LED ZEPPELIN - RAMBLE ON - Led Zeppelin II (1969) HiDef :: SOTW #17

Bergo '45 Song of the Week #17 - Eric's Pick for 10/27/13:
"Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Atlantic Records

"I figured out what Bonham hits in the intro. Some say it's a guitar case. Others say a drum throne. But in fact, it's John Bonham. Bent over a condenser mic. Smacking his butt. Try it." -Eric Briglia

This is a weekly dive into the musical mind of Bergo '45. Each week, a new song is chosen by a different member of the band. Check out the playlist to see all of the past selections. Grab a towel and give it a listen....

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The band consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The group's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues on their early albums, has drawn them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal, though their unique style drew from a wide variety of influences, including folk music.

After changing their name from the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that afforded them considerable artistic freedom. Although the group was initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with albums such as Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin II (1969), Led Zeppelin III (1970), their untitled fourth album (1971), Houses of the Holy (1973), and Physical Graffiti (1975). Their fourth album, which features the track "Stairway to Heaven", is among the most popular and influential works in rock music, and it helped to cement the popularity of the group.

Page wrote most of the music early in Led Zeppelin's career, while Plant generally supplied the songs' lyrics. Jones' keyboard-based compositions later became central to the group's music, and their later albums featured greater experimentation. The latter half of the band's career saw a series of record-breaking tours that earned them a reputation for excess and debauchery. Although they remained commercially and critically successful, their output and touring schedule were limited in the late 1970s, and the group disbanded following Bonham's death from alcohol-related asphyxia in 1980. In the decades since, the surviving members have sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off Led Zeppelin reunions. The most successful of these was at the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London, with Jason Bonham taking his late father's place behind the drums.

Led Zeppelin are widely considered one of the most successful, innovative and influential rock groups in history. They are one of the best-selling music artists in the history of audio recording; various sources estimate the group's record sales at 200 to 300 million units worldwide. With 111.5 million RIAA-certified units, they are the second-best-selling band in the United States. Each of their nine studio albums placed on the Billboard Top 10 and six reached the number-one spot. Rolling Stone magazine described them as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the '70s" and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museum's biography of the band states that they were "as influential in that decade [the 1970s] as the Beatles were in the prior one".

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© Atlanic Records

[johnmccann]

Magical, wonderful song, everything is in there!Thanx Zepp.

[thisthatandtheotherchan]

John Paul Jones bass really added alot to this song.

[edyemenidjian]

What a timeless classic, it's just awesome!

[travlynn]

The Bonham-esque muted drummings at the beginning an throughout this piece have always reminded me of the sound of the propellers on the Zeppelin blimps of yore.

[coserx]

Just astounding!... And take note !! The first 14 or so lyric lines are among Plant's best --- yeah, his sparkling top-shelf VERY best. None of that 'baby, baby' On this track -- wistful, evocative, haunting, with its very own rhythmic symmetry -- definition of all that?.... poetry.

[Dooms-pk]

When I listen to this song while high, I get a really pleasent tingling sensation in my back when I hear Robert Plant's voice. It's AMAZING!

[BERGO]

"I figured out what Bonham hits in the intro. Some say it's a guitar case. Others say a drum throne. But in fact, it's John Bonham. Bent over a condenser mic. Smacking his butt. Try it." -Eric Briglia

[steveellis]

still is a few people up did this bugger..

[philright]

I have been this way 30 years the day, My daughter will take over. never will let it die

[tboltjohn]

This work a real showcase for JPJ especially at the end when he machine guns going low register.

[sweetiepie]

LED ZEPPELIN, (1) of God's Very Special Creations for ALL OF HIS CHILDREN TO ENJOY! Thank You God, My True & Only Father! XO <3 :D

[LaLaRice]

fucking amazing song, and the recording..JP was a master for 1969..they don't do this well today in the studio. those lyrics, shit! need to add JPJ is wreckin that bass, dayum!! lol..rest smilin bonzo

[mediamanny]

A song
A melody 
A moment in your time
Linger on until time no more

                Super

[dalhyeong]

completely, band song to figure it out

[ClassicTVManX]

Can you say "distorted harmonica" at 1:48?