Music: Stairways to Heaven

"Stairway to Heaven," the Led Zeppelin song everyone has heard, reminds me of two distinct memories. The first was hearing it for the first time during a nighttime drive over the mountains near Lake Tahoe. As the eerie peaks stretched into the night, and our rental car ascended winding mountain slopes, it wasn't hard at all to picture the abstract goings-ons that the song's lyrics suggest.

The second thing that flashes into my head is the DVD extra from the film "Almost Famous." Since they couldn't get the license for "Stairway" in time for the theatrical release, they cut a scene where the entire song is played, without interruption, and the characters on-screen react to it. It's a riot: