Thursday March 4, 2021 “Stairway to Heaven” Anne and Nancy Wilson and lots more.

Shame on me, I am not a fan of Led Zeppelin and pretend I can play guitar but don’t even know the classic intro for “Stairway to Heaven”, which is such a mainstay for beginning guitarists that most guitar stores have signs posted that say “No Stairway!”, really.

 Having said that, I ran across another of those Kennedy Center Honors concerts, remember Aretha doing “Natural Woman”, and this one was for the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.

 What really caught my attention was that this performance of “Stairway” was being done by the Wilson sisters, from the band Heart.  Ann Wilson is one of the great voices in rock & roll, in a world of cliches I would listen to her sing the phone book and her sister Nancy is one of the truly underrated and under appreciated guitarists...here’s her work on the intro to “Crazy on You” which many guitarists wont even attempt

 And there are some really fun parts of this video beyond the amazing performances of the Wilson sisters.  To start, the late John Bonham’s son Jason was certainly making his dad proud with his remarkable drum work and check out the look of approval on Jimmy Page’s face as the guitarist rips through his solo and I am pretty sure I saw Robert Plant wipe away an approving tear.

 Then there’s the choir, the strings, the horns, it bordered on the religious, I guess it was a stairway to heaven.  And the assembled group after the song included the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Black and lots more I didn’t know.

 Stay safe and well...and yes, it almost makes me a Led Zeppelin fan, almost.

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed

With a word she can get what she came for.

Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

 There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure

'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

 Ooh, it makes me wonder,

Ooh, it makes me wonder.

 There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,

And my spirit is crying for leaving.

In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,

And the voices of those who stand looking.

 Ooh, it makes me wonder,

Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

 And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,

Then the piper will lead us to reason.

And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,

And the forests will echo with laughter.

 If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,

It's just a spring clean for the May queen.

Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run

There's still time to change the road you're on.

And it makes me wonder.

 Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,

The piper's calling you to join him,

Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know

Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

 And as we wind on down the road

Our shadows taller than our soul.

There walks a lady we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turns to gold.

And if you listen very hard

The tune will come to you at last.

When all are one and one is all

To be a rock and not to roll.

 And she's buying a stairway to heaven