If there’s one word that best describes Led Zeppelin, it is ‘swagger’. Arguably, there has never been a rock outfit quite so swashbuckling, with each of the four members bringing something vital to the band dynamics. In turn, they made the genre more pulsating than ever before, paving the way for many other ubiquitous categories today.
Oozing cool from the moment they formed in 1968, there’s no real surprise that Led Zeppelin rose to prominence so quickly. Not only did they seamlessly form out of the ashes of one of the era’s most influential groups, The Yardbirds, but by the end of the decade, in just two short years, they had usurped The Beatles as the most exciting act on the planet. In fact, Led Zep even broke the record set for the highest concert attendance.
Whilst Led Zeppelin were also masters in the live setting, the confident prowess of their records underpinned everything they did. Although each member – frontman Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham – were all unrivalled in their skillset, it was guitarist Jimmy Page who had a defining impact on their trajectory. Not only was this by the power of his musicianship but also because he was the bandleader and principal songwriter. It was his vision they were following all along.
One of the greatest guitarists of all time, many moments affirm why Jimmy Page is so revered. Whilst the likes of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and ‘Achilles Last Stand‘ will always be deemed amongst his finest efforts, according to Page, there is one song that demonstrates his “swagger” more than any other.
According to the guitarist, ‘The Rover’, taken from the 1975 album Physical Graffiti, offers the best example of Led Zeppelin’s style. The song started as an acoustic number, but it took on a hard rock guise when recorded at Stargroves for the 1972 record. Ultimately, the track wasn’t included on the album, but after Page added several guitar overdubs in 1974, it eventually found its place.
It was also a track that Page believes showcases the “swagger” of his guitar playing best. “The whole thing about ‘The Rover’ is the whole swagger of it, the whole guitar attitude swagger,” he told Rolling Stone. Page then namechecked Link Wray as the artist who conveyed the attitude he wanted to capture on ‘The Rover’.
“I’m afraid I’ve got to say it, but it’s the sort of thing that is so apparent when you hear ‘Rumble’ by Link Wray,” he explained. “It’s just total attitude, isn’t it?”
Page added that he thinks the attitude featured on ‘The Rover’ is something he was born with. “So that sort of [attitude] is sort of probably in my DNA, to be honest with you,” the guitarist said.
Listen to ‘The Rover’ by Led Zeppelin below.