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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that Led Zeppelin is my jam. Zep was my gateway to rock and roll and Jimmy Page is one of the main reasons I’m playing guitar today (and why I’m a little bit obsessed with Gibson Les Pauls).
As a result, I’ve listened to lots of Led Zeppelin covers over the years. Honestly though, I’ve never heard anything quite like this.
Guitar World reposted this clip of Marcin Patrzalek’s take on “Kashmir” today. Before I start gushing with the superlatives, I’m going to let the clip speak for itself:
Next level, right? As Guitar World’s Matt Owen recounts:
“After driving the iconic guitar riff along with the a thundering kick drum and snare snap provided by booming right-hand slaps, Marcin shifts up a gear with a dizzying display of his prolific playing skills, executing a number of high-speed percussive drum lines and melodic strums.”
The grand finale sees Marcin race through a flurry of blink-and-you'll-miss-them two-hand taps as the mesmerizing performance is wrapped up in style.”
It’s a seriously impressive interpretation of the Zep classic; unashamedly virtuosic, but never losing sight of the melodic grounding of the original.
Marcin’s take has been getting plenty of love from guitar playing legends as well. Tom Morello’s christened him #HogawartsAxeslinger, which is high praise indeed considering Mr. Morello’s penchant for mindbending guitar pyrotechnics.
If Mr.Patrzalek seems familiar, you might recognize him from the 2019 season of America’s Got Talent, where he reached the semi-final. He also won Must Be the Music in his native Poland back in 2015.
You can check out more of Marcin’s music on his YouTube channel, which features originals, as well as rearranged covers, like this unique and beautiful take on System of a Down’s “Aerials”:
…And this epic, 7+ minute runthrough of Metallica’s opus, “Master of Puppets”:
Watching Marcin rip though those tracks has got me thinking: what are the best acoustic interpretations of pop and rock songs out there?
There have been some great acoustic versions of full-band songs over the years. Tommy Emmanuel’s joyous Beatles medley – which features sections from"Here Comes The Sun", "When I'm Sixty- Four", 'Day Tripper", and "Lady Madonna".- immediately comes to mind.
And sticking with the legendary Mr. Emmanuel, this gorgeous cover of the Carpenters’ “Close to You” must surely also be a contender:
But what are your picks? Let us know your favourite acoustic takes in the comments section. Oh, and if you have any renditions of your own that you’re particularly proud of, why not share them with us as well? We’d love to hear what you’ve been working on!
It’s safe to say that some of the most influential musicians in the 1960s came from Britain. The list sure backs up that fact: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Peter Green, Richie Blackmore, John Lennon, George Harrison, and I can go on and on and on...
Notice, though, that I said musicians, not just guitarists. There are many heroes to be found for every instrument, particularly with our focus for this piece: the drums.
I’m not sure what the origin of this particular instrument was (though we may find out later), but maybe it was a crafty guitarist who thought: “You know what’s better than six strings? Double! Twelve strings!”
This story likely isn’t true, but the 12-string guitar is valuable in any guitarist's arsenal. With its thick, bright, and lush sound, the instrument has been a staple in most styles of music since its inception.
From being found in the wash to being left on counters and desks to being counted with change out of a guitarist’s pocket, guitar picks are the definitive proof that the holder undoubtedly plays the instrument.
But as omnipresent as they are, how many guitarists have pondered the history of the pick itself? Who are they? What were they doing?
