Achilles Last Stand
| "Achilles Last Stand" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Led Zeppelin | |
| from the album Presence | |
| Released | 31 March 1976 |
| Recorded | November–December 1975 |
| Studio | Musicland, Munich, Germany |
| Genre | Hard rock[1][2] |
| Length | 10:26 |
| Label | Swan Song |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
| Audio sample | |
"Achilles Last Stand"[nb 1] is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1976 album Presence. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Page's house in Malibu, California, where they stayed for a month while Plant was recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident in Greece in 1975. The song was then recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. It is often seen as a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal sound that would expand soon after.[3]
Overview
"Achilles Last Stand", at 10 minutes and 26 seconds, is the third longest studio recording released by Led Zeppelin (after "[In My Time of Dying#Led Zeppelin version|[In My Time of Dying]]" at 11:06 and "Carouselambra" at 10:34). It features John Bonham's drumming, John Paul Jones' bass line (played on a Hagstrom 8-string bass, later played live on an Omega III eight string bass hand-built by Bruce Becvar of Alembic) and Jimmy Page's overdubbed orchestral guitar arrangement (the dozen or so guitar tracks having been recorded in Munich in a single session). Page applied vari-speed during production of this song to speed up some of the guitar overdubs,[4] one of the few times he employed that device in the studio for Led Zeppelin songs.[5] In 1977, he explained:
I'll tell you about doing all the guitar overdubs to "Achilles Last Stand." There were basically two sections to the song when we rehearsed it. I know John Paul Jones didn't think I could succeed in what I was attempting to do. He said I couldn't do a scale over a certain section, that it just wouldn't work. But it did. What I planned to try and get that epic quality into it so it wouldn't just sound like two sections repeated, was to give the piece a totally new identity by orchestrating the guitars, which is something I've been into for quite some time. I knew it had to be jolly good, because the number was so long it just couldn't afford to be half-baked. It was all down to me how to do this. I had a lot of it mapped out in my mind, anyway, but to make a long story short, I did all the overdubs in one night ... I thought as far as I can value tying up that kind of emotion as a package and trying to convey it through two speakers, it was fairly successful.[6]
It has been suggested that the title of the song was originally supposed to be known as "Wheelchair Song" as an acknowledgement of Plant's broken ankle which caused him to fear he would never walk again, and which was a result of a car accident. Lyrically, the song was inspired by Plant's experiences in Morocco, where he and Page travelled following Led Zeppelin's 1975 Earl's Court concerts.[7] Plant specifically refers to Morocco's Atlas Mountains in the line: "The mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the Earth".
Live renditions
"Achilles Last Stand" became an integral component of almost every Led Zeppelin concert from their 1977 tour of the United States onwards. Though Page initially expected that he would need to use his Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar to play the song live, he realised that it was possible to use the Gibson Les Paul (or occasionally his Fender Telecaster).[7] One live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Knebworth in 1979 is featured on disc two of Led Zeppelin DVD. The "Achilles Last Stand"'s riff was also used in the 'San Francisco part' in "Dazed and Confused", as seen in the 1976 concert film The Song Remains The Same.
Page and Plant performed the song twice during their mid-1990s reunion. Page has mentioned that this song, like several others the band recorded which involved guitar overdubs, was quite challenging to adapt for live performances on stage:
"Achilles" is the classic one. When Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards came to hear us play, Keith said, "You ought to get another guitarist; you're rapidly becoming known as the most overworked guitarist in the business." Quite amusing. There are times when I'd just love to get another guitarist on, but it just wouldn't look right to the audience.[6]
Reception
In a contemporary review of Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone believed Bonham's "furiously attacking [drumming]" to be the lead instrument in "Achilles Last Stand", until Page tires of chording under Plant and takes over."[8]
In a 2011 review of Presence by Classic Rock Review, the site gave "Achilles Last Stand" a positive review, calling the song the album's "tour de force", further describing the track as "a true journey" from start to finish. However, they believed the song was a little long, writing it becomes repetitive near the end. They believed it would've worked better at seven minutes rather than ten and a half.[9]
In a retrospective review of Presence (Deluxe Edition), Andrew Doscas of PopMatters described "Achilles Last Stand" as the band's "last true epic".[10] Doscas writes "between Bonham’s heart attack-inducing drumming, Page’s incendiary guitar play and Plant’s hypnotic shrill singing, the opening track is more of a cold opening, one where Led Zeppelin is firing on all cylinders with no need for introduction."[10]
Personnel
- Jimmy Page – guitars
- Robert Plant – vocals
- John Paul Jones – eight string bass guitar
- John Bonham – drums
Cover versions
Notes
- ^ The apostrophe, which should rightly be in the phrase "Achilles' Last Stand" in correct English, is not present in this song title.
References
- ^ Milward, John (2013). Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues). UPNE. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-5555-3744-9.
Jimmy Page was a master of orchestrating pulverizing hard rock songs like "Achilles Last Stand"
- ^ Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8.
"Achilles Last Stand," a hard rock number featuring manic drumming by Bonham
- ^ Bream 2010, p. 195.
- ^ Schulps, Dave (1993). "Interview with Jimmy Page". Guitar World. Iem.ac.ru. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
- ^ Tolinski, Brad; Di Bendetto, Greg (January 1998). "Light and Shade". Guitar World.
- ^ a b Schulps, Dave (October 1977). "Interview with Jimmy Page". Trouser Press. Iem.ac.ru. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ a b Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9. [page needed]
- ^ David, Stephen (20 May 1976). "Led Zeppelin: Presence". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Presence by Led Zeppelin". Classic Rock Review. WordPress. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ a b Doscas, Andrew (10 September 2015). "Led Zeppelin: Presence (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
Bibliography
- Bream, Jon (2010). Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3955-8.
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