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Kashmir -over rated?


SamG

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I love the heavy, hypnotic, sludgy rhythm section in this tune. And I love Plant's hippy lyrics floating over the top of it all. Probably the most "atmospheric" of all Zep's tunes--close your eyes and you are instantly somewhere else, like maybe buzzing on hashish in a camel train in the Sahara.

In fact, Plant wrote this in 1973 while in the Sahara--it is not about Kashmir at all (which is at the northernmost tip of India). But I can't imagine any other name for this song. Epic.

I've heard them play it live, too--blood, thunder and the hammer of the gods.

Exactly! What a great description. We did the Morocco trip before we went to Kashmir and, as different as the two places were, the song was perfect for both (that was back in the days of hashish, hippies, and cassette tapes and we carried a little recorder and PG with us). To be honest, I don't think we would have traveled to those places in the way and back in time that we did without the influence of Zep.

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I dunno, this song is lacking something and the drum sound is muddy. I think it could have been a great success but it wasn't executed properly.

Perhaps some polyrhythms would have helped?

There are two versions of this tune. Origionally the drums had a double bass and were sythisized. You think the album version is muddy! You should hear the synthisized version.

This one tune is an awesome tune and is directly respsonsable for all music I've created in the past 8 years. You can have a field day starting on any chord in this tune and traveling from there.

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I didn't slag the drums, I said they were muddy-which they are in comparison to other Zeppelin tracks. They seemed to have put some kind of phase effect on them.

Lyrically it falls into the same box as Stairway, being quite mystical and esoteric; something that I don't particularly find attractive. It tends to set my bullshit meter off. It reeks of hippiedom. The whole pseudo-spiritual thing has been proved time and time again to be an illusion.

Overall the track is lacking in variety and momentum.

Ah yes--to be worthy, lyrics must describe things that have been "proven". What tripe. Your "bullshit meter" needs calibration, if that's your test. Hippie lyrics, and a good portion of the world's greatest literature and poetry, are aspirational, not descriptive. They set tones and moods, not tell us how things "really" are. Maybe you don't like Kashmir's tone. But millions do.

Of course, some attempts to set a mood are just bad. But in Kashmir, the lyrics do it beautifully, weaving in with the music to create a true Middle Eastern/rock music tapestry. Probably Plant's crowning moment as a lyricist.

Other than Black Dog, of course ;)

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This one tune is an awesome tune and is directly respsonsable for all music I've created in the past 8 years. You can have a field day starting on any chord in this tune and traveling from there.

So...this is your doing? :D

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I dunno, this song is lacking something and the drum sound is muddy. I think it could have been a great success but it wasn't executed properly.

Perhaps some polyrhythms would have helped?

Kashmir? Over rated? I must have read that wrong... or you must have bugs in your ears..

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I kinda agree and I kinda don't. Kashmir has been played a whole lot. I hear it more on the radio than I do stairway. I think it's been franchised upon just as Stairway has. But it's a good song. Though the riffs are mostly ascending and descending.

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Ah yes--to be worthy, lyrics must describe things that have been "proven". What tripe. Your "bullshit meter" needs calibration, if that's your test. Hippie lyrics, and a good portion of the world's greatest literature and poetry, are aspirational, not descriptive. They set tones and moods, not tell us how things "really" are. Maybe you don't like Kashmir's tone. But millions do.

Oh yes....the world of allegory. Hmmm.

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Polyrhythms? A drumming parrot? Now I'd pay to see that ! Semantics? Czech explosives? I'm confused by someone's cleverness here. Or are they? Some like kashmir, some aren't so keen. Job done. Move on. It's funny to watch anyone try to substantiate a personal,subjective opinion with references to supposedly 'objective' external criteria. It's even more entertaining to see supposedly magisterial dismissals of arguments and dissent fall utterly flat . Give up. It's a tune,with words.

merry Xmas,one and all.

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Polyrhythms? A drumming parrot? Now I'd pay to see that ! Semantics? Czech explosives? I'm confused by someone's cleverness here. Or are they? Some like kashmir, some aren't so keen. Job done. Move on. It's funny to watch anyone try to substantiate a personal,subjective opinion with references to supposedly 'objective' external criteria. It's even more entertaining to see supposedly magisterial dismissals of arguments and dissent fall utterly flat . Give up. It's a tune,with words.

merry Xmas,one and all.

Simple.

Great idea, great intro.

The song goes absolutely nowhere. It simply could have been executed better.

Achilles last stand.....ahhhhh, now that's a long track that doesn't get tedious.

Merry xmas.

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I personally disagree that the song is overrated. All songs are interpreted differently by each listener. It's all a matter of preference. I don't always know what elements make a song very appealing or unappealing to me....but Kashmir has definite appeal to me. KASHMIR = :thumbsup:

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Simple.

Great idea, great intro.

The song goes absolutely nowhere. It simply could have been executed better.

Achilles last stand.....ahhhhh, now that's a long track that doesn't get tedious.

Merry xmas.

Merry Xmas to you too!

Can we start the 'Achilles..under-rated track?' sub-thread now? Please?

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Sorry dude, but I believe that you really have to learn how to listen LZ........You can't just come from your guitar school and start to compare LZ to Dream Theater.....that was other times.....rs......you have to pay attention mainly on the creativity that came from those guys, and the impact that they've caused on rock n' roll world....................it is like you listen to a Jimi Hendrix album and say:" oh, it is cool but John Petrucci plays better..." > it is no sense, of course that Petrucci is better technically speaking, but he is a pain in the ass, boring, his band sucks.....I went to a Dream Theater show in Brazil and it was boring, no one was jumping, having fun, head banging......people was there only paying attention and thinking "oh it is hard to do..."....very very soul less. Think on it and don't get mad with me ok ?

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Sorry dude, but I believe that you really have to learn how to listen LZ........You can't just come from your guitar school and start to compare LZ to Dream Theater.....that was other times.....rs......you have to pay attention mainly on the creativity that came from those guys, and the impact that they've caused on rock n' roll world....................it is like you listen to a Jimi Hendrix album and say:" oh, it is cool but John Petrucci plays better..." > it is no sense, of course that Petrucci is better technically speaking, but he is a pain in the ass, boring, his band sucks.....I went to a Dream Theater show in Brazil and it was boring, no one was jumping, having fun, head banging......people was there only paying attention and thinking "oh it is hard to do..."....very very soul less. Think on it and don't get mad with me ok ?

ok....but I'm running late for my jazz-nazi tuition. I shall ponder the thought in transit as I listen to dream theatre on my i-pod.

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So Kashmir's lyrics are mystical and esoteric, and set off his bullshit meter, but Achilles'--now THAT's a good song?

Oooh, boy. SamG is clearly operating on a much higher astral plane than the rest of us. One that doesn't require a foolish consistency in song criticism.

Of course, he IS right that Achilles' is ALSO a masterpiece ;).

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  • 2 weeks later...
ok....but I'm running late for my jazz-nazi tuition. I shall ponder the thought in transit as I listen to dream theatre on my i-pod.

Yes, do it ! Maybe you could subscribe to "how to have a soul" classes too....rs.....is your school good? As a Jazz guy you probably know what Miles Davis used to think about Juliard.....that's the main reason that he runned to Charlie Parker's arms.

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T be honest, I liked the Page/Plant version of Kashmir with this English/Indian Orchestra better (especially on the video) than the original Physical Graffity one, and the remake by Puff Daddy wasn't too bad either.

Now stone me... :D

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