Mark of the Mothership
Posted: 10/08/2009
Cassandra Mullinix
This year marks 40 years in which Led Zeppelin’s music has been regarded as ground breaking and influential on the modern music scene and I wanted to pay a small tribute in this post because I am truly a Led Zeppelin fan. Led Zeppelin’s first U.S. tour and album release in 1969 was really the launching point of their careers and since then the group has played a key role in defining what a heavy metal band should be. In the 80’s Led Zeppelin’s style can be traced to bands like Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crew, Scorpion, and Eddie Van Halen. In the 90’s grunge bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam are commonly linked and in the 00’s try some of the new Indie bands like Wolfmother. There are also many Led Zeppelin cover bands including the infamous Dread Zeppelin and Lez Zeppelin all providing proof that Led Zeppelin is undoubtedly influential. If you are not deeply familiar with Led Zeppelin’s history as a band check out the detailed Wikipedia entry or pick up a copy of the recently released interactive biography Led Zeppelin: Shadows Taller Than Our Souls by Charles Cross. Both will heighten your appreciation for the band and their contributions. I also recommend checking out Led Zeppelin’s newly redesigned website as it contains a few tasty multimedia samples here and there.
We classic rock lovers in Frederick get to hear a pretty decent amount of Led Zeppelin on the airwaves, for instance 100.7 The Bay “Get’s The Led Out” every weeknight at 10pm. My two favorite Led Zeppelin albums and also maybe albums that are heard to a lesser extent locally are Led Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti. However picking a favorite Led Zeppelin album is like deciding on the best flavor of ice cream, it’s all good, it just depends on what you’re into at that moment. So, to pay tribute to such a pivotal band I implore new listeners to spend a little time exploring the Led Zeppelin catalog, not just the “greatest hits” collections and for you slightly more experience folks to try an album perhaps not in your current collection. And for those who own the entire collection already, break those records out and rock on!
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