Retro Chicken

The “Rain Song” is one of my favorite, if least likely, Led Zeppelin songs. Originally released on the A side of “Houses of the Holy,” it has a long (long) middle section – about six minutes of never ending lush – featuring John Paul Jones on Mellotron*. The first time I heard it I couldn’t figure out how it ended up on a Zeppelin album – until the drum entrance. Once the drums enter you realize you have just experienced one of the greatest moments on vinyl.

I don’t know anything about the performance in the video clip – just that they are older and a live string section has replaced John Paul Jones. The song is still magic, you’ll probably cry when the drums enter.

*I am not an expert, but the Mellotron is an analog keyboard that predates modern day synthesizers. It had tape loops of different instruments, each one activated by a corresponding key on a keyboard. The Beatles used it for “Strawberry Fields,” it is the “flute” on “Stairway to Heaven” and was used throughout the seventies by bands like Zeppelin, Yes, and others.

After a week of posting stuff about King Crimson and other music out on the fringes, I decided it was either something classic like Led Zeppelin or hardcore disco. I went for Zeppelin.

I don’t know if people appreciate the depth that Led Zeppelin had as a band. Aside from the classic rockers and blues jams (like this version of “Since I’ve Been Loving You”), Zeppelin did experimental acoustic music, were innovative geniuses in the studio, and played around with odd time signatures, harmonies, technology and ethnic sounds. A testament to their brilliance is the stark difference between the mastery they demonstrated in the studio and how loose and improvisatory they were live.