No Quarter-Led Zeppelin- The Dark Side Of Winter

       

Led Zeppelin

      No Quarter originally referred to a pirate phrase that meant to show no mercy on the seas. The term was eventually applied to an English law during the Revolutionary War stating that colonial Americans had to offer British soldiers quarters (food and rest) or suffer the consequences of  bodily harm or possibly death. 

     “No Quarter” for me, however, always conjured  up the unnerving tolling of a somber bell; a  ghostly warning issued  by John Paul Jones on his piano. The ominous knell was followed by Robert Plant’s shadowy admonition to “close the door, put out the light.” Once inside I could  hear the icy winds of Thor blowing cold on an eerily dark, moonlit Winter night.  Again the spectral call of Jones’ piano,  beckoning and strengthened with John Bonham’s march like drum beat. Finally the climax  of   Jimmy Page’s shrieking guitar solo sweeps the door allowing the the wind blown snow and the pacing “dogs of doom” to enter. 

      “No Quarter” is pure aural magic for it sets a mood like few other songs have in the history of rock. It  is a  musical nightmare describing the the horror of isolation during a snowstorm  charged with a sense of defenselessness and impending doom.

“Walking side by side with death
The devil mocks their every step
The snow drives back the foot that’s slow
The dogs of doom are howling more
They carry news that must get through
To build a dream for me and you
They choose the path that no one goes
They hold no quarter,
They ask no quarter”

Heartbreaker- Led Zeppelin- The Beautiful Woman Without Mercy

 

Led Zeppelin

“La Belle Dame sans Merci” by Henry Meynell Rheam, 1901

       “Heartbreaker” from 1969’s Led Zeppelin II is Robert Plant’s desperate plea for help. The best years of his life are being wasted to unrequited love and he lives only by the grace of the Lord above. He is a victim of the beautiful woman without mercy. She even calls out another guy’s name when he tries to make love to her.

     The song is also an aural assault that showcases Jimmy Page’s wildly imaginative perspective on the electric guitar’s potential in song. From the colossal opening riff to the extravagantly breathtaking  solo that almost seems to mimic the woman Plant has fallen for, Page provides enough color to drown in. 

“Heartbreaker, your time has come, can’t take your evil way;
Go away, Heartbreaker.” 

Tinariwen-Tassili Desert Sessions- From The Ashes Of Hate A Flower Blooms

Tinariwen

         Tinariwen is a band from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Their name comes from “Kel Tinariwen” which translates into “desert boys,” They were formed in 1979 by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib.  Ibrahim’s life lacks no hardship and horror . He witnessed the brutal execution of his father at age 4 during an uprising in Mali. His childhood was an experience filled with poverty and the ever looming possibility of being murdered by warring political and religious factions.  While rummaging through a garbage strewn field in his early teens, Ibrahim built his own guitar out of a tin can, a stick and bicycle brake wire. He received his first acoustic guitar while in a refugee camp in Algeria. In the late 70’s Ibrahim joined with other local musicians exploring local African protest music while at the same time being heavily influenced by western artists like Led Zeppelin, Santana, Hendrix and Dire Straits. Despite enduring the oppression of military training imposed on them by Gaddafi,Tinariwen were able maintain their unified musical vision. Undeterred and driven by their shared passion, they slowly began to gather international recognition.

         For those of you who aren’t aware of Tinariwen, their music is a fascinating fusion of West African music and elements of western Classic Rock.They are a true study in mankind’s’s ability to overcome extreme adversity and create beauty. WARNING: This may very well be the most fascinating music you will ever hear. 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank You- Led Zeppelin

       

Led Zeppelin

Jean-François Millet- El Angelus

The Message of Thanksgiving In Music

Strip away the emphasis on consumerism and the superfluous obligations that are attached to the holidays and you will usually find a message that urges the compassionate, caring aspect of humanity.In all religions throughout the world there are rituals attached to being thankful  for the gift of being alive and for the sustenance the earth provides.

      Thanksgiving, celebrated in the United States and Canada, is a Christian based holiday that gives thanks to God for the blessing of the harvest. The spirit of Thanksgiving in its purest sense is found abundantly in music. Expression through song is probably the most connected of all the art forms to the concept of being thankful for life. 

      “Thank You” is a  ballad co-written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page that was released on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. The song is testament to the emotional potential a piece of music is capable of inspiring and stands in the annals of rock history as possibly the greatest ballad ever written. The song marked the debut of Robert Plant as a song writer which, up until that point,  had been solely handled by Jimmy Page. It is highlighted by the ethereal, church like performance of John Paul Jones on the Hammond organ.The song with its simple message of thankfulness concludes with the slow fade of Jone’s gentle organ into silence. 

“If the sun refused to shine
I would still be loving you
Mountains crumble to the sea
There will still be you and me.”

When The Levee Breaks- John Bonham Remembered

John Bonham

        John Bonham’s headmaster was once quoted as remarking, ” He will either end up a dustman or a millionaire.” When Jimmy Page left The Yardbirds in 1968 he recruited Robert Plant who recommended Bonham and eventually Led Zeppelin was born.