This song is one of the greatest examples as to why John Paul Jones was Led Zeppelin's secret weapon. His arranging and orchestration are all over this. Jimmy Page is exceptional as well.
Wow, you nailed it.. First comment outta the box was exactly what I was dropping into the comments to say. Once I saw some doc on the bands and learned all the instruments he plays, and the arrangements he had his hand in, JPJ has rocketed to my personal favorite member of Led Zeppelin and I never would’ve guessed I’d think that in a million years. Not to mention that after watching some interviews with him, he’s really one of the nicest guys walking the planet.. what more could you want from a super cool rock star?
@@jimarmstrong5820 Led Zeppelin were a genuine group of incredibly talented musicians with a wonderful lyricist.........the Beatles were just a glorified boy band that were picked up and promoted by a talented producer. They wouldn't have been famous if it weren't for George Martin, EMI and the engineers at Abbey Road. It's like comparing a manufactured pop group like Take That with a real band like the Stone Roses......or a jug of organic orange juice with a plastic bottle of Sunny Delight!
Perhaps one of the most beautiful in the last century. Their musical genius is second to none. You have Kashmir, Stairway, Black Dog and a bunch of heavy tunes, ripping guitar and then this. Written beautifully. By the first heavy metal band ever…genius!
@@bgaona I always appreciated the gifts she gave me, one of the greatest gifts my mom ever gave me was the gift of music appreciation, from about the age of 6 or 7 years old she introduced me to the genres of Motown to Rock to Country, Im 55 now and I still have all of the albums and 45s she gave me, including the first album she ever gave me, which was 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', and I understand the value of music even more now that she's gone
Very smart choice for me it'd either be this or Thank you also by zeppelin, but this song just sums up what a ballad is supposed to be and it would be a most appropriate pick for a funeral I'm sure your mother would be happy to know that you'd honor her with such a powerful song like this
Zeppelin was such a complete band. There really wasn't anything they couldn't do, and do it well. 90% of their catalog would have been the best song most bands would have ever done.
I always get a bit of a chill when I hear Plant sing this song. When he says “upon us all, a little rain must fall…..just a little rain”….and I remember that in a few years he would lose his little boy. He’s had more than his share of “rain” in his life.
And this is what pisses me off about Plant and Page not giving John Paul Jones his credit. Check out when they got inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Didn’t even let the man speak.
One of the most beautiful chord progressions ever. This song was a tribute to George Harrison who was a fan and friend to the band. Page even quotes Something in the first two chords.
I remember playing this song over the phone to a girl because I was so excited to have learned this whole song with the weird open tuning. Back in the days before Zoom and whatnot. It got her attention, that's for sure!
The orchestration sound Lex mentioned was bass player John Paul Jones playing the Mellotron, which was the first "sampler" ever made. Each key of the keyboard engaged a tape head to a length of tape of a recorded instrument- in this case it was a recording of orchestral strings being played. It gives a signature sound that is recognizable in other songs of the era such as Bowie's "Space Oddity" and The Moody Blues "Knights in White Satin".
Well said, John Paul Jones' arrangement and playing skills can get overshadowed because they often take a supporting role to the rest of the band, but are so crucial to either the groove or the atmosphere. I'd liken it to if you watched a scene from a movie and saw it with a score and then without it, and compared the emotional experience, you'd appreciate how much of an important element it was. Without Jones' previous session playing and wide studio experience Led Zeppelin may not, as they progressed, have been able to experiment so successfully, and with such diverse styles, and still keep it all within the band.
@@mjt11860 The Mellotron was necessitated out of need. There was a desire shared among musicians, to be able to bring to their deserving audiences the authentic sounds of a range of recorded acoustic (& other) instruments, essentially being performed "live" by a keyboardist.
My favorite song by Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page the guitarist wrote it after George Harrison suggested to them that they needed to include a ballad in their repertoire and boy did he write a masterpiece, John Paul Jones did a brilliant job with the orchestration as well
John Paul Jones the bass player is a multi-instrumentalist who did most of the arrangements for the group, including the orchestral score for this song. While Page and Bonham were top tier on their respective instruments, the really great musician in the band was John.
I smiled when Lex said "light to dark, light to dark," because Jimmy Page (who literally produced all of Zeppelin's albums) often professed his belief in the principle of "light and shade" when it came to his unique approach to creating music.
This isn't a song a "rock band" does. This is what a group of musicians create. They are so above all other bands, and this just drives that point home even more.
The "orchestral " sound was a mellotron, a vintage keyboard instrument, and one of the earliest "sampling" devices, played by John Paul Jones, who also played piano and bass on the track. The mellotron used tape loops triggered by the notes of a keyboard, so to get the sound of "strings" you were actually playing tapes of recorded strings in whatever arrangement you chose. It produced an eery sound which you can't quite duplicate using modern synths. Paul McCartney played the intro to "Strawberry Fields Forever" on a mellotron using a "Flutes" sound.
Gotta hear the live version from the song remains the same album it's tuned higher and sounds even better than the studio. This is my favorite song of all time I just got the zeppelin symbols tatood on my arm. Greatest band ever!
Brad and Lex, you're right on target. It's about growing older with your love and experiencing life as if it were seasons. When winter comes you look back and understand that in order to appreciate the earlier seasons "in every life a little rain must fall" 🥺😥❤️
This is just another example of that Led Zeppelin magic. Lex, if only you had grown up with all us older rockers back then. Man you would have fit right little darlin'. Brad baby, you done got the right woman. 3 cheers and a tiger for you. Keep it coming you two. You bring great joy and warmth to and old rock and rollers heart. I just had my 63rd b day in August. Thanks for keeping on! Sincerely, Jeff.
On a separate note please be careful guys with the upcoming hurricane. If you have to evacuate please do. You have your whole lives ahead of you with still so much to experience. God speed!
It's extremely encouraging to see the younger generation appreciate this, gives hope that these legendary musical artists of yesteryear will live on for generations, their music will never get stale and forgotten.
I have personally been listening to Led Zeppelin for 45 years. And I have heard them all multiple times every last one. I don't have the whole list figured out. But as far as Zeppelin Perfect songs, musically and lyrically. It's in my top five
The live song from the movie "The Song That Remains The Same" is so much better plus the visuals are spectacular, but this is still a great choice. I'm 58 years old and I cry almost every time I hear it.
Another reason to love Zepplin right here! Blues Rock, check. Folk Rock, check. Smooth Easy Rock, double check. Looking forward to today's afternoon nap with this beauty echoing in my head.
I was beginning to wonder if anyone but me knew it was a Mellotron.. I had a friend fo 37 years, who had a Mellotron and I goto play it often. He passed in 2015, and I wish I could have bought it!!
@@Hartlor_Tayley They were the great Tech for mid 1960's however, Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos) sprung a new album on the public called Switched On Bach. This Album introduced the world to Synthesizers.. Carlos really had his/her Masterpiece with the Soundtrack for the movie "A Clockwork Orange " ..
Finally my favorite Zep song ..... I'm all about the rain, literally & metaphorically. Rain is LIFE. Rain comes & haunts you. Rain comes & soothes you. The fellas captured it all in one solid moment of grandiose. A classic rock song if ever there was one. Thank you for this reaction, you guys are still a big part of my day.
Are you talking about the one with Page and Plant with the orchestra? That is indeed flawless. Killer how Plant nods to Page at the end saying “we just killed it!”
The string segment was a Mellotron. The Mellotron was a keyboard played instrument that had several tuned tape loops that played when the corresponding keys were pressed. Like actual pieces of audio tape looped. This was 1973. Synthesizers were still new and clunky. This was long before samplers. The Mellotron strings were one of the standard tape sets that could be purchased with the Mellotron. Because it is a continuous tape loop, you will notice that there was no "attack" to the string sounds. They just kind of melted into the beginning of each note. Bands in the 70s began to experiment with making their own tape loop sets for the Mellotron with different sounds. Genesis (with Phil Collins) famously made a tape loop set of Phil Collins' voice to provided the background vocals on the song "Afterglow" from their 1976 album "Wind & Wuthering." In Led Zeppelin, the bassist, John Paul Jones, was also their keyboard/synthesizer expert. He played the Mellotron strings on "Rain Song." Because it had several tape loops and corresponding tape heads and tape transports, it was a temperamental beast of an instrument. Tape loops would get stretched. Tape heads would fall out of alignment. Mellotron, like many classic, analog, keyboard instruments from the 70s, are highly sought after today, but few survive in working condition. The strings sound like authentic strings because they were actual live strings recorded to the tape loops to make the string set.
The story I heard on this song is that it was a reaction to George Harrison making a comment after one Zepp concert saying "The problem with you guys is you don't do any ballads." To which Jimmy Page replied "I'll write you a ballad" , and then he wrote The Rain Song, and Robert Plant added the lyrics. John Paul Jones did the arrangement for the tune.
I think of my first love when I hear this song. He sang along to this and to me many times. It takes me right back to so long ago. It makes me cry. He's the one who got away. I love him still. ❤️
I was in high school when Led Zeppelin burst onto the scene and I was an instant fan of the first Album. Then the second album came out and I liked it just as much as the first. But then the third album debuted and I was like - what happened? It took me a while to appreciate the different types of music Led Zeppelin could write and play - but after a while I thought it was their biggest strength and what differentiated them from most other superstar bands. The Rain Song is a prime example of something totally different from them but still a really great song - if Plant's distinctive voice wasn't on this song it would be hard to know this was a Led Zeppelin song. I hope you keep going down the LZ rabbit hole.
John Paul Jones is the hidden weapon in Zeppelin..His arrangements are the glue that keeps a lot Zeps songs together..And yes they would've brought in a live string section for a song like this..Peace from the Northeast..
You nailed it Lex! 🎉🥳 When you said "the music always goes from light to dark to light to dark"... Jimmy Page always described his musical style, or what he was trying to achieve, as "Light and Shadow". He actually went to art school to be a painter, and he relates the light and shadow aspect of that to music. 😎
Whenever I am feeling totally stressed or anxious I pop this on and it just reminds me of rain which I have no control over but eventually it will pass.
And the simplicity at the end of the song when it reveals why it's called the Rain song. They've posted you this picture of all this drama and storm. But at the end it's very simple in our lives every once in awhile a little Rain Must Fall
The orchestra is John Paul Jones...bassist, keyboards, early synthesizer music boards, etc. He often carried all base line with the foot pedals while playing keyboards and was a very under rated bass player by too many. All four were the tops of their fields...ALL FOUR. How did I miss you guys doing this one? Hope all is well with little one. Hugs. Mark
Aloha guys, good morning...I've been waiting for this one for awhile...love it... the answer you seek is John Paul Jones... Most talented multi-instrumentist I've ever seen..Mahalo nui loa...a hui hou
This song was the result of a challenge by George Harrison of The Beatles, who asked Jimmy Page the guitar player from Led Zeppelin why they never did a ballad. GREAT song!!!
They mention all four seasons in this song. John Paul Jones still does music for movies and such from what I hear. He was actually the most talented one in the band. He played several instruments.
So glad you guys give the time to see just how versatile Led Zeppelin is! No album sounds the same, so many different styles just equals complete geniuses!!!
Haha this is awesome to watch, a new generation discover the best rock band ever, Led Zeppelin means heavy/light, or light/dark as Lex noticed, supposedly a term coined by The Who's drummer Keith Moon, who was possibly the first choice for Zep drummer, he said it would go down like a Lead Zeppelin. That story may be fiction as they rarely gave interviews and so media and fans may have made some things up, and the band was ok with that.
This song takes me back to early summer...aound first week of June, 1973. The album, Houses of the Holy had just come out and everyone was playing it on 8 track in their cars..the radio stations layed it all summer long....and lots of mushrooms to be had....a magical time.
Lex, just watching your appreciation for music, it's infectious. Brad, your pragmatic take, perfect. Love you guys. And of course, Zeppelin is one of the most influential and exceptional artists we as a civilization have ever been exposed to.
An absolute masterpiece.. Best zeppelin album and one of the many 10/10 iconic songs off of it. Just stunning. The 'musical score' aspect of the music was the mellotron filling the space with the symphonic sounds. That was played by John Paul Jones.
Learned this song on guitar all the way through. The tuning on the guitar for this song is absolutely insane and a strain on the acoustic. Also i love the megadeth T shirt amazing
This song is one of the greatest examples as to why John Paul Jones was Led Zeppelin's secret weapon. His arranging and orchestration are all over this. Jimmy Page is exceptional as well.
JPJ also wrote many of the famous Zeppelin guitar riffs like the one in Black Dog. Jones, not Page, wrote that riff.
He is the most underrated musician... even as highly rated as he is
I second that ☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼✌🏼✌🏼❤️❤️
Listen to Automatic For The People by REM for further evidence of how aweome he is.
Wow, you nailed it..
First comment outta the box was exactly what I was dropping into the comments to say.
Once I saw some doc on the bands and learned all the instruments he plays, and the arrangements he had his hand in, JPJ has rocketed to my personal favorite member of Led Zeppelin and I never would’ve guessed I’d think that in a million years.
Not to mention that after watching some interviews with him, he’s really one of the nicest guys walking the planet.. what more could you want from a super cool rock star?
Zeppelin is so diverse. Some people can't understand us led heads. No one can ever tell me that they aren't the goats. Music perfection 🥰.
That's good too.
I feel sorry for those who didn’t have Zep in their teenage years
Beatles versus Led Zep is a fascinating discussion
@@jimarmstrong5820 Led Zeppelin were a genuine group of incredibly talented musicians with a wonderful lyricist.........the Beatles were just a glorified boy band that were picked up and promoted by a talented producer. They wouldn't have been famous if it weren't for George Martin, EMI and the engineers at Abbey Road.
It's like comparing a manufactured pop group like Take That with a real band like the Stone Roses......or a jug of organic orange juice with a plastic bottle of Sunny Delight!
Pink Floyd was the best....but Led is 1A
This song is so hauntingly beautiful. No matter how many times you’ve listened to it, it always evokes that feeling.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful in the last century. Their musical genius is second to none. You have Kashmir, Stairway, Black Dog and a bunch of heavy tunes, ripping guitar and then this. Written beautifully.
By the first heavy metal band ever…genius!
When my mom passed last November, the 4 of us kids were asked if there were any songs we'd like played at the funeral home, this is the song I wanted
So sorry for your loss.
That's a great choice. I'm a musician, and I will remember your comment.
@@marymargaretmoore9034 thank you
@@bgaona I always appreciated the gifts she gave me, one of the greatest gifts my mom ever gave me was the gift of music appreciation, from about the age of 6 or 7 years old she introduced me to the genres of Motown to Rock to Country, Im 55 now and I still have all of the albums and 45s she gave me, including the first album she ever gave me, which was 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', and I understand the value of music even more now that she's gone
Very smart choice for me it'd either be this or Thank you also by zeppelin, but this song just sums up what a ballad is supposed to be and it would be a most appropriate pick for a funeral I'm sure your mother would be happy to know that you'd honor her with such a powerful song like this
Zeppelin was such a complete band. There really wasn't anything they couldn't do, and do it well. 90% of their catalog would have been the best song most bands would have ever done.
One of the most beautiful songs EVER written. Those violins go on for days along with the guitar work.
Simply AMAZING
Strings produced by a Mellotron...
@@michaelakkerman407 Thank you. Lol
@@michaelakkerman407 Thanks bro👍
John Paul Jones on the keys. No actual violins needed. It was many years before I learned that they were "played" by him.
@@michaelakkerman407 JPJ is a genius. My fave member next to Bonzo
I always get a bit of a chill when I hear Plant sing this song. When he says “upon us all, a little rain must fall…..just a little rain”….and I remember that in a few years he would lose his little boy. He’s had more than his share of “rain” in his life.
Same here!! Beautiful song !!
Top 5 you say - then maybe top 2!??? Keep listening/reacting. There is nobody quite like The Mighty Led Zeppelin! Levels above the rest.
This isn't just a song. It's an orchestral composition. John Paul Jones is the man. His work here complements Page's guitars perfectly.
The UK certainly has given the world a disproportionately high number of fantastic bands and the music they made for us.
American Blues was a major influence on the band.
@ScaryTerry-xu4vz no
Houses of the Holy is my favorite Led Zeppelin album. John Paul Jones knew how to arrange the hell out of a song.
And this is what pisses me off about Plant and Page not giving John Paul Jones his credit. Check out when they got inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Didn’t even let the man speak.
That's 4 sure!!!
John Paul Jones doesn't like the attention like the other two. For him to get on stage is a miracle in itself.
His scoring on R.E.M's Automatic for the People is top class!
One of the most beautiful chord progressions ever. This song was a tribute to George Harrison who was a fan and friend to the band. Page even quotes Something in the first two chords.
Dont think it was a tribute. George commented that Zeppelin never wrote a ballad. Jimmy took up the challenge, and This was the result.
Yeah, those first two chords are pretty iconic. They're really simple, but when you know how to use them...🌈🔥🌌
@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 Page’s own words.
I remember playing this song over the phone to a girl because I was so excited to have learned this whole song with the weird open tuning. Back in the days before Zoom and whatnot. It got her attention, that's for sure!
@@johnr.8275 Agree. If you don't have the right tuning you just can't do this song worth a damn.
Led Zeppelin is on a lot of people's top five bands list . . .
Top 1
💥Greatest Fucking Love Song Ever 💥
🕊 Led Zeppelin 🕊
The orchestration sound Lex mentioned was bass player John Paul Jones playing the Mellotron, which was the first "sampler" ever made. Each key of the keyboard engaged a tape head to a length of tape of a recorded instrument- in this case it was a recording of orchestral strings being played. It gives a signature sound that is recognizable in other songs of the era such as Bowie's "Space Oddity" and The Moody Blues "Knights in White Satin".
Well said, John Paul Jones' arrangement and playing skills can get overshadowed because they often take a supporting role to the rest of the band, but are so crucial to either the groove or the atmosphere. I'd liken it to if you watched a scene from a movie and saw it with a score and then without it, and compared the emotional experience, you'd appreciate how much of an important element it was. Without Jones' previous session playing and wide studio experience Led Zeppelin may not, as they progressed, have been able to experiment so successfully, and with such diverse styles, and still keep it all within the band.
@@MrDiddyDee No doubt, Jones was the most underrated element of the band and crucial to it.
Nights in white satin uses a real orchestra
@@mjt11860 Yes, it uses both I believe, You can definitely tell the Mellotron parts.
@@mjt11860 The Mellotron was necessitated out of need. There was a desire shared among musicians, to be able to bring to their deserving audiences the authentic sounds of a range of recorded acoustic (& other) instruments, essentially being performed "live" by a keyboardist.
This is my favorite of all "rock" songs - the music (including jazz chords), the musicianship, the theme, the dramatic build-up... it has everything.
My favorite song by Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page the guitarist wrote it after George Harrison suggested to them that they needed to include a ballad in their repertoire and boy did he write a masterpiece, John Paul Jones did a brilliant job with the orchestration as well
JPJ to George Harrison...hold my beer!
@@andmour1 indeed👌
John Paul Jones the bass player is a multi-instrumentalist who did most of the arrangements for the group, including the orchestral score for this song. While Page and Bonham were top tier on their respective instruments, the really great musician in the band was John.
Absolutely right! JPJ is brilliant.
No orchestral, Jones is playing a Mellotron.
I agree, JPJ is absolutely brilliant. But all three instrumentalists were phenomenal musicians.
I smiled when Lex said "light to dark, light to dark," because Jimmy Page (who literally produced all of Zeppelin's albums) often professed his belief in the principle of "light and shade" when it came to his unique approach to creating music.
Jimmy Page wanted him in the band for a reason.
When it comes to Led Zep, John Paul Jones is the orchestra.
I think this is one of their best songs and I also think that it's one of the best pieces of music ever written.
That's it.
💯
This isn't a song a "rock band" does. This is what a group of musicians create. They are so above all other bands, and this just drives that point home even more.
The "orchestral " sound was a mellotron, a vintage keyboard instrument, and one of the earliest "sampling" devices, played by John Paul Jones, who also played piano and bass on the track. The mellotron used tape loops triggered by the notes of a keyboard, so to get the sound of "strings" you were actually playing tapes of recorded strings in whatever arrangement you chose. It produced an eery sound which you can't quite duplicate using modern synths. Paul McCartney played the intro to "Strawberry Fields Forever" on a mellotron using a "Flutes" sound.
So glad to see you enjoying this as much as I do,
There's parts of this song that are so beautiful I almost want to cry.
Love watching Brad (just past the 8-minute mark) when the lyrics hit him and he smiles with a "Ok, I get it" face.
Thanks!
One of the best songs by Led Zeppelin, in my opinion!🥁🎸🔥💣
One of the finest songs written by anyone period. Beautifully constructed, orchestrated, played. They are all genius musicians.
Gotta hear the live version from the song remains the same album it's tuned higher and sounds even better than the studio. This is my favorite song of all time I just got the zeppelin symbols tatood on my arm. Greatest band ever!
Definitely sounds even better on the song remains the same version
I prefer this song & Since I’ve Been Loving You live at MSG compared to the studio version. Both great though.
My first tattoo, almost 25 years ago, is of the 4 symbols, also on my arm. Welcome to a rather small club, I reckon!
Brad and Lex, you're right on target. It's about growing older with your love and experiencing life as if it were seasons. When winter comes you look back and understand that in order to appreciate the earlier seasons "in every life a little rain must fall" 🥺😥❤️
This is just another example of that Led Zeppelin magic. Lex, if only you had grown up with all us older rockers back then. Man you would have fit right little darlin'. Brad baby, you done got the right woman. 3 cheers and a tiger for you. Keep it coming you two. You bring great joy and warmth to and old rock and rollers heart. I just had my 63rd b day in August. Thanks for keeping on! Sincerely,
Jeff.
On a separate note please be careful guys with the upcoming hurricane. If you have to evacuate please do. You have your whole lives ahead of you with still so much to experience. God speed!
'Upon us a little rain must fall'.
Love that lyric so much.
Thank you Brad & Lex
"I don't know how it works, but it is beautiful!" Spot on!
I agree with Cadinho... Zep could never create this kind of orchestral bliss without the talent of John Paul Jones.... great reaction guys, thumbs up!
The mellotron totally gives the song another level vibe... a masterpiece.
One of their most beautifully constructed songs. Brilliance.
It's extremely encouraging to see the younger generation appreciate this, gives hope that these legendary musical artists of yesteryear will live on for generations, their music will never get stale and forgotten.
I have personally been listening to Led Zeppelin for 45 years. And I have heard them all multiple times every last one. I don't have the whole list figured out. But as far as Zeppelin Perfect songs, musically and lyrically. It's in my top five
The live song from the movie "The Song That Remains The Same" is so much better plus the visuals are spectacular, but this is still a great choice. I'm 58 years old and I cry almost every time I hear it.
John Paul Jones is responsible for the middle, mellotron magic. He's Zeppelin's secret sauce.
Finally The Rain Song 🌧♥️🌧♥️🌧
My favorite Zeppelin song by far!!! The guitar work is unparalleled. One of the most beautiful songs ever written...
Another reason to love Zepplin right here! Blues Rock, check. Folk Rock, check. Smooth Easy Rock, double check. Looking forward to today's afternoon nap with this beauty echoing in my head.
Congratulations you too. You're going to rock fatherhood Brad
John Paul Jones is a music genius, he helped Page compose a lot their music
That orchestral sound was an instrument called a Mellotron. An incredible invention
I was beginning to wonder if anyone but me knew it was a Mellotron..
I had a friend fo 37 years, who had a Mellotron and I goto play it often. He passed in 2015, and I wish I could have bought it!!
@@RonF-q3l you are lucky to have played one. I have only seen one
@@Hartlor_Tayley They were the great Tech for mid 1960's however, Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos) sprung a new album on the public called Switched On Bach. This Album introduced the world to Synthesizers..
Carlos really had his/her Masterpiece with the Soundtrack for the movie "A Clockwork Orange " ..
@@RonF-q3l check out Oscillations by the Silver Apples
this song just has a habit of sticking around. in my head all the time
Finally my favorite Zep song ..... I'm all about the rain, literally & metaphorically. Rain is LIFE. Rain comes & haunts you. Rain comes & soothes you. The fellas captured it all in one solid moment of grandiose. A classic rock song if ever there was one. Thank you for this reaction, you guys are still a big part of my day.
The live, unleaded version with Page and Plant, mid 90’s is perhaps the most beautiful acoustic guitar playing I have ever heard. It is flawless.
That whole performance is just fantastic
Are you talking about the one with Page and Plant with the orchestra? That is indeed flawless. Killer how Plant nods to Page at the end saying “we just killed it!”
This has always been one of those songs that can take me out of stress or anxiety. Great choice.
The string segment was a Mellotron. The Mellotron was a keyboard played instrument that had several tuned tape loops that played when the corresponding keys were pressed. Like actual pieces of audio tape looped.
This was 1973. Synthesizers were still new and clunky. This was long before samplers. The Mellotron strings were one of the standard tape sets that could be purchased with the Mellotron. Because it is a continuous tape loop, you will notice that there was no "attack" to the string sounds. They just kind of melted into the beginning of each note.
Bands in the 70s began to experiment with making their own tape loop sets for the Mellotron with different sounds. Genesis (with Phil Collins) famously made a tape loop set of Phil Collins' voice to provided the background vocals on the song "Afterglow" from their 1976 album "Wind & Wuthering."
In Led Zeppelin, the bassist, John Paul Jones, was also their keyboard/synthesizer expert. He played the Mellotron strings on "Rain Song."
Because it had several tape loops and corresponding tape heads and tape transports, it was a temperamental beast of an instrument. Tape loops would get stretched. Tape heads would fall out of alignment.
Mellotron, like many classic, analog, keyboard instruments from the 70s, are highly sought after today, but few survive in working condition. The strings sound like authentic strings because they were actual live strings recorded to the tape loops to make the string set.
"Upon us all, just a little rain must fall..."
I love that Lex loves Led Zeppelin! (nice alliteration huh?) They have been and always will be my favorite!!
She knows what good music is, and isn't biased. She just knows what a good groove is.
The story I heard on this song is that it was a reaction to George Harrison making a comment after one Zepp concert saying "The problem with you guys is you don't do any ballads." To which Jimmy Page replied "I'll write you a ballad" , and then he wrote The Rain Song, and Robert Plant added the lyrics. John Paul Jones did the arrangement for the tune.
I think of my first love when I hear this song. He sang along to this and to me many times. It takes me right back to so long ago. It makes me cry. He's the one who got away. I love him still. ❤️
I was in high school when Led Zeppelin burst onto the scene and I was an instant fan of the first Album. Then the second album came out and I liked it just as much as the first. But then the third album debuted and I was like - what happened? It took me a while to appreciate the different types of music Led Zeppelin could write and play - but after a while I thought it was their biggest strength and what differentiated them from most other superstar bands. The Rain Song is a prime example of something totally different from them but still a really great song - if Plant's distinctive voice wasn't on this song it would be hard to know this was a Led Zeppelin song.
I hope you keep going down the LZ rabbit hole.
This song always makes me feel good
John Paul Jones is the hidden weapon in Zeppelin..His arrangements are the glue that keeps a lot Zeps songs together..And yes they would've brought in a live string section for a song like this..Peace from the Northeast..
Now listen to it again, Lex, and pay attention to the words. Pure poetry….full of metaphor.
You nailed it Lex! 🎉🥳
When you said "the music always goes from light to dark to light to dark"...
Jimmy Page always described his musical style, or what he was trying to achieve, as "Light and Shadow".
He actually went to art school to be a painter, and he relates the light and shadow aspect of that to music. 😎
Light and shade…whisper to the thunder
Jimmy rules 😀
Brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. Excellent choice guys!
Whenever I am feeling totally stressed or anxious I pop this on and it just reminds me of rain which I have no control over but eventually it will pass.
And the simplicity at the end of the song when it reveals why it's called the Rain song. They've posted you this picture of all this drama and storm. But at the end it's very simple in our lives every once in awhile a little Rain Must Fall
The orchestra is John Paul Jones...bassist, keyboards, early synthesizer music boards, etc. He often carried all base line with the foot pedals while playing keyboards and was a very under rated bass player by too many. All four were the tops of their fields...ALL FOUR. How did I miss you guys doing this one? Hope all is well with little one. Hugs. Mark
John Paul Jones showcasing his skills on the Mellotron's Strings sound...
Aloha guys, good morning...I've been waiting for this one for awhile...love it... the answer you seek is John Paul Jones... Most talented multi-instrumentist I've ever seen..Mahalo nui loa...a hui hou
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Simply...in another words...PERFECT.
The song is about the stages of a loving relationship.
I love how the open tuning in this song sounds. The ringing, open strings sound so laid back and warm. One of my favorite Zep tunes.
Zeppelin.. there is no other like them.. Fave songs change dialy.. "In my Time of Dying".. "How many more Times".. too many
You guys should do "Good times bad times" and also, "When the levee breaks" both are Led Zeppelin
MY FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME
Beautiful amazing song from the legendary Zeps
It’s always good to see young music fans latch on to Classic Rock’s great compositions.
That song is a masterpiece it's hard to describe the feeling I get when I hear the rain song.
It shows great taste to like Led Zeppelin because they are maybe the greatest bands in rock history.
This song was the result of a challenge by George Harrison of The Beatles, who asked Jimmy Page the guitar player from Led Zeppelin why they never did a ballad. GREAT song!!!
They mention all four seasons in this song. John Paul Jones still does music for movies and such from what I hear. He was actually the most talented one in the band. He played several instruments.
So glad you guys give the time to see just how versatile Led Zeppelin is! No album sounds the same, so many different styles just equals complete geniuses!!!
this song is life ... whatever you are facing, put some headphones on and get lost in this beautiful piece of music.
Beautiful ballad! This live in 1973 was fabulous!
This song is a masterpiece!
Haha this is awesome to watch, a new generation discover the best rock band ever, Led Zeppelin means heavy/light, or light/dark as Lex noticed, supposedly a term coined by The Who's drummer Keith Moon, who was possibly the first choice for Zep drummer, he said it would go down like a Lead Zeppelin. That story may be fiction as they rarely gave interviews and so media and fans may have made some things up, and the band was ok with that.
Finally!! ❤🥳
That's our girl...Lex and all her LZ feels!!
Isn't this the best?? 🤩
It’s about the seasons, the changes, the emotions, the highs and lows of a life lived
This band have so many magical songs, brilliant
Congratulations on the baby!
Absolutely beautiful, such an amazing lovely voice💗💓💞 so gorgeous 😍🤩Thank you so much💓💖
Arguably Led Zeppelin’s finest moment, simply beautiful song with a lovely melody. The Builds and quite lot moments are sublime.
One of my favorites Zep songs and one of my favorites of all time. Great song.
One of my absolute favorite LZ songs! Glad you liked it, guys, and congrats on the incoming bambino!
One of my absolute favorite Led Zep songs
Man, oh man… That was pretty!
This song takes me back to early summer...aound first week of June, 1973. The album, Houses of the Holy had just come out and everyone was playing it on 8 track in their cars..the radio stations layed it all summer long....and lots of mushrooms to be had....a magical time.
Lex, just watching your appreciation for music, it's infectious. Brad, your pragmatic take, perfect. Love you guys. And of course, Zeppelin is one of the most influential and exceptional artists we as a civilization have ever been exposed to.
This is one of my fave zeppelin songs.
An absolute masterpiece.. Best zeppelin album and one of the many 10/10 iconic songs off of it. Just stunning. The 'musical score' aspect of the music was the mellotron filling the space with the symphonic sounds. That was played by John Paul Jones.
Finally!! My all time favorite Zeppelin song ♥️🔥🎤🎸🎶♥️
Favorite "gentle" Zeppelin song! Congratulations on your brand new bouncing baby boy!!!
Learned this song on guitar all the way through. The tuning on the guitar for this song is absolutely insane and a strain on the acoustic. Also i love the megadeth T shirt amazing
One of the most beautiful songs ever!!