John Paul Jones’ three favourite Led Zeppelin songs of all time: “A great showpiece”
Ask any rock fan purist, and they will tell you that one of the most criminally underrated musicians in the genre’s history is John Paul Jones. A powerful performer on the bass but a more measured musician than he is ever given credit for, Jones has often evaded the taglines his bandmates received. The bassist for Led Zeppelin, among other major compositional roles, Jones has often evaded the taglines his bandmates received.
Jimmy Page is well noted as one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived, given the keys to the pantheon of rock and roll some decades ago. Equally, John Bonham is widely regarded as, at the very least, the most powerful drummer ever, but most obviously as the most potent rock drummer who ever lived. Robert Plant also operates with the understated nonchalance of a world-class singer and is a rock and roll icon who can never be tarnished. But, for some reason, Jones is never really given his dues.
It’s a crying shame because, without Jones, Led Zeppelin would be nowhere. The bassist is one of his generation’s most melodic players and should be considered a true pillar of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it. Thanks to his time working within the London scene during the 1960s rock boom, his opinion is one we trust more than most. Naturally, his most comfortable position is talking on the band for which he operated as the lynchpin.
Jones is a talent that can be heard throughout Zeppelin’s catalogue and particularly on the songs he selected as his favourite as part of an interview with Swedish TV back in 2003. Within the conversation, Jones picks out a few songs that he calls his favourite. For all the members of the group, there are a certain run of tracks which will always be considered among the finest they released.
Of course, he was happy to pay tribute to the brilliance of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ but also noted the brilliant ‘Kashmir’ as a standout track from Physical Graffiti, calling the song “a great showpiece” and a “very theatrical, grand gesture.” ‘Kashmir’ is considered the ultimate Led Zeppelin by most of the group members.
When pressed for his favourite song, he turned his attention to ‘Kashmir’ once again, sharing his appreciation for the song’s construction without noting his integral part in the creation. It’s a track that has been picked by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page as one of their favourite Led Zeppelin songs. But, where the others have often left it at that, Jones also shared a few others that he would call his favourites. “The atmosphere on ‘When The Levee Breaks’ is amazing,” he tells the interviewer.
Much of that atmosphere comes directly from the recording. Captured in a stairwell to gather that muffled and echoing drum sound, Bonham is powerful and commanding on every beat—so much so that Page and co built the song around it.
Another one of Jones’ favourites is the brilliant ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’, the bassist recalls: “The way the rhythm [section] comes in — the way the drums come in is just magical, that changing of gear.” During an interview, Rush bassist Geddy Lee picked out Jones and this song, in particular, as sheer brilliance: “There are so many songs I could choose from Zep that feature profound but understated bass playing,” and admits, “This one is my fave.”
On ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’, Jones shines brighter than ever. Lee shares his appreciation for the bassist: “The way John Paul Jones changes gear, holds down the heavy bottom and adds terrific melody throughout the song. He is such a fluid player and all-round musical talent.” It’s a piece of musicianship that picks Jones out as a master of his craft and a unique Led Zeppelin fan.
John Paul Jones favourite Led Zeppelin songs:
- ‘Kashmir’
- ‘When the Levee Breaks’
- ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’
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