LED ZEPPELIN

You are a clueless fuck if you think the who is better than Zep. The Who, ha ha ha ha. Nice Judgement, I guess it's a matter of taste. Some people have it, you don't.

sincerely,

Roger Daltrey

Led Zeppelin overrated? You gotta be kidding me. Saying that Led Zeppelin is the greatest rock band in history, past, present, or future, is roughly the equivalent of saying that Michael Jordan was on "ok" ball player. There are no words in the english language that can describe the greatness of Led Zeppelin. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE The Who, but to even mention them in the same sentence as Zeppelin is blasphemy. The Who were a great band, but they come in around 13th on the list of all time greats, after zep, the stones, the beatles, yes, rush, deep purple, black sabbath, hendrix, cream, the doors, queen, and pink floyd. Just my opinion of course:)

Ledheadforlife

p.s. I take it back, it's not just my opinion, it's a fact JACK!

I might have to disagree, The Who had a Hell of alot better songs than fucking Zeppelin, Zeppelin's shit sounds almost the fucking same throughout their entire fucking career. What pisses me off about Zeppelin fans is that most of them have no fucking idea that their 1rst album is Led Zeppelin I, not Led Zeppelin, and their fourth album is NOT FUCKING labled Led Zeppelin IV, but just simply Led Zeppelin. Damn it all. and John Bonham was a pussy, who cares if he drove a fucking motorcycle into a hotel. I'll bet my lucky fuckin stars that the Who would beat the shit out of Zeppelin's stupid asses.

Sincerely,

Flummy (Butt-raping Robert Plant's dead grandmother's corpse)

LED ZEPPELIN (1969)

(Casey Brennan's review)

In the beginning Jimmy Page had a vision of a Rock band, one that combined straightforward blues and acoustic music, in a hard rock sound. With the addition of powerful vocalist Robert Plant, bassist and session musician John Paul Jones, and excellent drummer John Bonham, this vision became a reality in early 1969. When this highly influential debut was released, nothing quite like it had been heard before. This was mostly due to the otherworldy and bombastic sound of the drums, which were recorded away from the mic in order to give the record a much louder ambience. Compared to the tinny drum sound on even the most hard-rocking releases of the past, this was an innovative leap forward and one of the best aspects of Led Zeppelin.

Another amazing factor of the album is that blues had never been expanded to these lengths before, with Robert Plant's vocals trudging many of the standard bluesy tracks to powerful heights. It all starts out with a short mid-tempo rocker called "Good Times Bad Times", which is a fine introduction to the amazing guitar abilities of Page when he brings in a short and fiery solo in the middle of the tune. After this quick burst of energy, Led Zeppelin then focuses on three extended blues workouts, each of which go over six minutes in length. Probably the strongest of the bunch is "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", which starts off as a dreary acoustic number, before going into a dynamic and heavy midsection where Plant yells 'Baby' over and over against a loud backbeat. After going back into its minor acoustic melody, it ends on an unexpected and awesome note with a moody vocal by Plant.

The straightforward blues stomp of "You Shook Me" comes next, a Willie Dixon cover that has a very worthwhile organ solo, followed by a harmonica, and then guitar solo. The highlight of the tune though comes towards the end when Plant yells effectively against some echoey guitar reverb. In fact, Plant's vocals are amazing throughout this album, and probably the best on any Led Zeppelin album because the 'Baby's' and whatever else he yells out of his mouth always adds excitement to each track. Next comes the even better "Dazed And Confused", a heavily dynamic blues tune with furious guitar work and drumming that go into some enthralling territory.

This is followed by the folky "Your Time Is Gonna Come" which starts off with a sustained organ sound before turning into a beautiful melody, with a fine chorus to match. After a long fade-out the moody and mystical "Black Mountain Side" enters, a great finger-picking guitar piece that really takes you out into the countryside. Being a great example of the style that would be explored greatly in Led Zeppelin III, this track is followed by the energetic burst of "Communication Breakdown", which is another top highlight on here. The tune really cooks with it's excellent bass riff, tight-knit playing, and fantastic high-strung electric guitar solo.

"I Can't Quit You Baby" pales in comparison to most of the album, but is still a dynamic performance, which flows right into the show-stopper "How Many More Times". This is the ultimate Led Zeppelin song, the centerpiece with that spine-chilling part in the beginning, where the violin bow is struck against an electric guitar to create a noisy mass. This well known bluesy tune, which uses Plants vocals to the extreme and goes into various heavy rocking sections, is without a doubt one of the best eight-and-a-half minute songs I've heard. From start to finish this album almost flows like a classic, with only the blues meanderings of "You Shook Me" and "I Can't Quit You Baby" keeping it from being the most exciting Led Zeppelin album out there.

OVERALL RATING: 9

HIGH POINTS: How Many More Times, Dazed And Confused, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Communication Breakdown. LOW POINTS: I Can't Quit You Baby.

A real 'explosion' of a debut if there ever was one (you know what I mean if you've seen the cover art for this). Born mainly out of session musicians, Led Zeppelin burst into the music world early in the year with a sound quite unlike anything else. The core of the sound is basically heavy blues, but blues had never been this heavy and bombastic before. Featuring a significantly more powerful drum sound than previous rock albums, you wouldn't know from listening to this effort that this the starting point of a great journey, as there's enough power and confidence in the sound to make things really successful. Of course, it also goes without saying this album is one of the three cornerstones of 'metal' along with Black Sabbath's Paranoid and Deep Purple's In Rock, with the huge Zeppelin sound already in place. The wailing Robert Plant vocals are perhaps at their peak, and the playing of the rest of the band is spectacular, so they already sound like veteran legends at this point.

There couldn't be any better way of kickstarting a record like this than "Good Times, Bad Times", which is one of the most powerfully direct tunes they ever did, in fact. Built on a blistering, even if simplistic, two note riff, it also features humorous lyrics, but more importantly, two distinctly awesome solo sections. But the folk ballad "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is an even more defining moment as far as this sound goes. It's really hard to tell what stands out more - Page's delicate acoustic playing suddenly leading the rhythm section into delightfully heavy interludes (while still playing acoustic!), or Plant's tremendous wailings, which really give emotion and drama to every line, in a peak performance that he'd never be able to match again. What a great job in turning a traditional tune into a true Zeppelin classic, and this is hardly the only notable rearrangement throughout.

The first of two Willie Dixon covers, "You Shook Me", may not seem like much at first - in fact, in the verse sections, there's not all that much to separate this performance from your typical generic blues, but this rendition is more than salvaged with what comes later. The solo section in this track is simply a fantastic collaborative effort, with really notable solo spots from Plant (on harmonica), John-Paul Jones (on organ), and Page (on guitar - duh!). Plus, the Plant vocal 'ah ahs' over guitar echoes are smashing, and it's truly a great lead in to "Dazed And Confused". It's another fairly traditional-sounding number, but this one really brings out the edge to the sound, with powerfully dark and desperate vocals, excellent drumming, appropriate use of that violin bow from Page, and after a slow buildup comes the guitar solo, which just completely blows my mind. A perfect combination between lightning fast chops and naturally flowing structure is what it is, and it can truly be called one of the guy's finest moments, no doubt in my mind.

Beginning the second half, Jones gets to shine with his mysterious organ intro to "Your Time Is Gonna Come", which is used effectively throughout this laid-back and folky, but lyrically bitter, song dealing with the guilty party in a relationship. Very catchy chorus too, and the transition from this song to the very pretty acoustic instrumental "Black Mountain Side" (whoever said Page waited until III to write in this style?) really works. The almost punkish "Communication Breakdown" is really a track with incredible fire - sure, it's built on an insanely simple riff, but it's done with amazing conviction and energy, with Plant's wails in full force, and it's just catchy as hell. Unlike the second Willie Dixon cover "I Can't Quit You Baby", which is the only truly weak moment here. Other than Bonham's impressive display of drum rolls, this performance really doesn't have all that much to offer - just a slow, plodding, tired rendition.

Thankfully, though, this is completely made up for in what I feel is the absolute peak of this album's powers in "How Many More Times". From my understanding, this song is heavily derivative of a couple other blues standards, but that doesn't diminish from the greatness of it at all. It starts out with a simply fantastic bassline from Jones that leads into the hard-hitting main riff that the song rides on for the first couple minutes or so before it slows down. The dark middle is the perfect climax here, with the lyrics almost taking on a simultaneously frightening and hilarious twist, and another instrumental buildup leads into some fiery guitar solos and pounding drums to move back into the original pace for the dramatic ending. It can arguably be called the first epic of Zep's career, and it's certainly a showstopping point here. This album essentially marks a new era of rock music - the beginning of the 70's, where bombast began to rule the land. An enormously influential and exceptional debut.

OVERALL RATING: 9.5

(Kevin Baker's review)

For a very long time, this was my prized possession. This was my favorite CD I owned. That's not so anymore, but it's in the top 5 or 10 for sure. I'm not the world's hardest rockin' dude, but how can you be a rock fan and NOT like Led Zep? There surely is some sort of law against it. I'm a member of the Starostinistas who find this to be the Zepsters' single best recording. How can you go wrong with what they've got, though? I'm a huge blues-rock fan myself, so it's really not a shocker that I can dig this stuff without much trouble. On top of this, Plant's voice was the best it would ever be, Page wasn't a heroin addict yet so he could still play, Bonzo wasn't, well, dead or too much of a disgusting drunk, and Jones was Jones. Suffice to say, the sound is tighter than a pair of French bicycle shorts.

Zep gets it on first with Good Times Bad Times, a pretty decent hard rocker with a poppier melody than they usually went for, but it in no way sounds out of place here. Then, we have the three run miracle stretch of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, You Shook Me, and my personal favorite here and also my favorite by Led Zep, Dazed and Confused. Hot beaver dams! Each of those three songs are miracles of musical creation. BIGLY (whoa, weird abbreviation) may just be the best ballad the band did, and it may be the best pure acoustic rock song ever attempted by man. You Shook Me is a fantasmo blues number with some ultra-fantastic solo parts. Plus, how can you beat the now infamous vocal-guitar duel at the end?

However, Dazed and Confused is my favorite. It has that eerie bass line, weird voilin bowed guitar, screams from Plant, and the best guitar solo ever put on record. Well, at least one of the best. The rest of the album is no slouch, either. After an organ-dominated folk-rock number, Page shows off his pickin' skills on an Indian sounding ditty called Black Mountain Side. They feel the need for speed next, and they give us some in the form of Communication Breakdown, which has a far-out solo. Then we have some more blues, this time using the "line followed by a hot lick" method.

They close up with How Many More Times, which is another fabulous song, or "thong" as my lisping principal would say. It's got some stinging solos and thumpin bass and poundin drums, much like a cross between Juan Cacahuate y sus Dedos Heridos and The Return Of The Son Of The Black and Bluesmen (yes, I'm making these bands up.). But at any rate, the song is awesome, almost as good as Dazed and Confused. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to call Leah. But I'll shut the Led Zep off first. As much as I love her, she has got some lousy taste in music.....

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

LED ZEPPELIN II (1969)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Led Zeppelin became legends with the release of this, their second album of the year. Although it was recorded in a rush during various dates in-between tours, it sure doesn't sound like it since the material is topnotch and executed perfectly. Like Led Zeppelin the songs are very dynamic and bluesy, but this time around they are more compact, and contain even more inspired, breathtaking riffs and creative ideas. Led Zeppelin II is most representative of the band's sound, because of the power they put into each performance, and the thrilling amount of classic riffs on here (by now almost every song is considered a hard rock classic).

The high-powered chug of "Whole Lotta Love" starts off this groundbreaking album, with one of the most interesting arrangements - the middle section contains a collage of distorted guitars and sounds, before roaring back into its' legendary riff. The dreamy blues of "What Is And What Should Never Be" is just as incredible, with its soft verses mixing in perfectly with the head-banging choruses. The intense ending wraps things up excitingly with the blaring guitar, forceful drumming, and Plant's vocals fading out the tune, definitely one of my favorite Led Zeppelin tunes of all time.

The only real extended blues-workout on the album, the creepy riff of "Lemon Song", comes next. This is another stunner which shows the groups immaculate chemistry, with Page's guitar fills and solos, Jones creeping basslines, and Plants yells working together flawlessly to create an amazing atmosphere. Side one ends with the emotional "Thank You" which is a nice, melodic tune that is the only tune to toy with the organ on here. The album isn't weakened one bit when the classic riff of "Heartbreaker" comes charging in. Jimmy Page brings in an astonishing guitar solo (played furiously fast) in the middle of the tune, before the tight rhythm section of Jones and Bonham are brought back in to complete this great tune.

Just as that song ends, the hard Rock crunch of "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)" follows immediately, and packs quite a punch in its two-and-a-half minutes with some direct, and solid musicianship. The exciting atmosphere is continued with "Ramble On", another dynamic tune with a great transition between the softer, acoustic parts and the show-stealing rocking sections. As if all the bands talents weren't already apparent, Bonham shows he is capable of giving a good drum solo on "Moby Dick", which is a mid-tempo rocker with another fine riff.

Finally, Led Zeppelin II comes to an end with the sloppy blues of "Bring It On Home", which starts off as a clumsy, slow-paced tune, before becoming an excellent charged up rocker. From the start-off track "Whole Lotta Love", to this last rocker, Led Zeppelin II is filled to the brim with incredible energy and amazing riffs. This music signaled a new era in hard Rock and for the coming 70's just as Led Zeppelin I had done, and would influence the genre as much as Black Sabbath's Paranoid, released a year later, would do. The mighty Led Zeppelin would not go down.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

HIGH POINTS: Whole Lotta Love, The Lemon Song, What Is And What Should Never Be, Heartbreaker, Ramble On. LOW POINTS: None.

Like the first album, Led Zeppelin II was recorded very quickly and borrowed heavily from old blues, reworking choice tunes and turning them into their own in the high-quality sound they had already established. But this doesn't mean the album is merely a repeat of the debut - it's more a more focused improvement on its' many virtues (though quite a few people would disagree). It seems to have a more varied tone, and the playing and arrangements of the guys are still at the height of their powers, and while many people would call its' tremendous bass heavy wallop a distraction, I say it actually gives the sound more intense power, and that bass playing from Jones is some of the greatest that can be heard on a rock album, period. Plus, while the first album had a slight tendency to wallow in genericsm during its' more hardcore blues moments, the more obvious attempts at this style are really triumphant - among the strongest cuts on the album, in fact.

The opening "Whole Lotta Love" is built on a simple, but incredibly distinct, hard riff and slide guitar part moving from speaker to speaker in the chorus, and throughout its' beginning and ending portions (with Plant's wailings and all) it cruises on timeless and great rocking power. The middle section of the song is also quite captivating, with a warped-sounding rush of guitar oriented sound effects and vocal wailings that somehow comes together perfectly. It's probably one of the most unforgettable tunes of the late 60's, and deservedly the hugest (but definitely not only) permanent radio staple on this album. The semi-ballad "What Is And What Should Never Be" is another one of those, and while the stop-start portions after the chorus of the song are slightly distracting at times, the verses have a fantastic eerie quality about them due to the main bassline and vocal tone. It's also so perfect the way it moves from there to its' refrain where it rocks with an insanely catchy vengeance.

The band was actually sued successfully over the next number "The Lemon Song" (since it takes uncredited 'elements' from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor"), but the classic dark and frightening, sexual atmosphere is completely Zeppelin, as is the astounding bass playing on the song. This, in fact, may be the best place to go to find out what made John Paul Jones such an awesome four-stringer (the interlude sections in particular). Oh, the main riff here is certainly no slouch, and the gripping finish with the echoed lines 'down on this killing floor' is a thrill. The album then continues to flow like a classic, and even the side closer, the often-bashed "Thank You", has a sheer majesty to it in its' organ and acoustic guitar dominated atmosphere that fully makes up for whatever clumsyness might be apparent in the lyrics. The heartfelt intention (Plant's tribute to his wife) can also be felt throughout, which makes it at least somewhat successful.

Side two starts off with yet another ultimate classic in the form of another direct (but not too simplistic) rocker in "Heartbreaker". The main riff isn't exactly complex, of course, but it has such a powerful and intense effect. What actually brings the song to another level is the guitar solo in the middle after the song's sudden stop. It can easily be put near the top Jimmy Page's growing list of spectacular performances - an unaccompanied frenzy of blistering, but never out of control or tuneless, chops. The portion of the tune when a new riff leads the rhythm section back into the song is also quite kickass. Its' followup is the short and snappy "Livin' Lovin Maid (She's Just A Woman)" (both usually get played back to back on the radio) that isn't quite as good, simply because it seems slight and lacking in energy compared to the rest of the songs, but it's not a bad transition at all, even if it is my least favorite song on here.

"Ramble On", meanwhile, is part ballad, part powerful rocker, and while some might say it's a song where the bothersome 'muddy' production rears its' ugly head, I just take it as another opportunity to hear Jones higher in the mix. The verse portion of the song (great acoustic playing with a quite moving melody) seamlessly moves into the rocking one, with great bass chops and intensity. This song also has a neat mystical vibe, too, and that's cool. As is the most controversial point of the entire album, the instrumental "Moby Dick", which is essentially based on a riff from "The Girl I Love..." (which can be found on BBC Sessions) with a drum solo in the middle for a couple minutes. Well, the riff itself is prime stuff, and the way the band jams on it is spectacular, but...

Here's where I break from the crowd and say I have no problems whatsoever with the drum solo portion. In all honesty, it's probably the only one I've ever heard that never drags and I can really get into all the way through. Yes, it's ripped off from Cream's "Toad", but I prefer to think of it as a top-notch two minute reworking of it that's far less coma-inducing than the sixteen minute monster on Wheels Of Fire. But back to the album. To close this thing off we get "Bring It On Home", which has a great funny charm in the beginning featuring Plant trying to sing with a harmonica in his mouth over a generic blues progression, and it continues on a typically first-rate rocking note (fine, fine riff here). So in short, this is a near flawless (though short of undeniably God-like) collection of classic hard rock, one of the best bass albums ever, and a goldmine of unforgettable riffs and unparalleled energy. Yeah, it's a pretty decent album.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

(Kevin Baker's review)

G'day! I'm on Cloud Nine at the moment, partially because of the End Of School Parties To End All End Of School Parties. 12 hours of music, movies, food, games, chicks, and fun---all the essentials for a happy highschool guy! Well, there wasn't a "whole lotta love" at this party if ypu think I mean by chicks we had an orgy. None of that now! No, just some (mostly) clean, wholesome fun....well, wholesome might be going TOO far, but you get the picture. What does this have to do with Led Zeppelin? Easy, we listened to a whole lotta Zep. I figured since I heard the entirety of this album at least twice, I might as well review it. Plus, I also don't think this is the 10-worthy masterpiece that others do. I love this baby, and after the debut, it's my favorite Zep release. However, there are two songs that keep this from being a solid 10.

I shall deal with them first. The worst offender is Moby Dick, which manages to go from a fabulous rifffest to a dull drum solo. I dislike extended drum solos, and this is no exception. Why couldn't they have all have jammed, not just Bonzo? Oh well......I also don't care that much for Thank You, but it's not bad. I appreciate the sincerity factor (the lyrics were from a real lover from Plant to his wife), it just seems a little corny at times, mainly because of the orchestration. It lacks the Zep punch that makes their music so good. Rachel Licklider doesn't. She's got plenty of spunk and attitude and also thinks I'm funny and sweet.....sorry. What the heck is a Licklider, anyways? Email me with your ideas!

Well, the Zepsters do make up for one lack of taste and one underdeveloped ditty with a whole lotta butt-kickin riffs and rockers! The opener is a desrved classic, what with that powerful riff and absolutely driving bassline.....lemme say something. This is not only the rough guide to playing hard rock (along with Led Zep I, Deep Purple's Machine Head, and Live At Leeds), it is a bass-lover's paradise. Jones really plays it hard and good here. Bravo! Anyways, Whole Lotta Love is cool, What Is And What Should Never Be is a powerful rockin' ballad with an excellent coda, The Lemon Song is excellent hard blues, Heartbreaker has a fantastic solo, Living Lovng Maid has an awesome riff and hilarious lyrics, and Bring It On Home starts off dopey but turns into an excellent rocker and finishes strong. This is a 9. Not a 10 because of Moby Dick and sort-of Thank You, but everything else here is 10-worthy.

OVERALL RATING: 9

[email protected] (Samuel Fassbinder)

COMMENTS

Most of the songs on II are great fun depending on how much you already like Zep, silly stuff like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Living Loving Maid" included in the mix, and I and II are IMHO the most typical of Zep albums. So it was and is. But "Thank You" has hooks that doubtless became the model to imitate for dozens of future 4/4 drummers, guitarists, organists, and histrionic vocalists. It should redeem the rest of the album for most everyone.

[email protected] (John Schlegel)

I'm probably just really out of it, but Led Zeppelin has not really tickled my pickle since I was in the eighth grade (as I write this, I'm 25, and I just finished college). Sue me. Still (this is the good part!), if there's one Zep album I like, it's this one. I mean, it's got great, classic, genre-defining hard rock songs like "Whole Lotta Love" (even though I could happily live out the rest of my life without hearing Robert Plant make references to his, uh, you know), "Livin' Lovin' Maid" and "Heartbreaker" (yeah!). Many a crushing guitar riff, many a catchy song. "Moby Dick" is cool too--hey! I used to play the drums! I don't groove on that indulgent blues jam at the end, though. In sum, this is the Zep album for people who don't like Zep to buy to still try to pretend they're normal people.

LED ZEPPELIN III (1970)

(Casey Brennan's review)

After two albums of reworking blues standards into dynamic and powerful showpieces, Led Zeppelin show the more mystical side of themselves on here, their third album in two years. "Black Mountain Side" from Led Zeppelin showed traces of this mystical style, but it wasn't until this album that Jimmy Page really indulged himself into Eastern styles of music, and acoustic-laden melodies. That is mostly on the second side of this release though, as most of the first half consists of bluesy hard rockers. The tramplin' rush of "Immigrant Song" opens up the album on a strong note, as a short, hard rocker, complete with a murky production.

The two other riffy rockers are among the stronger tracks; the slide-guitar blues of "Celebration Day" with it's fluttering bassline and good melody, and the complex riff of "Out On The Tiles" are major highlights on here. Pretty much prime Led Zeppelin there. The acoustic side is mostly successful too, prominently on the traditional tune "Gallows Pole" which really rocks hard in its' folky melody. This is probably the best one, but the acoustic "Tangerine" and "That's The Way" are gorgeous in their own respects, the former having a nice minor melody guitar solo in the middle, and the latter one being a tasty peaceful number. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is a little less worthy, but with its footstompin' beat and tap-along melody it is a winner.

The most gripping track of the whole album though would have to be "Friends", which is Led Zeppelin's first excursion into Eastern melodies. The moving orchestra in the background and the harshly strummed acoustic guitars, give the song a sparse and moody atmosphere that is simply stunning. The way it segues right into "Celebration Day" is interesting; the background noise from "Friends" continues into this track accidentally, and left there for good measure. "Since I've Been Loving You" seems like another boring, extended blues track, but the way it's performed is so inspiring that it definitely makes a stand on here. At least compared to the atrocious "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" it is a classic tune.

By far the worst track on the album, there is no excuse for the completely horrible warped vocals by Plant, the muddy and messed-up production, and very weak melody. Maybe if the band tried doing something like they did on "Bring It On Home" (where it turns into a great hard rocker) it wouldn't be so bad, but then again I might be wrong. Besides this wretched track, the album is pretty excellent in its division of harder rocking tunes and emotional acoustic numbers. The murky production may be a little off-setting at times, but this release showed that Led Zeppelin were more than just an imitation blues band (not that they were strictly one in the first place).

OVERALL RATING: 8

(Samuel Fassbinder's review)

HIGH POINTS: That's The Way, Since I Been Loving You, Friends, Celebration Day, Immigrant Song. LOW POINTS: Hats Off To (Roy) Harper, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

Although the acoustic folk rock side of Zep was apparent in the first two albums ("Black Mountain Side" anyone?), on Led Zeppelin III there's a lot more of an emphasis on it, mostly in the album's second half, that further prove this band certainly wasn't a one-dimensional hard rock outfit. In fact, that side of Zep is done quite well here, as those particular tunes rank among the most affecting and beautiful of their whole career. Immaculately mixed with hard rocking material and of course blues interpretations, the album has a very impressive flow throughout, though there are a couple problems I have here that cause me to rate it a step down from the earlier stuff. The production here is somewhat muddy, which makes a lot of this material sound quite sloppy, and a few songs here are more fillerish and of worse quality than anything that came before.

Not that this is much of a problem on side one, though. The opening "Immigrant Song" is actually the only real radio hit from this one (which probably causes some anti-hyped people to rate the album as their best), and it's quite a powerful blast which boasts a simple, but again classic, riff, great vocal wailing, and intriguing mystical lyrics. The violin-tinged "Friends" is a fascinating contrast, with a very ominous and unsettling, almost epic mood in its' verse but an uplifting lyrical mood to its' chorus. Plus the vibe of it rules - it's almost like it was recorded in a cave somewhere. That one segues into "Celebration Day", another really curious rocker - doesn't the mood of the lyrics sound rather paranoid? Nice ironic contradiction there, and musically it's really awesome, with the wonderfully appropriate slide guitar, and it soars on the strength of its' playing and melody.

The obligatory blues then comes in "Since I Been Loving You", which is slow, dark and tension filled. You'd think it would get boring with around 7-1/2 minutes of basically the same tone and tempo straight through, but it doesn't, thanks to the spectacular soloing and gripping vocals. Very memorable (though stolen - Page was good at that in the early days) vocal melody also. The side closer "Out On The Tiles" is a bit ugly sounding and isn't quite up to par with the four previous songs, but it has an interesting bludgeoning riff and memorable chorus. At least it's better than the dull (though not half-bad) folk of "Gallows Pole", which does have a pretty good vocal melody and versatile acoustic playing, but it gets a little annoying after awhile, especially within its' repetitiveness and Plant's wailing.

Thankfully the next two acoustic songs get the album back on the right foot again. "Tangerine" is a fine ballad with country-rockish overtones, and while the 'thousand years BETWEEEEN' chorus is a little stupid, the atmosphere is beautiful, and the melody is very good. Nothing compared to the seriously moving "That's The Way", though, which is definitely one of my favorites out of softer Zeppelin tracks (and my sure pick for best on this album). The intimacy it captures is truly timeless, and with a melody and atmosphere this good, I can easily get past the dumb lyrics, since it has a feeling most ballads would just kill for. What exactly these ballads would kill is another question.

If I were you, however, I would just shut the album off after this song, because the last two numbers here just aren't any good at all, and really let the album down, keeping it out of 9 land. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is just an inane folk song, with a really grating feel to the lyrics, vocals, and melody, plus an annoyingly bouncy rhythm for an overall unpleasant combination, and the closer "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" is a stunningly unfocused blues, taking the muddy vibe of the first half of "Bring It On Home" to a nauseating extreme. It's both musically (especially with the horribly messy slide guitars) and vocally terrible - a sad excuse for a closer, and one of the band's absolute worst tunes. Fortunately, the material that came before these two disasters is often great, which still makes III an outstanding album, and a key transition point to that untitled thing that came later...

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

Now, there's a certain group of Zeppelin listeners who like to diss this album, Starostin (for instance) calls it a bunch of "failed experimentation" as if he wanted to diss some sort of "elite" who likes it. Well, I like this album, so, reading Starostin provided an opportunity for me to go and re-question my interest in its songs, go back and listen to them again to see if I really liked them. Look, I'm not afraid of a little argument, as you well know. What's scary is people who close their minds when confronted with a differing opinion.

Well, listening to Led Zeppelin conjures forth adjectives in me like "hokey" or "corny" or "schmaltzy" or "maudlin" or "over the top" -- I think it's the sometimes bombastic guitar of Jimmy Page, the symphonic arrangements of the acoustic songs (strings, synthesizers), the standard (and sometimes bombastic) 3/4 and 4/4 drumming of Bonzo, and the vocals, especially the vocals. The '70s Robert Plant often brings new meaning to the word "histrionic." Even in his least histrionic moments his voice sounds like it's pregnant with -- well, it's pregnant with something, I'm not sure what it is. At any rate, Starostin is correct when he says that these guys ushered in the '70s, some were hoping back then that it was going to be a more pleasurable decade (consider, for instance, the lyrics and melody to Zep's "Down By The Seaside," or Earth, Wind, and Fire's "Shining Star"), but the mode in which this was _expressed_, on the other hand, well, the CDs are still there in the stores for you to hear.

At any rate, the idea of Starostin's that rock became great when it was fused with "serious art" (I think that was his idea, I am just putting it out there, correct me if I'm wrong) takes a new twist with Zep -- I tend to think of them as "just kidding art," and thus the "will to power" aspect of their lyrics ("Whole Lotta Love" off of II comes to mind) can be taken as a bout of good humor. These guys were play-acting. If they can be accused of the "privileged compassion" that I've attributed to "liberal music," moreover, they did it (like everything they did in the '70s) to excess, sure, if it's good, the more the better.

At any rate, I really do like the "Immigrant Song" (and Mark Prindle's description of it, go NOW to http://www.geocities.com/markprindle to read the review) and "Friends," mostly because of the arrangements, also Jimmy's guitar is fun. "Celebration Day" is hard to cope with, mostly I think because when Jimmy's guitar hits those high notes it sounds like an old-fashioned fire-alarm or something that's supposed to distract me in an annoying sort of way. Sorry, Jimmy. Art is art, but look, we're conditioned to have that reaction when you make that sound with your guitar. "Since I've Been Loving You" is fun, on the other hand, mostly BECAUSE OF Jimmy's guitar, the solo in the middle (and the drumming) brightens what otherwise would be a rather mundane blues song. "Out On The Tiles" doesn't interest me, Page's guitar sounds more like a jackhammer on a construction site, but it's easier to ignore than "Celebration Day." I'd side with Mark Prindle and his ten points except for these songs.

Now, "Gallows Pole," "Tangerine," and "That's The Way," they used to start Side II back when I had the vinyl issue of III, and it was Side II that was why I loved this album. "Gallows Pole," is a blackly humorous recollection of the nightmarish quality of most of Western history, people hanging each other a lot. It may be ripped off from someone else -- check the list at the Zep page on http://www.warr.org/ -- but see, it's Zep's _charm_ that they ripped people off, it's also charming that they got caught. I love the segue between "Tangerine" and "That's The Way," a sad song that expresses a sort of endearing schmaltz. I can't say I care a whole lot what it's about, but I do like the cool way in which the electric guitar and the acoustic rhythm guitar and the tambourine co-operate in the interludes, and the choruses when Plant hits the high and the low notes and everything's so mellow... "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is more dance-hall fun, what is that, they're playing thumb cymbals? As Jackie would say on "That '70s Show," "how _romantic_"! "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" got Roy Harper to put out an album, it drowns in an excess of distorted vocal and slide guitar. Zep rules, dudes.

OVERALL RATING: 9

LED ZEPPELIN IV (ZOSO) (1971)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Known as one of the best Led Zeppelin albums (hell, rock albums) of all time, this set consists of the most radio-classic tunes found on one Zep album, as almost all of them have or had been hits. With all the excellent riffs abound and one truly larger-than-life epic called "Stairway To Heaven", it is easy to see why this album became the definitive Zeppelin release. In certain respects it is the definitive Zeppelin album, but definitely not one of their best albums due to the fact that some of the songs are not as captivating as before. Although more-than-decent songs like the Eastern-folk of "Battle Of Evermore", which has a beautiful melody with a great ringing atmosphere, and the loud, sleazy blues of "When The Levee Breaks" with its' incredible drum sound are good tunes, they are a little overlong and drag in spots.

Also, the otherwise fantastic "Black Dog" with its' great riff, is weakened by its structure. The stop-start riff is fine as an introduction to the song, but it gets annoying after a minute or so and seems to bring the tune into an almost anti-climax mode. Fortunately the tune is saved by the sheer power of the rythym section and the classic Page solo during the ending minute of the song (the whiny vocals still don't help though). Besides these complaints, Led Zeppelin IV is a triumphant release which shows Led Zeppelin successfully rocking out with hard-hitting blues like they did on Led Zeppelin II, while still retaining the mystical folk quality of Led Zeppelin III.

These two sides of Led Zeppelin are combined best in the epic, and famous "Stairway To Heaven", which even if overplayed will never lose its classic status, for it has the album's most captivating melody and majestic structure. It smoothly goes from being a soft ballad, with a beautiful recorder being played in the background, to a head-banging rocker in a perfect eight minutes. "Misty Mountain Hop" is a memorable tune, because of the bouncy melody and odd vocal-line by Plant going along with the keyboard during the verses. "Four Sticks", which has an interesting black country atmosphere, tumbling drum-sound, and some synthesizer touches at the end, is also quite good.

On the acoustic side "Going To California" has a fine melody and great shouting bridge, and the previously mentioned "Battle Of Evermore" is affecting. Last but not least, "Rock And Roll" is simply an ass-kickin' straightforward tune by the band. The powerful performance and hot guitar solo which highlights the tune shows Led Zeppelin at the height of their powers. A truly remarkable album, which despite its' minor flaws is still a great Led Zeppelin album. Retreating into a rural area to record most of Led Zeppelin IV (or ZoSo as I like to call it) was a good idea, and gives the acoustic material a more mature feel somewhat. This fourth effort gets a high 8 by me.

OVERALL RATING: 8

(Samuel Fassbinder's review)

HIGH POINTS: Stairway To Heaven (duh), Rock And Roll, When The Levee Breaks, Misty Mountain Hop. LOW POINTS: Four Sticks.

For some reason, Zeppelin's fourth untitled album is the one that gains the most acclaim from the radio and critical community. Oh yeah, it's because of that "Stairway To Heaven" ditty, isn't it? Not to mention about five of the other songs still get constant play on classic rock radio to this day. While it's certainly overrated as far as quality is concerned, this is still certainly the band at their most epic and mystical, and that's definitely something. Plus, the folk and hard rock elements are combined with even better power than before, though not always with consistently great results, and the playing remains exciting and the songs are structured powerfully enough for much of the acclaim this untitled effort to be at least mostly justified. Even if Robert Plant's vocals are starting to wear really thin in certain spots.

One such spot is the opening "Black Dog", which actually has an awesome main riff going for it, but the song's constant start-stop structure and unaccompanied Plant shrieking nearly cancel out almost all of its' power. I can certainly see the influence this type of song has, but for the vintage hard rockin' stuff I prefer to go to the next one, the appropriately titled "Rock And Roll". All cylinders are really firing here, as it boasts another classic riff and a simply breathtaking pace for an incredibly well done piece considering how straightforward it actually is. It also has quite appropriate lyrics for the mood, too, and the short drum bashing makes for a gripping end. The completely dulcimer-driven "Battle Of Evermore" is at its' essence, a very dumb and overblown mystical song, but the main folky melody is very very hypnotizing, and the guest vocals from Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny are a nice touch. It also has some of Page's prettiest guitar work, too, and I like it quite a bit.

Oh, and then there's that first half closer "Stairway To Heaven", the grand master of them all, possibly the most famous epic in all of rock history. It's not exactly my favorite Zep song, and it's perhaps somewhat overrated in terms of its' mindblowing impact, but it's still an absolute tour-de-force. The main acoustic intro, while a stolen one, works extremely well with the gorgeous main vocal melody and uncharacteristically well-written poetic and mystical lyrics that set such a special vibe. The way the arrangement slowly builds up in its' beauty and majesty is genius (and if you reverse the line 'there's still time to change the road you're on', it says 'here's to my sweet Satan'... really!), and it's an absolute thrill when it gets more aggressive. The guitar solo is a flawlessly executed, phenomenal highpoint too, and one of Page's finest moments, but you all knew that already.

My only real complaint with the song is that it perhaps crashes down to earth too quickly after the solo, which is a little disappointing for me, but that's just a minor drawback. I guess the song really shouldn't be sequenced right before "Misty Mountain Hop" either, but that's another thing entirely. Speaking of that song, I can see why it gets consistently bashed all the time - the main riff and melody are both incredibly dumb and simplistic, and Plant just whines the song's mostly inane lyrics constantly. But goddamn it, it's so much fun. For me, this is one of the most addictive songs in the entire Zep catalog, just so over-the-top and stupid that it's just completely amusing to sing along to, not to mention that the drum work here is pretty incredible - one of John Bonham's standout moments.

In my opinion, the real stinker of this album is "Four Sticks", though even that one has heavenly guitar textures in the chorus to verse interludes and more fabulous drumming. If it were all instrumental based on that, it would probably be a classic in my mind, but I just can't get past the messy melody and arrangement, plus those awful vocals featuring Plant really getting in touch with his ball-less, female side. What a headache. At least "Going To California", while not quite one of the best ballads the group ever wrote, has a beautiful melody and recalls the great intimacy of these kind of songs from the previous albums. It's also really neat when the song switches to a briskly sung 'punch in the nose' melody.

Fortunately, to close the album on a really high note, there's the stunning epic blues of "When The Levee Breaks", which achieves a simply horrifying, bloody atmosphere by combining that huge drum sound, Page's slide guitar and Plant's distorted harmonica. It's definitely the blues at its' most apocalyptic, and that mood lifts an otherwise fairly ordinary workout into a genuine classic. I'd even go as far to say it could have been this album's most awesome song if it had been trimmed down a bit from its' overlong, repetitive seven minute length. In all, the untitled fourth runes symbol record or whatnot isn't quite the classic album it's often made out to be, mostly because of its' somewhat inconsistent songwriting, but any record with songs of this calibre as its' highlights deserves major respect.

OVERALL RATING: 9

What initially prompted me to write this review (and my review of III) was reading Starostin's early review of IV, the one he placed in Mark Prindle's page. He praises "Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll" but criticizes the rest of the album. When I was reading this, I was thinking that it was those songs I like to skip, programming the CD-player to start with the third track sometimes, and listen to the rest of the album all by itself, so it really made me wonder what Starostin was looking for when he wrote that review. Well, I went back to listen to the whole thing, and the answer came -- Starostin was looking for a Jimmy Page solo, where I was looking for melodies that were easy to listen to, that complimented the "rocking" that I was doing when I rocked.

I guess I found the bridge on "Black Dog" (where Plant doesn't sing and where Page's guitar rocks out) to be gimmicky, and tiresome in its repetition. Since it took a lot of energy to appreciate the first time he plays it (it is, after all, a very energetic song), hearing it several times became unpleasant. MORE PLEASANT NOTE: I've since gotten used to it, like most Zep, because, like many people, I heard tons of Zep on "classic rock" radio throughout the '70s and even into the present day. My take on "Rock And Roll," furthermore, is that I thought it was dominated by a routine and loud exposition of the noise that can be achieved by a drummer and a drumkit. So I was bored. If you liked what Page did on this album, the better for you.

George Starostin criticizes this album for the pretentiousness of its lyrics, especially "The Battle Of Evermore." I didn't listen to them. "The Battle Of Evermore" is cool for the dulcimer background and the vocal harmonies. Well, "Playboy" said it was a dulcimer back in '72, see http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8678/ledzeppelin1.html . "Stairway To Heaven" is a classic that has been overplayed, and even more egregiously this radio, party, and dancehall saturation with this song occurred when I was growing up, in the '70s of course. I still can't find anything bad to say about this song, it's one of the all-time best songs ever. I just feel that my appreciation of it was roadswiped decades ago.

I'm not sounding original, here, either, so let's move on. "Misty Mountain Hop," I can see how someone would dislike this song for its repetitive aspects. I think it's in A minor or something, the way they play with those three notes, I think they're G, Am, and F (please correct me if I'm wrong), messes with your idea of the time of the listening time. "Four Sticks" has Plant moaning a lot, I dunno, I find it's kind of symphonic like you're listening to classical music, feel free to turn the volume down at this point. "Going To California" is pure schmaltz. "When The Levee Breaks" has a really neat and spooky arrangement that Starostin describes to a T. A rating? Zep rules, of course, but I do want to be fair in evaluating this album. The high points are higher and the low points are lower than on III, result the same.

OVERALL RATING: 9

(John Sieber's review)

Review number 50, for me, just HAD to be a goodie. So I picked THIS album! This one just might be the "sacred cow" to beat all sacred cows, and surely the most famous radio whore (next to Dark Side Of The Moon) in history. So, let's talk about this thing, eh? First off, I always wondered what the fuck was up with the album cover. And old man with a shitload of sticks on his back? But ya know, the starkness of the whole thing really reflects the rootsy, folky nature of this album. So, what about the runes that take the place of the name? Well, in my discombobulated mind, those really show the mystical side of a couple of these tunes, which I will get to soon.

First, let's start with "Black Dog" and "Rock and Roll", two grrrrreat balls-to-the-wall hard rockers that predict Aerosmith's coming three years from then! Good hooks in both of 'em, especially "Black Dog", but they are mildly repetitive and slide in and out of my head pretty quick (could have something to do with the fact that they're played CONSTANTLY on classic rock radio?). "The Battle of Evermore"'s pretentious fantasy lyrics mean not a damned thing to me, kind sir. I just love the weird-o chords that back one of the catchiest melodies mine ears have heard! And the incessant wailing in the background, while it might turn off your normal, tax-paying American, they do nothing to me but put a smile on my pretty face! Okay, I lied, I'm not pretty. But I have gotten my fair share of play in my life! Okay, maybe I haven't. But hey, this isn't John's love life review site, is it?!?! NO! It's a friggin music site, eh?! So, "The Battle of Evermore" rules, and there is nothing you can say to change my mind. Plhhhhbt.

Okay, that was unnecessary.

"Stairway to Heaven". Oh dear. Well, what the fuck do you want from me? Oh okay. While this thing doesn't exactly kick me in the 'nads like it did in my pre-Close To The Edge days, it is still a very well put-together number that, despite being 8 minutes long, never gets old. The whole thing is based on a slow musical crescendo, starting acoustic and growing louder and stuff, and... well, you get it. If you don't, listen to it a few times; you'll thank me later. "Misty Mountain Hop" is a tune that, despite having the fruitiest name in life ever, is a great heavy rocker that, before I got the album, I had heard, but didn't know the name of the tune OR who did it! That's the way it goes... (Side note: To add to Señor Fassbinder's review above me, "Hop"'s first three chords are A5, G5, and E5, I think.)

"Four Sticks" is heavy like "Hop" but much more complex and interesting. Based on a repeating 5/4 guitar line, the beginning segues into a power ballad-esque chorus in 6/4. Ya see, that guitar riff in the verse starts to get annoying, and JUST BEFORE it does, they switch it up, throw in a 6/4 bar, or go into the acoustic chorus section! Brilliant!

Now, the last two numbers here I'm not crazy about, but they're not bad anyway. "Going to California" is another folky tune which, despite it's slight banality, does have a great melody, and some of Plant's best vocal work I've ever heard (right up there with "Stairway"). "When the Levee Breaks" closes out the album, and you can even hear this one on the radio every once in a while. While it does have a few good musical ideas and an undeniably catchy hard-rock riff, it doesn't even come close to justify being 7 minutes long. I mean, Yes' "Long Distance Runaround" has more musical ideas crammed into half the time of "Levee"! Yeah I know it's all bluesy, and Zepplin is a bluesy band, but that don't mean I really have to love it, now does it? At any rate, it ain't bad, and I can always stop the CD at the 5 minute mark, still feeling musically satisfied.

God, look at the tunes on this record! Half of 'em are radio standards! Two tunes (one acoustic, one half-acoustic) that absolutely rule, four great rockers, a formidable acoustic tune, and a better-than-average heavy blues tune make up this juggernaut of a record. Another must-have standard in rock's history. Buy it; what else can I say?

OVERALL RATING: 8

[email protected] (John Schlegel)

COMMENTS

This might be the single most respected album that I just plumb don't like. I mean, it's gargantuanly hailed by rock fans and critics alike, but I have just never gotten it. "Black Dog" just sounds to DUMB to me! Robert Plant sings this cheesy little rhyme, then stops, then this hard rock guitar riffs blares up, then stops, also sounding ridiculous, and then they sing, "Uh, huh! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" (Or something like that.) Betcha' never heard it that way before! I also think "Rock N' Roll" is boring. Those have to be my two least favorite popular Led Zeppelin songs. Yes, "Stairway to Heaven" is a masterpiece, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm sick of it. The only song on this album I like is "When the Levee Breaks"--now THAT'S a good song! My, I've had too much caffeine this morning.

HOUSES OF THE HOLY (1973)

(Casey Brennan's review)

After the gigantic success of Led Zeppelin IV the band set out on a world tour, before going back in the studio to record their most diverse set of songs for the album Houses Of The Holy. The band gets less bluesier on this release, and tackles some different styles, such as reggae (D'yer Mak'er), prog (No Quarter), and even funk! (The Crunge). This alone gives the album a different vibe than the previous Zep releases, but also notably different is the lack of darkness and heaviness on here, which is replaced by a brighter and livelier tone. Think of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by Black Sabbath in the same year.

Not only is the diversity exciting and amazing, but I think that Led Zeppelin do it with style and grace, even if doing something like this could be treading some dangerous water. The two immediate classics to be found on here are, of course, the folky-turned rocker "Over The Hills And Far Away", and the great riff of "The Ocean". The former starts off with some tasty acoustic guitar playing, before turning into a melodic and smooth rocker complete with some of the most dynamic and tight playing on the whole album. The latter tune, "The Ocean", with its memorable and upbeat riff is also on the creative side, as towards the end it turns into a bluesy doo-woppish tune after the last lyric is sung. Speaking of that last lyric, it's funny how Plant sings 'she is only three years old and it's a real fine way to start', while the cover of the album has naked six year-old girls on it. Hmmm... I'm not gonna ask).

While those two songs are major highlights on here, the record is packed with plenty of other interesting and great moments. "The Rain Song" is a beautiful and elegant ballad, with a relaxing mellotron in the background, and lovely chord-changes throughout. Showing Led Zeppelin at their most tender, it has a moving instrumental section and nice melody, which makes this song not overlong in its' glorious seven minutes. The fantastic opener "The Song Remains The Same" is an energetic slice of wank-o-rama, that is at its' most exciting when all of the guitars are playing together and against each other in a brisk and cheerful fashion. The only drawback is that the vocals are really whiny and annoying throughout most of the song, although the mood created by the wailing vocals of Plant at the end of the track are effective.

Other stylistic excursions such as the reggae-ish "D'yer Mak'er" (a catchy tune with some great 'oh, oh, oh's') and the funky "The Crunge" (a tiring vocal workout on this one, but the tune is wonderfully catchy and funny) work to the band's advantage, because of the humor and heart put into them. The gem "No Quarter" can't be forgotten either, as it has the most interesting melody of the whole album. The moody atmosphere created by the 'dark' (the only point on the album which can be considered dark) playing and vocals is great, and the band is at it's most progressive, even sounding 'Yes-ish' for a few seconds during the instrumental guitar-break section.

Fitting well in the middle of the album is the straightforward and somewhat annoying "Dancing Days", which is a mind-numbingly catchy tune with a great synthesizer riff going along it. Those eight songs make up another, in my opinion, classic Led Zeppelin album. Making every stylistic exercise their own (only "The Crunge" sounds a little weak compared to the rest), Led Zeppelin make several more classic riff-rockers and some truly majestic music. The only minor flaw is that Plant's vocals have definitely gotten more annoying (depending on the song). Otherwise, this set shows the band at the height of their powers, making everything pretty memorable and flavourable.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

HIGH POINTS: No Quarter, Over The Hills And Far Away, The Ocean. LOW POINTS: The Crunge.

Coinciding with the major event of Zeppelin actually titling one of their albums, it was apparently decided that the band was going to try their hand at a variety of musical styles. Without a doubt, Houses Of The Holy is certainly the most eclectic and interesting release of their career - here, excursions into funk, reggae, Eastern music, accapella and even art rock at times are combined with their trademark sound. Unfortunately, there's something about the actual, you know, quality of these songs that doesn't sit well with me compared to the previous records, and there seems to be a real lack of power and focus in a number of songs, which results in the first real disappointment of the band's career thus far. For me, at least - some people really love this album (witness above review), so I could be wrong for all I care. It's just that a few too many times the band can be found falling flat (groovy tounge twister there), and Robert Plant's vocals just continue to be on the decline. Ugh.

The first half is especially mediocre (by Zep's high standards, anyway). "The Song Remains The Same" has a simply fantastic energetic and fast opening riff/intro that nearly recalls Yes at its' very best, but the way it all of a sudden slows down into an unmelodic verse that seems really out of place with the rest of the song drives me nuts. It does pick back up a bit afterwards, but toward the end, Plant's vocals are just so frighteningly whiny they make me cringe. "The Rain Song" also creates decidedly mixed reactions from me - it is very beautiful and affecting in places, especially in the guitar work, but the melody just isn't very eventful, and the orchestration plus the weak lyrics make the song sound kinda dated, and to me it doesn't really deserve all of its' 7-1/2 minute length.

Thankfully, these two so-so numbers are followed by the album's first classic in "Over The Hills And Far Away", which can actually be called an attempt at folk-metal, of all things. Its' incredible, complex acoustic intro (very nice love ballad melody in there, too) merges extremely well with the harder rocking chorus and soloing, plus the echoey outro is a very nice way to end it all. But then the frustrating inconsistency pulls the disasterous rabbit "The Crunge" out of its' hat, and while it does have a slight bit of humor at its' ending line 'where's that confounded bridge?', but the instrumentation is just dull, the melody is next to none, and the lyrics and vocals are very cringe-inducing. The next couple of songs that start off side two are among the most consistently bashed, but I do have to say I very much enjoy both "Dancing Days" and "D'yer Mak'er". The former has a fine Eastern sounding riff to it, and even if it isn't spectacular, it has a very catchy and enjoyable main melody, while the reggae of the latter is a funny diversion, with the dumb 'oh oh oh oh oh' refrain and silly lyrics actually pushing forward its' enjoyment.

They do, however, seem very lightweight compared to the highlight of the album, "No Quarter", which is a brilliantly dark and moody epic track that's undoubtedly John Paul Jones' shining moment as a songwriter. His keyboard part is the unsettling centerpiece, the main melody and effects on Plant's voice are eerie as hell, and the dirty riff that bursts out of it during the guitar breaks is just awesome. And "The Ocean", while slightly anticlimactic, is a thoroughly satisfying way to close off the album, a seriously forceful and excellent rocking tune, with fine twists in its' 'na na na na na' harmonized middle and groove-dominated ending to the song. But even with the powerful 1-2 punch at the end, however, Houses is inconsistent for sure, even though it's a testament to Zep's talent that they turned out a recommendable album out of unfocusedness anyway, and thankfully, they'd really rebound with their quintessential statement next.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5

(John Sieber's review)

As far as Led Zeppelin goes, I'll confess I am a bit of a newbie. I have friends who own their whole catalog and rave on and on about their multitudinous merits. That's all well and good by me, but all I ever wanted to do was find me a good album and cozy up with it. While it's true most Yes albums do that, I was hard-pressed to find a Zeppelin album that did that for me. Sure, Zoso is probably going to be my perennial favorite (at least until I get their first 3 albums), but for some reason, Houses Of The Holy really rings my proverbial bell in a way Zoso cannot.

And I realize that I am glorifying an album that has really pathetic stylistic parodies such as "The Crunge" and "D'yer Mak'er", but the thing is, I love those songs too! And truth be told, "D'yer Mak'er" is one of my favorite Zep songs. I just can't help it, man - it's just so happy-sounding, and while not exactly pinning the reggae style, Zeppelin creates their own quasi-reggae in this track. And I did buy this album only knowing that song at first, but after I became exposed fully to it, I fell hard for other tunes, such as "The Rain Song" (even though I like The Song Remains The Same live version of it better). I have lately seen it as a kind of "Stairway Part II", what with the gradual crescendo and even more accessible lyrics! I absolutely love when the drums make an appearance in the middle of the song, to add their own punctuation to the already syncopated rhythms the guitars are laying down. Damn, I wish they would play this on the radio sometimes instead of "Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid" all the time!

Anyway, what else? Umm, I love "Dancing Days"; that guitar riff is now classic, and all in all, it's a good song to blast while driving down the highway on your way to see your woman. That is, if you had a woman. If not, just driving down the highway would suffice for the blaring of "Dancing Days", capice? "Over The Hills and Far Away" and "The Ocean" I group together in my mind because I love the middle sections of both tunes, and the main parts are not too dissimilar. I enjoy "Over the Hills" a bit more than "The Ocean" but hey, it's all subjective anyway!

Okay, I know I didnt mention "The Song Remains The Same" yet, and I'm almost done talking about the album. My bad. But I love that tune too, partly because of the fast guitars (an anomaly on this album at least) the half-time verses. Slightly repetitive, but well worth not skipping it to get to "The Rain Song". And now for the peak, Led Zeppelin's only reason for existence (just kidding), "No Quarter". The first time I heard it, I dismissed it as a lame "Echoes" rip-off. Woops. Well, I still feel that Zeppelin borrowed from Pink Floyd's masterpiece more than a little, but I cannot deny this oozing piece of doom its glory any longer. All you Tool fans who have heard their version, come on home to the original! Bliss.

So there you have it, laid out from my perspective. Because, I mean, all reality is is our subjective view of the things around us. I think.

OVERALL RATING: 9

[email protected] (John Schlegel)

COMMENTS

The other Zep album I can halfway hack. "Over the Hills and Far Away" is undeniably great. So is "Dancing Days," even though that one took time to grow on me (the Stone Temple Pilots' mid-90s cover of it set my taste for that song back five years or so). I know there are other songs on here I like too, but I can't associate the names with the melodies because of Led Zeppelin's penchant to give several of their songs these weird, arty titles that aren't recited in the song's choruses. I hate that sugary reggae song, though. You should see my face when it comes on the radio.

As a boy in 1973 I remember seeing the album cover in our local "underground" record shop - (my uncle used to take us up town occasionally) and I asked him who was this band? "ahh, Led Zeppelin", he nodded sagely. "Wow", I thought and realised that my 50p pocket money was not going to be enough to buy said record.

15 years later I finally brought the album on vinyl, and haved loved it ever since. I remember annoying my then fiance, now my wife, by playing it on Christmas morning 1996. She complained to her parents about it when they came round for dinner. "But that was Houses Of The Holy!!" said I, "mmmm", said her dad, again nodding sagely.

Anyway enough of the history lesson.

The Song Remains The Same sounds like it was recorded at a wrong speed, not my favourite. The other rockers are all great, Dancing Days, The Ocean, Over The Hills, No Quarter, but I hate Dyer Maker and The Crunge. Why did they leave out the albums title track for one of these two crocks - easily the two worst tracks of this band's career.

Overall an 8.5 though. Mud in the eye of any critic who suggests this band can only do cock rock - even if the reggae and funk diversions are awful.

PHYSICAL GRAFFITI (1975)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Led Zeppelins follow-up to Houses Of The Holy turned out to be the band's most 'Zeppelinish' album. The songs which were originally planned for Physical Graffiti totaled out to be too long for a single album, so Led Zeppelin decided to dig into the vaults for material that they recorded in the past few years, and from that came up with this sprawling double album. This grand piece of work shows all sides of the band in one sitting, as their are epic tracks, forays into Eastern music, acoustic-laden tunes, along with straightforward hard rock. Maybe the only complaint is that the mystical side of Led Zeppelin so prominent on the third and fourth albums is missing.

That minor flaw aside, it is interesting to note that not only are the 1974 tunes on the whole strong, but many of the early 70's ones that were deemed too weak for their other classic albums turn out to be major highlights on here as well. That can be said for the morning-dew classic "Down By The Seaside", which has some beautiful guitar arpeggios and background vocals, plus a perfectly placed rocking midsection with a faster tempo. Also the not-too-heavy hippie rock of "Night Flight" is a winner, with its organ-drenched sound and mid-tempo melody.

The whole album starts off with the fine bluesy riff-rocker "Custard Pie", which is one of the shorter tracks on the mostly long-winded and epic first half of Physical Graffiti. This track, which has touches of keyboard and a meaty guitar sound, shows a return to a more darker sound, after the open-sounding and upbeat Houses Of The Holy album. This tune is followed by the sleazy and hardhitting "The Rover", which with its classic intro and great riff make it a top highlight on this whole release. After this thick and murky rocker, comes the first epic track "In My Time Of Dying", which hardly slows things down. It starts off as a slow blues number with some slide guitar, until about four minutes into the song a magnificent riff blasts in and throws the song into a fast fury of exciting riff-fests and condensed guitar soloing (the drums are incredibly powerful too), before going back into a slow part which just drags a bit, but not too much.

The straightforward and upbeat "Houses Of The Holy" follows, and instantly becomes another Zep classic with its memorable riff. This song proves that even though Jimmy doesn't have too many guitar-playing tricks up his sleeve anymore, he can surely still make one hell of a riff! The funky "Trampled Under Foot", which is overlong but still quite good and the Eastern-styled "Kashmir" (the immaculate centerpiece of the album) round out part one.

Part two is just as great and maybe even better than the first half, as a few more classic tunes pop up. The previously mentioned "Down By The Seaside" and "Night Flight" appear here, but the real truly outstanding track that overpowers everything else would have to be "Ten Years Gone", a beautiful tune with inspired and breathtaking guitar-work. The passionate guitar-break and solo which make the song go into incredible heights, along with the inspired and elegant vocals, possibly make this the very top highlight of the whole album. The epic track "In The Light" is a good if less successful follow-up to "No Quarter", with Jonesy keyboards giving the song a dark and moody atmosphere during the verses, while the chorus has a more hopeful and optimistic upscale guitar part which reaches upwards and 'into the light'.

"The Wanton Song" also makes good use of its' bombastic riff and whiny vocals, while "Sick Again" works as a good and sleazy blues closer, and "Black Country Woman" is a very good acoustic shuffle. The only real filler is the uninteresting coal-mine tune "Boogie With Stu" which is built on a generic melody, and the OK, but slight acoustic piece "Bron-Yr-Aur" which doesn't do anything for me. These two tunes and a few other moments keep Physical Graffiti from becoming a sure-fire classic, but even so this album is their most definitive piece of work. Only a little under par than their previous album.

OVERALL RATING: 9

HIGH POINTS: Down By The Seaside, The Rover, Ten Years Gone, In The Light, Kashmir, Houses Of The Holy, In My Time Of Dying, Night Flight. LOW POINTS: None.

Following Houses Of The Holy, the band took a well deserved break and resurfaced with the double album opus Physical Graffiti. This particular double effort, though, was put together a little differently than most - lurking within the material the band recorded after Houses is actually an outtakes album, with that material dating as far back as 1970, most of them from 1972. But surprisingly enough, not only are these numbers far from subpar, in a very large number of cases, the songs are even better than the new material, which is quite powerful in itself. In all, we get the band's quintessential album out of this, with the songs covering diverse territory somewhat more effectively and more convincingly epic than last time out. It's so surprising to me how all the songs gathered together flow into an effortless, cohesive whole, with Zep seemingly at the height of their powers. Oh yeah, if you haven't figured it out yet, this is my pick for best album in the band's entire catalog, and one of my favorites of all time.

The band always opened up their albums with a bombastic heavy song, and for this effort, "Custard Pie" doesn't disappoint. It's built on yet another simple, but distinct and memorable riff that propels it to excitement, and the drum work in particular is just massive on the song, particularly during the fantastic 'drop down, drop down' section. Its' followup "The Rover", though, can be called the first major highlight of many on here. It's just a superbly arranged song, whose powerful chorus melody and considerable energy in the playing does justice to the simply flawless introduction (another classic riff to add to Page's arsenal, too).

As for the epic, extended blues portion of the album, there's "In My Time Of Dying", the 11 minute side one closer. The slow, slide guitar portions of the song are menacing and captivating enough (particularly as far as the vocal/guitar interplay is concerned), but the way it builds up to some extremely forceful playing is just a stunning experience. Yes, the song is a little overlong, but when the atmosphere resembles a hellish fury, with intense drumming that is probably a shining example of why John Bonham is one of my favorites, and vintage Page riffing, it doesn't really matter to me. Especially, when the fantastic riff rocking pop song "Houses Of The Holy" rises out of the bloody aftermath as a brilliant sing-along tune with a standout melody, addictive pace, and amusing vocal wails and lyrics.

Afterwards we have the overlong and repetitive but still good funkster "Trampled Underfoot", which has an extraordinarily entertaining organ part, another massively heavy rhythm and appropriate 'talkin' 'bout love' melody. It's powerful enough to be a potential major highlight were it arranged just a bit better. The album one closer "Kashmir", the larger than life 8 minute epic, however, I have no such problems with. Don't get me wrong - as far as competition with "Stairway To Heaven" as Zeppelin's best tune, it's overrated, as it relies a bit too much on its' distinct symphonic part (with Page's bowed guitar in full force) and pounding rhythm, but yikes, those features are ultra-amazing. This is definitely Zep's most obvious plunge into Eastern style - not only in the music, but also in the lyrics and arrangement, and the result is a total winner.

Now, side three is another matter of the album entirely. Without a doubt, this is my favorite side of any Zep album ever, and actually one of my all-time favorite album halves. Why? Because it hjas three of the most gorgeous and majestic songs I've ever heard, plus a nice two minute acoustic piece that might seem like filler but serves as a perfect bridge between the first and third track. "In The Light" is the opener here, and also the song of the album where John Paul Jones lends his influence most. Damn, that keyboard part to open up the first minute and a half of the song and shows up again in the middle is all at once ominous, majestic and beautiful, and as far as a mood-setting intro goes, this is even better than "No Quarter, and that says a ton. The transition to the 'and if you feel you will find the road...' verse portion is great, and the 'light, light, light, in the liiiiiiiight' vocal melody that comes later just blows my mind. The flow to the whole song is also so smooth that it might be the shortest 8-1/2 minute song I can think of.

Oh, and then after that aformentioned acoustic piece "Bron-Yr-Aur" comes "Down By The Seaside". For all their great power as hard rockers, in this country-ish ballad, Page and Plant turn out what is perhaps the most emotionally striking song in their catalog in my mind (as well as my personal favorite), and it captures the song's title in its' vibe in the most heavenly way I can think of. The guitar part, vocal melody and unassumingly beautiful nature of the song all combine for a revelatory number, and the 'still do the twist...' bridge that shows up is just an extra stroke of genius. And just to make a great stretch of music even more astounding is the epic blues ballad "Ten Years Gone", another song whose vibe is simply incomparable to anything else. The beautiful and subtle guitar textures are extremely effective, and the main vocal melody is one of the most affecting they ever came up with, plus the bridge ('did you ever really need somebody...') is another shining example of evoking places that I never knew existed.

After a dazzling stretch of music, side four is where the band kinda relaxes in laid back mode for most of the remainder, and while none of those songs reach the sheer majesty of what came before, the songs are all good to quite impressive. "Night Flight" is probably the best of this side, as its' rocking chorus ('meet me in the morning...') is a fine contrast to the anthemic beauty of its' verses ('I received a message...'), and it's another great example of the power this band has to conjure up images and places in my head. "The Wanton Song" is another fine, fine attempt at rocking out, with a hard-hitting, groovy and very memorable riff and even the fillerish "Boogie With Stu" has a neat mood to it - it's almost like a bluesy version of "Rock And Roll" recorded in a coal mine, with a fun little melody.

"Black Country Woman" is another quite effective laid-back piece that clearly shows the band just having a good time, with effective transitions between pure acoustic verses and a gradual development into rocking territory. The closing "Sick Again", though, treads dangerously close to cock-rockish territory, as it's built on a dirty riff and you can hardly hear Plant's vocals at all in the verses, but the refrain provides a satisfying end to everything. For a long time, I believed this album to be a permanent resident in my top ten favorites list, though it has grown off me slightly, since there are a few moments that are a bit overlong and unfocused and predate genericism on Presence. But even so, among all this material, I still can't find a single even remotely unsatisfying song, and I personally never have a problem sitting through the whole thing, since there are so many songs on here I would rank as Zep classics.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

PRESENCE (1976)

(Casey Brennan's review)

Released during a time of turmoil and drug addiction for the band, this album doesn't sound a whole lot different than some of the newer tunes on Physical Graffiti. The drums are still as powerful than ever, this time being even higher in the mix than usual, and the songs range from being short n' funky to long and quite epic. About half the songs are usual Led Zeppelin classics, but unfortunately the other half (basically the whole second side) are some of the weakest songs the band had put out to date. You wouldn't think this is anything other than classic Zeppelin on the first track though, the ten-minute plus "Achilles Last Stand". It is one of the best epics the group had ever put out (after "Stairway To Heaven" and a few others that is), with its furious main riff propelling the song into a long journey, and the frantic guitar solos blaring in and out of the bombast.

The next track "For Your Life" pushes the album forward as the top highlight on here, with a sparse arrangement fueled by robust drumming and a completely awesome riff that doesn't seem bluesy at all. The funky riff of "Royal Orleans" is pretty good, but the song itself is a little bit of a rushed and smudgy effort. This is made up for in the hit "Nobody's Fault But Mine" though, which has those great 'a-ua-ua-aah, auaaahh' vocals opening up the track, and a neat time signature between the drums and guitar before going into the gritty verses. It also contains a wonderful harmonica solo that flutters with the beat halfway through the tune, quite another stunner.

This flow is all ruined on the last three songs which make up nearly half the album. A weak rock n' roller with bad production named "Candy Store Rock" is not even as inspired as "Boogie With Stu" from the last album, while "Hots On For Nowhere" which has another ringing funkish riff on the album, is an okay sounding but unassuming tune. Those are just two simple throwaways, as the real stinker comes in the form of "Tea For One", an extended, ten-minute blues number. Unlike the other great blues workouts that Led Zeppelin have done in the past so powerfully and dynamically, this one is almost a complete bore to deal with. It actually starts off with a good, trebly riff but then slows down into an unbearable pace and comes off as an underdeveloped rewrite of "Since I've Been Loving You" from Led Zeppelin III. Since half of the album is as great as can be (well for the most part) it is still a worthy album in the Zeppelin canon - just stop Presence after track number four and it will be as good as any of their other releases.

OVERALL RATING: 7

HIGH POINTS: For Your Life, Achilles Last Stand. LOW POINTS: Candy Store Rock.

In retrospect, on account of the personal turmoil within the band's members (Robert Plant's injury, Jimmy Page's drug problems, etc.), the band's Physical Graffiti followup was inevitably a huge step down in quality, since quite a bit of this material seems rushed and not really up to the Led Zeppelin standards. Plus, as brilliant as the last album was, a lot of its' best moments were actually recorded a few years earlier, which didn't give the illusion of Zeppelin falling into some sort of creative decline as a result. The actual sound still has its' power, but by now, it's filled with a lot less conviction and there's definitely a loss of distinctiveness here. But fortunately, it does contain a decent percentage of very good material within the inconsistent mix of songs, plus an intriguing album cover - what exactly is that black object on there and why is everyone so obsessed with it?

This effort does start off rather magnificently, though, with the 10 minute "Achilles Last Stand", another excellent epic entry in their catalog. It's a couple minutes longer than it should be, since it begins chasing its' tail after awhile in repetitiveness and annoying whining, but the drama set up by the uncertain, strong vocal melody, breathtakingly fast power riffing, and the usual greatness of the rhythm section is enough to ensure the highlight status of the song. The next track "For Your Life" is probably even better, though, as it surely ranks among the band's most hardest hitting and tightest grooves ever. The riff is another classic, and there's something unconventional and very interesting about the melody and pace changes, but more importantly, the Jones/Bonham rhythm section turn in another vintage performance.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album never lives up to those heights, and the flaws of Presence begin to show themselves with the insubstantial and short groove rocker "Royal Orleans", which sounds like a rewrite of "Trampled Underfoot", although it does have a pretty decent funk riff and Mardi Gras atmosphere towards the end of it. The hugest hit "Nobody's Fault But Mine" is also a bit of a mixed bag for me, as it's probably one of my least preferred 'popular' Zeppelin tracks. It is built on a really neat chemistry between the guitar riff and vocal wails to the point where it can be hard to tell the difference between them, but it's just too repetitive, messy, and overlong, getting tiresome by the third or fourth minute with its' stop-start structure.

At least it's not as bad as the rather nasty and generic classic rock and roll parody "Candy Store Rock", though, as that tune has an awfully laughable chorus and Plant coming off as a bad Elvis impersonator through the rest of the song. "Hots On For Nowhere", while still a little generic, at least has a cool ringing guitar riff and a rather fun-sounding chorus. Plus it is a good setup for the closing lengthy blues from the masters in that department, the over 9 minute "Tea For One". It's admittedly not one of their best efforts, as the pace is not only dreadfully slow, but it also sounds a little like a "Since I've Been Loving You" knockoff, and it goes on about two or three minutes too long. Nevertheless, the song is still saved due to the sheer depression evoked within the darkness of the music and the emotionally worn Plant vocals and lyrics, so it does have some power. Basically, it's typically representative of the inconsistent tendencies here, but the major highlights of Presence, like any Zep studio effort, make it worth owning.

OVERALL RATING: 7

IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR (1979)

(Casey Brennan's review)

The three-year gap between Presence and In Through The Out Door is quite huge as music changed drastically during that period. After a worldwide tour and long break Zeppelin went back into the studio in November 1978, to record what would be their last studio album. Jones synths which dominate the sound as much as the guitars do, show Led Zeppelin settling into a softer, more poppy approach. The record is smooth and undemanding, with some simple groovin' rock n' roll filled in; almost no sign of a punk or new wave influence to be found here. The joyful hit "Fool In The Rain" with it's memorable piano melody, and the lush "All My Love" are the well-known tracks off the album, and also the most successful. The latter tune, which sounds the most modern with it's smooth synth and airy atmosphere, leaves a lasting impression.

The rest of the record doesn't leave much to desire, as the other songs show Led Zeppelin in an enjoyable but dull state. The groove of "South Bound Saurez" and the rock n' roll of "Hot Dog" are nice, but as the shortest and simpliest tunes of the album, don't do anything special. The opening tune "In The Evening" has a good refrain "oh, oh, I need your love", but not much else with it's tiresome feel and lack of real melody. These tunes aren't terrible at all, it's just that Led Zeppelin have lost their way and come out sounding like they have lost their incredible energy (although Bonham's drums still sound great).

The lengthy tune "Carouselambra" comes about halfway through the album, as an interesting and one-dimensional song, with a dominating keyboard line running during most it. It is highlighted around the six-minute mark when the rest of the instruments go away and it's just the keyboards playing. Not anything great though. Last but not least is "I'm Gonna Crawl", a dreamy tune with a heartbreaking melody. Even though the album falls short of its success, the band was still able to prove that it was the most popular hard rock band in the U.S., since In Through The Out Door sold more copies than any punk album from the time.

OVERALL RATING: 6

HIGH POINTS: All My Love, I'm Gonna Crawl, Fool In The Rain. LOW POINTS: None.

By the end of the decade, it was clear that the band was just about spent emotionally, particularly band leaders Jimmy Page (who was stil in the midst of a drug habit) and Robert Plant (who had lost his son to illness, and this subject is covered in one of the songs here, more on that later). As for John Bonham, he would die just a year later of alcohol abuse, a death that would break the band up, and the fact that he was on his last legs is reflected in his drumming performance here. This meant that the unsung John Paul Jones had an opportunity to take control of the band's sound, and musically, the end result is a somewhat different sounding album than anything the band had done in the past, bringing in synth pop influences without as much of the great heavy blues that had characterized earlier albums, and it's regarded as perhaps the weakest album of their whole career.

As for my opinion on In Through The Out Door, I'd say their effort here is somewhat underrated - even though the songs themselves don't quite reach the heights of earlier, none of them are actually weak, and all of them are very enjoyable and often quite catchy in spite of their obvious flaws, due to an interesting, very full-sounding, atmosphere. The opener "In The Evening", for instance, manages to work as an almost eerie synth-led rocker despite the fact that Plant's vocals are almost totally buried, since the main guitar riff merges well with the synths and it maintains a fine anthemic pace. "South Bound Saurez", while something of a dumb groove that isn't very good, at least has an okay pace to it and an 'oh so good' hook that is sure to remain in your head, if nothing else in the song really does.

The lead single "Fool In The Rain", though, is a highly successful piece of Latin-tinged piano pop (maybe one of the better pure pop songs of their career) - it's built on a fine groove and infectious melody, with a lot of fun and power to the atmosphere, and it's middle breakdown is a fantastic and highly entertaining diversion (I love how it shifts right back to the main melody). I even get some degree of enjoyment out of a track that could be considered serious filler on here - the country western flavored "Hot Dog" has the potential to be hokey, but the stupidity of the song works to its' advantage - the melody is solid enough to be entertaining, and the lyrics are very amusing (I particularly enjoy the line 'took my heart, she took my keys...').

There's even a 10 minute epic "Carouselambra", which sounds very much unlike anything else the band ever did, based a lot more on keyboard pop than heavy blues, of course. It's a little overlong and starts to get repetitive after awhile, but the first 5 or 6 minutes of it, with the mysterious accordian-like synth part and the heavenly guitar break leading into a slower bluesier section, is quite enthralling. The last two songs, though, are probably the most impressive of the lot in my mind - "All My Love" is that moving ribute to Plant's deceased son I mentioned earlier, with a strong melody and noticeable emotion. It also features impressively effective use of sweeping keyboards, a poignant chorus that certainly ranks as the album's most memorable moments, and an appropriate key change towards the end.

Finally, the whole album closes with the obligatory blues of "I'm Gonna Crawl" (albeit a blues embellished with keyboards) that has everything, from a passionate vocal delivery to an absolutely gorgeous atmosphere that makes me so thankful Zep managed to close out their career with a song this pretty, instead of continuing on way past their prime and releasing garbage (of course there was Coda, but those are outtakes that came from before this album, so that's iffy). While this certainly isn't the best set of songs the band ever came up with, it's still pleasurable and remarkably consistent enough for me to say I enjoy it more than Houses Of The Holy, and heck, it's not all that far off from III. A pleasant surprise, and a more than acceptable swan song, it is.

OVERALL RATING: 8

CODA (1982)

(Casey Brennan's review)

This album of previously unissued tracks that the band recorded throughout the 1970's, along with a live version of "I Can't Quit You Baby", was released nearly two years after Led Zeppelin broke up. Put together rather clumsily and haphazardly, it is a hodgepodge of a release that lasts only slightly over half an hour. The vaults are dug out like they were on Physical Graffiti, but if you think that this is going to be a great collection of songs like the ones on that album, you will be disappointed. This is probably because the vaults are dug too far this time, nearly scraped to the bottom, making this be a 'worst of' collection by Led Zeppelin.

With that said, some of these tracks are at least interesting and somewhat good. The In Through The Out Door outtake "Darlene" is arguably the one that most approaches good, with its bouncy beat and a chorus in which I believe Plant sings 'Double E' (at least it sounds like this instead of 'Darlene') over and over again. The short and ramblin' "We're Gonna Groove" and "Ozone Baby" (another ITTOD outtake) also contain some sparks, even if it's to a lesser extent. "Poor Tom" on the other hand has a folkish and acoustic melody played behind a workable drum pattern, but not much else.

While these four tunes at least have an edge to them, the others are just poor excuses for songs that really should have been left in the vaults. "Walter's Walk" (a sleazy and badly produced riffy tune) is the least offensive one, but still doesn't come across as anything special, especially since it was recorded during the height of Led Zeppelin's powers in 1972. "Bonzo's Montreux" is just another useless drum solo, with some unnecessary keyboards giving the song a touch, while the live "I Can't Quit You Baby" is pretty horrendous compared to the studio version, because the guitar solos and sound quality are weak. Last and least is the cock-rockish (yes I'll call it that) "Wearing And Tearing", a truly horrible and lifeless song. With half of this set being kind of enjoyable, and the other half being below mediocre, this record doesn't quite hit the 5 mark for me. Almost though.

OVERALL RATING: 4

HIGH POINTS: We're Gonna Groove. LOW POINTS: Wearing And Tearing, Walter's Walk, I Can't Quit You Baby.

The band might have had the sense to break up after John Bonham's death, but unfortunately, that didn't spare the listeners from this release. Basically, Coda is a collection of outtakes from the band that mostly spans their prime period, which might not seem like a bad idea at all, since the studio albums from these guys were mostly excellent, so it's not a bad idea to assume that there might have been quite a few hidden gems in the vaults, some of them as good or better than the album tracks (there was Physical Graffiti, after all). However, it's difficult to imagine a more disappointing collection of material coming from this band. From the quality of this material, it seems like Jimmy Page just randomly chose songs from the vaults for release, as if he owed it to the public to get something out. Bad idea.

Basically, the most appropriate description I can give here is that this is simply an album of dumbass songs. There are highlights - the opening rock and roll of "We're Gonna Groove" is both more well-played and inspired than anything else here, and "Bonzo's Montreux" is actually a semi-interesting drum solo, with a neat Caribbean vibe courtesy of the percussion stuff going on, but most of this is just... ugh. I mean, what is it with the riff "Walter's Walk", for instance? Are you gonna tell me some lame punk shit like that was actually conceived by this band? It sounds like it was written right on the spot! This idea even applies to one of the better songs on here in the form of "Poor Tom" - it's in the vein of the folky stuff from III, only it sounds like it was conceived in about ten minutes. The melody is nice, but unmemorable, and there's so little inspiration here it would have been laughed off that album.

"Ozone Baby" and "Darlene" are definitely listenable too, as the former at least has a catchy 'oooh it's my love' chorus and is okay hard rock, and the latter is a reasonably fun piano groove where Robert Plant sounds like he's singing 'double E' over and over (as pointed out above), but neither are too substantial. There's also a really subpar live take of a song from the debut I already didn't care for ("I Can't Quit You Baby") and the closing "Wearing And Tearing" is just incredibly awful - easily the worst Zeppelin song out there, with an effortless main riff, an appallingly stupid 'you know, you know...' chorus, and an atrocious ending section where Plant keeps screaming 'Medication!' over and over. Bleh. Well, to tell you the truth, I can still almost give this album a 5 since only those three songs I mentioned as lows are really bad, and the rest either ranges from just mediocre to somewhat enjoyable. But I don't at all recommend buying it - download it on MP3s if you must hear this stuff like I did.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5

BBC SESSIONS (1997)

(reviews by Kevin Baker)

Well, faithful readers, I'm back from my lovely vacation. After taking some time to reflect and relax, I've realized that all that "I love Leah so much" bull in some of my past reviews is about as accurate as a drunken Frenchman attempt at shooting a bullseye on a target on the surface of Saturn from the top of his house in Orleans. Which is to say, not at all. I guess I just let my tendency to use her as my safety net to go back to saying I like after heartbreak got out of hand. How I was that stupid, I'll never know. Well, at any rate, I won't bore you in this review with more romantic news. I'll bore you with that in my next one.

At any rate, this is an archive release from our friends at the Beeb. This is their best. I don't care who else they have done or will do, they cannot top this. They got a great live band at their absolute peak and then got together nothing but the cream of the crop recording-wise. How can you go wrong? This is a two-cd set, and there's a significance in that. The first disc is made up of individual radio broadcasts of a song or two at a time. While we've heard studio versions of most of these, they do whip out a few new ones on us, including one of my personal favorites by the Zepsters. That one would be The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair. Why the heck didn't they record THIS??? It would have been great on Led Zep II, and would have got it a 10 from me. It's a compact, gruff, bluesy rocker with a GREAT riff that's modelled after Moby Dick's main riff. The song, not the novel. Herman Melville isn't know for his riffs, though he was in a psychedelic band called Hermy and Great White Cetology Boar...if you see what I'm getting at, give yourself a cookie. Oh, and the other new song is Travelling Riverside Blues, and it's great as well. Lotsa slide guitars whilst Robert Plant talks about wanting his lemon squeezed. Yuck. Dat jest NAAAASTY!

The already-been-recorded material is all great as well. Matter of fact, this Whole Lotta Love may even be better than the original studio take. It's much more aggressive sounding, perhaps because of the guitar being mixed in higher. The sole drawback as far as I'm concerned is in the repetive track selection. There are three Communication Breakdowns that are all pretty similar, and two each of I Can't Quit You Baby and You Shook Me. However, both of those, especially the latter, are done first in relatively compact form in the first representation and then extended or turned into medleys in the second. That makes it somewhat less samey. However, it's the second disc that's the most interesting. It's an entire radio broadcast of a full Zep club concert in 1971, before LZ IV was released. It has some previews of that album, including what may be the first concert playing of Stairway To Heaven, or at least the first to come down to us in good sound quality.

Speaking of sound quality, have I mentioned how crisp everything sounds? Perfect sound IMHO. Oh, just on another tangent---in my LZ II review, the sincerity factor for Thank You is not because of a lover but a love letter. I meant to say love letter but I apparently was too busy enjoying the music to check for odd typos. Sorry! The concert on disc 2 is really something. They open with a furious sounding Immigrant Song, followed by a furiously delivered Heartbreaker, followed by a cool, stinging Since I've Been Loving You, followed by a decent Black Dog, followed by a metal symphony-era Dazed and Confused with lots of classical quotations, followed by a Stairway with an organ intro instead of a woodwind one, followed a slightly inferior Going To California, followed by That's The Way, followed by a far-out Whole Lotta Love medley, followed by Thank You, followed by a full length presentation of Wagner's Ring Cycle with Robert Plant playing Brunnhilde, Bonzo as Alberich the horny Nibelung, Jimmy Page as a Rhinemaiden being pursued by Alberich, and Jonesy as Al Gore, JR. A good show. An even better live "best-of" for Led Zeppelin, though it would be cool to hear some of the stuff from LZ IV and HotH in this format.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

REMASTERS (1999)

(reviewed by Pat D.)

The entire point of this box set, I suppose, was to make money from the greatest hits of this band. And believe me, they have had quite a few. What makes this box set better than the other mostly mediocre ones, are the songs that are on it that you forgot existed. Sure, "Stairway To Heaven" is blasted over classic rock radio 24/7 , but how often have you heard "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", "Achilles Last Stand" or "The Song Remains The Same"?

Overall, this "baby" box set (there is also a larger, 4-CD set) is pretty consistent, but they did leave off such notables as "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "Hey, Hey What Can I Do". Actually, that last song is on here, in the middle of one of the interviews, which makes it a bitch to get to. I think its Track 1, about 2:20 or something. Oh yeah, the third disc here does not contain music, but instead a dumb interview with the remaining members of the band (Drummer John Bonham, one of the more powerful drummers in history, died in his own vomit, I believe. Nobody said rock stars were particularly bright...) takes up most of the disc. You might enjoy this drivel; I do not particuarly give a shit about how Jimmy Page went about looking for the original master tapes.

Just about everybody I know who has bought this collection loves it. Even my sister, who's tastes up until very recently ran towards Matchbox 20 and other Pop shit, got this set, and plays it. Led Zeppelin have influenced just about every rock band today in some shape or form, and even that no talent hack Puff Duddy ripped off "Kashmir" in his absolutely insulting (c)rap hit "Come With Me". Now, I do not have a problem with rap in general, but when somebody like the Puffster can decimate a classic like "Kashmir" and make millions, there is something wrong with our music industry in general.

Ok, Ok. Enough Puff bashing. My favorite Zep song of all time "The Song Remains The Same" sounds great on this album. If only Jimmy and George Marino had gotten a bit more high-end in the track, it would be heaven. At any given time in this song, there are AT LEAST 2 guitars playing cool-ass riffs. I say at least 2, cause at times I can almost hear 4 guitars. And that rules! More so than the majesty of "Achilles Last Stand" or "Stairway". Almost all of the songs on here are great, but I don't like "The Battle Of Evermore", "The Rain Song" or "In the Evening". There are quite a few exceptional hits on here, that'll get your foot tapping, or your head banging, so it gets a 10 despite those tracks.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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SOLO ALBUMS/SIDE PROJECTS

PAGE AND PLANT

No Qiuarter: Jimmy Page And Robert Plant Unledded (live) 1994

Walking Into Clarksdale 1998

NO QUARTER: JIMMY PAGE AND ROBERT PLANT UNLEDDED (1994)

(reviewed by Craig Singkofer)

HIGH POINTS: Kashmir, Thank You, Since I’ve Been Loving You. LOW POINTS: Yallah.

Released in November of 1994, Page and Plant’s Unledded managed to unwittingly polarize Led Zeppelin fans. This effort was what fans had been waiting a long time for: a Zep reunion, and many of those fans were left wanting something other than what they got. It was a quasi-reunion at that, as John Paul Jones (for reasons unknown) and John Bonham (for good reason) are noticeably absent. This is not an album for those new to Led Zeppelin, but for those familiar with their catalog, it is worth having in the collection.

Inconsistency is rampant on this album, with a mix of studio tracks and live tracks, and new songs mixed with remakes of classic Zep songs. “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” gets the album off to a sleepy start. In contrast to the original studio version, the bass line drives the song, and it’s a gloomy, unrecognizable version of itself. Ditto for “No Quarter” – very mundane. The album drifts back and forth into “live album” mode, and on occasion the songs shine. The orchestration provided by the London Symphony is tight and always works well. But “Friends” and “Four Sticks” are uninspired, while “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Thank You” and “Gallows Pole” are pure gems - worth listening to repeatedly. But this is an inconsistency within and inconsistency. If that’s even possible.

Jimmy Page was finally able to air his long-held Middle-eastern and Celtic fetishes on this project. It is a hit-or-miss venture. For example, it sounds very out of place on songs like “No Quarter”, but works well in “Gallows Pole”. Of the new songs on the album, only “City Don’t Cry” is worth a second listen. And “Yallah” is simply unbearable. Really.

“Kashmir” fittingly enough, is the centerpiece of this album. Jimmy Page threw all of his resources at this song, and amazingly, it works well. At nearly thirteen minutes long, it is arranged using the band, orchestra, mid-eastern instruments/players, and an in ingenious run-walk structure. It’s nearly a masterful version of a rock staple, and is almost enough reason in itself to buy the album. With a couple of listens, certain songs on this disc “age” well, while others are pass-overs. Enjoy it for what it’s worth to you.

OVERALL RATING: 6