"Stairway to Heaven" played in reverse (backwards masking)

[radhead]

Your claim can be very easily and readily dismissed, though, if parsimony means anything to you. There are ENDLESS examples of confirmed pareidolia-like phenomenon and absolutely none at all on the side you're arguing for.

People can believe what they want. Personally I think it's more irrational and unscientific to say that it's not happening. But that's my opinion.

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

That's a good point. But I do think that there is truth to things like Freudian slips or backwards talking. They are psychological phenomena.

I have had the ability to speak in reverse since I was a very young child. It's something I practiced and it just developed. I can say complete sentences in reverse (as if they were recorded backwards) to sound like they would on a reverse playback. I've seen other musicians doing the same thing. It's not that far fetched to me to think that our subconscious could create our own messages this way.

So in your own words, at best, this whole thing could reflect some sort of "subconscious" message in the minds of band members (this meaning of subconscious, by the way, is not accepted or used by mainstream and modern psychologists except in movies and on the Dr. Phil show).

Even if I granted that, pareidolia in the minds of listeners is still far more likely and parsimonious, considering there's plenty of evidence to demonstrate it actually occurs and occurs often. Unless there is something in these songs that can't be explained by known theories, there's no reason to add to them.

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

People can believe what they want. Personally I think it's more irrational and unscientific to say that it's not happening. But that's my opinion.

Please detail the scientific concepts that demonstrate either of your claims:
1) The satanic nature of the messages in the music when played backward.
2) The "subconscious" influences in the minds of Led Zeppelin band members that allow them to write lyrics forward that sound like references to Satan when played backward. Be sure to offer explanations of why you must prime yourself with the proposed backward lyrics before you can actually "hear" them.

You must do this in a way that presents a case that is demonstrably more parsimonious than pariadolia as an explanation, e.g., that there are aspects of this Led Zeppelin recording that cannot be accounted for by the explanation of pariadolia, but can be explained by your theory. If you can do this, you might actually have a basis to assert your own explanation as more rational and scientific.

I'm getting sick to death of these threads, rad.

 

[Niels]

When I was a teenager, I reversed a cassette recording of Stairway to Heaven and a bunch of other songs. Only Stairway contained apparent backmasking. Deliberate pareidolia inducing sounds may have been intentionally worked into the track by either the band or the recording engineers. If I was around in the early '70s, the whole "Paul is Dead" phenomenon would have been fresh in my mind. It's not unreasonable to think that I might have wanted to experiment with it as a practical joke, and perhaps use it as a gimmick to sell more albums. An audience of role playing, ren faire attending, LOTR reading types would probably lap it up and ask for more. The concept is sufficiently cryptic and appealingly spooky to appeal to a certain demographic.

 

[radhead]

1) The satanic nature of the messages in the music when played backward.
2) The "subconscious" influences in the minds of Led Zeppelin band members that allow them to write lyrics forward that sound like references to Satan when played backward. Be sure to offer explanations of why you must prime yourself with the proposed backward lyrics before you can actually "hear" them.

I don't understand the difference in the two questions. But here are the basic facts.

1. Jimmy Page was deeply into the occult. This may have put fear into Robert Plant's mind, especially given the fact that they were incredibly huge international superstars, almost overnight.

2. The following verse from the song really doesn't make much sense even played forward: "If there's a bustling in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. It's just a spring clean for the May queen." Most of the lyrics in their others songs had a lot more sense to them.

If you are so tired of this thread, why wouldn't you just dismiss it?

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

I don't understand the difference in the two questions. But here are the basic facts.

1. Jimmy Page was deeply into the occult. This may have put fear into Robert Plant's mind, especially given the fact that they were incredibly huge international superstars, almost overnight.

2. The following verse from the song really doesn't make much sense even played forward: "If there's a bustling in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. It's just a spring clean for the May queen." Most of the lyrics in their others songs had a lot more sense to them.

If you are so tired of this thread, why wouldn't you just dismiss it?

So, in other words, you cannot justify your claim that your ideas are a more rational and scientific explanation than pareidolia. You merely enjoy asserting the asinine and calling it something prettier.

Fear, cryptic lyrics and interest in the occult in no way support your idea that the "spirit world" is putting a message into the music. If you think your assertions are more rational and scientific, I'm afraid you don't know what either of those words mean.

 

[radhead]

So, in other words, you cannot justify your claim that your ideas are a more rational and scientific explanation than pareidolia. You merely enjoy asserting the asinine and calling it something prettier.

Fear, cryptic lyrics and interest in the occult in no way support your idea that the "spirit world" is putting a message into the music. If you think your assertions are more rational and scientific, I'm afraid you don't know what either of those words mean.

So far, no one has provided anything very substantial to support the opposite. You just seem to be saying that the imagination can play tricks with the mind. I agree with that. So what? A lot of people hear the messages on this recording without any prior knowledge of it. To me, that makes this case quite unique. I think there has been some good stuff posted here supporting my claim.

 

[radhead]

Another fact:

The concert documentary about Led Zeppelin, the Song Remains the Same, shows Jimmy Page performing a gesture that was supposed to summon the chief demon. Something he learned from Aleister Crowley's book of Magic. He does it repeatedly in his violin/guitar solo. The crowd roars each time, but I doubt they even know what he's doing. I would post it here, but I don't think it would be appropriate to show. It would be very easy to search for, though.

 

[catzrfluffy]

!ereh ni ecnetnes sid etirw ot dah tsuj enoemoS

 

[Apollo Celestio]

If I never listen to it, it'll never matter.
Good route.

What exactly is the power of satan's music?

 

[Frater Chad]

The concert documentary about Led Zeppelin, the Song Remains the Same, shows Jimmy Page performing a gesture that was supposed to summon the chief demon

What sign and which demon (not that it matters at all)?

 

[radhead]

What sign and which demon (not that it matters at all)?

Satan. The gesture is sort of bending down and pointing upward.