Well I started working on this idea for a Zeppelin cover, “When the Levee Breaks” quite some time ago. I had recorded, done some rough mixes and then pretty much shelved it until this past week. I had some downtime and was listening back to some of the older files I still had on my computer. After listening to it for the first time in what was probably over a year ago, I thought it would be a neat idea to redo the whole mix from the ground up.
It starts out pretty close to the song, a little stripped down in some respects (and completely the opposite in others). No I didn’t set up a drum kit in a room and try to mike it from downstairs in a hall. If I had John Bonham in the flesh, then maybe that would’ve worked, but I didn’t, so I had to make do. To be honest, I really didn’t want drums really to begin with. I tried to reach some balance between the original song and Zeppelin cover, that nonetheless was different and unique in its own accorrd. That was what made the Zeppelin version so great. The fact that it really sounded nothing like the original, but still carried the emotions of the lyrics to a whole new level. Now I kept a number of elements in this version, because I liked the song and wanted some continuity. After the two verses run through without a break(the original has a fairly lengthy harmonica solo, as well as a guitar solo and one of the longest intro’s ever…) the sections don’t line up at all with the original. The solo section I did in the middle has the same droning guitars but the arrangement and the sections surrounding it could be another song if it wanted.
I think it’s sadly ironic that I came back to work on this right around the time Hurricane Ike is poised to bring its wrath on the Gulf coast region. But I will say now, that was entirely coincidental.
Anyways without further ado here is the link to the mp3. Enjoy.
