Down by the Seaside

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"Down by the Seaside"
Song by Led Zeppelin
from the album Physical Graffiti
Released24 February 1975 (1975-02-24)
RecordedFebruary 1971 [1]
Studio Island Studios, London (Studio One) [1]
Genre Country rock [2]
Length5:16
Label Swan Song
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jimmy Page

"Down by the Seaside" is a ballad by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti .

Contents

Overview

The song was originally written as an acoustic piece by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Bron-Yr-Aur, the cottage in Wales where they went after their 1970 concert tours of North America. [3] [4] It was then recorded in 1971 as an electric arrangement and was intended for release on Led Zeppelin IV but was held over and eventually placed on Physical Graffiti to complete the double album.

The title may be a reference to the Neil Young song "Down by the River" and the somewhat nasal inflection in Plant's vocals may be an homage to Young's distinctive voice. [4] The song alternates between soft and hard-rocking sections and changes in tempo, with the lighter sections employing a tremolo effect on the guitar, or possibly by running it through a Leslie speaker, to give an 'underwater talking' feel. John Paul Jones plays a Hohner "Electra-Piano" electric piano on the track. "Down by the Seaside" was never performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts. [4]

Plant later recorded "Down by the Seaside" as a duet with Tori Amos for the 1995 Led Zeppelin tribute album Encomium .

Reception

Ultimate Classic Rock writer Michael Gallucci ranked "Down by the Seaside" at number 66 (out of 92) on their list of every Led Zeppelin song ranked. [5] Another UCR writer, Eduardo Rivadavia, ranked the song the ninth best on the album, calling it a "wistful fantasy awash in trembling guitars and bluesy electric piano breakdowns." [6]

Spin ranked the song at number 53 on their list of every Led Zeppelin song ranked, writing that "amidst the epic brutality of much of Graffiti, it's a highly welcome respite." [7]

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin: [1]

Cover versions

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 406.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Physical Graffiti – Album Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Sutcliffe, Phil. "Back to Nature", Q Magazine Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 34.
  4. 1 2 3 Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN   0-7119-3528-9.
  5. ↑ "All 92 Led Zeppelin Songs Ranked Worst to Best". ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti' Songs, Ranked Worst to Best". ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  7. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (29 September 2014). "All 87 Led Zeppelin Songs, Ranked". Spin . Retrieved 8 March 2024.

Bibliography

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