Tag: Robert Plant
Oct182011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment
Road Trip! — Ten Songs Inspired by Real Places
Featured Posts, Listcruft, Music
Many people are inspired by their favorite songs about places to visit the locations that inspired them. But don't bother looking for 22 Acacia Avenue or Xanadu on Google Maps -- they don't exist anywhere but in their songwriters' minds. Elsewhere, however, there are plenty of songs that were inspired by real places. Here are ten of them, should you feel the urge to make a pilgrimage. (You can also check out this list on my Spotify playlist.) #1. "Lakeside Park" -- Rush Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario and spent many youthful summers on the village's most popular beach -- Lakeside Park. Peart paid tribute in an atypically nostalgic song on Rush's third album, 1975's Caress of Steel. Peart later reminisced about his Lakeside Park experience
Sep72011 by Chris Holmes3 Comments
My favorite music: 1983
If there's one thing the internet lacks, it's pointless music lists. So to fill that void, here's a sampling of my favorite albums from some random year. Let's say, 1983. (Spotify users, check out the accompanying playlist and subscribe!) Robert Plant, The Principle of Moments -- While I would in no way claim that Robert Plant's solo output bests Led Zeppelin's music, a lot of times I simply prefer to listen to Plant. In fact I'd say that Plant has enjoyed one of the most artistically rewarding solo careers of any artist who was part of a popular band that I can think of. The Principle of Moments is probably my favorite Plant solo effort (next to Fate of Nations) -- he sounds freed from the constraints of creating larger-than-life rock and the music just crackles with energy. "In the...
May262011 by Chris Holmes4 Comments
So fresh — 10 Led Zeppelin songs that will never get old
If you listen to classic rock radio enough, you'd think that the only songs Led Zeppelin recorded were "The Ocean, "Whole Lotta Love," or "Over the Hills and Far Away." As much as I love those songs, enough already. The good news is that despite a lot of Zep's catalog being way overexposed, plenty of their songs still sound fresh to this day. So here's a list of 10 Led Zeppelin cuts that will never, ever get old. 1 -- "Poor Tom" (from Coda, 1982) It's hard to imagine Led Zeppelin III being any better, but this track (recorded during those sessions) would've done just that. Above all else -- Robert Plant's understated vocals or Jimmy Page's delicate acoustic guitar -- John Bonham's ridiculously bouncy drumming makes this track. 2 -- "Communication Breakdown" (from Led Ze...
Mar172011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Platters that matter: 20 albums that changed my life (#10—#1)
Listcruft, Music
At long last, I present the conclusion of my list of 20 albums that have had the most impact on me and my love of music. For a brief refresher, you can check the back half of the top 20 here. But for your convenience, here's the list: #20 — Queen, The Game #19 — Seals & Crofts, Summer Breeze #18 — Kiss, Creatures of the Night #17 — Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast #16 — Run-D.M.C., Raising Hell #15 — Kiss, Alive! #14 — Rush, A Farewell to Kings #13 — Miles Davis, Kind of Blue #12 — Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pictures at an Exhibition #11 — various artists, Jazz Master Files OK, now that we're all caught up, let's finish this thing already. As a reminder, this is no particular order but I know people love countdowns so there you go. #10 — Genesis, Duke If Rus
Jun182010 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
New release roundup (feat. Midlake, Stone Temple Pilots, and Maya Beiser)
Sigh. Once again there's so much music and so little time. In fact, most of albums on this list can't properly be considered "new" anymore, but that's life. Dave King - Indelicate (Sunnyside Records) King has already established himself as a jazz percussionist par excellence with the Bad Plus and Happy Apple, but here he decides to carry the entire load himself. While I'd love to say that Indelicate is a prime example of a talented artist finally allowed to break free from the shackles of the group format, that isn't really the case here. King's muscular and primal rhythmic approach to the drum kit carries over to the piano but it becomes clear fairly quickly that while King has a number of good ideas (among them the simple but engaging "Homage: Young People" and the bouncy "I
Jul232009 by Chris Holmes2 Comments
Listening Booth – Robert Plant, "Big Log"
Listening Booth, Music
It didn't take Robert Plant long after the breakup of Led Zeppelin to find his musical footing. From his superb 1983 sophomore effort, The Principle of Moments, here's "Big Log". The song reached the Top 20 in both the U.S. and U.K., and the video complements it perfectly. To this day "Big Log" is my favorite Plant track, helped in no small measure by the top-rate guitar playing of Robbie Blunt. Blunt left Plant's band in 1985 and has kept a pretty low profile since, doing occasional session work for various artists.
Oct282008 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Exit Robert Plant, enter…
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding but the current word out of the Led Zeppelin camp is that the group (co-founders Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, as well as new drummer Jason Bonham) don't much feel like waiting around for Robert Plant anymore and will take to the road without him. Jones also stated that this new singer will not simply be a Plant sound-alike, in order to avoid seeming like a tribute band. So the big question is: Who will be the one to step into Plant's skin-tight bell bottoms? While the safe choice would be someone with some strong pipes and a decent hard rock pedigree (but not necessarily a big name), a new contest by the good people at Popdose has given me inspiration to think outside the proverbial box. So indulge me for a moment, while I spitball a few
Jul72008 by Chris Holmes6 Comments
Meme time: Pick an album for every year you've been alive
From Idolator via the AV Club comes a pretty cool music meme - compile a list of your favorite albums, with one for each year you've been alive. Sounds easy enough, but some years are positively stacked with music I love. Forcing me to choose among my musical children is just so...cruel. For me the most bountiful years were 1975-1978, 1980, 1982-1984, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2006, and 2007. 1975 - Kiss, Alive! 1976 - Led Zeppelin, Presence 1977 - Rush, A Farewell to Kings 1978 - Ace Frehley/Kiss, Ace Frehley 1979 - Pink Floyd, The Wall 1980 - Genesis, Duke 1981 - Rush, Moving Pictures 1982 - Rush, Signals 1983 - Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind 1984 - Iron Maiden, Powerslave 1985 - Kiss, Asylum 1986 - Queensrÿche, Rage for Order 1987 - Anthrax, Among the Living 1988 - Queensr
2007 – The Year in Recorded Musical Performances, Pt. 2
OK, so we've reviewed what I believe to be the standout albums from the year that was. The second part of my year-end review reviews some of the best songs of the year. You likely wouldn't have heard any of these songs on radio (at least not terrestrial radio). In fact, I couldn't pick out any of this year's most popular radio songs if my life depended on it. Note - I tried to find official videos for these songs, but in some cases I could only find live versions (some better than others). The Best of the Best (Songs) "Melody Day", Caribou (Andorra) - This track opens the very excellent Andorra like a fresh breeze from the mid-'60s. I would swear this was produced by Phil Spector in his prime, what with its heavy use of reverb, jangly guitars, and a soaring chorus. Sure there's n...