‘Communication Breakdown’: The song that confirmed Jimmy Page as a genius
Anyone who had worked with Jimmy Page before he joined Led Zeppelin knew how much of a fantastic musical mind he had; however, it wasn’t until the success of Led Zeppelin that Page became a household name, and people worldwide recognised him for his genius. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when he was broadly recognised; however, the first time people ever heard Led Zeppelin, his talent was evident, and for many, this was ‘Communication Breakdown’.
Released in 1969 on the band’s debut album, Led Zeppelin, ‘Communication Breakdown’ perfectly represented everything that made the band stand out. Their sound was utterly undeniable from the very beginning. Even after their first band practice, Jimmy Page and co knew they had tapped into something special.
“We first played together in a small room on Gerrard Street, a basement room, which is now Chinatown,” said John Paul Jones, “There was just wall-to-wall amplifiers, and a space for the door – and that was it. Literally, it was everyone looking at each other – ‘What shall we play?’” Eventually, the band settled on playing a Yardbirds song called ‘Train Kept a Rollin’…. “The whole room just exploded,” recounted Jones.
When people heard ‘Communication Breakdown’ for the first time, as all four members of Led Zeppelin came together to provide a chaotic blend of rock and blues, they reacted similarly to Jones. The guitar playing alone is enough to cement Jimmy Page as a genius, but it goes a lot deeper than that, as Page not only wrote and played the guitar but was also responsible for the unique sound captured on the recording.
Page had been in a few bands before working with Led Zeppelin. He had seen moderate success with The Yardbirds and had a stint as the lead guitarist for Neil Christian and the Crusaders, but most of his professional career had been spent working as a session guitarist. Dabbling in different styles of music and playing in various studios meant he picked up several different tips and tricks that he went on to use in Led Zeppelin.
Page has previously explained how he would achieve the “guitar in a shoebox” sound that was present on ‘Communication Breakdown’. “I put it in a small room, a tiny vocal booth-type thing and miked it from a distance,” he said, “You see there’s a very old recording maxim which goes, ‘Distance makes depth’. I’ve used that a hell of a lot on recording techniques with the band generally, not just me.”
Page went on to discuss what a lot of guitar sounds on records were and why his technique stood out. “You’re always used to them close-miking amps, just putting the microphone in front, but I’d have a mic right out the back, as well, and then balance the two, to get rid of all the phasing problems; because really, you shouldn’t have to use an EQ in the studio if the instruments sound right.” He said, “It should all be done with the microphones… There aren’t too many guys who know it.”
In the early days of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page’s genius was on full display, not only in his guitar playing but also in the recording techniques he adopted to perfect the sound.
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