The Crunge

"The Crunge" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy. The song is a takeoff on James Brown's style of funk similar to the group's attempt at reggae with "D'yer Mak'er".[1] It was also released as the B-side of "D'yer Mak'er" in the US.

"The Crunge"
German single picture sleeve
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Houses of the Holy
A-side"D'yer Mak'er"
Released17 September 1973 (1973-09-17) (US)
Recorded1972
StudioHeadley Grange, Headley, England
GenreFunk rock
Length3:10
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"Over the Hills and Far Away"
(1973)		 "The Crunge"
(1973)		 "Trampled Under Foot"
(1975)

Composition and recording

The song evolved out of a jam session in the studio. John Bonham started the beat, John Paul Jones came in on bass, Jimmy Page played a funk guitar riff (and a chord sequence that he had been experimenting with since 1970), and Robert Plant started singing.[2][1] For the recording, Page played a Fender Stratocaster guitar and it is possible to hear him depressing a whammy bar at the end of each phrase.[2]

Reception

In a contemporary review for Houses of the Holy, Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone gave "The Crunge" a negative review, calling it a "naked imitation", along with "D'yer Mak'er", as well as "easily" one of the worst things the band has ever attempted.[3]

Fletcher added, "[It] reproduces James Brown so faithfully that it's every bit as boring, repetitive and clichéd as 'Good Foot'. Yakety-yak guitar, boom-boom bass, astoundingly idiotic lyrics ('when she walks, she walks, and when she talks, she talks') — it's all there. So is Jones' synthesizer, spinning absolutely superfluous electronic fills."[3]

See also

References
  1. Lewis, Dave (1994). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  2. "Jimmy Page Interview with Guitar World". Guitar World. May 1993. Retrieved 16 June 2021 – via Classicrockreview.
  3. Fletcher, Gordon (7 June 1973). "Houses of the Holy". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
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