Music Banter - View Single Post - The Complete Discography Thread Led Zeppelin

Son of JayJamJah · 05-20-2009, 11:40 PM

Led Zeppelin

A complete review of the bands epic discography and the circumstances surrounding their meteoric rise to fame and tragic, all too early demise.

It's long over-due and I feel compelled to take this one, in this thread I hope to cover delve into the basic's of the band pretty thoroughly and touch on some of the finer points and lesser known stories when it seems apropos. I have a new and hopefully easy to read format for the album reviews, a few compilations for the 10 or 15 of you out there who haven't heard them yet, a few surprises thrown in I think you'll enjoy and now more then ever look forward to jumping into one of my favorite catalogs. I hope you'll enjoy too. And one more thing; if you haven't yet, start the video now, it's timed to be just along to finish reading this whole post.

The group in early 1969 before their first album's release

From the Music Banter HOF Nomination Thread
“In the days of my youth I was told what it means to be a man”

That’s the first line of “Good Times Bad Times” the opening track on Led Zeppelin’s eponymous 1969 debut. It was in the days of my youth that I was first exposed to Zeppelin. They entered my world just as I hit adolescence and brought my musical taste to maturation. The music was so raw and heavy at the time and the guitar riffs seemed to be and turns out were unforgettable. Turn on any of the first five Zeppelin LP’s and there are at least two songs even the most novice of listeners can identify right away. The notes stick with you.

Led Zeppelin was the biggest band in the world in the 1970’s. They sold out everywhere they went and delivered some of the most intense and electric shows that rock music ever has and ever will see. Their commitment to expanding the influences and range of Rock music was apparent from the start and helped usher in an era of exploration that has helped shape the musical landscape of today. They are members of 24 different recognized musical hall-of-fame's world wide, but not the Music Banter HOF.

In their short time Zeppelin Released six fantastic albums in six years from 1969-1975. And three more following which enjoyed commercial success but are not as well remembered as those from the bands most prolific era. All nine Platinum albums. IV has gone platinum 23 times. They rank among the top ten highest selling artists in Music History.

Ours is the folk music of the technological age.
-- Jimmy Page

Zeppelin is recognized mostly for their hard edge rock riffs and thunderous live performances. However they wrote several very good folk influenced songs including; Bron-Yr-Aur, That’s the Way, Thank You, Tangerine, Going to California and so many more.

My vocal style I haven't tried to copy from anyone. It just developed until it became the girlish whine it is today.
-- Robert Plant

Plants voice was another instrument that complimented the entire sound of the band. He was not a great lyricist or vocalist, but a perfect fit, as perfect as there has ever been.

From the Band's Biography page
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards) and John Bonham (drums). With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands. However, the band's individualistic style draws from many sources and transcends any one genre. Their rock-infused interpretation of the blues and folk genres also incorporated rockabilly, reggae, soul, funk, classical, Celtic, Indian, Arabic, pop, Latin and country. The band did not release the popular songs from their albums as singles in the UK, as they preferred to develop the concept of album-oriented rock.

Close to 30 years after disbanding following Bonham's death in 1980, the band continues to be held in high regard for their artistic achievements, commercial success and broad influence. The band have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide,including 111.5 million sales in the United States and they have had all of their original studio albums reach the U.S. Billboard Top 10, with six reaching the number one spot.

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Showing off the hardware following the first two albums.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section One: In the time before Zeppelin
Pre-Band Timeline\The New Yardbirds-----page 1
Meet the Band---------------------------page 2
The Scandinavian Tour-------------------page 2
The Early Led Zeppelin------------------page 2

Section Two: To Boldly go where no Band has gone before
Led Zeppelin I-(1969)-------------------page 3
Led Zeppelin II-(1969)------------------page
Led Zeppelin III-(1970)-----------------page
Led Zeppelin IV-(1971)------------------page

Section Three: The Biggest Band in the World
The Height of their Fame----------------page
Houses of the Holy-(1973)---------------page
Physical Graffiti -(1975)---------------page
The Swan Song Begins--------------------page

Section Four: Better to Burn out then Fade Away\The Final Years
Presence-(1976)-------------------------page
In Through the Out Door -(1978)---------page
Good Times Bad Times: Beginning the End-page
Coda-(1982)-----------------------------page

Section Five: Special Features
The Song Remains the Same-(1976)--------page
BBC Sessions -(1997)--------------------page
How the West Was Won-(2003)-------------page
Mothership-(2007)-----------------------page

The band in a publicity photo in 1979, shortly before Bonham's death.