Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Black Mountain Side" + "Good Times Bad Times"

So it finally happened, I missed a day! With good reason. Two days ago, my beloved kitty started acting strangely sluggish. A lazy cat, he is, but his movement was peculiar. Soon, he began bleeding from his penis! The next day I had lunch with friends, when I got the call that it looked my darling kitten may pass before I could even get home. I broke into tears in the middle of a fifties-themed diner. Chuck Berry played and I wept into my milkshake. He's the sweetest, I spend every moment at home with him. He's always snuggled under my blanket, we're inseparable! I watched him come into this world! When I did finally get home, he left his catatonic state. I spent the whole evening with him, as he limped closer to me, and bled all over my bed. I didn't care a bit. After a teary-eyed night, complete with frequent wake-ups, he appeared more lively in the morning. Things weren't as hopeful during the day, so after a day of matted eyelashes, we fled to the vet. Only twenty minutes later, we left the animal hospital -- my kitty in a medicated haze, as I smiled gratefully. What a day! He's now dazed at the foot of my bed, after being spoiled with a full can of tuna. Love. (And yes, kitty cats are fully capable of provoking tears from me!) But here's your double dose of Zep, to make up for my hectic day:

I hate when Blogger decides to stretch photos in odd ways.

"Black Mountain Side", Led Zeppelin
From the get-go, Jimmy Page made no secret of Led Zeppelin's endless grab bag of delicious influences. The sly fade from "Your Time is Gonna Come" beautifully melts into what sounds like a sitar, but isn't -- just a cleverly tuned guitar, though that is indeed a tabla. Live, "Black Mountain Side" was notoriously mashed with "White Summer", which was JP's staple show-off moment in early Led Zeppelin shows. (Everyone got a show-off moment!) I like "Black Mountain Side". Its to the point, of good length, and musically sophisticated. This is simply album one, and already they've begun their musical venturing, bringing relatively unknown sounds to the forefront. And who better to do it?

"Good Times Bad Times", Led Zeppelin
My iPod is very much into their debut today, apparently. "Good Times Bad Times"! A sweet little pop tune. Its another song which I don't usually seek out nowadays, but when I first discovered it, I'm sure it enjoyed quite a heavy rotation. Opening number... The first sounds anyone heard from Led Zeppelin, on record. And aaaahhh, how is possible that they had it together so early? This does NOT sound like a new band. It all just sounds so good and right. Timeless is the word. JP provides churning guitars and a reckless solo. John Paul Jones penned the damn riff! So, ta-da, I'm honoring rock and roll's very best rhythm section. Because half of it contributed the magnificently busy riff, and the other half dominates with a SINGLE kick drum.