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The Led Zeppelin song that Geddy Lee said is his favorite one
Geddy Lee grew up listeningr to all kinds of Rock and Roll bands when he was a teenager and besides his love for the Progressive Rock groups he was also mesmerized by the power of the Hard Rock bands, including Led Zeppelin. He was lucky enough to have seen them playing live in the early days of their career when they went to Canada and were still playing in small theaters. That experience made him instantly become a huge fan of the group and his love for them only grew throughout the years.
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That influence can be certainly heard on Rush’s self-titled debut album and Lee always shared his love for the British band. He even revealed which is his favorite Led Zeppelin song.
The Led Zeppelin song that Geddy Lee said is his favorite one
Besides being a praised and influential bassist, Geddy Lee also studied about the subject, especially when he wrote the “Big Beautiful Book of Bass”. In that book, he told the story of the instrument and interviewed his famous peers. In a conversation with Rolling Stone in 2019 he was asked to list his “favorite bass songs”. One of them is “What It is and Never Should Be” released by Led Zeppelin on their second album “Led Zeppelin II” (1969). The musician revealed that it is his favorite song of the band when it comes to bass playing.
“There are so many songs I could choose from Zep that feature profound but understated bass playing, but this one is my fave. The way John Paul Jones changes gear, holds down the heavy bottom and adds terrific melody throughout the song. He is such a fluid player and all-round musical talent,” Geddy Lee said.
He is a huge fan of John Paul Jones and even had the chance to interview him for his book. Lee said that besides being one of his heroes, Jones is also a really nice guy.
The song mentioned by Lee was written by Plant and Page and was the second track of the album. Once again produced by Jimmy Page, the album was a commercial success. It was their first record to peak in the first position on the charts in the UK and USA.
Lee said it was a life-changing experience to watch Led Zeppelin playing live
To promote his autobiography “My Effin Life” in 2023, Geddy Lee talked with CBC (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) about how important was to see Zeppelin live. The musician said it was a life-changing experience that really changed his life.
“(Watching them) had a tremendous impact. Musicians talk about life-changing moments and I mean, lots of people talk about life-changing moments. It’s hard to take that expression seriously. But I can say in all honesty that for me and Alex Lifeson, my bff and my partner in crime for a million years. Also for John Rutsey who was our drummer at the time it was a life-changing experience.”
He continued:
“We sat there in the second row and Jimmy Page didn’t walk on stage. He floated on stage, I’m sure there was a cloud under his feet. It was such a profoundly intense Rock experience. The raptors were literally shaking and plaster was literally falling off the ceiling. They really brought the house down. It was a kind of Rock music that we had never really heard or felt in that way.”
“We went back home as three aspiring young goofs trying to be musicians. We wanted to be like them. So it changed our whole attitude on how we looked at Rock music. It really was that profound,” Geddy Lee said.
Led Zeppelin came to an end in 1980 after the tragic death of the drummer John Bonham at the age of 32. The group said that they couldn’t go on since Bonzo was a crucial element of the band’s sound. They have sold an estimated amount of 200 to 300 million records worldwide.
