FUCK, I thought I hadn't done "The Crunge" but apparently I have. Yes, that playlist is definitely necessary.
"D'yer Mak'er", Houses of the Holy
First of all, let's say: I'm very much American. And it took a long for me to get the "D'yer Mak'er" = "Jamaica" memo. Thankfully, I had a premonition I was wrong, so I simply didn't say the title aloud. But uh, there it is. With that aside, onto the tune itself! "The Crunge" and "D'yer Mak'er" were intended as jokes, and for being that, they come off very well. They aren't meant to be taken seriously, and their lighthearted feel is absolutely appealing. "D'yer Mak'er" is probably one of the first songs off of Houses of the Holy that I got into, and I used to quiz people. What's the most said word in the whole song? Its "I", not "oh", as you may expect. I love the smooth dub feel, with the chunky reggae guitar, and the doo-wop beat. Its breezy. Its fun, airy, and maybe a little dainty. An effective summer jam, I'm sure. It does just fine on Houses of the Holy, not bringing down, but keeping it casual and ethereal.
"Houses of the Holy", Physical Graffiti
This song is really fun. I always find this one on random jukeboxes, and so it epitomizes sauntering around, mingling and the like. The funky, distinctive, chunky riff. I love it. A riff group, simple and thriving. Yet, intricately dynamic... It doesn't happen too often. I love when his guitar goes off on those little tangents. There's mini solos and surprises throughout the whole song. The whole thing is just rollicking and enticing. Uncomplicated, but easily drawing you. "Are you dizzy when you're stoned? Let the music be your master." Its all very comfortably brilliant. It doesn't inspire reckless prose, fire and passion. No. But its just bouncy and energetic. Those synonymous ooh's. The guitar solo that indeed sounds more 1972 than 1975. All good. Comfortably brilliant, it fits.
The wizard behind the curtain.
"Stairway to Heaven", Led Zeppelin IV
The time is now! Hilarious. Let's just do it... I really can't do this without laughing. But I feel I owe it to make something great. It makes me laugh, because "Stairway" in itself, is a monument. Its snowballed into an anthem, a song that everyone knows. When you think of it, "Stairway" isn't immensely accessible. Folk guitars, recorders, endless solos. Yet, somehow, it has the ability to reach everyone. It makes me laugh, because it is so massive. Its the quintessence, a stroke of brilliance. My squeamishness simply reaffirms that. Its incredibly long, it experiences erratic fits -- and yet, it stands up. Still, and eternally. Jimmy Page has stated that it sums up the band, showcases their every whim... And as much as I want to say it isn't so, it is. Within a single number, they showcase their lilting and delicate side, they cross over to rambunctious and... fuck, I'll say it, HEAVY. Each member is delightfully exhibited. It isn't at all self indulgent in doing so either. Its masterfully thought out, with very particular arrangements. It sweeps and it soars. It roars and hums. And just builds and builds, to momentous heights. From a tiny grain of sand, to the tallest mountain. It manifests into an opus, and the band works in intense unison. Driving and abundant. Rich and exuberant. Everything to the extreme! Go go go! It hits unfathomable peaks, with the guitar just sounding so delicious. The tone, the movement. Its all there. For a brief instant, everything is superlatively immaculate. Sublime and utopian. Without a single flaw, untainted and UNRIVALED.
