For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.
Day 30: The mountain of dreams, CA
My roadtrip across America took me down the Atlantic, across the south, back up, and down the Pacific. It ends where many roadtrips end: California. When I got my copy of Led Zeppelin IV back in ninth grade, it felt like I had discovered the full span of rock & roll in one cassette. The hard and heavy stuff with “When the Levee Breaks” and “Black Dog”. The accessible power of “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Rock and Roll”. The epic statements of “Stairway to Heaven” and “The Battle of Evermore”. And then there was “Going to California”.
“Going to California” showcased a beautiful acoustic side to Jimmy Page’s guitar playing and gave way to one of Robert Plant’s most impressive and versatile vocal deliveries. What makes the song incredible to me is that even as a ballad, there’s enormous power and force at times in the track’s melody and vocals. The song isn’t the same without Plant. Ultimately, the song is like fantasy. A dream. A vision of California he hopes will transcend that and become reality. It’s a treasure.
“MADE UP MY MIND, MAKE A NEW START. GOIN' TO CALIFORNIA WITH AN ACHIN' IN MY HEART.”