Communication Breakdown

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"Communication Breakdown" is a track by English rock band Led Zeppelin taken from their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. It was one of the first songs that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant worked on together.

Structure

The pounding guitar riff was played by Page through a small, miked Supro amplifier throughout; and ran his Fender Telecaster through a fully closed Vox wah pedal to create the "guitar in a shoebox" sound on the lead. "Communication Breakdown" is also one of the few songs that Page sang a backing vocal on.

Live history

The song was a popular live number at Led Zeppelin concerts, and was the only song to be played during every year that the band toured. It usually either opened shows or was played as an encore.

"Communication Breakdown" was the last song performed in the year of 1975 and 1979 for the band at Earls Court, May 25th 1975 and Knebworth, August 11th 1979.

Recordings

In the US, the track was released as the B-side of the single "Good Times Bad Times".

On the Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions, released in 1997, this song was featured three times, each with a slightly different improvisation by the musicians. Two live versions taken from performances at the TV program Tous En Scene in Paris in 1969 and at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970 can also be seen on the Led Zeppelin DVD. "Communication Breakdown" is also one of the few Zeppelin songs in which the group did a proper lip-sync video for which is also available on the Led Zeppelin DVD.

Cover versions

While still in his old band Ibex, future Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury covered the song at the band's gigs.

In 2006, Australian hard rock band Wolfmother covered the song during the induction of Led Zeppelin into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and continue to play it at live shows.

Led Zeppelin parody cover band Dread Zeppelin recorded a version of this song on their album Rock'n Roll.

Iron Maiden covered this song. It's a B-Side song on their single Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter. It also on their compilation album Best of the B'Sides.

The Flaming Lips also covered the song on their Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid compilation, as did Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, on his 1997 album In the Name of My Father - The Zepset.

The song was also covered by the Jeff Healey Band on the album Cover To Cover which features many more classic song covers; it is an instrumental version featuring John Popper on harmonica in place of vocals.

Sources

• Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
• The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9