Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
By the time I reached the exciting, yet incredibly awkward ninth grade, I was knee deep into Led Zeppelin. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy were on heavy rotation on my Sony cassette player. No other band had figured out such a natural and powerful way of bringing together hard rock and blues as well as Zeppelin. I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, I just really liked the music. Killer vocals. Killer riffs. Killer lyrics. It wasn’t unusual to be a Zeppelin fan in my high school. In fact, “Ramble On” went on to become our graduation song.
John Paul Jones has always been the least talked about and the least celebrated member of the band. But his bass line on “Ramble On” is truly iconic. Some even call it the best bass line ever written. It’s both melodic and rhythmic — and in a rare moment Jonesy steals the spotlight from Jimmy Page. The other irresistible thing about “Ramble On” is Robert Plant’s soulful cry. It just doesn’t get any more rock ‘n roll than those monster vocals in the chorus.
“Got no time for spreadin' roots. The time has come to be gone.”