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Fans Album Reviews For:
LED ZEPPELIN
(15 reviews sent in so far)
Led Zeppelin (4) | Led Zeppelin II (5) | Led Zeppelin III (2) |
Led Zeppelin_IV (aka ZOSO) (3) | Houses of the Holy (1) |
LED ZEPPELIN
by Darius Henry
July 23, 2009
Rating: 9.0
The first Led Zeppelin album is a classic album. It is the first taste we have ever got
from them and it turns out to be a great album. Of course with all the other great albums
they would release later, this would not be their best album. But it is certainly one of
the best debut albums of all time. It has a mixture of Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Blues,
Folk, and so many others. Many people felt as this is the early Heavy Metal record. I
disagree as I never felt they were a Heavy Metal band, but just a great Rock & Roll
band. With a vocal like Robert Plant; Jimmy Page guitar skills that just as good as
Hendrix; Jimmy Paul Jones bass and keyboard style; and great drumming by John Bonham, you
will get a great band.
This album starts off with Good Times, Bad Times. Its a great Hard Rock
song with a fantastic riffs and great vocals. Plus the solo is great in this song. The
next song, Baby Im Going to Leave You, is a fan-favorite, but I
personally think its overrated. Its a very good Folk song, but I always felt
it has its Latin influence in this song, which is great. The guitar work is great and I
love the drums in this. But there is something about it that makes me bored with this
song. Then they made a very good Blues cover of Willie Dixons You Shook
Me. Its a very good song. Excellent organ work on this song. Not one of my
favorite, but still a good song. This song would lead to the best song on this album;
Dazed and Confused. Its really a Psychedelic song, but it definitely has
a major influence on Heavy Metal. Great hard-hitting guitar work, the vocal performance,
fantastic bassline and a hard-hitting drumming is what make this song one of the best
songs on here.
Your Time is Gonna Come is one of my favorite on here. I love the organ on
this song. It sounds like it could work on a Soul/R&B song. I personally feel this is
one of the best vocal performances by Plant. Then it leads to folky Black Mountain
Slide. Its a great instrumental song with the only member on this song being
Jimmy Page on guitar. A guy named Viram Jasani played a table on here. The next song,
Communication Breakdown is a classic Hard Rock song. Great riff and great
drumming is all I have to say. There is something about this song that I love very much
and its the solo. I love every minute of this song. I Cant Quit You
Baby is my least favorite on this album. Its a good Blues Willie Dixon cover.
But this song doesnt excite me as other songs on here. The last song, How Many
More Times, is a perfect song to end this album. Though it was suppose to be a Blues
song, I hear more Jazz throughout this song than Blues. Great drum beat and bassline that
definitely a Jazz-influenced. Great 8 minutes song with a great riffs and solo.
Led Zeppelin is the first of their many accomplished. Like I said, to me they werent
really a Heavy Metal band, but they did have a major influence on the genre. They were
still just a great Classic Rock band who played a wide variety on music, including Folk
and Blues. This is the first reason why Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands of all
time.
LED ZEPPELIN
By JT
February 20, 2005
Rating: 7.5
I will start by saying that I am not the biggest Zeppelin fan ever, but I do like this
first album, pretty good. Jimmy Page took rock 'n roll in a new heavy direction laying the
groundwork for heavy metal which I dislike. At the same time on this album, Page plays
some good blues. The rhythm section of John Bohnam and John Paul Jones is very strong
(Bohnam being the star of the show countless times on this album). But the biggest problem
I have with the band is Robert Plant. Plant's voice just irritates me.. But the music does
make up for it.
The album has some good rockers like "Good Times Bad Times" which starts off the
album nicely and a good solo by Page. But then we take a sharp turn straight into
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" which is kind of a stupid song. It's also a rip-off
(In fact, a lot of the songs on this album Page ripped off) Page's acoustic guitar is nice
in the beginning, but begins to get dark and dreary and dull. Plant's voice is pretty bad
too. Howling Wolf's "You Shook Me" is more like it with some of Page's best
playing on the album and John Paul Jones' organ. We all know "Dazed and
Confused" and above all it is a good song. A good hook even though it's a little
dreary for my tastes and the song is an old blues rip-off. Page plays some good stuff and
some odd violin bow stuff. But the song goes on a little too long (and I'm a big fan of
jamming). Side two has the beautiful Jones' organ starting the catchy "Your Time is
Gonna Come" and the odd twang before "Black Mountain Side" an interesting
number with Page playing some open tunings and Bohnam playing tablas. However,
"Communication Breakdown" is a TERRIBLE song. I'm sorry if you like it, but I
hate it! To me, the song is just masturbation by all members. Page's solo is not
interesting at all, Plant's voice sucks, and the other two members just play fast without
dynamics. It's the beginning of Heavy Metal and I don't like it. "I can't Quit You
Babe" is another Howling Wolf number but not as good as "You Shook Me".
"How Many More Times" is a rip-off song, but a good nonetheless. Good playing by
the band and Page. Good dynamics, the song finishes off the album nicely.
Above all, a good album, but not great. Unfortunately, this was their best
album and everything else they did went downhill. If you're a blues purist, you probably
don't want to check this stuff out.
LED ZEPPELIN
By: Jack Flash
December 17, 2004
Rating: 9.0
Led Zep's first album, released in January of 1969, is a classic album that was a sign of
the great things to come. Though it has a different, sort of bluesier feel to it than the
group's later masterpieces, such as II, Zoso, Houses Of The Holy, and Physical
Graffiti, it is still a great meeting of minds (or musicians, as you would have it).
Though it may not have a truly firm identity.
The album kicks off with "Good Times, Bad Times," one the greatest short hard
rock tunes ever recorded. I always get chills whenever I hear Page's solo there.
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is next, a great acoustic song with a heavy feel to
it. "You Shook Me" follows, a fantastic blues cover with the whole band at the
top their game- Page plays an awesome, high flying blues/rock guitar, showing why in 1969
nobody could touch him, while Plant adds a unique, versatile vocal as well as a good blues
harp as John Paul Jones contributes his heavy bass and keyboards. And how can I forget
John Bonham, who shows why he was the greatest drummer ever here and throughout the album.
"Dazed And Confused," a bit of a strange song, closes of the A-side well. A lot
of fans really like this song, and though Page gets in some killer licks, the song fails
to excite me too much. Leading off the B-side is one of the most harmonically luxurious
songs I've heard to date, the power ballad "Your Time Is Gonna Come," using
Jonsey's keyboards as the centerpiece. After that it's "Black Mountain Side," a
short little instrumental that features some fantastic acoustic playing from Page. And
just when you've been mellowed out and relaxed from the last two songs, the classic head
banger "Communication Breakdown" explodes into your ears. Another blues cover,
"I Can't Quit You Baby" is next; it sounds a lot like "You Shook Me"
and isn't quite as good. The album finishes of an a great note, though, with "How
Many More Times." After a jazzy-feeling intro, Page's guitar kicks in with that
filthy riff and for the next 8 minutes the group puts on a show, with Page's guitars and
Plant's vocals flying all over the place and Bonham going crazy.
Led Zeppelin would continue to do that for the next 10 years, and do it well- and this
album is certainly a fine indication that they would.
LED ZEPPELIN
By Andrew
April 14, 2003
Rating: 9.5
What a great debut. With this, Zep began their reign as the greatest band of the 70's and
managed to usher in an entire new genre of music known as heavy metal. While it's not
heavy by today's standards, this album came out in 1969 (and I wish I had been alive when
it did come out). 'Good Times, Bad Times' does exactly what a lead off song should, it
kicks the album into high gear. 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' is a great acoustic song and
hints at what the band will do later on in their career with acoustic songs. 'You Shook
Me' is a great blues cover, except the guitar drags on at the end of every verse.
Regardless, Page's solo is great. John Paul Jones and Robert Plant put forth great solos
on keyboards and harmonica respectively. Then comes the masterpiece of the album and one
of Zep's greatest songs, 'Dazed and Confused'. It's just so amazing that it's hard to put
into words how great it is. 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' is a pretty acoustic song that has a
great beginning on organ. It just makes me smile every time I hear it. 'Black Mountain
Side' is an amazing solo by Page and I'm still trying to figure out what he did there.
'Communication Breakdown' rocks with punk like urgency and is definitely a great rock song
under 3 minutes. 'I Can't Quit You Babe' is another blues cover. It's probably the weakest
song on the album (the only reason why this album didn't get 10). 'How Many More Times'
rounds out a great album with a great song. It sounds like a live jam and the riff is just
awesome. This album is definitely a buyer if you enjoy heavier blues rock.
To listen to some soundclips from
LED
ZEPPELIN or to purchase it, click on:
Led
Zeppelin I
LED ZEPPELIN III
by Darius Henry
September 9, 2009
Rating: 9.5
Led Zeppelin III, or what I like to call it, their third album, is a really great
album. This is one of my favorite albums of all time (in my top 20), and thats why
Im surprise that this album gets mixed reviews with many people who dont like
this album. I guess its largely due to the second half of the album, which is mostly
folky. But then again, it proofs my point that the Zeppelin werent a Heavy Metal
band. Hell, even Plant said that about 2/3 (I think) of their songs are acoustic-based. I
guess thats why I love this album so much because it is so different. Then again,
their first two albums did not always have Hard Rock songs (Ramble On, Thank You, Your
Time Is Gonna Come, etc.). Enough with that, I still think this is a great album.
This album starts off with one of my favorite Zeppelin songs of all time, Immigrant
Song. Its a great Hard Rock with one of the best riffs Page has ever done.
Plus I love the drumming on this one. I love this song because this song is really Heavy.
The next song, Friends, is another winner. I love the Folk sound on this song.
This is one of those songs where they rarely use strings. Plants vocal is awesome
and I love the guitar work on here. The synthesizer at the end is so great that it leads
to Celebration Day, which opens up with a great guitar riffs. Great Hard Rock
song. Excellent vocal by Plant, and I love the guitar works by Page. Plus the drumming is
great as well. Since Ive Been Loving You is a very good Blues song. Not
my personal favorite, but I do love the vocal performance. I love the organ on this song
and the guitar solo is another killer. Out on the Tiles is another great Hard
Rock song. You gotta love the guitar riffs in this song. And the Bass is excellent as
well.
Side B starts with Gallows Pole. Though its a traditional song and has
been sung by many, Led Zeppelin did it the best (other than Leadbellys version).
Its a nice Folky-Blues song. It starts off nicely slow, but pick up the pace with
the excellent drumming. You got to love how Page is playing the Acoustic on this one.
Tangerine is a nice mellow song. Not the best song on here and does slow the
album down a bit, but its still a good song to listen. Plants vocal is nice in
this one. Thats the Way is a fan-favorite on this album. Its a
very good song, though not my favorite. But it is a nice ballad and nice guitar and
mandolin usage in this song. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is my personal favorite song on
this album. I love Plants vocal on this one, and Pages guitar work. This is
one of Zeps songs you can actually dance to. The last song, Hats Off to Roy
Harper is actually a great song and a nice finisher. I love the sliding guitar and
Plants echoing vocal on this one.
This is really a great Zeppelin album. Like I said, it is underappreciated. OK, maybe Side
B does slow the album down a bit, but thats what makes this album great. If you
dont believe, take a listen for yourself.
LED ZEPPELIN III
By Jack Flash
June 7, 2005
Rating: 8.0
Zeppelin's third effort is really hit or miss. There are a couple beautiful moments, a
couple of powerful ones, but a couple of iffy moments as well. The album is characterized
by acoustic tracks, and though this shows off the band's depth, there are times where it
seems pointless.
"Immigrant Song" is a head-banging classic, though it doesn't have as much
substance as some of Zep's other hard rockers. And then we get into the real vibe of the
album, encompassed by "Friends." It's a well-written acoustic interlude, but
Plant's voice is too shrill and the violins sound cheap. Things get better during
"Celebration Day," a very competent rockin' electric ditty. But Jimmy Page's
guitars don't stand out enough. "Since I've Been Loving You," an extended blues
jam ballad with a lot of soul in it, was the album's other hit. Though it's powerful, it
doesn't spread itself out enough to be a 10. "Out On The Tiles" closes side 1
with a bang, that bang being from John Bonham's masterful (as always) drums.
"Gallow's Pole" is one of the album's better and more interesting songs. It was
a traditional folk song arranged by Page and Plant. Robert sings with great effect
throughout, from the mellow acoustic riff to the fast flowing middle to wailing's over a
blistering guitar solo that should have been turned up! The next song,
"Tangerine," is the album's real gem, a wonderful and moving ballad written
solely by Jimmy Page. We then move on to "That's The Way," a scratchy acoustic
tune most Zeppelin fans are crazy about, me, I don't think it's nearly as good as
"Tangerine." Still very good, but the band just seems uninspired and redundant.
"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is one of the more fun and upbeat tunes on the album, even
though it's another acoustic one. But how can you ignore a song that tells you "there
ain't no companion like a blue-eyed eyed girl," how true! The closer is "Hats
Off (To) Roy Harper," one of the more bizarre tunes Zeppelin ever did, a traditional
blues cover with an obnoxious sonic effect on everything. Plant's voice is very strange.
It should have been left off the album.
Again, a very uneven album, but the best of it speaks to many people and is very powerful.
In fact, there is no better album to listen to when depressed. It's up to you to decide if
that's a good or bad thing.
To listen to some soundclips from LED ZEPPELIN III or to purchase it, click on: Led Zeppelin III
HOUSES OF THE HOLY
By Net Pimp
June 24, 2001
Rating: 9.5
Almost as good as Led Zep IV, just without the convincing rocker. But the
folk-rock action on "The Song Remains the Same"(10) is a captivating experience,
showing there was more to this group than some loud riffs and screaming vocals. "The
Rain Song"(9) incorporates lovely acoustic guitar playing, and is a peaceful song.
"Over the Hills and Far Away"(9.5) has some sort of country feeling to it and is
another outstanding track. "The Crunge"(6.5) may sound like a great workout of
funk-rock but it's a hollow filler song, really. The lyrics and riffs go nowhere. The
groovy "Dancing Days"(8.5) is a real sharp tune with an Indian flavored guitar
and organ in the mix. Who can deny the charming reggae feel on "D'yer
Maker"(10), maybe a mockery of reggae but a damn good one. "No Quarter"(8)
is pretty solemn and creepy, but has the deep emotional punch to bring it on home as a
real good song in my view. "The Ocean"(8) is the hard-rocking finale, with less
substance than any other of their metal songs, but good still.
To listen to some soundclips from
HOUSES
OF THE HOLY or to purchase it, click on:
Houses of the Holy - CC Music
or Houses
Of The Holy - Buy.com
LED ZEPPELIN II
by Darius Henry
July 24, 2009
Rating: 9.5
Led Zeppelin II, I just call it the second Led Zeppelin album, is another great
effort by Led Zeppelin. Many people felt that this is one of their better works. I
disagree with that, though it is a great album. A lot of great songs on this album. I love
almost every song on this album. It is less heavy than the first album, even though
neither are the Heavy Metal record.
This album starts off with a Hard Psychedelic Rock classic, Whole Lotta Love.
It is one of their best songs, though not one of my favorites. The reason is the riffs by
jimmy Page and also the Psychedelic breakdown during song. The next song, What Is
and What Should Never Be, is certainly one of my favorite Zeppelin songs of all
time. It is a fantastic Psychedelic song. I seriously love the vocal part on this song.
Though the entire song is great, the ending, harder part is the best part. Great guitar
work on this one. Lemon Song is another great Blues song by these guys. Great
solo by Page. Of course I have to laugh at Squeeze my lemon till the juice runs down
my leg. Homage to Robert Johnson? This song leads to Thank You. It is a
great ballad that sounds like it could work with as a Soulful song. I love the organ and
the guitar solo on this song. Plus Robert Plants vocal performance is great on this
song. I love the fake ending.
Heartbreaker is another great Hard Rock song. The riff is perfect, but
its the solo that makes this song one of the best songs on here. Im thinking
this is where Eddie Van Halen got his guitar technique from. Living Loving
Maid is another very good Hard Rock song. The riffs are great and I love the
background vocal on here. The next song, Ramble On is definitely THE best song
on the album. Great guitar work on here, both acoustic and electric, plus I love the bass.
And the vocal is great. I love all 4 and the half minutes of it. Great Folk song.
Moby Dick is my least favorite song on here. Its a good instrumental
piece, but Im not a huge fan of drums solo. The last song, Bring It On
Home is a perfect way to end this album. I love the beginning when they were doing
them good ol Blues. I love the guitar work, which sounds like a bass, and I love the
harmonica. Then about a minute and the half, it went straight to Hard Rock, with its
excellent guitar work, baseline, and drumming. I love everything about this song. Then
about 30 seconds left of the song, it goes back to the Blues, this time a little slower,
and this album ended beautifully.
This album is not one of my favorite Zeppelin albums of all time, but it damn sure one
that I love. Again, not as heavy as the last album, but its still a great album none
or less. This is another reason why Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands of all times.
LED ZEPPELIN II
by RadioactiveMan585
October 18, 2005
Rating: 7.5
First, I'm not a big Led Zeppelin fan. Jimmy Page is an awesome guitarist, the band is
tight, but I hate Robert Plant's voice sometimes and their lyrics range from brilliant to
blues cliches. Okay, here comes the part when I borrow Keno's rating scale...
'Whole Lotta Love': 8.3. Yeah, this one's a classic, and the riff's killer, but the lyrics
are poor. I also knock points for being plagiarized. 'What Is And What Should Never Be':
9.2. Robert Plant's voice really grinds my last nerve here. 'Lemon Song': 10. That's what
I'm talkin' 'bout! a pure hunk of riff-driven blues, with some great fretwork by JPJ,
especially during the extended bridge.'Thank You': 2.9. Pure, bombastic filler.
'Heartbreaker': 8.9. Another awesome riff ruined by dumb lyrics and vocals.
'Living Loving Maid': 8.7. The band plays great here, and the line, "When your
conscience hits, you knock it back with pills" is a line worthy of the Stones.
'Ramble On': 10. This would be the best song found on the album, with great
acoustic/electric contrast, a good story, and a vocal performance that doesn't break my
eardrums. 'Moby Dick': 3.9. I know many really like this tune, but listen to Cream's Toad
and tell me this isn't a rip-off of that one. 'Bring It On Home": 7.6. An effective,
bluesy way to close it out.
Though there are bad songs, it's worth it for 'Ramble On' alone. That, and several good
songs (Ramble On, Lemon Song, Heartbreaker, Living Loving Maid, Bring It On Home) didn't
show up on any Zeppelin comp, so this is good for any rock fan. Just don't expect anything
near perfection.
LED ZEPPELIN II
By Jack Flash
March 2, 2005
Rating: 10.0
When I stumbled upon this brilliant, defining album at the record store, I expected more
of what was on Zep's excellent, though sometimes restrained, debut. And though blues
components and musical chops are remain from that album, released nine months before this
one, everything is, quite frankly, better. The riffs, the lyrics, the musical ideas are
more evolved and make for a terrific mix with a firm identity taking hold that would
propel Led Zeppelin to superstardom.
The first track is "Whole Lotta Love," one of the band's greatest songs with one
of their greatest riffs. Page and Bonham show off their chops here, with the former
throwing in his famous bow guitar. The next tune, "What Is And What Should Never
Be," is another pure classic, showing off Zep's newly acquired originality. Play this
one a lot - you'll love it more and more every time. "The Lemon Song" is next,
and though it's not entirely original or unique (simply a long, tough blues song with some
vaguely sloppy tempo changes), but it's still kick-ass with Mr. Page once again showing
off his legendary guitar skills. "Thank You" is possibly the most interesting
song on this album, because of its various and unlikely components. First of all, it's not
very Zepesque, hell, I could see the Stones doing this one (in fact, Page's opening
acoustic guitar hook is lifted off one of the Stones earliest songs, "Tell Me").
But that still doesn't stop it from being a gorgeous tune, awash with sonic beauty and
excellent keyboards from the three-named wonder, John Paul Jones. Possibly the group's
best ballad.
Side 2 kicks off with two awesome hard rockers, "Heartbreaker" and "Living
Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)," both Zeppelin at their straight-ahead raw
rock-blues best, with Page's high flying riffs and soloing (especially on the longer and
probably superior former) set to John Bonham's crashing and bashing. To follow up is
bare-boned and prophetical "Ramble On." One of the most important things to take
place on this album is Robert Plant beginning to take part in the songwriting process. His
ideas helped propel the band down more weird and surreal roads some people didn't like,
and this acoustic yet lush Lord Of The Rings inspired tune is an early indication
of this, which would show up on later pieces like "Battle Of Evermore" and the
band's Magnum Opus, "Stairway To Heaven" (the Tolkien-coined "Mordor"
is actually used in the lyric). A fine song nonetheless, I like the textures brought on by
the guitars. "Moby Dick," showcases Bonham in all his powerful (yet, on this
one, strangely restrained) glory in the form of a prolonged solo in the middle of a rock
instrumental. It would be taken to new yet unnecessarily long hights live. The closer and
their third Willie Dixon cover in two albums, "Bring It On Home," is pure
brilliance. It starts out with Plant's mumbled vocals and light harp blowing set JPJ's
frenetically atmospheric bass. But soon enough, Page takes over with a powerful and
fantastically executed riff and the song turns into an uplifting blues rocker and then
switches back again beautifully to put an end to 45 minutes of all that is great about
early Led Zeppelin.
II is perhaps LZ's best work, on a par with IV and Physical
Graffiti. If you want the best heavy blues rock, look no further than this brilliant,
powerful statement.
LED ZEPPELIN II
By Alex Short
May 6, 2001
Rating: 8.5
What an album!! Okay, so not all the songs are classics, but some of them are up there with the best songs of the last 30 years let alone the late 60s. The album starts of with "Whole Lotta Love", Jimmy Pages ultimate guitar riff is lavished up and ripped to shreds on this, the greatest Heavy Metal song of all time. It has that killer riff, Robert Plants howling, Bonhams (you cant touch me) drumming and the steady bass lines of the ever quiet John Paul Jones. To top it off, you have that sublime solo in the middle of the song. Jimmy bends the hell out of those strings. The next three songs on the record stand in poor contrast. The next good song is "Heartbreaker" which has some frenzied, perhaps a little pointless soloing from Jimmy Page. Still though, its a killer song and the solos are good. Then comes song number 6. "Living Loving Maid (Shes Just A Woman)", which like "Good Times Bad Times" and "Comunication Breakdown" found on their debut, is a short and riffing fantastic song under three minutes. That rare for Zeppelin. The next song "Ramble On" perhaps isn't as good, but still the way it switches from a slow then fast song is pulled of well, plus Pagey gets some mean licks in. Presumably on his physcidelic painted Telecaster. Something he'd had since his stint in the Yardbirds. "Moby Dick" is what comes next. Its an instrumental showcasing John Bohnams drumming skills. But despite being fairly catchy in places, the middle part of the song which Bonham leads isn't really what I was expecting. His drumming here is very boring. I recommend listening to the Who song "The Ox", to here how a drum solo should be done. Track number nine, the final song is "Bring It On Home" It starts off as a bluesy kind of song, with Plant mumbling and blowing into a harp, just like the old blueman would do. Then before you know it, bang!!! The song explodes into a killer riff and enters rock phase, and let me tell you. It works. Led Zeppelin had arrived.
LED ZEPPELIN II
By FujiSaki
August 6, 2000
Rating: 9.5
Zoso and Physical Graffiti often receive more praise but I believe this is
really there masterpiece. "Whole Lotta Love" is the best song on the album.
Awesome head banging riff, Jimmy Page makes great use of the bow, and delivers a great
solo in middle. "What Is And What Should Never Be" is another powerful rocker.
"The Lemon Song" is more of the same. Total change of direction with "Thank
You", Zepp's best ballad. Shows Plant's amazing range and versatility.
"Heartbreak" has an awesome solo and cool lyrics. All of the other tracks are
great and "Moby Dick" shows us why John Bonham is one of Rock's two best
drummers, along with Keith Moon. One of the 10 best albums ever.
To listen to some sound clips from LED ZEPPELIN II or to buy it, click on: Led Zeppelin 2 (Buy.com)
LED ZEPPELIN IV (aka ZOSO)
By finulanu
September 2, 2006
Rating: 6.0
Most people think IV is Led Zeppelin's best album, but I'm not impressed. Sure,
there are three prime cuts: 'Rock and Roll' is a mindlessly fun head-banging riff-o-rama,
'Stairway to Heaven' is... well, 'Stairway to Heaven', and 'When the Levee Breaks' goes
down as by far their best extended blues jam (especially compared to 'Since I've Been
Loving You' or 'Tea for One'). Throw in the folksy, mandolin-and-voice 'Battle of
Evermore' and you've got a great EP.
What about the remaining tracks? I'm no fan of the standard 'Black Dog' - the lyrics suck
even by Zeppelin standards, and the band's just playing loud without actually trying to
make good music (in contrast to AC/DC, Cream and Jimi Hendrix, who all played loud AND
made good music). 'Misty Mountain Hop' is an attempt at humor (and, possibly, social
commentary) that falls flat on its face. 'Four Sticks' has some of the worst vocals found
on any album (Led Zeppelin or otherwise) and simply drones on way too long. The latter
also holds true on 'Goin' to California', a very boring folk song.
Led Zeppelin never blew me away, but I do like some of their stuff. Check out II
or Houses of the Holy for good Zeppelin, plus Back in Black, Who's
Next, Electric Ladyland, Disraeli Gears and Sticky Fingers for good,
hard-hitting rock 'n' roll.
LED ZEPPELIN IV (aka ZOSO)
By Allen
June 2, 2005
Rating: 9.0
Released in 1971, this album definitely put Zeppelin on their way to being one of rocks
best ever. This album definitely became on of their best selling albums during the Led Zep
legacy. Not only did it sell very well, it also gave us the most requested song in music
history, "Stairway To Heaven", a record it still holds today despite never being
released as a single. The legendary DJ "Wolfman Jack" was quoted stating
"If I played every request for this song, it would have had to be played 24 hrs. a
day for 3 weeks". The album also continued showed just how great not only musicians
the members of Led Zeppelin were but how good of songwriters they were a well. "Black
Dog" opens the album showing what Zeps all about. Plants moans, Page's guitar riffs
and Bonham's off-beat drum rhythm's. "Rock & Roll" also proved that Side One
of this album was all good.
Side Two featured "When the Levee Breaks" and "Misty
Mountain Hop". "Four Sticks" to me would be the only low song of the entire
album but all of it is worth hearing and is one of the few album that you ever come across
as one that every song is good on it. "Kashmir" on Physical Graffiti to
me was one of the few songs after this album that matched up to most of them on this
album. This is definitely a classic and like Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd,
will continue to be a good seller as long as there is music.
LED ZEPPELIN IV (aka ZOSO)
By Kevin McRell
July 24, 2000
Rating: 9.5
Led Zeppelin came into its own with this untitled 4th album, establishing themselves as
one of the greatest bands ever. 'Black Dog' kicks it off with those esteemed Robert Plant
vocals and finishes with a fine "wish it wouldn't end" Page solo. Bonham shines
on 'Rock and Roll' and the band's Eastern culture influences are used on the soft but
powerful Battle of Evermore. The epic 'Stairway To Heaven' builds from slow-acoustic to
one of the most powerful (and famous) guitar solos ever. 'Misty Mountain Hop' and 'Four
Sticks' are two great Zep rock songs and 'Going To California' is one of the prettiest and
most melodic songs you'll ever hear. Just when you think you've finished on a slow note,
Bonham's thunderous drums come crashing onto your speakers on When The Levee Breaks.
You'll never hear drums played like this or an album finish so strong and in such an
emphatic way again.
To listen to some sound clips from LED ZEPPELIN IV or to buy it, click on: Led Zeppelin 4 (Buy.com)
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