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What Is and What Should Never Be

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For other uses, see What Is and What Should Never Be (disambiguation).
"What Is and What Should Never Be"
Song by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin II
Released22 October 1969 (1969-10-22)
RecordedJanuary 1969
StudioOlympic, London
GenreHard rock[1]
Length4:47
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Producer(s)Jimmy Page

"What Is and What Should Never Be" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and was included as the second track on Led Zeppelin II (1969).

Composition and recording

"What is and What Should Never Be" was one of the first songs on which Page used his soon-to-become trademark Gibson Les Paul for recording.[2] The production makes liberal use of stereo as the guitars pan back and forth between channels. Robert Plant's vocals were phased during the verses. Record producer Rick Rubin has remarked, "The descending riff [of "What Is and What Should Never Be"] is amazing: It's like a bow is being drawn back, and then it releases. The rhythm of the vocals is almost like a rap. It's insane — one of their most psychedelic songs."[3]

This was also one of the first songs recorded by the band for which Robert Plant received writing credit. According to rock journalist Stephen Davis, the author of the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, the lyrics for this song reflect a romance Plant had with his wife's younger sister.[4]

Live performances

"What Is and What Should Never Be" was performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts between 1969 and 1973. A live version taken from a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970 can be seen on the Led Zeppelin DVD.[5] Another was included on disc two of the live triple album How The West Was Won.[6] Two more versions were included in BBC Sessions.[7]

Personnel

Cover versions

Main article: List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs

References

  1. ^ Christman, Ed (January 9, 2019). "Led Zeppelin At 50: Every Zep Song, Ranked By Revenue Generated". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  2. ^ Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  3. ^ "Fifty Artists Pick Their Personal Top 10s". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15.
  4. ^ Stephen Davis, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, New York: William Morrow & Co., 1985, ISBN 0-688-04507-3.
  5. ^ Led Zeppelin DVD (DVD One notes). Led Zeppelin. Atlantic Records. 2003. R2 970198 – via Discogs.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "How the West Was Won - Led Zeppelin". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Led Zeppelin – The Complete BBC Sessions". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  8. ^ Welch, Chris (2001). John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums. San Francisco, California: Backbeat. p. 177. ISBN 0-87930-658-0.
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