Dear Mr. Moderator,
Your good friend and my husband, the notorious EPG, has been talking an awful lot of nonsense up here about Led Zeppelin, and giving you a really hard time. I’m writing to let you know that it’s been quite insufferable to listen to him while quarantined. Given our shared appreciation for Zeppelin, I thought I should make you aware of Mr. Gergely’s true opinions regarding Zep’s merits as a band. So, here’s a peek behind the velvet rope.
We all know how Pluribus likes to talk, run the show, and generally cause trouble. All that’s entertaining, but it can also be absolutely infuriating. During the past week, while he was going on and on about Zeppelin not “delivering the goods,” I peppered him with titles to (re)consider. As I barked out song after song, his responses were more often than not “oh, that’s a good one” or “ yeah, I like that one too.” Since, according to EPG, most ’60s American albums contained 11-12 tracks, he decided to see if he could come up with a list of his favorite 11 song titles. You should know that although he never thought he’d be able to gather the proposed list of 11, he struggled to limit his selections. He had a considerable number of contenders that were difficult to discard. Below are the Led Zeppelin songs that E. Pluribus Gergely admitted to loving without reservations.
Hey EPG, seriously man, I’m with you on rice pudding and Virginia Woolf, but you’re not going to win this one. If it were me I’d let it go for the sake of a quiet life.
Mrs H dislikes music and doesn’t understand why anyone would think about it, read our write about it, care about it or do anything other than listen to it when it’s on. If pressed, she’ll admit to not minding Queen, Yes and Jean Michel Jarre, which I believe proves beyond doubt that she genuinely has no understanding of what music even is. I’m damned sure I couldn’t think of more than three Queen songs I’d admit to ever wanting to hear again, apart from Seven Seas of Rhye, which is bloody awesome, none come to mind. Wondrous Stories is the only Yes song I wouldn’t turn off of it came on the radio, and I believe JMJ only ever had one song.
I’d be happy to listen to that Zep list, although mine would only have two songs in common. No love for When the Levee Breaks, Rock and Roll or Trampled Underfoot?
Mate, if I was banging my head as hard against the wall as this I’d be wanting to listen to Black Sabbath. Does she make you listen to Rush as well? Give it up my friend, for your own sanity.
Hey, hey, what can I say? EPG likes at least 11 Led Zeppelin songs. Mad props to Lady Gergely for helping him make this breakthrough! This is an important step in the evolution of Rock Town Hall and a rare time when I’ll call on the song that may be most antithetical to all we do here: “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (but I Like It).”
Sometimes it’s important to acknowledge that something can’t be all bad if it makes us feel good. I think I’m paraphrasing Jesus or Tony! Toni! Toné!. You may recall a similar journey of self-realization I went through years ago, when after spending most of my adulthood to that point claiming that I didn’t like David Bowie despite liking, as I slowly realized, 30 songs by him, Townman Alexmagic called me to the carpet to list those 30 songs. As soon as I came clean to the Hall, to myself, a burden was lifted.
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/mr-mod-releases-the-list-of-30-bowie-son/
The fact that 30 Bowie songs made me feel good said something about the true value of Bowie in my life. The fact that Zeppelin songs are, by nature, 62% longer than songs you typically like brings you up to a similar total of enjoyable minutes of music that otherwise would not exist in this lifetime. I’m also pleased with your 11 choices, especially “Going to California.” You know, I am banking, that the song is inspired by your girl Joni Mitchell.
A solid marriage is all about the art of compromise. Know that I’m improving in that area, but I still need a lot of work!
Mr M, I recently undertook that exercise with the Beatles, who I’d written off for a quarter of a century after overdosing in my teens and twenties. I’m never likely to listen to Pepper again, but boy did they have some cracking tunes.
While locking down I’m trying all the time to count my blessings and see the positive in as many things as I’m able. To that end, while out for our state sanctioned daily exercise today I was trying to think of bands or artists I think I don’t like but do really and come up with an EPG Zep list for them. I tried it with Queen but didn’t get far, interesting exercise, though, with a lot of self searching concerning the line between liking a song and being able to tolerate it.
Happiness, I really doubt I could put together a list of 11 Queen winners. They really don’t click for me either.