Jimmy Page

[zosofancmr]

Hello everyone, I’ve been a lurker here for a while but decided to come out of the abyss and post something. I wanted to let everyone know I've started a blog, but this one I think will be unique. I intend to take a journey through the life of Jimmy Page by learning as many songs as I possibly can that he ever recorded. From his skiffle days to Neil Christian, from the session years to the Yardbirds, from Led Zeppelin and beyond. I also want to explore the ins and outs of his life, little known facts, and also examine all the different gear he used.

This is going to be a loooooong process of course but I think in the end I will become a better guitar player and maybe understand Jimmy Page just a little bit more, or at least how his mind worked creatively and how he developed as a musician. That's the goal anyway. I intend to explain the ins and outs of each song and then play them, describe how its going in the process, what parts are easy, what parts are difficult. Hopefully if you do end up reading it, you might be able to learn along with me.

I'm very excited about this venture and I invite you all to take the journey with me. So take a look, I've already figured out how to play skiffle like a 13 year old Jimmy Page, rode along with him in his session days, and jammed with Jeff Beck in the early Yardbirds years and am kicking off his time in Led Zeppelin.

Take care everyone.

Here is the link in case you are at all interested....
http://findingzoso.blogspot.com/

[wiped]

Awaits the arrival of my breakfast

[my breakfast.]

You would have to guess what he was listening to to figure out his influences. Eric Clapton used a lot of Elmore James's solo voicings etc... Jimmy Page was more eclectic; there is english and celtic folk music in there, delta blues as well as the amped up rock stuff. Infact I put Page in the same boat as Neil Young, a damn fine acoustic guitar player who should have stayed further away from electric guitars. Page's ability to record amazing guitar tones in the studio is forever undone by his rather limp, hollow and crackly live guitar tone.

Going back to his session days is probably pertinent. He was mentored by Big Jim Sullivan and recorded on thousands of hits. He might be on The Who's Can't Explain for example, though nobody seems to agree on where and when. He might also be the fizzy lead guitarist on Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man. That live Yardbirds album (and Cumular Limit) highlight his solid playing in the Yardbirds as well.

[zosofancmr]

You would have to guess what he was listening to to figure out his influences. Eric Clapton used a lot of Elmore James's solo voicings etc... Jimmy Page was more eclectic; there is english and celtic folk music in there, delta blues as well as the amped up rock stuff. Infact I put Page in the same boat as Neil Young, a damn fine acoustic guitar player who should have stayed further away from electric guitars. Page's ability to record amazing guitar tones in the studio is forever undone by his rather limp, hollow and crackly live guitar tone.

Going back to his session days is probably pertinent. He was mentored by Big Jim Sullivan and recorded on thousands of hits. He might be on The Who's Can't Explain for example, though nobody seems to agree on where and when. He might also be the fizzy lead guitarist on Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man. That live Yardbirds album (and Cumular Limit) highlight his solid playing in the Yardbirds as well.

Absolutely, I think that his live tone was superb until heroin became something he needed to live with rather than something he could live without. That 1977 tour really damaged his reputation.

I totally agree, I actually have a segment called "Studio Daze" examining those sessions, and even did a profile of Big Jim Sullivan. It's all a bit farther down the blog as I am trying to go chronologically. He did play on the The Who's "Can't Explain" sessions, but nobody can agree if his contributions were released thus I have omitted it. I got flamed about posting the song "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones over the disagreement over who played guitar on that particular session, so unless I can find proof that Page played on it, I intend to keep my distance, haha.

[thefinalcut]

Jimmy Page = greatest guitar player ever.

[zosofancmr]

Jimmy Page = greatest guitar player ever.

It appears you and I are of the same mind, haha

[my breakfast.]

I guess you could say he is the greatest guitar player purely because he embraced a multitude of guitar styles, embraced new technology as soon as it came online AND also made music that was popular and thus transported a message to a vast number of people. He pushed a lot harder in certain directions than, say, Pete Townshend, who still isn't exactly a virtuoso musician after 40+ years in the business. Zeppelin were a 'head' band that teenage girls still listen to as well, I guess they struck the balance just right between being a 'pop' band of the most throwaway type and being truely anally retentive about their song craft at the cost of having an audience.

Jimmy Page is not my favorite player, but I don't get too excited by Chet Atkins or Wes Montgomery either.

[zosofancmr]

I guess you could say he is the greatest guitar player purely because he embraced a multitude of guitar styles, embraced new technology as soon as it came online AND also made music that was popular and thus transported a message to a vast number of people. He pushed a lot harder in certain directions than, say, Pete Townshend, who still isn't exactly a virtuoso musician after 40+ years in the business. Zeppelin were a 'head' band that teenage girls still listen to as well, I guess they struck the balance just right between being a 'pop' band of the most throwaway type and being truely anally retentive about their song craft at the cost of having an audience.

Jimmy Page is not my favorite player, but I don't get too excited by Chet Atkins or Wes Montgomery either.

I think that's a very well put together statement.

Who is your favorite player if you don't mind my asking?

[danielcaux]

Jeff Beck was miles above Page, if we are talking about guitar skills and not just popularity and pose.

And in that sentence you could replace Beck with many other Page contemporaries...

That said, I do like Zep songs more than Beck's. I also like the different influences that Page channeled through his guitar, all that northern folk mixed with the distorted blues, it gave the band's sound a sort of mystique I guess. In that aspect he always reminds me of Steve Howe who had a similar blend of styles and palette (and overall sloppiness!), but perhaps leaning more on country and classical guitar and less on big blues riffs and folk. Didn't Page even formed a supergroup in the 80s with some Yes members?

...oh YES! Here they are playing Primus' Southbound Pachyderm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhcwwNeoKI

[Massed Gadgets]

I am not a great guitarist, by any stretch of the imagination, but the two guitarist's who have influenced me the most in my style I would say are Jimmy Page and Roy Harper. I'm not saying that either of them are the best guitarists, but as danielcaux suggested, the type of music they play factors into their influence on me. I admire Jeff Beck as a guitarist, but musically he has not ever really interested me that much. I was stuck in a guitar rut for years, then I was reading a book that got deep into the music of Led Zeppelin and what Page did as a guitarist, and it really pulled me out of that rut, and set me on a new course. I agree with my breakfast though, that he was far better in the studio than live. He used effects and the studio as much as his guitar as instruments. His acoustic work is particularily appealing to me.

[nosaj]

Jimmy Page, among others, made me pick up the guitar. Knowing how to play several Led Zep songs went over well with the ladies.

Anyway, Massed Gadgets, on the topic of Jeff Beck. He is an awesome guitar player, but I found his recorded output hit and miss. However, his later work might appeal to you. I think starting around 1999, his albums are a little more interesting (yes, lots of drum machines and synths, but pretty interesting). Check it out.

[my breakfast.]

Who is your favorite player if you don't mind my asking?

Probably Gary Green of Gentle Giant. Solid player when he needed to be but also capable of fusing all sorts of out-there ideas when needed. He and John Weathers stopped Gentle Giant from becoming completely lost to their influences and styles.

Having said that Gentle Giant didn't have anything like the audience of Led Zeppelin and fizzled out trying to claw back to commercially viable musical output.

I also like Jeff Beck. His guitar playing reminds me of Jan Hammer's Moog soloing with the cleverly articulated bends and such. Jeff Beck's playing also encouraged me to play less with a plectrum and more with the fingers. It seems Beck's current guitar rig is pretty simple and most of his unique phrasing and tonality comes from his hands. I couldn't listen to hours of Beck's style but it is pretty engaging and it is good to know he didn't just give up musical development in 1970...

Frank Zappa also incorporated a lot of different 'out there' ideas, but I'm nowhere near a big a fan of his guitar sound usually. The track "Filthy Habits" proves that he knew all about commanding feedback in the same way as Hendrix however.

I like Syd Barrett's guitar style. If Jackson Pollock was a guitarist he would have attacked the guitar in the same way. Barrett's sense of rhythm is clearly not his strongest bit, but he banged and crashed an impressive array of light and shade tonalities from the instrument. A true example of intuitive style over taught ideas. Again I couldn't listen to hours of Interstellar Overdrives.

[thefinalcut]

I guess you could say he is the greatest guitar player purely because he embraced a multitude of guitar styles, embraced new technology as soon as it came online AND also made music that was popular and thus transported a message to a vast number of people. He pushed a lot harder in certain directions than, say, Pete Townshend, who still isn't exactly a virtuoso musician after 40+ years in the business. Zeppelin were a 'head' band that teenage girls still listen to as well, I guess they struck the balance just right between being a 'pop' band of the most throwaway type and being truely anally retentive about their song craft at the cost of having an audience.

I agree with this really. By the way, what is your opinion about the people who think that Jimmy Page is a terrible musician but a skilled man at playing acoustic guitar ?
It´s incredible how many people think they did create some really great music and a couple of brilliant records, but as far as being a great band, in the studio maybe but certainly not on stage!
Love Zepp and love Pagey !

[danielcaux]

For guitar amateurs Page and Iommi are perhaps the most influential rock guitarists of all time. Every rock oriented guitar player friend that I know learned to play the thing with Led Zep and Sabbath songs. And if they were teenagers during the 90s the learning process involved Nirvana songs of course, due to their simplicity. Althoug Jimmi Hendrix is heralded as the most influential guitar player the truth is that for most amateurs learning how to play his songs is a discouraging ordeal: OK, I know how to play this little riff ...and then the rest of the song is the part that I can't play at all

Hello everyone, I’ve been a lurker here for a while but decided to come out of the abyss and post something. I wanted to let everyone know I've started a blog, but this one I think will be unique. I intend to take a journey through the life of Jimmy Page by learning as many songs as I possibly can that he ever recorded. From his skiffle days to Neil Christian, from the session years to the Yardbirds, from Led Zeppelin and beyond. I also want to explore the ins and outs of his life, little known facts, and also examine all the different gear he used.

Interesting blog by the way.

Are you also going to indulge in alcohol, cocaine and smack in order to grasp a better understanding of Page's creative proccess?

[cwta eugene]

Are you going to address all the plagiarism accusations? I'm a big Zeppelin fan, and therefore it's hard for me to admit it, but he really had a go of calling other people's ideas his.

Danielcaux- Guilty as charged! One of the first songs I learned was "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You".