Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Tea for One"

Oh! I've missed a few days. I've been incredibly busy, and usually I would catch up supremely, but I have a confession... I don't want this project to end! And its almost over! I'm having a difficult time juggling a social life, school work, writing, and SLEEP. So sometimes this sort of thing takes a backseat, and I'm letting it, if only to go on longer. A California heatwave has come on, and I'd wish school would coincide with Mother Nature and let up, but I'm juggling greatness and having a lot of fun. After all, you've got to work hard to get what you want, so here I go, relentlessly doing it all.

To make up for the dark boredom of this post, here's Jimmy Page and his dad. Albeit, in a low-quality photo.

"Tea for One", Presence
I have another confession. I've come to conclusion maybe Led Zeppelin wouldn't have gone on to be continuously brilliant. When looking for some sort of "truth", its best to look at what life has shown you. Case in point, following Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin mostly declined. Things were not looking up. I mean, sure, Jimmy Page and John Bonham wanted a straight-forward rock and roll record following In Through the Out Door, but both were still heavily involved with their substances of choice. Realistically, this project could very well have been a disaster. Led Zeppelin and the eighties? It just sounds awful. So love and admire Zeppelin as I do, I've realized even Presence may slightly resemble a band on its death bed. Don't get me wrong, I love and admire Presence as well, but the spiral has begun. Occasionally magical, you have a few gems. But then you have a few half-assed numbers that don't really stand up. Maybe they would for a mediocre band, but Presence followed a great deal of momentous brilliance from this lot. But then again, I feel Presence is a kind of "for Led Zep fans only" album. I think the bravado of "Achilles Last Stand" will impress any rock fan, but will a random Joe fully comprehend the broody, funk bliss of "For Your Life"? An outside listener may be more apt to fall for "Royal Orleans", if only for that shuffling rhythm and encompassing riff. Coming around to today's subject, "Tea for One", I'd say it doesn't hold as a stand-out. The band would beg to differ, as its been personally acclaimed as one of the album's savior. They aimed for "laid-back blues" and they got it. Its dynamic and melancholy, yes. The crescendos and layers are mystical, sure. But it lacks the heart-wrenching emotion of its very close sibling "Since I've Been Loving You", and I'm simply using that as an easy example! It nearly crystallizes murky depression, but it isn't strong. It isn't a sterling display of forlorn emotions, its a lacklustre show of a band going down. And again, Page hits some desirable notes, but it lacks that punch. Its watered down. I can't see "Tea for One" being any different, but all I can say is, it is no favorite of mine. Not bad even, just not that wonderful, power, eloquently articulated emotion I know and love of Led Zeppelin. My heart isn't to my ankles, that's all.