Jimmy Page’s Guitar Sound Reminded Him of ‘Water Nymphs Coming Through’ on 1 of Led Zeppelin’s Classic Songs
Jimmy Page created dozens of signature guitar moments with Led Zeppelin. He once said he found something cool in all guitar playing, but most players would want to perform like him. That is easier said than done on most Led Zeppelin songs, including the one where Page said his guitar sound reminded him of water nymphs.
Jimmy Page’s guitar-playing style is nearly impossible to copy
A few bands are near-consensus picks for the classic rock Mt. Rushmore. The Beatles are one. Led Zeppelin is another, and Page once revealed his thin connection to how The Beatles got their name.
Where the Fab Four reinvented pop music during their career, Page redefined guitar virtuosity with Zeppelin. His raw blues riffs, soaring and intricate solos, and multi-layered compositions, including the Led Zeppelin song he calls his baby, are totally unique. It’s why other players call Page’s style the toughest to copy.
Page created several guitar highlights in Led Zeppelin, but one of their classic songs is his “water nymph” tune.
Page said his guitar sound on ‘No Quarter’ reminded him of water nymphs
Zep vocalist Robert Plant revealed his love for fantasy through his lyrics, especially the references to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga. Page shared a fascination with fantasy and the occult, too.
The guitarist lived in Aleister Crowley’s former home in Scotland, and he also broke away from a shared vacation with Plant to check out one of Crowley’s former properties in Sicily. Page also said his guitar riff and tone on “No Quarter” from 1973’s House of the Holy as something fantastical and otherworldly.
“My sound reminded me of water nymphs or something coming through,” Page said, according to Centennial Media’s Legends of Music Spotlight: Led Zeppelin.
Water nymphs are creatures of Greek mythology, so no one knows what kind of sounds they make. In Page’s head, though, his guitar sound resembles water nymphs coming through the speakers, and we can kind of hear it.
The main riff he plays has a tone that somehow sounds like it’s emerging from a stream and beads of water are sliding off it. Page’s controlled solo that fits perfectly into the song is very fluid and aqueous; at one point (about 4:25 into the song), a dual tone segment almost sounds like mythical creatures crying out from the depths.
‘No Quarter’ remains one of Led Zeppelin’s best songs
Page said his guitar work on “No Quarter” reminded him of water nymphs. He had quite a bit of help from John Paul Jones, though. His shimmering keyboard added to the aqueous effect Page heard in the song. Page provided fine guitar work, as usual, but the song was a Jones composition, and it’s one of his finest Led Zeppelin moments.
“No Quarter” stands out on Houses of the Holy. Its unique sound stands out, but it’s also a complete departure from the tone of the rest of the album, which was bright, playful, and at times optimistic. It stood out from the songs surrounding it in the best possible way, and it’s one of Led Zeppelin’s best songs.
We don’t know what a water nymph might sound like, but Jimmy Page said his guitar sound on “No Quarter” sounds like mythical creatures to him.
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