L: Hg, Cd, As, Cr, Tl, Pb

Congratulations and aren't you a smarty pants if you recognised that the title of this post uses the chemical symbols for heavy metals.

That is because this letter's reason to be cheerful is a form of heavy metal, namely Led Zeppelin. Contrived? Moi?

The Zeppelin LZ Hindenburg catching fire
on May 6, 1937 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station
 in New Jersey.

I would argue that strictly speaking Led Zeppelin are not classic exponents of heavy metal, there is a lot else that goes on in their music, not least a lot of fiddly, jiggly folk music. Even so, when they do turn the volume knob up to 11 they are a powerful force and are cited as influences for many heavy metal bands.

I think the reason I like them is because it's not all heavy, heavy, there is that folk music influence alongside blues music and a lot of psychedelia.

I liked Led Zep before I liked punk music and although blokes with long hair and loon pants were supposed to be the antithesis of everything that punk music stood for I liked Led Zep all the time I probably wasn't meant to.

Long since disbanded, Led Zep still mean something to me, which surely is a reason to be cheerful.

The piece of music I've chosen to go with this post is, not surprisingly, by Led Zeppelin, but maybe not the most obvious piece. It's called Down by the Seaside and there's a bit of a country music feel to it. See what you think.

• Question: Do you think Led Zeppelin are heavy metal? Do you care? Does putting labels on music make the slightest difference?

* Picture of a burning Zeppelin by Gus Pasquerella [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons