Ramble on!

If you had read my ealier posts, it'd be clear to you that I'm a Led Zeppelin fan. One of my favorite songs is undoubtably "Ramble on".

One of the best parts of this song is the soft percussion by Bonham. Its as if he was just tapping his sticks upon a softer cover. But I know it isn't. The way the Jones bass and Bonham's drums play with each other as if dancing in a feud is impeccable.

And the lyrics! Oh gosh, its probably one of their best ever written. Page and Plant did a great job on it. The most interesting part is how it has references to the poem written by Tolkien in his "Lord of the rings". I, being a fan of the Lord of the rings, enjoy these glimpses into Tolkien's poem.

Mine is a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear
How years ago in years of old, when magic filled the air
T'was in the darkest depths of mordor, I met a girl so fair
But gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her

The comparison of the woman to the ring and the two guys fighting over her to gollum and sauron is so playful, yet brilliant!

The opening lines of the song reminds me of middle earth. Ah, middle earth!

This song was one of the first few songs I ever heard of Led Zeppelin and has remained one of my favourite rock songs of all time. The variations in the vocals was carried out by Plant in a perfect manner! Can't think of anyone who could've done a better job.

Page's brilliant riffs and Plant's vocals which intertwine each other like creeper and enveloped by the warm sunlight provided by the the bass and drums play off make this song complete and pretty much flawless!

The song is literally about a man trying to find the perfect woman. But the woman is just a metaphor for our desires. The idea of just wandering off in to the world in search for what our hearts truly desires is a thought that would have occurred to all of us. To get away from everything and go backpacking, would be great. But right now, I wanna complete my studies, get a job, build my life. I do have quite a lot on my plate right now...

But I know I've got one thing I got to do, Ramble on!

Don't fear the reaper!

Today evening, I was stuck in a bit of a dark place. I mean literally. At around 1900 IST my residential area lost power. Usually in such cases the UPS always kicked in. But that didn't happen this time. Once the power returned, all the phases of our house were working except for the lighting phase because of a blown fuse. The problem could be resolved only after my father arrived from work. As a result I had to spend two hours of quality time with my dear friend Darkness (Guess my mum is a bit jealous of darkness now).

The Reaper - Namita Anil Kumar

Darkness! Well it wasn't entirely dark. A few candles spread their halo in certain corners of the house. The fact that we had candles in my house was slightly surprising considering the fact that it is the 21st century. The darkness didn't seem to bother my dog. So, she spent time in her favorite spot, that is, next to a window on the top of a staircase, which overlooked the plot of land behind my house. Having absolutely nothing great to do, I spent an hour with beside her, just stroking her fur. As I sat there caressing her, I hummed a song. The song I was humming was "Don't fear the reaper" be Blue oyster cult.

Till this date, whenever I told someone that I liked Blue oyster cult, I received either one of these reactions: "Blue oyster who???" or "Weirdo!" Both of the reactions end up with the same result that is my frustration. I find it unbelievable that certain people haven't heard of them and that certain others find their music to be queer. They are my favorite American psychedelic rock band. Their songs like "Burnin' for you", "Astronomy", "Black blade" are some of their best! But, while talking about their best "The reaper" undeniably tops the list.

"The reaper" was a part of their album "Agents of fortune". It was written by their lead guitarist Buck Dharma. Well, if you have heard the song then it'll be pretty obvious as to why I was humming that song. For those who haven't heard it, its the opening riff. Its a very clean sound. The entire song is centered around that riff.

The lyrics of the song are fairly simple, but they convey a lot. It talks about the inevitability of death and how its stupid to fear it. Dharma wrote about how elements of nature keep changing without fear and how its necessary to learn from such free spirits. We will all die someday. But, we shouldn't live in the fear of that day.

The song tells us about how certain things are eternal, particularly love. Dharma made a reference to the love shared by Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately that verse led to many misunderstanding the song to be about suicidal pacts. But that is false. Dharma was talking about undying love that is shared by two people. I do not share the exact idea. But I do believe certain things are eternal. To be able to leave behind a legacy is equivalent to a life beyond death.

The brilliant opening riff and the lyrics did make this song great. But there was another small detail which just elevated the song. It was the addition of a cowbell! I know it sounds crazy. But the sound of the cowbell just completed the song.

That accounts for an hour of the "Dark times". And I spent the second hour writing this post. As I sat there in the glow of my laptop screen, trying to slow my mind and collect my thoughts, I kept thinking of what an exquisite song the "The reaper" is. The reason why I consider this song to be one of the greatest rock songs ever sung, is because of its simplicity. It is comprised of easy and straightforward elements. That is true rock music!

Rock n roll ain't noise pollution!

By wonkerhttp://flic.kr/p/6fgxUC

The success of one the greatest rock bands of all time AC/DC began with the singer Bon SCott. But due to Bon Scott's unfortunate death the band thought of disbanding. But on insistence of Scott's parents they continued to make music. The new lead singer for the band was Brian Johnson.

They set to work on their album "Back in Black" which they had starting composing with Scott. After its release "Back in Black" went out to become AC/DC's best selling album. And why wouldn't it? It exquisite songs like "You shook me all night long" where Johnson's singing capability was evident; "Hell's Bell" which conveys a dark and interesting story"; "Rock n roll ain't noise pollution" which is my favorite track; and how can you forget the title track which opens with a thrilling riff. But their success didn't stop there.

Their next album "For those about to, rock we salute you". An interesting fact about this album was that it was inspired by a book written by Angus Young, "For those about to die". The best song in this album was undoubtably the title track which glorifies rock! And the addition of cannons just adds to the greatness of the song. Apart from that, I do like "Let's get it up" mainly because Angus Young's ingenious solo!

The success unfortunately hit a ridge when they had let go of Phil Rudd, their drummer. He was replaced by Simon Wright. Their next album "Flick of the switch", in which Rudd had participated, did not meet expectations. The same went for the album that followed, "Fly on the wall". The two albums according to the Young brothers, were an attempt to return to their roots. They might not made it to the top of the charts; but I still enjoy listening to "Nervous shakedown" and the title track from "Flick of the switch" and "Shake your foundations" from "Fly on the wall".

AC/DC came back with the album "Blow up your video". This had wicked songs like "Heatseeker" and "That's the way I wanna rock n roll". It had some other pretty good tracks like "Dynamite", "This means war", "Kissing". But apart from the above mentioned songs, the other tracks led to the album lacking clarity.

After "Blow up your video", Wright left the band and was replaced Chris Slade. Then they released "Razor's edge" which put them back onto the charts with "Fire your guns", "Money talks" and "Thunderstruck". Thunderstruck is one of my favorites with the inventive opening riff. The rest of the tracks weren't great. Still AC/DC were back!

AC/DC was still missing something. But that came back when they rehired Phil Rudd! They popped out "Ballbreaker" which had some really rocker songs like "Hail Caesar", "Hard as a rock" and "Cover you in oil". Apart from the three tracks mentioned "Ballbreaker" was a bit of a let down.

Everything changed for the good when they came out with "Stiff upper lip". The title track which packed with power was the best! There were other good songs like "Satellite blues" and "Safe in new york city". This album managed to bring back some of the spark they had in "Back in Black".

Things just peaked for AC/DC when they released "Black ice". This album was everything that AC/DC stood for...hardcore rock n roll! Almost all the tracks were rapturing! It had "Rock n roll train" where the Young brothers did their thing! Then there was "Spoilin' for a fight" which fist clenching wicked. This album was raw and undisputedly one of AC/DC's best.

Well that covers up all the albums. AC/DC experienced a lot of ups and downs. But the music never stopped. Even after so many years they still knew how to rock n roll.  I guess its true "It ain't over till the fat lady sings". Wel, that is AC/DC. A band that makes rough, enticing, hard core rock music which makes them one of the most influential rock n roll bands of all time. If you are an AC/DC fan, well I hope you are looking forward to their new album which will hopefully be released in 2013(which will also mark their 40th anniversary). I know I am waiting very eagerly...

For those about to rock, we salute you!
Ain't gonna get tired, won't take a break, we salute you!
We salute you!
Fire!

Let there be rock!

http://flic.kr/p/63Y14q
By Yannick Croissant

I don't listen much to Australian rock bands. I don't know the reason why. I guess I never gave it a try. But no matter how ignorant one is in the subject of Australian rock bands, they will undoubtably know about AC/DC. Its impossible not to have at least heard the name. I mean, they are only one of the greatest rock bands in history. Yes, of course Led Zeppelin is top of my list. None the less AC/DC isn't that far off.

AC/DC was founded by two brothers - Angus Young(Lead guitar) and Malcolm Young(Rhythms) in the year 1973. Their initial lead singer Dave Evens left in the early stages. The band line up underwent a lot of changes. But mainly it included the Young brothers and Bon Scott as the new lead singer. But soon they had they're first album out, "High voltage". Not many are familiar with all the songs of this album. Many, includes even me. That is probably because AC/DC were still in the making. Also, most of the songs stayed with Australia. But on the other hand, they released a single High voltage which was later the first song that was recorded for the album "T.N.T". I absolutely love that song. You can just imagine the crowd singing along when Bon Scott sang "High, I said high, High voltage, Rock and Roll".

After the release of their first album, the band included the Young brothers, Bon Scott, Mark Evans(Bassist) and Phil Rudd(Drummer). This followed by the release of a single "Its a long way to the top" which was considered as their anthem. And who wouldn't consider it a ecstatic song. It even included Bag pipes! The song was about how hard it is to survive in the world of rock n roll. They included this song in their second album "T.N.T". T.N.T like High voltage before was limited to Australia.

After gaining some international success after releasing some of their tracks from the first 2 albums, they released their next album "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap". This album had two versions, Australian and International. The two versions varied in terms of track listings. I am not a huge fan of this album. I always felt it lacked something. But I still enjoy singing along to "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap".

Let there be sound, and there was sound
Let there be light, and there was light
Let there be drums, and there was drums
Let there be guitar, there was guitar
Let there be rock!
A brilliant song. It plays off the bible i.e. "Let there be light". Especially the the final verses which is followed by the guitar solo by young is truly exhilarating. The album "Let there be rock" also had memorable songs like "Whole lotta rosie" and "Dog eat Dog".

After the release of "Let there be rock", Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams. He debuted with he release of "Powerage" which had a great song "Rock and roll damnation". AC/DC shot to fame with their next album - "Highway to hell". An album filled with unforgettable songs like "Shot down in flames",  "Touch too much", "If you want blood", "Night prowler" and not to forget "Highway to hell". This was the last album recorded with Bon Scott who passed away. The band had plans of disbanding after Scott's, but decided otherwise when Scott's parents urged them to continue. The replacement was Brian Johnson. Scott's death did mark the end of an era. But the songs he wrote will live on. AC/DC didn't stop there. They went to create ingenious music with Johnson as lead. But that is for another time. Till then:

I tell you folks
Its harder than it looks
Its a long way to the top
If you wanna rock n roll!

Rock 'n' Roll!

I am a fan of rock and roll or to say it in the words of my friends, I am a "rock chick". I enjoy Hard rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock. The sixties-seventies was the era of rock and roll. The 60s saw the the rise of spectacular english rock bands.

The band that tops my list is Led Zeppelin. A combination of one of the greatest guitarists Jimmy Page and the best drummer of all time John Bonham! Songs like 'Achilles last stand', 'dazed and confused', 'Immigrant song' and 'When the levee breaks' are what rock is all about. I even enjoy listening to 'Moby Dick' where we can see Bonham for the genius he was. Not a day goes by with me not wishing that Bonham lived on. The entire face of music would have been different all because of the brilliance of Page and Bonham. Long live the memory of Bonham, the greatest drummer who ever lived! I know I've got one thing to do... "Ramble on!"

Rock and Roll is nothing without The Beatles! They defined what Rock and Roll is! I especially love the songs written by McCartney like 'Yesterday', 'Hey Jude', 'Blackbird', 'Here there everywhere'. Again, The Beatles was another band that had to break up after such a short music career. And the scene got even more gloom after Lennon's death. Even though the band had troubles, like the bitterness between McCartney and Lennon, they managed to produce some of the most memorable songs of all time. 

Wicked Crazy!...that is only thing that I can think of to describe Black Sabbath's music. 'Paranoid', 'War pigs', 'electric funeral' and not to forget 'Iron man' are truly sensational songs. It was the Tony Iommi's brilliance with the guitar that led the band to glory! Their dark lyrics and radical compositions was one of the things that led to the birth of heavy metal.

A band that made a huge contribution to rock and roll was The Rolling Stones; A band that had one of the best performer of all time Mick Jagger and a great guitarist, Keith Richards. 'Sympathy for the devil', 'No Satisfaction', 'Paint it black' and 'Wild Horses' are my favorites. The Rolling Stones left an ever-lasting image of Richards rocking his guitar and Jagger...basically just rocking it, especially with his crazy attires!

If you compare music to science, then Pink Floyd can be considered as a group of rocket scientists! They actually played around with music and some how what they did was exquisite! Songs like 'Brain damage', 'Welcome to the machine' are just astonishing! Songs like 'Echoes' just get you into the zone! I especially love the tributes made to Syd Barrett that is, 'Wish you were here' and 'Shine on you crazy diamond'. 'Shine on you crazy diamond' which has a whopping 9 parts, just shows how much of thought they put in to their songs!

Cream! A band that had members who were already superstars! A brilliant composer and singer, Jack Bruce! An ingenius guitarist and probably best, Eric Clapton! And, an iconic drummer, Ginger Baker! They are known for psychedelic songs like 'Strange brew' and lets not forget 'Toad' that has a magnificent drum solo by Baker.

When it comes to psychedelic rock, one has to mention The Who! Two of their most most popular songs were 'We won't get fooled again' and 'Baba O'Riley". That's pretty obvious since the two were used as themes songs for CSI Miami and CSI NY series. I would do anything to go back in time and attend a Who concert. They gave the most energy packed performances especially with the guitar smashing in the end(which I never really understood, but boy! its exhilarating!).

Eccentric, Hard core, Loud...words aren't enough to describe Deep Purple's music. I don't think there is any rock fan out there who hasn't played his/her air guitar along with 'Smoke on the water'. They might not be among the greatest rock bands of all time, but there is something about their songs like 'Child in time' and 'Soldier of fortune' that is truly mesmerizing.

Rock music is nothing without the glorious guitar. And, no band celebrates the guitar as much as Yardbirds! A band that had three of the most greatest guitarists ever known...Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck!!! Their songs; 'For your love', 'Shape of things', 'Over under sideways down' are truly amazing and are songs to be forever remembered!

Hysteria! No one can forget that album when it comes to rock music! Def Leppard were truly rocking it. Great songs like "Pour some suger on me", "Armageddon it" were out of this world! The most amazing part of Hysteria album is the fact Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen performed with only one hand! He made up for his lost hand with his footwork! But for me, my favorite song will always be "Rock of ages".

The next band is going be my last because, honestly, I have ran out of adjectives to describe these amazing bands!

When speaking of performances, I can't leave out Freddie Mercury and Queen! Frankly speaking its impossible not to get a crowd riled up with songs like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We are champions' and 'We will rock'. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is by far the one of the most amusing and probably my favorite of all rock songs. The song just energizes you once the Brian May's guitar solo starts!
Every single time I listen to that song, I forget about everything around me as if "Nothing really matters to me"(No one could have sung it better than Freddie Mercury).