Sick Again
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Sick Again" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | ||
| from the album 'Physical Graffiti' | ||
| Released | February 24, 1975 | |
| Recorded | 1974 | |
| Genre | Hard rock | |
| Length | 4:43 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Writer(s) | Page/Plant | |
| 'Physical Graffiti' track listing | ||
| "Black Country Woman" (14) |
"Sick Again" (15) |
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"Sick Again" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Many consider the song to be the closest the band came to glam rock.
This song was written by Robert Plant about teenage groupies, or as he called them, the "L.A. Queens". He took pity upon these girls who would flock to the hotel rooms of the band to offer them favors. Plant's vocals are however somewhat hard to hear because they are buried in the mix.
The song's musical structure alternates between a bluesy E minor motif in the verse section as the vocals are called, followed by a thunderous E minor pentatonic chord sequence in response. A teasing, almost comical riff in A major is introduced in the chorus, resolved by a bluesy B7 "goodbye chord" arpeggio as an interlude to the verse and bridge. Of particular note is the relentless pounding of drummer John Bonham's bass drum and triplet fills during the open chords of the song's interludes, almost as if to punctuate that this is the heavy section.
The very last sound of the very last song on Physical Graffiti is the sound of Jimmy Page's backward echo-processed slide guitar, followed by a pick scrape to close out the song.
"Sick Again" was frequently performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts, being the second number performed on all the 1975 and 1977 tour dates. When Led Zeppelin performed this live on their 1977 U.S. tour, they started it with the first verse instrumental of "The Rover". It was also played in 1979 (a filmed verson from Knebworth is featured on the Led Zeppelin DVD), but was dropped for the band's final tour "Over Europe" in 1980.
Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999. A version of Sick Again performed by Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
[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
| Led Zeppelin |
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| Jimmy Page • Robert Plant • John Paul Jones • John Bonham
Studio albums: Led Zeppelin • Led Zeppelin II • Led Zeppelin III • Live albums: The Song Remains the Same • BBC Sessions • How the West Was Won Compilations: Box Set • Profiled • Remasters • Box Set 2 • Complete Studio Recordings • Early Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One • Latter Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume Two • Coda The Song Remains the Same • Led Zeppelin DVD Peter Grant • Richard Cole • Swan Song Records • The Yardbirds • XYZ • The Firm • Page and Plant • Strange Sensation • Bootlegs • Concerts • Songs |
