Power!Power!Power!

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MUSIC
Classic Album
Sundays
By Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy
Publisher’s Note:
For those not familiar with Colleen
Murphy, she’s been producing an event
over in the UK called “Classic Album
Sundays,” where she finds a great space,
takes the time to set up a proper highend
system, and after some drinks,
snacks and a discussion of the music
influencing the afternoon’s chosen
record, plays it, on vinyl, start to finish.
The lights are dimmed, cell phones are
turned off, and your full attention
is required.
Needless to say it’s a massive hit
worldwide, and is about to take hold
here in the States. Colleen will be doing
a session at the New York Audio Show
this April, and TONEAudio will be hosting
some CAS sessions with Murphy’s
blessing here in Portland, Oregon this
year. We will also be hearing from Colleen
every issue, with the latest album on
her roster.
Here, she makes her case for
Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy …
TONE AUDIO NO.53
Classic Album Sundays’ Album of the Month:
Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy
H ouses of the Holy does not “The
rank as most Led Zeppelin
fans’ favorite album. That
accolade is usually reserved for the
heavy-duty Led Zeppelin II or the behemoth
Led Zeppelin IV. However, Classic
Album Sundays is featuring Houses
of the Holy as our March Album of the
Month firstly because it will be 40 years
old on the 28th and, secondly, because it
showed the band at the height of its powers
and doing as it bloody well pleased,
thank you very much. It still sounds great
today, too.
While touring throughout 1972,
Zeppelin was being maneuvred into
position as “The Biggest Band in the
World” by manager Peter Grant, whose
business acumen started to shine
when he came up with the nifty idea of
taking 90% of gate revenues, unheard
of at the time. In between tour legs, the
band recorded its fifth album and, full of
the confidence of kings, not only gave
it a proper name, but had a bit of fun
experimenting.
Houses of the Holy finds the band
using more synthesizers and guitar
overdubs and trying its hand at different
musical styles. “D’yer Maker” gives a nod
not only to the emerging reggae sounds
grabbing hold of Britain, but also to 50s
rock n’ roll heartthrob Ricky Nelson.
Crunge” pays tribute to James
Brown and features drummer John
Bonham having a laugh playing with
different time signatures. “The Rain
Song” is inspired by George Harrison’s
comment that Zeppelin should record
more ballads, and begins with the
introductory chords of the Harrisonpenned
“Something”.
This cornucopia of musical sounds
should not have come as any surprise.
Before joining the Yardbirds, guitarist
Jimmy Page was already a seasoned
session player and, at one point, was
credited on many of the hits being
played on the radio. His manifold musical
influences prepared him for the role: He
was not only obsessed with the blues,
but with folk, Indian music, rockabilly,
skiffle, and classical guitar. “I saw the
guitar as a multifaceted instrument and
this has stayed with me throughout,” he
told Dave Schulps in Trouser Press. And
even the man with the ferocious white
blues voice, Robert Plant, would soon
lament to NME that he wanted to write
something as superb as Mendelssohn’s
“Fingal’s Cave”.
Many critics—having dug the dirgelike
grooves and all-guns-blazing spirit of
Zeppelin’s first two albums—lambasted
Houses of the Holy as not heavy enough,
man. Some accused the band of going
disco, and Rolling Stone even namecalled
the LP a “limp blimp.” (continued)
March 2013 57