In the late eighties, Jimmy Page, the legendary guitarist of Led Zeppelin, released his only solo album to date "Outrider." It didn't get great reviews. It didn't sell very well. I don't know anyone who liked it... except me. This is a recurring trend in my life. The things that no one enjoys, I really enjoy. I love Ernest Hemingway but whereas I'm not a big fan of For Whom the Bell Tolls, I thoroughly loved Islands in the Stream, a book near the bottom in terms of his critical acclaim. I think Pink Floyd's The Final Cut is fantastic. I've never met anyone else who thinks so. And when it seemed the general population was united in their dislike of Stanley Kubrick's last film "Eyes Wide Shut," I went to the theatre alone (who else would go with me?) and loved it.
What do you do after Led Zeppelin? I remember when one of Robert Plant's solo albums came out a friend of mine said, "It's ok... it's just not Led Zeppelin."
"No shit, you idiot," I said. "One of them is dead and the others didn't play on this. How could it possibly sound like Led Zeppelin?"
I'll never understand why some people can't get past thoughts like that. Can't a person have a variety of interests and influences? Robert Plant just scored some MAJOR success last year when he put out an album of country-esque duets with Allison Krauss. I'm sure there were tons of Zeppelin fans vomitting all over themselves at even the thought of him doing such music, but I thought it was great. Sure, it wasn't "A Whole Lotta Love," but Sgt Pepper's isn't Stairway to Heaven either and I still think it's pretty damned good. A good song is a good song, regardless of who's playing on it and what you expect from them.
"Blues Anthem" is just a pretty little song that closes the album. Chris Farlowe sings with his big soulful voice about how if he can't be with his lover, he's "gonna sing the blues." There are nice lines about "Every time I'm feeling low and far away, all the time I think of you... every second of the day." I'm a sucker for love songs and unabashed sentiment. Sure, there are some cheesy 80's-ish sythnesized-strings on the song, but you also get a great Jimmy Page solo. I like it, even if no one else does.
"Blues Anthem" is from the album "Outrider." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
What do you do after Led Zeppelin? I remember when one of Robert Plant's solo albums came out a friend of mine said, "It's ok... it's just not Led Zeppelin."
"No shit, you idiot," I said. "One of them is dead and the others didn't play on this. How could it possibly sound like Led Zeppelin?"
I'll never understand why some people can't get past thoughts like that. Can't a person have a variety of interests and influences? Robert Plant just scored some MAJOR success last year when he put out an album of country-esque duets with Allison Krauss. I'm sure there were tons of Zeppelin fans vomitting all over themselves at even the thought of him doing such music, but I thought it was great. Sure, it wasn't "A Whole Lotta Love," but Sgt Pepper's isn't Stairway to Heaven either and I still think it's pretty damned good. A good song is a good song, regardless of who's playing on it and what you expect from them.
"Blues Anthem" is just a pretty little song that closes the album. Chris Farlowe sings with his big soulful voice about how if he can't be with his lover, he's "gonna sing the blues." There are nice lines about "Every time I'm feeling low and far away, all the time I think of you... every second of the day." I'm a sucker for love songs and unabashed sentiment. Sure, there are some cheesy 80's-ish sythnesized-strings on the song, but you also get a great Jimmy Page solo. I like it, even if no one else does.
"Blues Anthem" is from the album "Outrider." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
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