I haven’t listened to Led Zep I from front to back since the late 80’s! I forgot what was on it. “Babe
I’m Gonna Leave You” is going into heavy rotation on my MP3 player straightaway!
By the time I got to “Communication Breakdown,” I re-realized what an embarrassment
of riches this fucking record is and then my all time favorite Zeppelin track “How
Many More Times” closed it down!
My excitement for something so simple is kind of a funny
thing. Fuck me for not listening to an album so good for so long, but on the
flip side, the time away really made this record special again.
As I listened
to “You’re Time Is Gonna Come,” I was reminded of all those hacky Classic Rock
radio stations that got the Led out every night. By putting Led Zep on such a
pedestal and trying to create something special, they sucked the life from it.
THEY KILLED IT. But, let him who is without sin among us be
the first to throw a stone… I used to host Mandatory Metallica every night at ten o’clock on the radio. I played three songs from a library of twenty songs. After the first month, I hated Metallica.
But enough about me.
There isn’t a room on the planet that doesn’t get like a
million times cooler by throwing on The Clash’s self-titled debut album. Put
this on in the background of your Nana’s kitchen next time that you’re there
and test my theory.
It was a calculated juxtaposition to listen to The Clash’s working class angst
right after Robert Plant and the boys hit me with a symphony of blues, rock and
cheatin’ whores!
“White Riot” and “Career Opportunities” were great to hear
in the context of their album mates. “Remote Control,” “London’s Burning,” “Police
& Thieves” and “Garageland” are all going to be given extra attention from
now on. Man, did Weezer rip off the
shit outta “Garageland” by the way. “Cheat” gave me my favorite Joe Strummer “fuck
‘em” moment when he sings “If you wanna survive… you better learn how to lie.”
I love the fact that The Beastie Boys’ Licensed Ill starts off with a track that contains samples from Led
Zeppelin and The Clash. All I will say about this album is this… I can sing the
whole thing. Every fucking word! AND it sounds as fresh today as it did
in 1986! Did you know they wanted to call it, Don't Be A Faggot? Columbia Records said "NO!"
I did notice something that I predict will become a theme by
listening to classic albums all year. The radio hit. When “Fight For Your Right”
came up on Ill, I wanted to just skip it. I don't hate the song, but I've heard it too much and to enjoy I gotta be in the right mood. Most of the time I just tune it completely out. It’s a great irony, without “Fight
For Your Right,” Licensed To Ill doesn’t sell 9 million copies and maybe I
wouldn’t love it as much, but in the context of the whole album… it sticks out
like your mother’s dick.
See you tomorrow. I dunno, maybe.
“I got the trees on my
mirror, so my car won’t smell.”
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