Tag: Black Dog

My Sunday Song – “Tall Cool One” by Robert Plant

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic7 Comments

For My Sunday Song #474, we are talking Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. The song is from his 1988 album ‘Now And Zen’ and was a change in Robert’s perception of his past…more on that in a minute. The song was released some time in April 1988 and saw Robert get a Top 40 hit as it went to #25 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. What helps makes this song so special is that it brings back Robert’s longtime Led Zeppelin partner, Jimmy Page, on guitar for this song. This might’ve been their fourth collaboration since the band’s breakup. And maybe their most special…up to this point in time.

The song was written by Robert Plant and his keyboardist Phil Johnstone who is in large part key to why this song came about. Robert had been very lackluster about anything to do with his former band Led Zeppelin. He wanted to distance himself from it and be his own person. Phil told him to lighten up about it and embrace that legacy. Maybe working again with Jimmy helped or maybe it was Phil’s encouragement, but Robert did finally lighten up about and as a result we get this really cool rocker “Tall Cool One”. It sounds like he is talking about a woman in the song, but that woman is simply Led Zeppelin. Even the lyrics give a shout out to the past with lines from the songs “When the Levee Breaks” and even “Black Dog”.

If that wasn’t enough, the song is also about Roberts displeasure with sampling at the time. I believe it was The Beastie Boys who sampled a Led Zeppelin song on their album ‘Licensed to Ill”. Robert was none too pleased. At first, Robert thought about sampling some Beastie Boys songs for this one, but instead he sampled his own Led Zeppelin songs such as  “Black Dog”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Whole Lotta Love”,  “The Ocean” and “Custard Pie” which is a much better choice.

The song itself is an upbeat, blast of a rocker. One of the most fun songs he’s ever done as a solo artist, at least to me. There is that classic Plant vocal, that full on 80’s pop/rock sound and all together makes for a blast of a song. I love the spoken word break that adds some more layers to the song and then you get some some Page guitar work, although, he isn’t in the video. There is a tongue in cheek through-out the song which I think takes it to another level and helps make it stick in your brain. At the end he throws all those Led Zeppelin samples and Zeppelin lyrics in to it letting the song go out with a bang!

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Babe Ruth – ‘First Base’ – Album Review

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic19 Comments

Let’s go back to the year 1972.  I was just shy of 4 years old and didn’t know anything about music at this point.  Obviously, I don’t remember this release.  I do know that 46 years later, I would discover this album in a collection I picked up.  And I also know this was one of the coolest albums in that entire collection.  I thought it would be fun to go deep in my collection and talk about one of my favorites and this is definitely out of the ordinary from my usual reviews.

Babe Ruth is a blues rock band that leans very progressive and they hail from England.  Formed in 1970 with Alan Shacklock, Janita “Jennie” Haan and Dave Hewitt.  The band would later add Dick Powell and Dave Punshon and we would then have the band we hear on this album simply titled ‘First Base’.  Lots of baseball theme with the band name, album title and even the weird cover of spacemen playing baseball.

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SIDE ONE:

The album kicks off with the most rocking song of the bunch called “Wells Fargo”.  It is the story of the old western stagecoach and has a whole cowboy theme to it.  Jennie Haan’s vocals are totally brilliant with a hard rocking edge with the hints of Janis Joplin.  Alan’s guitar riff was fuzzy and cool and when you bump that up against Brent Carter’s saxophone you are in for a treat.  The whole blues rock feel is what I’ve been digging a lot of lately and this helps satisfy that thirst and then thrown in a damn fine guitar solo and life is good.  There is also a cool groove throughout the song by the fantastic rhythm section of Dave on bass and Dick on drums.  This is how you kick off your debut album folks. Continue reading “Babe Ruth – ‘First Base’ – Album Review” →

Bear’s Favorite Songs

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic8 Comments

My dog, Bear, lays next to me every time I sit down to write posts for the site.  He is my faithful companion and it would feel weird writing anything if he wasn’t there.  Well, the other day Bear told me he wanted to contribute to the site.  At least that is what I thought he said because some times he stutters when he barks and I get things messed up.

Bears has compiled a list of his favorite songs.  I hope you enjoy them.

  • “Hair of the Dog” by Nazareth (1975): My mom was a bitch!!

  • “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin (1971):  Okay, I am brown dog (red merle actually), but still a bad ass song.

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  • “Diamond Dogs” by David Bowie (1974): Diamonds are a dog’s best friend too, especially around the collar.

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