Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Stairway to Heaven Highly Overrated

I am always amazed that Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven is considered one of the top rock songs of all time. Like The Moody Blues unfortunate classic "Knights in White Satin" it inpires a sensation like having an icepick driven through my skull.

Curiously, I like Aerosmith's Dream On, which is in some ways similar...

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

I don't know how to explain the popularity of those songs, either. I don't remember people taking themselves more seriously in the late 60's and 70's than any other time; but I was stuck in the Academic Computer Lab, so what do I know.

Come to think of it, that's why I liked music in the early 80's -- so much of it didn't take anything seriously.

Once again, I miss Joey Ramone.

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Ramones

One of the greatest concert events I ever saw was a group billing of Deborah Harry (Blondie), The Ramones, The Tom Tom Club, and Jerry Harrison and the Casual Gods...

Last edited by Keefer Lucas on 04-21-2002 at 07:33 PM

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

No Quarter is a better tune.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

No Nickels Either

Don't get me wrong. I actually like the overwhelming majority of the Led Zepplin catalogue (In the Evening especially). I just happen to think Stairway to Heaven kind of sucks.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 447

Re: Ramones

quote:

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Deborah Harry (Blondie),

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

Re: No Nickels Either

quote:

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Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
Don't get me wrong. I actually like the overwhelming majority of the Led Zepplin catalogue (In the Evening especially). I just happen to think Stairway to Heaven kind of sucks.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Sympathy for the Devil

Satanic Influence in the 1970's = Elderly Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee at the turn of the century.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

It's cetainly a great song, but burdened by continuos overplayment (is that a word?)

Why is that? Marketing demographics. Pure and simple.

It's a 'known' song. It 'tests' well, meaning that if you randomly call up people in that demographic and play it for them, most will say 'yea...I know that tune...it's a good one'.

If you live in the US, chances are that 90% of your radio stations fall into one of the following demographic playlists:

pop-country - currently the most popular format for a radio station. Appeals to the 24 - 34 year old mother who is not brand-loyal but in charge of most shopping for the family

classic-rock - every market has at least 2 of these stations. Appeals to the 16 - 30-something year old male.

80's - appeals to the the young 20 - 30 something crowd that doesn't go for the other formats

pop-40 - get's to the kiddies (who now have a huge expendable cash flow) - 20-somethings.

It's quite sad, actually. Most anything you hear on the radio is no longer 'new'. Most of it is formulated music. It's a science...not an art anymore. Oh well.

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We're all naked if you turn us inside out.
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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

That's why you buy an iPod and make your own scene, man.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Yeah But...

quote:

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Originally posted by dampeoples
That's why you buy an iPod and make your own scene, man.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

Re: Sympathy for the Devil

quote:

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Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
Satanic Influence in the 1970's = Elderly Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee at the turn of the century.

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

Re: Yeah But...

quote:

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Originally posted by Keefer Lucas


Yes...but would you sacrifice the few megabytes of your 5GB of storage for Stairway to Heaven?

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 443

yeah, i don't get it either. i have no desire to ever hear tunes from Led Zeppelin again (or the stones, pink floyd, genesis, u2, radiohead, and a bazillion other bands that make me gag).

i killed my radio in 1987 and have been listening to great music ever since.

mc

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

quote:

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Originally posted by mensachicken
yeah, i don't get it either. i have no desire to ever hear tunes from Led Zeppelin again (or the stones, pink floyd, genesis, u2, radiohead, and a bazillion other bands that make me gag).

i killed my radio in 1987 and have been listening to great music ever since.

mc

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

quote:

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Originally posted by mensachicken
...or the stones...

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 443

keefer: yeah, sorry about that. they're my "most" favorite of my least favorite bands. really, i just wish they'd all went away around 1980.

there is so much fantastic music being made and no one gets to hear it because radio consistently recycles the same trash over and over again. being a music lover, i find this really sad.

this year i joined three cd swap things about a month ago. (i make a mix cd and send it out to people and they send me one in return.) i have recieved 3 of the 13 cds i'm expecting and they are DREADFUL. alice cooper, blink 182, bryan adams, emf, u2, jesus jones, cream, everclear, smashing pumpkins, beastie boys, soundgarden, nin, ministry, pink floyd, barenaked ladies, don mclean...

i mean, come on people! what's the point of taping me 70 minutes of what your radio is playing and making a colorful sleeve for it.

ugh. sorry. rant over.

mc

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

MC - You should browse around www.audiogalaxy.com, I don't agree with all their views, but they seem to have the best collection available, I get turned on to a lot of new stuff this way.
Sterling

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 443

yeah, thanks DP. i'm familiar with the site. i actually have no problem finding new (and old), good music. i have almost 60 gigs of mp3s (about 13.5k of them), all bought legally, as well as a ton of cds.

i was just shocked at the quality of the cds people sent me. scary.

i recommend www.pitchforkmedia.com for reviews. i visit it 5 days a week.

mc

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 832

PitchFork looks good, and looks like they tell it like it is. At least in the Alice In Chains blurb, thanks for the link.