How is this relevant, you say? Check the corner, bitches! See that little yellow text that actually says "Dancing Day" because either this photo is clipped or the single was fucked? Still. relevant. (And. I'm running out of photos... Also, why didn't use this for "Over the Hills and Far Away" is beyond me, but what a great single!)
"Dancing Days", Houses of the Holy
I was so certain I had done this track already for this particular project, but it appears I was wrong? Anyhow, "Dancing Days". A perfect number. Mmm, so good -- spreads a smile effortlessly across my face! Its just such a remarkable track. So giddy, I am! One of my favorites, though that is a broad statement, it is one of the utter standout tracks on the already mesmerizing Houses of the Holy. Houses of the Holy is truly phase two for Led Zeppelin and I, with "Dancing Days" truly at the helm, along with "The Rain Song" and "The Ocean". Now, its well documented that in addition to being my favorite Led Zeppelin album, Physical Graffiti was the first album I discovered. Houses of the Holy came next. When Physical Graffiti proceeded to dazzle me and sweep me in the world of Led Zeppelin, I suppose I was still slightly in awe. It was all so new to me, this incredible force of music that rattled me completely. I couldn't fully make something of it, and I don't think I tried to at that time. It was very fresh, and overwhelming in that way. I can distinctly recall that moment of discovery, and the way I perceived the album -- it was a massive, lush blur. An elusive vortex to get utterly lost in. And I did, it swallowed me up completely. I happily and blindly obliged. And look where it has taken me... Even though I know that album inside and out, every note, every anecdote, every memory I now hold, its magnificently feasible for me to grasp its then obscure, still bewitching quality. It was mysterious, yet welcoming. Alarming, yet familiar. When my musical education cascaded towards Houses of the Holy, I was a bit more conscious and knowing. While the entire album still bowled me over, took me over, and released me, I was a bit more in tune with such happenings. I was prepared and expecting. So that's what "Dancing Days" truly represents to me. Not simply being blindsided by the larger than life presence, but fully embracing it and being apart of it. I was no longer a stranger in a strange land, I was operating within it. And its a rather enchanting place to wander into...
Its kind of awesome how little this SEEMS to do with "Dancing Days", but it truly sums up my entire three minute and forty-three second listening experience. And it totally exceeds an ordinary little paragraph!
