Architect of Heaviness

There is probably little that I could say about Jimmy Page that hasn't been said a million times before. The dark genius behind the rock n' roll colossus known as Led Zeppelin, Page's sonic blueprint spreads across the modern rock landscape like a solar eclispe. I'd venture to say that there's very little that exists in any of today's hard rock genres that wasn't propogated, or at least enhanced by something that Page / Zeppelin did during their storied reign as the biggest band on the planet.

I recently came across a couple of interesting web articles that might be of interest to fellow 'Farmers. The first one highlights a 1977 Steve Rosen interview with Page, and comes courtesy of Modern Guitar's online site. Jimmy was always quite wary of the press, and especially at that point of his career. All of which makes this interview somewhat unique, as he appears to be quite accomodating to Rosen's inquiries on various topics. There's some excellent historical information on Page's pre-Zeppelin days, as well as snippets here and there about the gear used to create some of Zeppelin's masterpieces. A very good read. Should you prefer, there's also an audio format you can listen to.

The second article comes courtesy of Guitar Player Magazine's online site, and gets into a bit of detail on a few of Page's recording and production strategies. Fully realizing that you could fill a large volume with some of the intricate details of Page's / Zeppelin's recording prowess, this should be looked at as an abbreviated take on a mere handful of highlights. Personally, I find these little snapshots very useful in my own recording endeavors, as it gets me thinking about other ways to arrange / develop songs, as well as techniques that I can use improve their overall tone / sound.

Lastly, it should come as no surprise to anyone that creating a catalog of music as tonally / dynamically diverse as Zeppelin's requires an amazing arsenal of killer gear. I'd featured a link to the Complete Jimmy Page Gear Guide on the Back Forty section a month or so ago, and will also include it in this post due to its relevancy. One of the most interesting things that I've come across in regards to Page's gear involves Zeppelin's juggernaut 1968 debut - most, if not all tracks, were recorded with a Fender Telecaster! Yes, that guitar and a little Supro amp (*which uses a coaxial 6" x 9" speaker - like the ones I used to have in my car!!) were vital elements in shaping some of the heaviest rock tones this planet has ever heard! Anyways - the article is loaded with great information, some of which might surprise even the savviest of gear-hounds. Bon apetit' - J.