Here are a few images that I selected and modified to illustrate the incredible atmosphere of this song (Led Zeppelin).
I planned to put the video on youtube, but there is a copyright issue with the music.
Anyway, I found it thrilling to work on expressing music with images, I hope that you will feel a bit of the song through the images, or a bit of the images through the song…
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
A great band that mixed soul and funk in a creative whirlwind. You cannot miss the specific colour of their sound. Dance to the Music, I get High on you, If you want me to stay, The Underdog, Family Affair… All these famous hits have inspired the new generation (the Red Hot, Jamiroquai, George Clinton…).
Live performances were amazing; people danced on the stage, the band improvised a lot and Sly was just amazing. His voice seemed to be made to bounce on Larry Graham’s (the guy who invented slap) groovy bass line.
Another point that explains the whole magic of Sly and the Family Stone is their fight against racism. At a time were black music was highly feared and criticised by the WASP they managed to write engaged song (such as the beautiful: don’t call me nigger whitey). Moreover, their band mixed black and white players. The result was certainly the best example that such a union could be most fruitful. Then came the usual troubles: drugs, big ego and divides… And the story ended.
Anyway, the groove remains the same. If DJs were playing more funk like Sly’s in the clubs, I am sure that there would not be so many guys drinking at the bar. Any time you need to cheer up, just listen to Sly. Your mouth will start smiling and your feet will start taping. Watch out, some say that after a few minutes the devil could go inside your head and make you dance like a demon…
Led Zeppelin was my revolution. I discovered this band when I was 14 and I did not know anything about rock, blues, funk and all these things encompassed by the word music. Then came this scream over the deep gloomy bass line: “Been dazed and confused, soooooo long it’s not true”. Definitely amazing! But after the intro, it became something very very strange…
This is Led Zeppelin’s lure. These four guys were such great musicians that they could utterly let their creativity flow away. They had this ability to create something entirely different and weird while maintaining their credibility through thundering blues or groovy hard rock. Therefore one could go beyond the basic feeling of liking and not liking. Robert Plant’s voice is definitely not of the kind that you love at first hearing (especially after long years of pop music…). Yet, little by little I got addicted to it and I found the daily “radio singers” disappointing. Every listening brought new details and new experiences (and it still does!). I discovered another way of listening to music and it opened loads of new doors.
Today I have the feeling that we cannot judge music (and any other kind of art) with tangible facts. We cannot assess art, what only seems to matter is sensitivity. I do not know if it is right or wrong, but it is surely annoying. The “good taste” has been erased, thus there is no more trustful value. A simple “I do not like it” beats all your arguments. However, when I listen to L.Z. -do not worry, sometimes I also listen to other bands :)- I like to feel that this is genuinely good, though one can hate the sound; I like to think that he can understand why I love it. As music is globally becoming more commercial and basic, I think that bands that help you to listen differently are paramount. Though you cannot assert the goodness of your taste, I think that walking new paths and striving to remain open is the best way to develop the most accurate opinion.
No more serious talking! Enjoy:
