Carouselambra
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| “Carouselambra” | |||||
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | |||||
| Album | In Through the Out Door | ||||
| Released | August 15, 1979 | ||||
| Recorded | November–December, 1978 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock | ||||
| Length | 10:34 | ||||
| Label | Swan Song | ||||
| Writer | Jones/Page/Plant | ||||
| Producer | Jimmy Page | ||||
| In Through the Out Door track listing | |||||
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"Carouselambra" is a song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through the Out Door. The name Carouselambra is a reference to the first section of the song sounding similar to carousel music. It is the second longest song the band recorded in the studio (to "In My Time of Dying"), clocking in at over ten-and-one-half minutes in length. It is also a very unusual song for the band, as Jimmy Page's guitar work is pushed almost to the background, while John Paul Jones dominates with heavy use of synthesizers. These characteristics have often invited comparisons with progressive rock.
"Carouselambra" was conceived during the band's rehearsals at Clearwell Castle in May 1978.[1] The song itself is split in three sections. The first section is a fast-paced showcase of Jones on synthesizer (he overdubbed a bass guitar part), with Robert Plant's vocals mixed down slightly underneath Jones, the drums of John Bonham and Page's guitar chord progression. The second section is a much slower paced part, highlighting Page's use of the Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar, the only time he used that instrument on a Led Zeppelin studio song,[1] while Plant sings some reflective lyrics. The final section returns to an up-tempo beat, with all four band members performing in unison. Some of Page's guitar was processed through a Gizmotron, a device that adds distortion.
The song is in standard 4/4 timing in the key of C major. The lyrics to the first section of the song follow a rough "ABAB" rhythmical format. In the second and third sections of the song the format changes along with the instruments, but keeps the same tempo in 4/4 and stays in C major.
Plant's lyrics, particularly in the first section of the song, are somewhat buried in the mix and are difficult to discern. According to an interview Plant gave in 1979, the song was about someone who, when one day realising the song was written about them, would say, "My God! Was it really like that?"[1]
"Carouselambra" was never played live by the band at Led Zeppelin concerts. It was rumored to be among one of the songs the band was to debut in concert on their 1980 North American concert tour.This song emerged from the band's London pre-production rehearsals, at which it was typical for them to run through old Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson material from the 1950s.[1] However, drummer John Bonham died a few weeks before that tour was to begin, leading to the band's break-up.
Led Zeppelin "Carouselambra" (1979)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
[edit] Sources
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
[edit] External links
- Review: All Music Guide
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