There is no questioning Jimmy Page’s legacy as a guitarist. In fact, there is no question Led Zeppelin full stop. They are the absolute pioneers of rock. An outfit that shaped the way guitars were plugged in, vocals were sung, drums were hit, and stings were plucked. Their sound lives on in every artist who takes to the stage, whether they know it or not.
The outstanding talent of each individual contributes towards their success. All members were absolute veterans in their chosen field, including Jimmy Page, who is still considered one of the best guitar players in the world to this day.
Choosing the best Led Zeppelin guitar solo is like trying to pick the best meal in a Michelin-star restaurant; there are a lot of choices, and they’re all good. Every rock fan in the world heard the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ solo and didn’t breathe throughout; they listened to screeching efforts put forward on ‘Whole Lotta Love’, and all pulled the same face as one another, and they all heard the intro to ‘Immigrant Song’ and started headbanging like it was a knee jerk reaction.
It’s interesting to consider whether people who make the art that we enjoy, after a while, are as stimulated by it as we are. There is no doubt that the first time Jimmy Page nailed a guitar solo, he was incredibly excited, but when you become an expert when playing a good solo becomes convention over an achievement, is it tough to recognise how good you are and still be excited by it?
It’s tough to know, but there is one Led Zeppelin album that Page looks back on and recognises as some of his best work. When Led Zeppelin returned in 1976 with the album Presence, their music wasn’t as riff-heavy but was undoubtedly the most complex they had ever sounded. It was this complexity that Jimmy Page got stuck into and that he looks back on fondly. He confesses he worked 18 – 20 hour days and managed to get all of the music done for Presence in just over three weeks.
Tracks like ‘Four Sticks’, ‘Ten Years Gone’ and ‘Achilles Last Stand’ are all very layered and incredibly impressive. Page confesses he still looks back at that album and admires his hard work.
“I’ve never been able to put on ‘Achilles Last Stand’ without thinking, ‘My God. I really was on fire there.’ The power in that song is just amazing.” Not only does the song evoke pride in himself, but it also brings out the best in his bandmates. “There’s a great narrative in the story that Robert was telling,” he said, “And Bonham’s drumming is out of this world.”
It’s hard to imagine Page’s mindset to his work. Once you have been responsible for so many great musical moments, there must be a risk of getting sick of them. However, some Led Zeppelin songs were so good, complex and layered that even Jimmy Page looked back and couldn’t help but smile.
