“Bron Yr Aur Stomp”, by Led Zeppelin. Live at Earls Court, 1975.

It’s pronounced “Brawn Er Eyer”. The lyrics concern Robert Plant talking about the joys of taking a walk with his herding dog, named Strider.

Known as the music result of they being together for weeks, alone, in the middle of nowhere, only Strider around.

Well nobody apart from Maureen and Carmen Jane Plant, Charlotte Martin, Sandy MacGreggor, and Clive Coulson. Though they did go off with guitars and sometimes a tape recorder, and Robert had to carry Strider over fences apparently. And then Maureen and Charlotte went away and who knows but them.

However this song isn’t about strider - unless Robert was fucking his dog and understandably didn’t want anyone to ‘find us this way’ - see the original lyrics in LZ by LZ book.

Here’s the lyrics:

“Ah, I caught you smilin' at me, that's the way it should be

Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine

Ah, all the good times we had, I sung love songs so glad

Always smilin', never sad, so fine

As we walk down the country lanes

I'll be singin' a song, you hear me callin' your name

Hear the wind whisper in the trees

Tellin' Mother Nature 'bout you and me

Well, if the sun shines so bright, or our way is dark as night

The road we choose is always right, so fine

Ah, could any love be so strong when so many loves go wrong

Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?

As we walk down the country lanes

I'm singin' a song, hear me callin' your name

Hear the wind whisper in the trees

Tellin' Mother Nature 'bout a-you and me

My, my, law-de-law, come on, now, it ain't too far

Tell your friends all around the world

Ain't no companion like a blue-eyed Merle

Come on, now, well, let me tell ya

What you're missin', messin' around them brick walls

So, of one thing I am sure, it's a friendship so pure

Angels singin' all 'round my door, so fine

Yeah, ain't but one thing to do, spend my natural life with you

You're the finest dog I knew, so fine

When you're old and your eyes are dim

There ain't no 'Old Shep' gonna happen again

We'll still go walkin' down country lanes

I'll sing the same old song, hear me call your name.

Strider!”

When he said “ain’t no companion like a blue eyed Merle”, that’s a sheep dog. He’s talking about walking around the woods and fields with a happy dog. (I have a sheep dog, by the way).

This is my dog, Roux.

His color pattern is called “Red-Tri”

And this my Mom and I with our dogs, Sunni, Billy, and Roux. Sunni is in front.

Her color pattern is called a “Blue Merle”

Billy is a “black-tri”, and Roux is a “Red-Tri”

The key here is that Robert definitely says “Blue Eyed MERLE” not “girl”. Cattle dogs and sheep dogs often have these striking bright blue eyes. The “merle” coloring is when they kind of have splotches of color spots.

just a quick reminder that a black man invented heavy metal

(since it’s the last day of Black History Month and all)

There are those who will tell you that metal was born with Vincebus Eruptum, the 1968 debut album from San Francisco’s Blue Cheer. This is a favorite position of music snobs because the odds that you’ve actually heard Vincebus Eruptum are reasonably low, and thus so is the likelihood that you will challenge them on it.

It’s bullshit. Blue Cheer was nothing more than routine mid/late ‘60’s psychedelic rock, played–badly–at high volume, with as much distortion as was available at the time. One could almost argue that they gave birth to punk rock, if the attitude weren’t completely wrong, but metal, it is not.

Metal was first forged later that year in the form of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by Jimi Hendrix. All the elements are present. Thunderous riffs, screaming solos, vaguely occult subject matter, driven by an unstoppable Juggernaut of a groove. But the primary reason I give this song the nod is the guitar sound. Razor sharp on the high end, heavy enough to crush bone on the low. Hendrix was not the first to use distortion, but before him, it all sounded thin and frayed, like playing through a ragged-out speaker (in fact, slicing up the speaker cone in the amplifier was how distortion was achieved before the proliferation of effects pedals). Hendrix was the first to make it sound solid, and with this song, he gave us the first instance of a true metal guitar tone. Before him, nobody had any idea you could get that kind of noise out of a guitar.

images: Moebius (top) and Bill Sienkiewicz (bottom)

A couple thoughts.

Vincebus Eruptum is the Metal Head equivalent of talking about Anna Karenina with literary fans. It is the kind of album that is cited by people who want to appear smart, and don’t want to have to risk defending their beliefs when faced with opposition. And yeah, nothing special.

As far as Jimi Hendrix goes, his influence is undeniable. But, calling him the progenitor of Heavy Metal is like calling John Buscema the progenitor of Comic Book Art. The argument can be made in both cases. There is plenty of evidence to support the argument. But, I think the truth is that Jimi - like John Buscema - was the product of his time and influences. He was a virtuoso. Heavy Metal came about as a natural progression of Rock ‘n’ Roll music. Jimi experimented with sound and feedback a lot more than his predecessors and even his contemporaries. But, if Jimi were alive I bet he would cite a number of blues musicians that inspired him to create Voodoo Child in the first place.

Heavy Metal grew organically, like all creative things do. And I do not think that one singular person, even Jimi Hendrix has the right to truly take ownership of its creation for themselves. Not taking anything away from Jimi, nor am I trying to detract from the timely message of your post. These are my opinions on the matter you brought forth, and I don’t mean to offend anyone with them.

“Invented” is definitely an oversimplification. Perhaps what I should have said is that he is hands-down the single most important figure in the genre’s development. Without him, it would never have come into existence. He was the first one to make a guitar sound that way, and without that sound, there is no metal. Just try to imagine Black Sabbath without it. It doesn’t work. Jimi’s importance as a technical innovator cannot be overstated.

I agree that Jimi’s influence cannot be overstated. Even more amazing to me is that he was only recording as a professional musician for like, 3 or 4 years. I think about that whenever I hear a Hendrix song. 3-4 years was all it took for Jimi to redefine the boundaries of the electric guitar. That’s the craziest thing about it to me.

Jimi created a distinctive sound, but he was not the only one to hit on those notes. Clapton’s “Sunshine of Your Love” comes to mind (I forget who he was recording with for that one, probably Cream.)

The time period you’re talking about was one of the most important eras in Rock Music, and Jimi was at the forefront of it. But he was not alone.

Buddy Guy. BB King. John Lee Hooker. Chuck Berry. Blues rock is the bedrock of Heavy Metal. It grew out of the desire to push blues rock further.

Led Zeppelin’s first 2 albums were released in 1969. And Led Zeppelin was a supergroup that was formed out of former Yardbirds players and other groups.

Black Sabbath debuted in 1970.

Jimi and Clapton knew each other. They famously played an impromptu jam together at a Cream concert where Jimi showed Eric up, and the fans said that Jimi “killed god”. Jimi initiated that jam not to show off, but because he respected them. These guys knew each other and influenced each other.

Jimi Hendrix is one of a small group of musicians from a pivotal time period that developed the sound that became heavy metal. He was crucially important in its creation. That’s undebatable. But giving him sole credit is a matter of opinion, and I doubt even he would agree.

Jimi once told a talk show host that Billy Gibbons was his idol. Billy Gibbons is the singer/songwriter/guitarist of ZZ Top fame. Jimi’s downfall was a product of his personality, just like his music. He was, by all accounts, a quiet and introverted guy that was destroyed by fame. He was as awestruck by his peers as any of the fans.

Eric Clapton talking about his grief over the loss of his grandfather and his dear friend, Jimi Hendrix. At the peak of his guitar god status, Clapton’s only real confidant was the guy he considered to be even better than him. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton were dear, dear friends. That’s some awesome music history right there.

Just a side note: Angus Young and Keith Richards are buddies. Call each other all the time. Together repeatedly. Vacations together, etc. Buddies.

The groups generally regarded as being the creators of heavy metal are:

(With their iconic riffs)

Black Sabbath:

Led Zeppelin:

And Deep Purple:

Those are generally agreed upon as the foundational songs of Heavy Metal. Zakk Wilde is a bonafide guitar god, and he lists those songs as being the basics of learning to play heavy metal.

Thrash and Speed Metal came later. And they seem to have evolved from a mixture of Progressive rock (like later Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Asia, etc.) mixed with Punk pioneers like the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, the Misfits, Black Flag, and so on. Classical compositions played at a punk tempo. That’s thrash metal. It’s organic, and all of it grows and changes whenever a new genius comes along and adds stuff to the mix.

Jimi Hendrix was a god. Generally regarded as the greatest guitarist of all time. Listen to more than his standards. Listen to album tracks. And listen to his live cuts. When he would play his riffs, and then improvise for the audience. Dude was incomparable.

“Hush”, by Deep Purple. Live on Playboy after Dark, hosted by Hugh Hefner:

The Star Spangled Banner, live at Woodstock:

Watch him play with his leads, the strings, and the pedals. Watch him fine tune and get the sound he wants, live. He just did it on the spot.

Trampled Under Foot ~ Led Zeppelin

(the Brandy & Coke Music Video).

Enjoy Gents. Enjoy.

Led Zeppelin ~ the Band Logo & Studio Discography

OK, here we go. These are my thoughts on Led Zeppelin. So, love them or hate them:

-The first few albums they did, as most people know, were mostly covers or jam-session versions of Delta Blues songs. My favorite Led Zeppelin song ever is “When the Levee Breaks” and it is a cover of a song that’s in the public domain. I have also remarked to my friends and family how strange it is to me that the Delta Blues were amplified to staggering heights, mostly by way of the work of British Teenagers and Young Adults. It’s just kinda weird, when you think about it.

-Wanna know some interesting and shocking trivia? “Stairway” wasn’t a hit upon release. They played it at a couple live shows before recording began on IV, and it got mixed reviews. It didn’t even get a single. It is considered the greatest rock and roll song ever. And it was never released as a single!

-The whole band considers “Physical Graffiti” to be their best release. It was. It’s the most innovative, most diverse, and most intelligent.

-Jimmy Page and Robert Plant play so well together, that it’s often hard to determine if Robert is singing, or Jimmy is playing. They’re the perfect match of guitarist and singer. I’ve never heard of it before or after being done better.

-John Paul Jones is the best musician in the group. By a mile. Whenever there’s a sitar playing, or a dulcimer, or an instrument you can’t identity? That was John Paul Jones. He can play just about anything imaginable. And do it well.

-Jon Bonham is the Jimi Hendrix of the Drums. There is just not going to be another one like him.

-Speaking of Bonzo, by the time “In Through the Out Door” was released, the era of Arena Blues Rock was kinda running down. Progressive Rock groups like Yes and Styx were winding down too, and Disco was kinda the sound of the time. Led Zeppelin was done by the time “In Through the Out Door” was released. I mean that they were creatively tapped out. The later Beatles albums sucked. So did Black Sabbath’s. Led Zeppelin had one of the worst things in the history music happen to them, and it ended up making their catalogue stronger.

Remember: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons did Watchmen as a limited series. It would be a very, very different thing if it was still going. Not necessarily bad, but with a decidedly different legacy.

If you don’t agree with my assessment, do me a favor: listen to their entire Catalogue in a row. Even if you’ve done it before. Then make your assessment.

*wrote the first part back in 2013*

Some more thoughts on Led Zeppelin. First of all, they were kind of the supergroup of their era. The Yardbirds was a group of session musicians that jammed together. Notable because they lead to the creation of Cream, and therefore Eric Clapton. They lead to the prominence of Jeff Beck. And of Jimmy Page. Jimmy and his friends slowly formed into the group and eventually found a session drummer nicknamed “Bonzo” who really seemed to fit their groove.

“Led Zeppelin I” was very poorly reviewed upon release. Rolling Stone gave it a C- or something.

Now. Getting back to Bonzo. People constantly talk about how good he is, but getting an explanation requires more digging. First of all, listen to “Fool in the Rain”. When Jason Bonham, John’s son, plays covers of that song live, he has to rehearse for a couple weeks. It’s the hardest drum track in Led Zeppelin’s catalogue. And Bonzo plays it like a groove. Next, listen to their albums. If you listen closely, you’ll notice something off about the drum beat. Bonham played off Jimmy Page, the guitarist. He didn’t just play rhythm, he played the drums as the other lead instrument in the band. It was Bonzo and Jimmy as the soloists, Robert as the singer, and JP Jones keeping everyone in sync. So, what I said before is accurate: Bonzo reinvented the idea of what a rock quartet drummer does in a band.

Now, I’ve talked about Jimmy and Robert and Bonzo. That leaves John Paul Jones. He has -I think 22 or 23 different musical instrument credits on album tracks. Piano, Bass, Violin, Hurdy-Gurdy, etc. The guy can play just about any instrument, and he can them play well enough to consistently get recording contracts. He was the rhythm and bass section of Led Zeppelin. He’s also responsible for one of my other favorite tracks, “Trampled Underfoot”.

Lastly. Robert and Jimmy played a couple of albums together that were rather well received in the mid-late 1980s. Those albums are good indicators of where Led Zeppelin was going musically. More worldbeat stuff. More acoustic. More traditional English folk/minstrel stuff, mixed with the blues. So, what I said before was true. Led Zeppelin, as it is now remembered, is best as an era. Not as an ongoing thing. Arena Blues Rock is making a comeback -thankfully- and everyone tips their hat to Led Zeppelin. But as far as Robert, John, and Jimmy are concerned... Led Zeppelin was more than 40 years ago. And they have all had successful careers since. The band broke up because the best drummer of that era, who was the heart and soul of their sound, drank himself to death. That’s it. The end.

Listen to Led Zeppelin at full volume, please.

Jimmy Page explains the composition and writing process for Stairway to Heaven.

Yep. He’s got a record collection - in his house - of well over 500,000 vinyl albums. The guy is generally ranked as one of the top 3 guitarists of all time. And the secret to his success is that he is a music nerd. That’s IT. That’s how you do it. And that’s how you know who the good musicians are.

Lady Gaga was laid up after surgery for a year. She took a year off. And she used that year to create “ARTPOP”. She listened to music, lay in bed, and thought about her craft. And the result is -arguably- her best album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLEUSn8y9TI

yes this is exactly the short video i was looking for look at that face like the first time he ever heard it

Here’s a clip from “It Might Get Loud”. I’m pretty sure that’s the same flick your clip came from. Fascinating look at the brain of a guitarist.

70+ years old, and he’s just playing with the riffs for Ramble On. And he sounds better than most ever will

Trampled Under Foot ~ Led Zeppelin

(the Brandy & Coke Music Video).

When the Levee Breaks, by Led Zeppelin.

Prince did a cover of Whole Lotta Love.

Live in Vegas, 2002.

@curiosblue40 replied to your post“just a quick reminder that a black man invented heavy metal”

We can argue all day about whether any of Jimi Hendrix’s music was metal or not and never get anywhere. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and maybe three or four other songs of his are what I consider metal, but if you disagree, well, it isn’t something that can be proved either way.

However, the pivotal role he played in the genre’s creation is not a matter for debate. He was the first to produce the guitar sounds that would become the foundation of the genre.

I find it…interesting that you think I don’t understand metal, and Nightwish is going to be the band that clears it up for me. Now, I like Nightwish, although I’m not a huge fan and I haven’t heard any of their post-Tarja work (and the way they kicked her out was a MASSIVE dick move), but don’t you think there are a few other bands who should be in line ahead of them? Like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Venom (I hate Venom, but they’re undeniably influential), Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, etc.? 

OK, for the record, I agree that Jimi Hendrix is not solely responsible for creating the signature sound of Heavy Metal. Read the Wikipedia article on Heavy Metal, because it is one of the better articles on that site. And, like all things on Wikipedia, it is well written and well researched because a lot of people on the internet have combined their opinions and knowledge to arrive at a very comprehensive look at the history of the genre. Jimi Hendrix is definitely part of that history. PART of it.

Seriously, you’re citing Nightwish to buttress your discussion of what Metal is? Seriously? And you didn’t mention any of the bands that Sean did? And you’re serious? If you’re that much into Bauhaus and Germanic Rock, why not mention the Scorpions or Accept? At least mention a band that was around in the ‘70s. Like whoever you like dude. But mentioning Nightwish in a debate about the origins of Heavy Metal does not help your case.

Lastly, Tarja got booted out of Nightwish because she did stuff like blowing off tour date gigs to go and see movies with her friends. No, really. She is extremely talented and she is opera trained. She can sing, no doubt about it… but she is a complete pain in the ass. However she got booted out of that band was well deserved. Just try watching the video for “I wish I had an Angel” and tell me she does not seem like a complete nightmare to work with. She has a palpable bitch-mist.