Her thoughts were something greater than "style" it was FEEL and she got transported to a place that was exactly what inspired the song. You won't get it though, fools never like to learn how to not be fools :)
I was born in 77 and grew up in a household where my father listened to classic rock. I heard this song regularly as a kid. I didn't appreciate Led Zeppelin back then. Sometimes in my 30s I appreciated them much more and Kashmir is probably one of my favorite songs. Dad died a few years back, and I think of him every time I hear a Zeppelin song.
There really is no "quintessential" Zeppelin song. When you have "Rock and Roll", "Goin' to California", "Dazed and Confused" and , "When the Levee Breaks". They're just a wide ranging phenomenal musical force.
There is footage on YT where Jimmy Paige states that most people think Stairway is the "band's song", but he said Kashmir is. He didn't say quintessential of course, but maybe this helps.
OMG! You are the luckiest person ever! I grew up on Led Zeppelin. I can't imagine how awesome it would be to discover and explore their music as an adult.
I feel sorry for you, Scott. Mostly because I share your pain. The first time I heard Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", I couldn't stop;. I listened to it over and over and over. So much that I am now careful not to "Dark Side" a song or album I love. I wish I could go back to my youth and listen to Dark Side of the Moon as a virgin again. I also really envy VirginRock: to have the insight and the appreciation of such music BEFORE you even hear it. I was just a youthful idiot: "This sounds cool."
I wish I could exactly remember the first time I heard Kashmir as a young teenager in the 1970s. However, of the hundreds of times I've listened to it, one of the most memorable was on an international flight from Dubai to New Delhi flying at 35000ft looking out the window at the Indian desert directly below, and the Kashmir region far off to the north.
I did always feel like this song really needed one more crescendo like it has at about half to 2/3 of the way through the song to be absolutely perfect. It builds up to another one and then it just fades back down to the end of the song. I'm really waiting for one more of those crescendos and then fade down to the end of the song. It's always been my favorite part and the most powerful part of the song and when it's building up to another and then it fades out instead I'm never not disappointed no matter how many times I hear the song. I'm always thinking to myself damn they haven't re-recorded it with a second crescendo yet!?! Wtf. As a matter of fact when I come in at the middle of the song on the radio and I'm not sure exactly where I am in the song I always hope when they're building to the crescendo that it's still going to happen and I'm not at the place at the end where there is no crescendo. If I am that's a big disappointment. This is another reason there needs to be two of them. Two of something great is always better than one of something great!
I remember in grade 8 playing this song to my music class and teacher and years later my friend George telling me that when he heard it in that class, he decided right then and there that he wanted to become a drummer. This is how profoundly Led Zeppelin has affected so many lives.
I admire those that managed to keep in touch with friends from middle and/or high school…. I also first heard this around then and who wouldn’t totally be blown away by Bonham’s drums?
I am not a musician. Can't read or play a note. I am just a 67 year old lover of music. I happened to stumble upon your channel and the of another reactor called "The Charismatic Voice" (if you haven't already, I strongly urge you to look her up. She is a renowned opera singer and I'm sure you would get along fine). Anyway; I just wanted to say that this channel; and your analysis and insights have deepened my appreciation of the music I have listened to over the decades. Thank you.
I had the privilege of seeing this performed by Plant and Page with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. Seeing all the bows going up and down together during the intro was mesmerizing.
We might have been in the same room. I saw them perform this song as the highlight of the night in Denver in the 90's, but they brought a small orchestra for it, I think from Egypt.
@@craig2347 I saw them do it in Kansas City in 1995 (IIRC) with both the small Egyption orchestra and a larger Kansas City Symphony Orchestra on stage.
Robert Plant says Kashmir is the quintessential Zeppelin song--powerful, epic, timeless yet unique--and that Stairway is just a little English folk song.
@Nicholas B Payne you nailed it!! Kashmir gripped me the first time I heard it in 1975 and has never let go. It’s a brilliant masterpiece!!! I remember an interview on MTV when they actually played music…Robert said he didn’t even know what STH meant, he said I was 20 when I wrote it in an evening so that’s what you got!!!!
Lots of people think Kashmir is in an odd time signature, because of the strange periodic misalignment between the guitar and the drums. But the song is just in 4/4. However, the main hook for the song is a three beat pattern, which when played against the 4/4 drums. So, the two rhythms drift in and out of sync with each other, only sharing a coincident downbeat every other measure. The song is a basic 4/4 backbeat, but the song has what we drummers call a "three over four" rhythm. The drums are in four, but the riff is in three. IMO, this contributes to the song's trancelike feel.
Yes indeed! But it resolves beautifully! The song "Black Dog" also has a peculiar time sig difference, at first you think the band is out of synch but it all comes back together.
Bonzo is the driving wheel here. To me this is like a dirge , a man's relentless walk in darkness seeking the light.. Bonham walks walks us along with hammer blows.
Correct. John Bonham was the rock, the Hammer of the Gods keeping it all together, tight and loose. No Bonzo, no Zeppelin, which is why they broke up when he died.
However, the chords are not extraordinary. It's the embellishments that make it great. It's also rather repetitive in chord sequence and Amy might not find it as interesting. "Since I've Been Loving You" might be fun for Amy, or "Over The Hills and Far Away". I nice technical one might be "Achilles Last Stand". I'm sure there's another or two that might be interesting for Amy.
One thing you have to keep in mind with Led Zeppelin, and this is true with Queen and Van Halen and the Beatles as well, that they have many different styles and you can hear 10 songs in a row by these bands and think that you're listening to a different band each time. The more you get into Led Zeppelin, the more you realize how many different styles they had. They are always called a hard rock band, but they are much more than that.
Van Halen? Except for Eddie's playing, standard hard rock tripe. God rest his soul, he's what made the band. Zeppelin on the other hand are in a class all their own. 4 musicians who were all great.
@@shawnconrad4041 Hard rock tripe?? I don't know about that but they covered many different styles, including old songs from the 1920s with clarinet being the main instrument. My point though is that many of their songs sound very different from each other.
@@69MucciI know what you're getting at. I loved and respected Eddie's playing. He was brilliant at times. I just never went all ga, ga over the band itself. Or David Lee Roth. They wouldn't even be in my top 10 bands all time from the states. Maybe not even top 15 or 20. Just my personal preference. I liked Sammy Hagar much better as a human and as a musician. .
It is cyclical, hypnotic, and quite menacing in a dreamy way. My favourite zep song by far, and not a guitar solo either. Love the middle eastern lines from JPJ.
The micro tonal lines of Robert Plant's voice together with the strings, beginning at about 14:30, is really haunting. I'm no expert on Middle Eastern scales, but I know in some traditions there are multiple notes between Western music's half steps. In some traditional Turkish folk music some of these notes are used in ascending lines while others are reserved for descending lines. This goes way beyond the micro tonal notes and bends we hear from blues, jazz and related forms, and so sounds especially exotic to our ears. To my ears, the parts here are moving by steps, picking out specific notes that are foreign to Western music, and not merely sliding around. Listening to this again makes me wonder if they used particular scales from the Kashmir valley and region, or from elsewhere in the Middle East, and what their influences and even mentors were through this part of their musical journey? Led Zep really nailed this, didn't they!
The ascending and descending parts of this song that are just flowing through each other are just truly genius, all in total command and masters on their instruments. I think Zeppelin is just the very best of what the human race has to offer when it comes to the composition creation of Rock music and the execution of it. I don't think they will ever be topped, just ain't gonna happen.
I really like your way of analyzing music. Kashmir has been my favorite song for over 30 years but I could never explain why. Your analyses perfectly explain why I subconsciously like Kasmir so much. The same goes for your analyses of Brothers in Arms and Queen. Your analyses have made me listen to my favorite songs in a different way, with even more pleasure. Thank you! Greetings from The Netherlands
Progressive bands are a lot like yourself, Amy. They have a lot of musical knowledge and training, with open minds to all styles. They simply pick from whatever interests them, finding ways to mix them all together in a great artistic melting pot. Endless variety, and a lot of compositional "interest". It's great to see you really getting into a piece. Joyful for me in fact.
There’s so much detail to the production that’s uniquely Zeppelin and Jimmy Page. No one really talks about the intro, but you’ll notice that it opens with a “whoosh” sound which I believe is the application of a phaser on the guitar and drums. It makes the listener sound like they’re being ushered into a new world. A psychedelic fever dream. They use effects like this - to create a new world - on another masterpiece - When the Levee Breaks. Check that out. They put you in the center of a raging hurricane and storm. This is what sets Zeppelin apart from all other heavy rock bands.
It’s an authentic flanger more than likely, where the engineer literally puts their hand on the flange of the tape reel (pushing faster or slowing it down) when they are bouncing key tracks to another tape machine. The original and the bounced track become out of phase with each other creating this effect.
The first time I heard this song it was live in concert. I went nuts. The band had a crystal ball in the arena and spotlights hit it during the riff section. St. Paul 1977.
Zep were nothing if not versatile. Very eclectic and progressive while also raw and powerful. Som songs that reflect this are the rain song, Achilles last stand, whole lotta love, ten years gone, in the light, when the lever breaks, battle of evermore, dazed and confused, over the hills and far away, fool in the rain... Really you can't go wrong with these guys they can be loud, soft, bluesy, spacy, funky or whatever they feel at that particular moment. Excellence is the common denominator.
And to add to that... 'Dyer Maker'... I have to stop whatever I'm doing when I hear that. Work can wait! 'All of my love'... my God the poetry of that song... wow! Goosebumps!!! The beginning of the 'The Immigrant song' was my ring tone. So cool! Like a screaming harpie decending on its prey with the drums being the running and the heartbeat of the prey. An absolute epic beginning to a song. Led Zep lift the listener into transcendence above this world. I can't say enough about this band
I can't tell you how much l enjoyed this video. It's so refreshing to see and hear a classically trained musician listening so carefully, critiquing and appreciating music which is so different from they're "norm". It's also one of my favorite Zeppelin tracks. Thanks
The greatest gift my dad ever gave me was led zeppelin. Sitting in his car...6 years old...I can still recall the awe i felt when I first listened to kashmir.
Not in the original studio version in this video, that was a Pakistani orchestra I believe (cause ya know kashmir) but yes live many times it's played on a mellotron due to not wanting to bring an orchestra to every show for one song
@@nickna7387 Wrong, wrong, wrong. No orchestra was used in the original studio version. Everything you hear is John Paul Jones on the mellotron. Period.
"This is very different then the last led zeppelin song I listen to" . That was really Zeppelin's calling card, if you will. They were masters of evolving sound, not just from album to album but even from song to song.
YES!! This is one of my all time favorite songs! I literally got chills when hit with the prospect of hearing you analyze it! I love your extremely well-informed insights, so much. This is going to be a pleasure to watch! Thank you!!
Led Zeppelin holds the test of time not just becuase the members have tremendous musical talent. Just as importantly, they understood music at a deep level. John Paul Jones was at the center of "Jimmy's" band. His ability to arrange a piece perfectly complemented Jimmy's production skills. This band can NOT be duplicated.
This song is what made them the greatest rock band of all time. They were the best out of many legendary bands of the era. The ability to take you on a journey. The musicianship. The skill. The emotion.
From epics like Ten Years Gone, In The Light, The Rain Song, to greasy rockers, Custard Pie, Wanton Song, The Ocean, this band has redefined the emotional and passionate possibilities of popular rock. Their live shows were unique opportunities to highlight different elements of their songs each night.
Yes, this song for me is a powerful musical portrait of aimlessness or disorientation -- as one lost in a desert -- from the crossed rhythms that give it an off kilter kind of feel, to the ascending vs. descending chromatic lines (as you pointed out!) to the "which way?" of the zigzagging added figure in verse 2 and onward to the singer's weary, almost unsure mood. My favorite spot is when the singer sings "trying to find where I've been" over that oscillating pattern of two chords (another element that doesn't seem to know where to go) and returns to the chromatically rising figure of the first part. There are two tracks for the vocals at that moment, and when the band crashes down decisively on the return of the opening material, those two vocal tracks overhead blur in and out of one another on half-tones and even quarter-tones, suggesting a blurred, fuzzy disorientation in this never-ending desert. Very powerful and eloquent tone painting.
„Lost in a desert“ is spot on - the song was written by Plant on a trip through the Sahara when the band was in Morocco. The feeling of being lost on endless monotone dirt roads was exactly what he wanted to capture.
@@christimanley13 HAHA! yes! I don't know why, but I think of Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart & Co. ... probably because it's one of my favorite movies of all time!
Riff is an underling melody that repeats throughout the song, hook is a catchy or unique little twist that might only occur once or twice meant to grab the listener, but that perhaps you couldn't actually build the whole song out of. It's an intriguing musical moment that might perhaps become your favorite part of the song, or the part of the song that you wait for when you hear it again
Love your channel and your reactions. As a classical musician I would love to hear your reaction to 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin. It is like a symphony almost. Perhaps one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed, at least in rock and roll. Please, please, pretty please? Even if you dont react, please listen to it. It has so many chords that are unusual, it is a bittersweet melancholy sort of feel, I recall that I wept when I first heard it for a few reasons: I felt that the sadness it must take to write such a melody moved me to pity for Jimmy Page...and because I was 24 at the time and realized I had spent 24 years not enjoying it, nor will I ever be able to create something so beautiful. I think you would be able to fully appreciate it in all its haunting splendor...
Perhaps, somewhat. Ironically I would say Kashmir has a little bit more colorful musical movement to it. I recall hearing once that Ravel didn't even consider Bolero a real piece of music. I guess that's sort of true since it's missing key elements to what are considered musical works in Western harmony. Its a wonderful experience, but its basically a repetitive rhythmic idea overlaid by a hypnotically extended melodic phrase, the various elements are either very static (rhythm, root chordal basis) or very linear (dynamic build).
John Paul Jones is Zeppeln's somewhat unheralded secret weapon. Not only is he the bassist, but he's also the keyboard player, and more importantly for tracks like this one, was a very capable orchestral arranger as well. I suspect that if you were to meet the members of the group, you would find most common ground with Jones.
As a classical musician you would greatly appreciate their "Battle of Evermore". It features the only time an outside vocalist was used. Her name was Sandy Denny of the band "Fairport Convention".
The first time I heard this was live at the Richfield Colosseum in 1975. It was the opening song and as the song progressed an image of the moon traversed the screen behind the band. The crowd went nuts.
Great call! The remastered live version of that song for me is the most beautiful rock song ever. It transcends the genre. It has melody and rhythm intertwined. It can bring tears to my eyes if I really concentrate while listening to it.
Your rock autopsies are fascinating, truly informative and insightful, but I’m forced to chuckle when you note this piece made you want to “get up and walk.” Walk had never been my impulse. 😄
There is a wistful, melancholy tone to the vocals which creates a meditative, trance-like state in the listener. This is a highly enjoyable piece of music.
Normally reactors who pause a lot seriously annoy me, but with her, the more pauses the better. The impart of her excellent expertise and insights always has me completely engrossed.
I think it's because Amy is a trained professional. A lot of reactors are amusing and can offer an emotional response to what they hear, but not much more than that. They can be fun to watch, but they're not the same as someone with an informed opinion who has the skills to really analyze the musical structure. Amy's expertise provides a foundation that many content creators simply can't match.
Personally, Anthony, if they aren't pausing and reacting to the content....then, I feel, they are not reacting. Amy is one of the few that I feel is giving it her full attention. I know that you get it. Not a lot do, and I always see a lot of troll comments about this. Kinda depressing.
Rock Gods musically perhaps, but let's not forget their unsavory interactions with underage girls during the late 60s through the 1970s. I love their music but I'm not sure they should be deified or worshiped. I feel the same way about David Bowie, who was my first serious introduction to the world of rock. There is no denying the musical and cultural impact, but it's a little difficult to square that up with his behavior during those early years.
@@sea-ferring And did you know that God himself wasn’t above a bit of mass murder (floods and all) ? But he did a good job with the planet and the universe.
I've heard it a million times -- this time I wept for some reason. Robert Plant the singer had nodes removed from his vocal chords -- not long before this recording. The musicianship is phenomenal and you're not going to hear many similarities between each of their songs. The otherworldly musicianship is the common theme from one Led Zeppelin song to the next.
Same for me - It's so wonderful to see someone really 'in tune' with the beauty and virtuosity of Led Zep's music - for some reason I cried too and I'm 66 years old.
There are 3 songs I distinctly remember hearing for the first time. Supper’s Ready by Genesis, Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult, and Kashmir. I heard Kashmir on an FM rock radio station in the early 80s and I had no clue who or what it was. I listened to this radio station intently for the next 2 weeks before I finally figured out who it was. Music, pre-internet, was a strange and mysterious thing. It was like digging for treasure, with all the same pitfalls and confusion, but occasionally finding that gold.
I wish I could go back and relive hearing Supper's Ready for the first time. All I remember is rewinding the cassette tape (and believing Horizons is actually part of the song). I am pretty sure I came close to wearing out the rewind on the cassette player I had.
Mine was low spark of high healed boys. Visiting my GF family in 1987. I’m 19. Her dad and I are driving running an errand. First time 1 on 1. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a joint. We finished it and the piano lick starts playing. He cranked it up. I will never forget that day.
I guess I can thank my parents for being young enough for us to listen to Led Zeppelin all my life. I can’t imagine not knowing who Led Zeppelin was until the ‘80s, unless I was born in the ‘80s (which I wasn’t). Besides my parents, this was just a staple of radio in my youth.
Kashmir is a musical ascention. It affords a feeling of being hauled up & up & up. It is throbbing & relentless & it grips you by the wrists and jerks you higher & higher as it carries you aloft. Led Zeppelin was adept at treating your senses to new & never before concieved experiences. Their unworldly talents just carry you away... I wish I could go back & visit Kashmir for the very first time again. Hearing it for the first time was like visiting planes way above the clouds and seeing a whole new world as the song unfolded. It's magic is never the same once you've made the trek before. However, Kashmir always remains a delight not afforded elsewhere. It is special & utterly supreme. A genuine classic.
John Bonham, one of the greatest drummers ever, holds this song together. Through all the transitioning feels, he maintains that irresistible pulse. Note the subtle bass drum work through the bridge! He also never losses that pulse and solid time trough the fills in the outro. You should here him play that outro live! Genius!
Absolutely spot on! As a Bonzo fan you may already know of Yoyoka’s drum covers, or Andrew Rooney’s drummer appreciation channels - if not, check them out. IMHO they rock. 🤘🏼🎧🤟🏼
Ginger Bakers soul trying to get the old body to roll over neath a headstone, where grave digging soles will stroll. "BONHAM ADD NA FAKAN SWING" he urges a dried throat to cry, willing tears to soften mummys tissue, that he may make all harken his protest one, fleeting, final time.
Agree. He is the constant heartbeat of this track. He manages to sound both like he's surging forward ahead of us yet also ominously gaining ground from behind at the same time. Indeed those fills at the end of the live version at Knebworth are amazing, especially as we can see him doing it. Like a burst of fireworks in a row.
Another great analysis! One thing to note, the piece was inspired by a classical/folk Egyptian piece by Um Kalthoum called Inta Omri. Plant and Page have discussed this many times in the past.
Bit of a stretch, the vocals certainly are inspired by her. Jimmy Page has never spoken about her ever. Robert has of course on more than one occasion. ✌️
@@Gary_M I wasn’t sure what you were getting at. The word has taken on a ridiculous, supposedly humorous connotation. “Flamboyant” is a perfect description of Plant’s voice when he really lets loose
I truly appreciated your insight to how each instrument was played, combined, I’ve never considered the intricacies of how the music was created, thank you for your wonderful assessment of this incredible song, I’ll never hear it the same again.
Yes!!!! Love your descriptions and your use of the word “colors”! Once again, I knew which sections would make those eyebrows rise! Excellent sojourn through one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time! 🎸🎸🎸🎸
Not to boast (yes of course I'm boasting) but I saw them perform it live in the Wembley Arena in '95. It was as close as I got to an out-of-body experience!
This is one of many songs that wouldnt have been as interesting without John Paul Jones, the very under rated member of this band. He and Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues enhanced their band's sound immeasurably and helped raise typical pop, blues or rock songs to a more complex and interesting level.
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant definitely get the spotlight, but I would say, neither John Paul Jones, nor John Bonham are under rated. Anyone who appreciates Led Zeppelin understands the greatness from these two (I've heard the claim about being underappreciated for both of them). All four members gave SO MUCH to music!
Thanks Amy, great breakdown. I hope, when the time is right, you will also listen to Supertramp - The Logical Song. If it is not on the list maybe you can slip it in, it should be on the list. 😉 GL!
welcome to the Zepp!!!-- as you keep listening you will really start to appreciate the stellar drum work that drives the whole song forward and keeps open spaces from becoming dead space.
I loved your analysis of this track and your complete concentration on the music itself, ignoring (to a certain extent) the vocals and the lyrics, which is an unusual viewpoint for reactors that I found refreshing. Led Zeppelin sing a lot of different styles, not just the two you have now heard. They started as a blues band and sang a lot of famous black blues singers songs from the US, remaking them in their own style. They added rock and roll and country-ish blue-grass-ish musical styles to their repertoire. They also branched out into delicate acoustic pieces that were emotionally and lyrically expressive. All four band members were brilliant at their craft, creative and innovative on stage and in the studio. They have been said to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. You have chosen an interesting band to study! Thank you for your video xx
Thank you for your reaction to this song Kashmir. This is my very favorite song of all time. I have many favorite songs, and there are too many to count, but this song is at the very top with nothing above it. I believe it is because I was 10 years old when it was released and getting radio airplay and I fell in love with the middle eastern feel to it and the lyrics that took me to another place, far far away from the abuse I was suffering at the time. I love this song and it holds so much meaning and importance to me. For a real treat, I recommend you watch the concert video from Kashmir (Live from Celebration Day) (Official Video) - UA-cam, Thank you !!!
LZ performed this on the Houses Of The Holy Tour in advance of the Physical Graffiti release. It was an INSTANT hypnotic epic. Note Bonham's spare use of the cymbals.
The scope of music produced by LZ along with their ability to pull it off is what separates them from all the others. The musicianship and writing skills may never be matched as far as depth, dynamics and lyrical content. A very extraordinary band with a catalog of genres' that covers the early 20's to the contemporary era they were active. If anything has been over-looked, it's the lyrical content that reaches deep into Easten Philosophy to Modern pop and everything in-between.
It's so wonderful to see someone really 'in tune' with the beauty and virtuosity of Led Zep's music - it brought tears of joy to my eyes. I don't believe it has been surpassed ever since it was released.
I love your excitement at reacting to music. I've heard this song a thousand times, but you make it interesting in a different light. Kaschmir has this beautiful mysterious oriental feel. A song for the ages.
Robert Plant said in an interview that this was the bands favourite piece of music they ever made. He said it was one of the best times they had playing together.
The difference between a "riff" and a "hook". A "riff" can be any unique sequence of notes in a song. If it's interesting and catchy enough, it may become a 'hook'. The "hook" is a sequence that the song kind of hinges on, and which is usually repeated throughout a song. It's like fishing... the 'hook' is what grabs the listener and makes them want to keep listening to a song. It sticks in peoples minds and makes them whistle or hum the sequence hours later. As many have noted, a good 'hook' is what makes a song popular. But songs without a good 'hook' never make the charts. So it's kind of like the old syllogism, "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs". All 'hooks' are 'riffs'... but not all 'riffs' are 'hooks'.
It would be nice hearing you also react to more blues based song by Led Zeppelin. Because there lies their roots and also because of the rock-history, the road you are travelling on this channel. This group shows so well the blues roots of harder rock (and prog) and they can rock hard.
I can't read music, I don't have a clue about music theory, but I love music. I LOVE your analysis and how your enthusiasm. Especially when you bring up the sheet music and explain the various sections. You have a new fan.
This song is a lesson in how to write the perfect vocal melody. The verses have a tension and release in the vocal part that is brilliant all while being minimalistic and letting the instrumentation breathe. I've always been amazed at Plant's ability to write within the music and not on top of it. Page's riff is out of this world hypnotic and catchy as can be, like everything he does, Then you have Bonzo (GOD) with such a distinct footprint on the track and the pure Genius of JPJ pulling at you heart strings with these perfectly placed keyboard parts. They are just full of pure musical taste . What a band!
As usual, please write here your questions only.
Has anyone made you aware of isolated instrument and vocal tracks available for many of the songs you've covered? I think it would be of value when available for your analysis. Just a thought.
When you listen to music do you ever get mental imagery; historic, situational, or geometrical? Some pieces of music gives me the sense of wheels rotating and pausing atop other wheels.
I wonder if Vlad is a fan of The Velvet Underground? May be quite interesting to hear your thoughts on them given John Cale himself was a classically trained strings player and studied music at University, which gives a lot of their early songs quite a different feel to most rock songs.
“Heroin” and “Venus in Furs” are masterpieces of composition that push the boundaries of what can even be considered “rock”, and so different to just about everything else in the genre.
Did you wear that sweater for this song?
Where is your accent from? I imagine it a dark and horrible place void of joy...
"This is very different then the last led zeppelin song I listen to" . ......Welcome to the world of Led Zeppelin .
It’s more eclectic than many give it credit for
I know a person who feels all Zep songs sound alike. For real. I said, so you think No Quarter is similar to The Ocean or In the Light or Fool in the Rain?
Yup. He does.
@@bbb462cid I don't know who he is, but he's a tone deaf clown...js
@@turnsufficient4971 yeah I don't get it myself
I love your comment. Add in the context; Queen, pink Floyd, Jiminy hendrix, the who, zep was rolling while everybody else was just getting going.
“Rain Song” and “No Quarter” also are beautiful compositions by Zeppelin
"The Rain Song"...that will make her a true fan. To me, it's their most beautiful piece...much more rich and gorgeous than "Stairway".
The Rain Song is an incredible composition, and such an unorthodox alternate tuning on the guitar. How on earth Jimmy Page came up with it is very puzzling. Very beautiful song.
@@ingve77 drugs.
@@michaelgraalum381 Well yeah, that's probably got a lot to do with it!
Indubitably
John Bonham makes this song. The drums are so big and his foot is so relentless. You're right about the drums holding it together. Kashmir is a masterpiece in every way.
JB's drums in this song make me think of trudging along a path. A journey.
Yes, a masterpiece.
That's the great thing about Led Zeppelin. Not only does John Bonham make this song, he makes every song. And so does JPJ, and Jimmy, and Robert. A perfect storm, this group was.
@@epearc Umm, _every song??_ Does Bonzo make, "Going To California"? Or, "The Battle of Evermore"?
@@Cosmo-Kramer I like you. A pedantic just like me.
@@Cosmo-Kramer Yes - he does exactly what the tune needs - nothing.
I've heard it a million times, but I still get chills at the transition from the bridge back to the verse, as Plant's scream of "Where I've beeeeeeeeeeeeeeen" fades into the drum fill that climaxes right back into the triplicate riff perfectly. Love it.
Totally get this. Have thought the same for years about this part of the song. Just majestic ❤
Very same here. Let's make a Club?
Bang on - especially on their live version. The way his howl transitions back to the drums that re-anchors the whole thing again. Masterpiece!
I heard that so clearly in my mind when I read it...
In my opinion, the real magic of this piece is the polyrhythmic cyclic behaviour of the guitar riff respect the drum pattern (3/4 versus 4/4) that gives a suggestive and hypnotic taste to the whole song. It's repeated like a "mantra" during the entire song but for that reason, it never gets boring. "Tension and Release" can be created in music not only by chords progression (harmony) but also by rhythm and this song Is the proof.
Really brilliant and original.
Thank You…I kept waiting for that discussion in the VId….
@@BillWalker3rd Exactly, I don't think she noticed.
@@georgemacdonald3087 I don't know if she could. The way this song uses polyrhythms isn't the way classical does it. Its jazz and blues polyrhythms, she may not know to listen for them.
Spot on I thought she would of discussed the drum pattern
You can expect something pleasantly different from every Led Zeppelin masterpiece.
Prince was quoted as to why LZ was so great: They had a different color to every song,
FACT.
This song is probably the pinnacle of rock music. Absolute masterpiece.
uuuuuuyeyeyeuuuuuuyeyeye....
Inspired by members journey to Morocco, a destination famous among the hippies of that time
One of the great epic songs , with beautiful story-like lyrics , that takes you to another place and time.
I fucking love this song. But I know I’m not the only one who kind of wishes the song was a bit shorter. It’s obviously subjective, but I kind of tune out for the 2nd verse.
Led Zeppelin have pinnacles like in the Himalayas :)
I've heard this song 100 times at least, but apparently I've never REALLY heard any song until Amy hears it 🙂She REALLY hears it, then explains to me, then I love the song even more!
Same here
How depressing.
You should check out Rick Beato. He goes even deeper into the music leanig heavily on theory. Beato is a Record Producer, Bass, guitar and keyboard player who actually taught music at a college level. www.youtube.com/@RickBeato
@@julienmarquet8612 There are different ways to enjoy music--stop projecting your own onto others as if yours is the only way. She can enjoy music in ways you never have and likely never will. You're the one who should be depressed, having made such an ignorant comment.
@@Scp716creativecommons I think you are taking my comment a little more seriously than I intended it. I assumed the original comment was suppposed to be humorously hyperbolic, and thought it was funny to point out how depressing it would be if it were literally true that @Marnee really hadn't "heard any [ANY] song until Amy hears it"-something I do not believe is actually the case.
Anyway, I don't think this channel is about listening to music through someone else, but rather learning to refine one's own sophistication when listening to music alone without auxiliary explanation.
I don’t think anyone has ever listened to Zeppelin so methodically, attentively and intellectually 😂
Fantastic stuff. Thank you for your insight ❤
Until now, I school marm's take on Zep. Not a dis, I'm glad they're finally catching up to what the lids are listening to, all these decades later.
You might enjoy Polyphonic's deep dive into John Bonham's drumming for Led Zeppelin.
And yet she seemed oblivious to the fact that it's inspired by classical Indian music, hence the name Kashmir. It's not meant to be analyzed as blues or jazz.
@@achakhakan4189 Watch the analysis. She found a connection so Genius that you look outright foolish. Her thoughts were something greater than "style" it was FEEL and she got transported to a place that was exactly what inspired the song. You won't get it though, fools never like to learn how to not be fools :)
I was born in 77 and grew up in a household where my father listened to classic rock. I heard this song regularly as a kid. I didn't appreciate Led Zeppelin back then. Sometimes in my 30s I appreciated them much more and Kashmir is probably one of my favorite songs. Dad died a few years back, and I think of him every time I hear a Zeppelin song.
I think a lot of credit should go to JPJ, who was often overlooked for his contributions to the arrangements of their songs.
That, and while the bass remains fairly simple during this track, he's got a lot of keys going on, including a Mellotron.
Perhaps the most underrated musician in rock history. He was the mortar that held the bricks of Led Zeppelin together.
@@joeday4293 Thank god someone else feels the way I do about Jonesey.
I ADORE Pagey, but man did you hit the nail on the head.
Yes, totally agree with you. He was what Rick Wright was to Pink Floyd.
Stairway might be more famous, but this is the quintessential Zeppelin song in my opinion.
Dazed and Confused, perhaps
@@jbrown6367 you might be confused about my opinion.
There really is no "quintessential" Zeppelin song. When you have "Rock and Roll", "Goin' to California", "Dazed and Confused" and , "When the Levee Breaks". They're just a wide ranging phenomenal musical force.
@@neuvocastezero1838of course there is. It is an accurate representation of their quality and highlights exactly what you just said.
There is footage on YT where Jimmy Paige states that most people think Stairway is the "band's song", but he said Kashmir is. He didn't say quintessential of course, but maybe this helps.
OMG! You are the luckiest person ever! I grew up on Led Zeppelin. I can't imagine how awesome it would be to discover and explore their music as an adult.
I feel sorry for you, Scott. Mostly because I share your pain.
The first time I heard Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", I couldn't stop;. I listened to it over and over and over. So much that I am now careful not to "Dark Side" a song or album I love. I wish I could go back to my youth and listen to Dark Side of the Moon as a virgin again.
I also really envy VirginRock: to have the insight and the appreciation of such music BEFORE you even hear it. I was just a youthful idiot: "This sounds cool."
I suggest going back to the 40s and listen to the popular hits of the day. You may be surprised
And also understand it.
See, even a classical musician recognises the genius of this band. She's going to get hooked ✌️☮️😁
I wish I could exactly remember the first time I heard Kashmir as a young teenager in the 1970s. However, of the hundreds of times I've listened to it, one of the most memorable was on an international flight from Dubai to New Delhi flying at 35000ft looking out the window at the Indian desert directly below, and the Kashmir region far off to the north.
Kashmir has always been a journey within a song ... The ascending and descending arrangements feels much like life
Exactly !
A framing of a moving pictoral ..!
We call that "the breakdown." Like the song builds too much to handle itself. I think there are like 3 of them in this one?
The hook always makes me think of being on a horse or camel, travelling, well, to Kashmir.
The drum line is the traveller trudging on through the blowing winds (keyboards) on some mountainous trek.
I did always feel like this song really needed one more crescendo like it has at about half to 2/3 of the way through the song to be absolutely perfect. It builds up to another one and then it just fades back down to the end of the song. I'm really waiting for one more of those crescendos and then fade down to the end of the song. It's always been my favorite part and the most powerful part of the song and when it's building up to another and then it fades out instead I'm never not disappointed no matter how many times I hear the song. I'm always thinking to myself damn they haven't re-recorded it with a second crescendo yet!?! Wtf. As a matter of fact when I come in at the middle of the song on the radio and I'm not sure exactly where I am in the song I always hope when they're building to the crescendo that it's still going to happen and I'm not at the place at the end where there is no crescendo. If I am that's a big disappointment. This is another reason there needs to be two of them. Two of something great is always better than one of something great!
As a teenager I could never have imagined this depth of analysis of the music I innately loved.
I remember in grade 8 playing this song to my music class and teacher and years later my friend George telling me that when he heard it in that class, he decided right then and there that he wanted to become a drummer. This is how profoundly Led Zeppelin has affected so many lives.
I admire those that managed to keep in touch with friends from middle and/or high school…. I also first heard this around then and who wouldn’t totally be blown away by Bonham’s drums?
@@DeeEllEff Actually, I didn't keep in touch with him, our paths crossed later at a jam. I became a guitarist because of Jimmy Page lol
Love your story. Resonates all of us in some way.
This happened in Chicago?
@izcote Toronto
I can't get over John Bonham's drumming on this. What a man!
Thanks for this analysis.
I am not a musician. Can't read or play a note. I am just a 67 year old lover of music.
I happened to stumble upon your channel and the of another reactor called "The Charismatic Voice" (if you haven't already, I strongly urge you to look her up. She is a renowned opera singer and I'm sure you would get along fine).
Anyway; I just wanted to say that this channel; and your analysis and insights have deepened my appreciation of the music I have listened to over the decades.
Thank you.
I had the privilege of seeing this performed by Plant and Page with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. Seeing all the bows going up and down together during the intro was mesmerizing.
We might have been in the same room. I saw them perform this song as the highlight of the night in Denver in the 90's, but they brought a small orchestra for it, I think from Egypt.
@@craig2347 I saw them do it in Kansas City in 1995 (IIRC) with both the small Egyption orchestra and a larger Kansas City Symphony Orchestra on stage.
Oh wow 😯
Same here but in Indianapolis.. amazing
I saw it done by the string quartet, Ethel. They were the other half of a concert featuring Todd Rundgren, though Todd didn't play on Kashmir.
Robert Plant says Kashmir is the quintessential Zeppelin song--powerful, epic, timeless yet unique--and that Stairway is just a little English folk song.
yes, it was the band favourite by all accounts
Foreboding driving forces that will not be impeaded. Still smashing thru even on the outro. Probably still rolling on, unhindered, leaving a wake.
@Nicholas B Payne you nailed it!! Kashmir gripped me the first time I heard it in 1975 and has never let go. It’s a brilliant masterpiece!!! I remember an interview on MTV when they actually played music…Robert said he didn’t even know what STH meant, he said I was 20 when I wrote it in an evening so that’s what you got!!!!
I actually prefer Kashmir to Stairway to Heaven.
The second half of Stairway is anything but a little English folk song.
Lots of people think Kashmir is in an odd time signature, because of the strange periodic misalignment between the guitar and the drums. But the song is just in 4/4. However, the main hook for the song is a three beat pattern, which when played against the 4/4 drums. So, the two rhythms drift in and out of sync with each other, only sharing a coincident downbeat every other measure. The song is a basic 4/4 backbeat, but the song has what we drummers call a "three over four" rhythm. The drums are in four, but the riff is in three. IMO, this contributes to the song's trancelike feel.
Yes! This! I love how the two phrases resolve every 12 beats during the verses.
The rhythms re-sync every three measures (12 beats, 3/4 vs 4/4).
It's 3 against 4...so it is odd meter, technically.
Yes indeed! But it resolves beautifully! The song "Black Dog" also has a peculiar time sig difference, at first you think the band is out of synch but it all comes back together.
Thank you for explaining why I like the rhythm so much. I knew there was something different about it but I didn't know what it was.
My favorite aspect of this track is that the drums are in a different time signature from the rest of the band. So fantastic to listen to.
One instrument you are not mentioning: the drums! John Bonham add richness to every composition
He really gives this song it's momentum it's a great counter to the riff
Bonzo is the driving wheel here. To me this is like a dirge , a man's relentless walk in darkness seeking the light.. Bonham walks walks us along with hammer blows.
Correct. John Bonham was the rock, the Hammer of the Gods keeping it all together, tight and loose. No Bonzo, no Zeppelin, which is why they broke up when he died.
One of their best arrangements is the rain song. One of my all time favorite songs. You'll like it, great piece of music!
Great suggestion!
Yes it might be their penultimate masterpiece
Yes, please give your analysis of “ The Rain Song” Amy.
Fascinating critique, please give your analysis of “ The Rain Song” Amy.
However, the chords are not extraordinary. It's the embellishments that make it great. It's also rather repetitive in chord sequence and Amy might not find it as interesting.
"Since I've Been Loving You" might be fun for Amy, or "Over The Hills and Far Away". I nice technical one might be "Achilles Last Stand". I'm sure there's another or two that might be interesting for Amy.
One thing you have to keep in mind with Led Zeppelin, and this is true with Queen and Van Halen and the Beatles as well, that they have many different styles and you can hear 10 songs in a row by these bands and think that you're listening to a different band each time.
The more you get into Led Zeppelin, the more you realize how many different styles they had. They are always called a hard rock band, but they are much more than that.
I always say they are a BLUES ROCK band. Even she heard the blues in it.
@@markkopchak147
Anyone can hear the blues in Zep, but it delved into so many other styles: classical, folk, country, etc
Van Halen? Except for Eddie's playing, standard hard rock tripe. God rest his soul, he's what made the band. Zeppelin on the other hand are in a class all their own. 4 musicians who were all great.
@@shawnconrad4041 Hard rock tripe?? I don't know about that but they covered many different styles, including old songs from the 1920s with clarinet being the main instrument. My point though is that many of their songs sound very different from each other.
@@69MucciI know what you're getting at. I loved and respected Eddie's playing. He was brilliant at times. I just never went all ga, ga over the band itself. Or David Lee Roth. They wouldn't even be in my top 10 bands all time from the states. Maybe not even top 15 or 20. Just my personal preference. I liked Sammy Hagar much better as a human and as a musician.
.
It is cyclical, hypnotic, and quite menacing in a dreamy way. My favourite zep song by far, and not a guitar solo either. Love the middle eastern lines from JPJ.
I like your description of yhis masterpiece.
The micro tonal lines of Robert Plant's voice together with the strings, beginning at about 14:30, is really haunting. I'm no expert on Middle Eastern scales, but I know in some traditions there are multiple notes between Western music's half steps.
In some traditional Turkish folk music some of these notes are used in ascending lines while others are reserved for descending lines. This goes way beyond the micro tonal notes and bends we hear from blues, jazz and related forms, and so sounds especially exotic to our ears. To my ears, the parts here are moving by steps, picking out specific notes that are foreign to Western music, and not merely sliding around.
Listening to this again makes me wonder if they used particular scales from the Kashmir valley and region, or from elsewhere in the Middle East, and what their influences and even mentors were through this part of their musical journey?
Led Zep really nailed this, didn't they!
The ascending and descending parts of this song that are just flowing through each other are just truly genius, all in total command and masters on their instruments.
I think Zeppelin is just the very best of what the human race has to offer when it comes to the composition creation of Rock music and the execution of it.
I don't think they will ever be topped, just ain't gonna happen.
I really like your way of analyzing music.
Kashmir has been my favorite song for over 30 years but I could never explain why. Your analyses perfectly explain why I subconsciously like Kasmir so much. The same goes for your analyses of Brothers in Arms and Queen.
Your analyses have made me listen to my favorite songs in a different way, with even more pleasure. Thank you!
Greetings from The Netherlands
Progressive bands are a lot like yourself, Amy. They have a lot of musical knowledge and training, with open minds to all styles. They simply pick from whatever interests them, finding ways to mix them all together in a great artistic melting pot. Endless variety, and a lot of compositional "interest". It's great to see you really getting into a piece. Joyful for me in fact.
There’s so much detail to the production that’s uniquely Zeppelin and Jimmy Page. No one really talks about the intro, but you’ll notice that it opens with a “whoosh” sound which I believe is the application of a phaser on the guitar and drums. It makes the listener sound like they’re being ushered into a new world. A psychedelic fever dream. They use effects like this - to create a new world - on another masterpiece - When the Levee Breaks. Check that out. They put you in the center of a raging hurricane and storm. This is what sets Zeppelin apart from all other heavy rock bands.
Well said! Transcendence!
Yes, that "whoosh"! LOL.
It’s an authentic flanger more than likely, where the engineer literally puts their hand on the flange of the tape reel (pushing faster or slowing it down) when they are bouncing key tracks to another tape machine. The original and the bounced track become out of phase with each other creating this effect.
The most perfect description ever. "Fever dream" - absolutely, it takes us out of the ordinary into the sublime.
The wonder on your face as this song unfolds is priceless!
This song was released in 1975. I find comfort in the fact that all this music was made by real instruments and musicians.
Really?!?! I've always wondered that. Thank you
@@brendanpelly213 All you had to do is search the web.
Melotron?
Yes... no digital B.S. in their stuff.
Ha ha ha. Utter nonsense.
Always been my favorite Zeppelin song.....complex layers AND simple drum timing with that pleading voice.
Expect the unexpected with Led Zeppelin. This definitely transports you to another time and place.
For me, a truly brilliant piece of music transports the listener. The list of Led Zeppelin songs that do that to me is very long.
The first time I heard this song it was live in concert. I went nuts. The band had a crystal ball in the arena and spotlights hit it during the riff section. St. Paul 1977.
Zep were nothing if not versatile. Very eclectic and progressive while also raw and powerful. Som songs that reflect this are the rain song, Achilles last stand, whole lotta love, ten years gone, in the light, when the lever breaks, battle of evermore, dazed and confused, over the hills and far away, fool in the rain... Really you can't go wrong with these guys they can be loud, soft, bluesy, spacy, funky or whatever they feel at that particular moment. Excellence is the common denominator.
And to add to that... 'Dyer Maker'... I have to stop whatever I'm doing when I hear that. Work can wait!
'All of my love'... my God the poetry of that song... wow! Goosebumps!!!
The beginning of the 'The Immigrant song' was my ring tone. So cool! Like a screaming harpie decending on its prey with the drums being the running and the heartbeat of the prey. An absolute epic beginning to a song.
Led Zep lift the listener into transcendence above this world. I can't say enough about this band
I can't tell you how much l enjoyed this video. It's so refreshing to see and hear a classically trained musician listening so carefully, critiquing and appreciating music which is so different from they're "norm".
It's also one of my favorite Zeppelin tracks.
Thanks
The greatest gift my dad ever gave me was led zeppelin. Sitting in his car...6 years old...I can still recall the awe i felt when I first listened to kashmir.
The brass, strings and all orchestral sounds were played by the bass player John Paul Jones on the mellotron.
Not in the original studio version in this video, that was a Pakistani orchestra I believe (cause ya know kashmir) but yes live many times it's played on a mellotron due to not wanting to bring an orchestra to every show for one song
It’s mellotron and or chamberlin on the original studio recording
@@nickna7387 Wrong, wrong, wrong. No orchestra was used in the original studio version. Everything you hear is John Paul Jones on the mellotron. Period.
@@nickv4073 exactly!! It's hard to believe it's just 4 people because it sounds so very full, but it is just 4 people!!!!
@@nickna7387WHAT are you talking about?!?! You’re literally making stuff up!!!!
It is a great pleasure for me to watch someone listening for the first time and giving a unique and accurate analysis.
Their version of when the Levy breaks is amazing
Yes. That and Kashmir and going to California are my fav 3.
@@justayankhouston741 mine are going to California, Stairway, and black dog
Robert plant can't take you to Chicago, but he can take you to Kashmir
No matter how many times I hear this song Kashmir, it never gets old.
It can't. That's the whole point of the classics. They are, by definition, timeless.
"This is very different then the last led zeppelin song I listen to" . That was really Zeppelin's calling card, if you will. They were masters of evolving sound, not just from album to album but even from song to song.
Once in a lifetime band. ✌️
YES!! This is one of my all time favorite songs! I literally got chills when hit with the prospect of hearing you analyze it! I love your extremely well-informed insights, so much. This is going to be a pleasure to watch! Thank you!!
Led Zeppelin holds the test of time not just becuase the members have tremendous musical talent. Just as importantly, they understood music at a deep level. John Paul Jones was at the center of "Jimmy's" band. His ability to arrange a piece perfectly complemented Jimmy's production skills. This band can NOT be duplicated.
Well Said.... Jonesy was incredible taking these songs to another level.
wrong🤣, Greta von fleet duplicated them but they desperately trying to act like they did not find a led zep template to push their material through.
The drums drive everything and tie it together into one hypnotic whole.
This song is what made them the greatest rock band of all time. They were the best out of many legendary bands of the era. The ability to take you on a journey. The musicianship. The skill. The emotion.
From epics like Ten Years Gone, In The Light, The Rain Song, to greasy rockers, Custard Pie, Wanton Song, The Ocean, this band has redefined the emotional and passionate possibilities of popular rock. Their live shows were unique opportunities to highlight different elements of their songs each night.
Or Achilles Last Stand
@@chrisclark7170 absofuckinglutely bro
Nailed it.
Presence was an intended album title.
Yes, this song for me is a powerful musical portrait of aimlessness or disorientation -- as one lost in a desert -- from the crossed rhythms that give it an off kilter kind of feel, to the ascending vs. descending chromatic lines (as you pointed out!) to the "which way?" of the zigzagging added figure in verse 2 and onward to the singer's weary, almost unsure mood. My favorite spot is when the singer sings "trying to find where I've been" over that oscillating pattern of two chords (another element that doesn't seem to know where to go) and returns to the chromatically rising figure of the first part. There are two tracks for the vocals at that moment, and when the band crashes down decisively on the return of the opening material, those two vocal tracks overhead blur in and out of one another on half-tones and even quarter-tones, suggesting a blurred, fuzzy disorientation in this never-ending desert. Very powerful and eloquent tone painting.
„Lost in a desert“ is spot on - the song was written by Plant on a trip through the Sahara when the band was in Morocco. The feeling of being lost on endless monotone dirt roads was exactly what he wanted to capture.
Yes, I always picture that scene of Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia with his tunic billowing in the wind.
@@Rainyman63 As you say! The "No Quarter" performance by Page & Plant in 1994 was especially relevant and evocative. Thank you!
@@christimanley13 HAHA! yes! I don't know why, but I think of Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart & Co. ... probably because it's one of my favorite movies of all time!
@@br.johnrussoofmcap.6129 And not coincidentally, Casablanca is in Morocco!
Riff is an underling melody that repeats throughout the song, hook is a catchy or unique little twist that might only occur once or twice meant to grab the listener, but that perhaps you couldn't actually build the whole song out of. It's an intriguing musical moment that might perhaps become your favorite part of the song, or the part of the song that you wait for when you hear it again
It's the hook that brings you back....
You have a fantastic insight into all of the textures and stylings musicians employ. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Love your channel and your reactions. As a classical musician I would love to hear your reaction to 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin. It is like a symphony almost. Perhaps one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed, at least in rock and roll. Please, please, pretty please? Even if you dont react, please listen to it. It has so many chords that are unusual, it is a bittersweet melancholy sort of feel, I recall that I wept when I first heard it for a few reasons: I felt that the sadness it must take to write such a melody moved me to pity for Jimmy Page...and because I was 24 at the time and realized I had spent 24 years not enjoying it, nor will I ever be able to create something so beautiful. I think you would be able to fully appreciate it in all its haunting splendor...
This song always reminds me of Ravel's Bolero, in that it feels like climbing a mountain or trying to reach for somewhere.
YES ! , very SEXUAL ! A slow building of tension , then a release.
Perhaps, somewhat. Ironically I would say Kashmir has a little bit more colorful musical movement to it. I recall hearing once that Ravel didn't even consider Bolero a real piece of music. I guess that's sort of true since it's missing key elements to what are considered musical works in Western harmony. Its a wonderful experience, but its basically a repetitive rhythmic idea overlaid by a hypnotically extended melodic phrase, the various elements are either very static (rhythm, root chordal basis) or very linear (dynamic build).
I think that's a wonderful comparison.
Taking a trip on Aladdin's Carpet with Moroccan Beduins.
Kashmir is far more passionate
John Paul Jones is Zeppeln's somewhat unheralded secret weapon. Not only is he the bassist, but he's also the keyboard player, and more importantly for tracks like this one, was a very capable orchestral arranger as well. I suspect that if you were to meet the members of the group, you would find most common ground with Jones.
As a classical musician you would greatly appreciate their "Battle of Evermore". It features the only time an outside vocalist was used. Her name was Sandy Denny of the band "Fairport Convention".
It's also covered a fair bit, notably by Heart.
Sandy Denny was a sad, sad story. What a waste of a great voice.
Probably their most heavily influence song by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of The Rings
The first time I heard this was live at the Richfield Colosseum in 1975. It was the opening song and as the song progressed an image of the moon traversed the screen behind the band. The crowd went nuts.
Shoutout from Canton Ohio!
as a classical musician you will absolutely love ‘the rain song’ by led zeppelin
Great call! The remastered live version of that song for me is the most beautiful rock song ever. It transcends the genre. It has melody and rhythm intertwined. It can bring tears to my eyes if I really concentrate while listening to it.
Your rock autopsies are fascinating, truly informative and insightful, but I’m forced to chuckle when you note this piece made you want to “get up and walk.” Walk had never been my impulse. 😄
@@darcyperkins7041 …it is about journey, but walking Northern India takes forever. 🙄😊
It makes me want to climb up on a camel and traverse the desert sands. LOL
Always found Zeppelin great love making music. But hey it was the 70's🤣
@@donnabrooks9445 I've always said, "there's belly rubbing music. Then there's EVERYTHING rubbing music." You choice which this song is.
There is a wistful, melancholy tone to the vocals which creates a meditative, trance-like state in the listener. This is a highly enjoyable piece of music.
Normally reactors who pause a lot seriously annoy me, but with her, the more pauses the better. The impart of her excellent expertise and insights always has me completely engrossed.
Yes Amy's interruptions are worth waiting for.
I think it's because Amy is a trained professional. A lot of reactors are amusing and can offer an emotional response to what they hear, but not much more than that. They can be fun to watch, but they're not the same as someone with an informed opinion who has the skills to really analyze the musical structure. Amy's expertise provides a foundation that many content creators simply can't match.
still annoys me Anthony... going back to my usual reactors... see my previous comment...
Personally, Anthony, if they aren't pausing and reacting to the content....then, I feel, they are not reacting. Amy is one of the few that I feel is giving it her full attention. I know that you get it. Not a lot do, and I always see a lot of troll comments about this. Kinda depressing.
I didn't like it at first but now by the time she starts the music again I've forgotten we are listening to music.
Robert’s Lyrics here are chilling. One of their best and that is saying a lot as Zep is historically relevant.
Led Zeppelin were Rock Gods that strode the world like giants and we mere mortals were blessed to behold them.
They tapped into some kind of ethereal mythos that has never been grasped again.
Rock Gods musically perhaps, but let's not forget their unsavory interactions with underage girls during the late 60s through the 1970s. I love their music but I'm not sure they should be deified or worshiped. I feel the same way about David Bowie, who was my first serious introduction to the world of rock. There is no denying the musical and cultural impact, but it's a little difficult to square that up with his behavior during those early years.
@@sea-ferring And did you know that God himself wasn’t above a bit of mass murder (floods and all) ? But he did a good job with the planet and the universe.
Y'know, Graham - I do believe you're actually serious...!!!
.....help IS available......
@@andymccabe6712 You weren’t there man.
I've heard it a million times -- this time I wept for some reason. Robert Plant the singer had nodes removed from his vocal chords -- not long before this recording. The musicianship is phenomenal and you're not going to hear many similarities between each of their songs. The otherworldly musicianship is the common theme from one Led Zeppelin song to the next.
Same for me - It's so wonderful to see someone really 'in tune' with the beauty and virtuosity of Led Zep's music - for some reason I cried too and I'm 66 years old.
@@richardventus1875 Awesome 🙌🫂
The rhythmic riff does give me the idea of trudging steadily forward, while the ornamental sections are like scenes being passed by on the way...
I would enjoy seeing you watch them perform this song live in their 2012 reunion. It is spectacular, I think the best rock performance of all time.
U mean 2007
"This is really quite different in a lot of ways." - Just about every Led Zeppelin song.
There are 3 songs I distinctly remember hearing for the first time. Supper’s Ready by Genesis, Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult, and Kashmir. I heard Kashmir on an FM rock radio station in the early 80s and I had no clue who or what it was. I listened to this radio station intently for the next 2 weeks before I finally figured out who it was.
Music, pre-internet, was a strange and mysterious thing. It was like digging for treasure, with all the same pitfalls and confusion, but occasionally finding that gold.
I wish I could go back and relive hearing Supper's Ready for the first time. All I remember is rewinding the cassette tape (and believing Horizons is actually part of the song). I am pretty sure I came close to wearing out the rewind on the cassette player I had.
Mine was low spark of high healed boys. Visiting my GF family in 1987. I’m 19. Her dad and I are driving running an errand. First time 1 on 1. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a joint. We finished it and the piano lick starts playing. He cranked it up. I will never forget that day.
I guess I can thank my parents for being young enough for us to listen to Led Zeppelin all my life. I can’t imagine not knowing who Led Zeppelin was until the ‘80s, unless I was born in the ‘80s (which I wasn’t). Besides my parents, this was just a staple of radio in my youth.
@@dreamweaver1603 Definitely thank your parents. I was brought up wackadoo Christian conservative, even Elvis was considered evil.
Ten Years Gone is (for me) right up there with the very best of Led Zeppelin!
Agree! The whole of Physical Graffiti is a masterpiece.
My favorite song / favorite guitar solo / favorite album. Ten Years Gone is everything.
I really enjoyed your surprised delight. Nice you let more play before comment🎉
Kashmir is a musical ascention. It affords a feeling of being hauled up & up & up. It is throbbing & relentless & it grips you by the wrists and jerks you higher & higher as it carries you aloft.
Led Zeppelin was adept at treating your senses to new & never before concieved experiences. Their unworldly talents just carry you away... I wish I could go back & visit Kashmir for the very first time again. Hearing it for the first time was like visiting planes way above the clouds and seeing a whole new world as the song unfolded. It's magic is never the same once you've made the trek before. However, Kashmir always remains a delight not afforded elsewhere. It is special & utterly supreme. A genuine classic.
John Bonham, one of the greatest drummers ever, holds this song together. Through all the transitioning feels, he maintains that irresistible pulse. Note the subtle bass drum work through the bridge! He also never losses that pulse and solid time trough the fills in the outro. You should here him play that outro live! Genius!
Absolutely spot on! As a Bonzo fan you may already know of Yoyoka’s drum covers, or Andrew Rooney’s drummer appreciation channels - if not, check them out. IMHO they rock. 🤘🏼🎧🤟🏼
Ginger Bakers soul trying to get the old body to roll over neath a headstone, where grave digging soles will stroll.
"BONHAM ADD NA FAKAN SWING" he urges a dried throat to cry, willing tears to soften mummys tissue, that he may make all harken his protest
one, fleeting, final time.
@@papacarl2002 If you haven’t listened to it already, Yoyoka just did a wonderful cover of “When the Levee Breaks”.
Agree. He is the constant heartbeat of this track. He manages to sound both like he's surging forward ahead of us yet also ominously gaining ground from behind at the same time. Indeed those fills at the end of the live version at Knebworth are amazing, especially as we can see him doing it. Like a burst of fireworks in a row.
GREAT room sound on the drums and he kept them tuned low. Can't stand the spanky-tinny sound of drummers today.
Another great analysis! One thing to note, the piece was inspired by a classical/folk
Egyptian piece by Um Kalthoum called Inta Omri. Plant and Page have discussed this many times in the past.
Bit of a stretch, the vocals certainly are inspired by her. Jimmy Page has never spoken about her ever. Robert has of course on more than one occasion. ✌️
Amy calling Robert Plant's vocals "flamboyant" was just about perfect 😆.
It doesn’t mean “gay”
@@LesserMoffHootkins I never thought it did, but thanks for the clarification.
@@Gary_M
I wasn’t sure what you were getting at. The word has taken on a ridiculous, supposedly humorous connotation. “Flamboyant” is a perfect description of Plant’s voice when he really lets loose
First few seconds of Black Dog, for example
Part of what makes him so sexy 😊
What a refreshing twenty five minutes of watching you experience this wonderful piece of music. Thank you!
I truly appreciated your insight to how each instrument was played, combined, I’ve never considered the intricacies of how the music was created, thank you for your wonderful assessment of this incredible song, I’ll never hear it the same again.
Yes!!!!
Love your descriptions and your use of the word “colors”!
Once again, I knew which sections would make those eyebrows rise!
Excellent sojourn through one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time!
🎸🎸🎸🎸
A couple of days ago I stumbled over Robert's and Jimmy's tour during the 90s and how they arranged Kashmir live - absolutely fantastic!
Not to boast (yes of course I'm boasting) but I saw them perform it live in the Wembley Arena in '95. It was as close as I got to an out-of-body experience!
This is one of many songs that wouldnt have been as interesting without John Paul Jones, the very under rated member of this band. He and Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues enhanced their band's sound immeasurably and helped raise typical pop, blues or rock songs to a more complex and interesting level.
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant definitely get the spotlight, but I would say, neither John Paul Jones, nor John Bonham are under rated. Anyone who appreciates Led Zeppelin understands the greatness from these two (I've heard the claim about being underappreciated for both of them). All four members gave SO MUCH to music!
It's one of Plant's favourites too - singing throughout and no guitar solos, but different songs allowed different band members to shine.
Not underrated at all. JPJ has legend status among bassplayers around the world.
It was such a joy hearing the music through your ears. Thank you so much for sharing your impressions and analysis.
I wish i could hear zeppelin for the first time again
Thanks Amy, great breakdown. I hope, when the time is right, you will also listen to Supertramp - The Logical Song. If it is not on the list maybe you can slip it in, it should be on the list. 😉 GL!
The way Plant plays off all the instruments is mesmerizing. The drums always bring it back. It’s a masterpiece. Awesome work breaking it down!!
The tuning on Jimmy's guitar (the basis of the main riff) was D-A-D-G-A-D.
welcome to the Zepp!!!-- as you keep listening you will really start to appreciate the stellar drum work that drives the whole song forward and keeps open spaces from becoming dead space.
I loved your analysis of this track and your complete concentration on the music itself, ignoring (to a certain extent) the vocals and the lyrics, which is an unusual viewpoint for reactors that I found refreshing.
Led Zeppelin sing a lot of different styles, not just the two you have now heard. They started as a blues band and sang a lot of famous black blues singers songs from the US, remaking them in their own style. They added rock and roll and country-ish blue-grass-ish musical styles to their repertoire. They also branched out into delicate acoustic pieces that were emotionally and lyrically expressive. All four band members were brilliant at their craft, creative and innovative on stage and in the studio. They have been said to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. You have chosen an interesting band to study! Thank you for your video xx
Thank you for your reaction to this song Kashmir. This is my very favorite song of all time. I have many favorite songs, and there are too many to count, but this song is at the very top with nothing above it. I believe it is because I was 10 years old when it was released and getting radio airplay and I fell in love with the middle eastern feel to it and the lyrics that took me to another place, far far away from the abuse I was suffering at the time. I love this song and it holds so much meaning and importance to me. For a real treat, I recommend you watch the concert video from Kashmir (Live from Celebration Day) (Official Video) - UA-cam, Thank you !!!
LZ performed this on the Houses Of The Holy Tour in advance of the Physical Graffiti release. It was an INSTANT hypnotic epic. Note Bonham's spare use of the cymbals.
The scope of music produced by LZ along with their ability to pull it off is what separates them from all the others. The musicianship and writing skills may never be matched as far as depth, dynamics and lyrical content. A very extraordinary band with a catalog of genres' that covers the early 20's to the contemporary era they were active. If anything has been over-looked, it's the lyrical content that reaches deep into Easten Philosophy to Modern pop and everything in-between.
It's so wonderful to see someone really 'in tune' with the beauty and virtuosity of Led Zep's music - it brought tears of joy to my eyes. I don't believe it has been surpassed ever since it was released.
I love your excitement at reacting to music. I've heard this song a thousand times, but you make it interesting in a different light. Kaschmir has this beautiful mysterious oriental feel. A song for the ages.
Robert Plant said in an interview that this was the bands favourite piece of music they ever made. He said it was one of the best times they had playing together.
for the 10,000th time...
The difference between a "riff" and a "hook". A "riff" can be any unique sequence of notes in a song. If it's interesting and catchy enough, it may become a 'hook'.
The "hook" is a sequence that the song kind of hinges on, and which is usually repeated throughout a song. It's like fishing... the 'hook' is what grabs the listener and makes them want to keep listening to a song. It sticks in peoples minds and makes them whistle or hum the sequence hours later. As many have noted, a good 'hook' is what makes a song popular. But songs without a good 'hook' never make the charts.
So it's kind of like the old syllogism, "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs". All 'hooks' are 'riffs'... but not all 'riffs' are 'hooks'.
Carole King knows, how to write a "Hook".
I just listened, to Blues Traveler - "Hook".
It follows, Canon in D.
@@calebclunie4001 Beat me to it. “Hook” by Blues Travelers is a great musical explanation of what a hook is. It’s on their “Four” album.
It would be nice hearing you also react to more blues based song by Led Zeppelin. Because there lies their roots and also because of the rock-history, the road you are travelling on this channel. This group shows so well the blues roots of harder rock (and prog) and they can rock hard.
I so enjoyed your review here. I just came across you for the first time. Thank you.
I can't read music, I don't have a clue about music theory, but I love music. I LOVE your analysis and how your enthusiasm. Especially when you bring up the sheet music and explain the various sections. You have a new fan.
This song is a lesson in how to write the perfect vocal melody. The verses have a tension and release in the vocal part that is brilliant all while being minimalistic and letting the instrumentation breathe. I've always been amazed at Plant's ability to write within the music and not on top of it. Page's riff is out of this world hypnotic and catchy as can be, like everything he does, Then you have Bonzo (GOD) with such a distinct footprint on the track and the pure Genius of JPJ pulling at you heart strings with these perfectly placed keyboard parts. They are just full of pure musical taste . What a band!