Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Zeppeli BY ERIC ANDERSON Of The Gamecock staff Two years have elapsed between the release "Houses of the Holy' -nd last week's release of Led Zeppelin's sixth LP "Physical Graffiti," their first release on their own label, Swan Song. "Graffiti," perhaps the most anticipated album within the last year (at least in certain musical spheres of influence), took some IE months in five different studios to record. With "Physical Graffiti," Zeppelin proves the platitude that good things come to those who wait. Rumor had it that Zeppelin had lost their punch, that they had indeed mellowed out as several cuts on "Houses of the Holy" in dicated that they might. A leading rock journal, which used to criticize the band for being too heavy, then called them a "limp bimp." With the exception of a few songs of slower tempo, "Physical Graffiti" decidedly marks the affirmation of Led Zeppelin's hard-rocking style. Kicking the two-record set off is "Custard Pie," done in a Bo Diddley tempo, but Diddley never kicked the sod up like these guys do. John Paul Jones' staccato cla vinet adds beat alteration and is relieved by short bursts of Jimmy Page's fiery leads. "The Rover" follows, a slow-paced almost plodding rock number with Page's distinctively distorted slide guitar. On "In My Time of Dying," his slide style sounds amazingly like that of Johnny Winter. The song starts as a kind of eerily mournful guitar dirge, pauses momentarily, -and comes back with a heated vengeance. John Bonham's percussion stands out on this song, as it does on the entire album, more so than on any previous record. The Real Inspector Hound, o Hall Thate. in albuy Bonham's technique consists of ) peculiar timings and the omission i of obvious beats, sticking them in 1 unexpected places. Bonham's i style is further characterized by the frequent use of his bass drum and his strong-arming of the snare. The man must have the biceps of a bull. The drums are recorded very loudly here, and are a blend of the primal and the sophisticated, making it impossible to sit still while the record is being played. The second side opens with "Houses of the Holy," the title song for the last album that somehow never made it to vinyl until now. A purely Page tune, it is the perfect i follow-up to "Dancing Days" and I an excellent possibility for a single. I Zeppelin will be releasing some singles from this album, and I have tried to make educated guess as to what they might be, based on their prior single releases and on intuition. Another choice would be "Night Flight," a straight rock'n'roll number by any measure, and about the right length for a good single. If edited a little, "The Wanton Song," a ballsy rocker from the same mold as "Immigrant Song" with some nice jazzy interludes, would make a sturdy single. The same is true for "Trampled Underfoot," a John Paul Jones song that is an unrelenting stomper driven by an incredibly funky keyboard. It could be a dangerous single, though. It is the kind of song that makes you automatically drive faster if you are in a car when it comes on the radio. "Down By The Seaside" would be a good bet as a single, as it I sounds a bit like "D'Yer Maker," a big hit for Zeppelin about a year I ago. The song possess an easy- I going, happy-go-lucky popish I melody that suddenly becomes a full-fledged rocker for about two minutes, with Peter Townshend a a eJ mesMna t S' eva r well w ike leads on Page's leslied and remeloed guitar. It then resumes he original tempo and theme, a nasterpiece in shifting moods. 'Ten Years Gone," a Page ballad vith his usual rhythms, stands an >ulside chance of being a single if it vould be shortened tine-wise. iowever, I have my doubts about he commerciality of the tune. ood though it may be, I do not hink it is saleable enough to fare vell on the Top Forty. There is an eastern flavor in two ongs on "Physical Graffiti." The ynthesized prelude to John Paul fones' "In the Light," sounding nuch like some of Pink Floyd's )etter attempts, recalls George larrison's "Within You, Without (ou." "Kashmir" is something of jazz structure, very syncopated mnd rocking incessantly, and ontains a magnificent mellotron nd guitar reprise. "Sick Again" is a gruff rocker, howcasing Jimmy Page's fever >itch guitar. "Boogie with Stu" eatures an old timey clap and tomp track and simple tam >ourine in a twelve bar blues in najor chords-very happy soun ling. The "Stu" of the title is Ian ;tewart, occasional piano player or the Rolling Stones. "Black .ountry Woman" is a rock'n'roll une in which Jimmy Page plays a nandolin as the lead instrument, a tovel idea for a rock band, and it eally comes off. Robert Plant plays harmonica for the first time ince "When the Levee Breaks" on he "Zoso" (Zeppelin IV). His iarp has gotten anything but rusty. "Bron-Ur-Aur," named after the >and's cottage in Wales, is a oncise and beautiful acoustic ruitar solo by Jimmy Page, very olksy, sounding a bit like Leo Cottke or Jan Akkerman, and asting only two minutes and seven econds--short and sweet. After "Houses of the Holy," a lot ntertainment brie "The Real to begin ai A clever mystery within a nystery, "The Real Inspector -lound," begins a four-day run at JSC March 10. Sponsored by the USC Depart nent of Theatre and Speech, the >roduction will be presented iightly in Drayton Hall Theatre at ki: p.m. Tickets are on sale at the )rayton Hall Box Office between ioon and 5 p.m. Monday through F'riday. Tickets will also be ivailable one hour before curtain ime each night. Tickets are one lollar for students, two dollars for acuity and staff and three dollars or others. USC's Concert Choir, under the lirection of Arpad Darazs, will ippear at the Tryon Concert Series W'arch 7 at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts i'enter Auditorium. The highly acclaimed singing group is internationally known. Three new Free University Jnion courses will be offered to JSC students after Spring break. A "canoe School" will be offered or four weeks on Wednesday ~venings in room 307 of Russell louse. Each Saturday, canoe trips vill be offered. Registration is imited to 20. Interested tuntsn )rth the S a . Ih o some * r 'Physical( of people felt that Robert Plant's voice was shot. It had lost some of its firmness in the higher registers, and was more gravelly than before. All this was really to be expected, for most rock singers sing from the throat and not from the diaphragm, putting an un natural stress on their vocal cords. All of which sounds great for singing rock music, but done so at the cost of degenerating voices after a time. Plant has realized the potential danger to his voice yet wouldn't stop singing that way since it is the only way a rock singer can sing effectively. He has compromised by singing a little less and by drinking honey to Inspector t Drayton I may sign up at the Travel Center in Russell House. The Columbia Chapter of the Sierra Club will conduct a course beginning March 27 at six p.m. Members of the Sierra Club will lead outings on weekends. Lec tures will concern conservation, backpacking, canoeing, wildlife, and South Carolina wilderness. A course in Eckankar will begin on March 24 in Room 322 of Russell House. *This course is concerned with the teachings of Paul Twit chell and deals with the afterlife and spiritual unfoldment. Registration for the Sierra Club Conservation Course and Eckankar can be done in Room 204 of Russell House. Photographs by photo journalism students at USC are on display through mid-March at the Williamsburg County Center for the Arts in Kingstree. The public exhibit features a full range of photos from life including shots of a Ringling circus lion tamer, traffic on Interstate 26 and a guy floating down a river in a raft race. The photographs on display were taken for class assignments in courses taught by Kenneth Hlixson and D)onald Wonlle,o esrsc.. in wait for wraffiti' soothe his vocal cords. As a result, his voice is stronger and cleaner on "Physical Graffiti" than on the last album. He remains one of the most distinctive and emotive of rock troubadors. His writing partner and flash guitarist ex traordinaire Jimmy Page is also an incredible talent. Having played since his early teens, Page, now 31, executes his most imaginative pyrotechnics on "Physical Graffiti, which in this reviewer's mind is Led Zeppelin's best effort to date and well worth the extra wait. If the "blimp was limp," it is now bursting at the seams. Hound" EIall the USC journalism school in Columbia. World-renowned trumpeter and jazz musician Clark Terry and his 17-man jazz orchestra will appear at USC March 7 and 8 as part of Jazz Weekend '75. The Terry Band, in South Carolina under the auspices of the S.C. ARts Commission, will appear in a public performance at the Booker T. Washington Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 7. Tickets for the performance are $2 per person and may be purchased at the door. While at USC the Terry Band will conduLct lecture-demonstrations as well as appear in concert. .Joan Mertens ef the M/etropolitan Museum of Art, New York, will lecture on "Work and Leisure in Ancient Greece" at 8:00 P.M. on Thursday March 6 in the s~cience Museum Auditorium, 1519 senate St. The lecture will be illustrated with slides and following the talk there will be a small reception and an opportunity to meet the sneaker.