REACTION TO Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven (2nd listen)

[@henriettaskolnick4445]

You listen to the studio to get all the nuances, delicacies, intricacies, craftsmanship, and perfect production. You listen to the live to get the exploration, improvisation, and the perfectly imperfect explosion of greatness. There's nothing wrong with either, but for a newbie, I always recommend studio first to learn the song before you watch them completely change it when playing live. You wouldn't be the first to consider this song as the greatest rock song. The part before the guitar solo you like so much I consider a heraldry; it blasts a bit of pomp and circumstance to alert the listener that we're coming to a new, triumphant section. This song is an orchestration; the way it builds, moves, evolves. It is masterful.

[@DC-ih8bv]

Well said

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

On the money, as always, Henrietta! Hi from Vegas! 👋

[@henriettaskolnick4445]

@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 hey back atcha! 😊

[@dunwityal]

Yup.

[@bobhope3716]

BS . Nothing tops the live version from Madison Square Garden.

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

It’s NOT a long video for us, Sal! We’re old, we have the attention spans! We grew up listening to whole albums for 40 minutes…..

[@maryhampton8686]

Love this comment

[@user-or1ye3iz6d]

🎯

[@user-or1ye3iz6d]

Over and over and over again for decades. ❤

[@u.s.veteranandpatriot7511]

"albums" today you`re lucky to get 5 songs for 4x the price

[@mariejustme]

If it was Frampton Comes Alive we listened for 78.06. Great comment! 😁

[@robertcorona3362]

And Rolling Stone doesn't know WTF they are talking about. This is considered by many as the greatest rock song ever written. A true masterpiece.

[@BC-ui9yt]

I'd rank it as an untouched number one. Only "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on this level.

[@erkoconqueror3603]

@@BC-ui9yt sure bohemian rhapsody and stairway to heaven is 2 greatest songs ever they are at least 1 level ahead of every one others

[@lindasokolowski8506]

Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osborne and Led Zeppelin take me back to my high school days.❤

[@geraldinecurran4215]

All the critics pizzled them for years but the People told them to STFU (by Album Sales) you don`t know anything. 50 plus years later, still LOVED

[@deborahpaley21]

RS has sucked for decades.

[@Peter-zu5jg]

It's more than a song , it's a moment , everything stops. The greatest rock song ever. Ever.....ever. 🎸🤘🔥

[@debrafiendel-boutilierandd3542]

This song is not only a classic....it's timeless! This song, I think, will be listened to and appreciated for generations to come!

[@debbystasinopoulou4696]

"Why even label it" -- Now you may be starting to understand the genius of Led Zeppelin, and what makes them so timeless. It doesn't require complex musical analysis, it's emotional, and appeals to something in your heart and gut.

[@briansmith303]

Yes. You CAN'T even label it really. Because it starts in one genre, passes through a couple of others, and ends up in a totally different one.

[@debbers]

Remember this was all we had back in the day, just record albums and the radio, of course people went to concerts, but we didn't have the internet to get immediate pleasure/satisfaction the way you can today, so we didn't see the live versions first we had records! Record albums are the best, you get to hear everything!

[@bossbonita1235]

This will always be the absolute BEST rock song ever made!!! 🙌🏼💯👌🏻

[@johnpetrie1918]

My Mom died in 2017. In a quiet, alone moment after her memorial service, I listened to Stairway to Heaven. Music has power.

[@bobbyn.9773]

This song is a masterpiece and its listed usually in the top 1-3 of best song of all time so you can throw out Rolling Stone magazines ranking out the window because they hated the band so ignore them.

[@juliemanarin4127]

Yep...they hated the band because they refused to make singles and Jimmy had control of everything they put out!

[@charlesgervais4673]

Don't be so hard on yourself, I'd say your initial reaction was right on. You had been told that this was the greatest rock song of all time and when you threw it on you were not expecting 5 minutes of soft folk music. You were like "how is this even considered rock". But after learning Led Zeppelin's style, and knowing what they were capable of, as you listen to the studio version you just know that it's building into something epic. You know it's taking you on a ride that needs to evolve through its different stages. And you can piece together how this is an amalgamation of Zeppelin at its best through different genres. Not just a great rock anthem, but a redefinition of what rock can be. If Zeppelin hadn't created this template, we wouldn't have Bohemian Rhapsody, we wouldn't have Freebird.

[@oldeskoolnana7543]

I'm having this played at my funeral. Love it since I first heard it when I was 15. Listened my whole life.The greatest rock song ever written. Keep listening you'll feel the same way. ✌🌻🌻

[@swamihuman9395]

You said, "... because I was born in the 90s. Was never really into classic rock..." This is so generationally interesting. I was born in 1960. I grew up listening to "rock" (which is now "classic rock"). It was just what "everybody" was listening to (in my generation; in my world). Of course, I'm aware that music/people change, but to think there are so many people who really don't know rock - especially amazingly outstanding bands/musicians like Led Zeppelin, and other major talents. Anyhow, this "music reaction" "phenomenon" has been a very satisfying way for me to relive/rediscover the music I love, plus I get great joy from seeing "younger generations" get turned on to, and excited by all the great "old" music - which is still amazing even today! Well, I see you are enjoying the LZ rabbit hole, so keep on going :) ... Oh, and, thanks for sharing your reactions, and thoughts. [BTW, people of my generation are not old, just older - at least that's the way I like to look at it :)]

[@gibsongirl2100]

Well said! My kids were born in the 90s and they were exposed, pretty much from birth on through into adulthood, to "classic" rock (including all its sub-genres ), jazz, classical, indie, big band - you name it. Kids will absorb a lot by osmosis, even while they're dismissing it because it's what their parents listen to - at first. Both my "kids" have pretty much the whole musical spectrum on their playlists. I have no idea why this young man's exposure to music excluded "rock", or what his parents were listening to, or why so many of these "kids" are just now discovering music outside their comfort zone - but I am enjoying their journey!

[@Scoobydcs]

zep are 1 of those bands where you can listen to a song 100 times and STILL hear things you never noticed before! its great idea to listen to them repeatedly and concentrate on what each member is doing. sooooo much depth and texture behind the power and skill

[@michaelbriefs9764]

It is one of the most epic Rock songs ever made. The studio version is so pristine and fully realized. I love the live version too, because of Jimmy's incredible solo and the way the band develops the parts from the original into something more dynamic and varied. Led Zeppelin is legendary. End of story. They achieved greatness.

[@martinl8574]

Told ya!!! Lol I'm in my 60s (a real life Hippie), to understand my generations music and it's cultural impact you need to always hear the studio first. Also use headphones. Remember, all we had were records and radio. That would be the version that impacted our culture.

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

That part is called “the fanfare”. By Jimmy Page and it “announces” the change-up in the meter and power of the song. Sal, there are marvelous interviews of Jimmy Page on KZbin where he talks about the structure of Stairway..what he had in mind. He wanted to create a rock song that gave a nod to classical music…that had its own “movements” if you will…that sped up as the song progressed (something that “rock” music was never supposed to do). And Robert, inspired while listening to others play the melodic progression, wrote the bulk of the lyrics in one sitting. And it is very understandable that the studio version grabbed you on this song: it demands a deep listen. Keep in mind, when fans heard it in concert, they knew the song very well from repeated listens……..and seeing them actually perform it live was, for many, a mystical experience. Yeah, that sounds silly when you’re half a century removed from that time, but it’s true nevertheless.

[@theway3031]

Well said

[@garylagstrom3864]

Led Zeppelin 4 was released today November 8th 1971 so this song is now 51 years old today and I’m 54 just to give you some perspective! Enjoy! Also this will sound trivial to some but at 4:20 On here the full sound of the original Jimmy’s guitar and John Paul’s recorders and bass it reminds me of being baptized in the warm water of the church ⛪️ baptismal pool! It takes my breath away!

[@garrya4304]

Your face expression was priceless when Robert belted out into the crescendo, then at that moment you realized the magnitude of Led Zeppelin's unworldly talent. Hi from Sydney Australia

[@diptastik5651]

When you take on any Zeppelin album, you REALLY, REALLY, need to listen. There is so much going on in every track. Each time you hear the song, you should be able to appreciate all the layers. The bass, drums, piano or whatever is involved. With studio versus live, you have to think that the album version is the template. When played live , they improvise and expand that framework. Take it wherever their talent will let them. As far as I know, no songs were exactly the same two or three shows running. Listen to the studio cut a few more times then listen to the live version again. Then see what you think.

[@johnburton1686]

The " fanfare" announcing the introduction to THE SOLO, by the greatest rock guitarist...brings chills and goosebumps everytime i listen to it...over 50 years!! Btw, most requested song on radio, bar none.

[@michaelkozlosky3919]

Seeing Zeppelin live in 1977 was the best concert I've ever been to. Growing up in the 70's and 80's was just a lot of fun.

[@slugg81]

Jimmy is "heralding" the change in pace and feel. Imagine trumpeters introducing the king.

[@thomasrohr3130]

Perfect description

[@mongosaqqara]

Wow groovy!

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

One of the reasons this song ranks as high as it does, in additional to it’s almost majestic structure, are the lyrics: they are open to individual interpretation..,,,they have a a mythical, almost mysterious vibe about them…of something lost in time but which, at a deep level, almost beyond rational thought, ring so true. As most would admit, it’s hard to put your finger on it, but it just reaches deep…..and that is a good songwriter’s gift…to make lyrics just vague enough that everyone can relate to them and make them their own. When asked about the meaning, Robert has said that it is a song about Fate, and “something quintessentially English, almost abstract”. The “bustle in your hedgerow” line, Plant has said, is about the coming of spring, nature waking up after a long and dark winter. A “spring clean for the May Queen”. To me, it comes from the mind of someone who has been deeply immersed in English and Welsh mythology and folklore.

[@ingobordewick6480]

Millions of people tried to get an acurate interpretation of the song, and they will try it till the end of time. Everyone can find a meaning for himself in these lyrics, a different meaning then everyone else and that is one point of what makes it so great, besides the music.

[@bigfanofdong]

Kind of similar in a way to the lyrics of Kashmir too. That epic song could have a few different meanings to different people also

[@patriciamayhew6321]

The lyrics lead me into a dance that just keeps sweeping and climbing the ancient Celtic and Welsh, and Anglo Saxon, British mythology that leaves me breathless wanting more. To visit that far distant land to the West. It’s Tolkien and The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf and every mystical magic realm I long for. The lyrics guide and the music takes me there. Thanks Led Zeppelin.❤️

[@BC-ui9yt]

@@patriciamayhew6321 The verse starting with "There's a feeling I get/whenI look to the West" is absolutely a shoutout to British mythology. And a few months ago, when I hit a dark spot, it hit me incredibly hard. It's about wanting freedom.... an end to pain and suffering, just as in LoTR, they sailed to the West. The "Rings of smoke through the trees" line is about feeling a connection to those who have gone before us, and found an end to the suffering (in a good way). Now, I can hardly listen to it without getting hit right in the feelz.

[@mytiggertat]

And as I said in SalvoG's reaction to the live MSG recording that Robert Plant said as the intro to Stairway to Heaven that "I believe this is a song of hope." Most versions of the live MSG recording cut this intro out, which if you were new to the song and / or LZ, you missed that explanation.

[@glass2467]

Despite what many say, for most artists, the studio version is their statement. That's very true for Led Zeppelin. When you hear the studio version you can hear how this is truly a masterpiece. That being said, they are also very much a live band. The are such great artists and improvisors that they expand on the music when they play it live. When I first heard Stairway played live a year or so after the release of studio version, I was disappointed. I didn't like the fact that he was playing electric to replace the acoustic, and I didn't think he nailed the solo like he did in the studio. But then years later I now really appreciate the live version too. I also now think his live solo is incredible. So impressions will evolve as you gain perspective. I'll say one more thing too - classic rock music, and music in general, should be listened to in the context of the whole album. You'll get so much more out of the experience when listening that way.

[@CaptainBlood2010]

The part before the solo has subtle builds coming from all 4. That’s how good they are and that’s how good a producer Jimmy was.

[@TheKayzieMichelle]

In Los Angeles, KLOS was the top rock radio station. For 15 years, Stairway to Heaven was #1 in their countdown on New Years Day. The greatest song written by far!

[@amandamckee9178]

This has been my #1 song since 1971 - and I have learned to love it at deeper levels as my life has progressed - as if the lyrics revel themselves to me at different stages. I am 62 now and hope to be listening to STH for many more years. And it will be played at my "life celebration" when I cross over to the other side.

[@doughaviland1729]

"ICONIC" PERSONIFIED ... I've loved this song since the first time I heard it in 1969 and was literally blown away. And now, 53 years later it has lost NOTHING. They will be playing this 500 years from now.

[@zepvista]

considering this song was released in 1971 , that's a good trick

[@denisebissell5875]

Best song EVER

[@vicki1120]

It's so good to see a young person enjoy the music I grew up with.

[@MrDiddyDee]

I think you hit on some points there, definitely studio versions first, then see how they were reinterpreted live, they are quite different things. In the studio Jimmy and John Paul could use the full palette of sounds and instruments at their disposal. Over dubbing parts and really building a solid arrangement. Live they stuck to the 4 piece band format, meaning Jimmy had to alternate between rhythm and lead parts, there wasn't that rhythm guitar chord work as background to rely on giving it context, so it took massive volume and clever skills so you didn't miss too much of what was on the record. When he played lead breaks it needed either the keyboard, or the bass, to work hard to fill things out behind him. It basically was like an engine, and it generally needed all 4 members for a lot of the songs to work, take away any one and there'd be a hole. You also have learnt to appreciate that some songs take time to build or go through lots of transitions, it's a journey and experience. This isn't background music it demands attention span.

[@Fonoyb]

ALWAYS look for the BEST VERSION OF A SONG!

[@ptxaholic]

I would recommend to listen to the studio version of any song first, ESPECIALLY iconic tracks like this. This really is one of the greatest rock songs of all time 💜

[@ingobordewick6480]

Would make an exception for Nightwish.

[@MissAstorDancer]

@@ingobordewick6480 I would make an exception for Little Feat.

[@barrilythe2579]

@@ingobordewick6480 Haha, I was going to say that!

[@brucefollett8117]

It's funny you should say that the crescendo part is your favorite. When Page was formulating the song, he has said he wanted to write a song specifically with a crescendo, and one that started out slowly and sped up. I think, too, the greatness of "Stairway" comes out more in the context of their body of work. Their music is so diverse with no two songs being alike. Your initial impression of the song is excusable. Keep in mind too that LZ is two different bands. Their records are finely structured works of art and the live shows are dynamic showcases for their unbridled talent.

[@neptune9]

The part he loves that you are calling "the crescendo" I've always considered a fanfare, in the best sense of the word. It's like an announcement that something wonderful is about to happen!

[@chebrneck]

The way Zeppelin works is you listen to the original then you hear it live and get blown away.

[@antarcticorb9197]

This is why you should listen to the studio versions first. Also your comment that was deep is got to be the understatement of the century!

[@cadleo]

This song warrants a second listen

[@zosometalgod]

Jimmy Page is a genius in the studio he's playing a 12 string acoustic and electric guitar in multilayers! The live version is just as epic! Jimmy did great doing all of the guitar parts on his double neck Gibson! You'll need like five guitarists to do this song live for it to sound exactly like the studio!

[@patrickvecchio8138]

This song encompasses everything great about the entire genre of music called Rock N Roll,and why it will never die.

[@jenniferewing4504]

All of my love by led zeppelin

[@shannonjohnson2530]

I was in high school math class 1985?obsessively writing these lyrics I had just discovered them and was totally in love with them. The girl who was next to me grabbed them from me quickly read them thinking I wrote them started gushing about how good I am. Lol took me 15 minutes to explain what a Led Zeppelin was

[@kevinharalson4538]

The more you listen to a LZ song , the more you get from it and it never ends. They become timeless

[@justbuz]

I never saw Led Zeppelin live. I stood in line for many hours back in the 70s, but the tickets sold out just as I got to the window (I was crushed), and I never had another chance. Today I have seen videos of live versions, and now I feel blessed for having been limited to the studio version for so many years. Live can be great (Frampton's Do You Feel proved it to me), but Zeppelin will always be studio-only for me.

[@kentclark6420]

Not the '73 MSG live version. It's so much better than the studio version, it's ridiculous. Especially Page's guitar solo.

[@stephaniemccord-vega1190]

I just started watching your videos for the last two nights I love your honesty and pure reaction.

[@rickyconner6782]

I always appreciated that part of the song too, and have always thought the guitar solo was one of the best, if not THE BEST solo ever. I always thought the ending sounded like a helicopter or something descending. The live version wasn't the best to listen to first. I do appreciate their live songs, but the studio version is hard to beat. And yes, it is what it is.

[@bernardqblack]

The mighty Led Zeppelin.....50 years on. Greatest rock song and solo of all time.

[@traci4187]

This song gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. The studio version is perfect, and live versions just give it character that does not translate to first-time listeners. I'm glad you decided you like it. 🙂

[@z483gk]

Try Stairway To Heaven from 2012 Kennedy Center Honors where rock group Heart play this this song in tribute to Led Zeppelin right before them. It's also masterful. Robert Plant even teared up to it. John Bonham's son, Jason, is on drums on this one. It's very emotional. Also, the version from their last concert in 2007 really good. Jason Bohnam is also on drums there. If you can put it out without KZbin blocking it.

[@slojo3898]

Gonzo’s blast at 11:28 is legend

[@howardbrown911]

We all heard the studio version before ever hearing the concert version. We knew each and every part of it. No concert can ever completely emulate the original version of any song, and LZ never actually wanted to do so. After you have immersed yourself in the studio version, return to the concert and I think you might find a new appreciation for that performance as well. Great reaction to this however!

[@mongosaqqara]

They performed this 400+ times live...every one was different.

[@stevenmiller184]

In the end, they HATED playing it. Refused requests.

[@williamcabell142]

I never label L.Z. They just don’t fit a label! They are freaking Led Zeppelin!!!!!! The GOATS!!!!!!😎👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@niteowl789]

"I could listen to this a thousand times". I have listened to it probably more than that, being a child of the 60's & 70's. Especially since i still always listen to classic rock stations when driving anywhere, and I pretty much drive for my job. I've never flipped the station on this song. When I was a kid, I didn't appreciate it as much because of the slow first part. But as i aged into later teen years and older, and became perhaps a little more sophisticated, I realized how important the slow start is to the whole. Especially when you know it's coming. It's the perfect slow burn. This song doesn't have crescendo, IT IS one big crescendo. The song gets more & more special as they keep adding instruments and tempo. I recommend listening to Heart's live tribute cover at the Kennedy Center Honors, where they perform it with an orchestra and choir in front of the three surviving members of LZ.

[@yozaseig3870]

It just hits you in the feels either studio or live. Something special, a once in a lifetime experience 🤘

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

1971 was a peak year for music. Practically any classic rock band from that era put out some of their best stuff in 1971.

[@pcariola1]

The stones hit their peak in 71 too

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@pcariola1 the list is long.

[@deborahpaley21]

'71 I agree

[@jenniferewing4504]

Best song of all time !

[@user-or1ye3iz6d]

Yes, studio version is SOOOO much better than the live version on this song. Iconic song.

[@MikeGarland22]

That little part is preparing everyone for one of the greatest leads in a song ever done!

[@Macdelaven]

I was 12 when this song came out and this was the version I heard on every rock station in Detroit as I grew up. And every holiday's countdown of the best rock songs, this was #1. I love this version and recall so many good memories each time I hear it. I am glad you are appreciating it. Side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV is epic.

[@davidreilly4269]

You got it! The best part ...you will still be transported when you are 78 years old.

[@stevenmiller184]

"I can listen to this a thousand times" yea, I grew up with this... I am pretty sure I HAVE listened to it a thousand times.. it is, a remarkable piece of music. What impressed me was reading the sheet music... this piece is FAR more musically complicated than most people think.

[@rhendakiser4506]

In the 70's a group of people would just hang out and listen to whole albums!! PRICELESS!!

[@geraldherrmann787]

Well, now you´re "ripe" for: "Heart - Stairway to Heaven - Kennedy Center Honors" in presence of Zep themselves 🙂

[@lindajanca8069]

YES their tribute was EPIC🤯🤯 Heart themselves are legendary but doing Zeppelin is something else💜💜

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

Phuck that. Heart butchered the song, cutting out a whole verse, a minute's worth of the song. I know the guys were moved hearing it, but most of that emotion was from the honor, the setting, the grandiosity of the performance at the end with the chorus, and last but not least, Bonzo's son on drums. I've always liked Anne and Nancy, but they really did a disservice to this masterpiece of a song.

[@RockChick63174]

Hogwash. ​@@Cosmo-Kramer

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

@@RockChick63174 You obviously don't know the song. It's a fact, they butchered it.

[@tjrivers]

Love the studio version!

[@MsTeaRex]

I prefer the studio versions on all. Live version is okay if you're there at the concert. Studio versions are so crisp and clean I like that. Especially on Kashmir those drums are so much of the song and they're just crisp.

[@greypossum1]

You need to listen to the whole album to get the full feeling of all the songs track by track and how the sounds of one song affect the next. More than anything, try to imagine a time when "Stairway" didn't exist and then one day you turn on the radio to hear a new release and this comes through the speakers and you experience it for the first time. You knew how important this song was before the song even finished. That the tune is almost half over before John Bohnam has even picked up his drum sticks.

[@robertyanes4751]

Sal..this was a really great reaction! Thanks...it's a great song.

[@jtf2dan]

Truly the greatest song recorded....and of course being in junior high when this came out, it was played as the last song at almost every school dance I went to for many years after it came out....it is one of the few songs ever recorded...that when it comes on the sound system or radio....and everyone stops talking and just listens......and maybe air guitars the solo later....LOL

[@DianeLake-sw3ym]

Usually listening to the studio version first is best. After listening to the studio version a few times you will probably enjoy the live version alot more.. I had the luxury of hearing the album many times in my high school years. Stairway was huge and always being played at parties and stuff. And being the Zep head that I was I had all the albums and listened to them all the time. Nothing like being in your room with the lights off, the headphones on and letting Led Zeppelin take you on a journey. And not just with Stairway. I always felt transported to other places listening them. Their songs always had a story feel that you would have visual in your head of the songs.

[@dmballard60]

Jimmy Page is an engineering genius and it really shows on their studio albums. Very hard to recreate that on stage with just three instruments playing. He used so many overdubs etc.

[@vicprovost2561]

Yes indeed, Zeppelin's unmatched in the studio, live they are still awesome but, they often improvise with at times, not quite the same results. Great live band and on the right night they were the best but in the studio, only Pink Floyd, The WHO and the Beatles play as well. Led Zeppelin, top 3 rock band for me, no doubt. Studio first. Live after so you can appreciate the song more. For a live number that won't disappoint, try either Dazed and Confused at MSG 1973 or How Many More Times in Royal Albert Hall 1970, they are long but well worth your time and are evidence of just how great theywere. Enjoy! 🎸

[@mick5590]

Best Drummer of all time also

[@X1xone]

In the studio version there are many layers of guitars that just can't be fully recreated live with just one guitarist.

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

Yup...not even a maestro like Jimmy on his double-neck.

[@rigelmoon9030]

Especially when half the band was totally wasted.

[@alanhigh8125]

This composition (calling it a "song" is just too simplistic) taps into some deep region within the human psyche. No other composition achieves this to the same degree. It really has a timeless, ethereal aspect to it. There's been nothing like it, before or since. I really think of rock music in terms of pre and post Led Zeppelin.

[@charlesyateschalfant]

This, IMHO, is much better than the live version. And yes, it may very well be the greatest rock song ever recorded. If not, what is? It is.

[@ethelynchristopher6995]

in general, I have found that the studio version of any song is usually the best version. For the most part much is lost when listening to many concert/live versions when you are not actual there to hear it because being there is an integral part of that experience.

[@libertylion6088]

Except for Stevie Ray Vaughn. ;)

[@richardmacdonald929]

Yes everything you said really enjoying your reactions it's okay to feel it

[@ezekielnow425]

For me this song not just nostalgic but being a preteen and having a cousin passing away and the feeling of being the younger brother and how much it meant having a close family. It's a feeling when listening to this song that no words can describe. Same for everyone else who grew up listening to this music.

[@ros73dros]

One major part of Led Zeppelin and their sound (live especially) is that it was 4 people. Every other attempt to recreate their sound (even by the surviving members ) requires many many many other musicians. Stairway to Heaven does take multiple listens. Then it gets in your head and then overplayed and then a parody. Then you take a break from it; and it grows on you again. In fact this is Led Zeppelin. One does start to see how they can made fun of or parodied. But then their genius just always takes over.

[@chrishickey7502]

Having Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton on stage with Jimmy was a great help.

[@eugenestandingbear6516]

The part you were digging was ,the galloping drum intro just immediately before the guitar solo. Bonzo staggers the beat so cleverly. Hard to follow at first listen carefully and you will hear the genius dynamic.

[@dianebertrand7199]

I love the studio version, like it crisp..

[@jmar7631]

Well, a lot of people say watching LZ live is better so don't bother with studio, so I understand why you went with live first. Don't need to apologize for that. But, as you've discovered, listening to the studio version first allows one to hear the song without distraction to appreciate all of its elements. Knowing the studio version of a song makes watching their live performance of it all the better because we can then soak up that whole vibe on its own merits, especially since they loved to improvise so much. I hope you give the live version another listen and find yourself enjoying it even more now. So glad you didn't skip the studio version and found yourself appreciating the song much more this time around. It's a great rock classic, to be sure. Thoroughly enjoyed your reaction. :)

[@robertasirgutz8800]

The live version is the Page and Plant show, which is great. But, there's something about the audio version.

[@normt6226]

When you've listen to the studio version for so many years...It act as a template support that makes you appreciate the live version way more than going cold feet with it...Live..Led Zep were a ''different'' beast...but still a beast...

[@tomenrico6199]

There is one more version you should hear. When Led Zeppelin was honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the band Heart performed Stairway to Heaven as a tribute. In front of the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin! And John Bonham's son sat in on drums. It's a great video.

[@samlawrence4670]

I wondered if you would change your mind this time round, it really is a great track and you are right the production on the studio version is something else. Led zeppelin live is great but they are just doing what they want and that can detract from the essence of some of their tracks.

[@albertoramirez6388]

I think you hit the nail on the head. You can tell the band were attempting to create something that was important. And on this song they truly succeeded.

[@vividness4202]

From around 10:40 Me smiling from ear to ear 😁 knowing you are about to get your head blown and surrender to the epicness 🥰 😆 My cheeks hurt and I love it.

[@famat161]

It's because he makes the guitar sound like church chimes. I am sure you have been made aware of the Wilson sisters who headlined a version that is memorable. It was finally of a tribute to LED Zep with the three living members sat front row balcony, center section. They were crying toward the end of "Anne & Nancy Wilson's, Saturday to Heaven". Notables were in attendance.

[@rolly869suzy]

I totally agree with you. I am in my mid 50's and grew up listening to all of this. I have nothing against live music but I think you miss a lot , I also have been watching a lot of people react to the music that I love and when I see it's a live version of something it kills me to know that they may not get the feeling that I got, we heard the songs first through the radio, the studio versions were how we were introduced to them, anyway, I am so happy to see younger people enjoying and appreciating the music I love,

[@anitapaulus937]

The part you like, it’s like an announcement, a heralding of what’s to come. I get why you like it.

[@TheWalterram]

masterpiece

[@VG-iq8xq]

It unquestionably thee greatest rock song ever. End of Story. Yeah I'm a life long Zep fan but I've had long spans of time where I wasn't into Stairway. Whether its hearing hundreds of times or something else but when you you come back to it, it's undoubtedly the king of all rock songs

[@vernhoke7730]

I'd hear this on the radio back in Jr high and was just impressed. It wasn't until I bought the album back then, cued it up, put on my headphones and laid back to listen that it became a true masterpiece. It wasn't until my Jr year in high school when I got Physical Graffiti and heard Kashmir through headphones that at that time it, to this day, became my favorite Zeppelin song.

[@juliemanarin4127]

They are simply magnificent! Pure magic! I'm sure happy that you really liked it! I think you will love the other side of the album!

[@waltmoryn48]

SalvoG , I've been listening to these guys since 1968. This is a "Masterpiece for the Ages" Zepps studio versions are better than live IMHO.I'm 74 and I never tire .Music is my drug and "Led Zeppelin" is my dealer.

[@sirrobin4394]

That's why I love original recordings so much. You get to hear the songs in their perfect state.

[@kathleencarey1978]

This was my ninth grade graduation song playing across the field of our middle school I was 15 years old we voted this song and I’ve been a zeppelin fan ever since rock on

[@teresakoslosky3053]

This is one of the first songs that they played in the AM radio back in the day! They only played shirt sings but when this came out and the likes of a Beatles tune, Hey Jude’. They had to play it all the way through!! We sure didn’t mind!!!! Rick and Roll!!