I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.
That's the music that I play at home all the time, Joni Mitchell. Court and Spark I love because I'd always hoped that she'd work with a band. But the main thing with Joni is that she's able to look at something that's happened to her, draw back and crystallize the whole situation, then write about it. She brings tears to my eyes, what more can I say? It's bloody eerie. I can relate so much to what she says. "Now old friends are acting strange/They shake their heads/They say I've changed."
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses deep admiration for Joni Mitchell's ability to capture emotions and experiences in her music.
In this quote, Jimmy Page reflects on the profound emotional impact that Joni Mitchell's music has on him. He appreciates her talent for not only personal reflection but also for articulating complex feelings and experiences in a way that resonates with listeners. Page highlights how the themes of change and the shifting nature of relationships in Mitchell's lyrics evoke strong feelings, demonstrating how music can deeply connect us to our own personal stories and emotions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Sharing the quote during a music appreciation class to highlight the emotional power of lyrics.
More from Jimmy Page
All quotes →Once I get onstage the tension explodes and I'm fine. I'm in another world - in a trance almost, doing what I love best, expressing myself through guitar.
I can communicate far better on a guitar than I can through my mouth.
I wanted to emulate music from America - young punks playing rock n' roll is what it was. I read part of Keith Richards' autobiography, and it was totally parallel with me, learning from American records.
I'm involved in all things musical. It's all consuming, even if it doesn't necessarily manifest as a record or a concert.
We were never a band that did 96 takes of the same thing. I had heard of groups that were into that kind of excess around that time. They'd work on the same track for three or four days and then work on it some more, but that's clearly not the way to record an album. If the track isn't happening and it creates some sort of psychological barrier, even after an hour or two, then you should stop and do something else. Go out: go to the pub, or a restaurant or something. Or play another song.
Similar quotes
Making a record? You've got to have the song, then you create a record. I think it's the same with a live performance. If the material is strong, you're already 90% there. I always tell young people it's all about the music, the songs. Work on the songs, work on the songs, work on the songs.
We've now got a whole generation of jazz musicians who have been brought up with hip-hop. We've grown up alongside rappers and DJs; we've heard this music all our life. We are as fluent in J Dilla and Dr Dre as we are in Mingus and Coltrane.
Since I was two years old, all I knew was gospel music. That music became such a part of my life it was as natural as dancing. A way to escape from the problems. And my way of release.
That happens every time I get behind a guitar, regardless of what I'm saying, 'cause music is freedom and being free is the closest I've ever felt to being spiritual.
If it screams truth rather than help, if it commits itself with a courage that it can't be sure it really has, if it stands up and admits that something is wrong, but doesn't insist on blood, then it's rock n' roll.
Music fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.