The Chairman

I can think of countless on-stage moments with Page that resonate with me: How can one forget the first time they saw Page manhandle a piano during that Bathtub intro?  I'm still not right from that. I always loved when the band left you alone with Page for some good quality time at the end of Coil. I vividly remember being entranced by his God-like voice the first time I heard Strange Design in 1995, shit had me shook. The same with Wading in the Velvet Sea (and I was taking a lot of ecstasy at the time that was heavy in the rotation - a powerful pairing). I loved, particularly, watching him during the days of the funk (think Tube) as so many people could be deceived into thinking that much of those funky rifts were Treys - but the senior member of the group was actually the one killing that shit. We used to shit ourselves when Page stood, and went up top to the "little fatty", his analog synthesizer and just go to work. Live, what Page does on a nightly basis is absolutely incomparable.....and I would like to submit one song, and one song only, to make this point - MAZE!!!

BUT, in general, when speaking of Page, and his almost indescribable value, it has so much to do with how different he made the band. There were few, if any, rock bands I was listening to at the time who had a legitimate pianist (who could croon with the best of them) in the group. Listening to the albums when it all began it was their unique compositions that were so enticing. Think about rocking Reba off of Lawn Boy, and what Trey and Page do with that chase segment where they go back and forth (and during "the chill" - fughetabout it!). Mind-blowing! And think of the album Rift! (Oh shit, here he goes again, going on about Rift). This album sounds like no other rock album ever made (it's truly hard to place this album in one specific genre without qualifications - as it is with Junta, Lawn Boy, and Nectar). We already mentioned Maze but think about It's Ice, Mound, and the title track where page and Trey essentially chase each other off a cliff with that whirling piano battling the crescendo'ing guitar. Fucking Christ. I mean Got Damn!

Continuing to speak in general terms I feel that Page is someone who early on challenged me more than most of the band. What Trey is doing is pretty much right in your face and fucking god-like. Jon is always better than you think he is but he is a freak-octopus, I get it. Mike - well, I'm gonna leave that alone. But, I feel that the more I went to shows and watched Page the more I was able to figure out his overall contribution to the sound, which is massive. And that wasn't really easy. It took training your ear, a whole lot of psychedelic drugs and a couple hundred shows to understand the glory that is LEOOOOOO!!!!. Also, in terms of his vocal capabilities he made so much possible. I am laughing to myself thinking of anyone else in the band trying to rock Zeppelin, VU's Rock n Roll, etc!!

I'm gonna take a breath. Maybe take a minute and rock Cars, Trucks and Buses, or Magilla, or rock a 2001 to hear him set the entire tone of the track with that Fender Rhodes of his. Or dig into a DIVIDED SKY when at the 7 minute mark and beyond it is none other than Page who builds that shit up till you feel your head is gonna fucking EXPLODE!!!!!!.....

Anyways, How comforting has it been, all these years, to have the elder-statesman holding down the left flank? When is the last time you heard him make a mistake? He is the rock that you could always count on. The "normal one" to ground yourself when the whole place was full of freaks. He is Page McConell - the greatest rock keyboardist that has ever walked Planet Earth. He is the motherfucking Chairman of the Boards.

Happy 50th to an all-time great.