Subj: Song of the day XXIX
Date: 97-02-13 06:44:39 EST
From: OUTRIDERJL@AOL.COM (Jeff Lybarger)
Sender: zeppelin-l@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (DIGITAL GRAFFITI)
Reply-to: OUTRIDERJL@AOL.COM
To: ZEPPELIN-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU

Anybody in the mood for a quickie? Oh for Pete's sake, get your collective minds out of the gutter! I'm talking about a song! (Yeah, right) Sheesh, you people amaze me. Maybe I'm feeling this way because of the album that produces today's look back in time. The second album to be exact, the mighty Zep II, track nine, clocking in at 4:19, "Bring It On Home".

The low rumbling of John Paul's bass sets the mood. Some nice harp courtesy of Mr. Plant, who also sounds a little like some of the old black bluesmen that inspired him. Robert conjures up an image of Sonny Boy Williams sitting on a street corner with his vocals during this slow section.

         ..."I'm gonna take my seat, right way back
             gonna watch that train roll down the track"

But hey, don't get too comfortable there. 'Cause Jimmy has something up his sleeve. And with little warning he hits us right upside the head with one of the heaviest, coolest, most ROCKIN' riffs of all time.

YES!!! Zeppelin in full flight. What a riff. Instantly recognizable, and definately memorable. Bonham kicks in and the fun just reverberates through the speakers and into your heart.

        "Try to tell you baby
         what you trying to do?
         Try to love you baby
         you love some other man too..."

Jimmy's riffs behind the vocals are so cool. The guitar in this song is so full of energy. Double-tracking on the main riff, only an octave higher, no guitar solo, but with this riff, you don't need one. Nor do you miss it. The brilliance of Jimmy has always been knowing what to leave out, as well as what should be in.

Bonham is also such a treat to listen to here. Everytime you think you know what he's gonna play, he does the opposite. Little shuffles here and there, a fill that would leave most drummers grasping for air and losing the time, he pulls it off so easily.

Robert, so young, sounds positively awesome. Singing the blues and having a blast while doing it. If you really want to know just how good Robert sounds on this song, refer to the Rock n Roll Hall-of-Fame jam when Steven Tyler sang with him. I like Aerosmith, but Tyler couldn't even come close.

Zeppelin played this one live in the beginning, late 1969 and for the 1970 tours. After that it made a brief appearance in 1972 in the U.S. as an encore, then in 1973 they used it as a link prior to "Black Dog", before "Out On The Tiles" overtook it. Some of the early renditions were great jams with Pagey and Bonzo extending things.

This was one of the five songs played at Jason Bonham's wedding reception, and of course was a big part of the Page/Plant tour. Usually appearing early in the set, second or third song most times, and without the slowed down intro. They jumped right into it and never failed to delight.

"Bring It On Home" is a classic Zeppelin track. Maybe not as "famous" as other Zep songs, but certainly a fun track that never fails to move the listener.

Now, that was decent enough for a quickie, wouldn't you agree? DAMN! Why is it I can never find those blasted cigarettes?

Till we meet again, take care of yourselves, stay out of trouble, and please, CLEAN out your minds! Sheesh!

Rock on,

Jeff