Led Zeppelin is undoubtedly one of the most influential rock bands in history. Disregarding any plagiarism they undoubtedly committed during their career, they almost always did things in a different and exciting way that caused them to be a veritable phenomenon in both their time and ours. Bands like Cream and Boston may have been huge for their time, very few have had the continued success and recognition that Led Zeppelin have received over the years.
Do I understand all of the hoopla? In a way, yes, but then again, not at all. Undoubtedly innovators, I just cannot see past the fact that the music has not aged well. Sure, some of their material has done so (Particularly the second and fourth self-titled albums, and [i]Physical Graffiti[/I), but most of their discography just doesn’t excite like it did 30 years ago. Most fittingly, the album that most suffers from this is their first release,
Led Zeppelin I.
Most of what is presented here is material that would be improved upon in later releases, or abandoned altogether for generally better ideas. John Bonham had not yet reach the “stratospheric” heights as a drummer like he later would; although he still banged on those drums ferociously, it wasn’t with anywhere near the skill we’d see on tracks like
When the Levee Breaks or
Achilles Last Stand just five or six years later. John Paul Jones is arguably the most impressive member of the band here, as he let’s loose some of the most rollicking basslines of his career on tracks like
Dazed and Confused and particularly
Black Mountain Side.
Jimmy Page also shows off his chops, coming directly from the Yardbirds. While not at the height of his technical prowess, he still makes enjoyable guitar melodies and groovin’ riffs, much akin to those found later, albeit not as ear catching. Of course, there is
Communication Breakdown, a song driven by one of the most famous Zeppelin riffs, and
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, technically featuring the first Zeppelin guitar solo. Throughout the albums he is the prominent member, but also the one who stands out the least from his works on other albums.
The most subtly disappointing member is singer Robert Plant. Always known more for his energy and live performances, he eventually gained tremendous respect as a vocalist for songs such as
Stairway to Heaven and even
Immigrant Song. Here, however, it’s almost painful to listen to him. The best comparison would be to a guy who can actually sing quite well, but he decides he should get tanked before a recording, and then just half-mumble and wail through his parts. Plant undeniably has a unique voice, but due to what seems to be a general lack of experience, he just doesn’t come across well on the album, and it’s a near deathblow. He shines at times (mostly with background “oh’s” and wails), yet at most he’s painfully average.
Of course, the songwriting itself is as tight as ever, which is both a good and bad thing. There is no weak track on here, the closest being the overstuffed and trudging
You Shook Me, which just drags along at such a pace to put you to sleep. Mostly everything else ranges from good to great, with the singles easily being the strongest songs from the album. They’re hard rocking, energetic, and generally enjoyable songs that can pick up at a moments notice. Whether it’s the soft acoustics of
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, the sprawling and bombastic
How Many More Times, or the sweet balladry of
Your Time is Gonna Come, you cannot call the album a one trick pony.
This is unfortunately also the albums fault. Going back to a previous theme, this album doesn’t really distinguish itself in any way from other Zeppelin releases. Nearly everything shown here is improved upon on just their next release, and then the formula becomes expanded and the songs become grander and more epic in tone on both their 4th release and
Physical Graffiti. This unfortunately leaves
Led Zeppelin I in a strange place; as a single album, it’s fairly good, and as a debut record, it’s close to being fantastic. However, these days, there are just so many better albums to look at.
This lands
Led Zeppelin I near the bottom of Zeppelin’s discography. While better than later albums in the bands catalogue, it still pales in comparison to many of the mid-career Zeppelin albums, of which every album from
Led Zeppelin II to
Physical Graffiti is both of higher quality and more fun to listen to. The album isn’t bad in any sense, just in the year 2006, it’s dated, and nothing special. The album gets a 3 in the end; it’s a singularly great album, dampened by the fact that when taken in today’s context, it just doesn’t stack up.
