Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I think their joke (“it’s doggone proof”) is that Martha My Dear is about Paul’s sheepdog and Bron was about Plant’s dog.
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FBG'S TOP 81 LED ZEPPELIN SONGS: #1 - When The Levee Breaks from Led Zeppelin IV (1971) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Anarchy99
- Start date
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
My rank: None
My friend’s rank: 14
As I said, he loves III, and has mentioned to me how mesmerizing he finds this track (and its transition into Celebration Day). He has also felt betrayed by various people at different points in his life, so I have to think the lyrics resonate with him.
He is far younger than his siblings, and has told me stories about how his siblings and their friends, who were teenagers at the time, reacted when material from the “golden age” of rock was released. To that generation, Zep III was a shock to many, and he’s said he’s heard stories of people not being able to get past Friends and giving up in the middle of track 2.
As for me, I love the arrangement but find the lyrics cheesy.
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I was able to see Page and Plant in 95 in the Miami Arena with the full Moroccan orchestra and the Miami Symphony Philharmonic. Also The Cure’s guitarist joined them on stage for a rendition of Love Song and it was sick. It was a magical show to say the least. With the power of the orchestra’s behind them…..just amazing.
Then I took my now wife of over 20 years to see them on the Walk Into Clarksdale tour (Page/Plant) and it was a solid show but did not hold a candle to the previous “Unleaded” tour.
I had 17th row center tickets for Page and the Black Crowes and of course the tour was scrapped before they made it down here. I still have the hard stock tickets for the “Show that never was”.
I have always preferred studio Led Zeppelin vs live. Page has so many layers in the studio that just fall completely flat in a live setting. And he as a guitarist was also very hit or miss in a live setting. I enjoy the BBC sessions and How the West Was One…..but those are rare listens for me. I also have that DVD collection they released back in the late 90’s I believe which is cool. Also have the Page/Plant MTV special which was outstanding and launched that 1995 tour.
The Studio is where their magic took place.
Then I took my now wife of over 20 years to see them on the Walk Into Clarksdale tour (Page/Plant) and it was a solid show but did not hold a candle to the previous “Unleaded” tour.
I had 17th row center tickets for Page and the Black Crowes and of course the tour was scrapped before they made it down here. I still have the hard stock tickets for the “Show that never was”.
I have always preferred studio Led Zeppelin vs live. Page has so many layers in the studio that just fall completely flat in a live setting. And he as a guitarist was also very hit or miss in a live setting. I enjoy the BBC sessions and How the West Was One…..but those are rare listens for me. I also have that DVD collection they released back in the late 90’s I believe which is cool. Also have the Page/Plant MTV special which was outstanding and launched that 1995 tour.
The Studio is where their magic took place.
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Tau837
Footballguy
Friends was in my first 5 out. I haven't really been tracking which of these reviews you cite seem good or bad, but Vulture seems way off here.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I had Bron-Y-Aur Stomp at 23. Great song.
I feel that Physical Graffiti is a lot heavier on good songs than great ones, but The Wanton Song is one of the better ones. Did not make my list, but I dig it.
I feel that Physical Graffiti is a lot heavier on good songs than great ones, but The Wanton Song is one of the better ones. Did not make my list, but I dig it.
Tau837
Footballguy
I mentioned in the rankings thread that I have 558 Led Zeppelin songs in my library, thanks mostly to getting the live DVD from @Anarchy99. I also have the first box set, the BBC Sessions, Celebration Day, How the West Was Won, Mothership, and the Song Remains the Same.
I have all of the studio albums except Coda. However, all of the studio music I have is from original CDs ripped to MP3. Is it worthwhile to buy the remasters/deluxe editions? Is it actually worthwhile to buy Coda?
These questions came up because I'm making a playlist in the order of this countdown, and so far I'm missing 7 of 35 of the songs, though I assume I have all of those remaining.
I have all of the studio albums except Coda. However, all of the studio music I have is from original CDs ripped to MP3. Is it worthwhile to buy the remasters/deluxe editions? Is it actually worthwhile to buy Coda?
These questions came up because I'm making a playlist in the order of this countdown, and so far I'm missing 7 of 35 of the songs, though I assume I have all of those remaining.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Let me know which songs you are missing and I can email them to you (studio, live, or any other configuration of the band). Shoot me over a PM.
In The Zone
Footballguy
Same here. I initially had it in but after further review I had to change it out. I still crank it up a little when it comes on.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
In addition, Vulture’s rankings and writeups sometimes don’t match up. We noticed that in the U2 countdown thread as well.
dickey moe
Fingerpicker
Yep. Page's layered guitar tracks are the most undervalued aspects of LZ's music, IMO.Todem said:
Anarchy99
Footballguy
#46 - D’yer Mak’er from Houses Of The Holy (1973)
Appeared On: 13 ballots (out of 62) . . . 21%
Total Points: 127 points (out of 1,550 possible points . . . 8.2%)
Top 5 Rankers: None
5 Other Highest Rankers: @Galileo@Rustoleum@Witz@beer 30@Sullie@Ron Popeil
Highest Ranking: 7
Live Performances:
LZ: None
Page& Plant: 1
Plant: 1
Notable Covers: Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, Dread Zeppelin, Great White, Gov't Mule, Puddle of Mudd, 311
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 28
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 14
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): 20
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): 36
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): 35
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 24
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 36
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): 50
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 31
First, a quick hello to @Witz@Dennis Castro@Sinn Feinon this their first day of class. D'yer Mak'er is the first song in the rankings to have been ranked by all our outside sources. The song started out well in our polling, but hit the skids down the stretch. It only scored one point across the final 24 ballots that were submitted.
D’yer Mak’er (pronounced Jamaica) evolved from a studio jam session in London when Bonham offered up a doo-*** beat with Caribbean accents. The song was meant to imitate reggae and its dub derivative emerging from Jamaica in the early '70s. But Bonham's inability to fully replicate a reggae beat on his drums, however, turned the song into an odd mélange of what sounded like '50s doo-*** and reggae. Rehearsal Track
Jones later disapproved of the track, saying it was treated as a joke and not thought out well, but Plant thought it could be a hit and suggested it should be released as a single. Peter Grant and the rest of the band disagreed. Against their wishes, it was issued as a promotional single in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Peru, Japan, South Africa, and Argentina with The Crunge as the B-side.
In the end, in order to capture some sort of the reggae-beat authenticity, three mics were placed a good distance from the thunder creators drum kit, resulting in the iconic sound. Such a dramatic change in sound for the band, heavily reliant on studio techniques, proved impossible to recreate on stage, and the band never played it live. However, Page & Plant kicked off their first reunion gig in 1994 with the song (and then put it back on the shelf). Plant essentially did the same thing, rolling it out to start a show in Ireland in 2017 as his sole performance of the song.
The song drew inspiration from and was influenced by several songs . . . Foolish Fool - Dee Dee Warwick (1969), Forgive Them Lord - B.B. Seaton (1971), and Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson (1958).
Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone clearly was not a fan. He called the song a "naked imitation and easily one of the worst things the band has ever attempted.” He continued, “D’yer Mak’er is a pathetic stab at reggae that would probably get the Zep laughed off the island if they bothered playing it in Jamaica. It’s obnoxiously heavy-handed and totally devoid of the native form's sensibilities.”
Sting seemed to be a D'yer Mak'er supporter, as The Police track Every Breath You Take borrows the title, some phrases from the lyrics, and the harmonic progression of the song.
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (28 of 92 songs): A joke song based on the English pronunciation of "Jamaica," D'yer Mak'er folds into itself as a heavy rock band's version of reggae. One of the few times on record where Led Zeppelin lightened up a bit.
Vulture (14 of 74 songs): This supposedly novelty number, half reggae and half doo-***, was done as a joke; Bonham and Jones were said to hate it, and the band responded balefully when it was released as a single against their wishes and became a significant radio hit. Two ways to look at it: It is a crude faux reggae, to be sure, and kinda goofy. But somewhere on the road to novelty the band came up with something different. The bridge is a stunner. The sound of it made for a classic ‘70s radio single, one that jumped out of the dial. (The mix is significantly different from many other Houses tracks.) Page’s guitar solo, slow and literal for once, is a gem, and Plant’s vocals are unassailable. (The title, incidentally, is pronounced Jermaker, a British pun on Jamaica and “[Did]’ja make her?”)
Rolling Stone (20 of 40 songs): Not "Dire Maker," as it's generally known, but a rough phonetic riff on "Jamaica," this began with the notion of playing reggae music, a new phenomenon in 1972. What emerged was a sort of rock-steady heavy-metal doo-*** jam; Plant's giddy vocals turn a string of stuttered vowel sounds into one of the band's catchiest pop songs.
Louder (36 of 50 songs): The title might have been filched from an old music-hall joke (‘My wife’s gone to the West Indies…’ etc), but this Houses Of The Holy track was originally Plant’s attempt at a 50s doo-*** pastiche. He was keen to release the reggae-tinged track as a single – Atlantic even distributed promo copies to DJs – but not everyone was so keen on it. John Paul Jones was vocal in his derision of the track. “A real love it or hate it track, which I still love,” producer Eddie Kramer told Classic Rock in 2017. “Those huge drums that kick in at the start are like bombs going off. What’s amazing, though, is how John Bonham keeps the bombs going off while playing this extraordinarily subtle and brilliant rhythm. Robert’s voice is also superb, kind of a meeting of doo-*** and reggae. All credit must also go to Jonesy, whose bass takes the reggae rhythm to a whole different place. I could go on about this one for hours. Suffice to say nothing like it had ever really been attempted by a rock band before, and it caused a lot of controversy when people first heard it.”
Uproxx (35 of 50 songs): About half of the material on Physical Graffiti is culled from Untitled and Houses Of The Holy outtakes. This is when Zeppelin was operating at their full potential, and therefore working at the highest metabolism for any rock band ever. The wonder of Untitled is how every gesture is fully realized; with Houses Of The Holy, the execution is similarly perfect, even when the chances they’re taking are way riskier, like attempting a reggae song with a title that every white male Zeppelin fan is destined to spend years mispronouncing. On D’yer Mak’er, Zeppelin dared to be goofy and yet they still came off sounding like pouty-lipped sex gods.
WMGK (24 of 92 songs): On D’Yer Mak’er (pronounced more like “did you make her” than “dire maker”), Led Zeppelin looked to Jamaica for inspiration. Like the Beatles’ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da a few years earlier, it may not have been legit reggae, but it became a rock radio classic in the States. And the “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!” chorus makes the song an irresistible ear worm.
SPIN (36 of 87 songs): One of the ultimate Love-It-or-Hate-It Zep tracks, a cloying reggae tribute with purposefully thoughtless lyrics and one of the most frequently mispronounced song titles in rock history. (Hint: It’s supposed to sound like a country.) It’s very good in album context and great for the occasional drunk radio sing-along, though maybe not so much filtered into Sean Kingston bubblegum hits.
Up next, we chew on another piece of Physical Graffiti.
Appeared On: 13 ballots (out of 62) . . . 21%
Total Points: 127 points (out of 1,550 possible points . . . 8.2%)
Top 5 Rankers: None
5 Other Highest Rankers: @Galileo@Rustoleum@Witz@beer 30@Sullie@Ron Popeil
Highest Ranking: 7
Live Performances:
LZ: None
Page& Plant: 1
Plant: 1
Notable Covers: Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, Dread Zeppelin, Great White, Gov't Mule, Puddle of Mudd, 311
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 28
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 14
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): 20
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): 36
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): 35
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 24
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 36
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): 50
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 31
First, a quick hello to @Witz@Dennis Castro@Sinn Feinon this their first day of class. D'yer Mak'er is the first song in the rankings to have been ranked by all our outside sources. The song started out well in our polling, but hit the skids down the stretch. It only scored one point across the final 24 ballots that were submitted.
D’yer Mak’er (pronounced Jamaica) evolved from a studio jam session in London when Bonham offered up a doo-*** beat with Caribbean accents. The song was meant to imitate reggae and its dub derivative emerging from Jamaica in the early '70s. But Bonham's inability to fully replicate a reggae beat on his drums, however, turned the song into an odd mélange of what sounded like '50s doo-*** and reggae. Rehearsal Track
Jones later disapproved of the track, saying it was treated as a joke and not thought out well, but Plant thought it could be a hit and suggested it should be released as a single. Peter Grant and the rest of the band disagreed. Against their wishes, it was issued as a promotional single in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Peru, Japan, South Africa, and Argentina with The Crunge as the B-side.
In the end, in order to capture some sort of the reggae-beat authenticity, three mics were placed a good distance from the thunder creators drum kit, resulting in the iconic sound. Such a dramatic change in sound for the band, heavily reliant on studio techniques, proved impossible to recreate on stage, and the band never played it live. However, Page & Plant kicked off their first reunion gig in 1994 with the song (and then put it back on the shelf). Plant essentially did the same thing, rolling it out to start a show in Ireland in 2017 as his sole performance of the song.
The song drew inspiration from and was influenced by several songs . . . Foolish Fool - Dee Dee Warwick (1969), Forgive Them Lord - B.B. Seaton (1971), and Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson (1958).
Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone clearly was not a fan. He called the song a "naked imitation and easily one of the worst things the band has ever attempted.” He continued, “D’yer Mak’er is a pathetic stab at reggae that would probably get the Zep laughed off the island if they bothered playing it in Jamaica. It’s obnoxiously heavy-handed and totally devoid of the native form's sensibilities.”
Sting seemed to be a D'yer Mak'er supporter, as The Police track Every Breath You Take borrows the title, some phrases from the lyrics, and the harmonic progression of the song.
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (28 of 92 songs): A joke song based on the English pronunciation of "Jamaica," D'yer Mak'er folds into itself as a heavy rock band's version of reggae. One of the few times on record where Led Zeppelin lightened up a bit.
Vulture (14 of 74 songs): This supposedly novelty number, half reggae and half doo-***, was done as a joke; Bonham and Jones were said to hate it, and the band responded balefully when it was released as a single against their wishes and became a significant radio hit. Two ways to look at it: It is a crude faux reggae, to be sure, and kinda goofy. But somewhere on the road to novelty the band came up with something different. The bridge is a stunner. The sound of it made for a classic ‘70s radio single, one that jumped out of the dial. (The mix is significantly different from many other Houses tracks.) Page’s guitar solo, slow and literal for once, is a gem, and Plant’s vocals are unassailable. (The title, incidentally, is pronounced Jermaker, a British pun on Jamaica and “[Did]’ja make her?”)
Rolling Stone (20 of 40 songs): Not "Dire Maker," as it's generally known, but a rough phonetic riff on "Jamaica," this began with the notion of playing reggae music, a new phenomenon in 1972. What emerged was a sort of rock-steady heavy-metal doo-*** jam; Plant's giddy vocals turn a string of stuttered vowel sounds into one of the band's catchiest pop songs.
Louder (36 of 50 songs): The title might have been filched from an old music-hall joke (‘My wife’s gone to the West Indies…’ etc), but this Houses Of The Holy track was originally Plant’s attempt at a 50s doo-*** pastiche. He was keen to release the reggae-tinged track as a single – Atlantic even distributed promo copies to DJs – but not everyone was so keen on it. John Paul Jones was vocal in his derision of the track. “A real love it or hate it track, which I still love,” producer Eddie Kramer told Classic Rock in 2017. “Those huge drums that kick in at the start are like bombs going off. What’s amazing, though, is how John Bonham keeps the bombs going off while playing this extraordinarily subtle and brilliant rhythm. Robert’s voice is also superb, kind of a meeting of doo-*** and reggae. All credit must also go to Jonesy, whose bass takes the reggae rhythm to a whole different place. I could go on about this one for hours. Suffice to say nothing like it had ever really been attempted by a rock band before, and it caused a lot of controversy when people first heard it.”
Uproxx (35 of 50 songs): About half of the material on Physical Graffiti is culled from Untitled and Houses Of The Holy outtakes. This is when Zeppelin was operating at their full potential, and therefore working at the highest metabolism for any rock band ever. The wonder of Untitled is how every gesture is fully realized; with Houses Of The Holy, the execution is similarly perfect, even when the chances they’re taking are way riskier, like attempting a reggae song with a title that every white male Zeppelin fan is destined to spend years mispronouncing. On D’yer Mak’er, Zeppelin dared to be goofy and yet they still came off sounding like pouty-lipped sex gods.
WMGK (24 of 92 songs): On D’Yer Mak’er (pronounced more like “did you make her” than “dire maker”), Led Zeppelin looked to Jamaica for inspiration. Like the Beatles’ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da a few years earlier, it may not have been legit reggae, but it became a rock radio classic in the States. And the “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!” chorus makes the song an irresistible ear worm.
SPIN (36 of 87 songs): One of the ultimate Love-It-or-Hate-It Zep tracks, a cloying reggae tribute with purposefully thoughtless lyrics and one of the most frequently mispronounced song titles in rock history. (Hint: It’s supposed to sound like a country.) It’s very good in album context and great for the occasional drunk radio sing-along, though maybe not so much filtered into Sean Kingston bubblegum hits.
Up next, we chew on another piece of Physical Graffiti.
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Dwayne Hoover
Footballguy
I agree Page was a master in the studio.Todem said:
It's interesting how some bands are better live and some are better in the studio. I usually gravitate to one or the other with a band.
jamny
Footballguy
6-Celebration Day
7-Friends
13-Out On The Tiles
17-I Can't Quit You Baby
20-Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
21-You Shook Me
22-That's The Way
25-The Wanton Song
AAABatteries
Footballguy
No offense to any of the rankers here but when I first made my spreadsheet I made the comment ”Overrated” next to 2 songs. D'yer Mak'er and one we haven’t seen ranked yet. I’m pleasantly surprised to see it this low.
skol asylum
Footballguy
Really like this one, especially that whole slice of Indian orchestral flavor mentioned. Amazing how many of these songs you have mentioned so far were created and then hardly ever played live.Anarchy99 said:
skol asylum
Footballguy
I had no idea this was supposed to be a reggae sound. Then again I've never been really interested in that genre. I have a really hard time putting music into neat and tidy genre boxes in general.
Dwayne Hoover
Footballguy
DyerMaker is one of my least favorite songs, its still not as bad as some like Hot Dog or Carouselambra but I put it in the same tier.
I don't think overrated would be a good way to describe it, I feel like generally its regarded as one of the worst songs on HOH
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
I recall loving the drums at the start and then lifting the needle once Plant started singing to move on to No Quarter and The Ocean (both in my top 10).
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
I didn’t have D’yer Maker on my list but high school fatguy definitely would have. It’s fun but way too much other good stuff for me to rank this one.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
FYI the RS and Vulture texts are the same, I presume there was a pasting mishap.
This is the last of the songs I don’t care for, would never have considered for my top 25 and would put at the bottom if we ranked every song from I to Coda. They are, in chronological order of release:
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
The Crunge
D’yer Ma’ker
Candy Store Rock
Hots On for Nowhere
Tea for One
Hot Dog
Darlene
Poor Tom
Walter’s Walk
I am not offended by the faux-reggae of D’yer Ma’ker, I just find the song annoying. Especially Plant’s vocal, which sounds like someone is trying to achieve an orgasm by eating food. I also hate Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da, so I guess this style of song just rubs me the wrong way.
Tau837
Footballguy
This is one of my least favorite Zeppelin songs. It would not be in my top 60, probably not in my top 70 if I had an ordered ranking that deep. I don't get the appeal at all.
@Anarchy99, cut and paste error is showing the same writeup for Vulture and Rolling Stone here.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
As the write up's indicate, this is a very polarizing song. And I align with you. Never really applied thought in determining why nor do I ever intend to. So much great music throughout their catalog to expend any more energy on this song than I did just now...and I guess when I poked fun at it yesterday too.
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
jamny
Footballguy
My Top 5 is pretty generic and I would think all be in the Top 10 of this master list, but some cryptic comments by @Anarchy99 have me questioning that.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Rustoleum
Footballguy
I think D’yer Mak’er got a steep familiarity bump from me.
I can’t explain why the vocals here don’t bother as much as say, All of My Love, but they don’t.
Would probably slide down a bit if I reranked, especially if I became more familiar with a few other tunes I really just hadn’t heard before.
I can’t explain why the vocals here don’t bother as much as say, All of My Love, but they don’t.
Would probably slide down a bit if I reranked, especially if I became more familiar with a few other tunes I really just hadn’t heard before.
skol asylum
Footballguy
Don't get the hate for All My Love. Good song. Wasnt in my top 25 but solid none the less.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
We haven’t gotten to my other overrated song but if I had gone with 3 it might have been All My Love. But I still had it in my top 35-40.
Zegras11
Footballguy
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
I agree and its in my top 25. I had it lower but when I played In Through the Our Door, it filled the house with music stronger that other albums (can't really explain why), which bumped up more than just this song. I'll likely have the most (or at least be tied) songs off this album at four and be the high ranker of the remaining three.
Rustoleum
Footballguy
I don’t hate it, but to me D’yer and it are very similar and for whatever reasons I ended up with D’yer ranked a lot higher.
lardonastick
Footballguy
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
skol asylum
Footballguy
I was one of the last to enter and at that point I know Anarchy said mine were super chalky. Will be interesting to see who was the chalkiest. Most in top 5, 10, 25.
In The Zone
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
I drafted Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" in Genrepalooza. It's a fine bubblegum song, and something people would do well to emulate, thank you very much.
D'Yer Mak'er was always a pleasant song. I liked the laid back beat and guitar work. The song is fun and breezy like an island drink.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
#45 - Custard Pie from Physical Graffiti (1975)
Appeared On: 14 ballots (out of 62) . . . 22.6%
Total Points: 133 points (out of 1,550 possible points . . . 8.58%)
5 Highest Rankers: @neal cassady@dhockster@In The Zone@joffer@ConstruxBoy
Highest Ranking: 10
Live Performances:
LZ: 1
Page & Plant: 8 (Tokyo - 1996-02-13)
Plant: 14 (Frankfurt - 2015-07-29)
Page: 30 (Syracuse - 1988-04-11)
JP & Black Crowes: 9 (Unknown)
Notable Covers: LA Guns, Derek Trucks, Helmet, Foo Fighters, Eric Gales
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 48
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 57
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): 50
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): 29
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 49
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 62
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): 54
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 24
@shuke has decided to join the fun. There are still 5 people waiting for their names to be called.
The first track from Physical Graffiti, Custard Pie revs up the album with a raucous start. The song is filled with double entendre and innuendo throughout. I wonder if such a song would gain much popularity if it were released today given the world and social climate we live in. It started out called Dropped Down Mama. It joins several other songs which associate pie and women including The Beatles - Wild Honey Pie, The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), and Warrant - Cherry Pie.
John Paul Jones recorded and produced a funk album with American soul singer Madeline Bell, Comin' Atcha to end 1973. The idea for the Custard Pie riff extended over from this period from a jam session, with the Led Zep deciding to record a funk song when they reconvened for rehearsals and recording in 1974.
The song borrowedfrom / was inspired / was heavily influenced by:
Drop Down Mama by Sleepy John Estes
Help Me by Sonny Boy Williamson
Shake ‘Em On Down by Bukka White
Custard Pie Blues by Brown McGhee
I Want Some Of Your Pie by Blind Boy Fuller
Jones played an electric Hohner Clavinet D6 for the recording while guitarist Jimmy Page used his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, and a Vox Crybaby Wah Wah pedal with an ARP synthesizer for his solo. Singer Robert Plant plays harmonica, while his lyrics include assorted standard blues phrases.
Rough Mix, Alternate Version
Custard Pie was rehearsed for the 1975 North American tour but was not performed live during the band’s initial run. It was, however, played at Jason Bonham’s wedding reception in 1990. During the 1980s, Plant included a verse of the song as part of his final chorus in the live version of Tall Cool One. Page performed the song live for his 1988 Outrider tour and recorded a version with the Black Crowes on the 1999 album Live at the Greek.
Ultimate Classic Rock (48 of 92 songs): The opening track on Physical Graffiti pretty much distills the double album into four-and-a-half snaky minutes. There's clavinet, a wah-wah-powered solo and a hoarse Plant towering above it all.
Vulture (out of 74 songs): Why this track led off Graffiti, an important moment for the band, is a mystery. The production is indifferent, lacking the arresting crispness of the band’s better work. The lyrics? A mess of blues posturings, some of them stolen.
Louder (50 of 50 songs): There's a compelling case to be made that Physical Graffiti is the greatest double album ever recorded. Led Zep's sixth studio recording, there’s a feral mystery to it even today – and opener Custard Pie lets us know what we’re in for. Its menacing, salacious riff is driven by intoxicating dirty blues, while the unapologetic mutant funk rhythm section of Bonzo Bonham and John Paul Jones buffalos a path through the fray. Wha-wha clavinet snakes around razor-sharp guitars, while Robert Johnson, chicken blood and smoking valve amps are all invoked and teleported into leafy Barnes’ Olympic Studio 2. It’s aural carnage – in the best possible way.
Uproxx (29 of 50 songs): Lest this list get too saccharine, we’re doing a hard pivot into a song that is unabashedly about female genitalia. Yes, this is crude, but Zeppelin was standing on the shoulders of giants, referencing similar pie metaphors from bluesmen like Blind Boy Fuller and Brownie McGhee. Plus, this song is an excellent example of the connection between Page and Bonham, in which the latter closely follows the former in order to create one of the most gloriously bombastic Side 1, Track 1’s ever.
WMGK (49 of 92 songs): John Paul Jones and his clavinet makes its first appearance on the opening track of ‘Physical Graffiti,’ but it wouldn’t be the last, and the best was yet to come. As for the lyrics, it doesn’t take a cunning linguist to figure out what this one’s about.
SPIN (62 of 87 songs): The most underwhelming of Zep’s eight album-opening tracks — more of a credit to the other seven than a knock on the suitably funky “Pie” — but perhaps the most enthusiastic song about cunnilingus (“Chew on a piece of your custard pie!”) ever performed by someone not named Lil Wayne.
In the on deck circle, one of only two Led Zeppelin songs Jimmy Page had no hand in writing.
Appeared On: 14 ballots (out of 62) . . . 22.6%
Total Points: 133 points (out of 1,550 possible points . . . 8.58%)
5 Highest Rankers: @neal cassady@dhockster@In The Zone@joffer@ConstruxBoy
Highest Ranking: 10
Live Performances:
LZ: 1
Page & Plant: 8 (Tokyo - 1996-02-13)
Plant: 14 (Frankfurt - 2015-07-29)
Page: 30 (Syracuse - 1988-04-11)
JP & Black Crowes: 9 (Unknown)
Notable Covers: LA Guns, Derek Trucks, Helmet, Foo Fighters, Eric Gales
Ultimate Classic Rock Ranking (out of 92 songs): 48
Vulture Ranking (out of 74 songs): 57
Rolling Stone Ranking (out of 40 songs): Not Ranked
Louder Ranking (out of 50 songs): 50
Uproxx Ranking (out of 50 songs): 29
WMGK Ranking (out of 92 songs): 49
SPIN Ranking (out of 87 songs): 62
Ranker Ranking (out of 87 songs): 54
Anachronarchy Ranking (out of 80 songs): 24
@shuke has decided to join the fun. There are still 5 people waiting for their names to be called.
The first track from Physical Graffiti, Custard Pie revs up the album with a raucous start. The song is filled with double entendre and innuendo throughout. I wonder if such a song would gain much popularity if it were released today given the world and social climate we live in. It started out called Dropped Down Mama. It joins several other songs which associate pie and women including The Beatles - Wild Honey Pie, The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), and Warrant - Cherry Pie.
John Paul Jones recorded and produced a funk album with American soul singer Madeline Bell, Comin' Atcha to end 1973. The idea for the Custard Pie riff extended over from this period from a jam session, with the Led Zep deciding to record a funk song when they reconvened for rehearsals and recording in 1974.
The song borrowedfrom / was inspired / was heavily influenced by:
Drop Down Mama by Sleepy John Estes
Help Me by Sonny Boy Williamson
Shake ‘Em On Down by Bukka White
Custard Pie Blues by Brown McGhee
I Want Some Of Your Pie by Blind Boy Fuller
Jones played an electric Hohner Clavinet D6 for the recording while guitarist Jimmy Page used his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, and a Vox Crybaby Wah Wah pedal with an ARP synthesizer for his solo. Singer Robert Plant plays harmonica, while his lyrics include assorted standard blues phrases.
Rough Mix, Alternate Version
Custard Pie was rehearsed for the 1975 North American tour but was not performed live during the band’s initial run. It was, however, played at Jason Bonham’s wedding reception in 1990. During the 1980s, Plant included a verse of the song as part of his final chorus in the live version of Tall Cool One. Page performed the song live for his 1988 Outrider tour and recorded a version with the Black Crowes on the 1999 album Live at the Greek.
Ultimate Classic Rock (48 of 92 songs): The opening track on Physical Graffiti pretty much distills the double album into four-and-a-half snaky minutes. There's clavinet, a wah-wah-powered solo and a hoarse Plant towering above it all.
Vulture (out of 74 songs): Why this track led off Graffiti, an important moment for the band, is a mystery. The production is indifferent, lacking the arresting crispness of the band’s better work. The lyrics? A mess of blues posturings, some of them stolen.
Louder (50 of 50 songs): There's a compelling case to be made that Physical Graffiti is the greatest double album ever recorded. Led Zep's sixth studio recording, there’s a feral mystery to it even today – and opener Custard Pie lets us know what we’re in for. Its menacing, salacious riff is driven by intoxicating dirty blues, while the unapologetic mutant funk rhythm section of Bonzo Bonham and John Paul Jones buffalos a path through the fray. Wha-wha clavinet snakes around razor-sharp guitars, while Robert Johnson, chicken blood and smoking valve amps are all invoked and teleported into leafy Barnes’ Olympic Studio 2. It’s aural carnage – in the best possible way.
Uproxx (29 of 50 songs): Lest this list get too saccharine, we’re doing a hard pivot into a song that is unabashedly about female genitalia. Yes, this is crude, but Zeppelin was standing on the shoulders of giants, referencing similar pie metaphors from bluesmen like Blind Boy Fuller and Brownie McGhee. Plus, this song is an excellent example of the connection between Page and Bonham, in which the latter closely follows the former in order to create one of the most gloriously bombastic Side 1, Track 1’s ever.
WMGK (49 of 92 songs): John Paul Jones and his clavinet makes its first appearance on the opening track of ‘Physical Graffiti,’ but it wouldn’t be the last, and the best was yet to come. As for the lyrics, it doesn’t take a cunning linguist to figure out what this one’s about.
SPIN (62 of 87 songs): The most underwhelming of Zep’s eight album-opening tracks — more of a credit to the other seven than a knock on the suitably funky “Pie” — but perhaps the most enthusiastic song about cunnilingus (“Chew on a piece of your custard pie!”) ever performed by someone not named Lil Wayne.
In the on deck circle, one of only two Led Zeppelin songs Jimmy Page had no hand in writing.
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