“Custard Pie”: Led Zeppelin performed the filthy song live just once.
Criticizing a single composition by Led Zeppelin almost seems sacrilegious. Hard rock, after all, is what gave rise to punk, metal, and even glam; without it, these genres could never have been. Although Led Zeppelin is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, its renowned discography was not without its problems. Jimmy Page’s band was behind numerous dubious projects, even if they might be best known for ground-breaking songs like “Communication Breakdown” or “Stairway to Heaven.”
Since Led Zeppelin’s founding in 1968, Page and company have worked to set the band apart from other rock groups of the day. While the majority of the rock world was mostly focused on counterculture hippies and the early seeds of
It was more difficult for Led Zeppelin to stay at the top of the rock scene by 1975 since they were by no means the first band to embrace a hard rock sound. Even though the group had already released a number of amazing albums, including as Led Zeppelin III, House of the Holy, and an untitled fourth studio album, they were always trying to improve their sound. The publication of Physical Graffiti was the outcome of this progressive invention.
The song “Kashmir,” which became one of the band’s signature songs and a staple of their live shows, is frequently associated with the album. Nevertheless, “Custard Pie,” the first song, is sometimes overlooked. To be honest, it is
The song included a myriad of antiquated views toward sex and was allegedly inspired by numerous classic blues songs, such as Sleepy John Estes’ “Drop Down Mama” and Bukka White’s “Shake ‘Em On Down.” It is understandable to be critical of the song’s outmoded quality now, almost 50 years after it was released, but even in 1975, one would have to assume that fans found it a bit too much.
Only one live performance of the song by Led Zeppelin indicates that the band was aware of the song’s polarizing potential. Shortly before Physical Graffiti was released, the band premiered several songs from the album live in Rotterdam, including the unusual songs “Custard Pie” and “Kashmir.” Either the music stayed up or
The song was only ever played live once, ten years after Led Zeppelin broke up, at the son of drummer John Bonham’s wedding, where the remaining members of the band got back together to play. Even yet, the song was only heard briefly during a longer jam session. It might be wise to leave some music in the past.
