Zeppelin and the Occult

There are organizations, which teach you to speak backwards, and at th same time appear to be making sense. There have also been studies saying that listtening to backward messages have an effect on your mind, and it is apparently possible, because it is rather clear in Stairway to heaven.

Rob The Plant wrote: There are organizations, which teach you to speak backwards, and at th same time appear to be making sense. There have also been studies saying that listtening to backward messages have an effect on your mind, and it is apparently possible, because it is rather clear in Stairway to heaven.

I would like to say two things here

Bull sh*t

Or is that one?

James Lee wrote: I'll second that! Come on, now. It would take years of dedication just to speak backwards with any intelligibility. Micheal J. Anderson had to attend a school just to learn to speak his dozen or so lines as the 'man from another place' (or, more familiarly, the 'dancing midget') in "Twin Peaks", and the results are barely satisfactory...they still had to include subtitles. And they were only barely understandable words in one direction, not both! And does anyone really have any concern or fear of occult power? The only thing that Satanism or Black Magic has ever been responsible for is making people act like fools...and that doesn't require any demonic dark power. I'm as big a fan of spookiness as anyone, but whatever mysterious forces exist out there are not making themselves known via a blues-rock band.

well said

Rob The Plant wrote: I've also read some sort of Evangelicist thing, saying that Stairway to heaven is a pro God song, and the backwards message is a warning against Satan.

Starway to heaven, frontwards is not even close to being in line with biblical teachings. There is no piper calling you to Christ, period.

And bye the way Rob your assesment of people teaching others to write and talk backwards are accurate. One of the biggest proponents of this idea was A. Crowley to whom plant is a devotee. He lives in his house.

I don't think the messages are intentional though. Why anyone would say "my sweet satan" font or backwards is beyond me.

Michael

mikedevilsfan wrote:   And bye the way Rob your assesment of people teaching others to write and talk backwards are accurate. One of the biggest proponents of this idea was A. Crowley to whom plant is a devotee. He lives in his house. Michael

I thought Page lived in Crowley's house.

Reed Lover wrote: mikedevilsfan wrote:   And bye the way Rob your assesment of people teaching others to write and talk backwards are accurate. One of the biggest proponents of this idea was A. Crowley to whom plant is a devotee. He lives in his house. Michael I thought Page lived in Crowley's house.

Your rite is Page, I mis-spoke.

Page also owns an occult bookstore.

Michael

Reed Lover wrote: mikedevilsfan wrote:   And bye the way Rob your assesment of people teaching others to write and talk backwards are accurate. One of the biggest proponents of this idea was A. Crowley to whom plant is a devotee. He lives in his house. Michael I thought Page lived in Crowley's house.

Page sold Crowley's Loch Ness house years ago, unless you are talking about another one I dont know about.  Also, I dont think Plant was into any of that stuff.  For Page it was an intensely personal thing that he rarely shared or foisted on others - some 'imaginative' biographers thought this was why Page remained untarnished throughout the 1970s while the band and its entourage were showered with misfortune ( with the notable exception of JP Jones who rarely partook in any of the band's rampages).

Looking forward to Page's autobiog, (which he's apparently writing at the moment), for a little clarification.  He claims he's going to "set a few things straight...". 

Lets face it, it would be no surprise if it turned out Zeppelin had contrived the reverse satanic passage, given their reputation for 'hell-raising'.  No doubt the CIA had a file on them (as they did with other unruly agitators such as Hendrix), and probably ensured the 'myth' got out and spread.  What would be freaky and certainly interesting is if Page knew about the lyrics, but Plant didn't!!!  Remember once producer Jimmy hit the mixing desk, nobody was allowed in...

All:

I'm going to move this thread to "discussions not related to music," although it is tangentially related to music.

In the meantime, let's not forget that, long before Zeppelin et al, The Beatles played around with backward messages.  One of the "clearest" is John's seemingly nonsensical "mzzzmzzzmmzzmm" in between Piggies and Blackbird on the White Album.  If played backward, it most definitely says "Paul is dead, miss him, miss him, miss him."  I have actually heard the clip played in a recording studio, using high-tech equipment, and there is no question whatsoever that that is what is being said.  However, it should be noted that it has no meaning at all when played correctly; it's simply noises.

There are also at least half a dozen hidden backward messages in Revolution 9.  However, as with the one noted above, most if not all of these only "work" because what is being played "forward" makes little if any sense.

For something to have clear meaning in the "forward" direction and clear - or even nearly clear - meaning in reverse, it would, as some point out, take an enormous amount of "fritching" in the studio.  As someone else pointed out, the labor it would take to make something work in both direction clearly, would be a monumental task.

Still, I must admit that, if the second clip is in fact a non-fritched version of the original clip, it is quite spooky...

Peace.