How the heck did you come across this? Great to get the blessing of the Starship Trooper. You got me through quarantine, man. It really means a lot to hear from you.
Side note: I tried to make this tune sound right in the tunings that everyone talks about, but... it just didn't sound right. I had to go to weird extreme lengths.
Not only is this cool, it's also totally effing funny. I'm laughing my ass off, while, at the same time, I stand in amazement watching the dedication and attention to detail. Someone once said nerds are the funniest people. I mean this 100 % as a compliment. No irony.
This is just the kind of deep dive "omg how much time did he put into this" kind of nerdery I'm here for! Thank you for doing what we could not! This is excellent!
Indeed! Jimmy has always lured us in with his studio work. I too have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out just what the hell he was doing. All we had in the 70's and 80s was the Led Zeppelin Complete book for guitar, (which wasn't very complete at all), the albums, and what ever we learned off the street. I of course have the attention span of an oak tree but that's another story. Thank you for your patients and time that you've put into this. You've helped teach an old dog some new tricks. Nice job!! Who makes that EDS copy?
I would have to guess that he found his way out of that rabbit hole and then it all starts to make perfect sense in no time. It’s a deep hole tho. Don’t get stuck. ❤❤
Hello. I sat here for the almost half hour with a smile on my face. And a few chuckles, too. Your breakdown was just wonderful. Page has been my ultimate rock guitar icon since first hearing the Zeppelin records back in the late 60s. (Yardbirds stuff was a tad before my time.) As you mentioned, I've been playing the song wrong for many years (read decades). Without the current barrage of modern equipment, we were lucky to just get the basic structure to sound close. Thanks for your thoughtful elucidation and great playing. BTW, I'm usually the old guy walking around my neighborhood sporting a well-worn Zoso t-shirt. Cheers.
JUST A QUICK WORD OF THANKS: I appreciate all the feedback and support on this video. It was great to see it pass 20,000 views which is great for a newer channel like mine, and lots of great comments and questions. Here's to more in 2022!
Right on, man. I thoroughly enjoyed this -- I've been a studio musician and a teacher for nearly 20 years, and Page is one of my heroes. I felt a sense of happiness watching this because I've always felt that this song was overlooked as the masterpiece of guitar that it truly is. I had figured out the tuning that you have with the capo on 1st fret; I'd figured out that he had his D string tuned to fifths, and that little ghost slide to the 12th fret during the main riff (the mystery guitar). But there were a few things in your video that I hadn't figured out - mainly that little ghost note in the solo on the highest part. That was super helpful that you noticed it and figured out where It was. Would be awesome if you did the same sort of deep dive into "No Quarter" because that is also an overlooked creative gem. (and also slowed down on the tape). Actually the entire Houses Of The Holy album is slam full of stuff like that! Cheers for making this video, I'm now a happy subscriber!
Let me start by saying I loved the video. I am an old dude who always loved electric guitar music. I have never played, but am a real fan. I now realize (after watching your video) why. I spent my formative years listening to Led Zeppelin without understanding , or even knowing, the real genius of Jimmy Page. This video broke down the underlying beauty and passion and pure genius of a master. I really hope there are more folks out there that appreciate this as much as I do. (6.6k at last count) Well done!
Thanks so much! I often wonder if this kind of thing is only interesting to guitar players, but there have been a few others who are just huge fans of Page who want a peek behind the scenes. Glad you found the video!
Man, this was great! Thanks for this. It never really occurred to me before, but your statement "Zeppelin seems, somehow, both overdocumented and shrouded in mystery at the exact same time." hit the nail on the head. They have somehow managed to maintain this deep, deep mystique despite the wealth of coverage and exposure. Just another aspect of their legendary greatness. Thanks again!!
They were called the world's biggest cult at one time. I remember (I lost it) there was a book at Tower Records about Zeppelin, shrouded in shrink wrap and a prohibitively high price. Book was black. I thought "Boy only truly initiated fans of the inner sanctum can get this book." Or - anyone with forty bucks! :)
Page truly is a wizard, you can never be certain what spell he actually casts. This is an amazing breakdown though, the alchemy Page put into this is truly extraordinary.
Jimmy Page heard things in his head that few if any ever have. His genius beyond that was making it come into existence in the recording studio. Thank you for this explanation of a song and production which have fascinated me for almost fifty years.
What made Page and others like him special is they know how to take what is in their head and express it through their instruments! It's pretty amazing!
I never heard When The Levee Breaks until a month or so ago driving early morning to a large muddy job site our survey company is currently working at. An actual Levee and water reservoir in Ochechobee Florida on what used to be an orange grove. Mud, deer, hogs and wildlife, running out of places to exist due to the need for "development" of humans. Listening to this for the first time driving the truck on the bumpy dirt path. My coworker and I both agreed this was really the perfect song for the moment. Now here we are with this in my newsfeed. The algorithm works out pretty good sometimes. Great video and homage to these legends
20:42 …the split screen, mirrored shot of Jimmy playing the fanfare leading into the solo on “stairway” in TSRTS 😉 It stays split/mirrored until Jimmy flips the switch, goes down to the 6-string neck and powers into the amazing live solo…. Iconic is an understatement.
Well done - tremendous effort in breaking down this song! The sound of this track is the muddy Mississippi churning dangerously before overtopping the levees. Page is definitely a genius. Someone should interview him and get all his techniques recorded for future generations.
If you haven't read "Light and Shade" conversations with Jimmy Page, you'll love it. He covers a lot of general history and little known influences from his early years. He gets into all kinds of cool stuff and even about he and Jeff Beck hanging out as teens and playing to records brought back by Beck's older sister from the US. A book solely on recording technique would be cool though.
"Neil Youngs attempts at emulating a hurricane on "like a hurricane" sucks, man, theres no vibrato, man, no sweep picking, man, legato, man, no double taps or whammy bar, man, just a lot of loud and wide noise, man"
Thanks so much for this! Page is the ultimate rock guitar god. Virtuoso player, visionary songwriter, genius producer, iconic stage dress and moves (and so much more). Of all the other rock guitarists, only Ritchie Blackmore stepped inside the same magic circle, but Page was more 3-dimensional, while Blackmore was a specialised lead guitarist/sorcerer.
Probably one of the coolest breakdowns of a Zep tune I've watched. Brilliant job and so interesting! Yep, Page was a genius riff writer/guitarist. So many of these songs are so untraditional in their approach but those layers make up some of the best riffs in rock. Thank you for this video!
Nice freakin' job man!! FINALLY someone has pretty much nailed how to make the guitar sound like the album. Every online 'lesson' for this song I have seen was right away discarded by me as they were so obviously missing something. This being one of my favorite Mighty Led Zeppelin epic songs, has been listened to by me on headphones for 40 years, and every time I get chills and am just in awe. What a masterful production. Great work here. I also could not agree more about your wrap up of what this song actually is about, with the storm and the light shining through with Page's guitar parts. Just genius. I wish Jimmy could see this!! New subscriber!!!
Wooooo! It means a lot to me when this stuff resonates with someone. Honestly no one knows what he played, but this gets the sound. Good enough for me!
Holy guitar nerd batman! I can imagine you sitting there playing the tracks over and over. Going to bed and not being able to sleep thinking about this or that part of the song and how it's played. Then finally figuring all this stuff out. Removing strings? Tuning a 2nd string of a pair to a 5th instead of an octave on a 12-string? WOW. That was some serious musical sleuthing! Great vid man! Did you ever wish you could just ring up JP and ask him? I bet he'd remember, even with all the time which has passed.
I can't play a note on any instrument but this - the song itself and how you dissect it - is fascinating. Jimmy Page's music is so towering and inspirational.
Dude, I am now your people. That was the best deep dive I have ever watched and yes, I watched the whole thing. I felt like we were in the same room together. I am a life long guitar player and a life long Jimmy Page fan. I was always the guy pointing out the hidden stuff Page put in songs to my musician friends. Zep is a treasure trove that always has more to give up the more and deeper you listen. Your video is brilliant. Cheers.
This is fantastic! Your love for the intricacies of Jimmy’s (and the bands) sound really shines through. These subtle little dissonances and overdubs are the secret sauce that makes a listener hear something new every time they listen to Zep and keep coming back for more. I completely agree with you that once you’ve heard these songs for the millionth time (on purpose) you gain new appreciation for the his rhythm guitar feel and the little “parts” he always puts in. Also right on the mark that Jimmy would experiment with various guitars and tunings in search of compelling voicings. Lastly, I really admire your edits and typeface work - just stellar production. More please!
For years I have considered making a video on how to play 'when the levee breaks.' You, sir, produced a video that I don't think can be improved. You put in a lot of detective work to make sense of the tunings and layers. Truly an amazing video.
Thanks so much. I don’t necessarily believe that any of this is RIGHT, but it sure sounds right. Knowing Page, he had a better way to get there… but I couldn’t find it!
This is the first time I've stumbled onto your RockSplaining, and what a fortuitous thing! I'm a 65 year old drummer who also loves Rick Beato and this is the perfect companion piece to his analysis of Bonham's drum track on this song. My hat is off to you sir, thanks for giving me an avenue to dive into the genius and magic of Zeppelin, and a way to lead my music students into the layers of creative genius these legendary musicians committed to tape. Just , WOW! and I'm thrilled to subscribe to your videos!
PHENOMENAL analysis and presentation. It would be fascinating to hear from Page whether he actually had to put much thought into these choices of voicings or if he was just in the zone and this was (relatively) easy to do cuz the rest of the band could nail everything else allowing him to focus on his parts.
Yes, very intriguing points to consider. From everything JB analyzed I think at least some of it had to be just intrinsic on Page's part when he was "in the zone". Certainly sheer magic-it'd be fascinating indeed to hear what went down in the studio from the man himself.
Absolutely great! Such a new way to hear it now for me!!!! I love the "skies opening up" hopeful slide that evokes true bliss after the whirlwind of grungy destruction!!! As a drummer of course I always obsess over this track and I wanna thank you for giving me a new vision of it!!!! Brilliant brother...keep em comin. More Zeppelin!!!!
That trick with the missing high third string and the fifth on the fourth pair is perfect. I play this on my Line 6 Variax. It lets me custom tune to anything so no capo needed. When I made these changes it now sounds as close as I'll ever get to the record. I can click to this custom tuning on the fly and just turn it off for the six string slide in standard. Great deep dive on this favorite tune of mine forever. That contrast between bass and rhythm is another gem. Good work sir.
Our harmonica player kills this and I always felt my accompaniment disappointed. Now I can click on this preset alt tuning, loop it when we get to the buildup to the slide solo then turn off the Variax and hit the distortion for the solo. Then I then turn off the boost, looper and go back to the Variax in alt tuning to finish. It's a lot of switching but the end result is worth it. JB I would not and could not have tried this without your deep dive and the generous sharing of your knowledge. Hats off brother.
Very entertaining and informative. You have super ears, have a very engaging on-camera personality, and your skill at breaking down the part is totally impressive. My only quibble is that when talking about Jimmy's propensity for alternate tunings is that you didn't reference Bert Jansch, whom we all know was a big influence on Page's playing. But well-done!
Page with his tunnings, tones, textures, etc. I've been playing 40 years and have studied many of the greats, but I always come back to Page for ultimate genius. He always worked outside the box. The most creative riff generator in the history of time.
I'm not a guitarist, yet I watched every minute of this. I've still been a huge Page fan since I got into music. You did an excellent job of explaining how Page's sounds has never been duplicated
Andy Johns in 2006: "Another thing we used was the old Binson Echorec. Listen to “When the Levee Breaks.” That was me putting two M160’s [Beyer😮 ribbon microphones] on the second floor with no other microphones at all because I wanted to get John Bonham the way he actually sounded. And it worked! Page would say that he made me do it, but he was down at the pub [laughs]. He did bring me his Binson Echorec for the track though."
That was AMAZING!!! I went back and listened to Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe and it seems that the overall vibe of Jimmy’s main part pays homage to their sound (especially the sound of the octave D string tuned to a 5th). Your video is really excellent!! Thank you most sincerely!! I would love for you to splain Don’t Come Around Here No More 😀
It’s interesting because at first, they don’t sound connected at all. But if you listen closer it’s in there. WILD. Some Tom Petty would be interesting… but we have Mike Campbell out there showing all the riffs. Have you watched his recent stuff?
Zep IV is a masterpiece and I’ve always thought that this is the best song on the album in terms of production and thanks to your hard work now we all know it is Well done and a brilliant video 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Jimmy and Robert were both big fans of the English folk and folk-rock of the era. Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny was Robert's favorite singer and she of course duetted with him on "The Battle Of Evermore" on LZ 4. Jimmy listened to a lot of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, masters of acoustic guitar who both used a lot of offbeat tunings.
Anyone who can't recognize and acknowledge that Jimmy Page is a bonafide rock and roll genius is truly pitiable. Not only was he the mastermind behind this amazing band but he was humble and smart enough to recognize the worth and encourage the input of his gifted band mates , despite being the unquestioned leader. I am 48 years old and belong to the last generation to have spent a part of my adult life before the internet and social media existed. It was a great pleasure to find in my 30s through the internet that I was not alone in my appreciation for Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.
The research, the clear explanation and the video production. That's amazing content, thanks a lot. Also, I think that your rendition of the slide break is the best one I've heard so far.
That was one of the most insightful and "dialed in" breakdowns of a classic guitar song that I've ever seen. Well done JB and thank you for the passion and curiosity that you brought forth in going down the "rabbit hole" with this incredible lesson in mastery from Jimmy Page. And to also note that he was only 26 years old when he was delivering these epic tracks on Led Zeppelin 4. This completely re-energized my memory as to how much of a guitar God this guy was. 🙏 ⚡ 🎸
The very first time I have heard this song was 30 years ago. I was 18 then. I guess, all words mean nothing when trying to talk about this song. I was shocked to the core and up to this day Levee remains my favourite song from all LZ. Every song LZ made is brilliant, but this was very special, nothing to compare with. I tried to pick up a song by ear on a guitar, but in pre-internet era I did not know about alternate tuning, slow down, etc, so I did not get even close. Now your work look like Gandalf is explaining how to cast the most sacred spells) May the God of music bless you and let Jimmy Page, his prophet, keep you for the rest of time. I am an ordinary man from Russia, English is not my native language, so I tried to describe as I could. Well done, man!
The oldest example of “split tuning” of paired strings I’m aware of is Bill Monroe’s mandolin on songs like Get Up John. There are also reggae and delta blues elements in his playing.
Really excellent Mr Ekl !!!!! Mr Page was a customer of mine when he was in Vancouver recording with David Coverdale at Little Mountain Studios in Vancouver - 90's?. I fixed his amps- yes those Marshalls and the five ! RCA BA-6 tube compressor limiters he had brought over from his home studio in the UK. Page was probably the most influential guitarist when I was learning to play as a young lad. I wanted to be a professional (my job) and not be fan-boy so I stayed away from the studio for the most part. I was later invited to the studio by his guitar tech, Jim Survis (presently GnR guitar tech, I believe), a buddy of mine, to a pre-Christmas break party. Page wanted to chat so we went to the studio lounge and had a beer. I turned on fan boy and told him that as a young lad I probably learned every Zep song by ear and I had some questions...mostly about guitar parts buried in the various mixes of those songs, which were very hard to distinguish. We threw an acoustic guitar back and forth, so he could remember the various parts/ tunes. A couple of times he went..."ahh mate, I don't even fucking remember recording that one". I persisted and got these obscure parts. Unbelievable. Then I complained about When the Levee Breaks not being in any standard pitch, as I knew all the typical (not at the time so much- Joni Mitchell, etc.) modal tunings, he used for mostly the acoustic stuff, G, dropped D, etc. He explained about the approximate dropping of the actual Levee pitch, as occurring by slowing the master tape down at the time of master mix. To accentuate the drum sound, of course. I could be wrong.... but I believe he said it was originally in E tuning and I recall that it was sorta E flat/ D sorta in the released slowed down version. Very in-between! Couldn't use a tuner. He also told me that he used a Leslie 450 with the 12 string. You can hear that growl and peculiar distortion that is different from a typical flanger texture. I currently play that tune, Levee, tuned down a whole step....in double dropped D on my double neck 12/6 through a Leslie 450 and it kinda nails the sound and voicings, to my ear. Your chord voicings also sound very good. Confusing. I just wonder about the overall pitch. What happens when you play along with the originally released recording? I haven't compared both approaches yet but may do that soon. It's not about who's more correct, as I love the sound of your voicings in your altered F# tuning, with the capo. Bring on the technical NERD!
At this point I’m as confused as anyone about this stuff, but I certainly had a great time wandering in the wilderness with this one. What a lovely experience you had! How very very cool. I found the album version close to the key of F?? Haha. Crazy.
Your appreciation of the work of a master is inspiring. That took some time to all that out figure out. I do not think I would ever consider the weird tuning on a double neck (not that I play one) - six strings keep me busy enough. It does give me a new appreciation for a song I love.
I’m only half way through this video, and I am absolutely loving it. I don’t play guitar, but my respect and love of Zeppelin and especially Page is more then enough to make this video fascinating… how cool would it be to see Jimmy react to this breakdown?!?
Jason, I have a tip for you because I spent _decades_ trying to figure out the timing of Black Mountain Side before I finally realized where I was going wrong!! Listen, before you even bother _trying_ it again, you need to go to your local music store’s message board and find a very special kind of musician… …a tabla drummer!! 😂🤣😅 okay, yeah, I’m only joking, but I couldn’t resist. 😂 Have fun, and keep working at it, my friend! Best of luck to you!
Although it's a rip off of Memphis Minnie's tune , Page took it into another dimension. You're research and breakdown was very impressive sir! You just exemplified while I would never attempt this Live, even with a great harp player. I've never seen anyone do it Live well. There's a reason Zep rarely did it Live. Multiple, if someone watches your video. Bravo!
I can't imagine the amount of time you put into this??!! I can tell you that it was truly appreciated!! I've always had so many questions about that recording. You're one talented dude to be able to dissect and replicate a song like "Levee" Great vid. Thanks for putting the time in and sharing!!
I love this. I really love, how the video moves me from my naive "oh my goodness Pagey is a genius" gushing, to having a small clue of the creativity, dexterity, deep thought and risk-taking that inform us that yes, he is in fact a genius - and here are some of the reasons why. Subscribing immediately Mr Eckl and love your work.
Excellent breakdown--I've listened to the song since I was in high school and every time I do there are more guitar parts than I remembered. What a talent. This, and Kashmir--my sense is that both are originally 12-strings, which makes me think the world could use more electric 12-string.
There is only one 6-string electric guitar on the ‘Physical Graffiti’ recording of “Kashmir” which is of course famously in D-A-D-G-A-D tuning. There are no 12 string guitars on that recording.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun Page 397 of "Led Zeppelin, All the Songs" quotes Jimmy (from a 2015 Rolling Stone interview) saying the descending progression in Kashmir is 'actually electric 12-string.' He goes on to say that the descending progression was the first part he wrote, and the chromatic rising progression was the second, but he liked the parts better in the opposite order.
@@mardin56 You have misunderstood the part about the electric 12-string. The full quote reads thusly: Rolling Stone: What were the roots of “Kashmir”? Jimmy Page: Well, I had the ideas for the riff and the cascading part, which is actually electric 12-string AND IT’S BRASS ON THE RECORD, from something that I had been working on before we even went to Headley. It was another piece of music entirely, and right at the very end of it, while I was playing along, I played the acoustic guitar part in reverse, and there was a sort of fanfare, or the cascades, followed by the riff, and I thought, “Whoa.” It just occurs right at the end. This means that during the writing and demo process, Page came up with the parts played by the brass section from the orchestra on the ‘Physical Grafitti’ recording of “Kashmir” while demoing using an electric 12-string…likely the Fender Electric XII. But make no mistake, there is no electric 12-string or any other guitar on the final track. Listening to the rhythm track on bootlegs and most clearly on the ‘Physical Grafitti’ Deluxe Edition release should make this very clear. Page also says that he wrote “Kashmir” and his arrangement of “In My Time of Dying” on the Danelectro 3021 in ‘Jimmy Page: The Anthology’ on page 51.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun No misunderstanding. My reply was 'my sense is that both were ORIGINALLY 12 strings.' I was referring to his crafting of the song, not the recording. For guitarists out there who want to try to replicate the sound of the brass, use a 12-string tuned DADGAD (and a Vox amp helps too). It can get really close.
I saw them play it at Greensboro Coliseum on their tour in '77. Jimmy played the red, open tuned Les Paul. Incredible. And it was Bonzo's birthday! He also played "In My Time of Dying" on the same guitar. Chills...
@@Jekylnhyde55 Do you know anyone who may have recorded that show on tape? It's one of the few shows from that tour in which a recording doesn't currently circulate. It's true that Jimmy Page had to switch to a Les Paul during In My Time of Dying; he broke a string on the Danelectro… photos confirm. If they really did play Levee at that show, that's a revelation! There are no known performances of it outside a few in 1975.
Yeah after hearing your first takes I knew I’d enjoy this. You are all up in the sauce flavour… parts of this give the shivers and maniacal laughs a go just like the original. Thank you so much for putting this out here for us. I NEVER should have sold my double-neck SG. 😁
Wow, thank you! It was a wild ride, truly. This has to be one of the weirdest, most obscure Page guitar parts out there. So much mystery around it. As I said, we’ll never know the truth. Haha.
OMG 3 of my favorite music people included here--Jimmy Page, Joni Mitchell, and my recent rabbit-hole fave, Rick Beato. Plus a Baha'i musician at the helm. Fabulous! I'd love to hear anything you have to say about Kate Bush.
Great stuff, Dude - just subscribed. It's wonderful to see Jimmy Page getting so much attention on UA-cam these days. He's without doubt one of the most influential and inspirational guitarists ever.
Brilliant breakdown of a brilliant song. beyond Awesome. Appreciate your talent and tenacity. Loved every minute of it. One of my fave LZ songs. . . Cheers. . .
Led Zeppelin IV was released on November 8, 1971. I was at Led Zeppelin's show at the Berkeley Community Theater on September 13, 1971 and they played Stairway To Heaven. My girl friend and I thought that this was a really cool song. I appreciate you sharing your breakdown of When The Levee Breaks. I have been a Page fan since he joined The Yardbirds in 1966. I saw Led Zeppelin on 5 different tours starting on April 26, 1969. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are my two favorite guitarists. Thank you for the video.
The amount of work and time put into this is insane. Excellent, excellent and excellent on all counts. You are a psychopath for doing this 🤣😅. But I love it
Can’t believe the amount they achieved in their 20’s. It’s actually unbelievable when you compare a successful 20-30 year old persons career to theirs now. They didn’t have 100’s of people in PR or anything. Just pure talent that equated to them selling over 300 million albums with hardly any marketing. Would never happen today!
I loved this! Very well done. Here's your next Zeppelin challenge: Is there a 12 string guitar in Achilles Last Stand? Listen to the 2nd guitar part panned hard left (left I think).
From what I remember when I learned that one there's about 6 guitars used on the recording. Some, if not all, were probably doubled. If it's the parts I'm thinking you're talking about (the chimey descending chords to the D with the open B and E strings) it may be a 12 string, but it sounds more like doubled 6 string electrics to me. There's so much going on in that tune that picking the most prominent parts to play as a single guitar can be a challenge. The solo is a work of art. Edit: The November 2019 issue of Guitar World has it tabbed, and is the best version I've come across. Very thorough.
According to Page, he used the 12-string neck of his double-neck Gibson to record only the intro and outro of “Achilles’ Last Stand” on the ‘Presence’ album. I do not hear an electric 12 string anywhere else on the recording. John Paul Jones used an 8-string Alembic bass. This may be where you might hear the illusion of an electric 12-string used on the track itself excluding the intro and outro.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun I hear 6 string in the intro and 12 string in the outro. Here's a video edit that makes it more obvious: ua-cam.com/video/M4chbrYEuJ4/v-deo.html
This was an absolute brilliant video to happen upon at 5:30AM and very nicely detailed too. I wouldn't be surprised if Page did that on the 12 string - and how you did it hear. On Battle of Evermore on the studio album - it sounds like Jimmy turned just the A string down a 1/4 step or so - he may have done it w the thick E string too - or Jonesy did it. There's a dissonant note on the Whole Lotta Love guitar riff which sounds slightly off, but that's how Page planted his signature upon songs. He is very unique in his choice of chords and riffs. There's lots of hidden gems within Zeppelin songs. I had heard all those guitar sounds in the song and those sounds help to build the intensity of the song. I just didn't quite know what Page was doing there, but I could hear it.
Thanks for the love man. Now, that we're somewhat familiar w each other, I can ask this: Has anyone ever called you Jeff Lynn or said you look just like him ? You do though. ELO is fantastic ! 👏
Very intriguing and interesting what you have done here. I've heard those notes hundreds if not thousands of times. Never realized how intricate it's all put together. I think that's why people like them so much. I can still hear some small nuance in songs I haven't picked up on before. It's what makes those songs so good.
Love everything about this video JB. Clear and efficient explanation. Great historical tidbits.... And stellar playing and tone. Looking forward to future videos!
@@JB_Eckl I'm sure you've seen this but this alternate version was amazing to hear. The original track before it was slowed down. Please do more Zep JB! ua-cam.com/video/J5WNS4fGMuE/v-deo.html
The intricacies of Page's genius revealed in a conceptionlization that is also genius. Thank You for the painstaking work and devotion needed to put this video together. Your ability to communicate on a layman's level and also to elevate the conversation and portrayal of Page's mindset is not only inspirational, as it is revealing. I'm certain Page would enjoy watching his genius be dissected to the nth degree by such a studied and erdent follower of his mystic order. Great Video and production on Your part!!!
I was on my way home from work and decided to learn this song. I ended up playing it all on slide in the tuning from Zepparella. Then I saw your video !! I think you totally nailed it !!! Great Job !! I am now your big fan !!!
That was great!!!! I remember way back in the day listening to this on 8 track as a passenger in various vehicles in the 70's heading up to the beach on the weekend in the summer. Sun shining...hair blowing with all the windows down driving through the country roads passing all the farm houses. One old stone based barn in disrepair that looked like the Led Zep IV album cover. There was something very earthy and connecting about that 4th album. The acoustic songs ....but even the harder songs like the Levee Breaks. I would listen to it a lot and it was bitter sweet. It marked a moment in time for me knowing summer and the fun would end and I would be back to school and the changing of the seasons . Hearing you play with such reverence for the original recording and how the song was created brings me back to that summer. It does stir something in you but it is a bit sad to think that those 4 people can never make music together again . I got to see them in 1977 at Pontiac Stadium and the energy coming off the stage you could feel through the whole stadium. Very special chemistry they had. I saw Page and Plant perform in the 90's I believe. It was good but I think Jimmy was really inspired by JOhn Bonham. They had a sympatico that you rarely see. Thanks for the video and break down and thoughts. It was fantastic!!!
What a wonderful remembrance! Thanks for sharing it. This music really is rich, even moreso than it seems at face value. Incidentally, Page & Plant in 1995 with the Vancouver Symphony and Hossam Ramzy’s 10 piece Egyptian band IN THE BAND is easily the best show I’ve ever seen, and will probably ever see.
This is simply the greatest thing I've ever seen on UA-cam. And now I know (more completely) why, when I was 14, way back in '80, this song (which is basically my "I Am The Walrus" of Zeppelin songs...i.e. one of their truly greatest ever, not to mention, the killer of all killer odes to the orig. blues men..and women) was so impossible to figure the f*** out! I mean, I knew Jimmy was into cool Joni M. style tunings, etc. but this one just contained more 'eye of gnute'...and who knows what else. So I more "played along" with this one (with much chutzpah & soul of course!) than ever really knowing it and mastering it, like the others. This awesome video really defines why there was so much damn magic and unique witchery in LZ's music, esp from the great 3rd album forward. Again, thank you for such a gem of a demystification! Marc (NJ, USA) ⚡
My absolute pleasure, JB. I know how much love, effort and mad scientist minutiae goes into something like this. "We're" all the fortunate ones for you taking the painstaking time to produce such a fantastic, wildly interesting and wholly revealing half hour clip. I mean, regarding something so special and innately mysterious from the golden era of ROCK. A time so important and influential to us all. This here...."God's work," my friend. Thanks again for all your effort and incredible detail, JB. *Love the little stabs of humor as well! Marc
I absolutely made it through the whole thing! I’ve always listened to this song and wondered what was going on. Really enjoyed the study on the possible tunings and techniques. The song deserves the attention you gave it! Well done. I’m one of your people now!
You made me smile… You did a mighty fine job of figuring this song out. Jimmy was full of tricks and it was always a journey figuring them out. I learned a whole lot from him…
Such an awesome video! Been teaching music for 15 years and be Zep-obsessed since I was a teenager. Thank you for this brilliant deep dive! Very thought provoking!
I have no musical ability, but I do have the ability to appreciate a video like this that sheds light on my favorite Zep song of all time. Fantastic work!!
I like Beato a lot, and I’ve been looking for more similar in depth music analysis channels, you nailed it. I really enjoy the guided deep dive down the rabbit hole journey you took us on to explore the origin of the sounds Page created. Great work and I’m excited to see where you take us next. Thank you 🙂
Cool vid mate…love larry
How the heck did you come across this? Great to get the blessing of the Starship Trooper.
You got me through quarantine, man. It really means a lot to hear from you.
Side note: I tried to make this tune sound right in the tunings that everyone talks about, but... it just didn't sound right. I had to go to weird extreme lengths.
Not only is this cool, it's also totally effing funny. I'm laughing my ass off, while, at the same time, I stand in amazement watching the dedication and attention to detail. Someone once said nerds are the funniest people. I mean this 100 % as a compliment. No irony.
Tom Bukovac seal of approval.
Highlight of my year!
This is just the kind of deep dive "omg how much time did he put into this" kind of nerdery I'm here for! Thank you for doing what we could not! This is excellent!
Yay! Thanks so much Yos!
Indeed! Jimmy has always lured us in with his studio work. I too have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out just what the hell he was doing. All we had in the 70's and 80s was the Led Zeppelin Complete book for guitar, (which wasn't very complete at all), the albums, and what ever we learned off the street. I of course have the attention span of an oak tree but that's another story.
Thank you for your patients and time that you've put into this. You've helped teach an old dog some new tricks. Nice job!!
Who makes that EDS copy?
How much time? A lifetime. We never stop learning.
I would have to guess that he found his way out of that rabbit hole and then it all starts to make perfect sense in no time. It’s a deep hole tho. Don’t get stuck. ❤❤
Dude you are a genius. People need to understand how good your ear and understanding of the instrument is for you to have made this video.
Bottom line in all this is the fact that Led Zeppelin music is an open throttled juggernaut of sensory celebration 🎸
Hello. I sat here for the almost half hour with a smile on my face. And a few chuckles, too. Your breakdown was just wonderful. Page has been my ultimate rock guitar icon since first hearing the Zeppelin records back in the late 60s. (Yardbirds stuff was a tad before my time.) As you mentioned, I've been playing the song wrong for many years (read decades). Without the current barrage of modern equipment, we were lucky to just get the basic structure to sound close. Thanks for your thoughtful elucidation and great playing. BTW, I'm usually the old guy walking around my neighborhood sporting a well-worn Zoso t-shirt. Cheers.
JUST A QUICK WORD OF THANKS: I appreciate all the feedback and support on this video. It was great to see it pass 20,000 views which is great for a newer channel like mine, and lots of great comments and questions. Here's to more in 2022!
Epiphone Double Neck “ Great 👍
Excellent “
Jimmy Page is around so maybe you could send him an email 📧 and find out the real truth ??
You never know…
@@JB_Eckl Super video! Uncle Larry sent me here. I'm sure there's other Homeskoolers on their way....
Right on, man. I thoroughly enjoyed this -- I've been a studio musician and a teacher for nearly 20 years, and Page is one of my heroes. I felt a sense of happiness watching this because I've always felt that this song was overlooked as the masterpiece of guitar that it truly is. I had figured out the tuning that you have with the capo on 1st fret; I'd figured out that he had his D string tuned to fifths, and that little ghost slide to the 12th fret during the main riff (the mystery guitar). But there were a few things in your video that I hadn't figured out - mainly that little ghost note in the solo on the highest part. That was super helpful that you noticed it and figured out where It was.
Would be awesome if you did the same sort of deep dive into "No Quarter" because that is also an overlooked creative gem. (and also slowed down on the tape). Actually the entire Houses Of The Holy album is slam full of stuff like that!
Cheers for making this video, I'm now a happy subscriber!
Let me start by saying I loved the video. I am an old dude who always loved electric guitar music. I have never played, but am a real fan. I now realize (after watching your video) why. I spent my formative years listening to Led Zeppelin without understanding , or even knowing, the real genius of Jimmy Page. This video broke down the underlying beauty and passion and pure genius of a master. I really hope there are more folks out there that appreciate this as much as I do. (6.6k at last count)
Well done!
Thanks so much! I often wonder if this kind of thing is only interesting to guitar players, but there have been a few others who are just huge fans of Page who want a peek behind the scenes. Glad you found the video!
Man, this was great! Thanks for this.
It never really occurred to me before, but your statement "Zeppelin seems, somehow, both overdocumented and shrouded in mystery at the exact same time." hit the nail on the head. They have somehow managed to maintain this deep, deep mystique despite the wealth of coverage and exposure. Just another aspect of their legendary greatness.
Thanks again!!
Right on, glad you dug it! I think the aura of Zeppelin will outlive us all.
They were called the world's biggest cult at one time. I remember (I lost it) there was a book at Tower Records about Zeppelin, shrouded in shrink wrap and a prohibitively high price. Book was black. I thought "Boy only truly initiated fans of the inner sanctum can get this book." Or - anyone with forty bucks! :)
Page truly is a wizard, you can never be certain what spell he actually casts. This is an amazing breakdown though, the alchemy Page put into this is truly extraordinary.
That’s exactly right. I guess the fun is in the chase sometimes
Jimmy Page heard things in his head that few if any ever have. His genius beyond that was making it come into existence in the recording studio. Thank you for this explanation of a song and production which have fascinated me for almost fifty years.
What made Page and others like him special is they know how to take what is in their head and express it through their instruments! It's pretty amazing!
I never heard When The Levee Breaks until a month or so ago driving early morning to a large muddy job site our survey company is currently working at. An actual Levee and water reservoir in Ochechobee Florida on what used to be an orange grove. Mud, deer, hogs and wildlife, running out of places to exist due to the need for "development" of humans. Listening to this for the first time driving the truck on the bumpy dirt path. My coworker and I both agreed this was really the perfect song for the moment. Now here we are with this in my newsfeed. The algorithm works out pretty good sometimes. Great video and homage to these legends
20:42 …the split screen, mirrored shot of Jimmy playing the fanfare leading into the solo on “stairway” in TSRTS 😉
It stays split/mirrored until Jimmy flips the switch, goes down to the 6-string neck and powers into the amazing live solo…. Iconic is an understatement.
Well done - tremendous effort in breaking down this song! The sound of this track is the muddy Mississippi churning dangerously before overtopping the levees. Page is definitely a genius. Someone should interview him and get all his techniques recorded for future generations.
If you haven't read "Light and Shade" conversations with Jimmy Page, you'll love it. He covers a lot of general history and little known influences from his early years. He gets into all kinds of cool stuff and even about he and Jeff Beck hanging out as teens and playing to records brought back by Beck's older sister from the US. A book solely on recording technique would be cool though.
"Neil Youngs attempts at emulating a hurricane on "like a hurricane" sucks, man, theres no vibrato, man, no sweep picking, man, legato, man, no double taps or whammy bar, man, just a lot of loud and wide noise, man"
Thanks so much for this!
Page is the ultimate rock guitar god.
Virtuoso player, visionary songwriter, genius producer, iconic stage dress and moves (and so much more).
Of all the other rock guitarists, only Ritchie Blackmore stepped inside the same magic circle, but Page was more 3-dimensional, while Blackmore was a specialised lead guitarist/sorcerer.
Probably one of the coolest breakdowns of a Zep tune I've watched. Brilliant job and so interesting! Yep, Page was a genius riff writer/guitarist. So many of these songs are so untraditional in their approach but those layers make up some of the best riffs in rock. Thank you for this video!
Amazing breakdown of "Levee," JB! I remember trying to learn this as a teenager and thinking what the heck is going on?! I think you nailed it 👍🏻
Yeah there's a real subtlety to this one. Some of these Zeppelin productions are really paintings.
Nice freakin' job man!! FINALLY someone has pretty much nailed how to make the guitar sound like the album. Every online 'lesson' for this song I have seen was right away discarded by me as they were so obviously missing something. This being one of my favorite Mighty Led Zeppelin epic songs, has been listened to by me on headphones for 40 years, and every time I get chills and am just in awe. What a masterful production. Great work here. I also could not agree more about your wrap up of what this song actually is about, with the storm and the light shining through with Page's guitar parts. Just genius. I wish Jimmy could see this!! New subscriber!!!
Wooooo! It means a lot to me when this stuff resonates with someone. Honestly no one knows what he played, but this gets the sound. Good enough for me!
Holy guitar nerd batman! I can imagine you sitting there playing the tracks over and over. Going to bed and not being able to sleep thinking about this or that part of the song and how it's played. Then finally figuring all this stuff out. Removing strings? Tuning a 2nd string of a pair to a 5th instead of an octave on a 12-string? WOW. That was some serious musical sleuthing! Great vid man!
Did you ever wish you could just ring up JP and ask him? I bet he'd remember, even with all the time which has passed.
Right on James. Much appreciated! This one was a little intense; I had no idea all this was going on until I tried to reproduce the part.
I can't play a note on any instrument but this - the song itself and how you dissect it - is fascinating. Jimmy Page's music is so towering and inspirational.
Dude, I am now your people. That was the best deep dive I have ever watched and yes, I watched the whole thing. I felt like we were in the same room together. I am a life long guitar player and a life long Jimmy Page fan. I was always the guy pointing out the hidden stuff Page put in songs to my musician friends. Zep is a treasure trove that always has more to give up the more and deeper you listen. Your video is brilliant. Cheers.
WOOOOO thanks man! There's another Page-related video up from just last week if you want to check it out.
This is fantastic! Your love for the intricacies of Jimmy’s (and the bands) sound really shines through. These subtle little dissonances and overdubs are the secret sauce that makes a listener hear something new every time they listen to Zep and keep coming back for more.
I completely agree with you that once you’ve heard these songs for the millionth time (on purpose) you gain new appreciation for the his rhythm guitar feel and the little “parts” he always puts in. Also right on the mark that Jimmy would experiment with various guitars and tunings in search of compelling voicings. Lastly, I really admire your edits and typeface work - just stellar production. More please!
This was a wonderful 28 minutes of my life. Thanks my friend
For years I have considered making a video on how to play 'when the levee breaks.' You, sir, produced a video that I don't think can be improved. You put in a lot of detective work to make sense of the tunings and layers. Truly an amazing video.
Thanks so much. I don’t necessarily believe that any of this is RIGHT, but it sure sounds right. Knowing Page, he had a better way to get there… but I couldn’t find it!
I think this is by far the best breakdown of that song. Kudos man!!!
The visual reference at 20:43 is from the psychedelic split shot in "The Song Remains the Same" during the solo to "Stairway To Heaven."
This is the first time I've stumbled onto your RockSplaining, and what a fortuitous thing! I'm a 65 year old drummer who also loves Rick Beato and this is the perfect companion piece to his analysis of Bonham's drum track on this song. My hat is off to you sir, thanks for giving me an avenue to dive into the genius and magic of Zeppelin, and a way to lead my music students into the layers of creative genius these legendary musicians committed to tape. Just , WOW! and I'm thrilled to subscribe to your videos!
Thanks so much. I’m glad some people are finding this interesting!
JB! I love this deep, deep diving brother! More! More! More!...that is all.
Thanks Keith! Glad you dug it man!
You have an incredible ear! Love how accurately you’re able to recreate the tone and feel of every instrument here!
After 50 years, The visual reference "remains the same." Good job, mate. I enjoyed the deep dive.
I also love Plant's killer, expressive harmonica playing.
Best harp playing on a song in my opinion. Just perfect for the vibe.
PHENOMENAL analysis and presentation. It would be fascinating to hear from Page whether he actually had to put much thought into these choices of voicings or if he was just in the zone and this was (relatively) easy to do cuz the rest of the band could nail everything else allowing him to focus on his parts.
Yes, very intriguing points to consider. From everything JB analyzed I think at least some of it had to be just intrinsic on Page's part when he was "in the zone". Certainly sheer magic-it'd be fascinating indeed to hear what went down in the studio from the man himself.
Absolutely great! Such a new way to hear it now for me!!!! I love the "skies opening up" hopeful slide that evokes true bliss after the whirlwind of grungy destruction!!! As a drummer of course I always obsess over this track and I wanna thank you for giving me a new vision of it!!!! Brilliant brother...keep em comin. More Zeppelin!!!!
20:45 Haha, I'm pretty sure that visual reference comes from the stairway solo in TSRT 😊
That trick with the missing high third string and the fifth on the fourth pair is perfect. I play this on my Line 6 Variax. It lets me custom tune to anything so no capo needed. When I made these changes it now sounds as close as I'll ever get to the record. I can click to this custom tuning on the fly and just turn it off for the six string slide in standard.
Great deep dive on this favorite tune of mine forever. That contrast between bass and rhythm is another gem. Good work sir.
First of all, I can’t believe someone out there tried to make this work in real life!! I have a Variax too; I should try it.
Our harmonica player kills this and I always felt my accompaniment disappointed. Now I can click on this preset alt tuning, loop it when we get to the buildup to the slide solo then turn off the Variax and hit the distortion for the solo. Then I then turn off the boost, looper and go back to the Variax in alt tuning to finish. It's a lot of switching but the end result is worth it.
JB I would not and could not have tried this without your deep dive and the generous sharing of your knowledge. Hats off brother.
@@rocketrose2165 I know we'd all love to hear a taste, but those YT sniffer bots would have it taken down pretty quickly.
Very entertaining and informative. You have super ears, have a very engaging on-camera personality, and your skill at breaking down the part is totally impressive. My only quibble is that when talking about Jimmy's propensity for alternate tunings is that you didn't reference Bert Jansch, whom we all know was a big influence on Page's playing. But well-done!
Wait, I thought I did mention Bert Jansch! You’re probably right though.
Page with his tunnings, tones, textures, etc. I've been playing 40 years and have studied many of the greats, but I always come back to Page for ultimate genius. He always worked outside the box. The most creative riff generator in the history of time.
I'm not a guitarist, yet I watched every minute of this. I've still been a huge Page fan since I got into music. You did an excellent job of explaining how Page's sounds has never been duplicated
Andy Johns in 2006:
"Another thing we used was the old Binson Echorec. Listen to “When the Levee Breaks.” That was me putting two M160’s [Beyer😮 ribbon microphones] on the second floor with no other microphones at all because I wanted to get John Bonham the way he actually sounded. And it worked! Page would say that he made me do it, but he was down at the pub [laughs]. He did bring me his Binson Echorec for the track though."
Absolutely loved this video. My dad passed this song down to me among other Zepplin classics and it’s fascinating to learn more about it
That was AMAZING!!! I went back and listened to Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe and it seems that the overall vibe of Jimmy’s main part pays homage to their sound (especially the sound of the octave D string tuned to a 5th). Your video is really excellent!! Thank you most sincerely!! I would love for you to splain Don’t Come Around Here No More 😀
It’s interesting because at first, they don’t sound connected at all. But if you listen closer it’s in there. WILD.
Some Tom Petty would be interesting… but we have Mike Campbell out there showing all the riffs. Have you watched his recent stuff?
Zep IV is a masterpiece and I’ve always thought that this is the best song on the album in terms of production and thanks to your hard work now we all know it is Well done and a brilliant video 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Glad you liked the video! It really is an unbelievably epic song.
TOTAL AWESOMENESS!!!!!! Wonderful Production! You should receive a Ph.D. for this!!!
"Doctor JB".... that has a nice ring to it
Jimmy and Robert were both big fans of the English folk and folk-rock of the era. Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny was Robert's favorite singer and she of course duetted with him on "The Battle Of Evermore" on LZ 4. Jimmy listened to a lot of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, masters of acoustic guitar who both used a lot of offbeat tunings.
Thx a lot JB Eckl,great video
IT makes fun to watch👍🎸
Glad you enjoyed it!
Anyone who can't recognize and acknowledge that Jimmy Page is a bonafide rock and roll genius is truly pitiable. Not only was he the mastermind behind this amazing band but he was humble and smart enough to recognize the worth and encourage the input of his gifted band mates , despite being the unquestioned leader. I am 48 years old and belong to the last generation to have spent a part of my adult life before the internet and social media existed. It was a great pleasure to find in my 30s through the internet that I was not alone in my appreciation for Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.
The band had four masterminds. For example, imagine them without Bonham. The band couldn’t
4 masterminds. You could argue that any of them was the best musician in the band. That’s what makes them the best
The research, the clear explanation and the video production. That's amazing content, thanks a lot. Also, I think that your rendition of the slide break is the best one I've heard so far.
Thanks a lot! Glad you dug it
That was one of the most insightful and "dialed in" breakdowns of a classic guitar song that I've ever seen. Well done JB and thank you for the passion and curiosity that you brought forth in going down the "rabbit hole" with this incredible lesson in mastery from Jimmy Page. And to also note that he was only 26 years old when he was delivering these epic tracks on Led Zeppelin 4. This completely re-energized my memory as to how much of a guitar God this guy was. 🙏 ⚡ 🎸
He is, for lack of a better term, a portal to awakening
It’s been 50 years. I was there when it came out. There’s no way to truly honor this song. It’s simply iconic!
The very first time I have heard this song was 30 years ago. I was 18 then.
I guess, all words mean nothing when trying to talk about this song. I was shocked to the core and up to this day Levee remains my favourite song from all LZ. Every song LZ made is brilliant, but this was very special, nothing to compare with.
I tried to pick up a song by ear on a guitar, but in pre-internet era I did not know about alternate tuning, slow down, etc, so I did not get even close. Now your work look like Gandalf is explaining how to cast the most sacred spells)
May the God of music bless you and let Jimmy Page, his prophet, keep you for the rest of time.
I am an ordinary man from Russia, English is not my native language, so I tried to describe as I could.
Well done, man!
The oldest example of “split tuning” of paired strings I’m aware of is Bill Monroe’s mandolin on songs like Get Up John. There are also reggae and delta blues elements in his playing.
Wow, dude. Nicely done.
"Overdocumented and shrouded in mystery." Probably the best summation of Led Zeppelin ever.
This has got to be one of the most brilliant deconstructions (is that a word?) of a Jimmy Page riff.
Absolutely fascinating and well done. Thank you!
Awesome, thanks so much! It was a rabbit hole for sure. I don't doubt that certain other songs would yield similar rewards.
reverse engineering?
Kinda!
This is such a great video. I miss your Rocksplaining content. Please do more of this.
One of my favourite songs ever. Great choice.
Really excellent Mr Ekl !!!!!
Mr Page was a customer of mine when he was in Vancouver recording with David Coverdale at Little Mountain Studios in Vancouver - 90's?. I fixed his amps- yes those Marshalls and the five ! RCA BA-6 tube compressor limiters he had brought over from his home studio in the UK. Page was probably the most influential guitarist when I was learning to play as a young lad. I wanted to be a professional (my job) and not be fan-boy so I stayed away from the studio for the most part. I was later invited to the studio by his guitar tech, Jim Survis (presently GnR guitar tech, I believe), a buddy of mine, to a pre-Christmas break party. Page wanted to chat so we went to the studio lounge and had a beer. I turned on fan boy and told him that as a young lad I probably learned every Zep song by ear and I had some questions...mostly about guitar parts buried in the various mixes of those songs, which were very hard to distinguish. We threw an acoustic guitar back and forth, so he could remember the various parts/ tunes. A couple of times he went..."ahh mate, I don't even fucking remember recording that one". I persisted and got these obscure parts. Unbelievable. Then I complained about When the Levee Breaks not being in any standard pitch, as I knew all the typical (not at the time so much- Joni Mitchell, etc.) modal tunings, he used for mostly the acoustic stuff, G, dropped D, etc. He explained about the approximate dropping of the actual Levee pitch, as occurring by slowing the master tape down at the time of master mix. To accentuate the drum sound, of course. I could be wrong.... but I believe he said it was originally in E tuning and I recall that it was sorta E flat/ D sorta in the released slowed down version. Very in-between! Couldn't use a tuner. He also told me that he used a Leslie 450 with the 12 string. You can hear that growl and peculiar distortion that is different from a typical flanger texture. I currently play that tune, Levee, tuned down a whole step....in double dropped D on my double neck 12/6 through a Leslie 450 and it kinda nails the sound and voicings, to my ear. Your chord voicings also sound very good. Confusing. I just wonder about the overall pitch. What happens when you play along with the originally released recording? I haven't compared both approaches yet but may do that soon. It's not about who's more correct, as I love the sound of your voicings in your altered F# tuning, with the capo. Bring on the technical NERD!
At this point I’m as confused as anyone about this stuff, but I certainly had a great time wandering in the wilderness with this one. What a lovely experience you had! How very very cool.
I found the album version close to the key of F?? Haha. Crazy.
Your appreciation of the work of a master is inspiring. That took some time to all that out figure out. I do not think I would ever consider the weird tuning on a double neck (not that I play one) - six strings keep me busy enough. It does give me a new appreciation for a song I love.
I’m only half way through this video, and I am absolutely loving it. I don’t play guitar, but my respect and love of Zeppelin and especially Page is more then enough to make this video fascinating… how cool would it be to see Jimmy react to this breakdown?!?
Absolutely love this deep dive into the world of Page! Now, if only I could figure out the time signature / rhythm to Black Mountain Side ;)
It’s all fun and games until that one part...
Jason, I have a tip for you because I spent _decades_ trying to figure out the timing of Black Mountain Side before I finally realized where I was going wrong!! Listen, before you even bother _trying_ it again, you need to go to your local music store’s message board and find a very special kind of musician…
…a tabla drummer!!
😂🤣😅 okay, yeah, I’m only joking, but I couldn’t resist. 😂 Have fun, and keep working at it, my friend! Best of luck to you!
Black mountain side is in 3/4 time. Love that main riff,hard to do but once you get it you’ll do it all the time.
ua-cam.com/video/hkX7Q2J7k48/v-deo.html
Although it's a rip off of Memphis Minnie's tune , Page took it into another dimension. You're research and breakdown was very impressive sir! You just exemplified while I would never attempt this Live, even with a great harp player. I've never seen anyone do it Live well. There's a reason Zep rarely did it Live. Multiple, if someone watches your video.
Bravo!
I can't imagine the amount of time you put into this??!! I can tell you that it was truly appreciated!! I've always had so many questions about that recording. You're one talented dude to be able to dissect and replicate a song like "Levee" Great vid. Thanks for putting the time in and sharing!!
Much appreciated! Yeah it kinda took forever, truthfully
I love this. I really love, how the video moves me from my naive "oh my goodness Pagey is a genius" gushing, to having a small clue of the creativity, dexterity, deep thought and risk-taking that inform us that yes, he is in fact a genius - and here are some of the reasons why. Subscribing immediately Mr Eckl and love your work.
It really is unbelievable how creative and 'on' they were; especially Page but all of them. Engineers included. Thanks for watching!
Massive kudos to you my man, this was an incredible production. To call it a video would be a disservice to the amount of work you put into this.
Haha! Killer, thanks. It was what we call a labor of love… make sure you check out the one I just made on Page’s signature rig.
Almost never do we see this level of close musical analysis on a rock song. Many thanks !
Thanks a lot! I hope to do more soon.
So glad i found your channel. Great, informative but mellow way of explaining this. Subbed. Thanks, man✌️
What an incredible analysis of a great song! You are obviously well-versed in everything Zeppelin, and I really enjoy your insight.
Excellent breakdown--I've listened to the song since I was in high school and every time I do there are more guitar parts than I remembered. What a talent. This, and Kashmir--my sense is that both are originally 12-strings, which makes me think the world could use more electric 12-string.
I agree 100%, that’s why I got the double neck!
There is only one 6-string electric guitar on the ‘Physical Graffiti’ recording of “Kashmir” which is of course famously in D-A-D-G-A-D tuning. There are no 12 string guitars on that recording.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun Page 397 of "Led Zeppelin, All the Songs" quotes Jimmy (from a 2015 Rolling Stone interview) saying the descending progression in Kashmir is 'actually electric 12-string.' He goes on to say that the descending progression was the first part he wrote, and the chromatic rising progression was the second, but he liked the parts better in the opposite order.
@@mardin56 You have misunderstood the part about the electric 12-string. The full quote reads thusly:
Rolling Stone: What were the roots of “Kashmir”?
Jimmy Page: Well, I had the ideas for the riff and the cascading part, which is actually electric 12-string AND IT’S BRASS ON THE RECORD, from something that I had been working on before we even went to Headley. It was another piece of music entirely, and right at the very end of it, while I was playing along, I played the acoustic guitar part in reverse, and there was a sort of fanfare, or the cascades, followed by the riff, and I thought, “Whoa.” It just occurs right at the end.
This means that during the writing and demo process, Page came up with the parts played by the brass section from the orchestra on the ‘Physical Grafitti’ recording of “Kashmir” while demoing using an electric 12-string…likely the Fender Electric XII. But make no mistake, there is no electric 12-string or any other guitar on the final track. Listening to the rhythm track on bootlegs and most clearly on the ‘Physical Grafitti’ Deluxe Edition release should make this very clear. Page also says that he wrote “Kashmir” and his arrangement of “In My Time of Dying” on the Danelectro 3021 in ‘Jimmy Page: The Anthology’ on page 51.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun No misunderstanding. My reply was 'my sense is that both were ORIGINALLY 12 strings.' I was referring to his crafting of the song, not the recording.
For guitarists out there who want to try to replicate the sound of the brass, use a 12-string tuned DADGAD (and a Vox amp helps too). It can get really close.
I saw them play it life, it was phenomenal, and the harp was loud!
I saw them play it at Greensboro Coliseum on their tour in '77. Jimmy played the red, open tuned Les Paul. Incredible. And it was Bonzo's birthday! He also played "In My Time of Dying" on the same guitar. Chills...
I literally can’t even imagine. I was 7. I would have loved it.
@@Jekylnhyde55 Do you know anyone who may have recorded that show on tape? It's one of the few shows from that tour in which a recording doesn't currently circulate.
It's true that Jimmy Page had to switch to a Les Paul during In My Time of Dying; he broke a string on the Danelectro… photos confirm.
If they really did play Levee at that show, that's a revelation! There are no known performances of it outside a few in 1975.
Yeah after hearing your first takes I knew I’d enjoy this. You are all up in the sauce flavour… parts of this give the shivers and maniacal laughs a go just like the original. Thank you so much for putting this out here for us. I NEVER should have sold my double-neck SG. 😁
Wow, thank you! It was a wild ride, truly. This has to be one of the weirdest, most obscure Page guitar parts out there. So much mystery around it. As I said, we’ll never know the truth. Haha.
what a GREAT analysis!
Awesome. I think you nailed those little quirky touches in the recording. Thank you.
OMG 3 of my favorite music people included here--Jimmy Page, Joni Mitchell, and my recent rabbit-hole fave, Rick Beato. Plus a Baha'i musician at the helm. Fabulous! I'd love to hear anything you have to say about Kate Bush.
Glad you're digging it Linda! I'm no authority about Kate Bush, but of course I appreciate her work, especially 'Don't Give Up' with Peter Gabriel.
Great stuff, Dude - just subscribed. It's wonderful to see Jimmy Page getting so much attention on UA-cam these days. He's without doubt one of the most influential and inspirational guitarists ever.
Brilliant breakdown of a brilliant song. beyond Awesome. Appreciate your talent and tenacity. Loved every minute of it. One of my fave LZ songs. . . Cheers. . .
You stayed for the whole thing!!
Led Zeppelin IV was released on November 8, 1971. I was at Led Zeppelin's show at the Berkeley Community Theater on September 13, 1971 and they played Stairway To Heaven. My girl friend and I thought that this was a really cool song. I appreciate you sharing your breakdown of When The Levee Breaks. I have been a Page fan since he joined The Yardbirds in 1966. I saw Led Zeppelin on 5 different tours starting on April 26, 1969. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are my two favorite guitarists. Thank you for the video.
This is the best analysis of this, my favorite Led Zeppelin song. The song exists on aunique plane. The subtleties here are superb. Well done!
The amount of work and time put into this is insane. Excellent, excellent and excellent on all counts. You are a psychopath for doing this 🤣😅. But I love it
You’re one of the few who might understand exactly how insane it really was.
@@JB_Eckl One 1%'er (on the artist scale) calls it "creative madness." Stand back! They're creating again!
Can’t believe the amount they achieved in their 20’s.
It’s actually unbelievable when you compare a successful 20-30 year old persons career to theirs now.
They didn’t have 100’s of people in PR or anything.
Just pure talent that equated to them selling over 300 million albums with hardly any marketing.
Would never happen today!
Dam straight 💥
Yes it does,......Justin Bieber
@@YouCantSawSawdust 😂
I loved this! Very well done. Here's your next Zeppelin challenge: Is there a 12 string guitar in Achilles Last Stand? Listen to the 2nd guitar part panned hard left (left I think).
I’ve been thinking about that. Will check for sure!
From what I remember when I learned that one there's about 6 guitars used on the recording. Some, if not all, were probably doubled. If it's the parts I'm thinking you're talking about (the chimey descending chords to the D with the open B and E strings) it may be a 12 string, but it sounds more like doubled 6 string electrics to me. There's so much going on in that tune that picking the most prominent parts to play as a single guitar can be a challenge. The solo is a work of art.
Edit: The November 2019 issue of Guitar World has it tabbed, and is the best version I've come across. Very thorough.
Jimmy Page's favorite Zep song ( if I'm not mistaken ) . . . and mine too. Total Masterpiece. Listen with quality headphones for Full-effect.
According to Page, he used the 12-string neck of his double-neck Gibson to record only the intro and outro of “Achilles’ Last Stand” on the ‘Presence’ album. I do not hear an electric 12 string anywhere else on the recording. John Paul Jones used an 8-string Alembic bass. This may be where you might hear the illusion of an electric 12-string used on the track itself excluding the intro and outro.
@@AllenGarberGuitarFun I hear 6 string in the intro and 12 string in the outro. Here's a video edit that makes it more obvious: ua-cam.com/video/M4chbrYEuJ4/v-deo.html
Awesome vid man thanks.
This was an absolute brilliant video to happen upon at 5:30AM and very nicely detailed too. I wouldn't be surprised if Page did that on the 12 string - and how you did it hear.
On Battle of Evermore on the studio album - it sounds like Jimmy turned just the A string down a 1/4 step or so - he may have done it w the thick E string too - or Jonesy did it.
There's a dissonant note on the Whole Lotta Love guitar riff which sounds slightly off, but that's how Page planted his signature upon songs. He is very unique in his choice of chords and riffs. There's lots of hidden gems within Zeppelin songs.
I had heard all those guitar sounds in the song and those sounds help to build the intensity of the song. I just didn't quite know what Page was doing there, but I could hear it.
Thanks for the love man. Now, that we're somewhat familiar w each other, I can ask this: Has anyone ever called you Jeff Lynn or said you look just like him ? You do though. ELO is fantastic ! 👏
Let us not forget Memphis Minnie!
NEVER!
I think you nailed it. I’d imagine that’s exactly how it was done tbh
At least we can imagine it that way!
Very intriguing and interesting what you have done here. I've heard those notes hundreds if not thousands of times. Never realized how intricate it's all put together. I think that's why people like them so much. I can still hear some small nuance in songs I haven't picked up on before. It's what makes those songs so good.
This was awesome! You are a genius in your own rite.
Dissecting a recording like this takes time and patience. Thank you!
Amazing quality on this video you’re like a hidden treasure on guitar UA-cam
Love everything about this video JB. Clear and efficient explanation. Great historical tidbits.... And stellar playing and tone. Looking forward to future videos!
Kind words! Thank you
@@JB_Eckl I'm sure you've seen this but this alternate version was amazing to hear. The original track before it was slowed down. Please do more Zep JB! ua-cam.com/video/J5WNS4fGMuE/v-deo.html
Friggin’ bananas! The key is that the drums stay steady while everything else sways, swirls, and sweeps.
Yeah! Bonham sounds like an elephant.
The intricacies of Page's genius revealed in a conceptionlization that is also genius. Thank You for the painstaking work and devotion needed to put this video together. Your ability to communicate on a layman's level and also to elevate the conversation and portrayal of Page's mindset is not only inspirational, as it is revealing. I'm certain Page would enjoy watching his genius be dissected to the nth degree by such a studied and erdent follower of his mystic order. Great Video and production on Your part!!!
Awesome, thank you!!
12:53 - 13:30 dayyyummmm….. Great video, my friend 👍🏻
At 12:29 hairs stood up on my arm.. this is the odd thing I've always heard in this song!! 👍!
I was on my way home from work and decided to learn this song.
I ended up playing it all on slide in the tuning from Zepparella.
Then I saw your video !!
I think you totally nailed it !!!
Great Job !!
I am now your big fan !!!
That was great!!!! I remember way back in the day listening to this on 8 track as a passenger in various vehicles in the 70's heading up to the beach on the weekend in the summer. Sun shining...hair blowing with all the windows down driving through the country roads passing all the farm houses. One old stone based barn in disrepair that looked like the Led Zep IV album cover. There was something very earthy and connecting about that 4th album. The acoustic songs ....but even the harder songs like the Levee Breaks. I would listen to it a lot and it was bitter sweet. It marked a moment in time for me knowing summer and the fun would end and I would be back to school and the changing of the seasons . Hearing you play with such reverence for the original recording and how the song was created brings me back to that summer. It does stir something in you but it is a bit sad to think that those 4 people can never make music together again . I got to see them in 1977 at Pontiac Stadium and the energy coming off the stage you could feel through the whole stadium. Very special chemistry they had. I saw Page and Plant perform in the 90's I believe. It was good but I think Jimmy was really inspired by JOhn Bonham. They had a sympatico that you rarely see. Thanks for the video and break down and thoughts. It was fantastic!!!
What a wonderful remembrance! Thanks for sharing it. This music really is rich, even moreso than it seems at face value.
Incidentally, Page & Plant in 1995 with the Vancouver Symphony and Hossam Ramzy’s 10 piece Egyptian band IN THE BAND is easily the best show I’ve ever seen, and will probably ever see.
This is simply the greatest thing I've ever seen on UA-cam.
And now I know (more completely) why, when I was 14, way back in '80, this song (which is basically my "I Am The Walrus" of Zeppelin songs...i.e. one of their truly greatest ever, not to mention, the killer of all killer odes to the orig. blues men..and women) was so impossible to figure the f*** out! I mean, I knew Jimmy was into cool Joni M. style tunings, etc. but this one just contained more 'eye of gnute'...and who knows what else. So I more "played along" with this one (with much chutzpah & soul of course!) than ever really knowing it and mastering it, like the others.
This awesome video really defines why there was so much damn magic and unique witchery in LZ's music, esp from the great 3rd album forward.
Again, thank you for such a gem of a demystification!
Marc
(NJ, USA)
⚡
This is exactly why I did this… just to show how weird and awesome was the creative process of Page & Co. Thanks for the comment!
My absolute pleasure, JB. I know how much love, effort and mad scientist minutiae goes into something like this. "We're" all the fortunate ones for you taking the painstaking time to produce such a fantastic, wildly interesting and wholly revealing half hour clip.
I mean, regarding something so special and innately mysterious from the golden era of ROCK. A time so important and influential to us all.
This here...."God's work," my friend.
Thanks again for all your effort and incredible detail, JB.
*Love the little stabs of humor as well!
Marc
I absolutely made it through the whole thing! I’ve always listened to this song and wondered what was going on. Really enjoyed the study on the possible tunings and techniques. The song deserves the attention you gave it! Well done. I’m one of your people now!
You made me smile… You did a mighty fine job of figuring this song out. Jimmy was full of tricks and it was always a journey figuring them out. I learned a whole lot from him…
Such an awesome video! Been teaching music for 15 years and be Zep-obsessed since I was a teenager. Thank you for this brilliant deep dive! Very thought provoking!
Woooo! Right on, thanks!
I have no musical ability, but I do have the ability to appreciate a video like this that sheds light on my favorite Zep song of all time. Fantastic work!!
6:50 THANK YOU!!! Everyone misses this fact, and it drives me crazy!
The slowed-down tape? It really is part of the sound, and one of the reasons none of the go-to tunings make any sense
I like Beato a lot, and I’ve been looking for more similar in depth music analysis channels, you nailed it. I really enjoy the guided deep dive down the rabbit hole journey you took us on to explore the origin of the sounds Page created. Great work and I’m excited to see where you take us next.
Thank you 🙂
Brilliant, thanks. I like Beato too!
Absolutely fascinating. Outstanding work!