The Complete Discography Thread Led Zeppelin
 

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.


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. :nono:

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.



http://www.gigwise.com/gallery/LedZeppelin1969.jpg\
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


http://www.classic-rock-concerts.com...o.fullpage.jpg
The band in a publicity photo in 1979, shortly before Bonham's death.

As we know I am not a huge Zep fan at all but this looks like it will be a great read regardless. Looking forward to it.

This looks very interesting.

Like Lee, I'm not a massive Zep fan, but I do love discography threads like this. I shall read with interest!

Zeppelin is fantastic. They gave blues and folk music a whole new audience. Nearly every major rock band since has paled in comparison to these guys.

Really looking forward to this one, Jay :) Great job on the opener post!

This is going to be so awesome I can't wait. I'm a massive Led Zeppelin fan and I know this is going to be a great read. Great idea and a great start.

Pre-Band Timeline\The New Yardbirds
 

That Video from 1957 would never have "led" anyone to predict what little Jim Page would be doing 10 years later, not curing cancer as he aspired then but instead changing the face of music forever, or at least laying the groundwork to do so. The following is a time line chronicling the events leading up to the formation of the band. A more detailed background for each member will be included in an upcoming post. Please enjoy the videos included with this section, they are real treats in my opinion.

Pre-Band Timeline

England Spring, 1966 – Jimmy Page joins the Yardbirds replacing Paul Samwell-Smith on bass guitar, eventually becomes co-lead guitar along with Jeff Beck.

After turning down the spot a year prior, it was Page who suggested Beck as the replacement for Eric Clapton. Rhythm guitar player Chris Dreja moved to bass when Page joined Beck on guitar. Beck would leave the band shortly after leaving Page as the lone lead.

Page on bass for the Yardbirds




England 22nd May 1966 – Jimmy Page, hoping to form a new super group, along with John Paul Jones, Keith Moon and Jeff Beck record “Beck’s Bolero” but never any other music.

Page envisioned the band to include John Entwhistle on bass, and Jones on keyboards proposed front men included Terry Reid, Donovan and Steve Winwood. Nothing ever real came of it though, although it foreshadowed Page’s aspirations to be part of a major band heading in a new direction.



England Summer, 1966 – Robert Plant and John Bonham play together in the band Crawling King Snakes for six months and develop a friendship.

Bonham left the band to rejoin a prior project of his “A Way of Life”. The two would collaborate a lot over the next couple years (we'll get to that soon enough) and it's Plant who would suggest Bonham be the drummer for the “New Yardbirds”


England Winter, 1967 – Robert Plant and John Bonham reunite when Plant forms “Band of Joy”. Their run last just over a year leading up to the formation of Led Zeppelin.

Though they never really became a commercial or critical success, Band of Joy is where Plant developed his reputation as a rising star on rock scene.



England Winter, 1967 – Working out the kinks as musical director on Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” album, Jones hires and teams with Bonham and Page among others, none of their work makes the album final cut.

Even if the work of Page and Bonham never made the final cuts, the influence is there plain as day, it’s as Zeppelin sounding a song as any other before their time. It was during this session that Jones decided he would work with Page as much as possible in the future.

England Summer, 1968 – The Yardbirds disband leaving several tour dates left to be played.

This opens the door for the "New Yardbirds", eventually Led Zeppelin, to form. The Yardbirds singer (Keith Relf) and drummer (Jim McCarty) dropped out immediately. After Terry Reid passes, Robert Plant accepts the lead singer position and recommends John Bonham as drummer. After Chris Dreja dropped, John Paul Jones contacts Jimmy Page about playing bass on the tour and Page agrees.

Denmark Fall, 1968 – The "New Yardbirds" debut

Led Zeppelin plays their first tour as The Yardbirds starting in Denmark and ending in Sweden 11 days later. The tour was a dynamite success, drawing standing ovations and rave reviews throughout; there is a rush to cut an album as soon as they return to England.

England Fall, 1968 – The band changes their name to Led Zeppelin.

Many stories exist in the legend of the name, the most popular says that Keith Moon described the prospects of the Page envision super band prior to the New Yardbirds as likely to go over like a Lead Balloon. The “a” in Lead was dropped to avoid mispronunciation and thus “Led Zeppelin” was born.

England, 25 October 1968 – Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones perform together for the first time under the name Led Zeppelin

Magic ensues.

Denver, Co. December 26th 1968 – The Band’s United States debut as an opening act for Vanilla Fudge.

The last time they would not headline a bill. Vanilla Fudge and Zeppelin had become close playing together in England, throwing them on the tour last second was a "favor" to the band.

January 12th 1969 – The debut album is released…

Double post, but other than that incredibly enjoyable so far, I'm fapping in anticipation.

I'm looking forward to this as well. I've only started listening to Led Zeppelin in the last decade. In college, I was one of those kids who went all vinyl to be cool. But it turns out, there were some great redeeming qualities. I found Zeppelin, that's for sure.

Great read so far. The way you cover their history has the feel of a documentary, mostly because its well written and the videos. I like being able to read about a specific time in the history of Led Zeppelin, while hearing a song or something related to that period of time, it makes the whole experience complete.

Meet the Band (Part 1 of 2)
 

Jimmy Page

http://home.att.net/~chuckayoub/jimmy_page-pic.jpg

Born: January 9, 1944
Instruments Played: acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar, banjo, mandolin
Major Song Writing Credits: Page is credited as co-writer of every single Led Zeppelin original with the exception of the following where he is the only credited writer: “Black Mountain Side”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Tangerine, “Bron-Yr-Aur”.

The most charismatic and popular member of the band, his electric guitar riffs have become a trademark of the Zep’s Blues-rock reputation and legacy. Page began his career as a studio musician on lead guitar and quickly developed a reputation as one of the more talented and sought after players of his day. Page was the last surviving member of the original Yardbirds and became the founding member of Led Zeppelin. His creative and intense guitar playing have made him an Icon in Rock & Roll Music and he is widely considered one of the greatest guitarists of all-time. In his pre-Zeppelin days Page contributed to albums by the Kinks, Them, the Rolling Stones and the Who. After initially declining an offer to replace Eric Clapton with the Yardbirds in 1965, Page joined the band a year later replacing then bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and eventually moving to lead guitar alongside Jeff Beck when Chris Dreja moved to bass. Page remained the Yardbirds lead guitar player after Beck left the band and thus filled the same position for the Zep shortly after. He continues to tour as the years go on playing with Plant and the Black Crowes among others; he is the only Zeppelin member twice elected to the rock and roll hall of fame.







John Paul Jones

http://ledzeppelin.alexreisner.com/g...ngs/jones2.jpg

Born: January 3, 1946
Instruments Played: 4, 5 and 8 string bass guitar, piano, electric piano, organ, keyboards, synths, mandolin, mellotron, harpsichord, recorder
Major Song Writing Credits: Primarily the band’s musical arranger, Jones was a co-writer on more then 20 songs including the primary melody and structure of “Your time is Gonna Come”, “The Lemon Song”, “Celebration Day”, “Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp, “No Quarter” and “Royal Orleans” with John Bonham.

The musical prodigy and mastermind of arrangement and orchestration. Born the son of musicians, J.P Jones is the most underrated member of Led Zeppelin and one of the more underrated musicians of all-time perhaps. Playing in professional bands from the age of 13, Jones rose to prominence in the 1960’s as a musical director for a lot of the psychedelic and early hard rock mainstays of the era. He became a part of the band after phoning Page in reference to filling the spot of bass player for the New Yardbirds at the last minute after Chris Dreja dropped out of the Scandinavian tour. Jones and Page had a history of working with each other is session work and had grown a respect and admiration for each other. It was the grind of arrangement and studio work that lead Jones to seek a more exploratory and regular gig as a member of the Page’s new band. Continuing to expand his repertoire late into his career, Jones has played over 20 different instruments in all on Led Zeppelin’s studio and live albums and continues to draw praise as a respected producer in the industry.

“I was working at the sessions for Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man, and John Paul Jones was looking after the musical arrangements. During a break, he asked me if I could use a bass player in the new group I was forming. He had a proper music trainin, and he had quite brilliant ideas. I jumped at the chance of getting him”

Page on J.P. Jones


Jones on Bass just one year ago...

Meet the Band (Part 2 of 2)
 

Robert Plant

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2n0Kegy5p_...ant1prauls.jpg

Born: August 20, 1948
Instruments Played: vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
Major Song Writing Credits By the second album Page and Plant had become the bands primary song writing team. Plant handling the lyrics mainly.

The signature whine of Plant’s prolific vocals and the desperate delivery he moved back and forth from helped define the sound that would spark the Hard Rock generation of rock and roll music. Not the first choice of Jimmy Page for the spot of front man, in fact never even considered until Page’s primary option Terry Reid turned the part down and recommended Plant for the gig. Traveling all across England music scene trying to find a home for his Blues driven love of music, Plant developed a reputation as a prodigious showman with a powerful set of pipes despite the lack of commercial success of many of his early pre-Zeppelin projects. The shared passion for modernizing the blues and for collaborating on music in general made Page and Plant fast friends and the duo would begin a long and illustrious career as co-writers of many of Zeppelins most popular and acclaimed songs. One of the original “Gods of Rock” Plant legacy as a front man lives on as he continues to play and perform with many of today’s artists including a recent stint with Allison Krauss.

“When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediately thought there must be something wrong with him personality-wise or that he had to be impossible to work with, because I just could not understand why, after he told me he'd been singing for a few years already, he hadn't become a big name yet. So I had him down to my place for a little while, just to sort of check him out, and we got along great. No problems.”

Page on Robert Plant



A collection of Plant’s noted vocal displays





John Bonham

http://elblogdearchi.com/wp-content/...ohn-bonham.jpg

Born: May 31, 1948
Instruments Played: drums, timpani, various percussion
Major Song Writing Credits: Bonham was co-writer on a number of Zeppelin tunes including “Good Times, Bad Times”, “Communication Breakdown”, “Heartbreaker”, “Moby ****”, “Out on the Tiles”, “When the Levee Breaks”, “Royal Orleans”, “Rock & Roll”, “The Ocean”, “Kashmir”

The hardest person to convince to join the band turned out to be the skittish percussionist from Worcestershire. Despite the immediate infatuation of Page who had previously considered such luminaries as B.J Wilson, Clem Cattini and Ginger Baker, Bonzo held out on joining the band until the last minute considering other offers. In the end it was probably his relationship with Plant that leads to his rounding out the line-up as the rock and roll drummer proto-type and the backbone of the Biggest Band in the World. Always a wayward spirit Bonham took up the drums late, but took an interest in the arts and music particularity early. He was always looking for new and creative challenges. During his heyday with the band his famous Moby Dick drum solo was a highlight of most live shows. He met his end to soon as substance abuse got the best of him. Bonham died September 25th 1980 after drinking himself to his end. His headstone epitaph reads “Cherished memories of a loving husband and father, John Henry Bonham who died Sept. 25th 1980; aged 32 years. He will always be remembered in our hearts, Goodnight my Love, God Bless.”


A portion of Bonham’s famous Moby Dick solo

great read! can't wait for the rest of it

Thank you all for following the thread, I hope you'll continue to enjoy it.

@Kamikazi Kat

I am very pleased to hear you like the inclusion of videos, your expereince was the exact desired effect I had in mind.

Great bios and interesting reads :) Looking forward to the rest!

The New Yardbirds Scandinavian Tour 1968
 

"They don't (normally) cheer too madly there, you know? We were really scared, because we only had about fifteen hours to practice together. It was sort of an experimental concert to see if we were any good. I guess."

John Paul Jones


(From the Biography of John Paul Jones)
7 September 1968 - as on every Saturday during the season - there was a Teen Club ball at the Egegård School in Gladsaxe (a suburb in the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark) This evening's top orchestra was "The New Yardbirds". Ahead of the event some disappointment could be noted among the Gladsaxe Teen Club members. Only one of the members of the "old" Yardbirds - Jimmy Page - was part of the new version of the group. Was the new quartet really something compared to the well known and very popular Yardbirds?
Today, what those lucky few (probably around 1,200 - 1,400 youngsters) were to witness in the small school aula in Gladsaxe has become part of rock history. Shortly afterwards "The New Yardbirds" changed their name and became "Led Zeppelin". And the gig at Egegård School was the first time that now legendary Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and Robert Plant played together before an audience. Actually the group had only been formed very short time before this - their first Scandinavian tour.
As president of the Gladsaxe Teen Club it was Lars Abel who had the pleasure to enter the stage and introduce the group. His old speaking note from that evening - with some of the names of the new group handwritten into the manuscript only minutes before he made the presentation (a small mistake was made Plant became Plat!) - tells of how the group had been rehearsing all afternoon at the school to the great delight of the voluntary Teen Club work staff who were preparing that evening's ball. Lars Abel could therefore also state that the audience would get something that was even better than the old Yardbirds!

On their first tour the future “Led Zeppelin” played a number of different traditional songs and early versions of Yardbird turned Zeppelin numbers.
Exact set lists during the first tours are still sketchy. Old Yardbirds' live staples such as “Train Kept a Rollin'”, “Dazed and Confused”, “White Summer” and “Likely For Your Love” were performed.
Material from the yet unfinished debut album was also included, such as: “Communication Breakdown”, “I Can't Quit You Baby”, “You Shook Me”, “Babe I'm Gonna Leave You”, “How Many More Times” and a Garnett Mimms cover, “As Long As I Have You.”



THE REVIEWS ARE IN…

Press Review: "Jimmy Page has put a new band together. The music is the same, only better than ever... Robert Plant should face some small criticism and a lot of praise for an excellent performance. There is no doubt that he is a good singer, but he doesn't have to twist his body like he's having a ruptured appendix, does he? Musically, the band is super-great. Their hard disciplined beat is amazing. Of course, it was foremost Jimmy Page that was responsible for this but the drummer should also be mentioned; a drum solo so wild and good is hard to find. It was so good that one almost wished that John Bonham wouldn't stop."

In Teen Club Nyt (Gladsaxe Teen Club's monthly members' magazine) in October 1968 Bent Larsen (who was the magazine's normal reviewer) gave this rave review of the new Yardbirds first concert:
"The English group YARDBIRDS had been rehearsing their new set most of the afternoon. So when they entered the scene they were really hot to get started and give it all. Their performance and their music were absolutely flawless, and the music continued to ring nicely in the ears for some time after the curtains were drawn after their show. Let me in particular give my praise to JIMMY PAGE who has made a great job with the 3 new men. They really succeeded and in particular the guitar solo by Jimmy Page created huge applause. We can therefore conclude that the new YARDBIRDS are at least as good as the old ones were."


“We realized we were working under false pretences, the thing had gone quickly beyond where The Yardbirds had left off. We all agreed there was no point in retaining the New Yardbirds tag so when we got back from Scandinavia we decided to change the name [of the band]. It was a fresh beginning for us all.”

Jimmy Page

Thank you so much for having the intelligence to fit the yardbirds into a Led Zepplin thread. I was a little afraid you would leave them out and they would be nothing without that background. Amazing thread so far.

The Early Led Zeppelin
 

What started as a vision of a blues-rock super power, evolved into a series of settling for “second best” only to find a combination more potent then even Page’s wildest aspirations may have ventured to suppose. From the start it was Page who guided the bands embryonic evolution.

"Our music should be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music topped with heavy choruses" with "lots of light and shade in the music."

Jimmy Page

You'd never convince a kid today that the music of Led Zeppelin was "too hot for TV", but it was a different time and people had never seen an act like this unless they'd been looking for it really hard. There was no internet, no magazines, hardly an underground scene, and how would one even find out about it. Another fact is the time of their debut the Album Oriented Rock era was still in it's infancy.


The first Shows under the new and permanent name were in England and though it’d be easy and poetic to suggest that they were a sensation from day one, it’s really not the case. The band had shed the popularity associated with the Yardbirds name and accompanied with their new heavier style found themselves being looked at only as an opening act initially. They played in front of a host of Bands in England and the Western United states including most notably Vanilla Fudge, who the group (Plant in particular) befriended in England. They quickly developed a reputation as a raucous and unprecedented live act, so much so that they quickly released two albums and were thrust onto the Media circuit. Constantly touring and recording, their first 14 months of existence were ultimately the bands most prolific and grueling era.

One consistent theme with the attitudes of Early Led Zeppelin is a sort of "take this as it goes" mentality. I don't think they seen it coming, I think even though Jimmy Page had always imagined it, he hadn't believed even when he first saw it for himself. These interviews show the begining of their realization of just what their music was doing and what the Led Zeppelin brand was becoming. They are unquestionably cool and relay a sort of humble sincerity and in such a soft spoken nature striking such sharp contrast to their preferred form of musical expression. This captivating dichotomy would eventually crumble as the band's popular reached unparalleled heights and so did the acts of lunacy and debauchery.

I'll Leave you with my favorite of all...

I've cited that last interviews loads of times about how the Beatles were never about the music. This thread makes me so happy :D

Thanks Tore, always nice to know you're reading.

Couldn't tell the story proper without it, glad you appreciate it as much as I do, thanks for the compliment and the support.

That's great man, I love old footage of bands doing interview's or press videos. Did you see the first video in the opening thread of 13 year old James "Jim" Page?

Led Zeppelin (1969)
 

I remember looking at the envelope; I wanted to like it, my brother loved it, he was cool so it was too. I knew it was loud, a whole lot louder then my Beatles and Byrds records and even more energetic then Dad’s Fats Domino and Jackie Wilson .45’s. I had no context for the music, and the first time I listened to it I was confused, overwhelmed. I guess I probably lied to myself and everyone else for about the first 6 to 8 months of my Led Zeppelin fandom, I didn’t get the music; I liked what it stood for not what it was.

The Blueprint:
Perhaps the most vital behind the scenes decision in the early history of Led Zeppelin was Jimmy Page’s paying for the less then 40 hours of recording time it took to complete the first album because of his steadfast insistence on maintaining complete creative control. The album would be comprised of Blues standards and mainly Page written originals, with the cracks filled in by band members, performed with a ferocity Rock & Roll had yet to see. The group worked out the arrangements of the numbers, some Yardbirds leftovers even, on their Scandinavian Tour and Early Great Brittan and Western North America tours. They were instantly notorious for their high energy high amplitude live shows but only by keeping the record companies influence out of the album recordings was Page able to bring the heavier louder more raw sound to the people.

“I still had plenty of Yardbirds riffs left over. By the time Jeff (Beck) did go, it was up to me to come up with a lot of new stuff. It was this thing where Clapton set a heavy precedent in the Yardbirds which Beck had to follow and then it was even harder for me, in a way, because the second lead guitarist had suddenly become the first. And I was under pressure to come up with my own riffs. On the first LP I was still heavily influenced by the earlier days. I think it tells a bit, too... It was obvious that somebody had to take the lead; otherwise we'd have all sat around jamming for six months. But after that, on the second LP, you can really hear the group identity coming together.”

Jimmy Page

The Songs:
Many times on the forum I’ve remarked just how fitting everything about the opening track, “Good Times, Bad Times”, feels to me. The very first notes create an air of anticipation, and as the song builds a perfect picture of what the first album will be is portrayed. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” goes from articulate whisper to thunderous stampede, from it’s captivating arpeggio progressions to it’s climactic and ominous chorus riffs a top-notch song. After that the slow dazzle of the methodical monster “You Shook Me” acts as a diabolical precursor to the song that best fits albums primary construct; “Dazed and Confused” is a Yardbirds leftover with a face lift that leaves it unrecognizable. Frenetic driving guitar riffs, an electrified tribute to the blues and a slew of cascading drum rolls highlight the bands first standout. A personal favorite track “Your Time is Gonna Come” demonstrates a more moderate side to the Led Zeppelin personality. John Paul Jones’s main contribution to the album, the contrasting organ and guitar riffs prove too delightful to dismiss. Bleeding in through its fade away is “Black Mountain Side” is the first of back-to-back short tracks, the instrumental Irish folk standard is a fine fit amongst an otherwise electric album. Think of it as sorbet. The next track is more then a meal. It’s easy to see the punk influence it would have just dripping from the main lick but at the time it just blew peoples fucking minds. “Communication Breakdown” was the first “A” side for Zeppelin and still a favorite of many fans. The penultimate track draws more from side one with a deliberate pulsating groove setting the backdrop for a blues heavy promenade. “I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a truly groovy number. Finally the two part conclusion “How Many More Times” to which the band would ultimately answer “Seven, seven more times” Fast out of the gates and coming down the stretch it’s an electric grand finale of prevailing proportions not soon forgotten by these two ears.

The Legacy:
Initially meet with harsh and dismissive reviews from most major publications including Rolling Stone, eventually the voice of the people overwhelmed those of critics stuck in an era that was on its way out. Now the eponymous debut is regarded as the album that launched the hard rock genre and kicked rock and roll into overdrive. The influence of their inaugural effort stretches far and wide, beyond borders and genres. Sales were instantly through the roof and in all it’s sold more then 10 million copies going Gold or better in 10 different countries. Bands from Nirvana to The Ramones credit “Led Zeppelin” as a significant influence.

Evaluation: Nine fantastic songs that fall flawlessly into place demonstrating a wide array of the bands musical aspirations while never straying far from the Occams Razor method of blues rock roots of the band. The magic of this album is it wasn’t even supposed to be a masterpiece; this was filler, a rushed album to capitalize on the successful early tours and work out the kinks as a studio band. To me it’s pretty close to perfection; I don’t even have a criticism for it that I believe. Final Grade: A


Those Who Enjoyed Led Zeppelin May Also Enjoy Led Zeppelin II

As you know I'm not a huge Zep fan but the debut is my favourite by far. It's energy and raw power was never matched in my opinion and this review has gave me an itch that only a listen will relieve. Well informed review and I enjoyed reading how the music actually affected you and not just what it sounds like.

Thanks for the links to all the songs, makes it easy to remember which is which. One thing about Led Zeppelin is how little sense the titles of most of there songs make. I think #1 is their third best album overall behind 2 and 4.

Guest Review: Led Zeppelin
 

A new feature to this thread in one I've long hoped to implement is the guest review. I think it's important to recognize the different types of people that the same music can connect and resonate with. With that in mind I've been able to at least temporarily acquire the services of another very different but very qualified member to post shorter more succinct guest reviews following my own throughout the thread.

http://www.musicbanter.com/image.php...9&type=profile
Flower Child joined our community in January of this year and has been a welcome addition contributing a new and uncommon background and perspective on music here and has one of the best member journals out there. She'll take it from here.

In '69, my sister's boyfriend left Led Zeppelin I and II albums at our house. I was already into music (as much as a 12 year old could be, I guess), but nothing prepared me for these records. I listened to them every day for a long time. I know this music by heart, every note. It still amazes me when I play them today.

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I find it hard to have as much adoration for old bands like Led Zeppelin. I respect them, and their guitar play is fun... but I can't seem to feel what others feel for them. Which is a shame, really.

is this over?

Maybe it is, but many people I know who are in their twentys and even teens, "know" Led Zeppelin. As far as "heavy" music, they set the mark, and I always seem to come back to them. No band (that I know of) had such individual talent, coolness, and the ability to write great songs. Every album was an evolution, you seldom hear a "formula" repeated in their music. I just got a Classic Records 200gram vinyl pressing of the 1st album, and it is the best way to hear this. Absolutely stunning. The only thing I can say is that I wish the album was longer. Oh well, I guess I will just have to get out Led Zeppelin II (got a nice "RL" cut of this one!) Rock on.

Great way to put it- and right, you are.