In the third episode of the podcast, we discuss songs about fools. Whether it’s Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools,’ The Fab Four’s ‘Be careful who you love, don’t fall in love’, or Led Zeppelin’s ‘What a fool believes’, you’ll find some great music to help you remember what it’s like to be a fool.
Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools’
The new movie Genius: Aretha has just released the first track from its soundtrack: Aretha Franklin’s Chain of Fool. Written by Don Covay and performed by Cynthia Erivo, the song is available to download from Amazon and major digital music stores. In addition to Cynthia Erivo, the soundtrack features performances by Terence Blanchard, Courtney B. Vance, and more.
During her career with Atlantic Records, Aretha Franklin incorporated her gospel background into her music. In the late 1960s, Gospel became more of a defining element of R&B and Soul music. In particular, Franklin exhibited powerful vocals and heightened emotions on her songs. She also frequently used call-and-response arrangements with backup singers. Her gospel roots were evident throughout her career, including Chain of Fools.
Don Covay was Franklin’s labelmate at Atlantic Records. As a child, he performed gospel music with his family. Later, he was asked by Redding to write material for him. Eventually, the two recorded a duet on the song, which soared to #14 in the US.
Fab Four’s ‘Be careful with a fool’
This album is not a perfect example of the Fab Four’s sound, but the elements of their style are present. Initially, the band used studio elements, which would eventually dominate their music. The band was also influenced by Bob Dylan, whose songs on this album influenced them to develop their own sound.
Led Zeppelin’s ‘What a fool Believes’
‘What a fool Believes’ is the third Led Zeppelin album to chart in the UK. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time. It starts gently with acoustic guitar before building to an exhilarating climax, which includes a long electric guitar solo. The lyrics, which were written by Jimmy Page, are mystical and aimed at creating a sense of mystery, and the album’s cover art features four runic symbols. The song’s mystical imagery became part of the band’s image and sound.
Although this album does not make a major breakthrough, it is a classic Led Zeppelin album and one of the most influential in rock history. It is also one of the band’s heaviest releases to date and was inspired by Jeff Beck’s ‘Truth’. ‘What a fool believess’ is a solid, hard-hitting album that shows both sides of Led Zeppelin’s music – the good and the bad.
The band’s first two albums were mainly acoustic, but they began to branch out into loud, electric music. ‘What a fool Believes’ and ‘Black Dog’ are examples of songs in this style. During their boozy period, the band seemed to play whatever came to their heads.
‘Fool in the Rain’ is another classic Led Zeppelin song. It’s about a man who is waiting for his lover to come home. He gets caught in a storm but does not care – he thinks that his lover will come back soon. But once he gets home, he realizes that he has been a fool. This song’s lyrics perfectly capture the image of a man standing in the rain while holding on to hope.
As far as albums go, Led Zeppelin never released a bad studio album. Their ‘What a Fool Believes’ album has two of the best Zeppelin tracks and five others to boot. The only problem with this album is that it is not the best Zeppelin album. ‘Achilles’ Last Stand’ is a masterpiece. This song is one of Zep’s last great masterpieces. It also features an excellent riff.
The song was written by Michael McDonald and produced by Ted Templeman, who also played drums. Michael McDonald wrote the original version, but Ted Templeman encouraged him to keep working on it. But when he got stuck in the bridge, he decided to bring in Kenny Loggins. Kenny Loggins’s version of the song was released five months before the Doobie Brothers’ version.
“What a fool believes’ is a good, catchy track, but there are some parts of the song that aren’t that catchy. Despite its title, the song is ten minutes long, and it’s hard to listen to it in one sitting.
“The Crunge'” contains the only moment of genuine humour in Zep’s music. Plant shouts out, “I’m just looking for the bridge.” Jimmy answers, ‘I haven’t seen the bridge, and the pair continue to search for it.” Eventually, they finally find the bridge and a relationship is reborn.