led zeppelin

Copyright Chaos

/ James Fenney

copyright

There is a new blight on the music industry that is working to besmirch the name of hardworking artists. There is a growing number of groundless copyright cases in recent years that have done their best to steal millions based off of simple musical coincidences. Cases have been raised against the likes of Sam Smith, Led Zeppelin and Ed Sheeran of so called copyright infringement based on very little evidence. There have been songs all throughout history that have had similarities, coincidence or otherwise: ZZ Top’s ‘La Grange’ riff is just a sped up ‘Spirit in the Sky’, Vanilla Ice stole the bass line for ‘Ice Ice Baby’ from Queen’s ‘Under Pressure’, The Phantom of the Opera theme was stolen from an excerpt of Pink Floyd’s ‘Echoes’ and almost all blues songs can trace their origins to Robert Johnson. Usually such similarities went unnoticed, but these days people are eager to exploit the slightest few notes in common. It’s a trend that needs to die out sooner rather than later, and to do so all you have to do is follow these three steps: Continue reading →

Led Zeppelin sued over Stairway To Heaven

/ James Fenney

stairway to heaven

Back making headlines the claim that Led Zeppelin’s magnum opus ‘Stairway To Heaven’ was stolen from the track ‘Taurus’ by Spirit, has been taken to court. A trial is scheduled for 10th May for supposed copyright infringement. The whole debacle is an absolute farce; the family of the deceased Spirit guitarist Randy California have decided to sue over 40 years since the song’s release, despite the fact that Randy himself never sought legal action. The two songs have nothing in common besides a very basic chord progression at the very beginning, something that occurs in innumerable songs. Any court with any sense should realise that the claim is a load of rubbish.

Must Own Albums: Best of the Best

/ James Fenney

Here’s the first post of what I hope to be a regular feature listing albums that you need to hear before you die. Albums that no good record collection should be without. Each band/artist can only have one album in the list and it’s studio albums only, no live albums or compilations. I thought it would be best to start with some of the most important acts in music and, what I consider to be, their best work.

abbey_roadThe Beatles – Abbey Road

It goes without saying that The Beatles should be first on the list. They are the most influential act in the history of music and the cover of Abbey Road is one of the most famous images ever created. Beneath the cover you find their swan-song, their last great work before the band called it a day. Ironically they sound more like a tightly knit unit here than they had done in a long time. Each member (even Ringo) makes great contributions and it has the perfect blend of experimentation and radio friendly songs.

let it bleedThe Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

The pinnacle of the Stones’ 50 year long career which included some of the finest blues rock ever produced. The last album to feature Brian Jones and the first to feature Mick Taylor. You’ll find many fan favourites here including “Midnight Rambler”, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and their magnum opus “Gimme Shelter” which has an other-worldly guitar sound and incredible vocals from guest Merry Clayton.

freewheelin bob dylanBob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

Undoubtedly the greatest songwriter the world has ever seen. He’s crafted many poetic masterpieces that perfectly described both the beauty and the hardship in the world. He has inspired countless people. He would later go on to make such classic albums as “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Blonde on Blonde”, but “Freewheelin” was one of the first real LPs. Before Dylan albums were mostly just soundtracks or compilations. Here was a group of songs all written and performed by one man full of enticing imagery which began a chain reaction that has influenced our entire culture.

whos nextThe Who – Who’s Next

By this time in their career The Who had made angry anthems for the frustrated youth of the world and intricate (and downright weird) rock operas. Performing the polar opposite genres of punk and prog before either were really invented. This album features the broken pieces of a failed concept piece, but even so there’s no denying the magnificence of the music. Some of the best musicians of the time, who sound way ahead of their time.

Led_Zeppelin_IVLed Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV

With their first 3 self titled albums Led Zep revolutionised blues, hard rock and folk music, and here on their fourth they brought it all together. There’s never a dull moment, each song captivates the listener. Robert Plant’s wailing vocals on “Black Dog”, John Paul Jones’ funky keyboards on “Misty Mountain Hop”, John Bonham’s epic, thunderous drum intro on “When The Levee Breaks” to Jimmy Page’s triumphant guitar solo at the climax of their signature song “Stairway To Heaven”.