| "Kashmir" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Led Zeppelin | |
| from the album Physical Graffiti | |
| Released | 24 February 1975 |
| Recorded | 1974 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 8:37 |
| Label | Swan Song |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Featured on their sixth studio album Physical Graffiti (1975), it was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with contributions from John Bonham over a period of three years with lyrics dating to 1973. John Paul Jones was late arriving to the studio for the recording sessions, so did not receive a writers credit.
The song became a concert staple, performed by the band at almost every concert after its release. It has been described as one of Led Zeppelin's two most overtly progressive epics (the other being "Stairway to Heaven"). [1]
Page uses a guitar tuning of D–A–D–G–A–D, which he had used for the instrumentals "White Summer" and "Black Mountain Side". [3] [4] The song combines different rhythmic meters: the guitar riff is in triple meter, while the vocal is in quadruple meter. [5] Plant felt that the drumming was an important component of the song and that Bonham did not overplay his part. [6]
Page recorded a demo version with drummer Bonham late in 1973, when John Paul Jones was late for the recording sessions. Plant later added lyrics and a middle section; in early 1974, Jones added orchestration. [6] [4] Session players were brought in for the string and horn sections [4] and Jones added a Mellotron. [7]
The lyrics were written by Plant in 1973 immediately after Led Zeppelin's 1973 US tour. [4] None of the group members had visited Kashmir. [8] Instead, Plant was inspired during a drive through a desolate desert area of southern Morocco. [6] [4]
"Kashmir" was played live at almost every Led Zeppelin concert after its debut in 1975. [9] A version from Knebworth in 1979 appears on the Led Zeppelin DVD (2003). [10] The surviving members performed the song at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988. [11]
Page and Plant recorded a longer, live version, with an Egyptian/Moroccan orchestra for No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (1994) [12] and performed the song with an orchestra on their 1995 tour.
Led Zeppelin, with John Bonham's son Jason on drums, performed "Kashmir" at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at The O2, London on 10 December 2007. [13] That rendition – released on Celebration Day in 2012 [14] – was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance at the 56th Grammys. [15] "'Kashmir' actually isn't that difficult", Page remarked during rehearsals for the show. "But it helps to have a drummer who understands the part and a bass player who can play bass with his feet. Sometimes it sounds like John's got three feet. It's intense." [16]
All four members of Led Zeppelin have agreed that "Kashmir" is one of their best musical achievements. [7] John Paul Jones suggested that it showcases all of the elements that made up the Led Zeppelin sound. [6] Led Zeppelin archivist Dave Lewis comments:
Unquestionably the most startling and impressive track on Physical Graffiti, and arguably the most progressive and original track that Led Zeppelin ever recorded. "Kashmir" went a long way towards establishing their credibility with otherwise skeptical rock critics. Many would regard this track as the finest example of the sheer majesty of Zeppelin's special chemistry. [4]
In a retrospective review of Physical Graffiti (Deluxe Edition), Brice Ezell of PopMatters described "Kashmir" as Physical Graffiti's "quintessential track". [17] Ezell called "Kashmir"'s "doomy ostinato riff and rapturous post-chorus brass/mellotron section" as "inimitable moments in the legacy of classic rock". [17]
The song is listed highly in a number of professional music rankings:
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Rock | US | "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time" [18] | 1995 | 20 |
| Classic Rock | UK | "Ten of the Best Songs Ever!!.. (Bubbling under)" [19] | 1999 | 23 |
| VH1 | US | "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time" [20] | 2000 | 62 |
| Rolling Stone | US | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" [21] | 2010 | 141 |
| Rolling Stone | US | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" [22] | 2021 | 148 |
| Blender | US | "Standout Tracks from the 500 CDs You Must Own" [23] | 2003 | * |
| Q | UK | "1010 Songs You Must Own!" [24] | 2004 | * |
| Q | UK | "Ultimate Music Collection - Rock" [25] | 2005 | * |
| Q | UK | "100 Greatest Songs of All Time" [26] | 2006 | 74 |
| VH1 | US | "VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" [2] | 2009 | 21 |
(*) designates unordered lists
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart [lower-alpha 1] | 80 |
| Swiss Singles Chart [27] | 64 |
| US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart [28] | 42 |
| US Billboard Hot Digital Tracks Chart [29] | 49 |
| Canadian Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart [30] | 33 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI) [31] | Gold | 15,000* |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [32] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
The 1988 Schoolly D song "Signifying Rapper", which samples "Kashmir", was the target of lawsuits following its use in the 1992 film Bad Lieutenant . [33] In 1994, Page and Plant successfully sued Home Box Office to have the song removed from televised showings of the film [34] and Live Home Video and distributor Aries Film Releasing were ordered to destroy any unsold copies of Bad Lieutenant as part of a copyright infringement ruling. [35]
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin: [36]
Footnotes
Citations
References
"Misty Mountain Hop" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in 1971 by Atlantic Records. The song appears on the band's untitled fourth album, and was released as the B-side to the single "Black Dog" and performed in most of the band's 1972 and 1973 concert tours. In 2019, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 10 on its list of the 40 greatest Led Zeppelin songs.
"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the first track on the band's untitled fourth album (1971), which has become one of the best-selling albums of all time. The lyrics contain typical bluesman themes of lust, eroticism and betrayal. The song was released as a single and reached the charts in many countries. It is "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks", and was included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (US), and ranked No. 1 in Q magazine's (UK) "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks".
"Rock and Roll" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released as the second track on their fourth studio album in 1971. The song contains a guest performance by original Rolling Stones' pianist and co-founder Ian Stewart. In 1972, American music critic and journalist Robert Christgau called it "simply the most dynamic hard-rock song in the music."
"Trampled Under Foot" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. A funk-influenced piece with John Paul Jones on clavinet, it was included on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The song was released as a single in several countries and was frequently performed in concert.
"Four Sticks" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their untitled fourth album. The title reflects drummer John Bonham's performance with two sets of two drumsticks, totaling four.
"Since I've Been Loving You" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in 1970 on the album Led Zeppelin III.
"No Quarter" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin that appears on their 1973 album Houses of the Holy. It was written by John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant. The song became a centerpiece at all Led Zeppelin concerts thereafter, until their final tour. It appears in both the film versions and both live album versions of The Song Remains the Same, released in 1976 and expanded in 2007. It appeared once more in 1994 on Page and Plant's reunion album as the title track. It also appears on Led Zeppelin's 2012 live album Celebration Day, which documented their 2007 reunion performance at the O2 Arena in London. It was re-released on the deluxe edition of Houses of the Holy.
"The Rover" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin written by guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant. Although mostly recorded years earlier, it was released on the group's 1975 double album, Physical Graffiti.
"The Ocean" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy. The ocean is a metaphor for the "sea of heads" faced by lead singer Robert Plant "in the auditoriums", according to the group's biographer Dave Lewis.
"In the Light" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The song was composed primarily by bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones on synthesizer, though singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page also received songwriting credits.
"The Rain Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released in March 1973 as the second track on their fifth album, Houses of the Holy.
"Ten Years Gone" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Record producer Rick Rubin has described the song as, "A deep, reflective piece with hypnotic, interweaving riffs. Light and dark, shadow and glare. It sounds like nature coming through the speakers."
"All My Love" is the sixth song on Led Zeppelin's 1979 album In Through the Out Door. Credited to Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, it is a rock ballad that features a synthesizer solo by Jones. It was written in honour of Plant's son Karac, who died while Led Zeppelin were on their 1977 North American tour.
"Thank You" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their second studio album Led Zeppelin II (1969). It was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, and produced by Page.
"Fool in the Rain" is the third song on Led Zeppelin's 1979 album In Through the Out Door. It was the last single released in the US before they formally disbanded in 1980. The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 16 February 1980.
"Sick Again" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. It was written by singer Robert Plant. The song is about a group of teen groupies, which Plant referred to as "L.A. Queens", with whom the band were acquainted on their 1973 US Tour.
"Down by the Seaside" is a ballad by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.
"Houses of the Holy" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 sixth album Physical Graffiti. The name of the song was used as the title of the band's fifth album, although it was not included on that album; they decided the song did not fit well with the other album material, so it was moved to the subsequent release.
"The Wanton Song" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth studio album, 1975's Physical Graffiti. It was developed from a jam session during rehearsals.
"Custard Pie" is the opening track on the English rock band Led Zeppelin's sixth album, Physical Graffiti, released in 1975.
