In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: still rockin’ after all these years

Okay, I’m starting off this blog really bad, by reprinting a prior post from on my other blog. But, it’s my blog, and besides, it was a good post.

Listening to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

August 27th, 2007

Those who know me will probably not be surprised that I listen to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fairly regularly. In fact, over the past 2 or 3 days, I’ve let it play a dozen or more times. Sometimes I rotate a number of Iron Butterfly cuts, but my all-time favorite has to be In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Now, I am aware that IAGDV has become somewhat of a rock joke due to it’s simple, repetitive bass/guitar riff and it’s utterly meaningless title. However, IAGDV shouldn’t be taken lightly.

There are, various myths about where the name came from, and I’m not sure anyone really knows the truth (perhaps not even the band members). My personal theory is that Doug Ingles, who mumbled everything anyway, was simply misunderstood as he sung what seems to have been the original lyrics, “In the garden of Venus.”

IAGDV is, of course, one of the rock classics. Released in 1968, the album on which the 17-minute song appeared (also named In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida) became the very first “platinum” album (the designation was actually created by the RIAA for this album). As far as I know, it was the first studio-recorded full-side rock song. It paved the way for other treats such as Rare Earth’s Get Ready and Uriah Heep’s Salisbury (other favorites of mine). Also, it is perhaps the only rock song that is identifiable by merely a measure or two of its drum solo.

Read the rest of the amazing article here.

And, to make up for the fact that this is not new stuff, check this out:

Great, huh?

~ by Alden on December 7, 2007.