Ship of Fools was the second single to be released from Robert Plant’s fourth solo album, Now and Zen. Now and Zen was the most financially and critically successful of all of Planet’s solo albums, though Plant himself has said that he feels that the album’s music “got lost in the technology of the time.” I would be disappointed if Robert Plant didn’t decry “the technology of the time” but, in this case, he’s being too hard on himself. Now and Zen is a very good album.
This song is mood piece, a love song. In the video, Plant appears to be singing in the rain and it works. The song was later used in “Freefall,” the final episode of Miami Vice, the show that epitomized the 80s and the technology of the time like no other.
Today’s Song of the Day is Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused”, that hypnotic Yardbirds cover Jimmy Page transformed into a sprawling psychedelic monster on their 1969 debut. Robert Plant’s otherworldly wails float over John Paul Jones’s prowling bass and John Bonham’s primal drums, crafting this foggy, trippy atmosphere that’s perfect for zoning out late at night. But let’s be real, it’s Page’s six-string sorcery that cements it as essential listening.
The real magic erupts at the 3:53 timestamp in the official release cut, when Page launches into his legendary guitar solo—a blistering torrent of bent notes, ferocious pentatonic dives, and those eerie, talkbox-esque squeals that sound like the guitar’s possessed. He’s wringing every ounce of emotion from his Telecaster, stacking fuzz, echo, and vibrato into a wall of controlled chaos that feels like a bad acid trip turned triumphant. It’s raw, innovative shredding that grabs you by the soul and doesn’t let go.
Live versions took it to another level, ballooning into 10+ minute odysseys with Page’s violin bow creating those haunting drones before he dives back into the frenzy—check the ’73 Madison Square Garden tape for the ultimate freakout. This solo isn’t just flashy; it’s Page channeling pure rock alchemy, paving the way for metal and jam gods alike. Crank it up and feel the daze.
Dazed and Confused
Been dazed and confused for so long, it’s not true Wanted a woman, never bargained for you Lots of people talkin’, few of them know Soul of a woman was created below, yeah
You hurt and abuse, tellin’ all of your lies Run ’round, sweet baby, Lord, how they hypnotize Sweet little baby, I don’t know where you been Gonna love you, baby, here I come again
Every day I work so hard Bringin’ home my hard-earned pay Try to love you, baby But you push me away
Don’t know where you’re goin’ Only know just where you’ve been Sweet little baby I want you again
Ah, ah, ah, ah (Did you ever look up my woman?) Ah, ah, ah, ah Aah-ah, aah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 81st birthday to the one and only Jimmy Page!
In honor of one of the world’s greatest guitarists, today’s song of the day is one of the few Led Zeppelin songs that I like. Page originally came up with the lyrics for the song while driving through Morocco but clearly, Kashmir was a better title.
Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face And stars fill my dream I’m a traveler of both time and space To be where I have been To sit with elders of the gentle race This world has seldom seen They talk of days for which they sit and wait All will be revealed
Talk in song from tongues of lilting grace Sounds caress my ear And not a word I heard could I relate The story was quite clear
Oh, baby, I been blind Oh, yeah, mama, there ain’t no denyin’ Oh, ooh yes, I been blind Mama, mama, ain’t no denyin’, no denyin’
All I see turns to brown As the sun burns the ground And my eyes fill with sand As I scan this wasted land Try to find, try to find the way I feel
Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace Like sorts inside a dream Leave the path that led me to that place Yellow desert stream My shangri la beneath the summer moon I will return again As the dust that floats high in June We’re moving through Kashmir
Oh, father of the four winds fill my sails Cross the sea of years With no provision but an open face Along the straits of fear Oh, when I want, when I’m on my way, yeah And my feet wear my fickle way to stay
Ooh, yeah yeah, oh, yeah yeah, But I’m down oh, yeah yeah, oh, yeah Yeah, but I’m down, so down Ooh, my baby, oh, my baby Let me take you there Come on, oh let me take you there Let me take you there
Songwriters: James Patrick (Jimmy) Page / John Bonham / Robert Anthony Plant
On August 1st, 1981, MTV premiered. Over the course of 24 hours, 166 unique music videos were played on MTV. Yes, there was a time when the M actually did stand for music.
The 42nd video played on MTV was Rockpile covering the Elvis classic Little Sister. As you can see in the video, they received some help from Robert Plant. Like the video for Rockestra’s cover of Lucille, this performance was a a part of the Concert for The People of Kampuchea.
Who were the members of Rockestra? Rockestra was a supergroup, put together by Paul McCartney for at least two concerts, one of which was a 1979 benefit concert for the People of Kampuchea and one of which was a 1981 MDA telethon. The video above is from the Concert For The People of Kampuchea and featured Rockestra covering Smokey Robinson’s Lucille. This video was also the 32nd video to be played on MTV.
Among the members of Rockestra: John Bonham, Billy Bremner, Gary Brooker, Howie Casey, Tony Dorsey, Dave Edmunds, Steve Holley, James Honeyman-Scott, Steve Howard, Kenney Jones, John Paul Jones, Laurence Juber, Denny Laine, Ronnie Lane, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Thadeus Richard, Bruce Thomas, and Pete Townshend!
Ship of Fools was the second single to be released from Robert Plant’s fourth solo album, Now and Zen. Now and Zen was the most financially and critically successful of all of Planet’s solo albums, though Plant himself has said that he feels that the album’s music “got lost in the technology of the time.” I would be disappointed if Robert Plant didn’t decry “the technology of the time” but, in this case, he’s being too hard on himself. Now and Zen is a very good album.
This song is mood piece, a love song. In the video, Plant appears to be singing in the rain and it works. The song was later used in “Freefall,” the final episode of Miami Vice, the show that epitomized the 80s and the technology of the time like no other.
The Song Remains The Same is a concert film that features one of the world’s greatest bands giving one of their worst performances.
Shot over three nights in Madison Square Garden in 1973 (with additional footage later being filmed on a sound stage designed to look like Madison Square Garden), the film features Led Zeppelin sounding tired and bored. Robert Plant asks, “Does anyone remember laughter?” during Stairway to Heaven while the legendary Jimmy Page has a look on his face like he already knows that, at some point in the future, he’s going to end up playing back-up to Sean Combs on Saturday Night Live. Even John Bonham’s drum solo seems self-indulgent and uninspired. Meanwhile, John Paul Jones’s clothing changes from shot-to-shot, a reminder that Jones was the only member of the band not to wear the same thing during all three nights of shooting. The film looks bland and the soundtrack doesn’t capture the Zeppelin sound. Instead, it sounds muddy, to the extent that those not already familiar with Led Zeppelin will wonder what the big deal is.
The good news is that you can dislike The Song The Remains The Same and still be a Led Zeppelin fan. The band reportedly hated the film, feeling that it captured them at their worst. Robert Plant, who unsuccessfully tried to get the infamous “Does anyone remember laughter?” line removed from the film, called the film “bollocks” while John Paul Jones called it a “massive compromise.” In 1976, when the film was first released, Jimmy Page told New Musical Express, “The Song Remains The Same is not a great film, but there’s no point in making excuses. It’s just a reasonably honest statement of where we were at that particular time.”
The film also features fantasy sequences, in which the members of the band and their managers get a chance to show what’s going on in their minds and how they viewed themselves in 1973. The band’s managers appears as gangsters and start the film off by gunning everyone down. Robert Plant is a knight, in a sequence that inadvertently brings to mind the travels of Brave Sir Robin in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Jimmy Page is a hermit who reads tarot cards. John Paul Jones is chased on horseback. The only member of the band whose image is helped by his fantasy sequence is John Bonham, who comes across as a likable, down-to-Earth bloke who likes retiring to his farm and driving fast cars. Knowing that Bonham would die just seven years later makes his fantasy sequence especially poignant to watch. His son, Jason Bonham, appears, drumming on a child-sized drum kit. Years later, of course, Bonham would play drums during several Led Zeppelin reunions.
For years, The Song Remains The Same was the only official video footage of Led Zeppelin performing and, flaws and all, that does give it some importance. The Song Remains The Same is also said to have been one of the major inspirations for This Is Spinal Tap so everything worked out in the end.
To say that I’m a huge fan of Led Zeppelin would be an understatement. They’re the band that combines both my love for hard rock and, ultimately, an even bigger love for that most American of musical style, the blues.
Led Zeppelin have always been rooted in their blues foundation. They’ve been an integral part of the British rock invasion to the US that was steeped heavily in blues rock. With classic blues heavily influencing their sound, Led Zeppelin would take the US by storm starting in 1968 and would continue to do so until the band’s dissolution in 1980 soon after John Bonham’s untimely death.
It’s a song from their third album that, for me, epitomizes Led Zeppelin’s early days. These were the years when they reigned as the blues rock kings of the rock world. They would later experiment and try new sounds with their later albums as the band began to branch out into new, diversified musical styles. Yet, for me, the band will always be that blues rock band from London, England who were the first supergroup.
“Since I’ve Been Loving You” is straight up blues and Robert Plant sings it with such emotional intensity that anyone hearing the song for the first time could easily mistake him and the band as one of the classic American blues bands. The song also makes the latest “Song of the Day” not just because it’s one of my favorites but also because of Jimmy Page once again demonstrating why he’s one of the best rock guitarists.
It’s not often a song starts off with a guitar solo, but this one does and Page does so in a slow, blues tempo that would segue into Robert Plant’s vocals. The second guitar solo arrives after the song’s second verse and would have a more blues rock sound to it, but no less impressive.
Since I’ve Been Loving You
(guitar solo)
Working from seven to eleven every night, It really makes life a drag, I don’t think that’s right. I’ve really been the best, the best of fools, I did what I could. (Yeah) ‘Cause I love you, baby, How I love you, darling, How I love you, baby, My beloved little girl, little girl. But baby, Since I’ve Been Loving You (yeah). I’m about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah.
Everybody trying to tell me that you didn’t mean me no good. I’ve been trying, Lord, let me tell you, Let me tell you I really did the best I could. I’ve been working from seven to eleven every night, I said It kinda makes my life a drag Lord, that ain’t right… Since I’ve Been Loving You, I’m about to lose my worried mind. (Watch out!)
(guitar solo)
Said I’ve been crying, yeah. Oh, my tears they fell like rain, Don’t you hear them, Don’t you hear them falling? Don’t you hear, Don’t you hear them falling?
Do you remember mama, when I knocked upon your door? I said you had the nerve to tell me you didn’t want me no more, yeah I open my front door, hear my back door slam, You know, I must have one of them new fangled, new fangled back door man.
I’ve been working from seven, seven, seven, to eleven every night, It kinda makes my life a drag… Baby, Since I’ve Been Loving You, I’m about to lose, I’m about to lose, lose my worried mind.
Just one more, just one more, oooh, yeah, Since I’ve been loving you, I’m gonna lose my worried mind.
The latest in the Song of the Day for the greatest guitar solo series is the power rock ballad of power ballads. Straight from their untitled fourth album, Stairway to Heaven is a mixture of acoustic-folk music and anthemic hard rock. The fact that this power ballads of all power ballads have stood the test of time, ridicule and countless covers (both serious and comedic) says much about the power that Led Zeppelin had over rock music. Even 30 years since they broke up the band still influences musicians to this day.
Stairway to Heaven to me best exemplifies the gradual shift of the band from a down and dirty blues-based hard rock band to the proto-metal/progressive rock which would dominate the band’s sound from the mid-70’s until the band’s break-up after the untimely death of drummer John Bonham in 1980. The song puts to light Jimmy Page’s growing attraction for the esoteric as the song’s lyrics conjures up images of the fairy folk of the Welsh countryside. The acoustic guitar arpeggios which begins the song soothingly brings the listener in. Each section brings in more of the modern to the Renaissance-like intro. This build-up reaches a crescendo at the mid 5-minute mark when Jimmy Page begins a guitar solo which finally leads to a climactic hard rock finish to the song.
The song was the most requested and played track over the radio and became a staple of the band’s sets on their many tours during the 70’s. Like any piece of artistic work extremely popular with the masses the song reached such a popularity that a backlash just as extreme followed as the band broke up in 1980. The fact that this backlash didn’t diminish the song’s appeal to future generations of fans and to the legions before them shows just how important this song has become to rock music history.
While other epic power ballads have come and gone since Stairway to Heaven they will never supplant Led Zeppelin’s epic mystical anthem of fairy folk, magical lands with progressive hard rock. Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven was first and to many will always be First and The One.
Stairway to Heaven
There’s a lady whose sure all that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there, she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
’Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there is a songbird who sings:
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
Theres a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, really makes me wonder.
And it’s whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow,
Don’t be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by but in the long run
Theres still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.
Ooooooh…
Your head is humming and it won’t go,
In case you don’t know:
The pipers calling you to join him.
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know:
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
(guitar solo)
And as we wind on down the road,
Our shadows taller than our soul,
There walks a lady we all know.
Who shines white light and wants to show…
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all, yeah, to be a rock and not to roll.
I missed a couple of nights with a post leading up to Valentine’s Day. So, I shall make it up with a quickie, but definitely a classic choice for latest “Song of the Day”.
In what has to be one of the sexiest and raunchiest songs to explode from that little supergroup called Led Zeppelin in late 1969. Everything about this song oozes sex from Robert Plant’s performance to the silky riffs by Jimmy Page right up to the rhythmic pounding by Bonham on drums.
The song I speak of “Whole Lotta Love” and considered a favorite amongst fans of the group. Enough talk and just listen. I’m pretty sure there’s a sizable number of people who visit this site and go on the many social media outlets that owe their existence to their parents having this song on.
Whole Lotta Love
You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’ I’m gonna send ya back to schoolin’ Way down inside, a-honey, you need it I’m gonna give you my love I’m gonna give you my love, oh
Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love
You’ve been learnin’ And baby, I been learnin’ All them good times Baby, baby, I’ve been a-yearnin’, ah A-way, way down inside A-honey, you need-a I’m gonna give you my love, ah I’m gonna give you my love, ah
Oh, whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love I don’t want more
Ooh, just a little bit Ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, hah, hah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah No, no, no, no, ah Love, low-ow-ow-ow-ove Oh, my, my, my
You’ve been coolin’ And baby, I’ve been droolin’ All the good times, baby, I’ve been misusin’ A-way, way down inside I’m gonna give ya my love I’m gonna give ya every inch of my love (Ah) I’m gonna give you my love Yeah, alright, let’s go
Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love
(Way down inside) Way down inside (Way down inside, woman, you) Woman (Woman, you) You need it (Need) Love
My, my, my, my My, my, my, my, oh Shake for me, girl I wanna be your backdoor man Hey, oh, hey, oh Hey, oh, ooh Oh, oh, oh, oh Hoo-ma, ma, hey Keep a-coolin’, baby A-keep a-coolin’, baby A-keep a-coolin’, baby Ah, keep a-coolin’, baby, ah, ah-hah, oh-oh
Through the Shattered Lens 