OCD Chronicles: Led Zeppelin "In My Time Of Dying"

So I had to go to a funeral, which means that I had to pack music for the drive even though I’ve got an infant in the back seat that likes to talk and a four-year old next to her that likes to talk and a wife next to me that would rather talk to a four-year old and an infant that hear me talk. It’s because I usually say shit like “You know what album I haven’t heard in twenty years that’s really good is Devo’s Freedom Of Choice.” By the time I explain to her “It’s the one with “Whip It” on it.” She’s already singing “B-I-N-G-O” with the kids.
So I turn on the stereo and sing to my own shit, and for this trip I packed Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti. I packed it for two things: because I know the wife has heard the song “Kashmir” and she’s always complaining that I never bring any music that she’s ever heard of. The other reason was because we were going to a funeral and all I kept thinking about was “In My Time Of Dying.”
When it came on (song three, side one, for those of you who remember the gatefold vinyl version), I turned up the stereo beyond the level of acceptance and got “the horns” from my old lady. Strangely enough, she left it at an acceptable level despite the topic and for reasons that I can only ponder that it was because….she likes Led Zeppelin.
And who doesn’t?
Well, I suppose if you’re a dj that has to man the obligatory “Get The Led Out” segment on the old heavy repeating playlist, you probably do, which is a damn shame because radio programmers need to be shot.
Seriously: if there’s one thing about Physical Graffiti that I know it’s that there are a long more songs from it that classic rock radio needs to consider.
“In My Time Of Dying” is one of them.
If my wife likes “In My Time Of Dying” then who’s to say that the audience classic rock radio is trying to capture (read: 18-34 males who drive Ford trucks through the Hardees drive thru on their way to the titty bar) wouldn’t like that song either. Sure, it’s not a very happy tune, but neither is “When The Levee Breaks” and I’m sick to fucking death of that one.
So I’m totally grooving on Page’s badass slide work on “Dying” while Plant’s going “Oh my Jesus! Oh my Jesus!” over and over which makes me put on my rock and roll professors hat and explain to my wife that the part at the end where Robert goes “Cough” after somebody coughs was removed on initial cd pressings of Physical Graffiti. That deletion brought about an uproar from Led Zep fans who wrote Atlantic Records to complain about the omission. All subsequent pressings have that infamous exchange.
Now every time I sing “Cough” ala Robert Plant, the SLF knows exactly what I’m talking about.
There’s hope for her yet, I suppose.