You know that coming-of-age song that every time you hear it your heart beats faster, your body softens and you feel all juicy inside? For me it’s Led Zeppelin’s “A Whole Lotta Love.” Since I’m a California Girl and was a teen during the late 60s and early 70s, you might think my song would be a Beach Boys number such as “Good Vibrations” or “Surfer Girl.” But those were too tame for me. I loved the hard rock rhythms of Zeppelin, Cream, Hendrix and The Doors. Haunting lyrics, driving drum beats and high guitar riffs were for me.
Point Loma High 1973
Here’s a new mosaic inspired by “A Whole Lotta Love” that I created for the “Artistic Melodies” show at Inspirations Gallery.
“A Whole Lotta Love”
I also wrote a poem inspired by the song. It’s too hot to print the whole piece on my G-rated blog, but here are a few lines:
I sing along,
lie back on
the waterbed,
close my eyes,
let the music
vibrate over
my body
and I’m ready
for a whole lotta love.
What are your favorite coming of age musicians or songs?
I would have graduated high school in 1979 and so I’m a little after you. I just love that picture of you in 1973 though. I was raised on folk music like Carole King, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and show tunes like My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof and ANYTHING Barbra Streisand did. When I could pick my own music I gravitated towards The Eagles, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, Beach Boys, and Bonnie Raitt. I loved some of the “popular” Zeppelin songs but they were too hard rock for me as a whole. You would have gotten along with my husband great because he loved all the music you loved. It’s fun to talk music, even though I’ve always felt like a dork in that department, never cool enough to like the harder rock bands. Oh well…. sigh…
Leslie,
My sister and I used to hold up pretend microphones and sing along to Carole King and Joni Mitchell. We played them over and over again on our phonograph, one of my fondest childhood memories. See I wasn’t really that cool either.
LOVE that photo of you Jill! Wish I could show you mine!
I LOVE all the James Taylor/Carol King songs……….
I love Carol King too. Since you are a fabric artist you probably really LOVE Tapestry! Look closely at the back of the album it says “Tapestry hand-stitched by Carole King.” On the front she is holding a tapestry and her kitty is there with her. How cool is that?
And after learning and playing Fur Elise with stick fingers, I begged my church lady piano teacher to allow me to play something popular. She allowed me to learn Carol King’s “You’ve got a Friend,” which I played and sang with all my heart! But, I still love Robert Plant’s voice and his album with Allison Krauss is fantastic. Yes, you are adorable with your long blonde hair parted down the middle. I had a similar style, only brown. Ah, I loved the early and mid ’70s.
Oh, I loved that whole Tapestry record and played it over and over. I’ll need to find that album with Allison Krauss! Thanks for the tip.
Love your picture! But I have to say your photo on your book is my favorite. Living so near the water, you couldn’t help being a California Girl!
Yes, I was quite the beach bunny! In high school I walked down to the beach all the time. Now I rarely go.
Santana did it for this Latina. In high school it was Motown over Folk by far. Then, as I got older and “around”, Santana was the sound track of good times. Oh that high pitched wailing guitar, ora lay Carlos!