100 Songs That Have Moved Me | Song #019: "Black Dog" (1971)

[luxken27]

Title: "Black Dog"
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Composers: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones
Producer: Jimmy Page
Release Date: November 8, 1971
Peak Chart Position: #15 (Hot 100)
Album: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

Rolling Stone metadata:

Rank: #300

Blurb: A dog meandering the grounds outside Zeppelin’s studio in rural England inspired the title, but the subject was honey-dripping sex. "Things like 'Black Dog' are blatant let’s-do-it-in-the-bath-type things," Plant said, "but they make their point." (Source)

Words from the artist:

Robert Plant has said of the lyrics, "Not all my stuff is meant to be scrutinized. Things like 'Black Dog' are blatant, let's-do-it-in-the-bath-type things, but they make their point just the same."

[...]

John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff, wanted to write a song with a winding riff and complex rhythm changes that people could not "groove" or dance to. In an interview, he explained the difficulties experienced by the band in writing the song: "I wanted to try an electric blues with a rolling bass part. But it couldn't be too simple. I wanted it to turn back on itself. I showed it to the guys, and we fell into it. We struggled with the turn-around, until [John] Bonham figured out that you just four-time as if there's no turn-around. That was the secret."

[...]

Jones originally wanted the song recorded in 6/8 time but realised it was too complex to reproduce live. In live performances, John Bonham eliminated the 5/4 variation so that Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return together synchronised. If the volume is turned up loud enough, Bonham can be heard tapping his sticks together before each riff. Page explained this in an interview with Guitar World magazine in 1993: "He did that to keep time and to signal the band. We tried to eliminate most of them, but muting was much more difficult in those days than it is now."

Page also discussed how he achieved his guitar sound on the track: "We put my Les Paul through a direct box, and from there into a mic channel. We used the mic amp of the mixing board to get distortion. Then we ran it through two Urei 1176 Universal compressors in series. Then each line was triple-tracked. Curiously, I was listening to that track when we were reviewing the tapes and the guitars almost sound like an analog synthesizer." (Source)

How this song moves me:

Known as perhaps Led Zeppelin's signature track, it is almost immediately familiar - if not from Robert Plant's first line of lyrics, than that infamous opening guitar riff. I love this song, because it transcends its lyrical intent. This song is amazing precisely because of the musicality and instrumentation - you could almost eliminate the lyrics altogether and it would still hold up amazingly well.

The call-and-response structure with the vocals, however, is essential - the voice stands alone vs the cacophony of instruments, playing an exquisitely brilliant and complicated interlude. I included the video I did because it features all of the band members and the part each play in this moment of genius. Bonham's heavy drumming (that's his son in the video, doing an admirable job of stepping into his father's shoes), of course Page's brilliance with the guitar - and then there's Jones on the bass. WOW.

Songs are make-or-break on the strength of their bassline, in my world. One of the reasons I love James Jamerson so much is because he turned the bass into the melody-maker on so many of his hits. Jones does the same thing here - his complex bassline is incredibly impressive to watch live. It's not often you'll see a bass player ~strumming~. The percussion is heavy enough in this song to carry the rhythm section, so Jones truly gets to shine alongside Page. LOVE IT!! Right down to my bass-playing roots, LOL ♥