The Only Way to Fly

[Dharmabum]

I wrote this piece on Led Zep in my late teens and it was published by Zoso magazine (#63) in 1992. I still get a kick out of it so I thought I would share. Add your own creative writing if you like!

Led Zeppelin, the only way to fly. When I need to blast off into the realm of fantasy, I book all my flights with Led Zeppelin. Each song carries me off to its own fantastic destination and is sure to bring me back home safely.

For a trip into madness, there is nothing quite like "Dazed and Confused." This song is the epitome of a mental orgasm. The journey begins when my heartbeat starts to reflect the eerieness of the opening bass line. Suddenly, the echoing guitar slices through me with its otherworldly sound. As the singer bursts out with the tortured cry, "I've been dazed and confused for so long it's not true!," I immediately wonder if I am prepared for what is to come. The thunderous beat of the drums kick in and my body finds itself in spasm, moving like a jackhammer. I realize there is no turning back.

These four musical elements begin to work together, intricately weaving emotions into a pattern of fluctuating intensity. The final and most devestating musical drive blooms into the melancholy of infinite silence. It is to this unfathomable depth that the invocation is directed. After the guitarist ritualistically introduces his magic wand, a violin bow, he proceeds to use it on his guitar. The sounds conjured up are at once terrifying and blissful. As the haunting music builds to its climax, my conception of reality liquefies and slips away from grip. All that remains is the presence of the infinite in which I am completely immersed. Mental orgasm.

When the peak ends and the wand is put away, reality is given a chance to solidify. But wait! Before I can get a sure gripping, the band takes off into a frenzy of utter chaos. I find myself caught between worlds, bouncing off the cosmic riffs that are spewing out from the guitar. Flashing from reality to reality I can't stop thinking of my helplessness as the singer's primal cries vibrate through to the very core of my existence.

Relief comes when I find my body moving in that jackhammer groove once again. This is a sure sign that the trip is almost over. A wicked smile comes over my face when I realize where the music has taken me. As the song comes to an end, I give a sigh of satisfaction. Led Zeppelin, the only way to fly.