• Home
  • Movies
  • Music
  • TV
  • Video Games
  • Wrestling
  • Topics
  • Latest Comments on Cult of Whatever
Search
Cult of Whatever logo
  • Movies
    Featured
    • The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton as James Bond

      The Living Daylights is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 28, 2022
      Movie Blogs
    Recent
    • The Muppet Christmas Carol: Michael Caine as Scrooge

      The Muppet’s Christmas Carol remains the gold standard for the book

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 20, 2022
    • Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 1

      2022’s Christmas Movie Watchlist!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 18, 2022
    • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Poster

      REVIEW: GDT’s Pinocchio is my favorite film of the year!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 14, 2022
    • Troll: Ine Marie Wilmann as Nora

      REVIEWS: TROLL and TROLL HUNTER -A giant creature double feature!

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 5, 2022
    • Harry with The Hendersons

      Harry and the Hendersons is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2022
    • Fantastic Four Poster

      The five best “rogues galleries” in superherodom! (part 3)

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 28, 2022
  • Music
    Random
    • The Beatles: Get Back

      What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
      Music Blogs
    Recent
    • Simon And Garfunkel at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam1982

      The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Lady Gaga: Chromatica Album Cover

      Lady Gaga’s discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
    • Michael Jackson Thriller Album Cover

      Thirty years ago music fans said “Nevermind” to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
    • Queen II Album Cover

      On Queen’s The Miracle, and the importance of track ordering

      By Matthew Martin
      | February 16, 2021
    • Linda Paul Mccartney 1976

      50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
    • Beatles Usa 1964

      50 years ago the Beatles said “The End”

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 31, 2019
  • TV
    Featured
    • Big Sky S03e05: Kylie Bunbury, J. Anthony Pena and Katheryn Winnick as Cassie Dewell, Mo Poppernak and Jenny Hoyt

      Big Sky S03E05 Review: Flesh and Blood - Glamping!

      By Salome G
      | October 22, 2022
      TV Blogs
    Recent
    • Big Sky S03e10: Gang

      Big Sky S03E10 Review: A Thin Layer of Rock – Break time…

      By Salome G
      | December 11, 2022
    • Rick And Morty: S01e03

      Is Beth from Rick and Morty a bigger sociopath than Rick?

      By Jason Collins
      | December 7, 2022
    • Big Sky S03e09: Dedee Pfeiffer and Cree as Denise and Emily

      Big Sky S03E09: Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire – Stalling

      By Salome G
      | December 1, 2022
    • The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff as Drax and Mantis

      REVIEW: The GOTG Holiday Special is a sweet prelude to next year’s finale

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 27, 2022
    • The Midnight Club S01: The Gang

      The Midnight Club S1 Review – A series of unfortunate events

      By Salome G
      | November 24, 2022
    • Big Sky S03e08: Reba McEntire as Sunny Barnes

      Big Sky S03E08 Review: Duck Hunting – I love a weirdo.

      By Salome G
      | November 19, 2022
  • Video Games
    Featured
    • Arkham Knight

      Batman: Arkham Knight - A fitting end to a trilogy

      By Tom Farr
      | July 18, 2015
      Video Game Reviews
    Recent
    • Splatoon 3 Screenshot

      A trio of Nintendo Switch reviews!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 28, 2022
    • Nintendo Switch Logo

      Looking ahead to the Switch 2: Predictions and Wants

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 15, 2022
    • Legend Of Zelda

      Can a Legend of Zelda movie work?

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 6, 2022
    • Super Mario 64

      Which system had the better launch: A battle of four Nintendo consoles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2021
    • Luigi's Mansion

      Happy twentieth to Nintendo’s underrated gem, the Gamecube

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 18, 2021
    • Metroid Dread

      Metroid Dread – Post Game analysis and sequel needs

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 29, 2021
  • Wrestling
    Featured
    • AEW All Out 2022: Keith Lee. Anthony Bowens, Max Caster and Billy Gunn

      AEW All Out 2022 - Review and (wild) Speculation!

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 5, 2022
      AEW
    Recent
    • article placeholder

      How Many WWE Wrestlers Are There Currently?

      By Coder
      | September 28, 2023
    • article placeholder

      How Many WWE Figures Are There in Total?

      By Coder
      | September 27, 2023
    • article placeholder

      Does WWE Still Make Action Figures?

      By Coder
      | September 27, 2023
    • article placeholder

      Does WWE 2K22 Have a Good Story Mode?

      By Coder
      | September 27, 2023
    • article placeholder

      Does WWE 2K22 Deluxe Edition Include All DLC?

      By Coder
      | September 27, 2023
    • article placeholder

      Does WWE 12 Have Story Mode?

      By Coder
      | September 27, 2023
  • Topics
    • site logo
    Latest
    • How Many WWE Wrestlers Are There Currently?
    • How Many WWE Figures Are There in Total?
    • Does WWE Still Make Action Figures?
    • Does WWE 2K22 Have a Good Story Mode?
    • Does WWE 2K22 Deluxe Edition Include All DLC?
    • Does WWE 12 Have Story Mode?

    Fifty years of Led Zeppelin

    By Matthew Martin
    | March 4, 2019
    Music

    Fifty years ago Led Zeppelin’s first album, entitled—are you ready for this?—“Led Zeppelin” was released, kicking off a decade of brilliance and musical mystique unlike any Rock has ever seen before or since. Other bands, like the Beatles, are famous for their innovations and trail-blazing. Bands like the Rolling Stones are celebrated for their longevity. Queen has the greatest frontman in history.

    What makes Led Zeppelin so special?

    To their fans it’s not any one thing; it’s a bunch of little things; it’s a bunch of “arguably’s.” They had arguably the greatest drummer in rock history. They had arguably the greatest guitarist. They had arguably the 70’s most defining rock sound. They had arguably rock’s most enduring “anthem” song. To casual lovers of music, they’re not a name first thought of when considering “the greats.” If they were, you wouldn’t have to say “arguably” before listing each of their accolades.

    Devotees of rock, especially rock in its most eclectic decade, the 1970’s, are kinder to the band, more quick to recognize their status, if for no other reason than the fact that they helped make the 1970’s such an eclectic decade. In the years before them—the 60’s—music was consumed in waves. There was a crooner wave in the early decade, then Beatlemania dominated with its innocent and bubblegum lyrics, then Dylanesque folk took over for a spell, before the Beatles brought psychedelia to the mainstream, before the decade ended with a more stripped down sound. There was a lot of variety in the 60’s, especially compared to the 1950’s, with its “before Presley/after Presley” eras, but that variety was compartmentalized.  In the 70’s music would take on more of a hodgepodge flavor, with tons of wildly different sounds all rising to the top at the same time.

    Led Zeppelin was at the forefront of this “new music” wave.

    It begins with a foursome that, itself, was shaped by a variety of musical styles: Robert Plant grew up listening to the blues. John Bonham, on the other hand, cut his teeth on the improvisational stylings of jazz. Jimmy Page was twelve years old when Elvis Presley hit superstardom, the perfect age to be influenced (as he was) by a musician. John Paul Jones, on the other hand, grew up with a father who arranged (and played) the kind of “big band” compositions that Elvis helped to make obsolete.

    Led Zeppelin 1977 Promo

    Together, the foursome were individually influenced by the different sounds of past generations, both culture and counterculture, and brought their disparate influences to the studio and on the road. They plucked bits of their favorites here and there and created something unique, a harmony of seemingly-dissonant sounds, forcing other musical acts in the business to break free of their singular styles as well.

    Their first album, released with its now-iconic cover,

    Led Zeppelin Album Cover

    may not have been their greatest work (that honor, arguably, goes to Led Zeppelin IV) but it does exactly what a debut album needs to do in that it puts the world on notice that there’s a new potential superstar in town and highlights the individual talents of the members as well as their collective talent as a group.

    Consider just how different each individual member of the group was, not only in terms of their musical contributions, but in their musical approaches as well…

    If you listen to Zeppelin’s first album and concentrate on Bonham, you’d think you were hearing a band teetering on the edge of mania, unprincipled, unfocused, wild and free-spirited. Focus solely on Jones, however, and you’re able to make sense of the senselessness of Bonham. Suddenly everything has structure. Switching your focus between the two is like that freaking ballerina gif that spins one way or the other depending on whatever black magic trickery controls it…

    Gif Dance Trick

    And then there’s Page and Plant. The former shreds his guitar like he’s in the middle of the most rocking album in the history of rock albums. Meanwhile the latter sings his lyrics like he’s in the middle of a blues LP. It’s a mesh that shouldn’t work. Rock needs fast-spat vocals but Plant’s voice—even when he’s singing “faster” than in other places—always feels like they were superimposed over Page’s licks from a different album entirely.

    That’s the bizarre, “this shouldn’t work but it does” magic of Zeppelin, and though they would only improve their sound over the years, it was present right there in the beginning. This is a group whose styles and even philosophical approaches to music should absolutely not mesh, and yet they do. Like french fries and frostys, they do. Like bacon and bananas, they do.

    Zeppelin may not be the band people immediately think of when discussions happen about rock’s greatest and/or most influential groups, but they belong in the discussion. They showed a world of music that it was possible to be completely distinct and yet harmonious, to approach music from different perspectives and still produce a sound that is singular and, despite fifty years of trying, wholly inimitable.

    Happy anniversary.

    Tags

    Led Zeppelin

    COMMENTS

    Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

    Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

    Subscribe
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    guest

    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    guest

    8 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Arabella
    Arabella
    4 years ago

    Led Zeppelin was before my time, so it was years after they were through that I got into their music. I just wish I could have seen them in concert. Watching the performance on the telly just isn’t the same.

    0
    Reply
    KeeperofUnicorns
    KeeperofUnicorns
    4 years ago

    Jimmy Page is the most talented guitarist that I’ve ever heard. Even today, no one else comes close to his wicked guitar licks and riffs.

    0
    Reply
    BlogTreasure
    BlogTreasure
    4 years ago

    This was a unique band by all means, and it continues to inspire both upcoming and established musicians alike. My favorite tune is Stairway to Heaven. Can you imagine that it is regarded as the most played song of all-time on radio, despite never being released as a single?

    0
    Reply
    Snarky-Guru
    Snarky-Guru
    4 years ago
    Reply to  BlogTreasure

    It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to anything by Led Zeppelin just because the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. “Stairway to Heaven” is an old favourite and I still remember it verse for verse. I had no idea that it hadn’t been released as a single.

    0
    Reply
    BlogTreasure
    BlogTreasure
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Snarky-Guru

    Can you imagine that kind of success without it (officially) being released as a single plus isn’t it worrying that it is very rare to see such bands now? There is so much focus on individual ability now.

    0
    Reply
    Zoey
    Zoey
    4 years ago
    Reply to  BlogTreasure

    Hold on a minute – Stairway to Heaven was never released as a single? It’s way before my time, so it’s been famous all of my life and I kind of just assumed it was a single back when it was released. Wow. I’m shocked.

    0
    Reply
    Natasha Yves
    Natasha Yves
    4 years ago

    One of the greatest bands of all time. It feels strange to think of their debut being 50 years ago! Their music and name still appear in modern pop culture all the time, but when you mention that 5 decades have passed since the first album it really makes me feel dated!

    0
    Reply
    Dave
    Dave
    4 years ago

    Though many people may not relate to this band now, it showed the world that it was truly possible to be individually unique, but still gel into the bigger picture. Through their heavy guitar-driven sound, they achieved unimaginable success and set the bar high!

    0
    Reply

    You might also like

    • PET SOUNDS by the Beach Boys is a symphony of harmony and joy

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 2, 2016
    • One on One with Paul McCartney

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 8, 2016
    • Fifty Years ago Johnny Cash did Folsom Prison…

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 11, 2018
    • QUEEN’s catalogue, from bottom to top

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 1, 2018
    • August 29, 1966: Candlestick Park, 50 years later…

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 28, 2016
    • Elvis: Long live the King

      By Matthew Martin
      | September 17, 2015
    • Elvis’s 40 Year Reign (1954-1955)

      By Matthew Martin
      | January 27, 2017

    FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

    Music Topics

    Recommended for you

    • What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
    • The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Lady Gaga’s discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
    • Thirty years ago music fans said “Nevermind” to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
    • 50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
    • The secret to Weird Al’s genius…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 25, 2019
    • Fifty years of Led Zeppelin

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 4, 2019
    • QUEEN’s catalogue, from bottom to top

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 1, 2018
    • Elvis’s 40 Year Reign (1954-1955)

      By Matthew Martin
      | January 27, 2017
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy and Settings
    • Terms of Use
    • Photo Credits
    • RSS
    All Cult of Whatever articles, logos, illustrations and graphics are copyright CultOfWhatever.com. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2023 CultOfWhatever. All Rights Reserved.
    • facebook
    • twitter
    wpDiscuz