by melodichaotic » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:33 pm
My recurring dream is about Led Zeppelin. I've never had one same recurring dream play out the same way over the years(and I have pretty good recall from age 7), so this is the closest and strongest candidate I can think of.
This has been going on since 1980 just after John Bonham passed away. I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily obsessed with them, it's more like this initial incredible stun that's perpetuated into a continuing appreciation that the four of them ever got together in the first place and made the music they did.
Sorry in advance for the length, but a little set-up is in order.
I had the very good fortune to have seen them in 1977, so I consider myself lucky. I am glad, since we had got to Madison Square Garden early(tickets BTW were pre-ordered by mail, at $8.50 each!), that my cousin and I went up to the front of the stage, and got a close-up of their gear pre-show--the Marshall cabs, Vista-lite Ludwig kit, JPJ's keyboard, and of course each of their large cryptic symbols emblazoned across--very awe inspiring for my 13 year old brain!
Zep II was the album in 1976 that re-arranged my inner musical cosmos for good, since having been (and still am), a Die- Hard Beatle fan from the wee young age of 6( and my brother and I then freaking out over the intro to "Revolution" on 45, but then that's another story).
The sounds, the playing, the chemistry, the songs, the vibe and energy, etc--I was blown away..."The Lemon Song" particularly stood out--exceptional bass grooves noted, among everything else going on.
Took up the guitar shortly afterward, and then the drums a year later and never looked back.
I've had many numerous and varied dreams about them right up until literally 3 weeks ago. Generally it involves being at usually an outdoor event of some sort, large crowds, hearing this alluring music, and then getting close enough to the stage to see and hear Zep play, and most of the time, my brain was processing music I had never heard them do before.
Of these literal hundred-plus dreams I've had of varying lengths and degrees, I'll highlight some of the more keen moments:
One such dream, not long after Bonzo passed, was me walking by myself down a curved asphalt path running parallel to a tall, black wrought-iron gate, mid-day, raining and hazy, lush green vegetation indicating late spring/early summer, and coming upon a bench with a figure seated, slightly hunched over, wearing a long dark-green trench coat and matching rain hat, looking down, face obscured.
As I approached the figure raised his head, and it was Bonham. At that moment I realized as I looked through the gates that I was at a cemetery. Bonzo asked me to sit, and we talked for what seemed like hours about music, his playing,his influence, Zep, my sorrow for his passing...
Another vivid one(circa 1981) involved walking into a record store(yes, when LP's still dominated), and perusing through bins of records and hearing, for the first time the "new" Zep release(what would've been after "In through the Out Door").
I saw the promotional mobiles hanging in the small Mom and Pop shop, and I came across the album, pulled it from the bin, and held it mesmerized with both hands.
The cover was all white, with no title or any indication of who the artist was, and with what looked like an ink blotch near the center-- like the cards psychiatrists have used to have their patients tell them what they see when they look at it--and that seemed to be just the point...all this connecting while I clearly heard this "new" Zep music playing in the store--bluesy, raw, tight, yet progressive sounding(nothing like what was happening in the early '80's)--more like it took off where "Presence" left off..wish there was some way I could have recorded it.
Another memorable short tidbit, maybe occurring around the mid 80's, was seeing Zep in an outdoor concert setting and being center stage, orchestra seat, and watching Jimmy Page go into a solo, and doing this classic Page "seat of the pants" playing, but with 2-handed tapping like Eddie...only it was seamlessly woven into the fabric of the melody and improv, with these wicked rhythmic irregularities, and angular lines--like a super-charged version of the great verse riff Page plays on "In the Light" off "Physical Graffiti" (not, the typical order of the day which was "Ok, watch me now as I drop into keyboard sequenced, predictable arpeggiated tapping, let's shamelessly rip-off Eddie " mode)...again, if only I had a subconscious, REM, dicombobulating recorder at the time to capture it all.....oh well.
